Dream 239

'A New Hairstyle for the Midnight Garden Party'

I was in my nan's house in Sheringham. I had different hair - EB had cut my butt-length hair off into a very short bob, which was shaved down to a number 1 at the back of the neck and underneath. EB was not present - I just knew he was responsible and I felt very angry. I decided the best thing to do was to dye my hair blonde. When removing the dye from my hair to check the result I was anxious (as I have dyed by almost-black hair blonde before and it goes bright orange, needing several applications of the strongest peroxide to lift it to blonde). Someone said: "it's tangerine-coloured" (before bed I had watched a TV show which made several references to nectarines and tangerines). In fact, my hair was a beautiful platinum blonde, with neon pink tips. I kept touching it, worried that it looked strange because of the shaved bits. I asked my mum if my hair looked less thick, to which she said: "it's fine!" (meaning it's 'OK' as opposed to being 'fine-textured' I assumed). I thought that maybe I could dye it cherry red if I got bored of it like this.

I was then in a brightly-lit square room, with a small square table in the centre and some chairs or seating around it. I was looking after a small child or dog - it is unclear which. All I recall is that my charge was at floor level and kept trying to crawl/run around the room and I was getting frustrated trying to control it. 

The scene changed and I was with the child/dog, walking down a garden path at night. There was a huge lawn, with long, very low tables (almost at ground level) filled with dishes of food adjacent to the pathway. The garden was illuminated by fairy lights. There were many people, all guests at the party. I kept touching my hair and pulling at strands so I could see the new colour. I kept rubbing the back of my neck where it was shaved. The child/dog scurried away and I wondered if I should chase it and keep it safe from the crowds. I saw a boiled new potato covered in green herbs which had fallen from one of the dishes on the table and was laying on the grass. I picked it up and ate it. I spotted EB standing on the grass a short distance away and ignored him, because I was not happy that he had cut my hair so short.

I was then with my mum and an older, unfamiliar lady, who was tall and thin with grey hair piled on top of her head. Before bed I had had a conversation about a 'celebrity chef' who was a mature lady with long grey/blonde hair in a similar style, whom I had watched on television. There had been a real-life discussion about how well-maintained long hair can counteract an ageing appearance in older women. I think this inspired the dream symbolism here. The mature lady was the host of the party, and a friend of my mum. She asked us if we had eaten, and I told her about the potato. She said: "that was there for sixth months!" I do not remember anything else about this dream.

The 'mature lady' host of the midnight garden party