DO YOU BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT?

Ghosts or spirits seem to be a common experience for some humans.

Just about everyone has a ghost story to tell.

I can truthfully say I don't ever remember seeing a ghost.

There have been some unexplained things happen in my life that scared me at the time.

I do think maybe there is another dimension that we have not tapped into yet and it might have something to do with dreams.

My dreams are very vivid and I am often visited in dreams by people that have passed on or are about to pass.

I have never heard a child's laughter, had a door to slam, or had things to move around in the house as attributed to a poltergeist.

One time years ago when I owned and ran a small grocery way out in the country, I went to bed one night and was awakened by this horrible, very high pitched, eerie sound coming from my kitchen. It would actually make the hair stand up on the back of your neck it was such a weird noise and I was alone in the house.

The crazy thing about this happening is that I had spent the entire afternoon listening to a bunch of older men that loafed around my big old wood stove tell ghost stories. I laughed from behind the counter in the store and told them how silly they were and that I did not believe in ghosts.

I have to admit some strange and crazy thoughts entered my mind that night as I listened trying to determine what was making that noise. Could it be that since I made fun of those guys a ghost decided to visit me and pay me back for not believing? Could there be someone in the house trying to scare me?

The sound seemed to be getting louder and was occurring about every 10 seconds. I knew I had to check it out or die of fright just listening to it. I got my trusty 38 pistol and Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson and I slowly opened the kitchen door from my bedroom to face off with the ghost of Judy's Market!

To my amazement, I did not see a thing. I stood there for a minute ready to shoot up the whole kitchen if anything moved... Then, I heard it again and it was coming from the freezer. Could a ghost be in the freezer of all places? I slowly opened the door and nothing jumped out at me.

I started taking food out and then I realized what was happening. The fan in back of the freezer was sticking for a few seconds each time it went around! What a relief! I have to admit I was scared to death but glad I found the culprit.

If I had not checked it out or if the noise had stopped before I found out what was causing it, I would have sworn there was a ghost in my house.

Do you believe in ghosts and spirits? Has something unexplained happened to you?

THERE CAME A BIG SPIDER, WHO SAT DOWN BESIDE HER!

Do you have a phobia? I think I have several. I am deathly afraid of spiders for one. If you want to see me act like a complete idiot just let me see one in the room or even worse one should get on me.

My twin daughters live on a farm and I spent the weekend with Anne a few weeks ago. On Sunday morning I got up early and ventured outside on the deck to take some pictures of the farm and the dogs and horses. I guess while I was out there I walked into a web with a spider about the size of a silver dollar in it. I came back inside and sat down in the recliner and happened to glance down toward my chest and it looked like I was wearing some kind of pin or brooch. It took a second for realization to reach my brain that it was a spider but when it did I went into a fit, running, screaming, hitting my chest, and generally acting like I was having some kind of seizure! Of course, I woke Anne up and scared her to death. She comes running down the hall in her underwear yelling at me to tell her what is wrong with me. By this time, both the dogs are scared and barking, too. The poor spider was nowhere to be found. It probably ran under the chair and died of a heart attack but we never found it. I would not sit in that chair for the rest of the weekend. That is Anne's favorite chair and it did not bother her at all to plop right down in it. The spider has never been seen again.

The definition of phobia is an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation. Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and my worst phobia. I also have Acrophobia, the fear of heights. I am not afraid to fly but I cannot get upon something that is high up and look over the side. Like being on the roof and looking down or on a high bridge.

I have a friend that is scared of birds and feathers. Some people are scared of snakes. Others are scared of horses, or lightening, or even clowns. There are hundreds and hundreds of phobias.

Phobias affect more than 10% of the U.S. population. When phobias interfere with your life, you should get help.

I know you have heard people say someone has a commitment phobia.

Here are some strange or unusual phobias:

Defecaloesiophobia- Fear of painful bowels movements.
Dishabiliophobia- Fear of undressing in front of someone.
Emetophobia- Fear of vomiting.
Entomophobia- Fear of insects.
Gerascophobia- Fear of growing old.
Papaphobia is the fear of the pope/roman catholic church
Geliphobia - fear of laughter
Nomatophoba - fear of names.
Xanthophobia - fear of the color yellow

I am going back to the farm this weekend to take care of the dogs and horses while the girls participate in a rodeo in Ohio. I know that spider has been waiting all this time for me to return and it will show itself! I think I will be o.k. as long as I see the thing before it sees me.

Do have a phobia or something you are scared of????

JUST ONE YEAR TO MEDICARE!

Today, I turned 64 years of age. I don't feel any older than I did 10 years ago for which I am very thankful.

I have been thinking all day about that Paul McCartney song, "When I'm 64". It says: "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?"

Age has never bothered me except when I went from 29 to 30. I sure did not want to leave my twenties for some reason.

Now, at 64, I am older and wiser and more comfortable with myself. I don't worry about what others think. I know what I like and don't like. I think I have mellowed and I am more accepting of life.

I have finally realized that I will not live forever and I need to do the things I enjoy now.

I have found that I can be silly with my grandson and make a fool of myself and people think it is just my age! If I don't answer right away it is my hearing. If I give a stupid answer or can't remember or talk about the weather too much that just comes with getting older. I get the senior discount at Kroger and they carry out my groceries. Most of the time, I get doors opened for me. I don't worry so much about eating that dessert as I once did. Once I started thinking about the good things I could go on and on.

I am so thankful that at my age I do not take any kind of medicine and as far as I know I am in good health.

I had a great birthday with cards and calls from friends and family here and on facebook and in the blog world.

In the words of the columnist, Ellen Goodman, "These are my good days and not-quite-yet old days".

How do you feel about your age?