Dreams, Control, Easter, Taxes!

DREAMS:
I don't often remember my dreams, probably due to being an insomniac and using sleep aids which sometimes don't work.
Anyway, I have been dreaming about my brother who died in 1998 at the age of 49. The dreams are pretty vivid. He used different gestures for different meanings. But he used one gesture for 2 meanings. Those being either "cuckoo" or "it's taken care of." He would roll his eyes up and side-way while whistling through his teeth and twirl his left hand like he was throwing something over his shoulder and behind him.
He patiently taught me a lot about cars so I wouldn't get screwed by unscrupulous car salesman or mechanics. He would often say, "no. Asi' mira" until I would get it right. He helped me lay Saltillo tile in my first home. He rode up and down our neighborhood on his bike announcing the birth of our baby sister.
From ages 9-15 we would get into fist fights for no apparent reason, but, we were fiercely protective of each other. Fighter beware;) He used to hunt dove with a BB gun. We played a lot of neighborhood baseball. He had childhood asthma and would often fall down unable to breathe. Someone one would run to get our Mom while I stayed at his side. What got him through these attacks was Broncolyptus. A concoction mixed at Ruppe's Pharmacy in downtown Albuquerque.
He had incredible math skills. Like our Grandpa Julian he reinforced my ability to take notice of everything around me so I wouldn't get lost in mountains, desert or forests. I loved my brother. My kids loved him. I miss him.

I used to have a recurring dream whenever a solution to a problem escaped me. In that dream I would enter a multistory building  for whatever purpose and when I would try to leave, every exit door opened to a sharp cliff with ocean waves crashing against them. Every single exit was the same. I would wake up totally frustrated. The dream would continue until my brain would find a solution I could accept. Haven't had that dream in many years.

CONTROL: The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.-Albert Einstein.
We grew up in an old neighborhood. Everybody knew everybody. And, everybody would tell our Grandpa and/or Mom what we had been doing while out on our "missions" of mischief;) Often times they would be amused, but, sometimes we were in real trouble. As much trouble as a kid could be in during the 1950s. We both had rebellious natures. My brother was better at getting out of trouble, read lies.
When I was 9 years old, the neighborhood "church lady" told my Grandpa that she wanted to meet with him, my Mom and me. Yikes! I wracked my brain trying to figure out what terrible infraction I'd committed that warranted this type of meeting. This lady wore a black dress, stockings, shoes and a beautiful mantilla all the time. Anyway, the meeting was set for the evening. I stood behind my Gramp's chair while she presented the reason she wanted to speak about me.She said that God had told her I needed to become a nun. What?!?! She was adamant the Lord had told her this. And, that I had to enter the convent as soon as possible. I was whispering in his ear, "No Grampa! Yo no quiero ser monja." I said this at least 3 times. Frankly I was terrified that my life would be spent wearing a nun's black habit and pinching little kids for bad behavior.Needless to say, but I will, nun's and I finally parted way after the ritual of my First Communion was over. I think Mom was on the verge of laughing aloud at this absurd request. But, thankfully, she took her cue from Gramps by appearing serious. Grampa thanked the church lady for her information, then showed her the door. When she was a safe distance he took a look at my freaked out face and started chuckling. My mother started laughing and, frankly, I was relieved. Gramps said, "Esta loca esa mujer:))" Whew!!
I took an interest in boys at age 13. My brother had a friend that I thought was very cute and shy. So, never the shrinking violet, I would flirt with him to watch him blush. I walked into the kitchen one of those days that was spent swimming all day in the canal and river, to find his parents talking to my Gramps and Mom. My thought was, "Oh this is nice for them to visit." But.....after they left my Mom said they had come to ask for my hand in marriage because their son told them I was the girl he was going to marry. "I'm 13!!!!!!!" Mom said they just wanted to get to know our family better. Of course I wasn't getting married so young. Little did we know I'd get married 2 1/2 years later. Plus this taught me a lesson about flirting.
Someone at sometime during my life has usually tried to control me. Why? Who knows? It's been a wonderful past year and a half since I retired. And 2 years since my divorce. But......

EASTER:
I love Easter! Not only for our Savior's resurrection. I get a big kick out of the Cadbury commercial that has a lion in bunny ears. Too funny. And Easter means Spring and a new beginning of growth. It's like waking up after a very long sleep, no?
I watched The Bible. Also watched The Dovekeepers. First time I've seen the movie and that movie set the tone for the book. I had the privilege of visiting Masada and listening to the account of the Roman siege. Sad. I would go back to Israel in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately, the persecution of Jews and Christians continues.
At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.-Aristotle

TAXES:
I have been paying taxes for years. So last year I paid the minutia amount knowing full well the IRS would get their piece of my hide. Luckily I don't owe too much.

Pray.