was adding a few of my true life experiences anonymously.  I have been a wee bit shy about sharing them with anyone but close friends.  After all people can be very sceptical of the unknown.  My friends have convinced me that sharing my stories may help someone else.  I think this is a possibility and I'm always willing to help others if I can.

1975 I went to bed and later a dream woke me up.  I think that's why I remembered it so clearly the next day.  It wasn't really a bad dream it just felt creepy.  This is the dream.

I was in bed sleeping, the phone was ringing and I had to get up and answer it.  I left my bedroom and flipped the switch to turn on the upstairs hall light.  The light didn't turn on.  I knew the light was working the night before because it's the last light I turn out on my way to bed.  I flipped the switch again but no light.  I continued on and went down the stairs to the main floor, the phone continued to ring.  On the main floor I tried to turn on the light, that light was dead too!  What are the odds of that happening?  The phone was still ringing and I had to answer it in the dark.  End of dream.

The next day I kept thinking the dream seemed very real.  I wondered who was on the phone.  Although I picked up the phone in the dream, I woke up and never heard a voice.  The next evening before I went to bed you can be  sure I checked the lights to make sure they were working!

Around 2:00am I woke up because the phone was ringing.  I got up to answer it.  It worried me because of the dream the night before.  I went into the hall and flipped the light switch.  Guess what, it didn't work!  I couldn't believe it and tried the light again!  No light!  The phone was still ringing, I continued on  down the stairs to the main floor.  I tried to turn on the light there and, you guessed it, was dead too!  How creepy is that!  The phone continued to ring and I wondered if I should let it ring until the person on the other end gave up.  It kept ringing.  I answered it in the dark.  The person on the phone was whispering.  At first I was confused but then I asked who it was.  He started whispering all the dirty things he would like to do to me and my body.  I slammed the phone down as hard as I could and hoped it hurt his ear!  He didn't call back.

I was amazed the dream happened for real.  The only purpose the dream served that I could think of was to tell me not to be afraid and that I would get through it.

1999 I moved to a new ground floor apartment and was trying out a new painting technique called bagging.  You can use any kind of plastic bag, put your hands inside the bag, load it up with paint and smoosh it on the wall.  Sounds odd but it really does look quite nice when it's done.  Kind of a marble effect if the base colour and the one you're smooshing on the wall are only a few shades different.  I finished the livingroom and stopped for the day.  I planned to continue this technque into the hallway that connects the entrance, bedroom and bathroom doors.

I dreamt that I was in the hallway smooshing away.  I was working on the wall between the two bedroom entrances.  I reloaded the plastic bag with paint and squatted down to paint the lower part of the wall.  A few minutes later my dog started barking in the livingroom.  I thought someone had come to the patio door and was waiting for me let them in.  Nobody knocked.  Suddenly the dog started to bark frantically.  The way he sounded scared me!  That was the end of the dream.

The funny thing is I didn't remember this dream until later.  The next few days I kept putting off painting.  I knew something about doing it was bothering me but couldn't figure out what it was.  Finally I told myself to get over it and get the work done.  

I had painted the hall up to the wall between the two bedrooms.  I kept thinking something is going to happen soon.  But I didn't know what.  I stopped here and decided to take a break.  I went out to the livingroom and looked out the patio door.  I had a cup of tea and went back to painting.  I had smooshed the upper part of the wall, and was ready to do the lower half.  I re-loaded the pastic bag with paint and squatted down to continue.  Right then the dream came flooding back to me.  I knew exactly why I had been putting off painting.  I remembered the first dream I had years before and figured this must be the same idea.  Don't be too afraid and you will get through it.  I didn't get creeped out this time and felt sure someone would be at the patio door soon, but who?  I was worried it could be a problem because the first dream did have a person who was trouble, but at least he wasn't at my door.  I decided if it was a person who intended to cause harm, I would smear paint in their face and hair.  I didn't think they wouldn't expect this and hopefully would run away.  If I had to call the police a person smeared with paint would be easier to find.  No sooner had I thought "it's going to happen any second now" when the dog started to bark.  At first he was just barking.  Nobody knocked at the door, then his barking turned frantic.

As I stood up and looked at the bag, lots of paint still on it.  I walked slowly out to the livingroom and tried to stay calm.  The dog was facing the patio door yelping with fear.  I walked over to the door and could see a man standing back in the dark about five feet away.  I was very tense, but ready to paint him if I need to.  I waited for him to come forward so I could see him and what he was wearing etc. incase I would need a good description of him.  Eventually he stepped into the light.  Thank God!  It was someone I knew.  At first I was relieved, then I was angry.  He thought it was funny that the dog was so distressed.  I gave him hell and told him he was lucky I hadn't painted him!  My dog was fine and happy to have a visitor, dogs are so forgiving.  Little Benny definitely has a sweet nature.

Having this type of dream and watching it unfold in real life right before your eyes is disconcerting but definately surved a purpose to warn me and let me know I would be okay.