Day 5.

Day 5: A favorite quote.

Okay, I really have about ten zillion million favorite quotes, but for the purposes of this post I'll go with one that has a been a top favorite of mine for a long time.

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." - Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring

Some people like to make fun of me about this (let's just say that I'm a bit lacking in the height department...), but that is NOT the reason it's one of my favorite quotes. I like it so much because I really believe that it's true...when you think about the way everything you do is going to have an impact right until the end of the world, it's absolutely amazing. And that is the way the world is changed - by the things that all the ordinary people do, and if they do enough of them they become extraordinary and so does the world. That is an incredibly inspiring thought.

* * *

Lately I've been re-exploring my love of classical music. That was about all we listened to when I was growing up, so for a while I was sick of it and took a break, but in the past few years I've been rediscovering it and realizing that so much of it is so interesting and beautiful. I'll really never understand why so many people dismiss all classical music as being "boring". Sure, some songs can be pretty mind-numbingly dull, but the same goes for some songs from every genre. I got these boxed sets of CDs of classical music from the library a couple of weeks ago (actually...they're overdue...) and I've been enjoying them a lot, especially the ballet music CD. Yes, I am one of those geeks who will be at ballet class and hear a song and go, "Oh, that's "Masks" from Romeo and Juliet! I love that song!" But Prokofiev's score for Romeo and Juliet is so beautiful...I love the first few seconds of the Introduction, and the Dance of the Knights.

I'm also one of those odd people who loves classical music and also enjoys rap now and again. Really, country is the only kind of music I cannot stand (and I actually do like a lot of Lady Antebellum's music).

To sum it up...

I <3 music!

30 Day Challenge, Day 1

I'm actually doing another of these 30 Day Challenges on Facebook (and stuck on Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory. What on earth? I have zillions of favorite memories, and a lot of them were not preserved in a photo! I'll have to get creative...) It would seem they're the latest craze. However, I think I'm going to do this one that I learned of on Mirfain's blog, since I've been itching to post lately and couldn't think of anything to talk about. So here's a whole list of things to talk about!

Day 1: A favorite song.
Day 2: A favorite movie.
Day 3: A favorite book.
Day 4: A favorite television program.
Day 5: A favorite quote.
Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive.
Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without.
Day 8: A photo of something you ate today.
Day 9: A photo you took.
Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago.
Day 11: A photo of you taken recently.
Day 12: A song that you want played at your wedding(or was played).
Day 13: A guilty pleasure.
Day 14: A vacation you would like to take.
Day 15: Something you've always wanted to do.
Day 16: A song that makes you cry.
Day 17: An art piece.
Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive.
Day 19: A talent of yours.
Day 20: A hobby of yours.
Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people.
Day 22: A website.
Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered.
Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love.
Day 25: A recipe.
Day 26: A childhood memory.
Day 27: A physical feature you love.
Day 28: A scar you have and it's story.
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days.
Day 30: A motto or philosophy.

So, without any further delay I shall commence with Day 1: A favorite song!

Thank goodness they just said "A" favorite song...

*goes to YouTube and browses through the nearly 300 songs on her "favorites" list*

You know what, just for the heck of it I am going to do this my way and post favorite songs from several different genres. And where there's one favorite song, there are bound to be about 10 more that could just as easily vie for the place of "favorite", just so you know!

Favorite Classical Piece: Pavane, Op. 50 (Faure)
Song That I Refer to As My General Favorite: Don't Stop Believin' (Journey)
Favorite Piece of Choral Music: Evening Hymn (Gardiner)
Favorite Song from a Musical: Work Song (Les Miserables) (it's the epic opening song), One Day More (Les Mis) (the signature Les Mis song, IMO), I Dreamed a Dream (Les Mis) (one of my favorites of the solos, and one of my favorite songs to sing), On My Own (Les Mis) (my other favorite solo...I think just about anyone could relate to it at some point in their life)
Hmmm, I'm seeing a pattern of Les Mis songs here. I wonder why? haha Okay, here's a few from some other musicals...
Seasons of Love (Rent), Overture (Phantom of the Opera) (AH THE MEMORIES!!!), and I would post Home (Phantom), but all of the recordings of it on YouTube are absolutely terrible, IMO. Well, if you'd like to hear me singing it, click here, but I've sung it better (I should re-record it sometime...)
Favorite Weird Song: Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush) Actually, there are so many that could go in this category...I love weird music!) Okay, here's another :) : Steppe (Rene Aubry)
Favorite Song That's Almost Classical But Not Quite: La Grande Cascade (Rene Aubry)

All right, I could probably keep doing this all day long, but I'll stop. ;) There's a small collection of my favorites!

