"JJ's RV Jet", and "BFs Visit"

Two quite interesting dreams last night, very unlike any I've had for a while.

The first started on a private jet owned be my nephew in-law (highly unlikely). The jet was gutted and the inside looked like an RV. My nephew (JJ) was piloting and I was in back with my niece and her four girls, and 5 puppies. (Her dog had puppies back in January, and the last one was given away less than a month ago, so that's fresh in my mind.) We landed in a field that was partially dirt, partially grass, and looked like a camping area. There was another family nearby at a group of picnic tables. I played with the girls and the puppies for a while and then moved away from the jet towards the picnic table. My niece and her husband were dancing by a table and singing to some country music (again, highly unlikely) as if they were at a hoedown. I was very happy to see them so happy, but then I thought about the puppies. They were over near the jet unsupervised. I walked over there and some had wondered near the street and some were playing right where we left them. My dog Knuckles was there with them. He was done 'puppy-sitting'. We gathered up the puppies and I counted them as we boarded. Knuckles jumped up to sit in the co-pilot seat, and I can't remember for sure, but I think I got up to pilot this time.
The scene changed and we were at a stadium. We were walking up to our seats and about to watch a movie. I think it was "The Rescuers", (with the mice and the orphan 'Penny'.) All four girls, my niece, and JJ were sitting down and I was carrying popcorn etc. to the seats. (Maybe this is because I have been talking about taking them to a movie lately.)


In the next dream I was back with my two BFs from high school, Vanessa and Michelle. (In real life I just returned from a visit with them at Michelle's parents house in Maryland.) We were arriving at Michelle's parent's house again, even though in the dream it looked a little different. It resembled a doll house (which it kinda does in real life too). I had to go to the bathroom but each bathroom I went in had flushing problems, noted by paper still in the bowl, which I tried to flush with no luck. So I didn't want to add to the problem.
Everyone was getting ready to go out to eat, so I just decided I would go to the restroom at the restaurant. Vanessa, and I walked down to a ballroom that was attached to the hotel that we were now in somehow. and Michelle and her mom went on to see if our reservations at the restaurant were ready.
The ball room was set up with long banquet tables at one side and a huge dance floor in the middle. We went ahead and took a seat at a table with two other older men. Food started coming out and since we were hungry we started to eat. After a course or two, Michelle and her mother came in to get us to go to the restaurant. We said we would rather stay there since we had already started and also wouldn't have to walk any further. After a little protesting they stayed. Michelle had on a trench coat over a pink sequined gown that had a huge slit up the front. Vanessa was wearing purple, and I'm not sure what I was wearing as the dream was seen in first person. All three of us danced like little girls playing "princess" across the dance floor holding hands with Michelle in a circle. And that was all.

As for meaning...
Modes of transportation (as we've talked about before) symbolize life direction and circles of influence. For instance, bicycles are about the individual who's riding them and no one else. Family cars (especially with family in them) are about the driver's influence over their family circle. Buses deal with bigger sphere's of influence, trains and planes bigger still. It's important to note if you are a passenger or the driver.
In my first dream JJ was driving a private jet. A private jet, though small in influence is still different than a car. It's flying, not driving. The significance of that could be about soaring over obstacles, or being "above" in some way. It's a good thing though. The dancing that they were doing was good too, but both good things (jet and country music) were very unlike my niece and nephew. Perhaps it's saying something about them acting out of character in a good way soon. I don't know, but I was happy to see that I'm along for the ride.

My second dream, having to go to the bathroom (a typical theme for me) but not being able to because of "obstacles", could speak about not being able to say all that I wanted to say to my friend Michelle while we were there. We did talk about everything, but sometimes I couldn't think of words that would convey all I wanted to say. The "obstacle" present was a difference in our walks of faith. The day that Michelle left and it was just Vanessa and I for an evening we had a good talk and prayer about our individual (and joint) walks of faith. I imagine that is why Vanessa and I went to the ballroom and Michelle and her mom went to the restaurant in the dream. The good news is that Michelle later joined us in the ballroom and we danced like little girls. The trench coat she was wearing still signifies hiding in some way... Hiding a revealing but beautiful pink sequined gown. (As teens, pink was Michelle's favorite color.)

