and of course be a photo journalist that went to Scotland, and Swaziland and be published in National Geographic.

Landscaping/Gardener would be something I would totally enjoy – if someone else did the heavy lifting stuff!

Counselor because I find myself doing this a lot, but would love to have had professional training for it.

Since I helped my mom rehab after several surgeries I could totally see myself being a physical therapist and helping people in this way.

Owning and running a book store like “Shop Around The Corner” in You’ve Got Mail. Especially wearing the pointed hat and reading childrens’ books aloud to precious children and their parents!

Working as a designer in a flower shop!

This is unrelated to your post, but I thought of you when I saw this and wondered if you knew about it. NPR is having a three-minute fiction contest–fiction that can be read aloud in three minutes or less. We’re going to be in Wyoming all next week, but I’m still going to try to write something if I can find the time (the deadline is July 18). I thought you might be interested.

Me, well, I think that having the opportunity to stay home with my OWN two children, while working from there, and volunteering at my synagogue sounds dreamy. But, like you said, it has it’s own stresses.

Think I’ll just tend to my own yard. Great, thought-provoking post.

The problem with dream jobs is the whole “How do you really know until you’re there?” question. That and, “Will I start hating my hobby if I have to do it? All that said, here are a few of mine:

1. Write novels and music during the icky parts of the year (weather-wise). Tour as a professional musician during the nicer bits. This would satisfy my inner creative cat and my inner nomad.

2. Be an editor for a fiction publishing house. Sometimes I think I just don’t have what it takes to write really original fiction, but I’m a dang good editor.

3. Run a bed and breakfast with Amy.

4. Run a restaurant where everyone comes and sits at one table like a big dinner party. Instead of ordering off a menu, I would browse the markets (assuming I lived somewhere where they had all sorts of markets) and fix whatever was fresh and wonderful for everyone, sharing common dishes instead of “plating” the food.

5. Be a psychologist, counselor, or some such therapist helping people work through their issues one-on-one (God knows I have and probably will need enough help of my own!).

6. And, yeah, coffeeshop/bookstore/live music venue owner has occurred to me.

7. Just for fun–I’d like to enter a study where I get paid to let scientists observe the effect on my psyche of reading fiction, playing music, and cooking supper all day. :-)

8. Maybe when all the kids are grown, Amy and I will join the Peace Corps.

9. Teaching English as a second language in another country–maybe Japan, China, or India.

10. Run a small farm, growing our own food, making our own cheese, etc.

I’m afraid I’m setting a dangerous precedent here–I’m obsessive/compulsive enough to fell like I’m going to have to write lists of ten in response to all your posts now.

Journalism. Flying out to meet interesting people and staying home to write their stories while I live my own with my kids.

Landscaping.

Politics. I think I could rock out that job.

And, I’d join you both with the coffee shop endeavor. Where should we do it?!

But also, as far as paid positions go… I’ve always wanted to be one of those photographers in Walmart who take pictures of whoever happens to walk in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken my children (and now grandchildren) into places like that and secretly wanted to grab the camera away from them and say, “Here, let me try!!!” It sounds so fun, coming up with the unique poses!! (So while the rest of you are travelling all over, experiencing the world…I’ll be at Walmart!)