Livin' The Dream

I woke up early this morning from a bad dream.

In this dream, it was Christmas and we were at some wealthy person's home as overnight guests along with a variety of other people.  Some of the other people I know, some I didn't and they have no real life connection to one another but we are all really tight friends in my dream.  It was early morning and everyone was either just getting up or arriving and we were all bustling around unloading cars and bringing in food and extra tables and chairs and presents.  Oh the presents!  They were so pretty with the glittery wrapping and the big fluffy bows!!

When I stepped out of the bedroom my foot landed right in the middle of a big cold puddle.  I cursed under my breath and hobbled off toward the kitchen for paper towels to clean up.  That done, I went in the bathroom.  And there was another puddle.  Everywhere I went in this house, there was a little puddle.

And it was irritating me no end to keep stepping in them!!

Finally, there was one at the base of the grand staircase in the entryway and I realized the puddles were pet urine.  I asked some of the other people coming in, if our hosts had pets and learned they had small dogs.  The guy answering said the dogs were afraid of people and probably hiding up in the owner's bedroom because of everyone coming and going.  I was thinking it was awfully strange... considering the number of puddles I'd found unattended to, the house should stink like a giant litter box and it didn't.  My friend, glancing over the top of the table he was moving inside, saw the puddle by the stairs and rolled his eyes and said "Usually the maid takes care of it pretty quick, but she's off for a few weeks to spend the holiday with her family in Bolivia."

Not because the maid had some time off, but that the pet owners themselves didn't step up and get the messes taken care of was frustrating me.  And I wanted to yell at them!

I woke up then, with my heart pounding and breathing hard and feeling that frustration come through pretty strong.  And then there was that deflating moment where I lay there looking around the room trying to sort out what was real and what was dream that I realized, "Oh yeah... I'm livin' the dream."

And so I got up and put my boys out for their first morning potty trip.

50-lb Thunder (looking straight at the camera) and 48.5-lb Lightning
(down with his head thrown back) wrestling in front of one of our fans.

What does it mean?

Or is a dream just a dream?  I very very rarely remember dreams.  I can easily count on my fingers the dreams I remember from my entire adult life.  Sometimes I wake up aware that I've been dreaming but I don't recall what it was about.  Early this morning, however, I did have a dream that I remember.

It was mid-day, sunny with a light breeze.  Typical summer day.  I had been working inside my house... when I happened to notice that it didn't look right out the front window.  I walked over and saw a crowd of people in the yard and sitting on my steps.  They had cut down the red-leafed plum tree in the front yard!  I was so upset!!

I woke up thinking about what I'd do if it was really true... really practical things like grab my camera and take pictures of their faces, the sad little tree stump, the license plates on the cars and grab the cell phone and call the police to have them arrested for trespassing and vandalism and anything else I could come up with for tree murder.  These were my thoughts as I jumped out of bed and ran to the living room to peek out the window.  Yes!  The tree was safe.  It was just a freaky dream.

Later a friend suggested that all dreams have meaning and sent me this link to look up the different elements of my dream:  tree, red, summer, people, anger.  Here are some excerpts that resonated with me.

Tree:

To dream that you chop or cut down a tree indicated that you are wasting your energy, time and money on foolish pursuits.

To see a falling tree in your dreams means that you are feeling off balance and out of sync. Perhaps, you are off track and headed in the wrong direction.

To see a withered or dead tree in your dream indicates that your hopes and desires have been dashed. You are experiencing some instability and setback in your life.

Red:

...is and indication of raw energy, force, vigor, intense passion, aggression, power, courage, impulsiveness. The color red has deep emotional and spiritual connotations. Alternately, the color red in your dream indicates a lack of energy. You are feeling tired or lethargic.

Red is also the color of danger, violence, blood, shame, rejection, sexual impulses and urges. Perhaps you need to stop and think about your actions.

Summer:

To dream about summer represents growth, knowledge, high productivity, tolerance and maturity. You are expanding your realm of understanding. It is important to keep your hope alive.

People:

To see people you don't know in your dream denotes hidden aspects of yourself that you need to confront or acknowledge.

Anger:

To dream you are holding or expressing anger symbolizes frustrations and disappointments in your Self.

I'll give credit where it's due.  Those are pretty darned accurate descriptions of where I'm at right this moment.  Now what to do with it and about it...