The past three nights

I have been able to sleep in the past three days which really makes a difference for how well I remember my dreams! With no alarm clock you are able to naturally wake up, and then sift through your thoughts without the pressure of time.

I'll start with last night:
I had a freeway dream... Pointing out that almost ALL of my freeway dreams are futuristic. Freeways with layers and various directions all intertwined. Well last night's I was NOT the driver, unless you count back seat driving. I was riding in a car with family (though I can't remember who was driving or which part of my family was with me. I think my mom was there.). Anyway, we were going somewhere but were unsure of which exit to take. The roads were so confusing cause there weren't signs that said things like "Sacramento next exit", you just had to look at which way the roads went and know which way you wanted to go. The ramps were like pretzels though, so you could tell which one led North or South or whatever. We wanted to go to the right but we missed the turn and didn't realize it until it was too late and we were headed for a long bridge. (It reminded me of driving into Long Beach from San Pedro.) We couldn't turn around and there were no exits until after the bridge which seemed to just get longer and longer as we drove. It started to look like a post apocalyptic scene from "The Book of Eli".
I woke up out of frustration that I couldn't turn around.

The night before I had a dream about my friend Barbara and her two daughters. My family lived across the hall from her in an apartment building with thin walls. We could hear everything that they said. I found out that they were baking a chocolate cake and I went over to taste it. As I ran out into the entry/stairwell area I noticed that there were no rails around the stairs and that I could fall to my death. We were at least 5 stories up and it looked very scary spiraling down. Her daughter Brooklyn ran up the stairs yelling. I stopped running and eased my way to her door. I went in, got some chocolate cake and went back to my apartment to taste the strawberry cake that my husband had made. (Yeah right :-) .) I tasted them both side by side and then went back into the entryway and looked at the stairwell again. It now had rails up and I wondered if it had ever been unsafe, or if I had imagined it.

The night before that I had a dream about my grandparent's house. (Not the one they live in now... but the one they lived in during my childhood.) I always wanted to live in their house when I grew up. I thought it was a mansion when I was little. We lived in a trailer, and then in other small houses most of my childhood, so their three story house was huge to me.
Anyway, in the dream I was selling the house to a family with a little girl. It was like an open house viewing and then I invited them to stay (like on "Funny Farm"). I was cooking in a large kitchen (bigger than their actual kitchen) making them some dinner. The dad went to check on his daughter. I heard all of their names spoken. The dad was Eugene, the daughter was Emma-gene, and the mom had a "gene" name too. The daughter was only 3 or so and had gone upstairs. I went up too, and noticed that the stairs were not safe. They had gaps large enough for Emma-gene to fall through. (The stairs were very grand like on "Gone With the Wind"). I looked through a few rooms upstairs appreciating how royal looking and warm they were. I had in my mind that I would not sell the house. I came back down stairs sliding down the banister with Emma-gene in my arms and gave her to her parents.


I didn't mean to wait three days before posting... but often when you do wait (or if you'll go back to look at the weeks dreams before you analyze them) you'll find a common thread.
I could talk about these three as individuals, but for now I'm going to lump them together and see the common thread.
They are all about safety... and choosing one of two options.
All three deal with uncertainty, and not feeling safe.
Last night's dream, I knew where I wanted to go, but I let someone else choose the wrong way(they were driving),and I complained from the back seat. And the further we went down the "wrong" path, the more desolate and hopeless it became.
The middle dream (inspired no-doubt because Barb and her girls have been coming over making Christmas goodies with me three times in the past week,) dealt with the danger of the stairs and the choice of which cake was better.
Before that... I dealt again with dangerous stairs and the choice of whether or not to sell my grandparent's house.
Because the names were mentioned and because they all had the root of "gene" I thought I'd look that up. The name Eugene and just Gene mean "well-born, noble" Emma means "whole, complete, universal".
It's interesting because my grandparent's house means a lot to me. When I dream of them it is always in a mansion (way bigger than their real home) and it always has to do with their legacy of faith to me. I attribute my Christian heritage to them and their raising my dad to be who he is. (Both my grandpa and my dad are preachers.) I can't even imagine thinking of selling my faith... and what does it mean that I thought of selling it to people who were noble? Was I selling it for nobility? Well either way I'm glad I decided not to in the end... but why bring up that the stairs were dangerous for the little girl? hmmmm. Just an excuse?
Does that run into the other dream of making excuses for why not to go out to the entry way... "it's too dangerous". I have often debated if the friendship I have there is "good for me" or not. Knowing a lot about people (hence the thin walls that we could hear through) especially when you think what they are doing is dangerous... can be uneasy.
Then we have other people driving my life. It happens quite often with me.
I REALLY need to learn this lesson.

