So many exciting developments!

One of our new Directors, Ashley, has provided us with fuel to quickly evolve D.r.e.e.m. Reality. This Saturday, June 5th, we will be hosting a booth at the Fresno Pride Parade in the Tower District. Here we will be selling Tshirts, Handmade Incense and Essential Oils for Donation.

We will also be handing out pamphlets containing information about D.r.e.e.m. Reality, How to build your own Compost, and hopefully about the Oil Spill and how we can move away from Oil Dependency in the future, for a more Sustainable Energy Option.

Also, we have finally published our website! www.DreemReality.org

Such amazing developments in such a short span of time. Very busy, but very exciting!

~Dani

Welcome to our new Director Conor!

Up until tonight, Melinda and I have been the only Directors for D.r.e.e.m. Reality. We've wanted to bring in a few more leaders with new perspectives and ideas. Presently we're asking for our other Directors to be partners in brainstorming, motivation, and keeping D.r.e.e.m. Reality on track. Beyond that, they are welcome to get involved however they feel pulled to!

Conor has been in our minds as a potential Director for a while now, and we are so happy to have him on board. We think he provides an excellent balance, with constant realistic and logical input. He is extremely intelligent and open minded, with a sensitive heart and ever-giving personality. Additionally, Conor was with us at the Rainbow Gathering in 2009, where we first flew the D.r.e.e.m. Reality banner. So it feels like he has been with us this whole ride.

At our first unofficial Directors' meeting this evening he has already suggested an excellent idea to incorporate sustainability into the urban atmosphere. Too often we think of having a green, sustainable, community based lifestyle as requiring a pioneer type migration to the "wild" to resettle the land and build from the ground up. However, as Conor pointed out - not everyone can or wants to move "back to the land". There is a large need to create sustainability within the urban communities that are already established and contain so much of the population.

This would be an excellent focus for D.r.e.e.m. Reality to take in time!

So, we would officially like to welcome our newest member of D.r.e.e.m. Reality - Conor!

~Dani

DreemReality Banner!

Phoenix and I decided to set up a DreemReality camp when we go to the Rainbow Gathering in Taos, New Mexico this year. We want to be able to get some word out there to people who are already on the path or creating their Dreems and perhaps share some ideas with people that still need some motivation.

So that means that we committed to purchasing a 3x5 foot banner with our logo on it, which we are going to hang up at our camp! We plan on putting together some pamphlets with some basic information for people about who we are and such. Also, we can use this banner later when DreemReality gets into gear and does little events.

Even though we aren't official yet, and also haven't been pushing our ideas to maturation yet...we still are alive. We have plans to get things going in the near future. Not sure when specifically, but I'm thinking that after our trip to Europe (for three months!) I will come back and start doing some serious creation with it.

Specifically I want to get together a research project that I have been Dreeming of for a long time. To study the different sustainable communities across the states in order to eventually provide an evaluation of the different techniques used in creating an effective community!

More on that project later though. I just want to report the fact that we got an official banner going! YAY!

~Dani

Elder Dreemers Project, Papa

We went to Phoenix' home town to visit with her Papa for the weekend. He has suffered a brain tumor and several strokes, making mobility difficult and this means he spends most of his time indoors. Papa is full of beautiful stories of the adventures he used to have when he was younger and more able, but now he considers it too much of a hassle to do outside of his routine most of the time. Of course this is no way to live out your life, especially at only 56 years old.

So we decided to challenge Papa and created a homework assignment that he and we did - to create a list of at least 3 Dreems that you have and want to accomplish. At dinner that night we shared our Dreems with each other, and immediately set up a plan to fulfill one of his: To take a day trip to Bass Lake, where he met Phoenix' grandmother.

Such a day trip seems simple enough for most people, but with his handicap it can be a very difficult thing to do for him. But we encouraged him and kept him motivated until we were ready to take off. He navigated the whole ride and then we all spent the day in the sun by the lake, with sandwiches and lemonade for lunch!



It's such a tragedy that elderly and handicap people feel trapped or limited in their ability to create their Dreems. Goals and desires don't stop with age, mental, or physical handicap. This is why it is my desire to have a department of Dreem Reality's focus be to the wellness and Dreem accomplishment of the elderly and handicap population.

This department would provide services such as:

• Wellness education/training
• Goal awareness and achievement
• Social connection and activities
• Assisted Independence Training (Bill refinement, document translation, financial training, etc)

Presently, I am looking getting him involved in the local senior center for social and physical activities. Perhaps Dreem Reality can provide services to help set up such things for elderly and/or people with handicaps.

