Sunday, July 6, 2008
spotlight
Things of Dreams
Horoscope for Sagittarius
Sunday, July 6, 2008: When dreams become more real, they can also be less tempting. Today your desires can lead you down a beautiful and unfamiliar path, but the closer you get to the end of it, the less certain you are about your choice. Remember, there is a delicate line between fantasy and reality now, and it’s easy for you to cross over it from both directions.
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I dreamt last night about books and towels. There was an impromptu, unofficial contest between two people - one a neighbor I’ll call Elle, and the other a man whom I have a sense was a brother. They were each given a stack of pink bath towels and were to fold them in a specific period of time. I was the judge. The man won, and Elle was a sore loser, saying the towels weren’t properly folded and the loose strings from the tattered edges hadn’t been removed. One definition for towel suggests that I need to deal with my emotions in order to move forward in my life. I need to find some sort of a resolution. Alternatively, it represents completion, a fresh start and new transition. The dream continued with me on a chair placing the towels on a shelf in an office. I was having to stack the books to the one side to make room for the towels. While I was doing this, in walked Anita and her assistant. In real life, Anita is a local business woman, former mayor for the beach, and is running for county commission against Ray who has been our district commissioner for twenty years. Anita was wearing a bright red suit coat (the brightness was notable). The office was that of the county commissioner, and “her assistant” was actually Ray’s assistant. (Maybe this dream is precognitive - maybe Anita will win the election. ) Another young woman came in talking to me about whether I had put the scan decals on the books. I was wanting to pay attention to Anita’s conversation with her assistant, and the woman about the scans on the books was distracting me. She was telling me that some of the books had already been scanned, so we won’t get credit for them, or the next person won’t because we had some from Alaska, some from California and some from Ohio. I half listened and nodded that it was OK. As I drifted out of sleep this morning, my mind carried a sense of four books - four golden books. That thought lingered with me as I slowly came to consciousness. And then my mind corrected it to include one of those books was silver, and had a shiny silver insignia on the front cover, as if this one were the silver anniversary edition. (To see books in a dream indicates calmness. I will advance toward my goals at a slow and steady pace. Books also symbolize knowledge, intellect, information and wisdom. To see a bookshelf represents the various levels of your mind where ideas, concepts and memories are kept. It also suggests a need to acquire information or knowledge in a situation before making a decision.)
Colors: Pink represents love, joy, sweetness, happiness, affection, kindness. Being in love or healing through love is also implied with this color. Red is an indication of raw energy, force, vigor, intense passion, aggression, power, courage and passion. The color red has deep emotional and spiritual connotations. Red is also the color of danger, shame, sexual impulses and urges. Silver represents justice and purity. It is symbolic of some protective energy.
http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionarySaturday, July 5, 2008
Stinkin' Lucky
I have to stop what I’m doing and write this down. I am incredibly thrilled with my life! The past few hours I’ve been pouring over the itinerary for my upcoming Pacific Northwest trip. How very lucky am I! I’ve googled everything, even google earth and have had a street view of some places, done the virtual tour of the hotels, virtually stood atop the Seattle Space Needle. I want to thrust my arms sky high in a bold and deliberate V and shout: TAH - DAH!!! Not just the upcoming vacation, but all that surrounds it. For instance, I’m updating my itinerary, adding in the flight schedule, and becoming painfully aware of the number of plane changes. I’ve always preferred to carry on luggage and have amazed others at how lightly I can travel. So I’m running through my itinerary and identifying activities to associate a wardrobe item. I have some favorites - like that pair of black dockers that I bought for $15~! at the Dockers’ outlet at Tanger Outlet Mall on the way to Sanibel. (That was 2002, btw…I LOVE these pants). I have my white capris that I bought at Old Navy ! Who’d’ve thunkit~! Actually, it was around the same time…I’ve had them that long, but they don’t get nearly the wear as the dockers… I have a pair of green chorduroy jeans. My daughter Sarah, bought them. I doubt she ever wore them. When she moved out last early summer, she left them behind. They looked BRAND NEW. I washed them and wore them, and was baffled by the compliments I received when I wore them! So, y’know what?! They’re mine! They’re comfortable, and launder well. “nough said.
