The Lessons of a Dream

Wow! What a dream I had this morning. I could feel the texture of the coat I was wearing, the breeze on my face. People's eyes could be read. Interesting selection of people to join me for such a lucid dream, too.

Three, no four, major players in the dream.

One person, who has a habit of "not showing up" was in the dream and, surprise, did not show up!

Person-two, I found her stuffed bunny, gave it back to her. We chatted and danced while we waited for person-one to not show up. She left on the school bus and took her bunny with her, both seemed very happy to be reunited!

Person-three, was headed to the laundromat, but eyes told me that maybe later.....

Person-four - What are you doing in my dreams? I've never seen you here before; welcome! You look good at the head of the table! Your leadership skills are becoming very impressive!

I was wearing my pretty royal blue coat with the fur collar that I lost 45 years ago. All this time I thought it was stolen but I just left it in the land of dreams. What other items might be waiting there for me to rediscover?  It would be nice if my skate key is there. I don't have the skates anymore but I sure liked that skate key. It would look good on a 30" silver chain surrounded with Kyanite and Iolite beads.

The restaurant where I was having lunch with friends was built with thick redwood beams  and boards. Windows wrapped around three sides of the dining room. I could smell the vegetables roasted in rosemary and the ravioli (I'm pretty sure I brought the ravioli with me from watching Master Chef Canada last night. I could taste it too and all I have to say is "YUM"!)

I do hope my subconscious noted the location of the restaurant; the ambiance was remarkable and the black currant balsamic vinaigrette was literally out-of-this-world! I'm going to start sleeping with a  mason jar just in case I go back.

If I die in my sleep, know that some uptight dream-realm official wouldn't let me transfer dimensions with a mason jar full of salad dressing and I chose to stay with that divine nectar of the gods!

I found a folding laundry basket, returned it to person-two, returned to the curb to wait!  I looked down the street and knew that person-one was always going to not-show-up. I unbuttoned my coat, put my hands in my pockets and started walking in the direction of home. I made the choice not to wait but to show up for myself.

The walk felt good, the pace was brisk, even in an elegant pair of heels! I was smiling. The air brushed my face as I walked and as I woke, I could still feel the breeze on my skin and I was still smiling.

Now, if you'll excuse me. My teapot is whistling and I have fresh ginger to peel and chop. The crew is waiting for me by the pool. We are going to repair the net on the pool sweep and draw straws to see who is going to sweep up the mess of crushed sand dollars in the entry, family room and living room floors.

I learned two lessons in the last 24 hours. I can show up for myself and bored dogs have a taste for sea shells.

My Furniture Friends

Earlier this morning....oops...it is after 12:00....another successful morning of putting the BIG stuff off....I wondered why Mrs. Richardson was in such a huff!

As I was saying, earlier today, I was writing about what kind of furniture I would be. After I posted it, I took the dogs out for a quick sniff'n'pee. We came back in the house, did a few chores.

As I performed the odd and ends of daily living I was thinking about some friends and what type of furniture they might be. It was vital to take the visualizations into the darker corners of my mind. BabaMara is extremely magical and has a new wand. She hasn't placed anyone in a jar lately or even threatened to have them toad! I'm afraid she might be tempted to try to turn a friend or two into a whimsical table or sideboard if I thought too loud!

I picked several of those I love and tried to imagine what they might think of themselves, erased those images...(too intrusive?)...and thought of how I might draw them if we were to magically transport to a fantasy story of animated accoutrements!

One, dear to me, would be a high queen-worthy bed. The headboard would be constructed out of time-worn wood boards, bleached by the sun, sanded smooth by the wind and the sea.  The top-edge, fashioned into a series of crashing waves.  The wood, dressed in a thin wash of white, would expose it's beautiful knots and wavy grain.  A fluffy down cover would rest on the pillow-top mattress.

