So...let's try this little imagery exercise. Symbolism will be posted in the sidebar when I'm done.

Imagine yourself floating in a small boat. You throw a line into the water. You pull something up. What is it? What color is it? What does it look like? How do you feel about it? What do you do with it?

I am floating down a large river in a canoe. Birchbark. The river is picking up a bit a speed as we go ~ we're getting near the ocean. I worry a bit that the water will get rough but it doesn't. Smooth and easy.

You can literally see where the river ends and the ocean begins. The river is a deep; rich, chromium green from all the cholorophyll where the ocean is a deep, royal blue. Once I'm out a ways, away from the strong current created by the river, I throw in a line.

I sit awhile ~ fishing is hardly a speed sport. Clouds float by on their way around the world. Finally, I feel the familiar tug on the line. I've got something!

I have to work a bit to bring the line up ~ whatever it is, it must be big! I wonder if my little canoe will hold whatever it is ~ can I tow it behind me?

I continue to work on bringing the line up. I can start to see a bit of color now ~ red. It doesn't look to be that large...still, the line keeps coming up. Finally, I get the thing where I can see it. It looks like a safe of some kind. No wonder it was so heavy!

I move the canoe over to the shore so that I can look at my find. It is one of those little 'personal and portable' safes. I wonder if I can get in without knowing the code...I turn the handle and it pops right open, spilling it's contents with the salt water trapped inside.

From inside the safe comes a heart. It is a large; ornate, cloisonne' thing ~ blues and greens dominate. It is almost oriental in appearance. It is clean and undamaged from it's journey. I am very happy with my find as I tuck it into a pocket and head back to the canoe.

Oh lord, this should be interesting....

In other news...

Attempt #4 to burn the house down has failed. It occurred as only it could in this household: I was starting some noodles for supper when I heard mention of Stephen King on tv. As I walked a few feet to see what was going on, a food box (o.k...it was for Boston Market Macaroni and Cheese) slid down behind the burner. As Stephen King was talking about his 'forthcoming book on Ben Franklin' (the key that Ben used to prove the existence of electricity was the key to Hell, don'tyaknow) on the Simpsons, the box caught fire. I turned around when I heard the pan boil over ~ only to see 2 foot high flames. The only thing I could think to do was to grab the box and head for the door, which of course, I didn't make. The box ended up in the floor, behind the cats' food bowl (also curtesy of Boston Market) with me beating it to death with whatever I could get my hands on. Poor Spook ended up looking slightly askew ~ her whiskers on the right side are singed and curly.

Fire - 0 Me - 4. Thanks, Stephen.