The Saga of Mr. Fern

Mr. Fern, who by then was raggedy, although he still had green fronds, sat discarded outside the teachers’ room door at the school where my husband teaches, and rather than let him be consigned to the garbage, John brought him home. For years, Mr. Fern sat by the sliders to the deck in the winter, and on the deck, summers, and regenerated and bloomed, and — I truly believe — begat a whole family of ferns that return every year, shooting up like alien pods, in my pachysandra patch.

So it was with great sorrow that two or three years ago, we watched as Mr. Fern deteriorated to the point where he had no new growth, his leaves shriveled, browned, became dessicated, and he died.
We put him in the back yard nevertheless, loath to leave him in the detritus that would be cleared away in the bi-annual garden clean-up. And there he sat for a summer, a winter, another summer, forlorn, dried up, leafless, lifeless …

And then one summer day, I saw a sliver of green poking out from the midst of the jungle of brown. One fully formed fern frond, child-size, fresh green, fresh life, a little miracle stretching out from the dirt and decay. No stopping him then. I began watering him. He pushed out more long stringy fingers which turned into an explosion of brand new fronds.

Mr. Fern is back. Why, how, from that mass of crinkly dead leaves, I’ll never understand. I thought he was truly gone, and then, suddenly, there he was. And now he sits in my cluttered dining room by the sliding doors, growing and flourishing every day.

It’s a lesson to all of us. Sometimes we feel hopeless, helpless, dry, dessicated, chewed up, beaten down
– like we couldn’t produce another word, even if it was the word “I” — and we just bury ourselves and let it all go.

Don’t let go. We’re writers. There’s always life in there, even if at times it seems like still life with no possibilities. All it needs is a little poke and prod. A book, a word, an overheard conversation, something in the news — and we green up, poke our way out of the dessication, and get going.

Because we have to. Because there are stories to tell and we can tell them. Because there are fictional lives to explore, and we can do justice to them. Because when you’re a writer, you’re never not writing, even if you think you’re not.

And, because we can.

Thea Devine is currently working on her next erotic contemporary romance. She’s pleased to announce that five of her early books, Reckless Desire, Ecstasy’s Hostage, Relentless Passion, Montana Mistress and Angel Eyes are now available in Kindle editions.

Do Not Disturb – Daydreaming in Progress

Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here.

Shh… hold on a moment. I’m staring out my window. Aren’t my squirrels cute? I know I should be writing but I’m vegging.

I’m not thinking about anything writing related right now either. And that’s okay.I’m remembering a recent trip to Ikea with my buddies, Katy, Suze and J. We had a lot of fun with those owl puppets.

I’m letting my mind wander while I look at this. . . . this is such a divine tree.

I’m a true believer in daydreaming/vegging out/being lazy. I can’t think of a single idea that originated from me sitting down and saying, “I will now generate story ideas.” That totally doesn’t work for me.

Here’s where my past ideas came from:

• Mystic Ink - baby name book while I was researching a totally different story.
• The Undead Space Initiative - driving my car.
• Misfortune Cookie – while daydreaming during my day job. Let me clarify – I was working on something repitive and my mind went into some other dimension.
• Ascension – during a car ride.
• Unnamed projects in the works – various places like sitting around being a couch potato, waiting in line at the grocery store, watching the news, and driving in the car (that seems to be my biggest idea generator).

The best ideas always sneak up on me when I least expect them! Kind of like those gremlins in the dryer that steal socks – no one sees them, yet the results are the same – two go in – one comes out. And don’t tell me I’m the only one with them! Either that, or I have a pocket dimension in my basement.

I have to thank Jamie for her post Monday - I don’t wanna. It reminded me that it’s normal to not do anything once in a while. In fact, I would argue that if you don’t stop and stare out the window regularly, you will never, ever have any fresh ideas again.

What does everyone else think? Can you command your mind to be creative? Or do you have to trick it like I do?

Writers Survival Guide to Menopause

Writers Survival Guide to Menopause

PJ here, and I’ll bet you’re wondering what menopause has to do with writing. For those of you struggling to put words on the page through sleepless nights, power surges (aka: hot flashes) that make you feel like your hair is on fire, or trying to focus through the foggy haze of hormonal upheaval, you know the answer to that question. For those of you not there yet, consider this a head’s up and a public service announcement.

