A Ski Lift to my Dirty House

Last night I talked with my friend Kathy who has been out of a job for several months. I guess I had this on the brain.

In this dream, Kathy came to visit. I was working at Sutherland, and she came to see me at work. I was angry that she wouldn’t apply for the jobs there. I wasn’t working hard- I was reading a magazine at my desk. As we left, it turned into the kids’ school and I realized open house was that night. I started to turn around but the kids wanted to leave and it was almost over anyway. I asked what the difference was between open house and meet the teacher (which was the following week) and they didn’t know. We did not go. On the way home we were talking  about what to  eat for dinner and Kathy wanted chicken.

Michael was traveling and not there. We lived in a strange place- it was connected to stone mountain. There were cement floors and the new was a ski lift that went right by our house. Dylan had gone on a trip with the color guard. I was wondering if they would wear their uniforms, and I started to text him to tell him I wanted to take his picture when he was on the ski lift but about that time he arrived. (It was going down not up). Dylan was climbing over people and changing seats, and I freaked out because it was not safe. Then two people jumped off the ski lift and threw up on the floor of our house. I went into a long hallway to get the garden hose and clean it, and I realized how dirty the floor was and that it all needed to be cleaned anyway. I started to leave the hose out and realized that I needed to put it away properly. I started to blame Michael for how messy everything was, but then I remembered how messy I was before we got married and realized I was worse and was the one who had changed my standards.

We started cooking dinner. Earlier I had started making tomato soup in the oven and had left it in there turned off. I turned the oven back on but spilled it. Kathy opened the oven door and cleaned it up but said she couldn’t get to the shelf. I opened this handy little slide out door under the main oven door and slid just the shelf out. It was neat. The oven looked very old fashioned.

We were discussing what vegetables to eat and Kathy pulled out a bag of fresh produce from a farmers market I had never heard of but Dylan had.

Cheering for the Home Life

We owned three houses- the one we live in, the one in Oxford and one in North Jackson. We got a call that we had to move our house because a river was being redirected. At first we thought they were talking about the one we lived in, but then realized it was the Jackson one. We went to look at it and decided we should probably just sell it but wanted to make sure it wasn’t fraud to sell when we knew about having to move it.

Then the scene changed and I was watching a school event in a gym. I told the kids I had never been in that gym before. It was a musical showcase where cheerleaders performed, dance team and show choir. When they were done we went to a hotel to get massages but there weren’t enough tables so while everyone else was getting a massage I suggested we play a game. I had a game out and was struggling to get all the pieces sorted out and the board unfolded. Someone yelled because I was too loud and disturbing the other massages. Then someone’s father came and brought tripoly. It was the old style game with the deep buckets for chips and I asked him where he got it. The coins and chips started falling everywhere. Then we went outside and watched the cheerleaders perform again but the other groups didn’t perform. Everyone left then and I went inside a house where a girl I knew from school lived with her fiancé (Kacee). She was picking up after a wedding shower so I helped clean up. Her husband was going to make them not live in the house until after the wedding and she was mad about that. I was setting pillows on the couch and telling her fiancée he should buy Musee bath fizees to smell good. There was a loaf of banana bread that was mine and I was really worried about getting it back to take home.

A Strange Day at the Office

I was at work, and it was focused on technical support. I was working in a different building that was like a mall or something. I had a new boss who insisted that I take copious notes in a very specific format on every call and I draw out boxes to help troubleshoot. I had a hard time doing this, and I didn’t have a notebook to use so I was using one of the kids’ old ones and just using their blank pages. I took a break and went down to see my old teacher Charla. She had a classroom of small children and said she had a small bottle of wine hidden in her purse. She offered to split it with me if I would go and buy a seven up and mix it. I got it out and discreetly poured it into a glass. I drank my half and then went to get 7up but spilled the rest. I had some back at my desk so I went to get it. Near my desk was a big set of wooden bleachers that I was running down. I got near the bottom and the drop off was too much. I got afraid to climb back up the way I came and some guy started spinning the bleachers to collapse them. It was fast and fun and let me off at the bottom on the floor. There was a woman sitting in my office with someone else I work with (maybe Corey?) and she was related to someone at the church (like a descendent of the Johnstone’s.) She had been living at the church but I hadn’t met her yet so I introduced myself.

