Facing a Storm, Dad's Sand Mound, and Complicated Water Works.

Three dreams in fairly rapid succession last night... and you know what that means. (Three dreams in a row... IF they go together, are dreams with an unchangeable message.)

My first dream was on a boat. I was with my family. The boat had an inside and an outside. I was down inside the boat and asked my son if he wanted to go up to the deck. I knew when I asked (and so did he) that we would not be able to go back inside if we chose to stay outside. On the deck my parents were dealing with boat type stuff and very quickly a storm rose up. The storm was massive. We all had on rain ponchos and were basically holding on for dear life. One wave came up and over the side of the boat, washing the floor of the deck. Then another much larger wave started to form on the opposite side of the boat (the side to my left, which was actually starboard, because I was facing back). The wave looked like it was three stories high and paused for a moment before it crashed over us. I was so frightened of it, but my mom wasn't. Then as it hit it fell with the force of tap water. We were fine. I looked at my mom and she gave me a very knowing look. That was the end of dream #1.

Dream #2 was on the shore. My parents and my kids and I were laying on a beach. It was like we had been washed ashore, but it was pleasant. All I could see of the scene was our legs and sometimes arms and the sand they were on with the bubbles from the tide that was rolling in and out. It was very peaceful. We talked awhile and then sat up. My view was not of the ocean. The camera of my dream was as if I was in the water and focused in on my dad's legs and arms as he built up a mound of sand to "protect" his spot from water coming in. The mound he had made was only about 16" wide and high, and the water just went around it, making it completely obsolete.

Now the tricky part is that I don't remember if the conversation that I remember goes to dream #2 or dream #3. It seems to fit better in #3, but I almost want to put it in with #2. So I'll stick it in the middle:
The conversation was about my dad having a job overseas. I think the area they were talking about was in Northern Europe. But the words that were being said sounded like they didn't want him there, so they probably wouldn't move after all.

In dream #3 we were visiting the Gores. It was my family and my parents and we were walking down a street in Northern Europe. The Gores lived there and I guess it was where my dad's possible job was... but as we know from the conversation mentioned above... he wasn't going to take the position. Jennifer Gore (My mom's BF) was still alive and walking with us. Monnie Gore and my dad were talking and the kids (all the correct age for 2011) were walking along too. The shops had things like wooden dolls and coo-coo-clocks. The streets were cobblestone and there was a quaint little bridge that reminded me of my favorite visit to Germany. We went to the Gores' house which was not like any I have dreamt of before, other than it being on a hill. It was on a crowded street where the houses share an outside wall. Inside people were talking about getting hungry and where we would go to eat. I guess my son must have had some say, because Taco Bell was the decision. Everyone got up to go walk to the Taco Bell, which I guess was down the street a couple blocks. I had to go to the bathroom and wash my hands. I went in the bathroom but left the door open (or maybe there was no door). It was small and in the front of the master bedroom. Standing at the sink which was wedged in a corner, I could see into the living room and down to the kitchen. (There was brownish/bronze old shag carpet in the living room.) The sink was ill fitted into the space on the small Formica counter top. I couldn't get the water to come on. The nob that seemed to be the way to turn it on just leaked a little at the base when I messed with it. I tried one more thing, then looked out to the living room for help. Everyone else had left except my mom and Jennifer who were waiting on me. Jennifer came over to help. She grabbed two different chords; one looked like an old kitchen sink pull-out nozzle, (You know the ones from the 70's with the black head and little squeeze trigger, and a silver ring right next to the head, and near the hose, which was also silvery.) and the other chord was more like a tasseled rope that you'd pull for service at an old timely hotel. The tasseled one came from under the sink and the first was just where you'd expect it to be... but the water came out of a whole other faucet that looked normal for a bathroom.
That was the end the 3rd dream.

So the question is... is there a theme? Do they fit together? or not? and either way, what are they saying?

The first dream reminded me a lot of one I had not long ago where the line of church people were going to "camp" with all their stuff, and I asked my son if he wanted to go home instead, and he said "Yes", knowing, that that was a final decision. In this dream the "final decision" was to be protected under the deck, or out in the storm. We chose the storm. And fortunately it turned out that the storm didn't hurt us. I really liked that dream. I love getting a message that whatever is coming, isn't going to hurt me. It's the same message I got a while back in my dream about the Bay area cracking off into the ocean, but that we would be fine.

The second dream was interesting to me because of its perspective. I never saw faces, not even chests. I was looking at my dad from a place on the beach that I was not sitting. It was a third person... very zoomed lens kind of dream. (Most of the time when I have third person dreams I can see the whole scene, so this was odd. It was also odd to have my dad build something so pitiful and think it may work.