Are you ready for a frank discussion about menopause? There…I said it. I’m still amazed how many people are not comfortable discussing this natural part of aging. It’s not like we’re trying to keep it a secret or bringing to light some controversial topic. If you’re squeamish about discussing such personal issues, feel free to move on to the solutions list below. But if you feel like you’re among friends here, read on and know that you aren’t alone. I’m here to share my experience and pass on what worked for me. (This is not intended as medical advice. Do your research and talk to your doctor to discuss your options).

MY STORY:  I went through “the change” a little early. Although I’m mostly on the other side of it now and I’m not even fifty, the age of onset varies greatly, depending on the woman. Symptoms started at about forty for me. Irregular periods after years of being like a clock in sync with the moon. At first, heavier and more frequent than normal, and then months of skipping entirely, causing me to sweat the possibility of pregnancy a few times—not cool when both of my sons were already grown and out of the house and I wasn’t married yet to my sweetheart. According to doctors, you aren’t officially in menopause until you’ve gone a full year without menstruating. Until then, whatever symptoms you’re having are considered peri-menopausal and will likely go untreated.

More than one way

 So then came the hot flashes. OMG! There were times I had a dozen or more hot flashes in a day, and I’m not talking about a little heat. Think of what it would feel like to put your face in a five hundred degree oven and keep it there for about a minute. Breaking out in a sweat every time I put my hands on a massage client when all I wanted to do was tear off my clothes and stand under cool water was totally not cool…pardon the pun. I began having trouble sleeping, waking at three a.m., tossing and turning until six, and then, just as I fell asleep again, I would have to get up. Talk about sleep deprivation torture! I did this for about two or three years, often getting up and writing for those few sleepless hours, trying to make use of the nightly torment and keep my sanity. But the next day sluggishness was brutal and added to the crankiness that was so uncharacteristic for me. I finally understood why those “old” ladies I knew as a child were so grumpy. They were in menopause! Even wearing a bra was irritating enough to have me worming it off in the car after a long day. I’ll admit, I chewed out a few grocery store clerks and made unkind hand gestures to trucks and SUV’s that cut me off or gave me a look…you know the look I mean. But it wasn’t until the worst thing that could happen to a romance writer happened to me. (Come closer…I’ll whisper this part…my sex drive went out the window.) That was the final straw. I needed help! Fast!

After first turning to the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels by Laurell K. Hamilton with mixed  and temporary results, I decided a visit to my Naturopath was in order. She listened to my woes, prescribed my constitutional homeopathic remedy (an entirely different post), and we discussed some natural alternatives to hormone replacement therapy (taking synthesized horse urine just sounded all kinds of wrong to me!) A note to you informed menopause researchers out there: What I did is different than “Bio-identical” therapy, which is another way of treating hormonal imbalances with natural substances that mimic estrogen and progesterone, but requires guidance from a doctor who specializes in that treatment protocol. Feel free to look into it. I’ve heard very good things about it. You might also find some great tips in a book called WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY not TELL YOU ABOUT MENOPAUSE  by Dr. John Lee.

This is what worked for me:

1)      I took over-the-counter herbal supplements called Estrovan, and later, Remifemen (the Estrovan worked moderately well for about a year before my Naturopath told me to try switching.) I found the Remifemen worked better for me. The essential ingredient in both of these products is an herb called black cohosh, which in combination with some other herbs and vitamins helped greatly with the hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. I took one in the morning and then I took the Night Time relief brand before bed. It worked far better for me than taking sleep medicine that made me drowsy and foggy the next day, or the chamomile tea that had me up staggering to the bathroom several times a night. With a few good night’s sleep a week, I began to focus better and feel less depressed and irritable.