The barely-there baby-blue luster of her thousand-count linens would lure you in, inviting you to rest your head on the soft pillows for a restful nap. Extra pillows, tapestries of scenes of the sea, stripes of white and blue and silk in beach colors, top the bed, in case you are more tempted to read a good novel with pillows plumped behind you.  A magical quilt of sage and sand, all the colors of the sea covers the bed; you can almost hear the waves gently rolling onto shore as you behold the exquisite comforter.  A velvety blanket in a deep, deep sage lies folded at the foot of the bed.

Did I mention, that mixed in with the mountain of pillows is a round cushion with a picture of the Supremes in long, sparkly gowns and gloves, hands held out? "Stop In The Name Of Love!" printed in bright red under the women. The back side of the pillow displays Rosanna Anna Danna and the words, "NEVERMIND!"

p.s. There might be a couple of crumbs from this morning's bagel on the left side of the bed and that is definitely a ring from a coffee mug on the bedside table, next to the stack of books and Coastal Living magazines.

I have another friend who could be the most amazing and exquisite antique oak credenza and hutch. Hand-carved details on the drawers, the trim and along the hutch opening. Her mid-west roots are visible in the bead-board backing of the hutch, painted a soft pastel sage. A collection of hat boxes sit atop the hutch, in various patterns and colors; each tied with a matching ribbon, holding memories and secrets, bits and pieces of life and love. The shelves of the hutch hold photos of loved ones, pretty vases and bright porcelain birds.

On the left side of the hutch is a small copper cup hook with a ring of keys hanging from it. Some are skeleton keys with the patina of age. There are also keys so bright and shiny that they hint of unlocking doors and drawers to come.

The middle drawer of the credenza is lined with red velvet; oh the things it holds dear!  The drawer on the right holds a bright light that shines when the drawer is pulled from its berth; the drawer on the left is her articulation drawer which is opened and shared freely with company.  The cabinets hold books and knowledge and wisdom.

Unlike typical aged brass or bronze hardware, this knobs and pulls are bright colored glass with specks of gems embedded in the glass.

While the credenza and hutch are antique and splendid they are also magical. Each time a person goes away and comes back to them, they appear younger, they never have to be dusted or polished. The richness of the wood grain and patina remain but the sense of youth and newness exudes from it.

Sleek Red Sofa

Have you ever asked yourself....and my guess is that you haven't....have you ever asked yourself, if you were a piece of furniture, what item would you be?

Yesterday, on HGTV, in one of the property hunting programs, a sleek, red sofa was in one of the rooms. The couple doing the hunting were looking for a place for a woman who couldn't do the search herself.

When their eyes spotted the sleek red sofa, they both "oohed" and said, "Whoa, she'll love that couch. If she were a piece of furniture, that's what she would be!"

It was pretty impressive! One the "searchers" was the woman's husband and, frankly, the sofa was pretty damn sexy. The design was contemporary with a low tufted red leather back, sleek edges and wide chaise off one side. Can you imagine someone comparing you to a sleek sexy item?

Made me think about what kind of furniture would I be.

The first picture to pop into my head was a window seat built into a bay window on the south side of a house. Warm sun streaming in, bookshelf built into sides; the seat able to be lifted up to hide and discover whimsical and magical items and books. Cushioned seat, lots of pillows, well-padded, comfy.

The troupes advised me I was visualizing a design element of a building rather than an item of furniture.

"Think "Home Goods" or "Stickley"!"

I promptly flipped them off, followed with "Think This!"

Was that me or was that Bea? Is it possible that the two of us are enmeshing?

Back on-track.

I would be a comfy over-stuffed chair with winged back and high, rounded arms for snuggling into. I know in my heart that I would not be a single color nor would I be a buffalo plaid.

The deep seat cushion would be a bright purple, turquoise and sea green in swirls and capricious geometric shapes. The edges of the cushions would be verticle stripes in the same colors. The overstuffed wings would be covered in purple polka dot on a turquoise background, the arms in a reverse pattern with the turquoise dots of different sizes. There would be 3 pillows; one a bright orange, one a deep purple and one with stars and moons in a dark purple night sky.

