Dream Journey

All we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream...

                                                                   Edgar Allen Poe

Right now, I'm pondering the Sunday Scribblings prompt Dream Journey. Dreams come in many shapes and sizes and flavors - and they go many places. Anywhere you want to go. There are as many different dream destinations, as there are dream travellers journeying towards them.

At Sunday lunch, we eat pizza and pasta. We draw with crayons and pens on the paper-covered table. We draw everything we'd want to see if we were really in Italy. All of us join the children in illustrating our imaginary trip to Italy. Some of us draw grapevines and the leaning tower of Pisa. Others draw chefs making pizza, and cafes with candles stuck in raffia-covered bottles on the tables. There's a fountain to throw 3 coins in, and a statue of a Roman gladiator. Someone draws scenes from the Godfather(!) and the Colliseum. A waiter sings "happy birthday"~ Roma-style - in Italian, to patrons at another table. We practice our limited bits and pieces of Italian on one another: "bella!" "grazi, signorina," "ristorante," and "ciao." It may not be quite as exciting an adventure as an actual trip to Italy, but we laugh and smile as we bid ciao to the bella ristorante. It feels a bit as though, for an hour or so, we journeyed in our dreams, far from our southern California valley.

In the parking lot, we load our car down with the eleventy-seven boxes of Girl Scout cookies we apparently ordered. A few weeks ago, the girls showed their burgeoning entrepreneurial skills by approaching each of their grandparents as well as their Auntie - individually. None of us knowing how many the others had already ordered. Now we have cookies galore.

As they hand over the cookies, they present us with a "thank you" letter for these ginormous sales, in the photo they do look exuberantly grateful. Papa K. dubs this thank you picture "Woo-hoo! We're going to Hawaii!"  since it seems as though we've bought enough cookies between us all to theoretically pay for at least one of the plane tickets. Hearing this, the girls smile their secret little smiles. I wonder if they're laying their future vacation plans.

I'm sure they've heard their mother's story - how her small high school class had a dream - to go to Hawaii their senior year. They began that first year of high school, by holding car washes, jumble sales, candy and bake sales. You name it - if it was legal, they probably sold it. They continued on fundraising, right up through their senior year. In time for spring break of that last year, they finally reached their goal. All they needed was their own pocket money for spending. With their senior advisors and chaperones, off they flew to Hawaii. She learned that lesson well; now my daughter's passing on her practical belief in hard work and planning, that pays off in realized dreams, to these two - you can see them putting that into action already.

It's another night. We're on the phone - apart from our Sunday lunches, that's where we meet most often nowadays - unless we make our imaginative plans to meet up later in our dreams, as we're doing now...

First with the little one:

Me: Where should we meet in our dreams tonight?

S: Um, I don't know...Disneyland?

Me: Sounds wonderful - where should we meet up at there? Sleeping Beauty's Castle?

S: Ok, but I like Snow White better...

Me: Well, maybe she'll be over by the wishing well. It's right next to the castle.

S (laughing at me and my fanciful ideas): OK. Do you want to talk to Sissy now, Grandmerry?

I laugh and agree. Her sister fills me in on the latest happenings, with Scouts and field trips; how all their pets are doing. The conversation returns to a familiar, if sad, topic -

F: Grandmerry, have you found Harriet yet?

Me: No, I'm sorry sweetie, she's still gone.

F: Maybe she's gone to Paris...I think maybe that's where she's gone to...

Now, I'm caught off-guard, taken aback - how did she come up with that? I doubt her mother's been letting her read my blog - besides, I posted that theory, months ago. I take a deep breath, and carry on though -

Me: Um, well, I suppose that's possible...

(I try to change the subject) - So where would you like to meet in our dreams tonight?

I think I can almost see their practical mother rolling her eyes through the phone at my corny flights of fancy that I lead them on...still, we make our dream plans, F. and I.  She suggests we meet in Paris, in our dreams later that night. Maybe we'll find Harriet there, she says. I have no real response for that - I murmur an agreeable but noncommittal sound into the phone - Mmm.

Who knows? Perhaps we will. For all I know, we might just be meeting in our dreams after all...