The third dream, which was the "fullest" of the three (though not as meaningful as the first to me), was one of just a few over my life where I have dreamt of a deceased person being alive in the present. Jennifer died a few years ago.
I'm not sure if my dad's job predicament had any meaning in the dream. My parents have always talked about going back over seas if Dad could get a pastoral position in a church in Italy. I'm not sure how often he looks into that possibility, but I know he has a few times.
The Gores lived near us when we lived in Italy, so them being in that part of the world makes sense (even though they live in Colorado now).
The state of the house... having shared walls, having an old shag carpet, and the sink with the retro nozzle and Formica counter top, were all things that didn't speak well of the situation of the house. My mom has mentioned on occasion how much Jennifer held that family together, and now that she is gone it's just not the same. I see that played out with her being the one to help me, and even how she had to pull on two things to make the water work correctly.

Anyway, I'll have to think further about any theme. Right now, I kind of see them as separate. Though the first and second could be related, and the second and third (with regards to my father's job and sand mound) could be related.

Trickery

I woke up at 3:45 with this one fresh in my mind. I made a point to go over it a few times before I fell back to sleep since I haven't been remembering my dreams for the past few days. (I think the jet lag is making me have my main dream at a different time than normal.)

The setting was similar to Jerash (one of the sites we saw on our trip in Jordan). There were cobble stone streets, lots of rocks like steps to sit on and small passage ways people were going into and out of. 

We (my husband and I) were at a reunion full of people from my high school in Italy and some from my junior high in California. It almost felt like a cruise.

Anyway, there was a pairing off going on. I won't say mandatory, because the same thing has happened in other dreams of mine where I felt like it was mandatory, only to find out later that it wasn't, and my husband gets mad and betrayed. However un-mandatory this was I went ahead and paired off with a boyfriend I had in 7th grade named Dale. (Interesting that that is my professor's name, but other wise I see no significance.) I was with a girl friend of mine who was looking for a boy for herself. She saw one she likes, but I insisted that another one is better. She ate the one I pointed out (with one big chomp like a video game) and went to ask the one she preferred. He said, "No". Then I pointed out that she should have chosen the one I said, which made her sad. 

Right about then a bunch of us sat down and were talking about my old friend Guy. People had memories of him bragging about his possessions but that we never actually saw them. Guy came into the group and explained that his dad would give him things, then they wouldn't be usable at his mom's house. I few people thought he was lying, but it appeased the rest of us.

Then I saw my husband across the room twirling a camera like a pistol with a sly look in his eye. He was taking sneaky shots of people around the party. Right after we made eye contact he took one of Guy's sister walking up the stairs with a slitted dress on that when she stepped revealed her 'girls parts'. The photo was instantly visible by everyone there. Guy's sister was outraged. The my husband proceeded to take another girl's picture closer to me. Immediately after that picture was taken, it was exposed that they were are in collusion with each other to prank the rest of us. (Or maybe to get me back for pairing off with Dale?)

This whole mandatory/non mandatory pairing off thing has been in 4 or 5 dreams of mine since October. I think it has something to do with my inability to say, "no". Growing up, most of my decisions were made for me by my sister or my parents. Once I was peer pressure age I really didn't think I had a choice with my life's daily decisions. I went along with everything the group did unless it really went counter to my core beliefs. This often led to going out with guys I didn't like, even on occasions when the one I did like liked me back.  People like me tend to end up as doormats our whole life, or when we finally find our voice we speak it way too forcefully to make up for the years of abuse.  Some find a happy medium. I am striving for the happy medium.

I'm not sure why Guy is popping up in my dreams. He was in the "Cliff Climbing" one too. I do think the jabbing by my husband that surrounds my personality flaw is quite accurate. He can't stand my inability to say 'no', or my counter act of speaking my opinion too forcefully when I've reached boiling.

Escape

The dreams starts at a representation of my parent's home. I'm in the bathroom, just took a shower. When I get out, I realize that we won't have enough time to take Nick (my daughter's boyfriend) swimming. I talk with my parents and my daughter about it.  They suggest going to see a movie. 

When we get to the theater I never notice my daughter or Nick again. I get very wrapped up in the movie; like I'm in it.

