Comments on: Last night I dreamt of Lake Forest

By: Tabitha

Tabitha — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 17:49:26 +0000

I’ve already got the New Year wobbles so I read it and couldn’t agree more.

By: lisahgolden

lisahgolden — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 04:01:59 +0000

Home is definitely a slippery concept. I still don’t feel at home here in Georgia after nearly 8 years. I still feel like a guest, a temp, a visitor.

I am so glad to see your shift in thinking. While I don’t think you’ll ever let go entirely of Lake Bluff, I also don’t think it’s necessary to do so. Life is unpredictable. You just never know where it will take you.

P.S. The working title of my 2nd novel is Libertyville.

By: The Preppy Princess

The Preppy Princess — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:31:59 +0000

Ah Belle, I hear the ache of longing, your writing makes it tangible. At least the worst of the dreams are way behind you, and you also recognize the improbability (impossibility?) of making Hinsdale work.

I hope Miss Lily and the He-weasel are both all better by the time you see this.

Smiles and a hug,
tp

By: linda

linda — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:49 +0000

it also just occurred, an obvious thing but….don’t you think the holidays make things so much worse for us that have, shall we say, difficult pasts? i know i can’t wait to say bye-bye to it all. xo and thinking of you.

By: linda

linda — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:59:00 +0000

i’m on 1000 acres if you ever feel the need to roam, my dear…this is a very good sign i think…and all so very difficult to have endured, since i have not read you over this long a period of time…what grief you have suffered! i am so glad you are feeling in a better place even if not in the ‘perfect’ home yet….it will come, i feel sure of it. xxo

By: neighbor

neighbor — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:23:34 +0000

Belette,

sometimes I dream of an imaginary place that feels like home. Like you, the real home place seems far away. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to mine…and so I keep trying to make do.

Regardless, may your currently-home-place be homey and full of love and cheer this holiday season.

Best wishes, Weasel-family!

By: Dorothea

Dorothea — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:03:23 +0000

Too sick myself to say much (are germs contagious via blog? Do I have what he-Weasel had? If so, I’m very sorry for him.), but this is such a profound advance for you. I am really, really proud of you. You have taken a big step out of the land of magical thinking (feeling cursed is magical thinking — magical doesn’t mean good). You are making your way in the world as it is and remembering your agency and ability to make choices, and most important to recover if they aren’t perfect. This is gigantic. Yea you.

By: Lydia

Lydia — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:07:40 +0000

Yes, indeed, what a huge shift it is for you to consider the LA condo idea. You’ve come a long way, Baby!
A four-hour crying jag…I cannot fathom it. That beats any of mine by hours!
Now. If you had dreamed of Libertyville, which you do not know well, and then had found a job in Libertyville instead of Hinsdale…then I’d think you were onto something! At the very least, Libertyville deserves a spot in your heart for providing you with a good dream to interpret. What did Hinsdale ever give you – huh-huh?

I do hope that He-Weasel and Lily are feeling much better and that you stay healthy!

By: Julie Perez

Julie Perez — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:37:38 +0000

My friend……I used to dream of Lake Bluff too. I did not want to leave either! I lived there in the 70′s. The day we left I really cried. I have such fond memories of that place the Gazebo, Tangley Oaks, and Mr. White’s Candy Store(such simplistic surroundings) Being near the lake was such a unique experience & peaceful place. Lake Forest was special (Hot dogs at the Left Bank). I used to love the ravines there, family block parties, the marble factory, Lake Forest town square. The people there were the nicest I’ve ever encountered. My parents enjoyed our time there. I can see why you long for small town life. We enjoyed taking the train downtown Chicago at Christmas. Will never forget the Marshall Field’s Christmas window displays. Living in a city outside of Washington, DC has been an adjustmnent. I experienced such salt of the earth people in LB and teachers I will never forget. Great friendships. You are helping me and my sister to rediscover a unique community and time in our life. An experience we hope to explore again someday soon, especially July 4th. We have such beautiful memories of LB. Ice Skating at the park. The best parades in my memory. Such a happy time. The search continues to find a place like it.

xoxo

By: reflections.latte

reflections.latte — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:16:48 +0000

Thank you for this post. You so beautifully articulated that yearning. It triggered something in me very profound. I, too, have a desire for home. It feels primal to me. I don’t have it now but I want it with every fiber of my being. I want to satisfy my heart. I want to know what it’s like to go away and then come back to the place that I know is exactly where I belong. Just like George Bailey and Dorothy. Thank you for always getting me thinking AND feeling. Hope He-Weasel and Lily are feeling better and that you are healthy and well.