Welcome to my lj journal. Below are links to the communities where I post my current artistic offerings, contest entries, and other lj activities. I hope you enjoy my work, and please, feel free to comment, make requests, and friend me (just ask first).

Journals I'm a member of...

This journal will be used for updates on my main web havens:
alightonthewater.blogspot.com/—for my artwork and fiction writing
areflectiononthewater.blogspot.com/—for my non-fiction writing and personal journal
These are updated frequently and archive most of my work.

Love & Peace,
Firieth Sídhe


( A few quick facts about me, behind the cut... )

Rich Mullins. One of my greatest regrets is that I didn't get to see him before he died in that car accident. Rich has been an artistic inspiration and "mentor" to me ever since I was young. His midwestern-monastic music connects with me deeply, especially since I grew up in the area of the US that he called home.

Your love.

For me, the internet serves as a way to keep up with friends and mentors, through my blogs and Facebook. I also use it to stay up to date with major world issues I'm passionate about. Of course, it's a great way to share art and have a bit of fun as well. ;)

Some of my favourite sites for the first category I listed...
http://areflectiononthewater.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo

The second category...
http://one.org/
http://www.worldvision.org/

And the third...
http://alightonthewater.blogspot.com/
http://www.atu2.com/
http://www.blogthings.com/
http://www.warofthering.net/forum/vbulletin225/upload/

I'd like to know just what I'm cut out to do in life. It's one thing, as a Christ follower, to say, "I know my purpose"—that's spelled out in Micah 6:8 ("He has showed you, O man, what is good./And what does the LORD require of you?/To act justly and to love mercy/and to walk humbly with your God."). It's another thing entirely to figure out what talents lend themselves to a career that enables me to best carry that out. *sigh*

The Official Raleigh Trip Part 1
In Which I Go to NC to See U2, and Something Completely Unexpected Happens

WARNING! Possible Spoilers (but not huge ones)
(click photos for full size)

My dad, brother (Pip) and I left from our house in Ohio around 4:30pm on Friday afternoon. We drove all the way down to Greensboro, NC, where my dad had an old college friend who was willing to put us up for two nights. Going through the mountains was really neat, as I hadn't seen them since I was seven or so. It was 12:00pm when got to my dad's friend's house, and 1:00am before we got in bed, so we were all pretty exhausted.

The next morning, I and my brother were up by 7:00am. My dad and our hosts were moving slower so we didn't get to Raleigh until somewhere around 11:00am. I was worried that we'd wind up at the very end of the GA line, but some of the fans organized a number system and I and my brother were only the 313th and 314th people there.


The GA line. Photo by me.

More behind the cut...

Smack In the Middle of a Contradiction



Ohio. So far, this is a land of football (not, unfortunately, the European type), rain, heat, humidity, underfunded libraries, good music, and people, people everywhere. But I’m getting ahead of myself...

Our move on the last weekend of July was stressful work. Thankfully, the moving crew really knew their job and completed it in plenty of time on Friday. We, on the other hand, were up all Thursday night packing. It was a long night. I would get a box finished, almost fall asleep sitting up, then someone would wake me, I’d drink a glass of water, eat a couple grapes, and try to keep packing. Repeat ad nauseum.

More behind the cut...

Backgrounds: U2–Edge's Photos; Mysterious Ways

01. 02.

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From Fireworks, to GED, to Celtic Fest


7/20/09-21/09

For a while, this summer, it felt like “the deep breath before the plunge,” as Gandalf says in The Return of the King. No more. We’re in “the plunge” now. So much has happened since my last entry, I hardly know where to start, but at least it hasn’t all been unpleasant.

More behind the cut...

Love rescue me/Come forth and speak to me...



I’m tired—stayed up too late last night listening to a Rolling Stone interview of Bono that I hadn’t heard before. It’s a long, seven-part podcast and I thought I’d just listen to the first half of the first part. Right. I wound up listening to the whole hour-long section.

Bono was talking about his life before U2. His words painted a picture of growing up in a lower-middle-class Dublin neighbourhood, with family, friends, religion, school, crazy street gangs, and all the rest. It’s a picture I’d seen glimpses of from reading about the band and watching their TV appearances, but this was much clearer and more personal.

