Love is Magical...

I did have a dream last night.
I found this picture; it's either titled 'butterfly kiss' or 'love is magical'... I'm not sure which, I wish I knew who the artist was so I could give them credit - it seems to eerily, graphically, capture what it was, that I did dream, last night.
I didn't sleep very well. I had class last night, so I was out later than usual & I fell asleep in my chair; I stumbled to bed about 3am...
Somewhere around dawn, I guess, I had what I thought was a fragmented, mere snippet of a vision, a little dream & I saw no immediate point in writing it down.
Then I remembered the suggestion from the horoscope. So, I did write it out - & as I did, I began to see some personal signs, wonders and references - just for me.
And so, now, I suppose... that since I led it out here - first... that I must also record the dream as I have recalled it to be.

This dream has no beginning....

There I was, comfortable in my bed. Happy and warmly wrapped up close - very close, with this man. We were talking. I don't remember what it was that we were talking about. I cannot remember many physical details of what he looked like. I was completely relaxed, utterly peaceful - I was comfortable with him. It was perfectly natural & good & right for us to be together - we had a closeness that went beyond... He was a warm, warm bed partner - he seemed to be a little older, maybe a bit wiser than I, not by too much though, just enough so that I felt strengthen by him & I felt his presence was big, to me, like, a little larger than life - big, to me - he was nevertheless, protective, loving, guiding, good natured, good humored - benevolent to me & with me... someone I very much wanted to be snuggled up with... and there we were - very much into each other, pillow talking all warm and cozy. He was on the right side of the bed, so that laying in the bed, I was on his right side, too. Something signaled me to get out of bed. It was morning, now, after all & I'd felt a chill run across my shoulders and down my arms. (looky here, it is JANUARY!) When I got out of bed I saw the difficulty - I noticed that the blankets had shifted. The deep blue flannel sheets were pulled up in good position, but the mid-covering, a white, woven cotton blanket had shifted down towards the foot of the bed & the top (blue-plaid) comfortor had shifted a little, in his direction. My companion looked intently at me, his eyes were beautiful, and filled with love for me, he smiled & chatted & laughed a little with me as I made the adjustments to our coverlets. He was still in the bed. He reached to help the effort from where he was lying - I don't recall what he was saying, exactly, to me, as we both reached to fix it... that blanket that had bunched up - it was something about reporting it, or getting it so it wouldn't do that anymore... it was about smoothing the thing out, this something that had crept down & bunched up & had left both our arms & shoulders bare & cold - without that proper placement of the covers. He was chatting to help, I suppose, & to fill the effort of fixing, with some sweet reassurances, & his good humor - as if he could sense that I could feel anxious and perturbed over that shifting blanket issue, & he, so didn't want me to be concerned about it - at all. =) In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't the end of the world for us, it was no big deal, really.... I wanted to jump back into bed with him. This time with arms & shoulders covered up, protected form the winter chill that had stolen into our room & snuggle up - all the rest of the day - just as closely as we ever had before - but I cannot. It's the start of a new day & I have so very much to do...

And... here, now, N.P.R. is blaring: reporting 'viewers letters' in response to Frank Deford's latest sports prose, on my clock-radio... and I realize that I am awake, now, and did I have any dreams last night? What was that...? Wasn't that a fragment? Was it a dream, or a snippet of a dream...? and ... I am on my own, here.. there is no one... was there someone...? No. No, not really... there was not... what was that? What had I dreamt ....? I don't know what that was. . . how did it go again? and I tuck my arms back under the red herringbone throw - the one I keep on my bed - for just such a purpose. They are cold, these arms, because I had turned, maybe, even when the radio had clicked on, and the throw had shifted. The bedroom windows are old & 'breezy' and it's like, 10 degress outside, but my bed is warm, warm, warm because I have a heated matress pad and 'Kitty' is bunched up at the foot of the bed - hugging up to my legs...

And it's the start of a new day & I have so very much to do....

.

.

.

and now here, I am ready to wrap up the day & call it a night all in one fell swoop...

wishing to you - all who pass this way... pleasant dreams! ~

In My Dreams...

I went over to Libby's blog and she's a little freaked about her horoscope today...
so...
I took a looksie at mine:

Here's my horoscope for the day:

Gemini

January 30, 2008

Some strange and mystical dreams, possibly involving angels or other spiritual beings, could come your way tonight, dear Gemini. The messages conveyed by the dreams could well shed light on a romantic relationship that you might not understand too well recently. Therefore, keep a notebook by your bed tonight so that you can write down the details of the dream as soon as you wake up. You'll want to consider them all very carefully to see if you can figure out what is going on.


(That pen and notebook are already there - they have been 4 weeks, now - since the roll-over of this new year... I just felt I needed to start doing this. )
=)

Humph.

Maybe I can ask whatever comes my way tonight, 'where have all the good, romantic relationship possibilities been hiding out???'
Oh, wait... I can answer that one! 'They're not hiding out, it's me, I'm the 'recluse'.

