REALITY
We're trying to have fall here in Southern California. We heated up into three digit figures for a few days a week ago, then for several days we cooled off a bit before the temps went back up into the nineties Fahrenheit. Now we're dropping down into truly fall-like temps for us in the eighties or high seventies. Oh, for some rain!
Air quality here has been adversely affected by another influx of clouds with sky-filling dark smoke escaping northern California from a lightning induced wildfire which destroyed some of our prized redwood trees there. Some of our special treasured giant redwood trees have been wrapped in aluminum-based burn-resistant material to protect them, as noted by Sequoia and Kings National Parks in this CBS News report.
ELDER HOUSING
The latest bill signed by our Governor to address the housing crisis in California allows for single family homes to be converted into duplexes under certain circumstances.
Perhaps this could be an opportunity for some older people choosing to live in place to consider adding income producing housing on their property if they can meet any local requirements and those specified by the new state requirements. Maybe a family and their parents want separate living accommodations.
Already, additional living units such as little houses have been allowed to be added to single family residences in some situations. A multitude of YouTube videos feature just as many designs, sizes, and costs. Decide what features are wanted, such as all one floor plan, with minimal or no steps. Or an elevated roof can provide an upstairs, lofts, accessed by ladders and steps if that is desired. Proceed from what the need, including whatever the budget allows.
Homeowners must consider legal requirements which can vary in every community as this legal site, Nolo, explains for Californians. Everyone would want to check the laws and regulations in their city, state, country.
UNUSUAL
Last night (Friday) was unusual when my doorbell rang at 10:30 p.m. My outdoor sensor light was on, off, then on again before finally turning off as I reached my front door. There was no one there. I won't even speculate as to what that was about. Maybe young kids playing "doorbell ditch", or maybe not. Whatever! I continue to be pleased to have installed my security screen doors with this event occurring.
News just announced a big bucks lottery winner at a California liquor store that has had a number of winners through the years. That seems unusual to me as to why one store would have an inordinate number of winners when so many other businesses across the state never have any. Officials long ago eliminated any monkey business is occurring.
DREAMS
My day, Saturday, as I write this, seems almost over before it has started. For the first time in ages, I had an over-abundance of quality sleep last night. My sleep consisted of two broken intervals for a total of about six hours. I still felt sleepy when I awoke at an early but reasonable hour, but I decided to just close my eyes for a few more minutes. The next thing I knew I awakened at 2 pm. in the afternoon ... 2 p.m.! ? ... I never lie abed so late in the day.
Well, at least I must have finally had some truly deep sleep I've been concerned I might not be adequately having. That's important you know, as science studies have reported lack of such quality sleep has been associated with the development of dementia in older folks. They also say too much sleep isn't good for us either.
During that sleepy interlude I recall having a vivid color-filled dream which hasn't occurred for longer than I can remember.
That dream, however, I couldn't relate to anything. Generally, I have been able in the past to associate my dreams to something I've just seen, read, done, or someone I've ben immediately involved with or thinking about. Also, action in my dream, however far-fetched, I could interpret as reflecting my emotional state or feelings if nothing else, but not this time.
Actress Elizabeth Taylor and I, both quite young, had become good friends because I was supporting her desire to become a Little League baseball player, an idea which no one else in her life would accept. She shaved off all her hair, wore a baseball cap, dressed in a colorful baseball team uniform of pullover top with matching pants. We engaged with my direction in taking promotional photographs of her for which she enthusiastically posed in dramatic fashion showcasing her bald head, later with her cap on, then herself in various poses. How bizarre was all that!
There was no dialogue in my dream, just that video of action, but leaving me with positive feelings when I awoke, quite rested, to startlingly discover the incredibly late, to me, afternoon hour.
This is just a composite of one strange day or so for me. Hope I can get to sleep tonight after I publish this. I don't know which, if any, of these topics might be of interest to readers here, enough to warrant a comment, but have at it.
Save the redwoods! They are such treasures, and it would be a tragedy were the fires able to destroy them. I know I felt privileged to finally be able to walk among them, an almost spiritual experience.
ReplyDeleteSome redwoods have already been lost but they’re trying to save as many as they can, especially the oldest and largest.
DeleteThat is a little scary about the night time visitor. Hope it was just kids pranking around.
ReplyDeleteWow, did you eve sleep. I think I'd wet the bed if I slept that long:) I always think when something like that happens, I must have needed it.
The dream sounds fun and Liz Taylor was always a favorite of mine. Can't imagine her bald even though she got that way after the brain tumor. I don't think there were any pictures of her then.
I agree a visitor at that hour does give reason for concern. I debated with myself about notifying our non-emergency police phone number, then decided I would do so only if I heard other unusual sounds, had another door bell ring that night or future nights.
DeleteI, too, was surprised that last six hour sleep block without my needing a bathroom break was the exception to my necessary habits for the past several years. All too often I can need to be up every two hours, or four unbroken hours of sleep can be a luxury.
I don't ever recall seeing pictures of a bald Liz either. I've never before dreamed of an identifiable celebrity (or most other people) and why her I have no idea since she has been only one of many entertainers whose talents I've appreciated. I never read movie magazines, or rarely even see those entertainment gossip newspapers discussing celebrities personal lives -- though it's impossible to not hear about many celebrities in regular news media any more.
(Digressing a bit, those scurrilous gossip publications are how Fox's owner, Rupert Murdoch, made his riches in Australia before descending on Great Britain to wreck havoc on their news media. He finally invaded the U.S. to corruptly influence -- with now deceased Roger Ailes -- Fox TV News media as has been alleged with revelations about their troubling modus operandi with truth.)
