Long long ago I sat on a comfortable soft sofa in my Aunt Lela's home. I gazed up at the cream colored ceiling with polished dark wood cross beams. I felt the luster of the grand piano. I loved the hand carved CooCoo clock from Germany's Back Forest. I loved the little wooden bird that sang on time. Aunt Lela read me the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories illustrated with wonderful paintings. I especially liked the painted stitching of hand sewing around the doll's and their clothing.
My favorite story as a four year old was of course, The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat!
Aunt Lela was a multi-talented woman: an artist, singer, pianist, and gardener. She was sprightly yet assertive. She looked and acted like (wait for it) Shirley MacLaine! I was already the artist painting pictures in my imagination and looking forward to paint and brushes. Aunt Lela introduced me to oil painting. Her stunning paintings graced every wall. We studied flowers in her rock garden and painted them with tiny brushes and mixed our colors precisely, Aunt Lela and I.
Dream Walking
Years rolled along, I started practicing then teaching Tai Chi, my life changed in surprising ways. I started to paint vision dreams, waking and sleeping, and write about them. I met wondrous friends along the way. I remember a vivid full color dream where Caroline and I were together, little cherub girls about five years old. We were both dressed in blue and white checkered gingham dresses with white pinafores. We were smiling and happy. Caroline and I played in fluffy clouds. We were being cared for by beings of light in long white filmy gowns. Neither we nor the light forms sprouted wings. It was nap time for us and the other little cherubs. Being rule breakers, we pretended to nap (giggle).
One of the other girls woke up and said, "Look, a Silver Wolf~"
Playing With Clouds
In the dream I recognized my Silver Collie, Sky! He was fully grown and in full coat, groomed and ready to play. I slipped out of bed and called Sky.. He trotted over to us, smiling and waving his plumy tail. Sky had a bright silver leash (silver cord) attached to his collar. The leash was made out of flexible comfortable material. I picked up the leash. It felt familiar in my hands. We walked with Sky through the fluffy misty clouds. Sky was smiling his delighted Collie Smile. Other girls joined us in the fun.
What A Great Dream! Eagerly I E-mailed Caroline. "I have had this dream many times! Once on TV I saw a group of girls walking a (wait for it) Silver Wolf!" I was speechless at this reply.
Cloud Walking
Later I lost touch with Caroline for several years. Then she E-mailed me! "I do remember our shared dream. Sounds wonderful walking through the clouds with our animal companions....There is something special about clouds, Cloud Babies on TV (U.K.) "wash the sun, and paint the colours on the rainbow, and launch shooting stars into the sky at bedtime."
Caroline continues: "There is a girl walking a puppy that looks like Sky when I walk my son to school in the morning. It is lively and friendly and wants to play with everyone."
"Do you ever wonder what fills the empty spaces?"
Key Words Collies, Clouds, Sunset, Sunrise, Angels
Related Posts:
Let It Be
Call to Colors
Out of Box Experience
Sun Coins, poem
Resources:
The Complete Collie, published by the Collie Clue of America, 1956 ed. article History of the Blue Merle Collie, "sometimes the color was even erroneously called Calico.
Gray Dawn, and Dog of the High Sierras stories of a blue merle collies books by Albert Payson Terhune, author, journalist, mystic, owner and breeder of the Sunnybank Collies
Music: Tai Chi Way Regimen Music, Tranquility from Wind Records
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor.
Images:
Green and White Checked Gingham, photo by Dahlis
Sky and Dahlis, note the blue checked gingham shirt my Mom made, photo by Paul
