I don't understand what you mean by making your dreams "real." You wish to repeat them? See more detail? Clarify what [if anything] they mean? Have more dreams, or better remember those you have? See while awake what you seem to see while asleep? I've found that my dreams fall into distinct categories. There are the precognizant, which come in a repetitious series over several nights, are vivid, detailed and become more detailed with each repetition, and usually occur weeks or months before the "real life" event depicted. They are also comparatively rare. The more usual [remembered] dreams vary in color, clarity, are more or less obvious metaphors, or are entertaining if meaningless. The rest of the dreams are those I really don't recall after awakening and I think are the overwhelming majority. Simply keeping a pad of paper & pen beside the bed and writing down whatever you recall as soon as you awaken seems to be a commonly suggested practice; the act of consciously trying to remember improves your "memory" of what was dreamed. To be honest, I rarely do this -- to write a detailed description of what I found interesting or amusing or puzzling while asleep just isn't among the things I care to do upon awakening, and like most folks I quickly forget what I dreamed and don't feel a loss in the forgetting. Over several years of [mostly] recordkeeping upon awakening, I found there were few metaphoric dreams which didn't clarify themselves within a couple nights -maybe my subcouscious came to realize that if it wants to tell me something, it's better to do so clearly and directly instead of the using the usual symbols. Precog dreams are so memorable that I can write (or tell) about them many hours after waking. However, unless I note them in my diary, I often forget them within a few weeks of the series ending.

....the incomplete is clearly more beautiful than the perfect. A deeper beauty in the blemished than in the unblemished So many of us go crazy trying to make everything perfect and it is OK when it is not. The incomplete use to drive me crazy also. I needed to start something and get it done perfect now. I use to struggle with that alot and learned to be a little more patient. Sometimes it does work tho. I like to take time to sit outside and read a magazine or book or even to take time to watch the birds. Before I use to go out and think about all the weeds that I need to tend to, or the grass will need to be mowed in a few days. I now can sit out there and just be in the moment. That took a lot of practice and sometimes I can still feel myself struggling with it.

Oh, yes, I re-read all the time. The ones I re-read the most are Jane Austen's novels, the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon, "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy (one of my favorite books ever), and "Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy. I've re-read "To Kill a Mockingbird," too, but only 3-4 times.:)

This month my Book Club read: 1,000 White Women-The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus I thought it was wonderful! I'm usually not a big fan of historical fiction, but this was great! Based on a true event, and then the author writes about what could have happened. Back in the 1850's the Cheyanne Indians wanted to increase their tribe numbers, so they asked the US govt to "trade" 1,000 white women for 1,000 horses. The US govt said no, but in the book, they agree. Very interesting idea. Characters were outstanding!! Written in journal form and quick read. Some language & violence esp at the end, but it's not too bad. Next month we read: Whistling in the Dark We read Water for Elephants at the beginning of the year and I thought it was okay. Normally would have never read about the circus. Others seemed to like it more then me. Read Life of Pi, but it took me about 3-4 times to get through it! Has anyone read Middlesex? I want to know if it's worth reading. Ii don't mind the topic, but it seemed really hard to get into? I've got my list made of all the books you guys have recommended. Teresa-who once had a dream about being locked in a library all night. (Wouldn't be so bad!)