To me/from me:
"Drive your own life... You don't need excuses to make decisions that are about you to begin with. Safe is just a frame of mind... You're only scared because you're scared of what others will think/say/or be hurt by. Man up!"

Questioning Places

Last night's dream started in a palace type hotel room in the middle east. I was there with my sister and my grandma. I went down without them to the dining room which was also grand. I sat down at a table full of Arab men. The parade of food started. Tons of tea as well. One man left and his place sat empty for a while. I invited the tea server to sit down with us. The other men at the table gave me a look of disapproval, but the server stayed. One of the men to my right asked me why I had chosen to move to that part of the world. My brain raced with reasons, including witnessing, but I only spoke of my long time dream of coming to Morocco and Jordan and Israel. (All of which I visited this past year.) I spoke of my love of the cuisine and the decor.
Then the meal was over and a few Arab women took my family and I on a walk on a country road. It was a long trek, like we were going far out of town to get away. The dirt road ran beside crops and carts (very reminiscent of the end of "Fiddler on the Roof"). One of the women asked me why I only had two children. I started to talk about me not being the "mom" type, but I realized it sounded 'wrong' in that culture, so I didn't talk further about it.
Then the dirt road came to a paved road going up a hill. We crossed over and started walking up the hill on the gravel on the right side. As we went up the hill I saw another dirt road that went off to the right and down the other side of the hill. I stopped to look closer saying to my husband, "I think that's the road... the one from my dreams that leads to the wise man's house." (In most of my dreams I am approaching the road by coming down the paved road, making it off to the left. This was the first time I had seen it from the other direction. It's also the road that led to the horse stables and ranch house from a different dream.)
I was very intrigued and followed the road down the hill. It was a very long road but my sight moved like I was on wheels looking through a movie camera. the walk/roll down didn't take long at all. As I got to the bottom I rounded the bend and realized it was the horse ranch, not the wise man's house. There was the same gravel parking area that they both share, but the wooden beams framing the area and the wagon wheel on the stone wall of the building let me know it was the horse place not the wise old man's house. There were beautiful trees surrounding the area. It was very picturesque.
Knowing that I had been there before I didn't think anything of walking right inside. Inside was no where I had been before. It was a man's house that was a little dated with shag carpet and linoleum, beer cans, wood paneling, and other 70's looking things. The TV was on in a room only separated from the entry by a half wall with a "window" in it. The man walked through that room, as did 5 dogs. The dogs were all mutts, but you could clearly see breeds in them; like one was mainly bull dog, another mainly cattle dog, another a mix of Saint Bernard and pug. A few of the dogs came over to see me one by one. I knelt down and petted them. The man said something to me about the place, but I don't remember.

Meaning...
Well, I did prepare a Moroccan feast Friday for 12 ladies from my church.
We have been talking about travel a lot in my house...
And I've been babysitting dogs all week. All of those elements are explainable...
Why though, was there the horse place? Why was it not the wise man's place that I wanted to find? Or are the horse place and the wise man's place one in the same, and I see which ever makes sense that night. Is the horse place about humility and service, and the wise man's house about encouragement and empowerment? Do they intertwine?
Why was it coupled with the middle east. I just finished reading "Son of Hamas" (a great true story!) My mind is definitely on the middle east, just because of our nearing the "End". Well, it could be as simple as that. I'll ask God to show me if there is any further connection.

