Dream Analysis: Poisoned Popcorn

I love naps, especially my Sunday afternoon naps.  They are necessary to get me through my nap-free weeks.   I turn the fan on, cover up and snuggle with my sweet little Zeus while drifting off to either the TV or the iPod.  Maybe the background noise is a bad idea.  Yes, it keeps me from hearing various neighbors' drama, among other things I'd rather forget; however, it leads to the strangest dreams. 

Exhibit A: 

Zeus and I were walking in the ghetto, obviously MY favorite place to take a leisurely stroll.  As we were meandering along, a few of the riff-raff caught Zeus' eye.  He liked the hot little number with the golden fur and flirted with her shamelessly.  Maybe he felt sorry for her because she was homeless, but after a few days of pining for his new crush he ran away with her leaving me sad and alone.    

I was worried sick and spent several hours running through the ghetto and eventually found my way to the thick forest, which had magically appeared out of nowhere.  I ventured in, calling for Zeus the entire time.  Finally I heard his reply, a combination of squealing and barking that sounded rather like he was being tortured.  I ran to him and found him with his new lady love and another "friend" stuck on the top of a tall tree-bush, yes a tree-bush.  I'm guessing it was a hybrid.  ;-)  I was afraid to climb the odd looking tree-bush so I called for Zeus and he leaped into my arms, confident that I would catch him.  He had broken up with his lady friend after he realized he really loved me best and could not live without me.  I was so happy he chose me that I helped the riff-raff out of the tree-bush and flew them home to the ghetto.  But I had to hurry, because I had a work emergency and no time to scold Zeus for running away and almost eloping!  I was an undercover FBI agent who was working on a case and I needed my sidekick to help me solve the mystery.  

Once we landed we entered our secret laboratory, which looked suspiciously like the Bat Cave.  After turning on my ear piece I received an update from FBI headquarters, located in Sweden.  The North Koreans were planning to release a deadly toxin and we were running out of time to figure out when and where.  Jack Bauer needed me to figure it out and relay the information to him so he could stop the attack.  Hard at work intellectually I sat in a huge recliner and snuggled Zeus.  Finally Zeus impatiently jumped down and ate a piece of buttered popcorn and then pretended to get sick.  Suddenly I knew that the North Koreans were going to poison all of the popcorn at every movie theater in San Antonio!  Oh my!!!  I called Jack, he put a stop to it and Zeus was crowned a hero for keeping movie goers safe.  He got a treat of Persian chicken kabobs with rice and then we took a long walk, far, FAR away from the ghetto.

The end.

Interpretation:

• Walking in the ghetto is not smart
• Zeus loves me best even though he was tempted by the golden-furred floozy
• I will find him if he tries to run away
• Tree-bushes are weird
• Doggy break-ups hurt almost as much as human break-ups
• I can FLY!!!
• The Bat Cave is REALLY cool in person
• 24, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Orphan Master's Son are alive and well in my sub-conscious
• I will no longer take walks in the ghetto

Grandma Jim

I'm missing my Grandma Jim today.  No particular reason, other than we would have celebrated her (94th?) birthday this week.  Maybe that's why she has been on my mind more than usual lately.  She was my favorite person;  affectionate, kind, friendly, genuine, happy, loving and just plain adorable.  A registered nurse in her younger days and a hippie, Yoga instructor and massage therapist in her twilight years, she worked through her retirement for travel money. And travel she did through 6 continents and numerous countries. Whether she was exploring Asia, enjoying Australia and New Zealand, hiking Machu Picchu on her 80th birthday, backpacking in Europe, roaming around India or riding camels in the shadow of the Egyptian pyramids, she was optimistic about others and wanted to know as much as she could about the world she inhabited.  I proudly blame her for my travel addiction and love of adventure!

Now don't get me wrong, she wasn't perfect, but she somehow understood me and loved me better than anyone else ever has.  She encouraged me to grow into myself instead of worrying about being who others thought I should be.  She didn't judge me when I went through awkward phases, she just loved me in spite of myself.  I would always be a princess to her.  She actually believed that I was one of the most amazing creatures she had ever known.  She loved me uniquely and without pretense, and she loved me in ways I didn't realize I needed until much later in my life.  That is an amazing feat in this broken world and I only hope I can grow into someone who loves as well as she did.  

Grandma Jim didn't see color or status; she wasn't turned off by mental illness, addiction or blatant flaws.  She just loved people where they were. One of the best flesh and blood examples of how well Jesus loves; He was able to love so many people through her.  Personally she was able to reach a part of me that no one else could.  A very lonely, miserable little girl pretending that life was okay, I desperately needed to know that I could be loved despite the damage that had hammered my heart and soul for so many years.  Now I can look back and see God's footprints all over my life, when I could not see them before. I am overwhelmed with the love and grace extended to me and I want to be the kind of person who lets his love, mercy and grace flow through me instead of greedily withholding it when others disappoint me, speak ill of me or make unfair assumptions and judgments about me.

I am so grateful for the time I had with her, but oh do I wish she were still walking around in the flesh; free as a bird, happy, friendly, funny and more than a little crazy.  Instead her ashes are scattered at the family cabin built by my grandfather and great uncle shortly after they returned from fighting in WWII.  It has been over 10 years since we said goodbye and I'm missing her more now than ever.  I wish I could talk to her, travel the world with her, get a bear hug from her, laugh with her, play Boggle or Tripoley with her and simply let myself feel deeply known and loved again.

I miss you Grandma Jim.  You're always in my heart.