I did not intend to get side-tracked on my wardrobe packing issues. What I meant to say is that in all of this, I have come to realize just how wonderful my life is. I have the ability to take a wonderful vacation, have a closet-full of great clothing from which to choose, have a great job to return to, and have a wonderful family to support me.
Just How Stinkin’ Lucky Am I!!
People on the Beach
Crossing Estero Boulevard on to the beach access, I could see there were a lot of visitors on the island. This was confirmed as I coasted on to the soft sand. My “usual spot” was taken, and my “alternate” spot was taken. Lots of umbrellas and pop up tents with lots of coolers and towels and bodies. I set up my chair closer to the water’s edge than I prefer, but in a spot as isolated as I could manage. The smell of coconut sun screen filled the air.
Estero Island runs WNW to ESE, but islanders refer to it as the north end or the south end. The south end is predominantly condominiums, while the north end is considered the business or commercial district, and home of Times Square. Times Square, a pedestrian mall with many restaurants offering al fresco dining sits at the base of the big bridge. The county park with the fishing pier is also located there. My stretch of beach is about two miles from times square, and about one mile from the famous Lani Kai Resort. I can see the bright green building of the Lani Kai from my seat, and the fleet of recreational boaters anchored off shore. The water conducts the beat of the live band .
There is a constant parade of people walking the shore line going from the south to the north, from the north to the south. I notice with pleasure a large number of young people. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. I pick up pieces of conversation as each group passes. Four young men in their knee length swim trunks are talking about “..in my school there’s only three of them..” Two girls in pink and black bikinis walked passed me. Pink bikini is talking: “ and he was like, “oh, no way” and I was like, well, like I said, “ Then the girls stopped, Pink says “ why don’t we just set up here?” I watched as they systematically spread out four large beach towels overlapping each edge side by side. I guessed they were in their early twenties. Black bikini had all the bling in the belly button and seemed the dominant personality of the two. They walked into the water, up to their ankles, and turned looking back to the beach. They began waving to someone further down the beach. Black bikini demonstrated annoyance by placing her hands on her hips as she shifted her weight. She hollered out, “HEY!!!!” They walked back out of the water, and returned to the towels. Pink used the reflection in Black’s sunglasses to check on her hairdo. Then the boys arrived. One had a cell phone stuck in his ear. The other two engaged in conversation and shoulder slapping with the bikinis. Judging by the age of the boys, the girls were not yet twenty. Then another couple joined them from the other direction, a girl in a green bikini and a guy in Billabong trunks. The black bikini made some remark to Billabong, and ended it with “Oh Alan, you’re such a jerk”.
At the water’s edge, two boys about the size of a six year old played with minnow nets. A little girl with a hot pink swim ring ran in between them. A fourth child, a girl about six engaged in a sand ball fight. I remember how taboo that was for any of our kids - beach kids did not throw sand. Passing by from the south was a very attractive blond woman in a red white and blue bikini with a bright red sarong. She walked gracefully by. Passing from the north was an attractive young man whose entire body was ripped muscle. I could almost see the sparks fly as he passed her. Neither changed expression but shortly after they had passed, Muscles stopped and turned and watched her. “Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking and when she passes each one she passes goes, ahhh”
A man bent over with age wearing bright orange swim trunks and a faded orange hat shuffled into the water. His back hadn’t seen the sun in a really long time. An elderly couple stopped in front of me. They struck me as being from Miami. She was very comfortable in her turquoise two piece. He was round. His round head was pink with white sidewalls of hair. His round face was pink with a white moustache. His round belly was dusted with fuzzy white hair. He set down the beach bag. She spread out a turquoise towel and sat down. He fished through the bag and pulled out a well worn ball cap and placed it on the round pink head.
Two men stopped and began a game of catch with their baseball and mitts. Gradually they increased the distance between them and the speed of their throws. These men were probably in the neighborhood of my age. The kid with the cellphone stuck in his ear was sitting on the towel watching them. “Man I like to play catch!” he shouted out. Having felt an audience, the baseballers seemed to step up their throws and catches to a more professional appearance. “ Hey, do you have another mitt?” Cellphone called out. “Naw..we just brought these..” responded one of the players. “ We’re just tryin’ to see if we still got it…” commented the other.
Earlier, I observed a couple walking by from the south. They caught my eye because the guy looked like someone I know, but as they got closer I could see that he was not. As I observed them, they walked like they had a buzz on. Well here they were some time later, returning from the north. They stop, and she walks in to the water. He stands on the shore watching her. She walks in about waste high and slides her body in up to her neck. How obvious was it that she had to pee. He just stood there waiting. She emerged and they continued on their way.
Such went the day of people watching. Never a dull moment on a beautiful beach day here in southwest Florida. Truly a day of Independence.
Friday, July 4, 2008
hot chocolate
I don't know the origin of the below excerpt - it was in an online newsletter that I receive. I enjoyed it, found it very poignant and offer it to you for your enjoyment.
Hot Chocolate
A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion, and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups – porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases, it is just more expensive, and, in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change, the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate; man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly...
And enjoy your hot chocolate.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
I am feeling very pink today
Things have been happening at a very rapid pace. Amazing me as time marches on. Today is Thursday, July 3rd - I think. Years ago when working at the newspaper, we manually logged ads on a grid, assigning each a number according to the day of the week the ad was scheduled to run. 1 was Monday, 2 Tuesday, 3 Wednesday and so on. So when Thursday is the 3rd, it confuses me… like today. Today should either be the 4th or it should be Wednesday, because 3 is Wednesday still in my brain.
Adding to the confusion in my brain is that today is a vacation day. I attended the annual clerk’s conference which began Sunday and ended yesterday. The conference was a huge success, but a lot of work. With Friday being a holiday, it seemed silly to go to the office for just today, so I scheduled vacation. I planned to meet a friend for breakfast this morning, so I woke earlier than usual. The ground was wet from last evening’s rain and the sky was that fresh opaque blue of dawn. There was an abundance of morning glories lining the path that I take with my bike. The sea grapes are full of fruit and the mocking birds darted through the trees. I truly live in a beautiful place. As I pedaled past the Chapel, the homeless were lined up on the porch waiting for God’s Table to open. One man greeted me by name. That still creeps me out, even though I know he’s well intentioned. I stopped by Town Hall to check the meeting notice on the door. (I had read an e-mail from my boss concerned about whether a certain meeting had been noticed, and I was double checking myself). All was well. I crossed the parking lot and pedaled by the rec center and community pool. There I saw a couple of public works guys doing their morning clean up. Donnie greeted me and I waved back. I passed the library and cut through the shopping plaza as shop keepers were arriving, gathering morning papers with coffee mugs in hand. I arrived at my destination to see my friend already there. We sat outside and enjoyed coffee and conversation. It was good to see him, and a great way to add to a beautiful morning.
Now the day is wide open. No deadlines, no commitments, no obligations. The weather is decidedly the summer pattern, so I will take advantage of the morning to enjoy the outdoors, ahead of the afternoon rains. Before I left for my clerks’ conference, I transplanted some catnip that I started from seeds. The seedlings were several weeks developed, and perfect for planting in the next level pots. I checked on them first thing when I got home yesterday, and they are all eaten clean. I don’t know whether it’s all the neighbor cats or if it’s the lizards. The pots are undisturbed, which leads me to believe it is not cats. I attempted to grow some cilantro and experienced the same thing: when the seedlings got to be about an inch high, some critter ate them clean! So I don’t know if I want to continue growing young herbs . My rose bushes need some pruning, but otherwise the garden requires little attention.
I think I will take this great book I bought last week and my great beach chair and enjoy sitting on the beach, taking in the gulf of mexico in all its splendor. I hope you have a great day… I know I am.
