Wrecking Ball

Did you ever wonder what nine year old boys dream about? No? Well, that's good 'cause I'm not allowed to tell you. Suffice it to say, their dreams are a bizarre mix of plunging roller coasters, being chased by chainsaw massacrers, priests wearing bear suits and fat giraffes being used as wrecking balls -- that last part being the worst part of all. "Giraffes should never be used as wrecking balls."

But you didn't read that here.

2010: The Year I Began to Believe in Miracles

I decided recently that I don't believe in miracles enough. Sure, I read about the big ones, like raising people from the dead, in the Bible and hear about more current phenomena through friends (e.g., an acquaintance's miraculous healing from stage IV cancer) but I haven't really allowed myself to believe that they can happen to me. So I decided to dedicate 2010 to the art of discerning the real miracles that occur in my everyday life.

The first book I read this year, Either You're In or You're In the Way, was the perfect backdrop to this mission. As it states on the Miller Brothers' website, it's "the amazing story of how--without a dime to their names nor a single meaningful contact in Hollywood--they (identical twin brothers) managed to write, produce, act, and direct a feature film in under a year starring four-time Academy Award-nominated actor Ed Harris and a cast and crew with 11 Academy Awards and 26 nominations."

It's a well written account not only of how their dedicated effort, hard work, long nights, constant struggle/worry, etc. paid off but, more importantly, how the universe conspired to bring them the right people (e.g., actors, financiers, door openers) to help them make their dreams come true. It is truly inspirational,  highly motivational and basically unreal. It is not by any stretch of the imagination a book about religion, faith and belief but, because I am who I am, I read it and thought, "God is amazing."

Now I simply need to gain a broader understanding of the role that God plays in my life and to be more thankful for his presence. Oh, and securing a role with Ed Harris would be fabulous.

Bring it on 2010!

Every Precious Dream and Vision Underneath the Stars

After posting yesterday about reaching for the stars, I was singing The Whole of the Moon all day.

You stretched for the stars and you know how it feels
To get too high, too far, too soon . . .

When I got in my car to go home, it was on the radio. What a great, great, great song.

Meet the Dress

Last night, I dreamed that I was having dinner with Tom Brokaw. I ran into him at the gym so I left wearing a wet towel with a blazer over it. I was hoping he would assume it was a dress given the extreme confidence I was exuding.

Not exactly a nightmare but a little surprising. Not the towel so much but Tom Brokaw? And, wait, me confident?

London Calling

I dreamed last night that I was in an apartment in London throwing on clothes. I was late for a professional meeting and still wearing my bathing suit. Once dressed, I stepped in my private jet with my girlfriend Meg to fly home. It was a wild, freewheeling flight and I had to relax and trust that all would be well. As we flew over Giant stadium (which was a glorious bright green) and then over two large hotels outside of NYC, I stated to some man who was next to me, "I would like to buy one of those hotels. Would you see if either is on the market and what they're asking?"

I then turned to Meg and said, "If you asked me before, I would have told you that I didn't need much money to live well -- but now that I have it, I realize how easily it is to fall into comfort. Before, I would never have bought a $500 bra but now that I know that it feels like butter, I wouldn't dream of anything less." I added that having my own plane made it easier to come home often and I loved that I could see my mom whenever I wanted. She agreed.

Then this morning (sadly back to reality), I was on the phone with my mom and she asked, "Did you just say something about London?" Uh no
. . . but I'm willing to entertain any thread of insanity that will take me back to that luxurious life I was leading a few hours ago.

Happy New Year

May all of our dreams come true in 2008!

As Time Goes By

We spent the weekend at my brother-in-law's cottage on Seneca Lake. The kids and I went to the Sprayground (i.e., sprinkler park) and swam in the lake for hours. Until I was freezing.

On Saturday night, while Son #1 went out on the boat with my sister and her husband (which he drove "98% of the time"), Son #2 and I took a long walk and held hands the entire way. It was perfect. We looked at all of the cottages and he named all of the bunnies we saw (e.g., buns, carrot, scamper, hoppity). We ended in a clearing where music that sounded like Billie Holiday was floating out of an unseen house in the woods. For a moment, I felt like I was transported to another era. It was magical.

As we walked back, we passed a house with an in-ground pool. My little monkey told me that he wanted to buy it for me. "If they'll sell it to me for a dollar, can I swim anytime I want?"

Yes little man. If you can score a lake front cottage for $1, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Too bad you put all of your money in the bank . . .