Last Night I Dreamt.......

I was in Africa it was hot and muddy there was a big tree where my car - Volvo estate was waiting. As we get closer I see there is a snake, yellow red and black stripes - it has just hissed at a dog which runs off. Daisy runs screaming and gets into the car. I turn around and see that Iris has a stick and is playing with it. Just as I shout to her to run, to get out of it's way it has jabbed at her stinging her in the mouth. I feel sick and scared thinking she could die, I don't know if it is poisonous or not, but her mouth could swell and block her airways anyway. I bundle her in the car and try to find a hospital. In Africa it could be the next town. I'm full of angst and panic while tears roll down my cheeks.

It's ice cold I'm at Nansenskolen, Lillehammer, Norway. It is snowing and I have never seen so much snow. At the edge of the road the snow has piled up to about 12ft . I'm sure I've just seen sponge bob slide down it. Its moving out day. I'm leaving to go home but I'm trying to find all my things. I have to go to other peoples room to find stuff that I have lent out or just left. Some people are laying the tables with big checkered cloths. I need to clean my clothes but I don't have time. I've got two pairs of jeans both with stains on the knees. I'll have to wear one of them anyway. 

I want to take some photos but am upset because not only has the battery gone , so has the fuse (does a camera have a fuse - I don't think so). I need to get a new one. A guy I don't know very well offers to help me get one on the way to the station, he can walk me there if I like. He seemed a bit creepy but harmless. That wouldn't be much good as I want to take pictures of us all before I leave and we all go our separate ways. Someone else says there is a shop in the shopping centre opposite so you won't even have to get cold in the snow. I go over - I've borrowed some money and get what I need. I then exchange some money with a takeaway pizza place and then go to find the guy who said he would take me to get the fuse later. I return his money and was careful not to let him see what else I had in my bag.

I charged the camera packed and left out in the ice, snow and cold. I didn't say goodbye and I didn't take any pictures.

Last Night I Dreamt........

.........I'm on a school trip with Daisy's class. Daisy is always complaining that I don't come on any of the trips to help. - Helping in school doesn't count. Today she is happy, as we and the class walk along a road, which could be London, crossing the Kings Road down by the Saachi Gallery.

I'm not sure where we are going. Everyone crosses over and I am standing guiding everyone over like a lollipop lady, I then  catch up with the class after the last child crosses over. There is a pathway across from the road and at the edge is a village green (The crescent space in front of the Saatchi.) There is a large concrete cylinder that has become a tunnel.

The class go ahead but I pause because just outside on the green there is something going on. I walk out and go around the side. There is an aircraft that has crashed, broken and split in 3 parts, with one of the wings hanging - almost like by a thread. It must have happened earlier or the day before as the smoke is still smoldering. There is a lot of red and white tape sealing the scene off as hazardous.

There were a few police and a forensic team picking parts of the wreckage. There were no ambulances, no people. They had been taken earlier or there was nothing left or perhaps it was a cargo plane. It was misty and the atmosphere was sombre. I stand there and and took some photos, I'm surprised no one else seems interested, people just walk on by. I was shocked, but I had to go and catch up with the others. I ran into the concrete tunnel to catch up with the class.

Soon the concrete disappeared and then become a cave,  we were in a maze of stalactites and stalagmites. I pause every so often to take a picture amazed at the wander and beauty before me. It is dark but there is a warm aqua and golden glow. There is enough light to see the way ahead, which eventually opened up to reveal a large aqua lit pool almost like something out of Indiana Jones. The kids wade through i. Across the other side was a concrete ramp like those you would use to bring a boat to shore. The children were scrambling upwards, almost as if on a conveyor belt where they could pull themselves out of it, up to the cave, the tunnel and then to daylight. I step into the glowing aqua water, I hesitate, I'm not too sure about the water but realise I have no choice - there is no time to think of anything anyway as I have to catch up with the others quickly. I raise my hands into the air, holding both of my cameras. All of a sudden I dipped Giles camera into the water and pressed the button to take a photo. How stupid!! I was angry with myself, how could I have done that. Why did I do it, it couldn't have been an accident. It's not as if I had quickly dipped it into the water - I had also pressed a button. That's two actions - more than just by accident. And then what - second time I break his camera after he has already given me another.

