I am she who returns life and she who takes it,
I walk on water and bring to the surface those who dwell in the deep,
I am one who pulls from the past and gives to the future,
I hold time in my hand but have none,
It is said I am magic, the enchanted seek me out
I dwell in stone and wood Reality is my will
and I revel in the wild
Do you know all I am?
I know, that’s a loaded question,
I suppose if I'm going to begin this journey, I should introduce myself. My name is,
Rebecca Alm and I hail from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. I now reside about 20 miles (ca. 32 km) from where I was born and lived my whole life. I was part of a working-class family who cherished each other above all things. With a kindergarten teacher mother and an engineer father, we were not a family who strove to keep up with the Jones’s. My parents, like many, worked hard to maintain a delicate balance between the good times and the unforeseen hardships that befall us all.
Growing up, I spent every year in girl scouts, benefiting from having my leaders and troop, and also a younger sister who had mom our for her leader. So I got to double up on the experiences, crafts, camping, riding, leading, learning, and supporting others.
My parents were, and still are, the can-do king and queen, taking their 2 1/2-year-old daughter “me” on a backpacking trip through the porcupine Mountain with nothing but a rope tied around her waist one end with each backpack ladened parent. Repeating the mantra “Come on, Becca, you can do it!” being echoed through the wilderness.
They showed me every day that we choose to Do, to Try, to Dream, and this was the 70s, no internet! If we wanted to know or learn, we had to make a decision to learn it, and seek out someone to ask or go to the library and pray this building had what you were looking for. So in short, knowledge was a lot harder to come by. Things changed as we grew, a school change here, a degree earned there, and my sister and I, growing every day, learning about the curriculum in school and the natural world from home.
We lived not on the East side of Milwaukee but just on the west side of the Milwaukee river basin. A long gorge that cuts through northern Milwaukee and was dammed up back at the turn of the 18th century. They created a swimming and ice skating area there, and for decades it was, but as companies grew and poured out their toxic waste into the water it became too polluted to even think about touching. The entire basin became abandoned and was used as a dumping ground for everything you could throw over the bridge.
Junkies did their drugs and left needles all over the place. This was where I grew up. Watching nature in my own backyard be horribly abused and neglected. My world was all about living with nature, so it was a hard thing to watch.
Things did get better eventually, with environmental regulations and the removal of the dam, but the memory of it still pushes me to cherish the natural world without obliterating it.
This sits as a base for who I am, I am a swimmer and diver, skater and sailor, a player of sports "not a watcher", a lifeguard, an artist, a photographer, and college graduate, a dancer, a singer, a teacher, a biker, a hiker, photo restoration and preservationist, a costumer, a cosplayer, a creative problem solver, a carpenter, an engineer, a roofer, a gardener, a builder, a confidant, a shoulder in a crisis, a sole proprietor of 2 decades, a wedding specialist, a seamstress, a cake baker and decorator, a fantasy geek, a special education assistant, an advocate, a bodyguard, an author, a manager, a crafter, an adventurer, and above all a Do'er.
This is just a random taste of what I have done, and if you look at each of them and think about the skills you need to accomplish them, you will have a good idea of who I am. I am a mother of 2 elder teens, a wife of 23 years, businesswoman of two businesses, 23 years and 12 years of service. Borderline obsessive attention to detail has served to make me a master photo restoration artist, and a bridal party alterations specialist. In both professions, I relish the complicated and impossible. Bring me a challenge, I’ll see it done. And there is no Borderline about my desire to make it perfect, when it matters, good enough just isn't good enough for me. I will take the time to do it right, whatever that takes, research and educating myself on the steps needed to make it happen the best way possible.
I turn to you, and ask,
Do you want to go on this adventure with me?
There will be trials and triumphs along the way,
and we will not be the same at the end of this journey.
So I'm here learning about the blogging world, never even saw one before. The types of social media out there, “oh good lord” what to post where and when and how. The requirements for each. How to write grants. Figuring out web design for the 4th time, “I do it myself, graphic designer and all”. In 23 years, had multiple websites. And each time technology changed so much I had to learn it all over again, Aaarg." Researching the geology of Wisconsin, the topography, land laws, builders and contractors permits, legal permission for naming rights. Where will it go, what do we need to get going. Not to mention the place its self, the size of each building, the theme. The trees and bushes, flower gardens and orchards, “can't have baby plants”, so moving established trees and foliage, can you move them? how? and how much?. The Pub n Grill, the eco-technology to incorporate. The mind-boggling topic of spreadsheets, then in the mount doom looming over my head, the million-dollar question. Where is the money going to come from? And that is where you come in, I'm not building this for me, I'm not looking to get rich, I'm building it for Us. A real, get away, to live for a time as hobbity as you want. To relax with your feet up and live the dream. The work, to make that happen, will be eminence!
But when it's done! Heaven for all of us.
So I turn to you, and ask, Do you want to go on this adventure with me? There will be trials and triumphs along the way, and we will not be the same at the end of this journey. Hopefully, we will be stronger, know a lot more about a great many things, and ultimately be happier in our lives and ourselves. The Tolkien community is vast and varied, we joked that if every fan donated $10 dollars we could make this tomorrow. But they have to know about it and believe in it, that they can truly be a part of it. Not only crowdsourcing Money but skills and ideas and talents. It will take us all to build it and stay true to the vision.
There is a lot more to come! more tidbits on Instagram, conversations on Facebook, and more of my story, this was just a taste, an introduction if you will. It wasn't an easy road, mental, physical, and societal challenges had to be worked through, but more on that on a different post.
This, my friends, is what I bring to the table! My passion for the blending of ecology and technology, the support of the artists who are struggling to be seen and heard, and the absolute love of life and indulgence of whimsy that is our love of the Shire. That mythical place of peaceful rest and harmony, with that bit of humor and magic to keep you grounded in laughter.! My friends, come join me and bring your friends to help us build Tibbleburrow.
We invite you to register for our email list at the bottom of each page on our Website.
Consider becoming a Patron and get in on the special giveaways and official invitations. Memberships at $3, $10, $25, $100.
Ask questions, start conversations, and please don't be shy about sharing this with those you know will want to know that we are building Tibbleburrow.
Your excitement will be the key to this becoming real!
This will be a family-friendly destination, safe from the crowded floors of hotels, and much more affordable than taking a trip to the movie set tour.
Our goal is to make it more real than the movie set because, well, it will be!
Real time to spend in the gardens,
Real memories you give and receive,
Real homes to spend the precious night's sleep in.
Come be apart of the community.
FB @tibbleburrow Insta @tibbleburrow