Now, what?
My luck? -> I'll sleep so soundly tonight that I'll not remember a single one of my dreams....
Heeheehee

Here's a little thought I found while looking over images:

Do not search for us, we will find you.

Do not wait for us, we are here... all ready.

Do not whisper your name, we know it well.

We have loved you forever, time will tell...

We are your Guardian Angels.

- Author Unknown

~

Is It Safe Up Here?

=) ... makes you kinda wonder, "...and then what happened?"

Doesn't it?

Today's How To...

If you have a lot of small supplies to store but would rather not invest in a permanent storage system yet,

you can make your own from boxes and add to it as your collection grows.

It's not the sturdiest system, but it's flexible, easy and inexpensive, and that might be just what you're looking for!

Check out the instructions here: How to Make a Cardboard Box Storage System

High Flight

Ronald Reagan, addressing NASA employees following the tragic loss of the Challenger 7 crew on STS-51L, used the poem High Flight in a well-remembered line:

"We shall never forget them nor the last time we saw them, as they prepared for their mission and waved good-bye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God."

In remembrance here's the poem:

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Fish, Questions & Commandments...

It has been sometime since I've posted any art.
It has been sometime since I've been able to DO any art.

I've been working hard at both of these things: jobs and school/studies, since Fall of '05 with nary a break in between - let alone a vacation of any kind. It is all just beginning to seem like such a soul-sucking thing to me... I need art to breathe!

Fortunately my calling at church, to teach Sunday school to the little children, has given me brief outlets here & there for my creativity.

I thought I'd share these little Fishes with you.

These little fishes came about because, neither I, nor the other church ladies putting together the "Follow Him in Faith Carnival" activity last September, thought that sharp, pointy darts were a good idea in the hands of 5 to 11 year olds!

So, rather than put up a "dart the balloon board,"
I made up some fishing poles from wooden dowel rods, glue, string and magnets.
Next, I created these little fishes.

I drew them in outline first, about the size of an index card each, scanned that into the computer and then Photo-shopped on the colors & textures. Since fish eyes all look the same to me, I made up one eyeball, in Photoshop, & duplicated & modified that to fit all the fish.

Since my printer at home is on the fritz I loaded the image up on a flash-drive & took it to the office supply store in town & they pulled it up. I'd been careful to size the images to fit on regular sized (8.5 x 11) paper, so, I had them print it all out on some 20 pages of card stock.
(yes! 120 fish!)

We roughly cut them apart then (we didn't have time to be too exact & the one's with the flipped tails need that extra blank spot for stability). Then we put a paperclip on each one.

I used a felt tip marker & wrote either a commandment, or a question from the Sunday school lessons manual (I'd been teaching the kids all year), on the back (blank) side of the fish.

I put all the fish I had paper clipped (paper clips come in 100 count boxes, btw... something I hadn't bothered to pay attention to when I had 20 pages of card stock printed up) color side up on the floor of the classroom (at the church) where we were having the activity. This worked rather well, as the carpeting in that room is a nice, deep, blue color.

When it was time for the kids to begin the game I talked to them about Jesus and the disciples and the fishing that they had done. Then I explained to them about the fishing poles & what they were going to find on the backs of the fishes...
If the kids got a question, they were to answer the question - and 'throw the fish back in.'
If the kids got a commandment, they then got to 'keep the commandments.'

Man-o-man, this was a 'hit'! Those kids really got into this & they loved counting out their fish (& commandments) to keep.

The Bible is chalked full of commandments. I drew them from all parts of the scriptures that seemed most applicable to the children, I didn't just write out 'the 10 commandments' alone, repetitiously, although I did use a good many of them as well.

Having a few left-over, extras, as it turned out, has been a good thing. I've had a few visits from friends with little ones in tow at my house, since this activity. The fishes and fishin' poles have been a great way to help keep the little children entertained while the adults visit. And, of course, I've let those little visitors take a pole and a few fishes home with them as well! How could I not? They really enjoyed playing with them!

I'll Fly Away...

Guest Art!

My Nephew... 'The little Lord of Leaping' made this animae gif and sent it out to me via e-mail - yesterday.

Hope it plays out well here.

(Click on the picture for the full effect)

Yes!

Dig that kid's creativity!

I adore it!

Life in Arrears?

From m'e-mail files... O-deer! Is it just me, or is there a problem with this a six-pack?

Subject: Next time you think your job sucks...
[No - I didn't go buy a thermometer to make sure this is "correct" but it does make you really think about your day!]

When you have an “I Hate My Job” day, try this:

On your way home from Work; stop at your pharmacy, go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson. Be very sure you get this brand.

When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed.

Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the package and Remove the thermometer.

Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken.

Now the fun part begins.

Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is this statement: "Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested and then sanitized".

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, “I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson & Johnson".


REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE WITH A JOB THAT IS MORE OF A PAIN IN THE ASS THAN YOURS!

(Have a good day!)

Where izzit?