2)      I also changed my daily vitamin to include 1000 IU’s of Vit. D, 1500 of Calcium and 1000 mg. of Magnesium. I found a single vitamin (Complete Menopause), that had everything I needed at my health food store  and took one in the morning and one at night. I also added an oil blend that included fish oil, evening primrose, and flax oil–another super combination that can be hard to find, but worth looking for. If you have any doubts about whether you are lacking in these vitamins, or if you are on medication of any kind, check with your doctor and have a blood test done. Many of our aches, pains, and physical/emotional symptoms are due to lack of Vit. D since most of us aren’t getting enough sunlight sitting in front of our computers a gazillion hours a day.

Note: Diet and nutrition are critical in feeling your best at all times of your life. Let me just say that sugar is killing us all, but that’s another post!

3)      I layered my clothes, wearing a tank top or short sleeved shirt and adding a light sweater or having a shawl to throw on and off easily since the temperature changes internally were dramatic. Shortly after a hot flash, I would get a chill and a desperate thirst. I kept a water bottle with me at all times, including next to my bed for those middle of the night power surges that had me throwing off the covers and feeling as dry as a desert. (For the sake of our squeamish readers I won’t get into the all too common “dryness” problem.)

Incidentally, things that aggravate hot flashes? Why chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol, of course. Could the gods be any more cruel?

4)      Believe it or not, exercise helped! Aerobic activity for twenty minutes three to five times a week makes all the difference on so many levels. It’s not uncommon for women in menopause to gain as much as ten to twenty pounds in just a couple of years due to metabolic changes, food cravings, depression, fatigue, etc. Those lovely curvacous sculptures the Renaissance artisans depicted were undoubtedly of mature menopausal women. Does the term “sagging middle” mean anything to you? (And I’m not referring to your pacing problems.) No wonder those ladies wore robes–no skinny jeans for them! 

There’s no point in white-washing it. Aging and change aren’t fun, but  they are inevitable, so if you want to come out on the other side of menopause healthy, you’ll fight the fight and make it work for you. Bottom line–staying active is being proactive!

5)      ON THE PLUS SIDE! Yes, there is a plus side, other than the obvious absence of our dear aunt “flow.” Menopause can bring on an incredible surge of creative energy (my theory is that our bodies are transforming all that “baby making” creativity that we no longer have evolutionary need of, into mental, emotional and spiritual creativity. It’s not surprising that menopausal women take up hobbies such as quilting, knitting, painting, photography, yoga, and yes…writing. There is a wisdom, peace, and quiet strength that comes with this rite of passage that is hard to describe until you get there, but even with all of the challenges—and maybe in spite of the challenges—we are transformed to a higher state of being. Eventually, we come back to being ourselves, only better. (Hold onto that thought gentlemen.)

 We may be a little less patient with foolishness since we’ve learned to value ourselves and our precious time, and likely we’re wearing a less than pristine earth suit (the shelf life of the human body is about fifty years—anything after that requires high maintenance and parts replacement), but more than ever, we are part of a sisterhood. I appreciate and respect women so much more than I did when I was young—a sign that I have grown in respect and love for myself over the years. Just remember, we are in this together and through sharing our experiences, we can help one another through the rough spots.

Perhaps you could ask Santa for a portable fan for Christmas. Happy Hot Flashes!

Sweet relief!

 Any other tips for beating the heat and surviving menopause, dear writers and readers?

 

 

Tales From the Spam Folder . . .

Happy Friday everyone! Casey here.

Today, rather than the usual blog post, I’d like to try something different. And it’s going to require audience participation (that means you, dear readers). Don’t worry, it’ll be fun. I promise.

The other day, I was cleaning out the spam folders for my blog and the Scribes. Normally, spam is a bunch of gibberish or poorly written attempts to sneak past Akismet (WordPress’ s filter program).

But on this day, I found something a bit different. A hidden gem that teased my imagination. The Scribes have talked about doing some type of round robin and I think this bit-o-spam would be a perfect start.

So here is how this will work. I am going to present the spam exactly as I found it. Then, I’m going to add my two cents. Next, each commenter is going to add  what they think happens next. The following person is going to build onto whatever the previous commenter has written. And so on. . . .

Let your imagination run wild. Feel free to add dialogue, more characters or whatever strikes you!