No time to dwell on why - I had to get on I looked ahead and there was a concrete platform ahead with sleeping lions, a panther and a tiger. Did big cats like to swim? I didn't think so. But then if it meant a meal ticket a few feet away I don't think they would hesitate. Now I had to really get on - for my survival. I couldn't wade anymore despite it being shallow. Now the only option was to get in and swim. I had to get past them to get to the ramp to get out. The panther and tiger awoke as I passed the platform. I swam for my life and made it to the ramp and ran.

Only to turn around and see I'm being chased by a wolf. I turn around again, but this time - nothing.

I'm in the airport with my family. It's where we were New Year's Eve - KL waiting - many people are lying on benches fast asleep outside the gate waiting for connecting flights. The floor was slick grey shiny marble. The hall is wide. Giles puts his computer on and Skypes Nana and Grandpa in LA, the kids chat and I go for a wander. I take both cameras with me in the hope of getting them fixed. I haven't said anything to Giles as I don't think he would be impressed. I had to swim- why didn't I at least try to put the cameras into something plastic or at least into my bag. It's done now, nothing I can do. I then realise that not all is lost at least I could get the card out and have the images/ memories. I open something that I'm holding in my hands. I realise it's an old film, so that's no good, the images are gone after all. Why did I do that - Surely I would have realised that daylight exposed on the film would loose everything. That was Silly! I heard Iris say in my head!

I'm in the classroom walking around looking what work is being done. Mozart is playing and the teacher is horrified that I don't have any Mozart at home. I said I did like it. The children are making box sets made of plastic boxes with 6 compartments. I feel bad because I hadn't bought one for Daisy. I hadn't realised what they were for. I'll get one later. In each compartment there was something special in gold.
There was a tiny gold chest with thick leather buckles and inside there is Mur. There was a gold bottle of frankincense and a bar of gold. The other three compartments were yet to be filled. I'm not sure if all the children were filling their compartments with the same objects or not.

(But red)

I'm coughing and I have small red plastic squares the same size as the letter keys on a computer. They are falling out of my mouth. The more I cough the more they fill up and I'm chocking on all of these red plastic squares. I don't know were they are coming from but I keep sitting them out and I leave a red square trail behind me. The more I spit out the more fill up. It's like a dream were I choke on my teeth which keep falling out.

In a central garden in front of a crescent a semi circle with London white houses and pillars all around.

Last Night I Dreamt.......

........ We were living in Philadelphia, (except it looked like San Francisco, by the steep bumpy hills and the style of houses) we were going out for a dinner to somewhere that had been recommended to us. Walking past the bus stop there were two huge dogs sitting there, not like dogs, but like humans with their legs hanging off the edge like two old ladies having a chat. 

 (Almost, not quite)


We walked up the street that was a bit dark as now we were in the shadow. I caught a glimpse of the place. There were steps going down to the entrance, chefs were walking in and out carrying food and throwing it onto a barbecue that's grill was an old grid from the street. There was slight panic. It was strange as the front of the place was all glass but the bottom of the window had about 50cm cut out, almost hacked out as as if it was wood, it was all uneven. Under the gap was water that was gushing out almost like a waterfall.

 I sighed with relief as I catch the sign, 'subway,' that was lucky, not where we are going after all. The water was immense, gushing, bulging out of this building and yet everything remained relatively calm as if it were usual, as if it was just a minor inconvenience. We walked passed almost dragged in by the chefs as they went in and out, just as we were in the way. We went into the building next to it and up quite a few floors of stairs. 

We walked passed a room that looked like an old experiment room as the wall went up to your waist and then it was glass, a sealed environment were we we could watch those inside almost if the people were in a mad house. I bent my head down and hurriedly walked past without looking. I opened the next door and went and sat in a waiting room. It was nice all white and airy, with a huge old crystal chandelier hanging in the middle, white leather sofas and over sized cushions scattered about. In here it was more Elle decoration, were as in there the white decor was more straight jacket crazy. 