Uninvited

Lots of crazy dreams lately...
No time to write them all.

Last night, one that sticks out was...

I was at a ball... all fancy and everything but I wasn't supposed to be there. I had snuck in with a friend of mine (can't remember who now). It was like a movie... I'm not even sure if I was myself. Somehow we talked our way into getting to stay but the lady in charge of security kept a close eye on us. We saw her walk away for a moment and went over to the sign in table that was unmanned, and grabbed a stack of invites. (The idea was that when you came in the door, you handed in your invitation as a pass to get in.) We stuffed the invitations into new cards and ran out of the door with them. The lady was looking around for us and noticed that we were gone and sent guards looking for us. In the parking lot (which was gravel on a big front lawn) we met up with some friends and crammed into a van. I sat on the passenger side floor board in front of a boy who was on the football team. There was one boy for each girl...
We hadn't pulled out of the driveway yet when my dog woke me up.

Yesterday I had a dream about a reoccurring futuristic airport. Checking in... going up elevators. This is the 4th dream I've had about that airport.

Killing Mice, and Changing Clothes

Disturbing dream last night...
I'm not sure if you know the story of the one day in my life when I had to kill a living creature (larger than a bug)... It was a rabbit that my dog and another dog chased down and attacked. Both dogs merely wanting to 'play' with the rabbit; they didn't kill it in their attack; they merely passed it back and forth between each other while it screamed in agony over it's internal injuries. The screaming was unbearable, so I stepped in and grabbed the rabbit (I had gloves on because it was winter), and I strangled it. It was horrible. I hope to NEVER have to kill anything ever again.

Well... last night's dream made me re-live this terrible experience, only this time it was a mouse the size of a cat.

In the dream I was in a complex house with many rooms and a strange lay out. There was a mouse problem in the house. I was with someone who reminded me of one of my parent's friends when I was 8 or so, named Sam. The man in my dream also reminded me of a college teacher I had named Eddie. (It's interesting now that I'm awake to think that, "yes, they are very similar". I would've never thought of those two in the same sentence.) Anyway we found three mice (all three HUGE like rats, but cute like mice) in one room hiding under a hole in the baseboard. I grabbed one, that seemed to grow in my hands to where I actually wondered if I was holding a mouse or a cat. I started to strangle it, then I snapped it's neck, then twisted it, and shook it violently. I could feel a thin cord in it's neck, that felt like a tendon with a pulse. I thought it was dead and we started walking toward the laundry room that led to the garage and the trashcan, but then a pulse came back and I took the mouse (now back to only 5 inches or so) and slammed it's legs on the corner of the wall (again, very violently).
All of the whacking on the wall woke me up. I woke up grimacing and quite disgusted with myself. The vibe in my room was a little eerie, so I said a short prayer and got up to pee. It was 3:10AM.

The dream I woke to at 6:10 was quite a bit nicer. :-)
I had returned from some event and was dressed in a fancy blouse that was very architectural (probably from watching Project Runway last night). I arrived at a dorm/apartment and saw a few old friends/acquaintances. (Robbie and John, aka "Pucket", both "Sk8er punks" back in the day if you want to give them a label.) They wanted to take me out to a bar for some drinks. I asked them if I was OK in what I was wearing, but they said I should change. I went in to change and my friend Ramin was there saying I looked fabulous. :-) My mom was there too and said I looked nice in the blouse. I had already taken off the blouse and was in a bikini top when I went to argue with the boys that the "manager" (speaking of my mom) said that I was fine in what I was wearing.
...and that was as far as I got before I woke up to the sound of my daughter getting ready for school.

My dogs are ready for their walk, and I have no real insight anyway, so I'm leaving today's post right there.

Cinderella's Castle Ride

Last night there was lots of dreaming going on... but one stood out above the rest, so that's the one I will tell.