Hopefully by day’s end, we will have an interesting bit of story. And, I suspect this may be from a movie, so if anyone has any guesses, throw them out there.

Here is the spam: SMITH: Well, well, it’s been a long time. I remember chasing you was like chasing a ghost.

And away we go:

“Well, well, it’s been a long time. I remember chasing you was like chasing a ghost,” said Smith.

<here’s what we have so far>

Lady Tansy Mumford sipped her tepid and tasteless tea, unwilling to rise to the comment. Mr. Edward Smith, the most odious of men, stared expectantly, his forehead shiny and sleek in the afternoon sun. Was it wrong for a lady of her genteel upbringing to wish harm upon another? After all Mr. Smith was only pursuing her for one thing.

That’s because I am a ghost, and I’m going to haunt you until the end of your days. Accident, smackccident. You murdered me and I won’t rest til the day you join me. With a horrendous cackle, the translucent image of Smith’s ex-wife faded.

“Jesus,” said Smith to himself. I have to stop mixing antacids with wine. The combination not only gives me gas, but hallucinations, too.

Smith, his eyes ablaze, turned to the tap on his shoulder. He opened his mouth, his hand fell across his lips and he took a gulp the size of Niagara Falls. He reached out to touch the wisp of his wife . . .

“I swear, Sarah, it was an accident. I never meant to hurt you.” Smith’s arm fell to his side as he slowly backed away from his wife’s apparition.
“It seems your sins are catching up with you, Smith,” said Lady Mumford as she regarded him over the rim of her tea cup.

“So many sins,” she continued. “Remember that time you bought me a carpet cleaner for my birthday? Or those numerous times you clipped your toe nails in the bed? And the toilet seat! Do you know how many times I have fallen into that wet cold water? Oh, I’m going to haunt your ass, I’m going to annoy you so bad that you’ll go crazy and no other woman will want you.”

But ghost or not, you will not escape me. I will find you. I will fill your email box with offers for v@aagra and beutifull babes pron. You have no way to leave me behind except to change your email address, and that is only a temporary solution. We shall track you to the ends of the earth.

Well, Scribesters, time for you to add to the story. Have fun! At the end of day, I will compile the responses (in order) and add them to the blog post so everyone can read the results.

I am Not A-MUSEd!

Happy Friday everyone. Casey here. If you have a moment, I’m also blogging at my site today about – I’m so Pretty – The Beautiful Blogger Award.

Say the word muse and it means different things to different people. To an English teacher, it’s a verb that means: to think, dream, ponder or contemplate. Or it could bring to mind images of the nine gals from Greek mythology. And the word museum is derived from muse. There is even a band called Muse.

Say it to a writer and you’ll hear about a fully fledged being. You know who I mean - The Muse. The supposed source of inspiration. The force that helps us write.

Originally, the Muse was said to be the mouth-piece of the artist, who would call upon the Muses (the aforementioned nine) to aid them in their artistic endeavors. Over time, at least in the writing world, the Muse has developed a life of her own (yes, I prefer to think of the Muse as a female).

Before I started writing, I used to associate a Muse with a lover. A Muse was standard issue for all great artists. They had mistresses whom they claimed “inspired” them. I think, for some of these people, it was an excuse to mess around on their spouses.

When I hear writers talk about the Muse, I often wonder what they really mean. Is the Muse controlling your story or is he or she just there to inspire writing?

I have to confess, I don’t have a Muse. At least not one I’ve noticed. I’ve already got a Doubt Monster and Author Goddess rattling around upstairs. Maybe I don’t have room for anyone else in the old noggin??

I frequently read writer’s blogs and have learned all kinds of interesting things about her.

• My Muse isn’t cooperating with me today (or this week, month or year – take your pick). I can’t write a thing without her.
• My Muse is fussy and won’t appear unless I drink coffee, consume the highest grade chocolate, and have scented candles burning.
• My Muse is super productive and won’t leave me alone. She’s dumping a hundred ideas into my head and I can’t work on them all.
• My Muse wants me to write an epic about shape-shifting sheep herders in Nepal, but I know I won’t be able to sell it.

