Archive | December 2011

Dream Takes Flight

Dec15

I have always had a fear of heights – actually, it is more of a fear of falling because if I can convince myself there is no way I can fall, I don’t necessarily mind being up high, although I still get that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I’ve gotten myself in some precarious situations where I’ve gone up and didn’t have the nerve to come back down – like once when Ronald had to guide me down the stairs with my eyes closed at the Wright Brother’s Memorial at Kitty Hawk, NC because I just could not make myself start down the spiral staircase.  At times, I think it is getting worse.  For instance, while I was out Christmas shopping this week, I went up the escalator in two stores and in both cases, I had to take the elevator down cause I couldn’t bring myself to step onto the down escalator – I found them both to be moving a little too fast and both were pretty steep – I just couldn’t do it!

I tell you this for background info to give you some insight into the dream that is the real purpose of this post.  I had a dream two nights ago that I can’t get off my mind.  It was my typical odd combination of situations and bazaar topics.

I was with a group of people I didn’t recognize and some of them were talking about a local rocker who had died earlier in the day.  I didn’t recognize the name, but still took the news very hard.  I rushed out of the building to attend the memorial service.  I commented on my way out that I had to get there early to see if there was anything I could do to help.  The service was being held at a styling salon across the street.  When I got there, the only person I knew was Ronald.  He told me to sign the register, which was actually a questionnaire that asked for information about my hair – what color it is, when was the last time I had it professionally done, what products do I use, etc.  There was also a question about if anyone in my family has ever had their hair done there – Ronald and I talked about how to answer this question and he finally told me to just say “yes”, so I did.  The stylists were offering to fix the hair of the attendees, but I declined.  Then, a man approached Ronald and I about taking us up in his airplane.  Ronald wanted to go, but I didn’t, so I just told him to go on without me.  But, the man would only do it if we both went.  After a lot of coaxing, I agreed to go.  When we got to the plane, there was only room inside for two people – the pilot and one passenger.  I, again, offered to not go, but the pilot said that the wing was also used as a seat.  I was very upset to hear that I was the one that would be sitting on the wing because he needed Ronald to be his co-pilot.  I got up on the wing and held on to the little handles that were on each side of me with all my might.  I asked the pilot if he was sure it was safe and he assured me that it was.  We took off and I was surprised that the wind didn’t feel all that strong and it was easy to hang on.  After a few minutes, the pilot came out on the wing and sat beside me to fly the plane from there.  I freaked out and screamed out to him asking why he wasn’t inside the plane.  He said he wanted to keep me company so I’d feel more comfortable and that he could fly it remotely and Ronald was doing his part inside.  I told him I was NOT comfortable and it was scaring me.  We landed and went in to the memorial service.  I looked around wondering why I was there – I didn’t know anyone, including the dead guy – even Ronald was no longer there.  I was suddenly petrified and felt the need to get out of there, but woke up before I could make my escape.

When I woke up, my heart was pounding, I felt out of breath, and I actually ached from being so tense.  A few deep breaths and deliberate relaxing of my muscles calmed me down enough to try to go back to sleep.  Sometimes when I wake from a dream in the middle of the night and go back to sleep, the same dream starts back up, again.  I didn’t want that to happen this time, so I repeated to myself several times, “don’t go back there.  dream something else.”  It worked!  But, I haven’t stopped thinking about it…….come on, Kim, move on and forget about it, already!

Never Ceases to Amaze Me!

Dec10

I’ve always known that Megan is smarter than the average dog – REALLY – I mean the girl is always thinking, scheming, and understands everything!  But, every now and then, she does something that still absolutely amazes me and makes me realize she has a lot more going on in that brain of her’s than I could ever imagine!  Here’s why:

Megan is the toy lover.  She gets so much enjoyment out of her toys.  Katie doesn’t show much interest in toys and Amy has an occassional spark of interest in a ball or something that makes noise, but not too often.  It is Megan who keeps the toys active in our house!  Some, she gets right into and it is no time at all before they are in shreds.  While other toys last longer – not that she couldn’t tear them up instantly – she just doesn’t!  The ones that she “spares” get carried around and loved for several weeks or months before they bite the dust, depending on the toy.  The odd one is a small yellow ball.  She has had this toy pretty much the 5 years she’s been living with me!  She carts it around everywhere, shows it off to everyone who comes to the house, and is very possessive of it.  It stopped squeaking a few years ago – something that usually makes her lose interest in any cherished toy – and it is grimy from constantly being played with.  I have purchased new versions of the exact same ball several times over the years and she won’t have anything to do with them – she only wants that one specific ball!  She could have chewed it up years ago, but never did.  Other toys have come and gone, but this ball has lasted and lasted and is the only ball that she will even look at.

Until last night!

I heard her chewing on something behind me and when I checked it out, she had torn a little piece off the ball.  I snatched it away from her and said – “now you’ve done it!  I’m going to have to throw it away cause you’re starting to eat it!”  She got a look of panic on her face and tried to take it back.  I put it up on the desk and she tried and tried to get it, but it was just out of her reach.  I gave it back for just a minute to see what she would do and she immediately started tearing it up, again, so I took it back.  I tried to be sneaky when I tossed it in the trash can, but she saw me do it and got all upset!  I thought she might try to get it out of the can, but didn’t – much to my surprise!  I tried to get her interested in another yellow one that is out for Amy when she feels like playing, but she didn’t want any part of it!

