Dream

I was at my parents house visiting.  A large picture frame fell of the wall and smashed to the ground.  After we were done cleaning up, I was sitting down at the kitchen table and looked down at my arm, which had a yellow snake basically attached to it, biting me.  I looked down, and was like, "Huh" and then proceeded to pull the snake off of my arm like it was no big deal.  Afterward my arm immediately swelled up and looked bruised.  We were all standing around, looking at my arm almost in awe but not in a scared or concerned type of way.

A yellow snake in a dream could represent the intellect and how you’re using it to sort through tricky situations. wisdom. Another meaning associated with yellow snakes in dreams is about your intuition, your inner light or guidance, opening to new insight and awareness. Yellow represents the color of the light of the spirit, of consciousness shining through. Dreaming of a yellow snake may be a call to step forward and use your intellect to resolve the a situation or issues in your waking life.

My interpretation:  Being bitten by a yellow snake but not being scared or worried about it, more in awe and amazement than anything else:  Wake up Sharon.  Listen to your intuition, trust in it and be open and aware.

To dream of a picture frame means you dread change. 

My interpretation: In my dream the frame was crashing to the ground.  It's pretty clear to me that the dream was telling me to smash my fear of change.  Don't stay the path just because it is comfortable.

Fresh Picked

There's something really cool about growing your own food.  Even eating fresh picked sounds so much more apetizing than what you buy off of a store shelf.  This morning the girls and I went apple picking and ended up picking our own corn too, which we will eat with dinner.  For some reason there seems to be more pride in even just that...eating something we picked ourselves.  I can imagine this pride is increased ten fold if you grow it yourself. 

I have the perfect yard for a garden...a really big one even if I wanted it to be.  My only problem?  I have no idea where to begin...and I mean no idea...what veggies to plant when, what I need to do specifically regarding digging up the yard for a garden, where to dig the garden (in direct sunlight or shady areas), the best place to get seeds, how often to water etc. etc. etc.  The goal this fall/winter is to research and read up on this. 

Any gardening friends out there with advice, recommended reading etc?

Dreams

I know I say it all of the time...maybe even too much but, I am continually amazed by how true to real life my dreams are.  Generally speaking (though admittedly this is a work-in-progress) I don't consider myself to be a deeply spiritual person.  I want to be; I just don't think I am there yet.  One of  the (maybe the only) times I really feel connected to my spirit is in my dreams.  It is such a deep connection that I struggle to even define it.   It continues to amaze me. 

The most recent example of this connectedness occurred last night.  In my dream, I was running up multiple sets of stairs.  The stairs were very dimly lit and the surroundings were dark. Everything about the setting I was in seemed dark and dreary and had almost an unsafe feeling to it.  In the dream, it was known that if I made it to the top of the stairs, the sunlight would break through and it would be worth all of the hard work to run up the stairs and through the dark dreary conditions.  Someone was constantly behind me telling me not to quit, despite my wanting to several times.  At one of the landings before the next set of stairs my cat, Joey was there.  He was meowing and looking for attention.  The person coaxing me along urged me to pet Joey quickly and then move a long, up the next flight and the next until the sunlight showered over me.  Joey would be fine.  Throughout the dream, I was out of breath, and not entirely sure the end result would be worth the effort it took to get there.

I looked up the three main symbols in the dream; the stairs, the cat and the darkness.  To dream you are climbing a set of stairs means your are trying to reach a higher level of understanding.  You are making progress in your spiritual and emotional journey.  A cat symbolizes an independent spirit, creativity and power.  My own interpretation of seeing Joey there and having the person with me tell me to tend to Joey but keep moving along was a reminder that I need to remember to take care of me...obviously not neglect those who count on me but not to forget or neglect myself in the process.  The darkness was easy enough to interpret...instability, not being able to see a clear, full picture etc.  To dream of sunlight breaking through the darkness means you will overcome your failures. 

The whole dream was very telling but the biggest realization came hours later, after having given this dream some thought.  The biggest symbol in the dream wasn't the stairs, the cat or the darkness.  It was the person coaxing me along, encouraging me and telling me it would all be worth it in the end...because I realized that person was not some random being.  That person was me...or more accurately that "voice in my head" that tells me to keep going, keep moving forward and not to give up. 