I was at Disney Land (or what was suppose to be Disney land). Things were closing, but I wanted to see a new ride inside Cinderella's castle that my church's youth pastor (David) had designed. I snuck in and went up to a ledge that had a small nook where some paper in an envelope was.

The room I was in was circular. The ceilings were extremely high (three stories worth, I'd guess). The walls were white and the detailing was blue... just like Cinderella's castle on the outside. (Just FYI, Cinderella's castle is my FAVORITE part of Disney!) The floor was white marble with small black tile accents... just like the grand hotel I often dream of. There were multiple nooks on the wall, (little places to showcase your treasures ...like the alters in Mexico that have Mary statues.) They were all empty but very ornate. 

I climbed up to the alcove with the envelope on it, opened it up and read. I don't remember what it said, but I knew it was written by David. There was a rope dangling from the ceiling for me to hold on to. I held it and the "ride" started. The rope swung me around the room, basically leaping from nook to nook, in a circle and very fluid. After a few times around I wanted to stop. I landed right where I started, but the alcove was now lower to the ground... about kitchen counter height, and as I set down the paper a bull came in the door.

The bull was staring at me and was mad that I was there. He started to charge me. 

I noticed a wooden window frame to my right and I looked through it. It went to a kitchen. Then I noticed that the window slid up to open. So I opened it and barely squeezed through. I came out the other side on the kitchen counter. The kitchen was very neat and Disney-ish with an old Dutch vibe; lots of wood. 

I remembered that I had left my things (or maybe just the paper) in the other room. So I went back into the circular Cinderella room... with the bull.

The floor had changed into brown, like dirt... but it was smushy, like walking in a semi-deflated bounce-house, or on quicksand that you don't sink into. I could barely walk, and the bull was basically guarding the area I was aiming for. I got to the point that I was crawling, and the bull came to help me.

...and that was the end of the dream.

While we were on our tour in Israel I learned a little more about those alcoves. We went to the Temple of Pan: a place where there were many many alcoves all dedicated to different deities. This was the site where Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" It was a pointed lesson because He asked them in the midst of numerous 'gods'.

Last night's dream is another that I'm not sure of, but I think I was playing the part of my daughter. Her third "serious" relationship ended yesterday, and she has been trying to get a time to talk to David (the youth pastor) for a couple weeks now. 

We often talk to her about the 'god' placement her boyfriends hold in her life, so all these little alters around the room being very ornate, but empty at present, seem to fit that to me. 

And of course, just like most 16 year old girls, she's waiting for prince charming.

Right now... I'm amusing myself with the thought of my husband being the bull. :-)

"Old People"

Yesterday I didn't have time to write, but thought that today, instead of last night's non-remembered dreams, I'd go back and share the night before's.

In my dream, I went up to one of my daughter's friends, named Christian, and started to kiss him. Then he took my hand and said let's go get the keys. I went with him through a very grand hotel lobby and entrance (one I have dreamed of a few times before... with the round central room and white marble floors with black details). We went to a reception area that was similar to an airport waiting area with a check-in counter. In the seating area we plotted about how to get the keys. I would go over and steal them from the desk. But, as I walked to the desk, the ladies there said, "Oh are you so-and-so, here's your keys." So I just grabbed the three keys and went back to Christian. We went through a 'maze' of elevators and stairs, some broken with caution cones around them, and some normal. We felt like we were being followed. We got into a large SUV and drove to a town house community. We parked in a communal lot and walked to the house. There was a key rack right below a small front window. The key chains were all macrame. There were three empty spots that we knew belonged to our keys, and in each spot was one letter that together spelled R I P. It meant that the three people who's keys we had were dead. We took that as a good sign. Then we went inside. On the floor (on mattresses) and on the fold out couches were old people, all asleep. They were all cozy in their quilts and afghans.  We went into a small kitchen to our left and started making hot chocolate for all the old people as they woke up.

