Night

My little town takes the holiday season to the extreme. You can't walk three feet down the street without getting tangled up in Christmas lights, or running into a plywood elf. In the daytime it's cheerful if not slightly kitschy, like one of those lifetime movies with the tambourine music in the background, but at night-

At night it's pretty beautiful. The sidewalks roll up and there's no one on the road, and you can drive down the street at 5mph and no one will bother you. The gazebos glitter like carousels with garlands and lights and bows, and the storefront displays come alive. Everything glows warm and yellow through the still, crisp air. The live oaks are all wrapped in lights, set afire in hues of off-white. The town Christmas tree is coated in baubles and shimmering rainbows, reflected in tinsel.

Whole buildings are drenched with swathes of gleaming color. The quaint architecture takes on the quality of life size gingerbread houses, or a miniature display.

It's not like other places, because it hardly ever rains here, and the dry roads are an inky black against the illuminated trees and buildings. The contrast is striking. The stars shine brightly in a dark sky, and breath puffs out in a steamy wisp.

From a distant hill, the whole town flickers like the flame of a candle, beautiful in it's quiet serenity.

Occasionally I enjoy living here.

Snow and Stars

I don't know what other people are writing about today, but I'd like to write about something happy. Some of you might know that I hail from California, where it is normally warm and sunny 95% of the time, but these last few days it has been COLD.

I've been whining and complaining about it all over twitter ( @tabbyqt ) but today it started to snow. Yeah, you heard me right. It's snowing in California. It hasn't snowed here since I was a little kid. Granted, it's not falling at my house yet, just on the tops of the hills, but still. It's not just in the mountains anymore, and that's a big deal. That means it's freezing. I'm pretty psyched.

Magically, last night was perfectly clear, and the below freezing temps made it a beautiful night to watch the Geminid meteor shower for anyone who was interested. I caught two blazing gold trails while walking to my car but couldn't bear to stand outside and look for more. People got some really great photos of the shower and there were lots of multiple trails in the sky. I love the winter sky because it's so beautiful and clean and high-def compared to the warm, hazy, summer nights.

Don't forget to look up.

Steam

This is playing in my head on repeat. I can only imagine what dreams it will bring.





Update: Dreams get so slutty sometimes. It's not exactly rare for me to have sexy dreams, but it's not common. So, last night I knew, I could just feel it before I slipped off that my state of mind was in that place. You know the place I'm talking about - the place where you ache to touch and be touched, to breathe against skin and feel wrapped in heat.

So the dream came as no surprise, but the setting shocked the hell out of me. Remember in Day 2 when I mentioned I've been having marrying/being married dreams? This was one of those. It feels strangely private even though I don't really know this girl and it didn't even happen in real life.

We were in our apartment, it was definitely our apartment, it felt warm, comfortable, lived in, and she was getting ready to leave. She looked wonderful, jeans and boots, and I felt uncomfortable next to her in my too glam for me dress.

"Hey," I stopped her from leaving with a hand on her arm. God, she was warm, so warm, and my legs were freezing. I wanted to curl into her. "It's your bachlorette party and I want you to have fun and everything," I smiled, stroking the soft skin below her neck, "but if you sleep with someone else the night before our wedding I will kick your ass, got it?"

She grinned and leaned in for a kiss. I let her take me, desperate, fearful, joyous, triumphant, wanting. "You got it," she promised, and reached for the door. I pushed her back and she let me, surprised. I took her mouth and felt her moan rumble through my chest. I reached for her hand and led her fingers up my bare leg to my waist and she pushed harder against me. I popped open the button on her jeans and she pulled away, breathless, "What are you doing?"

I knew we both had to leave, but I couldn't stop now. I slipped to the floor and touched my lips to the skin of her hip, took a few breaths to make sure either of us could stop this if we wanted to - if we were really worried about time or other people. I could feel her shake against me as the warm air passed over her flesh. "Reminding you just what you're coming home to," my lips curved against her skin, and when our eyes met it was electric.

Day 5 Redux Dreams

30 Day Letter Challenge

Day 5 — Your dreams

Instead of a letter, I decided to share. This was last night's dream:

I was wandering through a small alleyway near one of the places where I work, when I stumbled upon a candle shop. There was a woman inside, a customer, dipping a wick into white and blue wax, creating a candle. I browsed the store and found a beautiful candle in a wavy design, dipped in layers to create a rainbow pattern. The tag read $30.00, much less than some of the other, duller candles. My heart started beating faster in my chest and I felt warm and radiant. I wanted to make one.

I strode toward the front counter to find the shop keeper, but there was only the woman making the blue and white candle. Suddenly, a woman with glittering, dark eyes appeared from behind a thick curtain I hadn't noticed before.

"Hello, dear. Let me guess, you want to make the rainbow candle?" I was astonished she could read me so quickly, but she brushed it off with a gleam in her eyes. "I'm a psychic as well as a candlemaker. Each candle calls to a person for a specific purpose." She was interrupted by a good looking girl with short blonde hair coming in the door. In the dream I could tell she was gay, and she radiated sadness.

"Take a seat at the table, please, each of you. In the seat to the left, you may tell the negative aspects of your story, and in the seat to the right, you may tell the positive." The other girl began to speak, but the psychic interrupted her. "Positive first, please."

Words started to pour out. I was hyped up on all the sugar in the world. I couldn't stop beaming. My heart was expanding so far and so fast that my chest couldn't possibly contain it. "I want a rainbow candle because of this girl. Last time she didn't notice me and that was alright-"

"Was it?" she questioned. I wasn't sure. I felt so wonderful. Plus, wasn't this the positive chair?

"No, I guess I was heartbroken, but I learned from it," I quickly moved on, feeling happy and sparkling again, "but if there's only ever going to be a few people in my life who make me feel this way, I want to experience it. Even if it's only for a moment, like a comet." I couldn't hold still. My veins were filled with champagne and I was bubbling, effervescent. My breathing was harsh and I could feel my face was red with exultation. "I want it to streak across my life with such bright glory that it will sear into my memory and the beauty and love and excitement of this moment will never leave me!"

The psychic beamed. "I'll help you make it for free," she told me, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

I woke up. It was so disorienting, breathing so harshly in the dream, and then waking up to a body that was taking a slow, calming inhale. It felt weird, and wrong, almost as if I were waking up to the wrong body altogether.

I'm not sure exactly what this dream means. I never saw myself switch to the negative seat, and I never heard the other girl's story, but even as I wrote this, my heart beat fiercely against my breast and my face flushed. The joy I felt in the dream lingers on. It's a gorgeous feeling. I wish I could share it with you.

Christmas/Magic

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We truly had a Christmas Miracle today as we transformed the lower level of the house from messy and awful to cheerful and holiday themed in under an hour for everyone's arrival! This includes Christmas napkins, plates, cups, flowers, a tree, hanging decorations, Christmas lights everywhere, a Christmas tree, tree skirt, wrapped presents, rugs, tablecloths, signs, ornaments, angels, snowmen and santas. I was very proud of my mother and I.

A gingerbread castle magically appeared with my name on it in the living room, which was my main present for the holiday. It was very exciting! We had great food, lots of laughter, and beautiful moments with the kids. All in all, a great way to spend the holiday with family.

I will leave you with that glowing post and wait until tomorrow for all the icky revelation stuff :P

Merry Christmakwanzakka and/or Happy Holidays! Hope everyone had a great day!