| (Waiting for the melatonin to kick in...) |
[Jul. 21st, 2007|01:15 am] |
I've been thinking about sleep lately (not even remotely surprising, given my complicated relationship with it), and recently realized with some surprise that over many years I've gradually gone from sleeping in the tightest fetal position to an ungainly all-out sprawl - limbs akimbo, stretching myself out all over the bed. I'm pretty sure that it's a reflection of the growing safety I've felt over time. Interesting, ne? (Oh, okay; maybe it's only interesting to me. *Thppppppthbtht!* Killjoys.)
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Have found a new favorite (I hesitate to say it, but...) haunt (*sigh*) in Evergreen Cemetery near where I live. It's amazing; I knew there was one there, but I had no clue as to its vast dimensions; it must span several miles, and after walking the perimeter, your feet are quite tired. It's pretty new for New England - the earliest graves seem to date from 1840, but there are some very worn away by time and/or lichens, so who knows how old they are - but still fascinating:
The stones there range from tiny to monumental, with lots of Greek columns (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, thank you very much!), huge wall-monuments set in hills, obelisks, and the usual aboveground mausoleums, all put together higgledy-piggledy for acres. It's mostly WASPs there (most of the usual grand old Maine names, like Baxter and Longfellow, are represented), but there are also some Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Russian Muslims, and Buddhists. Even, dare I say, a few witches (although obviously none of the stones that I've seen chose to advertise that particular fact)!
There are some segregated sections; the Muslims are off on their own (by choice, I wonder?), and the tacky section is where the people reside who are planted with with fake flowers, statuary, personal effects, and little plastic windmills. There are many Freemasons in this one particular spot, there's another section for people whose loved ones favor Cedars of Lebanon for their departed, and there is ONE wonderful gravestone with a full etching of a man's (quite impressive) house where somebody has taped his photo in what I assume to be his bedroom window! Which: funny! I'm sure he would approve.
I can't believe I've lived here for 10 years and not been aware of this place; parts of it are so vast and full of nothing but different heights and colors of stone, it looks for all the world like the landscape of some ruined, alien city from Lovecraft (Cthulthu would've liked it). It's not creepy, though; I think any ghost would be intimidated by the myriad potential competitors, and go menace a more secluded place. (Either that, or they all come out and party together when everyone's gone home.) I can't wait to bring Tod; maybe we can bring a picnic to eat near the duck pond...
* * *
Speaking of the boy - I am SO glad he's here! It's lovely to wake up with him in the morning and go to bed with him in the evening, and to eat together, and talk whenever we want to, and veg out together or do our own thing in the same room. He hangs out with friends a couple times a week, which is good because Lord knows people weren't meant to be together all of the time! and I get my needed solitude then. The cats seem to be adjusting a little better each day, and their respective parents and aunties are very relieved about it. I just hope he feels totally at home here, or will soon...he deserves to be allowed to be himself, because *himself* is a wonderful thing to be!
*mush, mush* Shut up, Vladimir. I can all too well envision you smirking while you read this. And do finish that book; Matt secretly wants to read it next! ;-D |
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