We sat and waited and waited, what for I don't know. Everyone was doing their own thing while waiting. I walked up to the window and straight across was the window of the mad room, this time I looked and kept looking. Crawling everywhere were something that I thought were rats except they looked like tiny peacocks. They were small and ran all over like a ferret, with rat like furry bodies yet they had some beautiful turquoise feathers and the long tail with an eye just like a peacock. The light and white reflected the beautiful colours of different turquoise, blues and green within. 
                                                                                      (Not quite, but this may help to visualise it)

They were disgusting and yet beautiful all at the same time. I got up and walked out of the door to look through the viewing window I had passed earlier but had dared not to look. I took my camera out and started to take some photos. I didn't get a chance to do many as I was chased out by one of the loonies demanding to take my camera, telling me I had no right to steel photo's of him. Like I would want to take pictures of this large oaf of a man. I tried to calm him down I showed him the pictures of the peacock-rats and in one of them I had caught his leg in the corner. He was just about to explode but I had deleted it before he opened his mouth. That was close. Giles makes a comment that I shouldn't just take pictures of people - in some countries you can get arrested.


I'm at Sally's house and all our kids start running riot about the place, the house is open planned and they seem to be running around the core of the house. I'm getting worked up, not because of them but because I can't find the fish. I'm walking behind them and feel stressed because I still can't find the fish. I get back to where I started and ask were are the fish then. Sally says I've walked straight past them. 

But the aquarium has gone. No it hasn't it is under the table. But why would she do that. To get more space and light. But what about the fish. I look under the make shift table, which was basically wood resting on top of the fish tank. The fish were there alright swimming around oblivious to their new home in the dark. I felt sad and drained it was as if I needed to see the golden fish to charge my batteries.


I drive into a car park of a travel lodge/ It could be the Bridge Barn next door to Daisy's school. There are some people who are out of their cars looking up a tree. I stop get out of the car, and leave the kids still in it and look at what is going on. It reminded me of Heathrow,when the twitchers come with their ladders claiming space to get the perfect view for Concorde passing over head. The peacocks are here, except now they are normal, parading up and down with their tails spread out. There is one white, female walking about. Someone says stay back, everyone tries to move forward. I look up and there is a big stump in the middle of the tree and on it is a massive snowy white owl,   almost the size of a car. 

It was beautiful, so  peaceful and wise up there under the commotion below. By now I had almost slithered myself under it, almost crawling in the hope that no one would notice. It looked down at me and then flew away. One of it's wings flapped across its body, it looked about two metres long. I watched it go far away into the distance and then noticed everyone had gone. I walked into the foyer of the travel lodge to see Daisy and Iris, again- running riot in the corridors. Oh, I had forgotten about them in the car. (Only a dream)

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I totally believe that dreams are valuable tools helping to guide and sort our lives out. It has been years since I remembered a dream like that, so real and vivid in every detail. (Other than teeth falling out, choking , chased or being shot- even that's been a while) Although I don't quite get what it is about yet, I feel it is a positive message, despite the flooding water and rats! In the past I became really tuned in to my dreams and kept a diary for a while. But now, most of the time .... nothing I can remember.


Most of my ideas and thoughts of paintings - or for what to do, come to me after I have slept Either in a dream,  or by a thought that just pops into my head as I'm waking up. Obviously today's dream was a good sign, as for the last year I have been sketching and writing pages and pages on my story in Itchycoo, with still no direction of where it is going to go. 

Then today I started from scratch and have a skeleton outline of a new story for Itchycoo. With a beginning, middle and end and most of all a point!! So I'm happy!! Mimi is still in there, Itchycoo is the land she dreamed after all...... There is also a Troll with hole instead of a heart......

Daydreaming of Itchycoo scarves at Liberty's.

Still hooked on Spoonflower, I thought I would have a go with my paintings. After doing so I thought they would work well on a Liberty scarf. It's good to dream, maybe one day.