The movie is very violent. I am with a hand full of inmates in jail, but we are the good guys. It seems that we have no weapons, and all the inmates around me are talking about escape.  The guards come to the bars of our cell. We have something posted on the wall that they want to take down. One lady inmate with me encourages them to reach in and get it. The guard tells us all to stand back. As he reaches his hand in the inmate lady throws her hand from across the cell at his hand. Her hand has wolverine claws poking out of it and it's on a string. The claws puncture the guards hand, and the inmate pulls the string back.  Again and again this happens. I am suddenly aware that I'm watching the movie, not in it, and I notice the crowd around me, and am self-conscious that I have brought my ten year old son to this rated R movie. The name "Bakugan" and there are three stages right in the midst of the seating. Characters are being pushed off into the stage, from the seats, and they are dying in this smokey liquid.
comes to mind. I think we're at a Bakugan movie, which explains to me why my son is there.  As I tell myself that, I look around and there are other areas with a more cartoon like scene. The movie theater has morphed into an outdoor amphitheater

We start to exit the theater by walking forward down the seats.  An usher tells us to go to the side, so we don't fall in. We walk by two stages, then down.

We get into a small Italian Fiat and drive on very crowded cobblestone streets. A cop on a motorcycle tries to pull me over but there is no side to pull over to. I go through three streets looking for a place then finally stop at a market.  It is now just my son and I with the cop and a dog.

The cop stops to get some dried mushroom looking things and other herbs. As he is taking a while I tell my son that we're going to try to make a break for it. We tell the dog to stay behind.  It takes twice for the dog to listen to us. The cop is looking around for us.  We start to crawl through the crowd. We crawl under a trampoline, and another, on the side of what looks like a market square with all sorts of goods.

We are headed to school to pick up my daughter. 

When we get to the school we are still crawling.  (It is a similar school  to another dream I have had, with sterile long hallways and few doors.) The hallways are like rolling hills. We still sense that the cop is on our tail.  Finally I say, " We don't have to crawl; lets try boucing."

So we bounce. We bounce on the floor like we're bouncing on a trampoline, still moving forward down the hall.  We get to the library and start looking for my daughter. She is in a crowd of people, some of which are my old classmates.

Then I woke up.

Wow. It was all one dream, with a fairly central theme, but so many different settings. Very strange. Yesterday was an interesting day. I watched a cute little movie called "The Maiden Heist". I found out my son hadn't even really started on a huge project that is due soon, so we had to run to the library... to find nothing on the shelves... then to the book store... nothing. Then home... ordered a book on line with rush delivery since we are leaving on a 2 week trip Monday. Shortly after that we left for church and stayed gone til bed time.

Some of that may explain why the library at the end, and why the school in general... but what about the rest?

I'd like to think that going from crawling to bouncing in the hallways with my son is saying that together we can get past his lagging in school work.  This is the first year that math has gotten hard for him, and he often cries while we do homework.  Then finding out he hasn't even started his report. UGGG. I really hope we can go from "crawling" to "bouncing". 

And perhaps crawling under trampolines was symbolic of also taking the hard, not fun, road when there is obviously something fun right on top of you. We were crawling out of fear of the cop. Who is the cop? His teacher? (He does fear her.  You would too as a fourth grader.)

Going back though, to the beginning of the dream, I don't know if I understand the stadium stuff or the movie. (We are going to an ancient Roman Colosseum in Jordan on our trip next week.) (And a few days back my daughter showed me a you-tube video of two guys getting wolverine claws... gruesome, but funny.) I guess that's a little of an explanation, but I'd still like to know if they had any meaning, or just my brain flushing itself.

Because my son was present and active the whole dream, I am sure it was about him and me together. But honestly, except for the bouncing, it wasn't a "feel good" dream. It was tense. 

hmmm...

Beauty Shop

(This is getting published much later today because I got called away from the computer this morning.)

I find it interesting that as I opened my home page a second ago, I noticed my friend's blog has a Beauty Shop theme this morning too. She is a folk painter and has started a series (I just discovered) on "Beauty Shop Girls". (You can check it out at folkartbycampbelljane.blogspot.com )

Well, my main dream last night started in a St. John beauty shop. "No such thing," you say? True, there's not, but it all makes sense when you know my background.  I used to work at the St. John design house before I got married almost 11 years ago. So, often, when I dream of 'work' I dream of St. John. I am currently working on some designs of my own, and one of my main dilemmas is finding models. 

