Thanks

Curt Rosengren periodically posts “Boomerangs” – links back to people who link to him. I think it’s a nice way to show appreciation, so in that spirit I will post a few of my own:

> Ernesto Prieto wrote a nice response to my post about his “ink polaroid.”

> Awake at Dawn on Someone’s Couch had nice things to say about my blog – thanks! Also don’t miss the corresponding writing blog, Awake at Dawn (the couch is the reading blog).

> "Muchagrrl" at Naked Lunch linked to my post on routines (is that a rut or a groove), as did Curt Rosengren.

> And the Chantlady just added 3rd House Party to her blogroll. Cool!

> Oh yeah, Susurra de Luz added me to her blogroll, too, recently. I'm enjoying her site.

I’ll second Ernesto’s comment on how “writing something, being read, provoking something” makes life worth living.

12:53:09 PM      trackback [] 

Mahogany dreams

I had this dream last night: I was watching this carpenter/artist, a rather handsome red-bearded guy, cut up mahogany logs and strip out the inner red bark from which he’s going to make a red dye for his project. I admire his thorough devotion to his craft that he’ll go to such lengths as to even extract and make the dye himself. Later on, I’m inside this building that he’s built with high ceilings that go up like a church, all the walls and ceiling covered in this beautiful wood. I tell some woman who’s working there that I’d love to work in a place like this.

So this morning I was trying to figure it out. Mahogany is one of those endangered hardwoods. Also you don’t strip the bark out for dye. Googling info I found that alder is sometimes known as Scottish mahogany and its bark is used for dyes, as is the bark of the shrub called curl-leaf mountain-mahogany. Native Americans stripped the inner bark of red cedar for a mahogany-colored dye.

Of course I don’t know anything about stripping bark for dye and I haven’t in the least been thinking about carpentry and wood and mahogany and all that. I’m not much for those dream symbol dictionaries because it seems to me that it’s more important what associations you make with the symbols. But since I’m not having much luck on my own, I looked up a dream interpretation site.

Plugging in “mahogany,” it says: “To admire or polish mahogany in your dream predicts an improvement in your living conditions, possibly due to an inheritance.” Ha! Yesterday I went with my parents to go see their lawyer for estate planning (very modest “estate" btw). Here are the other words I looked up and their results:

Carpenter: This busy fellow is one of the happiest symbols you can dream up. Whether you were one, observed one, or hired one, you will have love, respect, leisure, and the means to enjoy it!

 

Building: The meaning of this dream is in line with its aspect. The building(s) represent your life achievement; therefore if the structures were imposing, well kept, beautiful, and/or impressive, you can expect eventual luxury; if they were modest but pleasant in appearance, you can expect comfort but not wealth; and if they were old and/or dilapidated, you'd better start saving for the rainy days ahead.

 

Ceiling (Canopy): You can look forward to a secure life if you dreamed of being under any kind of canopy; this type of cover in a dream represents protection.

 

Deep Red forecasts unexpected good news.

“I’d like to work in a place like this,” I said in my dream. Yeah, it’d be nice to have a more abundant work situation, and the resulting improved living. I enjoy being productive and creative, too. Impressive achievement? Well, I’d better get to work…

10:32:45 AM      trackback []