Our Castle

They were once the homes of successful men who made their fortunes in the paper industry.  Huge mansions on spacious, well-groomed lots, each so magnificent that I could scarcely imagine what it would be like to live in them.  My friend Kitty and I had a one-day excursion recently to Neenah and Appleton, Wisconsin, where we toured art, history and science museums, two of which were housed in elegant old buildings and one in a contemporary facility.  Kitty and I enjoy museum excursions and we register for such trips as often as possible.  The stately old museums, especially those housed in mansions, hold a particular fascination.  Having never lived in such a palatial place, I can only imagine the dinner parties, holiday celebrations and family gatherings.  But, then, I think of my own happy home and, how to my husband and me, our condo is our own castle, and I'm content to step back out of my mansion fantasy into the reality of my life.