dreams – New England's Narrow Road

When I was young, my parents took my sister and me on vacation to Vermont (we lived in Massachusetts – flatlanders!) and went across the Floating Bridge.

The bridge actually floats on top of the water on a bunch of barrels, but the creepy thing is that water also comes up over the bridge – that is it in the photo.

As a kid I was scared to death to drive in a car over a bridge that already had water on it and looked like it was sinking! I can’t remember how old I was, but I still – at least 40 years later – sometimes dream about it, and often dream about both bridges and water.

I love the water. And I find bridges fascinating – especially interesting ones. I’m not really afraid of heights – not too bad anyway, but thinking about the Floating Bridge makes my skin crawl. In fact roadways under water are too eerie to view. When the news shows flooding with roads disappearing into vast expanses of water, I have to turn away and hope I won’t dream about it.

So thanks Mom and Dad for the nice vacation. All I can remember – for the rest of my life – is sinking down into the water as the car crossed a swaying, creepy bridge!

It’s Christmas Eve day and the snow is coming later in the day so hubby has been working in the barn finishing up his outside work on our 50 acres while I have been baking like mad for the big family gathering tomorrow.

All four kids live close by and come to our farmhouse, with their families for Christmas dinner. The farm has been in the family for generations and over the years we’ve enjoyed many happy holidays together at the long, wooden table in front of the big fireplace.

We are lucky to have a beautiful view from the big windows along the side of the house and can see the distant mountains quite clearly this time of year. After the snowfall tonight, we will all be able to go outside tobogganing at some point tomorrow. All the grandkids are old enough to enjoy playing in the snow and going sledding and we have the perfect hill that slopes down to the big garden area.

I’m almost done baking the pies, the Christmas tree is decorated with loads of presents heaped underneath and the extra bedrooms are ready for the ones who will spend the night tomorrow. Hubby will come in soon and sit with me by the tree and we’ll watch the snow fall. We’ll have some spiked eggnog or a glass of wine and talk about the day and look forward to tomorrow when the whole family will be together – it will be hectic, but it’s what life is all about.

There are bloggers who will write stories like this and they will be true, but my story is not. I used to think that having dreams that never came true meant I had failed at life somehow, but now I know better. I no longer dream expecting to one day have it happen, but it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the thought. I am blessed to have all that I DO have and I know that.

So what does your Christmas dream look like? Or is it reality?