Game of No’s…. A Bad Lesson in Good Preparation

I was supposed to give a workshop. It was three parts- part 1,2, and 3. Part one was in one location (in a conference room at a work setting), then we had to move for part two (to a classroom), then 3 was back in the original. When I went to part two there was an old man who put my box of supplies in a box elevator so I didn’t have to carry it upstairs. I was not well prepared. I completed them out of order and was not thorough. As I was playing the video, I realized I didn’t make copies for people so I tried to pin up the handouts but no one could see them.  I didn’t realize that the guest speaker in part two was famous (the topic was symbolism in Game of Thrones) and there was an actor who spoke to the group but he hadn’t been introduced to what I’ve seen yet- he doesn’t come until a later season. On the way back to the third part, Kathy J was driving me. We pulled into the church parking lot and my old Sitel sales team was there. I was so sad that I hadn’t known they were visiting because now I didn’t have time to see them before they left and went back to India. When we got to the entrance, all the parking spots were full (we were now in a mall-like building not the church.) Kathy had to park in a circle dive. As I got out she gave me $5 so I stopped to get a Diet Coke in the food court of this office. There were long lines at most places and so I went to a new place where the server was on my side of the counter trying to reach over. They served the drinks in plastic bottles that were cut with a knife and then compressed. I gave them $10 to pay and they tried not to give me change. Then I said I needed change so they tried to charge me $3.75. I was furious because it was tiny. I got a small cup from the next stand and it barely filled that up even though they argued that it was large. The drink next door was $.75. When I got into the room, I realized no one was there and so I had to talk to the leader about what to do and I was wondering if I should apologize to the participants for being so ill-prepared.

The brighter side of voting

There was an election of some sort, and I was at a school. There was a polling place set up at the school and all sorts of activities going on. I remember a big tiger mascot walking around, and food vendors. It was a very festive environment.  Before we left I wanted to stop and try to vote, but I wasn’t sure if I could vote anywhere or if I needed to vote at my defined precinct. Then the scene  changed and I was tailgating in a field with a big fire. It was cold, and I was hoping that the person with me (don’t know him in real life) would put his arm around me because I was so cold. He came out but was busy talking and did not.

A Classroom Goldilocks

I was in school, and I was taking a final exam of some sort.  I was in a classroom that wasn’t my normal one, because someone called and asked what room I was in, and I had to look around for clues.  I told them that it looked like a history classroom.

The test was made up of watching a commercial about bears and answering questions about the commercial.  The top section was a scorecard, and the bottom was a table designed for comments.  The test was really hard, and it felt like I worked on it for a really long time.  Finally, I finished.  The teacher, who I liked, was calling us in one by one to review the test.  When it was my turn, I had missed many of the items in the scorecard, and most of the comments (many of which I had left blank.)  I had gotten a 55% for a score, and I was devastated.  I started to tell her that I just didn’t want to do this – that I didn’t want to spend an hour trying to understand a 30 second commercial, but then she gave me the chance to do it over (and had done so for a few other people as well) so I was glad that I didn’t tell her I didn’t want to do it.

First, she gave me a giant blanket, and it was too big and unwieldy for me to write on.  I was on the floor and tried going into a closet, but once I wrote something on the blanket, it was so big that I couldn’t find the answer again.

I then tried again on the original test paper, but it was so tiny, I couldn’t even fit a few words in the spaces, and I had decided I would write a lot of detail about every question to try to make up for it.

Finally, I settled on using a spiral bound notebook, and I would first write the question, then give the numeric answer, and then write details/comments after that.  I realized as I started writing the first question in the notebook that I had read all of the questions wrong to start with.  For example, the first question was not a rating about the commercial itself, it was about how the bears felt.  It was really hard to understand the question and also to stay focused.

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As a child, I never really minded school as much as some others did.  The fact that I wasn’t lost, and I didn’t THINK I was ill prepared for the test was a good sign (normally those are the things I struggle with when I dream about school.)  This dream was different since I thought I had done well, and then my teacher (my shadow self) told me I had misunderstood.  On the bright side, the path of correction was clear – I had the chance to do it over again, and this time, read the instructions and read the questions more clearly.

Does this mean that there is something in my life that I’ve misunderstood?  Something that I need to re-think and do differently?  How do I figure out what part of my life that is?

I think that maybe I’ve gotten distracted with the “psychic” Facebook group that I joined.  While it’s interesting and really neat to read about some of the topics, they seem to be focused on “mediumship” and let’s face it, I have no desire to communicate with those who have passed on.  It’s compelling to try to see ghostly faces in pictures that are posted, but not really of much value to me and what I want to do in my life.  On the flip side, the fact that I didn’t want to do the analysis of the commercial is pretty indicative of how I feel  about interpreting my dreams sometimes.  The big ones – the ones that have strong emotions or easy meanings or synchronicity in my waking life – those are easy!  But to sit down and pull apart dreams that (on the surface) seem so random is a bit more challenging – especially with all of the potential work that could go into it.

The fact that I was in a history room… again, I’m not necessarily interested in history on the surface.  I never enjoyed that subject in school (although as an adult, when I have specific ties to a part of history, it becomes more interesting.)  But the setting is said to be an important part of the dream.

The fact that the commercial was about bears – hmmm, I don’t have any particular history with bears.  I did have another dream about bears, and much like this one, it was very frustrating and tiring.  In both cases, I was not very familiar with bears, and I was frustrated with the process of researching them and learning more about them.  Could bears be my dreams?  Scary, dangerous to my ego, something I’m very unfamiliar with?

The fact that when I went back and read the question closer, it was asking about the feeling of the bears could point to my own feelings.  How do I FEEL about what’s happening?  How do I FEEL about the dreams?