So... In my dream I went to this "Beauty Shop" with my one model-esk friend. I sat in the waiting room, waiting for her to get dolled up for the show. Then my old boss from St. John pulled me in the salon room and asked if she could do my hair. The hair-do was far from a St. John type style. She inserted numerous bright colored extensions (from hot pink to red to purple), and swept up each real strand of hair into an up-do. By the time she was finished my whole head was purple, and run-way worthy. She was so pleased with it she decided I could model in the show. She walked off to do something and her assistant came over to me and asked who my favorite jewelry designer was. She explained that I could pick whom ever I wanted, and that I would wear their stuff in the show. She side noted it with, "You'll get to keep it all, so choose wisely, but it can't be loud, it has to go with the clothes." (Now that's interesting seeing that I'm sitting there with 'loud' purple hair, and given that St. John makes their own jewelry.) But I chose Roberto Cavalli. Maria (my boss) went off to order jewelry and Marie Grey (the big boss) came over and told me to sit down in a dental looking chair to get my makeup done. I asked if I could use the restroom first, and I walked out. Passing the waiting room, my friend Cheryl, walked up to me and asked if I could get her some clear nail polish. I told her I was going to pee, and she could get it herself, as I pointed out a small and large bottle of clear sparkly nail polish. I left the building in search of a restroom, out onto a cobblestone street. An outdoor restaurant was my first encounter.  The matradee pointed me past the restaurant to an alley in the square. I must have peed and come back out (don't remember that part) but as I came out I was met by my husband and four other friends. We were all walking down the cobblestone street in the direction of an amusement park. The roller-coasters towered in front of us, and my husband and I discussed which ones we would ride. Just then a man zoomed over our heads riding a scooter on top of a zip-line. I pointed out the zip-line to my husband and asked if he wanted to try it. Another rider zipped by. We continued to walk and I had an internal conversation with myself about the mechanics of the ride. I was terrified, but thrilled at the same time at the idea of riding this dangerous thing.

Well, shall we give an interpretation a go?

OK. We'll start with assuming this has something to do with work. It could be about the past, or it could be about my present solo endeavor. The emotion in the dream was all positive, so that's good. There was a message about being 'good enough', in the part where I was asked to be in the show. There was also a promise to keep jewelry worth lots of money. 

References to bathroom behavior usually has to do with getting rid of waste. (When it's poop, it's obviously yuckier crap you're working through), but in this case it was just pee and that part of the dream didn't even really happen (that I remember). (One exception to this 'bathroom' rule is that sometimes when you dream of peeing, it's your body telling you to "Wake up... You have to pee." But if you actually get through the pee or poo in your dream, then there's symbolism to it.) 

We notice that when I was done getting rid of the waste, I came out to a new story. I didn't go back to the salon, I went to an amusement park and was going to ride on a terrifying but thrilling ride with my husband.

You may have also noticed that this is the second dream with cobblestone streets this week. What's that about? From my life, it reminds me of Italy (where I lived for three years during adolescence). In a general way, it just speaks of an old world vibe to me. It's nothing new.  (Maybe speaking of the story as old, or of the circumstances as nothing new).

Now, if we take this as a "past" story, we could correctly recall that I left my job at St. John to marry my husband that lived up here in Sacramento. That could tell the whole story right there.

But why would I dream about that? 

It's more likely that I would dream about the present or near future. (That's what we normally do, unless we have baggage from our past that is still be sifted through.) I could make the same conclusion though, that I have set aside my 'work' (I haven't touched my dress form since November), to embark on a terrifying but thrilling ride with my husband. That rings true because we are about to start counseling over our differences in parenting. (You can only go so long on two separate pages, before the negative effects show up in your kids.) 

I'd like to assume that I'm still invited to "be in the show" and that I'll still get to keep the valuable "jewelry", but who knows, that could all be "pee".  

I'll be praying for some clarity on this one. Perhaps I'll dream again about something that will clear it up for me. Or, as is often the case, the fuzzy parts will be cleared up in day to day life, or in my quiet time.

Happy dreaming everyone.

They Often Come in Threes

It's true, dreams often come in threes.  Just FYI, if each dream has a similar theme in a threesome, pay close attention! 

As I'm writing these down, perhaps I'll find I theme, but right now, they all seem pretty separate. I'll tell you now, if you don't want to spend much time... skip to #3...I think it has the most meaning.

#1(that I can remember):

My childhood family (Mom, Dad, sister) and I were out shopping. It was a VERY spacious mall (as are all the malls I dream of; which I'm sure means something). We went into a busy store that was very white and bright in decor. It was at least two stories, and on the first floor was all manner of baby clothes, along with little girl accessories. My eyes were drawn to a fur wreath. It was comprised of  pink fur pom poms, with a shoelace type bow at top that also had pom poms on the tails. I stood and talked myself out of it, because it was pink... only to look down the wall to see a mint one. I could still easily say, "No, you don't need that", then around the corner, I saw a white one. (There were also ones with teddy bear torso's on the top. Very large.) I really wanted this white one... it could look like snow, not just a babies' room accessory. But my sister and father came by and reminded me I was looking for a purse. (Which I really am), so I walked away and up the stairs into racks and racks of purses.

#2

I was out on a cliff over looking a beach, directly behind me was the  back door of a warehouse where I had come from. Sitting eating lunch was an old school mate of mine (not even a friend), who shortly got up and went inside. My mother came out and begged with me to come back to her house. Crying, she explained how much she enjoyed having me and my sister home at the holidays, and how much she missed us since we left.

#3 

I am standing in front of two huge houses side by side. The first nicer than the second, but both nothing to envy other than the size. They have an industrial appearance, very gray. I am asked to find a solution to improve the condition of the second house. I immediately point out a huge yellow tractor that has been parked under the front area. (the whole house is off the ground propped up on many 3'-4' wide concrete cylinders.) I walk around as my instructor (only a voice) explains that the house has no foundation, but needs one, and needs relocating. The house, I sense, belongs to my old neighbors, the Cowards. (I don't think their name was used for any other reason than what the name means... not really representing their family.) I continue down the side street noticing that the very top of the house has a large woody vine (no leaves, and dead looking) that twists on itself and extends past the roof over a large area and on to the next roof and the next, and the next. By now I'm walking past old-fashioned city buildings and the vine continues. My spirit confirms that all of this used to be their property. I tell my instructor, "They have so much land, why don't they move the house". (I was meaning in the space before the 'city' started). But the option is not met with any comment, my heart sinks.

At that point my focus changes (or you could say this is dream #4)

My friends Cheryl and Alicia direct me down the street to a very fancy condo community with cobblestone streets that they want to go house hunting in. My 10 year old son is at my side and we follow them. There is a man at the gate of the golden hued community demonstrating a new hot tub that you can add to your house package if you so choose. Alicia and Cheryl jump right in and get the demo. They are quickly out and eagerly running down the street to the houses. My son is very upset and wants to try the hot tub too. I yell to the girls to wait, and he takes a turn. The seat in the hot tub starts to rock from side to side as part of the demo, and my son is so small that his head is getting dunked each time. The man tells me to get all of my son's things off of him, cause they could get caught in the mechanics. I remove his sunglasses on a string around his neck, and his baggy shirt and shorts. (He is still in swim clothes). Upon getting out there is another family there with a young son who wants a turn. I scramble for my son's clothes, and get mixed up with the other boy's. The parents and I figure it out (it ends up being two pair of PJs both with super heroes on them). 

And that was the end of the dream.

I still don't see a theme, but I always like to take a closer look at dreams where there is a 'voice'. If you are a dreamer, I'm sure you've had dreams where there are faceless characters, but that is not the same as when there is no one, only a voice. (Which I also imagine, you may have experienced.) In my dreams the voice is the Holy Spirit.  I say in my because dreams are very personal, my dream language may be very different from yours. 

(I would be VERY interested in hearing from a non spirit filled person out there who also has 'a voice' in their dreams.)

So when He shows up I pay attention. I will also say that if you have Him show up in your dreams, feel free to ask Him questions while He's there. I used to just listen to Him... now I have found that I can interact with Him. Asking questions while dreaming becomes VERY helpful. If this concept seems completely new and impossible to you, just tell yourself before you go to bed, "ask". For years now I have found that if I tell myself to wake up at a certain time before I go to bed, I will. (Not sure if it works for everyone, but it does for some.) It's the same with the "ask" thing.

Last night in dream #3, because I interacted with the voice, the meaning of that dream is pretty plain. (the other dreams... are not). However, I don't think that all dreams need to be understood. Our brain is hashing out random things that we've encountered. Not all dreams are messages from the divine. 

I know this is a super long post, and they will NOT always be, but I feel like some ground work is important.  

I mentioned dream languages and how they are not all the same. However, your personal dream language is always the same.  If a butterfly represents something to you in one dream it will represent that same thing in another dream. After enough 'explained' dreams you'll be able to decode 'hidden' dreams.

Because I am a Christian, the images/words of 'foundation', 'vine', 'house', 'property/land', all have very spiritual connotations where for others they may not.  So when I look at the third dream I see clearly that:

A very large church family (house) that is cold (gray) and that is dead (vine with no fruit) in power is no longer resting on the foundation of Christ (no foundation), but has elevated itself (up on cylinders), has stopped working to improve (tractor parked)... used to have massive influence, or maybe still does over the city (vine went into city on the roofs). But there is little hope for change because they are Cowards! (using my old neighbors to tell me that name).

I'd sit and try to decode the other dreams, but I've already taken way too much of your time if you made it all the way through.