Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Sam's Castle

This blue pitcher was thrown on my potters wheel and fired to stoneware temperature, it hold over 7 cups of liquid.

Everyone calls it The Castle or Sam's Castle. It is near me on the hill, actually, my place sits below the walls. Yes, there are great big walls all around it and no one can get in easily. There are numerous tales about it and some of them just have to be true I figure.

If I climb around out in back and dig in the dirt for a while I will uncover old broken bottles and plates and eeek - bones too. I like to think they are just animal bones....but, mowahaaaa, who knows for sure? (My tribute to Halloween).

Sam, who was the last owner of the castle is dead now. He didn't live in the castle full time, he lived in San Francisco. He worked in the old theaters; painting and refurbishing. Theaters and movies sets too I think. So he liked to collect the odd things being thrown out. Like a suit of armor; like that. He bought the castle and furnished it with his odds and ends. The outside is much more impressive than the inside; it really isn't all that wonderful inside.

Anyway I met Sam and his wife Mary at a dinner party; there were about 10 of us there and Sam was asked something about his castle and this is the story that came out.

Sam was single and he bought this castle and it had almost nowhere to park. Nearby was a small plot of land that he wanted to purchase so he could have a parking lot. He contacted the woman that owned this parcel asking to buy it but she refused to sell, she said she wouldn't sell to him because he was in the Mob. Well, he and his girlfriend were pretty serious and marriage was in the works. Before they married, his girlfriend, Mary approached the woman to buy the parcel of land near the castle and the owner happily sold it to her. Mary and Sam got married and had their place to park. They all lived happily ever after. The End.

The hostess at the dinner party said, "Sam, is this true? That you were in the Mob?" Sam just smiled at her and said, "Well, what do "you" think?"

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