I'm thinking there should be a skirt on the chair (to hide dust bunnies and books that don't fit on the two side tables. The skirt should probably be the same vertical stripes as the cushion edges; there should be some control, right?

I would need to be an puffy square ottoman, tufted top matching chair cushion and the full skirting in vertical stripes though I should have piping in the polka dot purple and turquoise.

There is a little debate going on with the crew between fabric types; cotton vs microfiber!  Cotton is a natural fiber, it is soft and durable (sound like me) but it is not fade resistant, will wrinkle and is actually flammable (again, me!) I am already imaging some wrinkles in the cushion and a little natural wear on the arms.

Microfiber on the other hand is comfortable, forgiving, long-lasting and easy to clean (me!) Down-side of microfiber; it is a synthetic!


We're going with cotton!

What piece of furniture are you? Are you a seven piece sectional with several layout options? Could you be a stately four-poster bed with a pillow top and silk canopy?  Maybe you are stained-glass lamp with guilded base and a pull chain with a peacock knob on the end?

Destination Or Journey?

Lead singer of Aerosmith, Stephen Tyler once stated "Life's a journey, not a destination!"

Life is, truly, a journey but aren't you occasionally filled with joy (or dismay) when you find yourself standing at what could be considered a temporary destination, a weigh station in life? Maybe more appropriately called a "way" station!

Study the paths above. Is it possible that they could exist not only as paths on a journey but also be a destination?

Perception is so much of our life, our travels and passages.

Feel yourself standing at the spot the photographer stood.

Are you looking at the path yet to travel, wondering where the violet road leads; what could be around the next bend?  Or do you visual it as a path you have already traversed? Are you looking back at where you've come?

Is it only the road you perceive and the miles ahead, the miles behind, or do your senses fill with the beauty and mystery of each step you take.

As you walk the path, do you only observe your shoes as they take each step? Or are you present; wondering how the light and earth and unseen angels took an ordinary dirt path, changing it into a magical road of violets and lavenders? Do you open your soul to the energy of the souls who have traveled the road before you or who have yet to traverse?

Each day we have the opportunity to walk the mundane paths of our lives or travel magical paths. Each moment with it's own nuances and numinous aspects that have the capacity to stimulate all the senses. Imagine you are in the den, reading a good book or watching a TedTalk on the Ipad and discover the coffee cup next to you is empty. Do you refill it with a trip to the kitchen as a short trip of two points or do you experience the whole journey? Do you notice the family pictures on the wall, smell the rain outside, feel the carpet on your feet, touch the wall remembering choosing the color with your partner?

Whether you drive your own car, carpool or ride a bus on your daily commute, do you focus on what you know or imagine is awaiting you in your inbox at your desk, the calls you'll need to make, the notes you need to make for that conference in the afternoon or do you notice the swallows have returned or the bright blossoms of crocus peeking out of the snow?

When you are mowing your lawn on Saturday afternoon do you march back and forth. keeping those lines straight? Have you already crossed this job off the to-do list as you think about the run to the hardware store to pick up the items needed for other tasks or do you smell the newly cut grass, feel the sun caress your face?

As you are pulling and tugging at the overgrown Vinca for spring cleanup, you see Mr. Young walking out to check his mail, do you quickly wave and return back to the grind of tugging and pulling or do you notice that your neighbor is walking slower than usual, has a little shake in his hands. Maybe you could take a break and invite him over for an ice tea and a little conversation...that Vinca really isn't going anywhere but what if Mr. Young doesn't make that walk tomorrow?

Look at the picture again. Where could it be taking you or from where has it brought you? In your daily life are you a numbered dot; living for the destinations or are you the lines between the dots; enjoying the journey? If you live your life in little dots, little destinations, do you think you are getting the whole picture?