Powerful.

How is it...

...that I am reading "The Girls Body Book" in advance of reading it with Julia?  Julia...my baby who is nine years old...who I will have to have the "birds and the bees" talk with literally any day now. 

Yes, I have had the talk twice before.  I am reading the book because I have a feeling that I am going to have to have an arsenal of answers ready to go when I have the talk with Julia.  Emily and Katie had little if any questions (maybe that means I did a great job explaining things...who knows).  Julia just asks a lot of questions...all of the time.  I love that about her...even when she asks questions that I don't have the answer for (like this morning when she asked what would happen if you got to the end of the solar system and tried to "get out of space"). 

I went out on to the deck this morning with the book and a cup of coffee in hand.  I read the first thirty pages and had to stop.  Yes, I realize that I am an emotional sap but the reason I had to stop was because I was so sad.  I know she is nine but it was seriously the first realization that she wasn't "little" anymore.  She is my "baby" and I am sure that is contributing to my emotional state but really?  I should be able to get through a book on the subject of growing up!

Oh, and Emily is out driving with Ryun right now and Katie is in her last year of middle school.

I need a time machine.

Preparing

In preparation for Julia's upcoming appointment with the pediatric orthopedic surgeon, I am going through the list of gross motor skills and when she acquired each.  Some of the big ones I remember...like when she took her first steps at her cousin Jack's christening.  She was 20 months old. 
Going back through her baby book, notes from Early Intervention, progress reports from her PT, OT and ST from preschool through to 1st grade has been emotional.  It is an amazing thing to see how far she has come.  It really is a tribute to her hard work, never give up attitude, and willingness to try.  She still has a few "struggles" yet to overcome but I have no doubt that she will.  That's just how she rolls.

Reading Roundup: Books I Have Read Recently

I am always looking for a good read and take other people's recommendations very much in to account when I make my decisions about what to read next.  Most of my reading lately has been of the self help variety...some I have found on my own and others via recommendations of those who have read the book themselves.  So, in no particular order, we have a list of books I have read recently and a short synopsis of my thoughts on each one.

1.  You Are A Badass:  How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life by Jen Sincero:  One of the funniest, most straightforward self help books I have ever read, and I have read a lot.  Powerful, motivating, inspiring.

2.  Secrets for Success and Inner Peace by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer:  How have I lived my life so far without Dr. Dyer being a part of it?  To say I am a fan would be an understatement.  My favorite secrets: Give up your personal history and embrace the silence. 

3.  Higher Power: Seeking God in 12 Step Recovery by Douglas D. Himes:  One of the biggest struggles for me in life has always been the concept of  a Higher Power.  To be honest, I am still working on defining my higher power and how it works in my life.  This book helped me in the process of doing just that.  One of my favorite quotes in the book: "It is the essence of God's grace that God cares much more about the person we can become than the person we have been." 

4.  Me Time: Finding the Balance Between Taking Care of Others and Taking Care of Yourself by Jennifer Beall:  Let's be honest...this book was written for me.  Not really...but it should have been.  I took so many notes while reading this book, I should have just copied the whole book word for word.  My favorite quote from this book: "If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one, particularly yourself."  If you are struggling with finding the time to take care of yourself, I highly recommend reading this book.  It is eyeopening!

5.  Awakening to the Wisdom Of Your Soul by P. Lynn Ahearn:  Loved this book.  So many quotes from this book that I highlighted I can't possibly list them all.  Here are a couple:  "There will be a time when you think everything is finished...and that will be the beginning."  "When God is about to do something great, he starts with a difficulty.  When he is about to do something magnificent, he starts with an impossibility."  This book was about listening to your inner voice and trusting your gut.  Highly recommended.

Back To School

The kids go back to school the week after next.  I could go on and on about how quick the summer has gone, what I am doing to prepare for the beginning of the school year or that I can't believe how fast the kids are growing up.  Instead though, my thoughts are focused on one thing and one thing only and that is this:  With respect to one of my kids...this year has got to be better than last.  Because really?  Last year was some version of hell. 

So I am hoping, and praying, and pleading, and whatever else I can do to make it so.  And asking the universe to give me whatever I need to support her and make it not so awful...for her and by extension me.