Mental Games and Castles

Back in grade school,  I read a book about a man who spent many years locked in a tiny, dark dungeon because he angered the King.  I want to say it was about Miguel de Cervantes the author of Don Quixote but I could be mistaken.  In the story, the prisoner told about the mental games he played to keep from going stir-crazy.  

Since that day I have used several of the suggestions from that book to reduce my stress level, get relaxed enough to fall asleep or just to alleviate boredom on road trips or while standing in a queue.   One is a simple counting method that isn't worth talking about.  The other is to mentally challenge yourself by designing something elaborate and detailed like a house or planning the minute details of a large party. 

That is when I first began designing my castle. Not a day goes by that I am not doing some adjustment to the Castle plans in my head.  What was once a small square box with one tower is now a fortress large enough to house my entire family of 92 people plus their houseguests. 

I can't even count the number of times the decor has changed or the number of colors of paint on the walls.  When out shopping in some thrift store or antique mall I find myself finding pieces to add to my castle.  Every time I read about some new gadget I have to go and revamp the entire castle.  

This castle now has a chapel, ballroom, two kitchens, huge library, media rooms, music room with every instrument possible,  indoor pool, man cave with bar, ladies sitting room, four game rooms (arcade, board, card, and puzzle), two theaters -- one for films and one for stage productions, classrooms for homeschooling, a nursery for twenty little ones with Nanny quarters, workrooms for all kinds of male and female hobbies, spa, barber and beauty salons, 104 bedrooms and double that for bathrooms, Underground parking for sixty cars, a bowling alley, indoor handball and tennis courts, basketball courts, rooftop gardens, six turrets, an in-house nursing unit for the sick and elderly with resident RN, safe rooms, underground tunnels, hidden rooms and all the accoutrements needed to make the castle self-sustaining and able to last for centuries.  All sitting on 200 plus acres dedicated to hunting, fishing, horse stables, woodlands, bike and go-cart racing, ball fields, gardens (both food and flower), livestock, service garage able to hold the family tour bus, and apartment buildings to house the many staff who care for it all.   The only problem is, I need to win a billion dollar Powerball drawing to pay for it.  And, at this point in my life, I doubt I would live long enough to see it completed.  But, that doesn't stop the plans from growing.