I had another dream that I was in a van with a bunch of old people and we arrived at a lady's house that goes to my dad's church. I was getting out and one of the old ladies, who had a walker, was trying to get me to move all the removable seats in the van so that they could get out easier. She was shoving them all over the place and making it more difficult on herself.

I left her and the rest still in the back seat and went through the garage into the kitchen with my family and my parents. We called for the owner of the house, but she wasn't home. I looked through curtains on my left out into a court yard with three picnic tables and a nice flower garden. My mom told me to close the curtains, that I was being rude. I walked to the entry of the house and looked out the front window. I watched trucks and cars go by looking for the owner of the house, but she never came. I noted that she had a good piece of property. She was up on a hill, on a corner. When I realized she wasn't coming, I started down the hallway to my right. It grew. At the end of the hallway were two rooms. I thought the right door would look better on the adjacent wall, and it moved there. The left door, straight ahead, went to an older boy's room that was filled with heavy metal memorabilia. It was a mess with clothes and things all over. The room to the right was like a work shed. It was clear that they belonged to the same boy, but there were no posters on this wall. I thought, "this would make a good music room". Then I walked out.

I had another dream (and I recorded them all), but I went to a Seder service last night and recorded over the dreams... and now I can't remember the last one. Poo.

So... why the old people? This may be a stretch, but one of the songs I've been listening to a lot lately (and am going to see the band in concert tonight) is "Wake Up the Dead" by Family Force 5. The songs talks about the judgmental attitude that they are getting from some of the older members of the church in general. 

This generation is a "praising" generation. Many of the "old" people aren't very happy with the way "Christian" music is sounding. (I have to say, that sometimes I fall into this category with my daughter's "Screamo" christian music.) Anyway, Christ said that the last generation would be a praising generation. 

One old pastor I heard on the radio said, "We need to stop spending so much time singing, and start reading the Bible." His whole message inadvertently down played praise and worship as if they were not an important part of church. I was a little miffed. 

Young people are 'stealing keys' from 'dead' old people. You have to be awake and alert in this time of tribulation. I know many awake old people, so it's not just about being old. I think it's more about "old-fashioned". 

Perhaps we can wake them up... with some hot chocolate, or maybe we will take over their good piece of vacant property, and they will be left in the van. We have the keys.

???

"Closets or Shops"

Last night's dream was all about my sister and I, and clothes.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it could have something to do with the children's book I mentioned the other day. I had a conversation with my husband before I went to bed about it, and basically he said, "You don't have time for that." The discussion was far more in depth, but it left me thinking about who could write the book instead. My first thought was my friend Laurelin, who is a great writer. But she's writing her own book. This morning when I woke up, I was thinking about my sister. My sister is a great writer as well... the problem is, I don't think she'd like the subject matter. :-/

That's just one thought about the dream.

I could take it another way, in that 'why am I messing with my sister's talent, why not stick with my own which is clothes', since the whole dream was about clothes... but not really my own. hmmm? That was part of our pre-bedtime conversation too.

One other thought I have about it is that is it similar to one I had a week or so ago about being at camp and packing the suitcase, taking out my sister's clothes. That dream had a lot to do with my counseling session and getting rid of the remnants of her influence over my life.

In the dream we were in rooms similar to our rooms from 5th and 6th grade. I had her dresser in my room (one I painted later in our teen years) and I was getting dressed for school. I was wearing a yellow and white skirt I have with eyelets and flowers, looking for a top to go with it. (Which really is a problem with that skirt.) I was wanting a yellow T-shirt and a light eyelet-ed white three quarter top that I could just button near the top. It didn't exist. I looked through the closet. Went in her room (to the left of mine) and looked. Looked through the dresser, which had hidden drawers of jewelry from our past. It looked like the dresser was in bad shape, but it still worked. The jewels were so packed in that they over-flowed a bit and stuck out the sides in places. (Hummmm, perhaps this is just about talking to my sister. Telling her of her treasures.? Well... that only explains parts.)