Their mother, my cookie Brook - gets on the phone - she has exciting news to tell me. Though she may be ever practical, she does have dreams of her own, and she's been continuing to work at making her dreams come true, yet again. I go to the link she gives me and scroll down just a little...sure enough, there it is! Her Mediterranean chicken sandwich with roasted vegetables and herb-infused vinaigrette is one of the first prize winners! I'm so proud and happy for her! Who knows? Maybe next, she'll be making a dream journey here...

Sometimes I think I can learn more from my children, and my children's children, even, than they can from me. Dreams can come true. If you step towards them. I look around me, and suddenly I seem to see evidence of this everywhere I turn.  Now, I ponder my own dream journey; I wonder where it will take me...will I sit at a sidewalk cafe in Paris - or Rome? Ride in a gondola through the canals of Venice? Or on a doubledecker bus in London?  See a Broadway play - on Broadway...Will I gaze up in awe at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel  - or wander the halls of the Louvre? Will I see the golden light in Arles with my own eyes - or the waterlilies by the bridge in Giverny? Wade in the turquoise sea, stroll on the beaches of Tahiti...Will I stand in the shadow of the pyramids - in Egypt...Or Machhu Picchu?  Or will I stand on the emerald green grass at the foot of Stonehenge, looking up in wonder? But first, on my journey, will I travel to another city at the other end of this country, to see if maybe the stories and illustrations of my dreams will come true? I want, in theory, to do all of these things...if I dare. I haven't been much of a traveller, especially in recent years...but there are so many things I still would like to see; to touch, taste, smell, feel - so much I'd still like to do...I hope with my loved ones by my side or at least visiting me in their dreams...

But in order for the journey to begin, it's up to me - I have to take those first steps...

The journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step - Chinese proverb

To see other people's dream journeys, visit this week's Sunday Scribblings.

Comments

[Caroline]

If you are ever asleep at the same time that I am...
I'll meet you in Paris in dream, Tinker!

Your daughter sounds quite formidable to me! and "formidable" always sounds much better when said with a French accent - so Paris it clearly will be - once you are back from Italy of course.

[leah]

o my, this post brought tears to my eyes, tinker. beautiful. i love that you offer to meet your grandkids in their dreams. that's awesome.

[gemma]

Wonderful post and so was your FW post yesterday...I'm one of the ones who can't comment on typepad anymore...having said that it'll probably take today:-)

[gemma]

I'm shocked it did post...LOL

[Sioux]

I guess you can do almost anything you dream as long as you are willing to give up everything for that dream.

[Paris Parfait]

Oh, yes, Terri! I hope you get to Paris while I'm here. That is bizarre that your granddaughter voiced the same Paris theory that you'd written about some time ago. And wonderful news about your daughter's prize-win! Hilarious about all the Girl Scout cookies (Wanna send a box to Paris?) :) xo

[Tammy]

Beautiful post Tink! You always bring me a smile. Thanks ;)

XXOO

[Alison Whittington]

I found the most beautiful book at B&N last week on the bargain shelf, called "Voyages Around the World" with vintage travel photography, and menus and posters, so that I could travel even when I'm stuck at home...

and then I come to your blog and I get to travel again. Thanks for the journey, Tinker!

[Kara]

Tinker, you are not nearly old enough to be my grandmother but can I adopt you as my grandmother and meet you in my dreams. Gosh darn it those grandkids of yours must love you sooooo much. Thank you for sharing. Now pass the thin mints......

[violetismycolor]

Yum...I have some good GS cookies in my cupboard right now, too. Just love those Samoas!

[gautami]

I travelled along with your musings. Great post!

[GeL (Emerald Eyes)]

"Dreams can come true. If you step towards them" Oh, Yes!!
Enjoyed your dream journey. Ahhhh! I've been hooked on your blog since discovering it.

[gigges]

Tinker I do think we learn more from our kids than they do from us!! It's a win win process thats for sure!May all your dreams come true!
Hugs Sherrie

[Jana]

Your family is SO CUTE!!!!!! Do the grand-girls really call you "Grandmerry"?

[tinker]

Yeah, they do call me that, Jana, though now the oldest one refers to me as her grandma when she's around her friends - that's to be expected at her age though. I'm still Grandmerry when it's just family.
:-)