Honestly, she sounds like a complete diva. And as writers, we should not sit around waiting for her to grace us with her presence. It’s not like she corporeal. She can’t actually type your manuscript for you. So, it’s up to you to do all the heavy lifting.

Writing is work. Some days (or weeks or months), it’s a knock-down, drag-out slobberknocker. And no matter what you do, inspiration won’t come. It happens. And will continue to happen. That’s just how it is for us creative folk.  Kind of like, the only way to lose weight is to cut back on calories and move more. The same thing holds true for writing. The only cure is to keep at it.

If you want to give the Muse credit for your creativity, by all means do so. I’m sure she would appreciate it. Along with chocolate, fine wine and a foot massage.

As for me, I seriously suspect the Doubt Monster ate my Muse. Or the Author Goddess kicked her butt because there can only be one diva in my brain.

What about you? Do you have a Muse? Does she (or he) have a personality of their own? What inspires you to work?

Stagnant Brain Syndrome

Happy Friday everyone! Casey here.

Let’s be honest - who here has ever suffered from stagnant brain syndrome? You know, that dull, woolen headed feeling that cobwebs are stuffing your brain. Nothing comes out right. Perhaps, you wonder if you have lost your mind because you suddenly seem incapable of putting two coherent words together.

Here is a definition, courtesy of Google.

stag·nant /ˈstagnənt/ – adjective

• (of a body of water or the atmosphere of a confined space) Having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence. (Umm – eww. Forget this. I’m not talking about brackish water today)
• Showing no activity; dull and sluggish: “a stagnant economy brain“. This more like it!

Now it would be totally unfair to blame (or give any credit) to The Doubt Monster. What I’m talking about is a cousin to ”burnout”.  I’m also not talking about Writer Avoidance Behavior. This is when you are honestly trying to write and you just can’t focus.

Stagnant Brain Syndrome is when you let yourself get in a creative rut. You fall into a pattern. Using the same go-to plot devices or situations because they are familiar or easy. Suddenly, you realize that what you’re writing is not that engaging and your readers will know it too.

You stop writing. Blame ensues (Doubty gets in trouble). Or you decide that you have writer’s block because you struggle to put words on the page.

How do I know this? Because I’ve been there, dear readers.

But there is hope. You can overcome Stagnant Brain Syndrome:

1. Leave your house. But not to go run errands or the usual mundane chores. Take a walk. Clear your mind.

2. Or – go to the movie theater (I know it’s expensive. If your local movieplex has bargain night, go then). Again, leave your house and go somewhere without internet access or other distractions. Why the movies? Because a film is a few hours of diversion. This way you don’t end up watching a Downton Abbey marathon for two days. Not that I’ve done that….

3. Take a day trip (one of my favorites). I’m doing this today. So you won’t see any comments from me until later.

4. Clean out your closet. Yes, I mean the one you put your clothes in. Or tackle a chore you’ve been putting off.

5. Take a look in the mirror and clear out the mental baggage. Is something bothering you? Are there stressors in your life pulling you down? If so, can you tackle one or develop a plan to make it better?

6. Have you gone for a physical lately? Rule out  physical concerns. And not to state the obvious but - get a good night’s sleep!

7. Play opposite day – tell yourself you’re not allowed to write today. Like when you want to eat that last cupcake or piece of chocolate. Pretty soon, you’ll be itching to write because it’s forbidden!

You may have noticed several of my suggestions involve leaving the house. Our brains need stimulation. We need to build life experiences and interact with the world around us. Otherwise, we could end up like that guy in The Shining, wielding an axe, shouting, “Here’s Johnny!”

Don’t let that happen to you!

Anyone else have this happen? And how did you overcome it?

Blog Burnout

Welcome to Tuesday, Scribe’s readers. PJ Sharon here. In today’s post, I’ll be asking and answering a few questions about blogging—now that I can say without exaggeration that I have ample experience. I’d also like to address a growing problem for authors and bloggers called “Blog Burnout.” For me, this inevitable outcome of overexposure to blogging is defined as the mental, emotional, and physical fatigue that comes from “chronic” blogging. The symptoms are:

 1) An inability to come up with a single new and unique idea if your life depended on it.