I left my room and walked down the hall to the right; I was in a college dorm environment. I had my own room and my sister was sharing with "the rich girls". I walked into their room looking for a top to wear. Their room was huge. It was like a massive closet. No furniture, just clothes on long built in wooden racks. They were mostly sweaters. (I have dreamed of a store like this before.) I said, "it looks just like Anthropology". (My favorite store.) (It really didn't, but I could see all of those sweaters being sold there.) They were colorful, made with variegated yarns. I wanted all of them, but none of them were my sister's. I left the room feeling rather disappointed. On my way back to my room I noticed that the hallway was very large and barren, nearly abandoned in feel. The walls were a grayed white. There was one large archway before you got to my room on the left. I was making a note of it to tell people how to get to my room. But once I got to my room, it was a shoe store. I was a little concerned. "What happened to my room?" I wondered if I was now in charge of the shoe store, or if possibly my room was inside somewhere. I walked down a little alley beside the shoe store and came to an area full of raw wool. My fried Barbara and her two daughters were there, and we decided to learn how to dye and spin our own wool, so I could make pretty sweaters like the ones in my sister's dorm room.

I woke up while I was looking at all the variations of thicknesses of un-dyed yarn hanging.

Perhaps Barbara is going to help me with my story.  Or maybe that's just because she is holding me accountable to finish the portrait I'm working on, so that I can get back to sewing. I'm really having a hard time with the direction of what I'm supposed to be doing.  I guess I should just stick to what I know I've been called to. Get going on my fashion show, whatever else happens, happens.

Do you smell in your dreams?

I have created a monster; My dog loves to be under the covers when he sleeps, but he's not a real sound sleeper. He woke me up every hour (starting at 1:30 - ending at 5:30) to re-cover him in his bed. Uggg. How do you un-train a bad habit? It is cold at night, so I feel bad if I leave him uncovered. My husband says I should teach him to pull up his own covers.  Maybe I should get him a sleeping bag that is slightly held open by something; he can crawl into like a pillow.

Anyway, on to the dream...(that I remember)...

This isn't quite the beginning, but I can't remember the beginning:

I was walking in an area that reminded me of an indoor street... like at the NY NY in Vegas. There was a pub up ahead and I saw my very first "love". (a boyfriend of mine that I met when I was 13. He is still a friend, but in the dream he looked like he did at age 16.)  Right as I saw him and was going to go talk to him, his sister walked up and greeted me. It took me a moment to recognize her because she had dyed her hair blonde and had it cut like Guy's sister (you may remember from other dreams, who just happens to be the girl that my "love" went out with directly after me.). 

Anyway, right after she talked to me I saw my best friend from Junior High, Jessica, looking the same as she did in Junior High. She was walking with a boy and looking very chic. I ran up to her to say Hi, but never actually talked. They walked straight into a photo shoot with another old friend, Jay Gibbs. He was using an elephant as a prop and had a cane in one hand and was on stilts (or maybe just platform shoes). Jessica and Jay and sometimes the other boy posed for multiple pictures while I avoided the camera. As I was avoiding one shot my foot slipped in some snow. Then Insectosaurus (from the movie "Monsters vs. Aliens") made a tidal wave of snow that I rode all the way down the hill sitting on a boogie board. As I got to the bottom of the hill I noticed that my dance shorts were inside out. I sat in the snow and took them off to turn them right side out. There was a crowd of people all around doing a bunch of nothing. A yard duty lady came over to make sure I wasn't exposing myself. I pointed out my nude colored dance shorts that were under the purple and black ones I was wearing. As I pulled back on my black and purple shorts they ripped in numerous places. When I stood up I had a huge hole from my belly to my crotch that revealed my nude dance shorts which looked like control top pantyhose. (It was not a good look.) I was looking in a mirror in a gift shop, and I turned to face a perfume cabinet when my nose caught a whiff something yummy. (This is one of the only dreams I can remember that I actually smelled something. Generally my smelling sense is not present in dreams.)

