Belly Dancer's Nightcap

If I was...

Because of an invitation from Amy…

* If I was a gardener I would have the end of our home open up into a beautiful greenhouse. I would grow most of our food and plant tons of herbs. I would make all sorts of things with my herbs like healing balms and herb sachets for baths. But most of all I would create a secret garden deep in the yard for my children. First I would build the stone walls and make a hidden place for the keyhole and then I would work really hard on the inside. It would have to be mysterious and magical inside. I would let my children discover the key and the secret garden on their own without telling them about it or helping them find a way in.

* If I was a musician I would play the mandocello, fiddle or lately the banjo sounds pretty cool – think bluegrass not Deliverance. Mainly I would just be happy to play songs in the grass for my kids and jam with friends at night on the front porch. I would make up songs for my kids and play accompaniment to songs they made up. I would love to turn favorite stories, books and poems into songs. I’d sing along strong, clear and strange like the Be Good Tanyas.

* If I was a writer I would have my own tiny publishing company for family and friends so that we could create the literature however we wanted. I would write children’s books with my husband and I would hide secret messages inside them for my kids. I would write a book about Tisho for Alex and the memories would flow smoothly and I would write without fear. I would write books about my family and have my sisters all contribute something to them according to their gifts. Maybe I would even have a writing tree and I would climb up high into a hammock and be completely covered by leaves to sit and write in the afternoon while I watched my children and husband play below. Then I would climb down with all my happy words when everything starts turning blue at dusk and we would catch fireflies and go in for dinner.

* If I was missionary I would go where God told me and wherever I went I would pray for a humble and teachable spirit. I would want to show the people around me that I have a lot to learn from them. Then depending on where I was I would immerse myself in the culture and language of the people I was settling with. Instead of preaching at them I would want to be a servant and pray for them. Being a missionary for me would be going willingly wherever I was sent, making a home there, making that home an open door and giving others the love God gives me.

* If I was the poor but happy owner of a coffee shop/bookstore I would make a haven for bookworms. It would be two stories with a massive, live tree growing in the middle. The building would be built around the tree with a skylight above it to give him sun. The top story would mainly consist of a wide, wrap-around balcony. It would be a circle of armchairs and couches with warm lamps next to them and bookshelves behind you. The bottom story would be where you get your coffee or tea. I would leave all of that up to my barista husband. I had a dream once about owning a place like this and it was called The Couch Tree. Of course, I wouldn’t call it that but the idea has always stuck with me in the section of my brain labeled, Impossible but Lovely Dreams. The windows would all open out and we would have a dog named Sam who takes his coffee black in his own large mug. Sometimes he would drink the espresso when we weren’t looking and we’d have to tell him to slow down on the potent drinks – “We wouldn’t want to have a caffeinated episode now would we Sam?” And of course he would shake his head and smile because he’s a good coffee house mascot.

Posted by M. of the Gypsies at June 3, 2005 03:18 PM | TrackBack