Cali, Day 2 (continued)

After my morning episode (which I suppose it must be, since it was rather out of character for me), I was content to relax without interference from siblings or much other noise. Grandma stuffed me with a turkey sandwich, pears, carrots and apricots and chocolate cake until I couldn't possibly fit another morsel. But that's what grandmothers are for, right? She's also lenient when it comes to doling out cookies...

When I left the computer this morning, I was under the impression that I would be the next to shower... uh, well, no my brother snatched it before I could. Which only left me to stew in my room, staring at the wall plaques with my late grandfather's medals, airforce picture, and a sketch of him riding on top of a B17 plane holding the reins to its forefront. In time I simmered and realized how dumb I was to get worked up over such a situation. I just really hate when people try and guilt trip me. This want to please others, conflicting with my own tastes, works me up into such a mess.

But the remainder of this afternoon and evening I spent in perfect leisure, doing German homework, watching the news, and poring over ancient volumes belonging to my great and great-great grandmothers and beyond.

Two pieces of authors' works struck me as impressive, the first being a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Castle by the Sea, and this is how I found it on page 23 in the 1883 edition...

"Hast thou seen that lordly castle,
That Castle by the Sea?
Golden and red above it
The clouds float gorgeously.

"And fain it would stoop downward
To the mirrored wave below;
And fain it would soar upward
In the evening's crimson glow."

"Well have I seen that castle,
That Castle by the Sea,
And the moon above it standing,
And the mist rise solemnly."

"The winds and the waves of ocean,
Had they a merry chime?
Didst thou hear, from those lofty chambers,
The harp and the minstrel's rhyme?"

"The winds and the waves of ocean,
They rested quietly,
But I heard on the gale a sound of wail,
And tears came to mine eye."

"And sawest thou on the turrets
The King and his royal bride?
And the wave of their crimson mantles?
And the golden crown of pride?

"Led they not forth, in rapture,
A beauteous maiden there?
Resplendent as the morning sun,
Beaming with golden hair?"

"Well saw I the ancient parents,
Without the crown of pride;
They were moving slow, in weeds of woe,
No maiden was by their side!"


The title of the poem caught my eye, which made me want to read it, to hear what it was about. Why the interest? Perhaps because my first name, Lesley, means "dweller of the grey fortress", and my middle name, Meredith, "by the sea". I used to draw pictures of my name, the fortress, or rather a castle as it normally turned out, atop a sheer drop off of rocky cliffs like I'd seen in pictures of Ireland, and below were the incessantly pounding waves. Yes, yes, I know I'm a romantic, I like to dream. It's one way of making the day more bearable when you just don't really want to take out the trash or pay attention to squabbling children. Just dreaming... this is why for so long I put away novels, one of the reasons at least, because I got so caught up in them. Another world, another face... I started thinking like them, books influence my everyday life, so I have to keep the topic off sordid matter... should anyway, but you know...

Dad wants his bed, so I've got to leave, but if you're ever up for something... a little strange, something to ponder a bit, something that I found intriguing, look up "The Rose-Elf" by Hans Christian Anderson. Trust me, it's not something I expected.