Monthly Archives: August 2008

Click on the title of the blog post to view the entire entry.


Sunday Secrets

I'm normally very confident. Or–well so it appears. I'm dead set on being who I am without conforming to others ideas of how I should be-I stand up for my beliefs even if that leaves me the only one standing… I speak up to declare the injustices, to shout out truths, to try to motivate people to THINK for themselves. I wish so much that people would question what they do-and why… To give reason and answer… I'm passionate about so many things in life-and will debate to the core for you to know this.

But the other side of me is insecure and shy. Unsure of myself, confidence–non-existent. Walking past a group of girls, I instantly clam up- occasionally, a walk past the same girls-I'd give them so much attitude and presence that they'd step aside to let me past.  I have a voice-but sometimes that voice is just barely above a whisper.

My confession is that I am two sides of a front-I'm confident and outgoing, shy and reserved. Both of them very much who I am-both of them showing their faces… And to be honest, I like both of them–but the shy one needs more confidence, and the outgoing one needs to listen more.

2811453817_efd80fc5af.jpg

In bid for confidence, for experience, for inspiration–the shy girl walked the streets in Galway City yesterday… and guess what? I lived to tell the tale! Normal hustle and bustle of people, beautiful colours of culture coming together-swimming with artists and their work, buskers playing heavenly music… I missed the bus on purpose-and then missed the second bus!

By edarcy | Posted in Sunday Confessions | Comments (4)

The Little Prince

img_3436-bw.jpg

e.darcy

Had a second shoot today, with little Ruán-had to make up for last weeks camera malfunctions. Hmph. Well worth it–because I got some pretty amazing shots if I do say so myself. Quite seriously…some of my most favourites.

Before a shoot, I go over and over in my head the ideas I want to capture-I even think of ways to word it. Come the shoot? Those things just fly out the window, I crawl into myself–and I can't articulate what I want… Luckily-some people just do it for you.

Right when I got home (from exploring the city!!) I uploaded the pictures and right away found so many treasures-that it gave me butterflies…

img_3665.jpg

e.darcy

(This last picture BEGS to be painted… I might have to give it a go.)

Thanks again-for the warm welcome, and the most beautiful pictures!

By edarcy | Posted in {daily} | Comments (6)

Overheard.

Sometimes I forget that I live in a foreign country… That my own accent slips away and floats along with the Irish. That my words and spellings have changed and become so familiar to me that I don't recognize them as different.

I've always been one to keep true to myself-be myself-'stand out in a crowd' sort of thing. -When it comes to travel however, I'm a 'when in Rome' kinda girl. So when in Ireland, do as the Irish do-I speak in a hushed voice, I say 'sorry' instead of 'excuse me', I keep quiet and say 'howya' to a passerby. I even eat butter on my ham sandwiches without thinking that it is weird to do in America.

Then there are times that I am reminded that this isn't where I am from. Words being exchanged and taken up wrong on both parties… Difficulty pronouncing names of towns or even people.  Walking through the streets hearing colourful languages being twisted off the tongue… English, Irish, Portugese, Spanish, German, Chinese…You name it. I listen in to those conversations-trying to decide if they are from Russia, or Hungary. Picking the face out in the crowd that is from the Ukraine, and those that stand out from America.

Sometimes I just watch Spongebob on TG4(dedicated channel for Irish speakers)–which is psychedelic in it's own right…

Today, while at the ATM a boy and his mother wait in line behind me-I over hear him talking about a kid in his class that is from Connemara that speaks only Irish. He was baffled by it-couldn't get over it. and ended the little conversation with 'why can't they just speak English like everyone else?!'

Sigh. I wish right here–that I could say that the mother said something clever, to let him know that keeping the language alive is one of the best things-that Irish is spoken in the west for a reason, and that if you go to Dublin and speak Irish, they'll shout at you to go back to your own country… Instead, the mother smiled and said nothing.

By edarcy | Posted in {daily} | Comments (0)

love {letter} thursday.

There is nothing better than getting a little note from someone. Just a little something. To say 'hey', to say 'I'm thinking about you', to say 'I love you'… Even just a little smily face. Those thoughtful little words written down always mean so much-even when they say so little.

2804633652_87e9d706fa.jpg

e.darcy

Mom and I used to leave little notes back and forth. I might write her a little note in the morning before she'd go to work. She might leave a little note stuffed in my bag to find as a surprise later… As much as I love getting these little notes here and there-I love giving them even more!

So here is my note to you today;

This day will never happen again.

Whatever that means to you for today–please. Take. Have. Embrace. If I could attach a little lipstick kiss to that, I would…

By edarcy | Posted in Things I Love Thursdays | Comments (2)

The Secret Lives of Women…

2799587955_b6d79eb599.jpg

e.darcy

'She'd stopped reading the kind of women's magazines that talked about romance and knitting… and started reading the kind of women's magazines that talked about orgasms but apart from making a mental note to have one-if ever the occasion presented itself, she dismissed them as only romance and knitted in a new form.'
-Terry Pratchett {Good Omens}

By edarcy | Posted in {daily} | Comments (4)

Selkie

Today I crave the ocean. Not just THE ocean-but my ocean…My Pacific. My heart is heavy for it.

