29/ A Shared Dream

When Jill and her best friend were in 7th grade, they shared a dream one night. N. dreamed that she ate half a PB&J sandwich and woke up. Jill dreamed she ate the other half.  Then they went outside and saw a wolf at the edge of the woods. They walked back to the house just before the wolf charged.

28/ The Process of Dreaming

We spend so much of our lives dreaming; you’d think science would study it intensively. There’s a lot we don’t know. Even those with no artistic talent create detailed people and buildings they’ve never seen. How do we do it? A former NASA scientist once wrote a book about astral projection, suggesting we sometimes leave our bodies when we dream.

27/ Highlights From Various Dreams

From various dreams: A necklace made from plastic-covered shrunken fortune cookies. A large salad serving spoon dated 1968. A bright blue cardinal with blue eyelids. A little girl at the window of an RV. A gigantic plant growing in a shallow dish. A young blonde wearing a safety harness climbing along the ceiling with the plant. A black 2005 Jeep with gold lettering.

26/ A Family That Sings Together . . .

Watching the previous video of the McGarrigles reminded me of Kate McGarrigle’s son, Rufus Wainwright. His father is Loudon Wainwright, as you probably know. I love Rufus’ voice. I’ve heard it described as “an acquired taste,” but I acquired it immediately. Listening to the family make music together is an emotional experience for me, as it’s something I always wanted.

25/ A Dream from 2016

Two years ago I dreamed I bought a Christmas ornament at a yard sale. It contained a picture of little girl. When I took it out of my pocket later, it was different. It showed a heart, and an inscription that said, “I love you, and if I could be with you I would.” I knew it was from Jill.

24/ The Songs of Jimmy Webb

Thanks in part to songs I heard on Linda Ronstadt’s and Judy Collins’ albums, one of my favorite composers is Jimmy Webb. His songs can be narratives (“By the Time I Get to Phoenix”), be complex (“MacArthur Park”), and, like the two I’m linking, be hauntingly beautiful. Here’s “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” (Judy Collins) and "Adios (Linda Ronstadt).

23/ Heart Like a Wheel

I was a huge Linda Ronstadt fan from the first time I heard "Long, Long Time." I don't think I bought all her albums over the years, but close to it. Of all her songs, one of my favorites is “Heart Like a Wheel.” Here’s a version where she sings with the composers. So sad that Parkinson’s took her voice.

22/ 1986 Dreams for Myself, Part XIV

Last on my list, I wanted nicer furniture. In 2002 all the remodeling we’d talked about for years was finally underway, and I hit the antique stores and other furniture sources. It was too late for the kids to enjoy the nicer surroundings, and my husband was in a nursing home. But as I’ve said so often, everything’s a trade-off.

21/ The Songs I Sang (in my teens)

At home in my teens, when I wasn’t harmonizing with 45 RPM pop ballads I sang along with “Eydie (Gorme) Swings the Blues,” memorizing all her arrangements. I still remember every song, every word. I was also hooked on Olatunji’s “Drums of Passion,” but the only word of that LP I remember is akiwowo. I had an eclectic musical life.

20/ My Dad's Second (and last, so far) Dream Visit

In my dad’s second dream visit he handed me an $80 bill and a $2 bill. A friend and I decided it could mean Don’t worry about dying young; you’ll live to be 82. (People whose parent died young often worry about doing the same.) That was reassuring at the time, but the older me sometimes worries about self-fulfilling prophesies.

19/ My Dad's First Dream Visit

In my late father’s first dream visit I told him I loved and missed him. He said, “I love you too, but I don’t miss you. I don’t know why.” I asked him what it was like to die. He answered at length, but when I recalled the dream his answer was garbled, totally unintelligible. I wasn’t supposed to know.