The cabinet was beautiful. It looked straight out of a fairy tale. The shelves were glass and all the perfume bottles were dainty and intricately designed. My eye was immediately drawn to two with peacocks on them. (I collect peacocks.) I just knew that the good smell must be coming from one of them. I smelled the first one, but it had no smell. I put it back and grabbed the second one. I could barely smell anything with that one too. Then I saw one that said "Icy blue" that was in a frosted blue bottle, not half as fancy. (I wore Ralph Lauren's "Blue" for the past 3 years until last October.) I picked it up and recognized that this was the yummy smell I had turned to look for. It was much fruitier than my normal "Blue" perfume, but still a very clean and crisp smell. A sales lady came over to talk to me. She asked what perfume I wore now. I explained that I had been wearing Prada's Orange Blossom perfume this year. She said, "Oh, you'll like that one then, It's very sweet as well, but different enough from yours." I agreed. The smell was heavenly.

Then... my dog woke me up.

No, I don't know the meaning of the dream. I think it was a pretty random hodge-podge of thoughts going on lately.  My son was watching Monsters Vs. Aliens a few days ago. My daughter has been wearing short dresses a lot lately, so she has also been wearing a lot of dance shorts under them. My bottle of "Blue" is almost completely gone, but I've been wearing Prada since October. I recently thought about buying another bottle of "Blue" just in case I wanted to go back to my old reliable. I'm not sure why Jessica, Jay, Shane, or Felicia were in the dream briefly, but whatever.

The thing that is most interesting to me is that I could smell. For that to have been 'turned on' seems something special. Why out of millions of dreams was this random one blessed with a sense of smell... and only for the one perfume? I mean really, the other two perfumes had no smell to speak of... that's odd. The two that shouted, "Pick me!", were not good. What's the significance of that? hmmmm. Something to think on for the rest of my day.

You have to go down to get up.

The dream's setting is a magnificent hotel building. There is a massive round foyer, grand curved stairways on both sides, white marble with black accent marble tiles; it's just grand.

The dream starts down a hallway where I'm looking for my room along with dozens of other women all there for an event. I know many of them. As I'm realizing that my room is on the next level up, I hear a woman wish out loud for a cappuccino. "I got a cappuccino maker for Christmas. It's in my room," I say. (It's true, I did get one for Christmas.) I continue up the stairs only to find that there is no entry to the hallway up there. I look over the edge to the grand entry room below and ask the woman attendant there how do I get to the hallway. She says, "You have to come down to get to the stairs that go up." I think that's pretty silly, but I come down anyway. When I get down I go into a lounge area. There are snooty women sitting around drinking and talking, all wearing formals.  I'm wearing a formal now too. I see some old classmates from high school and they are wearing formals as well. (All women by the way.) A lady comes in to tell us that they set up the event in the wrong room, and that she will try to get them to carry all the stuff over here where it's supposed to be. So we are told to wait patiently. A few friends and I walk around looking at the space. There is a room being prepared for a new member. I know the girl that the room is being prepared for, so I watch with excitement. The walls are mirrored and grand and there is a man stamping a small black brick pattern on some of the walls. I suggest he put some color splashes under the black for a nice effect. He tries red, and it looks great. I accidentally smudge a brick, and he fixes it as I move away. We see that she also gets a cool circular entryway room that leads to the foyer. It is mirrored as well. As we mosey back into the lounge area the same lady comes back and says, "The dinner is ready to be plated.  We will just all move over to the other room. Don't worry, I'll make sure you girls are in the court." (Meaning the Homecoming court.) We follow her out.

You don't always get to go straight to your room. And sometimes you have to go down to get up. Sometimes things aren't working like they should. Sometimes when you're being helpful, you mess something up at the same time. You can be excited for other people's blessings. And... even if the party starts before you get there, you may still hold a place of honor.

I'm sure I could look into the detail's symbolism too, but it's actually not raining right now, and my dog is staring at me like, "Please take me for a walk." We haven't been able to walk for nearly a week because of the rain. He walks on the treadmill, but it's just not the same.

Oh, I thought you might mike to see the mural I did on Tuesday... (sorry for the fuzziness.)

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.