2) A mistaken assumption that your life does, indeed, depend on it.

3) And a burning desire to cut ties with FB, Twitter, and Blogger captchas (those squiggly, indecipherable, non-words that you have to enter to leave comments on Blogger sites). 

According to marketing experts, blogging is a surefire way to get your name out there, promote your work, and increase your sales. In theory, blogging is a way to reach potential new readers who will buy your book or shout to the world what a brilliant and interesting writer you are. It has become a standard practice for authors and has been met with varying results (mine of which I will share shortly).

Some of you who haven’t been around long or have been living with your head in a rabbit hole may ask, “What is a blog tour?” That’s when an author sets up “guest appearances” on other authors’ blog sites, review sites, or anywhere that may attract an author’s readership. Guest blogs can be pre-prepared interviews or a 500-800 word “on topic” type of post that might appeal to specific readers.

What are the requirements for a successful blog, you ask?  Blogs need to be interesting, entertaining, informative, and above all, fun. Always end with an engaging question to open the door for comments. Try maintaining that level of creative juice for twenty or thirty posts over a two or three month period of time, especially while maintaining your own personal blog or website, contributing to your regularly scheduled group blogs (known as grogs), and the other million and one tasks that authors are responsible for on a daily basis, and let’s see you keep your hair on. Call me naïve, but I was completely unprepared for the toll that this kind of focused promotional effort would have on me. Don’t get me wrong; it was a valuable experience in many ways, but there are thing that I will do differently next time. Let me explain.

I have met some wonderful authors along the way and have had a great time interacting with readers and giving away books. I’ve also learned a lot about writing. Working to a word count, writing concise and persuasive blogs that hopefully meet the above requirements (interesting, entertaining, informative and fun), and I’ve learned how to talk about myself, my books, and my process—skills that every writer needs to learn.

As for whether my blog tour was successful in helping me to sell books, the jury is still out. My sales stayed pretty steady throughout the tour. It didn’t seem to matter where I blogged or how often per week, I never saw a bump in sales in either direction. Would I have sold the same amount of books without doing any blog appearances? I’ll have to wait a few weeks to see what happens when the dust settles and I am less visible. I do have to get back to…um…finishing that next book, a task made much harder because of this sense that my creative mind has been a bit—shall we say—overtaxed.

My recommendations:

1)      Pace yourself. Although it’s important to be visible in order to gain attention for your work, you and all of the people who have graciously chosen to support you on your journey will be much happier and less saturated…hehem…stressed if you take it slow and steady. Do what’s comfortable and what makes sense to you as an author. Remember that writing your next book is your primary job.

2)      Choose wisely. Do your homework, or pay someone to do it for you. There are Blog Tour companies out there that will design a tour for you for as little as $20-$50. If you want to do it yourself, choose blogs that are specific to your readership and that have a solid following. It takes some research but it’s a worthwhile investment in your time. This is one thing I would do differently next time around. I may even hire a virtual assistant (a college student on summer break) to do this research for me. The reason this is essential information is that I think you are more likely to find readers at review sites than author blogs, and in order to sell books, you need to be focused on finding readers. Although authors are wonderful about hosting other authors, and supporting each other’s book sales, most of the views that author sites get are from other authors, not readers. Unless that author has a large fan following, you aren’t likely to gain a tremendous amount of sales or find the readership you want.

3)      Keep it short and sweet. I am the queen of lengthy posts, LOL (this one included). We writers are not known for our brevity. But effective blogging in this warp-speed world means getting the point across and making it count.

4)      Offer incentives. Offer free books, swag, signed copies or some other creative incentive for readers who take the time to leave a comment. Contests garner attention, but they require a little effort staying organized with your giveaways. Make sure you follow through. Also make sure you use your influence wisely. You may want to ask for “likes” or “tags” (see my post on why these are important), or you may use contests to gain Twitter and FB followers. Don’t ask for too much and make it worth their while, but don’t be afraid to ask. T Harv Ecker says, “People don’t have what they want, because they don’t know what they want.” Be clear about what you want from your blog tour and formulate a plan to get it. Stay focused on your goal for each post and “speak” to your target audience as best you can.