~Dani

Dreem Reality Hiatus

It has come to our attention that right now we (the directors) aren't ready to organize this non-profit yet. We hope to keep it alive, like a glowing ember, ready for us to stoke it when we are prepared.

The project ideas are still flowing through excited brainstorms, but as far as creating something "official" - that's on hold for now.

Here's an idea that I'm really excited to pursue eventually as it pertains to the senior programs that was discussed at one of the last meetings: Stroke Victim Group Walks. Again starting "locally", Phoenix' grandfather has had several strokes and is working on improving his strength, flexibility, and independence. It occurred to me last week that a Stroke Group Walk would be motivational to the walkers, and therapeutic in physical, emotional, and social ways! Eventually, with success and growth of the program, we could have volunteer physical therapists chaperon the group and make suggestions for stretching and such. Perhaps even have other types of volunteers that could give them advice and techniques while walking.

That idea and others will continue to come and when we are ready to take on this project fully, WE WILL! Preparation is an essential part to creating your Dreem, and we are taking the time necessary to prepare fully to be successful.

Until next time...

~Dani

Early Start on the Trash Walk Project!

(First pieces of the First Weekly Dreem Reality Trash Walk!)

At the last Directors meeting we had, inspired by the Inauguration trash pickup, we decided that we were going to organize weekly trash walks. We got back in to Santa Cruz on Tuesday night and then did our first trash walk Thursday morning, the 29th!

Being back in the warm West Coast with the incredibly beautiful ocean and trees and people, it was easy to make the choice to move our trash walk up a week (originally planned to start the week of the 1st). Phoenix, our roommate Ashley, her dog Lindsay Lohan, and I made the first walk. The loop only totaled about a mile or so but we managed to fill one whole trash bag. a VAST difference from DC where you could stand in the same spot for 20 minutes and the wind would blow you enough trash to fill one and a half bags...as WELL as the trash bag to put it in.

We received a few "Thank You's" from people that were passing by as we dipped into the gutters, cleaned up bus stops, and pulled wrappers and ripped up scratch-off tickets from the grass and bushes. Definitely a rewarding feeling when you look around and see that it truly does make a significant difference.

In beach towns like Santa Cruz it feels especially important to do trash walks. Most of the street drains lead right to the Ocean which is constantly moving with sea life. I'm definitely proud of us! We hope to perhaps gather more people to join in the trash walks as time goes on, and perhaps even to reach people in other areas to start there own. Maybe on our website (which is still in construction) we can have a page dedicated to stories of different trash walks across the States. That would be beautiful!

~Dani

2009 Inauguration and Trash Pick Up

Being a non-profit (well, soon to be) Dreem Reality isn't allowed to take any political stances and we wont. But I still would like to talk about the Inauguration and a new project it inspired us to take on.

We spent a whole 24 hours or more in chilly DC, exploring the East Coast culture and really getting to know at least a few streets of the city. It was honestly incredible to see how people of all ages and races were so loving and friendly to each other. I'd have to say that at least for the attendees and work force of DC on Jan 19th and 20th people were more friendly than I have experienced in a lot of California. Especially beautiful was how people of different races interacted as though they were one-in-the-same (which of course...they are!). This may have been primarily due to the fact that there is now an African American President and most people in DC were there to celebrate this! It was truly beautiful.

The energy and community within the thousands and thousands that stood in the DC mall as Obama was sworn in was brilliant. It was wonderful to be a part of. However, I honestly became ashamed of my "fellow Americans" as they quickly stampeded out of the mall when the speeches were done. There was trash EVERYWHERE!

As people cleared out, the wind would pick up and a storm of trash swirled all around the mall. Handwarmers and their wrappers were strewn about every few inches. Newspapers with the newly elected President, the touter of "Change" that all these people had voted for, were fluttering through the sky like flocks of birds. It was very saddening.

So, Dreem Reality took action. I handed a bag to Phoenix and we started picking up every piece of trash we could get our hands on. Our knees got dirty as we crawled around chasing bits of paper flying in the wind and pulling newspapers out from people's feet. One woman bent down and grabbed my face, kissing me on the cheek and thanking me. Others barely moved when they saw me at their feet. Some thought we were park staff and asked us for directions to the metro and Smithsonian. Others made rude comments about not having gloves, or shot back remarks when we asked for help.

