Dreams, Blues and Longings

I awoke from strange dreams at 2:32 a.m. The sound of sleet hit the roof. I longed to be basking in the sun of an Italian villa. It's that time of the year, isn't it? Christmas holidays seem far away; the promise of Spring seems fragile.

The Dream.
I was sitting on the floor of the back room. I had just opened a large cardboard box that sitting on the front porch. Tons of the nasty packing materials had exploded and I wanted to get it cleaned up. I pulled out the wet-dry vac. To my dismay, the hose was gouged and sliced with deep cuts. I fetched the duct tape to make repairs. Once I had the duct tape, I decided I needed to duct tape my toes. I didn't get it quite right on the left foot. Right then, Mom walked in. I asked her if she knew what happened to the vacuum because it had been fine earlier that day.

Mom picked up the hose and started pulling things from the gashes. Finally, she had it out -- the large carcass of a big gray wolf with a ferocious mouth. Shocked, she threw it into the box. We both stared in unbelief. Within moments, the wolf began to transform. It lost its fur, turned a slick coffee-reddish color. We could see the skin moved where the heart was beating. A strange creature began to come to life, open its eyes and then leaped out of the box and dashed out the door into the back yard.

As soon as the creature landed on the grass, the backyard transformed into a prehistoric world of deep emerald green vegetation, looming cloud topped mountains, and skies swirling with gray-blue clouds. Two by two, strange animals appeared out of nowhere -- just emerged (like the fade in-fade out feature on PowerPoint). They were gorgeous, huge creatures with brilliant colors -- majestic, intelligent, powerful! As a pair would fade out, two different creatures would fade in. I was fascinated, mesmerized, frightened.

The Blues.
There's a reason February is the shortest month; it's so dreadful, I don't think we could stand another two days of it! Poised between the magic of the holidays and the vibrant glory of spring, February -- even with its three holidays -- is simply depressing. And long. And cold. I need sun. I need warmth. I need light. I want to find a place in the house where the sun streams through the window so that I can curl up and soak in some solar glory. I want to be awakened at 6 a.m. by birds and sunshine. I want to stop craving soups and bread and be immersed in the season of salads and fresh fruit. I want to pick fresh basil and rosemary and inhale it until I feel lightheaded and bursting with delight. Come on, Verdant Green Spring -- put your lovely arms around Cold Gray February and melt him clean away!

Longings.
A true Italian slice of pizza in Naples. A Nutella and banana crepe in France. A big plate of grilled vegetables and hummus in Turkey. The ruins of ancient civilization, a glimpse into the lives of foreign cities -- I long for that. I'm yearning to experience the smells, tastes, sounds and strangeness of different cultures. I have read and watched and listened about others' adventures for far too long. I want a turn! I yearn for the adventure of the unknown.