There was a man named Jean Valjean...

We just finished watching the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary concert on PBS. It. was. AMAZING. My dad had told us there was going to be a special about Les Mis on tonight and I was expecting the usual hour-long documentary. But when we turned it on and I saw the stage and heard the first notes of "Look Down", I started literally dancing with excitement...it was going to be the entire show! I've been wanting to see it again since we saw it when I was 11. So yes, it was amazing!!! The concert format was a bit odd (for the most part, they were all singing to the audience in front of microphones instead of to one another), but even though it was different it actually worked quite well, and everyone was wonderful. I was actually quite impressed by Nick Jonas's performance...I cannot stand the Jonas Brothers' music, but I thought he did a fantastic job as Marius (I really think he should just stick with Broadway!). Perhaps he sounded a bit young and undeveloped, but I actually thought it was nice that Cosette and Marius both seemed about the age they were supposed to be.

One of the best parts came at the very, very end, after you'd suffered through about 20 minutes of the lady who, in my dad's words, had certainly had her coffee that morning, excitedly exclaiming, "Did you know that it took Victor Hugo 16 years to write Les Mis? Well, it doesn't need to take you 16 years to call and pledge your money! Call now!" and "One more day...well, it doesn't have to take you one more day! Call now!" until you want to throw something at the TV screen. *cough* Anyways. The original cast was there! The four original Jean Valjeans sang "Bring Him Home" as a quartet, joined at the end by tonight's Valjean, and then everyone sang "One More Day". That was amazing. I can only imagine the emotions that were flooding everyone, to be back on stage singing this incredible music from this incredible musical 25 years later. One of the best parts was when Michael Ball (the original Marius) sang, "My place is here...I stand with you!", and this huge smile lit up his face as he gestured expansively to the stage and the cast. That was just completely awesome!

So...I'm on a Les Mis high right now. :) That is my favorite musical! Someday, somewhere, I will perform in it.

On a slightly different note, I've been reading some of my favorite books lately! My mom bought four Agatha Christie novels from the library booksale last week, and I hadn't read any of them. I love her books! They're almost pure suspense, her descriptions of people are brilliant, some parts are absolutely hilarious, and in the end, even if it seemed that the crime was going to have some mediocre resolution, there is always some fascinating, often heart-rending story behind it. That's one thing that sets Dame Christie's books apart from other mystery novels...she always deeply explores the underlying reasons that murders are committed, and they are many and interesting.

And then my other favorites...I have discovered that I LOVE the Percy Jackson books! I saw the movie a few months ago and greatly enjoyed it, and then I read the first book and enjoyed it even more! I just finished book two last night, and I'm so glad there are four more! I really love the way Greek mythology is adapted to modern times, it's so much fun to figure out what mythological people or creatures they're running into (especially since I love Greek mythology), and the books are well-written, very well paced, and often completely hilarious! I must admit it...if something or someone makes me laugh, I'm bound to love it. haha

"Rats are delicious." The Sea of Monsters

Music

Music is a wonderful thing. You know how some songs just make you happy? Even if you've been having a terrible day, hearing a certain song can just make everything feel right (or at least like there's a chance it will again). It almost feels like your heart is breaking, but in a very, very good way.

So I'm going to share with you my current "happy songs"!

Love Story meets Viva la Vida by Jon Schmidt - Oh, this song! I love it! I'm so happy that guy wrote it...it's just brilliantly beautiful.

Don't Stop Believin' by Journey - This is one of my favorite songs ever! I'm really not sure exactly why...there's just something about it that I love. I'm even more attached to it now since we danced to it at the Halloween dance, and it will forevermore remind me of my visit to Christendom!

And I also love this version of it...

Don't Stop Believin' by Glee

So, there is the music that has been making me happy lately. I hope it does the same for you! :)

Distant Dreamer

I was listening to one of my mixed CDs that I haven't listened to in a while, and came across this song - "Distant Dreamer", by Duffy. I realized that this is definitely my theme song! :D It describes me and my general outlook on life extremely well.



So anyways...