I crave to smell the salty air, to let the crisp coolness numb my face. To let my fingers dance in shallow tide pools, a peek into a secret treasure filled world…

We used to load up into the jeep, blankets and rainboots packed. Heading to the coast in the early hours-to beat the seagulls to the newest sanddollars the ocean just brought in… The cold wind chapping our faces, the rough water swelling high. Grey clouds looming over head and lightning in the far distance. Honestly, the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever known…

2710740520_876b44d8b5.jpg

I crave to go back to that little motel at the dock, where the tug boats pull in with loud horns into the night. Where the bridges raise up and lights flash. Where the fog hovers close to the earth until the sun finally chases it away…

By edarcy | Posted in {daily} | Comments (3)

Swimming Lessons

There are times when it makes perfectly good sense to look.  And times when there's nothing to do, but leap.
-Stephanie C. Roberts {LittlePurpleCow}

I read her words over and over again. Playing in my mind what they mean to me…

I've jumped, taken a few massive leaps. I've swam out far out and thought I might drown… Once, I started to think that all of the choices we made were mistakes. How soon after you think that it was a mistake do you start to realise that it is an experience?

It didn't take me long to realise that I need to slow down and breathe. To build some great stories and experiences. To appreciate the days that we have as we are- literally, in sickness and in health-for richer, for poorer. (I'm not just talking about marriage) I'm learning to let go…That we work to live-not live to work… That the money we have can be put to those 'leaps' instead of just looking… For me, change doesn't come easily. I need to dip my toe in, and then ease on into it… I have to soak it all up gradually, letting it sink in. Something on my 101 (oh that old thing?) says to 'try new things'…

The wrong turn down the road may get you lost, or lead you into something you would have never discovered on your own-a new world perhaps…

I want to make more leaps, to dive right in without caution to the rocks below…

We lay in bed last night, talking about great memories we share… I just want to continue to build more-until our memory box gets full of sceneries and scents, stories-the good and the bad. Experiences… Our story-our journey. So here I am, standing on the edge, my nose plugged-ready to take the dive…I wonder what will be next?

By edarcy | Posted in Inspiration | Comments (1)

Sunday Confessions

I was going to make my confession earlier–but what I wrote just didn't come out right, and I deleted it. I'm keeping it for another time.

My confession for today, is that I am so very hard on myself.

I've gotten myself worked up over something I didn't have control over-or thought I couldn't control. The photoshoot yesterday, god-I love the little family, so laid back, down to earth-super super sweet. And there I was, failing to get the shots that I wanted to create for them. It made my stomach sick last night, filled with guilt and self consciousness. The things that we love, the things that we care about, our passions–sometimes a hard pill to swallow when you start to question what the hell you are doing.

I've been replaying it over and over in my head. Second guessing myself and just being a Debbie Downer.

Waaah-wuuuuh…

By edarcy | Posted in Sunday Confessions | Comments (5)

Ruán Michael

So I finally managed the bus on my own this morning, and journeyed into Galway to meet with Geraldine, Ronan, and their newest addition Ruán! (I can't get over the name either!)

Greeted, and welcomed into such a beautiful house just as the babe began to wake from his nap…

2790010372_b1245b9db7.jpg

e.darcy

It started out with a quick bath in the nursery, momma and papa singing and talking-trying their best to win a smile…

2790016450_3197aa493d.jpg

e.darcy

and ended (too quickly, might I add) with a beautiful serenade.

img_3054.jpg

e.darcy

Thanks so much to the beautiful family-I hope to come back soon to capture more…

By edarcy | Posted in {daily} | Comments (3)

Yeah, I'll haunt the world inside you

In my dream last night, someone died… I sat in the living room in the dark, the room full of sleeping bodies-the only other person awake was another girl. I don't know how I knew him, but he died that night-in the room where everyone slept.

She cried, and tears rolled down my cheeks. She asked if I thought that he was in heaven, but my answer was no. He is right here…He is in this room with us. She looked around the room-wall to wall wishing to see him. And then it hit me, and I felt him deep in my chest. This heavy feeling, I could hear his words in my ears…

2787200026_12f61491dd.jpg

e.darcy

I'm not really one for talking about my dreams to other people–because uh. they are generally boring. If you weren't there, then it doesn't matter. We like to think it does…we like to think it's interesting to other people. But it just isn't. simple. Obviously, that doesn't stop me from boring the shit out of Steven with my night-capades.

But something about that dream…that feeling in my chest…

 Though dreams can be deceiving
Like faces are to hearts
They serve for sweet relieving
When fantasy and reality lie too far apart
-Fiona Apple

By edarcy | Posted in {daily} | Comments (0)