Colombina's Grotto

Me · by **Colombina** on February 19th, 2010, 6:25 am

I love Mermaids. Always have always will. This picture you see above, I have a big version of it in a fancy frame on my wall under a tiny mermaid carved from driftwood. My garden has seashells from the nearby beach and a mermaid statue painted in patina. I was a mermaid for Halloween a couple times and I can tell you the difference between a Lorelai and a Siren. Sensing a theme?

So I have one rule and one rule alone. Post whatever you like, but I want a nod to mermaids by, poem, image, interpretive dance, etc.

Your post can just be "Hey, Colombina, you're kinda awesome", with a mermaid icon, and that is acceptable to me. I'll even take pretty seashells.

Why? It's my scrapbook, I can do whatever I want. Make me happy my watery minions.

by **Crush** on February 19th, 2010, 7:56 am

First!

And I'm afraid a turtle will have to do. But I'm curious, what is a lorelai and a siren?

by **Gillar** on February 19th, 2010, 8:04 am

If I am not mistaken, both are mythological seductresses tied to various bodies of water; Lorelai associated with the Rhine River and Sirens associated with a variety of different islands depending on the culture and its legends. They lead sailors to shipwreck and die by means of their enchanting songs and voices.

by **Ashivirsthargon** on February 19th, 2010, 2:49 pm

You told me tales of love and glory -
Same old sad songs, same old story.
The sirens sing no lullaby,
And no-one knows but Lorelei.

By castles out of fairytales,
Timbers shivered where once there sailed
The lovesick men who caught her eye,
And no-one knew but Lorelei.

River, river have mercy.
Take me down to the sea.
For if I perish on these rocks,
My love no more I'll see.

I've thought of you in far-off places.
I've puzzled over lipstick traces.
So help me God, I will not cry,
And then I think of Lorelei.

I travel far and wander wide,
No photograph of you beside me.
Ol' man River's not so shy,
And he remembers Lorelei.

River, river have mercy.
Take me down to the sea.
For if I perish on these rocks,
My love no more I'll see.

If I should float upon this stream
And see you in my madman's dream,
I'd sink into your troubled eyes,
And none would know 'cept Lorelei.

River, river have mercy.
Take me down to the sea.
For if I perish on these rocks,
My love no more I'll see.

But if my ship, which sails tomorrow
Should crash against these rocks,
My sorrows I will drown before I die.
It's you I'll see, not Lorelei.

- Philip Chevron

by **Alistair deGrey** on February 19th, 2010, 3:15 pm

Since no one else has manned up and posted a pic,

You're awesome!

Me · by **Colombina** on February 19th, 2010, 5:57 pm

Illustration by Ed Org

Ashivirsthargon, Alistair, you two have made my morning. Great lyric, pretty picture

. A+ to the pair of you.

And, Crush, Gillar is right. Lorelei/ Loreley comes from German myth and was made even more popular in Germany during the 40's due to a poem. She's the German version of a Siren, sometimes said to be a beautiful woman who drowned herself over her absent lover.

Sirens are Greek in origin, the women of the sea who sang sailors to their death on the rocks. Cicero believed the song they sang was knowledge of the past, present and future and it was a thirst for knowledge that kept men "rooted to the siren's rocky shores".

by **Miharu Mindi** on March 28th, 2010, 3:11 am

Here is what you get for being super-awesome:

CLASSIC:

SEXY:

And then, a whole crapload of awesome just for you!

by **Eshatoh** on April 2nd, 2010, 8:32 pm

So, I noticed today was your birthday, and I figured it was as good of a chance as any to post a picture in your scrapbook.

Columbus was an idiot.

Happy Birthday, Bina. May it be filled with blessings.

by **Miharu Mindi** on April 3rd, 2010, 7:21 pm

I just found this painting when looking for something else entirely, and stopped what I was doing to post it for you.

Make sure you look at the close-up, soooo pretty!

Enjoy!

Me · by **Colombina** on September 10th, 2010, 12:44 am

Slowly but surely I am trying to make my way back into the game. I think of my hanging threads with a bit of cringing, but I'll feel renewed once I get them all finished. I also keep seeing people I don't know or recall, and I'm trying to get my brain to reset. It's a pity to not be able to connect all the dots with players.

On the plus side, my perpetual promises of premiering prison place Hai, are finally coming to fruition. It took me a good while to come up with a storyline that had all the punch I wanted without sacrificing originality. There is nothing new under the sun, but I wanted it to be more than your standard dungeon crawl or adventure. I even tossed ideas back and forth with the new hubby. (He's marvelous by the way, and married life has exceeded my expectations.) Finally, the pieces came together when I was laying in bed. By George, I think I have it all sewn up.

So far, I have 7 potential applicants and am open to more until the deadline. From there I may need to lessen the number if I'm going to be effective, or I force them to split. I'm going to look at the PC's and their dynamics and see what fits. Groups have never been my specialty, but if you get them just right, I think each player can feed off the other's creative energy. Have you, reader, ever participated in a good group adventure? If so, what made it work?

I'm hellbent on finishing this adventure in a timely manner. I am overwhelmed by rl, but I still need my writing high.