Life has been going pretty normally. Therefore, I can't think of anything to post. :P Well, here's one thing! I have many teeth issues (hence my oh-so-lovely braces...), and there was a good chance I'd need oral surgery to correct the placement of one of them if it didn't come in on its own. But the good news is...it started coming in today! The only bad thing is that it's coming in through the roof of my mouth - rather unpleasant. But I'm SO relieved that I won't need the oral surgery! Now all that needs to be done is for it to come in all the way and the orthodontist will attach a bracket to it and wire it to the rest of my braces.

I sincerely hope that wasn't Too Much Information for anyone! :/ *smiles hopefully*

O praise Him!

There's a yet another song on my playlist I think you should all listen to! I found it on the playlist website when I did a search for Trinity College Choir (I love choral music!). In the first few seconds, I recognized the tune - we sing it to the words of "Sing We Triumphant Hymns of Praise" at Easter. I listened to it and was delighted by the beautiful arrangement, and then when I looked up the lyrics, I was even more delighted to find out that it is St. Francis of Asissi's "Canticle of the Sun"!

These are, more or less, the lyrics. I found a ton of different translations, but this one has the most verses. I love the words too! St. Francis's view of the world was so beautiful...everything was his sister or mother or brother, because all had been created by their Father, God.

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

Refrain
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!

Refrain

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.

Refrain

Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.

Refrain

And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!

Refrain

And thou most kind and gentle Death,
Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.

Refrain

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

Refrain

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I was very excited to read about minor-league baseball player Grant Desme, who, in the words of this article, is going "to leave playing against the Padres and Cardinals so he can start praying with other padres and cardinals at a Catholic seminary in Orange County". He's only 23 and could have been picked this year to be a late-season call-up for the major leagues, but he left this possibility of fame and honor and fortune to follow God's call. Isn't that wonderful? This man is one of my heroes now! It's wonderful to know that people are still open to God's voice, still willing to leave everything and follow Him. It sounds like something that would have happened in the 1940's or 1950's, but no, it happened in the corrupt society of the 21st century! There is still hope, that's for sure. Let's pray that the future Fr. Desme will always be just as willing to follow God's will as he is now.

Songs...

I just added a few new songs to my playlist, and I thought I'd give explanations for some of them that have some sort of meaning to me. It might be interesting!

"Defender" by the Cruxshadows - Doctor Bowman of the FT Forum posted this song quite a while ago on the forum, saying that it was amazing how it fits the second half of "Waking Rose". It sounds like it could have been written for it! If you've read "Waking Rose", listen carefully to the lyrics...I guarantee you will be very impressed at how closely it fits. Even the whole sound of the song is perfect. Lyrics.

"Sophia" by the Cruxshadows - After listening to "Defender" on YouTube, I listened to a few other songs by them and found this one. I love it! Lyrics.

This is part of the refrain:
Do not injustice to another
Defend the weak & innocent
May truth & honor always guide you
Let courage find a life within
Stand up when no one else is willing
Act not in hatred or in spite
Be to this world as a perfect knight
Even if it means your life...

Isn't that a great plan for life? Listen carefully to the lyrics of this one too. Lyrics.

"Jump" by Madonna - Don't be scared away by who this song is by! :) It's really very good. My sister Evangeline and I heard it for the first time at the summer intensive (it was the song that the jazz class performed to for the recital), and we have adopted it as our song! We love the fact that it even says "my sisters and me". The lyrics are just perfect for someone who is starting out on the great adventure of their life. Lyrics.

"More Than It Seems" by Kutless - I guess you'd have to be a member of the FT Forum and following the Cair Paravel thread to really understand this one. Lady Eliza told me about it because it fits the character I made up, Tristan Armitage (my character Blanche Rose Pevensie's boyfriend) so wonderfully! It could have been written about him. A quick overview of Tristan: He knew nothing of his parents until he was 18 and found out that he was actually the son of the King and Queen of Archenland, who had died in a mysterious fire at their summer home shortly before the disappearance of Tristan, then an infant. It turns out that Tristan had been kidnapped by the White Witch, who gave him to the Magician of the Mountain for safekeeping while she set about enslaving Archenland. Tristan would have been killed eventually, but with the aid of time traveling he escaped at the age of 12 and wandered the world until he met Blanche and her family. Shortly after this, he found out, through dreams and with the help of an Archenland gryphon, his true identity and set out to save his country. Lyrics.