User Name meme, gacked from several people

[ellid]

1. My username is ellid because...

Many, many, many years ago, my boyfriend was using the old Twinkle chat program at UMass. He had just read Nancy Springer's book and identified strongly with the male lead, Bevan, and since Bevan's love interest was Ellid, he changed his user name to Bevan and Ellid when I wanted to comment.

I used it off and on as an on-line handle over the years, and decided it would work for LJ. I've since used it in several other places and rather like it, even though I really didn't like the looks or the character too much. It's me now, just as Sarah is my SCA name.

2. My name is Lisa because...

The last five generations of women in my maternal line have been named either Elizabeth, Martha, or some generation thereof. Elizabeth had Martha who had Lizzie who had Betty and Martha who had Lisa. If I'd ever had a daughter, I likely would have given her Martha as a middle name, but time and fate had rendered that impossible.

3. My journal is titled "The Black Phoenix Inn" because...

The phoenix has been a personal symbol of mine since I was sixteen years old. A folk artist gave me a sign entitled "The Black Phoenix Inn" as a wedding gift over twenty years ago, and I still display it proudly on my wall. Also, my SCA device is or, three phoenixes sable. It just seems to work.

4. My friends page is called "Guests of the Inn" because...

What's an inn without guests?

5. My default userpic is a a cartoon portrait of myself with a brown tiger cat because...

I suck at making icons, and this was all I could come up with on one of those "make your portrait icon" sites. The cat is my late, beloved brown tiger cat Arrow, the gentlest and most gregarious cat I've ever known, and the delight my life for almost seventeen years.

6. My LJ name is "The Last Homely Shack East of the Manhan" because...


It's a riff on Rivendell being The Last Homely House east of the Sea. The river near my house is the Manhan, even though I'm more west of it than east. ;)