Then, this morning, she came out of the room that has the box of old toys with a blue ball in her mouth – one of the newer versions of the same ball, except blue instead of yellow, that I bought some years ago and she never touched.  She came out all proud and squeaking it and started to toss it around and play with it.  I commented on her new ball and she got all excited.  When she left it alone, I asked her where her ball was and she went and brought the “new” blue one to me.  She hasn’t let it out of her sight since she took it out of the box.  She has moved on…….I guess she saw her old one go in the trash can and decided it was gone and she’d better give in and get herself another one!  She definitely knows and can think through more than I think she does!

Sentimental Value

Dec3

I have a lot of things that had belonged to my grandparents – mostly things that were my Grandmother’s, but also some of Grandpa’s things.  I am very pleased and proud to have them in my home and have always displayed them prominently or made sure they were in use and not just sitting in a closet somewhere for “their protection”.  I get a lot of joy out of using them as they used them.  Of course, I’m a little more careful with them than I am with my other things, but I want to enjoy them, as I’m sure my grandparents would want me to.

One piece that has particular sentimental value for me is a mantel clock that was in my grandparent’s living room for many years.  My grandfather bought it on a trip to New York City with his bowling team when my mother was a little girl.  The team earned a spot in the NY State Tournament of ABC Leagues.  While they were there, he found this Seth Thomas electric mantel clock in a jewelry store and brought it home with him.  He used to talk of walking the streets of NYC with this clock under his arm.  The price tag is still stapled to the bottom of the clock – he paid $22.00 for it!  Of course, that was about 70 years ago (give or take a year or two), so that was a LOT of money for a clock!

 

I grew up listening to the clock chime on the hour and half hour and the sound of it makes me think of my grandparents and the years that we lived with them.  I get all warm and fuzzy when I hear the chimes and the clock means a lot to me!  So, when my Grandfather asked me if there was anything that I wanted, I immediately told him that the clock would be the best thing I could possibly have because it single-handedly brought up every memory I had of them and that house and my childhood!  So, it became mine.  And I adored having it in my home.

Unfortunately, a few years after I got it, it stopped working!  I searched for an antique clock repair shop to see if I could get it fixed.  It broke my heart that it no longer kept time and, most importantly, no longer chimed!  I found one near Sanford that kept it for several weeks only to tell me that clocks that old – especially electric ones – can’t be fixed and he recommended I let him gut it and turn it into a battery operated clock that wouldn’t chime.  I told him it would sit on the mantle and just look pretty before I would let him do that to it!  I continued my search.  I talked to an antique clock dealer in Raleigh that said I had to have someone who specialized in electric clocks of that age and that he knew of only 2 or 3 in the country who did that kind of specialized work.  He referred me to a shop in Virginia.  I contacted them and was put on a 6 month waiting list for service.  After about 8 months, I discovered they went out of business.  So, I gave up and decided that it would just be a visual treasure and not a musical one!

After I moved up here, I had a hunch and posted a photo on Facebook to ask if anyone knew of someone in this area that may be able to help.  I got a few suggestions and decided to call the first one, which was also the one that more than one person recommended.  It is a gentleman in Lockport.  He said he’d take a look at it, so I took it up to him today.  He sounded very knowledgable and encouraging and was a very nice, kind man.  I felt comfortable leaving it with him and am hopeful that he can get it fixed for me!  I’m excited, but trying not to get my hopes up TOO high – just in case he can’t fix it and I’m left with a broken heart!

My drive to Lockport was a pleasant adventure.  I rarely used to go in that direction, which is towards Buffalo.  I typically went the other way if I wanted to shop or go for entertainment – towards Rochester.  So, I wasn’t sure where I was going or how to get there.  I plugged the address into my GPS and headed out Route 31 – I knew that was the most direct way to get to downtown Lockport!  But, my GPS really, really wanted me to go via Route 104 (Ridge Road)!  Every street I came to, it would tell me to turn right so that I would head to Ridge Road!  Geez!  I knew how to get to the general area – I just wanted help navigating once I got there!  :)   It was still an enjoyable drive.  It is a pretty day, today – cool, but sunny and bright and very pleasant!  I went through downtown Middleport……..I don’t think I’ve ever been in downtown Middleport before!  What a lovely little town…..very quaint and quiet with a cafe and a few shops…..small, though – if I had blinked, I would have missed it altogether!  The sign entering the town said “Middleport – A Friendly Community” – I believe it!  And, it was in Middleport that my GPS finally decided that it liked the way I was going and stopped trying to get me to go another way!  :)   There were a few other things along the way that I noticed and may have to go back some day when I have more time and check out.

So, thank you to my friends who recommended this guy in Lockport!  I hope it pays off and I’ll soon be listening to the beautiful sounds of Grandpa’s clock chiming throughout the day and night again.