5)      Say thank you. Let’s face it; without readers, authors are nothing. And without this wonderful community of authors who are traveling this rocky road with us, we would all get nowhere. I am so grateful to all of the authors who graciously hosted me, bought the books, tweeted my posts, shared my tour sites on their FB pages, and took the time to leave comments. I appreciate you, your patience, and your support more than you know.

In conclusion, when you start to feel like you’re doing too much, asking too much, and getting sick of answering the question, “What inspired you to write?” it’s probably time for a break. As for what’s next, my ongoing promotional experiment will be in the form of the “Authors in Bloom” Blog Hop and a couple of FREE days in April where SAVAGE CINDERELLA will be up for free in the KDP Select program. I’ll be at the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago with Katy Lee and I’m hoping to recharge my battery while I’m there signing at the Expo. Ahhh, yes…and I’ll be writing the next book.

Dream On

Hey, Friends!  Suze here.  Hope you’re all having a great day.  Amateur Freuds and Freudettes, get out your notebooks and pencils, because I’m about to lie down on the couch and bare my soul!

Yes, that really IS just a cigar

Last night, or maybe I should say this morning, I had a dream.  And along with it came a sense of deja vu. See, I’ve had this dream countless times before.  It’s not as though I’m playing a DVD over and over in my sleep.  The settings and actions are never quite the same twice.  But the overall formula is the same.

Now, this isn’t the dream where you find yourself walking naked through the high school cafeteria, and nobody notices (which is either a good or a bad thing, depending on your point of view!).  Or the one where you show up to class and realize that it’s the final exam and you never did any homework all semester and never studied for the test (Wait!  Was that a dream, or did it actually happen?).  Or my personal favorite, the one where you’re late for gym class, and you realize you don’t know which gym locker is yours and you can’t remember the combination anyway.  Why are so many of these about school?

I’ve had all these dreams, as well as the nasty one where your teeth are loose/falling out, more than once.  But my single most recurring dream is the one I had just before I woke up today.  I find myself in a house, and it’s familiar, yet not familiar.  It’s always a house or apartment I’ve actually been to or lived in — my parents’ house, my grandparents’ farm, the apartment I lived in with six other people when I got out of college (I like to call that place “the group home”), the apartment I lived in with my husband-to-be, and the house I live in now.  Sometimes there are other people there, but not always.

But the common theme is that I discover that the house is actually much larger than I thought.  There aren’t exactly secret or hidden rooms, but there are rooms I’ve never discovered, even though I lived there a long time.  Usually I will go up a flight of stairs, and through a door, and find a number of additional rooms to the house.  And I’ll say to myself, “Hey!  I’ve been needing more space, and here it is!  Why didn’t I notice this before? And what’s all this cool stuff in here?”

Then I wake up, before I get a chance to examine the cool stuff or plan what I will do with all that extra room.

A dream dictionary I consulted (click here) has this to say:

To dream that you are walking up a flight of stairs indicates that you are achieving a higher level of understanding. You are making progress into your spiritual, emotional or material journey. The dream is also analogous to material and thoughts that are coming to the surface.

To dream that you find or discover a new room suggests that you are developing new strengths and taking on new roles. You may be growing emotionally. Consider what you find in the discovered room as it may indicate repressed memories, fears, or rejected emotions. Alternatively, such rooms are symbolic of neglected skills or rejected potential.

To see a house in your dream represents your own soul and self. Specific rooms in the house indicate a specific aspect of your psyche. In general, the attic represents your intellect, the basement represents the unconscious, etc.

In your dreams, Suze!

I always feel positive about these dreams.  I never feel uncomfortable or frightened of the unknown.  It’s more a sense of wonder.  I also often find that having this dream (which happens several times a year) corresponds with periods of increased creativity and productivity in my waking life – definitely the mode I’m in right now.  So I always interpret it in a positive light, and I’m always  glad when it comes.  I do sort of wish, though, that my psyche would get original once in a while and give me a nice dream about, oh, I don’t know, Hugh Jackman?

What about you?  Do you have a recurring dream to share?  What do you think it means?