Still others, though, came to us with hands full of garbage to put in the bags - thanking us as we thanked them back. A few park staff told us that we were the heroes of the new Presidency, and that this is exactly how change would happen. And eventually we had built a small task force of Dreemers that worked side by side with us, filling one huge garbage back after another. There were three or four in particular that stuck with us - two of which we got their names: Scott and Kathy. Another Dreemer in an Orange shirt and hat even began recycling some of the items, but unfortunately we didn't get his name - thanks goes out to the Universe for him.

It's EXACTLY this type of change we want to make. Through our actions as Dreemers we will inspire others. Sure not everyone, and even some people will actively struggle against change and betterment....but there will be those few people that actually make that difference. And they will in turn go out and inspire MORE people. This is how I feel the world can be changed, in small but significant actions.

Therefore, we have decided that Dreem Reality will take on a new facet of projects revolving around community service through environmental awareness and volunteering. Because in order for our Dreems to come true we need to have a better world for them to exist in, and through volunteering and environmental awareness we can begin to see that change.

Starting the week of February 1st, 2009 we will begin a weekly litter removal walk. It's our hopes that we will be able to get more people to join in our weekly walk, as we inspire through example. Perhaps through a consistent effort and sharing our experience we can spread the walk to other counties, cities, and states!

~Dani

Current Projects

Now that the introduction is out of the way, I want to jabber on a bit about what projects are presently in the works for Dreem Reality.


I. CREATION

Firstly, we have to make this thing official. As of today (December 23rd, 2008) we are not yet a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We've got the Nolo book on how TO do it, and we've even gotten the Articles of Incorporation written. It's just a matter of putting the rest of the pieces of the puzzle in place and then sending the forms out to the appropriate offices. Also, we're wanting to wait until the new year and ultimately new TAX year. I don't want to have to file some silly taxes based on two weeks of operation in 2008...nooooo thank you!

Also part of the creation of Dreem Reality is THIS! The blog. Oh, and on December 17th we purchased the domain name for our in-the-works website: www.DreemReality.org (presently it wont show you anything, but hopefully by the time someone actually stumbles across this blog it will have some goodies on it!). I'll keep an update on it's progress as well.


II. Ariel Coatney

Ariel is an incredible musician that just so happens to be our 17 year old roommate. I'd have to say we are her most dedicated fan club and border on obsession over her angelic voice and acoustical skills (she is recording her newest song in her room now as I type). Recently she had an opening gig with a local band at 99 Bottles, a pleasant bar in Downtown Santa Cruz. Dreem Reality jumped into action to help create a Ariel-style marketing technique. We brainstormed and finally came up with the idea to create business-card-lighters. Then we created labels with her contact information and pretty picture to stick to lighters. I'm happy to say that we were able to hand out every single lighter at her gig on December 18th, 2008 - hopefully in the least her myspace and youtube accounts will get many more hits! It's a start at least! (Never be afraid to start small, that's where everything has to begin.)

If you'd like to check out Ariel, PLEASE do! I'm sure you'll be impressed:

Myspace: www.myspace.com/arielcoatneymusic
Youtube: ArielCoatney
Email: ArielCoatney@yahoo.com


III. Job Satisfaction Survey

When not writing blog after blog about Dreem Reality, I work at a beautiful, privately owned restaurant in Santa Cruz, California. As I had mentioned in the Introduction blog, my formal educational interests have to do with Job Satisfaction and Motivation. I have a strong belief that if we choose to work for a living that it is of extreme importance that we are happy with the work we do. After all, we usually are spending a large portion of our waking hours there and one could argue that our sense of self as well as our health and well being is directly influenced by the work we do. All important concepts to Dreem Reality.

So, I've decided to conduct a job satisfaction survey here. I just had the project approved by the owner last week and have set to work mass-printing the surveys. I had done this project once before at my previous place of work and the results were extremely intriguing and educational. I hope to improve upon my last attempt and perhaps have a real impact on the work environment.

One way I hope to do this is by having a Spanish version of the survey. A large portion of the employees there are primarily Spanish speaking, and every one of their opinions is extremely important. I am presently looking for someone to volunteer an hour or so of their time to translate this survey. If you or someone you know would be willing to do this, email us at DreemReality@gmail.com. (I'll even give you props on our project page, once we get that going!)

I'll keep you updated with how the project is going. I plan to launch the first batch of surveys tonight when I go in to work!

Those are the major projects for now, and we haven't even officially started yet! I'd say we were taking donations to help with things like buying the business-card-lighters and paper/ink for the surveys...but I don't think we can legally accept donations yet. So, just save those dollars up for the new year. It's our hope to have a paypal account up and running to accept those tax-exempt donations soon.

~Dani