In Which I Say “So Long, Farewell” To Summer

A sad fact: It’s been ages since I’ve posted anything on here.

A happy fact: The reason being, I was off on the other side of the country playing violin and (on occasion) buying books.

But now I am back. 

A crazy fact: School starts soon (bebother summer homework 😠) and so do college auditions, and I shan’t have much time.

But!! I will be posting and sharing still (as time permits) on both blogs, which is very exciting because it’s been so long since I’ve been able to.

Summer was amazing. I got to do so many amazing things while at music camp, and I’m SOOO grateful for my experience there. 

After the six weeks I spent there, my family and I went vacationing and (as one does) we stopped at a bookstore. I acquired many delightful books (nevermind I had to carry them home on the airplane) and so here’s a brief outline of my post-summer-reading TBR: 

The sequel to Little Women and a journal to go along with Gatsby 🤩

A book with love poetry and a historical fiction, which I’m super excited about!

And of course, who can go wrong with Dostoyevsky?

Adieu,

Hannah

Don't Go Where I Can't Follow

    I felt it right to share a song I wrote a few weeks ago, based on dear Sam Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings. Enjoy, if you wish! It’s just the words because I haven’t recorded it yet, but I have been inspired to do some more songwriting.

don’t go where I can’t follow

“don’t go where I can’t follow” - Samwise Gamgee

[verse 1]

said I’d follow you to the end

said I’d never go from your side

a poor man’s child

but all the while

I’ll stay with you, my friend

so don’t go where I can’t follow

don’t go where I can’t follow

[verse 2]

how I loved you, now you’re gone

how I need you, at the end

we’ve travelled far

beneath the stars

don’t leave me here, it’s wrong

so don’t go where I can’t follow

don’t go where I can’t follow

[verse 3]

now your eyes are closed, please wake up

now your skin is cold, please come back

I’m with you here

I’ll stay right here

though end of times should come

but you’ve gone where I can’t follow

you’ve gone where I can’t follow

[refrain]

please, don’t go where I can’t follow

don’t go where I can’t follow

Soli Deo Gloria,

Hannah

The Close Of 2024

     It’s been almost a month since I posted last. And now it’s 2025, which is a strange thought. 2024, in hindsight, went by so quickly, but so much happened. So much. God was, is, and will continue to be so incredibly good to me and those around me. 

A Year Of Courage

    While I was thinking and praying about this post, though, one word in particular stood out among many in memory of last year, and that is courage. God has grown my courage in so many ways, my courage to trust in Him when things are difficult, and especially when it seems as though they’re going just fine. (“‘seems’, madam? I know not seems”, like Hamlet said.) Courage in love, courage in learning, in literature, in music, and most of all, in my faith. And so my new years’ promise this year is to continue that—continue glorifying God through my music and my writing, striving to increase my faith and the trust I put in the Lord. We can have complete and utter assurance that He is always there, beyond the end of the age. 

    This year has also been one of incredible growth, especially in my music. Of course I’ve always been passionate about violin, but with my experiences this summer, combined with the impactful things people I trust have spoken over me, have led me to see it in a new way. “I know the plans the Lord has for me” (Jeremiah 29:11) and they are good plans. Now all I need to do is heed the call and put in the work to fulfil it. And so my prayer for next year is this: that God will ignite the fire in my blood and give me the courage of a lioness to carry out His purpose for my life. Amen.

Other Updates

    In other news! Because of my many taxing goals with violin, my writing has fallen a bit behind. And while it’s saddening, it’s something I’m okay with. There will be times when I can write a good deal more, and times when I can barely write at all. This has been one of the latter. Fear not, though, because our new years’ eve trip this year afforded some lovely short story ideas, and I will hopefully be posting some of those in the next year!

    Also (and this is kind of a significant announcement) I have decided that I no longer need a pseudonym. When I publish anything, I want it to be under my real name, and so I’ve made the decision to make the same change to this blog. The name Astrya has served me well (and I will still continue to use it, because it’s my Latin name as well!) but I think it’s time. So, nice to meet you. My name is Hannah. Pronounced like Hana, by the way—now that you know it, you may as well get it right! (Because of this, my bio has also been changed, if you ever want to check out what’s happening over there ;P)

    So, happy new year, everyone! May God bless this next year abundantly <3

Namárië,

Hannah

September 11, 2001

     A date. 

    That’s all it is.

    And yet it’s not. It’s so much more. So much more consequential, so much more impactful, so much more… awful. 

    On September 11, 2001—23 years ago today—the World Trade Centre in New York City was attacked, with two of the four passenger flights deliberately hijacked and crashed into the upper floors of the North and South Towers of the Centre complex and a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. 

    After learning about the other attacks, passengers on the fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, fought back, and the plane was crashed into an empty field in western Pennsylvania about 20 minutes by air from Washington, D.C.

    The attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 nations: 2,753 people were killed in New York; 184 people were killed at the Pentagon; and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.

    Today we remember these unspeakable atrocities. Today we pray for those it affected—the aftermath is still influencing people even now. Today, we thank the Lord for His mercy and all He has done for those who suffer. 

    Today we remember.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Astrya