I included something about Goldilocks in the title of this post, because a) of course there were bears but b) when trying to resolve the situation I had to try something too big (the blanket), too small (the test paper) and ultimately find something JUST RIGHT (the notebook.)  I suppose with any new endeavor, there is a bit of trial and error, and especially when working with symbols, it’s easy to dig too deep or remain too much on the surface.  By going back to the basics (with my dream notebook?) and making sure I try to understand the question, perhaps that will help me stay focused on what God is asking me to hear.

A key to a mystery?

I was in school of some sort, but it was not high school or college.  It seemed like some sort of adult learning.  There was a dorm and a cafeteria.  I was getting soda and lunch and I had a really old dollar bill – it was very soft and faded.  I was trying to plan my next schedule.

There was some sort of mystery – we went to a vet’s office but they wouldn’t let me look around.  They invited Ben back, and he figured out the password.  Then he was looking at a picture and realized there was a shoe hidden in a crevice in the photo.  Someone had a dream and told him about it, and then he saw the picture.

Extreme Geocaching

Last night, my dreams were filled with various forms of geocaching.  It started with a very extreme geocaching  – we were in a school of some sort.  It was dark, and there was security trying to keep us out.  I took off my shoes so I could move around more quietly.  I don’t remember finding the geocache but I also don’t think the security guard caught me.

Then we were out in the ocean, and someone in a wet suit climbed up on a giant ladder (like a fire ladder).  They planted the geocache up high.  I was looking around to try to tell any identifying surroundings.  Again, it was dark, but I could see trees along the outside, and several dark buildings.

Then I went to Elizabeth’s house, and she was doing it online as part of a game.  There were two games – one was star wars related, and you collected different types of gems.  They would combine and make better gems, spinning and making unique sounds.  I thought that was too complicated.  Then we started talking about the online geocaching game.  Parts of it were on the computer and parts of it were live.  Her oldest stepson came in for a little while but didn’t stay.  Then her youngest daughter Sophia came in.  I tried to talk to her but she was pretty shy.  I told her that I thought that the game was hard.  Elizabeth showed me some tips and tricks.  She played with a  different circle of people.

Then I went to a party where everyone was playing.  The only person that I knew there that I saw was my old high school boyfriend David.  I was sitting down with him in the same chair, and he was helping me. There were people milling around and they would occasionally chime in with answers or feedback.  At one point, a girl (woman?) said that I needed to introduce them to Hannah and Dylan because they could in turn introduce them to an advance group.  (They called the group by name.)  I realized I didn’t remember their online names.  I struggled to try to figure out how to introduce the two separate groups of gamers.  A young man walked by and introduced himself as a leader (would have been called a ‘wizard’ back in the days of mucks.)  He said he was known by several names, and one of them had “no” in it.  Then I found a cache with money and a gift card in it.  Someone said that it was replenished regularly to give new players hope.  I was in the process of trying to log everything and count the money when I woke up.

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A few initial thoughts on this one.  The first part of the dream in the school – I think that I’m still trying to work through what people think of me.  Taking off my shoes was me changing my persona to try to “hide” this part of myself.  When I did that, while I didn’t get caught, I also did not find the prize.

A ladder is meant to represent getting nearer to God (much like Jacob’s ladder.)  This part was pretty clear that there is a  big prize if I’m brave enough to brave the rough waters and the dark.

Then it transitioned from school to work, and Elizabeth was trying to help me, but it was in a “family” environment.

Karen told me that parties represent the “heavenly” party – a way to get closer to God, and this part of the dream was about making connections.  I found the biggest prize yet, and there were people all around me trying to help me.

I think this whole thing points back to embracing this new, more spiritual part of my life and know that there are people all over who relate.  The prize will be great.

School’s out for the summer (part 2)

I was at school, and it was the last few days before school was out for the summer.  I didn’t know which class was next, but unlike my normal dreams (when I have no idea where to go or how to find out) this time I had a schedule.  I thought to myself that I never used to forget where I was going next while I was in school.  I went to a history class (I think it was history.)  The teacher asked me to arrange for an overhead projector for the next class.  I also needed to do that for my science class.  Someone brought me the book that I needed to fill out to check out the equipment, and I started to fill out the form to reserve it.  Then in my science class, I left to go drop them off at the front desk.  After school, I was walking out and the history teacher was at the front desk.  He yelled out to pick up the projector on the way to class.  I was thinking it would be too heavy for me, but then I realized he was asking the guy behind me to do it.  The guy was in my class, but I didn’t know him.

We were supposed to watch the new Peanuts movie in class on the last day.  It had not yet been released, but it was going straight to the DVD. I was telling Mom about it – in the plot, Lucy killed all the others and it was a comedy – not a normal Peanuts movie.  I wondered if it would be appropriate, and if we were on a waiting list to get it, or if we should try to download it via iTunes.  Then we were stuck in traffic, and I thought we were going to be watching in our cars and blocking traffic.  (In another part of the dream, we saw protesters blocking traffic too.)  Alex had to get home because over the summer, he was going to be working three jobs – two were at different hotels and a third job was not related but I don’t remember.

 

By Ryomaandres (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons