misc.

by Rain Trueax
 

For me, this has been an active week for dreams. I never really know what makes the difference. Some of them relate to my life-- or might. Some are what I call movie dreams. Most of the time, the images in my dreams don't appear to relate to my daily thinking. When I wake at the time where light is not yet out, and I'm not ready to get up, I often find my mind traveling from one thing to another-- including the night's dream where I wonder what it was telling me.

Tuesday night, the characters in the dream were all from Facebook or movie stars-- I know none of them in my real time life. In the story, there had been a kind of communal operation, run by a middle-aged woman. The people lived in a big building and went out from it to do their work, which included espionage.

A young couple moved out of the commune to buy their own cottage, cute and cozy. On their new lawn were bright red maple leaves, which suddenly were whisked away, leaving behind a very bright patch of leaves in one corner. The young man shoved them onto a neighbor’s yard to make his look tidy, then regretted it, took them back and crushed them into bits.

In the dream, they realized the organization for which they worked only valued what they could do for them—not them as people.

To look at what a dream means sometimes takes me to a site I like-- [Dream Moods]. Mostly, I do this when the images are particularly intense such as those brilliant red maple leaves.

To see leaves in your dream signify new found happiness and improvements in various aspects of your life. It is symbolic of fertility, growth and openness. Alternatively, leaves represent a passage of time. Depending on the color and type of leaf, the dream could be highlighting a certain period of time. The leaves may also be a metaphor to "leave" you alone.

To see brown, gray or withered leaves in your dream signifies fallen hopes, despair, sadness and loss. If you are sweeping or raking leaves, then it represents the end of a project, relationship or situation. It also signifies experience. 

Mine were intense red, which might mean: Red is an indication of raw energy, force, vigor, intense passion, aggression, power, courage, impulsiveness and passion. The color red has deep emotional and spiritual connotations. Red is also the color of danger, violence, blood, shame, rejection, sexual impulses and urges. Perhaps you need to stop and think about your actions.

I'll have to think then about my current choices, and what I am wrestling with to see if that meaning might apply to me. The other possible meaning seemed related to Ranch Boss' consulting jobs, which have involved start-up companies. In the dream, the thought I came away with was how someone wasn't valued for who they were but only what they could do for someone else. That fits his current situation with one of those companies, and I guess that's not unusual in life with how humans treat each other. 

That led me to thinking about the friendships I've had that have been real and those where it was only about what I could do for them and if that stopped, the

friendship ended. Friends for a purpose, a season, or forever-- isn't that how the saying goes? Maybe it relates to a lot of things,.

Carrying forth that last thought, I mulled over the problem I am having with a group blog, to which I joined I think a year ago in January. In September '16, I had begun to feel I was a poor fit there-- a square peg in a round hole. At that time, I discussed, with the creator of the blog, how I felt and that she should find someone who better fit with that group. She asked me to stay on for awhile. 

Here I am awhile later and still there, still feeling uncomfortable when I try to work out what to write about when my turn comes around. One of my writer friends, who had been in a different group blog, had written on Facebook that she was feeling what I have felt.  I guess it's not an unusual feeling to have where it's a group effort. When I write something for here, I don't feel that-- it's mine and not impacting anybody but me if others don't like what I say.

The difference is that she did something about it when she announced a week later that was her last blog for that group. Why haven't I done that? I don't think I'd ever do another group blog as anything other than invited for one post or a specific period of time. I am apparently not good at quitting something.

The photos are because our hummingbirds have returned. Aren't these amazing birds for how their instincts bring them to a summer home and a winter one. They are so small and yet some travel a thousand miles and unerringly seem to know where to go. Some birds migrate in flocks but not the hummers. I don't know if those who wintered here left or are remaining, but we currently have a lot of them flitting around. 

Between writing scenes for the WIP, I love watching them. Last week mating dances were in order-- the action too fast to capture with the camera. I've read that bird watching is one of those relaxing activities that we should engage in when feeling stressed-- and who isn't feeling stressed right now? lol 

Finally, there's been another subject on my mind-- luck. More on that Wednesday.

making choices-- or not

In considering lifestyles, I've been looking at how other people find a lifestyle that works for them. Some are forced into lifestyles they'd never choose.

Homeless on the river

I've thought living on a river would be interesting in that Tom Sawyer sort of way or even more in a sweet looking houseboat like in Sleepless in Seattle. Many people choose to downsize, live with less, have a smaller house, live without all the luxuries they could afford. However, what the article above is about  is making that choice out of need-- of being between a rock and a hard place.  

Payne Hollow by Harlan Hubbard tells a story of a husband and wife who chose to build their home and live on a river and the fringe of society. The book is one of the keepers on my shelf of many many such stories of those who opted to live a 'different' life than most. 

An interesting side note is, while the book was published in 1974, I bought my copy in September 1976 (based on what I wrote inside the cover). This was a time I was looking for life changes and in 1977, we'd get one with buying this farm. It has also led to a simpler lifestyle. Not that living with livestock is easier, it does suck up $$$s and does not pay a minimum wage-- at least not for the rancher who does most of the work.

When simpler lifestyles are chosen, even if they are lives of poverty, it's very different than what we are seeing too often today with one city after another having housing that is so expensive that people with even middle incomes can no longer afford to live where they work-- or even afford a home at all.

Santa Cruz and California homeless.

As a culture, we are in a time of have and have-nots, sometimes clashing; sometimes just trying to avoid each other by either not being seen or having gated communities that supposedly will keep them safe. Rich celebrities come out to talk about this, offer benefits and then go back into their own safe zones flying around on private jets. Emotions dictate so much while action is what is needed-- except what action actually changes things in a positive way?