This week, Managing Editor Carrie Kreisler’s top five ways in which dreams are bizarre. Next week, look for Executive Editor Ron Petak’s top five reasons bowling is better than golf.

5) Lack of memory
I wish I could remember more of my dreams. They can be quite fascinating – usually unrealistic, but interesting, nonetheless. It certainly helps to write down a dream when you wake up in the middle of one, but I’ve only taken the time to do so a handful of times. Because of a few dreams I’ve had lately, and because I’d like to remember them more and possibly learn if they could mean something, I’m going to try to write down my dreams more regularly. If I don’t, they’ll be gone in a flash.

4) The vividness
I rarely remember my dreams, but if I wake up right in the middle of a dream, sometimes it is so vivid I have to stop and take a minute to realize it is, in fact, only a dream. I have to check the clock and get my bearings because the location of the dream seemed so real. Also, even if my memory of the dream in general vanishes quickly, sometimes just one image will stay clear in my mind for days.

3) The unlikelihood
One of the strange, but kind of neat, things about dreams is they probably would never happen. When people say “dreams do come true,” they are referring to their goals, their desires, their hopes. My dreams, as in the thoughts and images that occur during sleep, never come true. This is mostly the case, not so much because of the actions taking place, but because of the people who would never appear together in real life (see No. 1).

2) The timing
Usually if I have a good night’s sleep, I don’t remember my dreams. However, if, as is the case lately, I don’t sleep well and wake up in the middle of the night, I will finally fall back to sleep – a light sleep – and then remember a dream I’d just had.

1) The people
Any time I remember a dream, I am astounded by who has shown up in that dream. A lot of times it is because I have just encountered that person or thought about someone whom I hadn’t thought about in a long time. Usually there is someone from my past in the same dream as people currently in my life. It is very unrealistic that these people would ever be interacting, but they sure are in my dreams.

Stick it to ’em
First let me say how much I enjoy Ron Petak’s stick figure drawings.  He is a person after my own heart. Say what you will about their simplicity, at least when you look at them, you know what you are seeing.
I also enjoyed Jason Glenn’s article on his adventure with the K9 unit.  I always read his column and especially like the articles about his son, but the K9 article won the prize. I think he was very brave to undertake such a thing, but also found much humor in the recounting of his time in the bite suit. Surely, this will be something he can share with his grandchildren.
Keep up the good work!

Lynn M. Richardson

A volunteer by any other name
Bellevue gained recognition from the American Rose Society as Bellevue American Rose City on May 24. Shortly after that, a good portion of the showcase became submerged.
As of July 9, a row of roses at the Bellevue Marina still remains submerged. The 126 roses at the Marina look like a moonscape. All are dead minus a crazily blooming pink Polar Joy and about four other plants that are still blooming.
Plans for replacements have already begun. Omaha Tree is giving the City of Bellevue mulch. Easy Elegance and Papio Valley Nursery have been inquiring about replacement roses. Douglas/Sarpy County horticulturist Kathleen Cue is designing a berm for the trellis.
The flooding did not appreciably damage the roses at the trellis, and 264 roses in the high ground are still blooming and are ready to have donated plants from Bellevue ShopKo planted in the demonstration areas.
The Douglas/Sarpy County Master Gardeners have special permission to pass the police tape. Haworth Park is closed until further notice.
If you are not an extreme gardener, and if you don’t belong to a group who understands the problems of this rather hazardous cleanup, you should not volunteer. All volunteer work needs to be cleared with the Parks Department. Despite this cautionary word, Offutt’s Fightin’ 55th has already said they are willing to work on this disaster.
Four years of work may be washed away, but you have offered help before being asked. Please contact Mike Eckley at 291-9651 if you are interested in making a monetary donation to the cleanup. Or make a donation through Omaha Rose Society by going to www.omaharose
society.com.
Rose society members will be available to discuss the situation at this Friday’s Green Speak: Chautauqua event.

Anita Eckley

Thank you, Bellevue
On June 30, a team of University of Nebraska Medical Center senior leaders visited Bellevue as part of a two-day, six-community visit to east and southeast Nebraska. The trip included other stops in La Vista, Lincoln, Beatrice, Nebraska City and South Omaha. During the two days, our team spoke at events hosted by local organizations.
We would like to thank the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce for hosting us during their State of the Chamber quarterly luncheon and Hillcrest Homecare for sponsoring the luncheon. Thanks to Megan Lucas, chamber president and CEO, for her hospitality. We are impressed with the vision and vitality of the chamber.
Thanks also to Marty Carmody, CEO of Bellevue Medical Center, for providing a tour of the magnificent new medical center. Bellevue is fortunate to have such an impressive facility that fulfills the health care needs of the community.
The visit gave us an opportunity to meet with community leaders to share exciting new initiatives and provide an update about UNMC’s progress toward its goal of becoming a world-class academic health sciences center. It also gave people a chance to ask questions and share ideas on how UNMC can better serve the needs of the community.
UNMC has seen tremendous success in education, research and patient care. About 85 percent of our students come from Nebraska. We are grateful for what the community does for our students and residents while they are learning in your community.
We are committed to making sure the world-class resources we have here are available no matter where in Nebraska one lives. Everything we do is done on behalf of Nebraska.
Thank you for your support.

Harold M. Maurer, M.D.
University of Nebraska
Medical Center chancellor