Hearing Bono tell the story of his youth was further confirmation of how and why I connect with him. However, what really resonated with me were two things I’d never heard him talk about before...


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However Influential: On Presidential Power


I’ve lost count of the articles I’ve read recently in which President Obama is fearfully portrayed as the “Antichrist”. I’ve also read numerous editorials that optimistically claim he is America’s “Savior”. Both views seem exaggerated to me.

More behind the cut...


The Dawn After

It’s the dawn after the day;
Feels like I’m hungover—
Too weak to stand or run away.
They’re fighting out my door.

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Don’t Stop Believin'



Spring is short lived here. It seems only yesterday I was noticing the first buds on the maple out my window; now it’s fully leafed. I’ve been wearing shorts, t-shirts and nothing on my feet, whenever I can.

With the return of warm weather, I’ve also started practicing longbow archery again with my recurve (who’s elvish name shall remain secret). The first evening I practiced, I shot a round of six arrows and got only one to hit the hay bales. I was sore all through my shoulders the day after, but I’m gradually getting back into it, my aim is improving and the ache is starting to go away.

More behind the cut...


Barefoot



Saw a blazing bush in the city yesterday,
Flames rose up red but it didn’t burn away.
Sandals and stilettos hurried past so fast
I thought no one would wait to see it stay.

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Picture Time! Part 2 (GP&R 10-Adult Ballet Class)

My dad took these photographs of my final 10-adult Classical Ballet introductory class, yesterday morning (Thanks ada!). It was the end of nine weeks of classes together.

(Click each photo for full-size view.)


More behind the cut...


Backgrounds: U2–Lyrics, Macphisto, Recording NLOTH

(click for full size)
01. 02.

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Three Mother Hens & All Their Chicks or The Dance Recital Circus


5/13/09

Today, I feel rather "disinclined to acquiesce" to writing in here, but so much has happened that I must record it or risk even more work later. So, I’m journaling out of duty. Meh.


Intense work on GP&R recital began (for me, at least) on Monday the fourth. I was in the studio rehearsing my solo every day until the following Thursday. Beside that, I was writing countless tiny e-mails to the other teachers on everything from program acknowledgments to finale plans.

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Three Things Meme

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
01. losing those I love
02. failure
03. major world war/environmental troubles
THREE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ME LAUGH:
01. my brother Pip
02. U2
03. myself

More behind the cut...


Post-Mortem



I took a shovel; buried them deep,
Those promises that wouldn’t keep.
They’re long dead; should be gone,
But rain keeps falling; falling on.

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When I look at the world...



Yesterday was cleaning day—all day. I had the kitchen and main bath to deep-clean, plus the carpet in the living room and hall. Needless to say, it was long, exhausting work, but it had to be done, because we’ve been too busy to keep it up properly and the realtor was over for a meeting with my parents last night.

More behind the cut...

Either halfway drowned or halfway 'round the pier...


4/24/09

The university on the east coast didn’t work out. Even though they did a phone interview, Ada literally got a “dear-applicant” e-mail from them. So that’s that. *SIGH*

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So this is Springtime



So this is springtime; what do we see?
A new day unfurling with leaves on the tree.
But here in America we’ve lost good trades
And over in Africa they’re dying of AIDS.

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from morning_aura

1. Reply to this post, and I will pick six of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon glee.

( Read more... )

from morning_aura of livejournal

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LJ along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they're listening to.

( Read more... )

Don't you wanna just curve away?


4/13/09

Ada didn’t get the job he interviewed for, though the people there liked him enough to agree to give him a review on his job-interviewing skills as he’s requested. We’re not heartbroken or thrilled about the loss of that option, but the more options we have, the better, of course. At least we have another interview in its place now.

More behind the cut...


Photography: River Preserve, April 2009



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With or Without You


4/7/09

I’m thinking of a quote I can never quite remember—something about there being two types of people: those with time to write in their journals, and those who are too busy living. Unfortunately for my journal, I’ve erred in that latter category more often than not. Time to attempt an update....

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Something Right

If you knew what I lie awake at night and think about,
Felt every rush of rage in me, touched every drop of doubt;
Reached into my heart and head with nothing to keep you out,
You’d run away, repulsed, at the way my demons shout.

More behind the cut...