Yes, that sleep late is so unusual. We will see how the housing thing works.
ReplyDeleteFrom articles I read the housing bill will likely aid only a few of the many needing housing at best, but I suppose every little bit helps.
DeleteI really hope all the Sequoias will be safe. It would be really awful to lose any of them. That is worrisome about the nighttime doorbell thing. I'm so glad for you that you got some good sleep. I have my Fitbit on at night to tell me how much deep and overall sleep I'm getting. It's never enough.
ReplyDeleteI would really like to have consistently good sleep as i had most of my life but my problem coincided with when i started using a computer, then blogging. I had long hours with keeping my computer on the internet, learning to use my desk top. Concurrently I developed erratic sleep patterns along with some other issues which I believe are related and impacted my sleep issues I can’t seem to consistently resolve. . I’m convinced my sleep pattern issue is of special significance to the overall function and status of this older person's body.
DeleteThis post itself shows that you are capable of coming up with ideas to write. I dream but, can never remember them so, I do not have any problems with them. I sleep well but have to get up twice every night to take medication for my COPD. I have got used to it and do not feel fatigued or disturbed.
ReplyDeleteHaving interrupted sleep for one reason or another seems to be experienced by most if not all older people. Glad you’ve adapted so well to the event. Perhaps if you repeatedly tell yourself you want to remember your dreams eventually you will.
DeleteI try and have REM sleep which is the most important for us oldies. My dreams, like yours, affirm that I have had such sleep. Mainly mine are hiking in beautiful places, which I used to do but no longer can but I awake, like yourself, happy and filled with possibility.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
Wonderful dreams you have of former hiking experiences in beautiful places.
DeleteRe your weather, I saw some photos of Lake Oroville, once full of water and now virtually dry. You could certainly do with some serious rain.
ReplyDeleteMy dreams are totally weird and as far as I can see not related to anything I've done or seen or felt during the day. I have Exploding Head Syndrome, which means I sometimes get woken by a sudden loud noise like the phone ringing, except that the loud noise is entirely imaginary. Go figure. As for quality sleep, sometimes I get a good night's sleep, sometimes I wake too early. It's all very unpredictable.
That's a syndrome new to me -- really unusual. Must be very disconcerting. I wonder if that's something you've always had, or if it is related to aging?
DeleteIt was new to me too, this has only been happening in the last few months. But apparently it's quite common. It affects up to 10 per cent of the population, though it may be just a one-off. People over 50 are more likely to have it.
DeleteThat’s good for us to know in case some of us are already experiencing such sounds or might in the future, at least we’ll have some idea what is happening. Hope yours resolves as I expect you do, too. Will be interesting to know of any further developments — perhaps won’t be any additional such occurrences.
DeleteRegarding the lottery, I think it is self perpetuating. A lot of lottery players are superstitious, so if they think a store is lucky, they will go out of their way to buy tickets there…more people buying tickets there means more chances for a win, etc. That’s my theory at least. I used to have a boss that spent a lot on lotto…it was his retirement plan, I think. If his wife had to go out of town for work, he would actually be angry with her if she failed to buy tickets at some out of the way place, because he had decided that buying them from different locations would increase his chances. Which it probably did, because he wouldn’t buy any fewer at his regular location to make up for the ones she bought. I never understood any of it. I buy tickets a couple of times a year. I may be overdue actually, but doubt I’ll do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteYour dream was great. And WOW on that sleep! I generally wake up at 6. If I can sleep until 7 or 7:30, I’m thrilled. An extra 6 hours sounds heavenly to me.
I recall years ago a news item about some guy convinced his idea was a sure fire winner if he just bought enough tickets. He mortgaged his house, bought all those tickets but didn't win much of any consequence.
DeleteI would just like some consistently good uninterrupted sleep for 6 to 8 hours.
Dear Joared--the entire posting was of interest to me but I admit to wondering about that dream. I've been told that the people we meet in dreams--whether we knew them or not--are representative of some aspect of ourselves. They become symbols of our hopes/dreams/fears/past/etc. And so wonder what Elizabeth Taylor has always meant to you. What might she symbolize? And what might baseball and uniforms and teaching another symbolize about you? I'd be interested in knowing what you come to as you muse on a dream about that violet-eyed black haired beauty of an independent woman! Peace.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read your thoughts on my dream. Elizabeth Taylor had no particular significance to me as an actress or person. She was just another performer whose movies I usually enjoyed, with a personal life I was aware of but didn't go out of my way to learn more about. I never thought of her, or any others as symbols of any kind for me, or that she was an independent woman either. Given all the men she wed, she seemed to be very dependent, needing a man in her life constantly.
DeleteBaseball is a game I've enjoyed from my pre-teen years and a mutual interest shared with my husband who played the game as an amateur before I knew him. Uniforms, I don't know, as never paid particular attention to them.
Of course teaching has had significance in my life as my mother had taught in a one room school house a few years before she wed, but not after. I never became a teacher but consider parents to be teachers. There also was an important aspect of teaching with patients, family members and health care staffs in my later profession as a Speech-Language Pathologist, primarily in medical settings.
So, the dream characters and action still seem to hold little meaning to me other than it was basically positive overall. We seemed to be happy and striving toward a goal in which we believed, even if others didn't. It was characteristic of me preferring to be in the background directing, motivating, encouragingly supporting another's ideas I shared and augmented with my own, with someone in whom I believed -- who would represent the public face of our efforts. Maybe that's what the dream was about.
Dear Joared, I think that what you came up with for what the dream met you is inspiring. And perhaps really insightful! Peace.
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