"To sleep, perchance to dream....."

When I was little, my mother would tell me about things from when she was a child. One of the stories was that she always slept with her feet under the covers so that the devil could/would not pinch her toes. Seems some horribly cruel aunt told her about that superstition . And here, some 70 odd years later, she still has to cover her feet at night.

I know, I know. What makes this worse is that I don't even believe in the devil, per se. Yet, I still absolutely have to have my feet covered. Socks don't cut it either. It must be a sheet or other type of cover and it must be pulled over my feet to my ankles at least. I too am ruined for life.

(And now that I think of it.... this might be the reason that when I watch really scary movies, I don't want to be in the dark as I have to be able to see my feet and more than that I want/need someone to hold my feet. My god, what have they done to me?)

But note, this old wives tale has not been passed on to my child. Yet. I'm saving it for later. No really, I'm not. Kids have to fight so many other demons, real and imaginary, I just could not add one more to the bunch. Especially not one that could stick with her until her dotage.

So anyway, yesterday we went to visit my aunt and she and my mother began to reminisce about when they were young. And my aunt began to talk about why she has to sleep with her feet covered. I had to stop her mid-sentence.

"Please," I begged. "Please don't say it. Apparently we all have to have our feet covered at night. Please don't let ~K~ hear and be ruined for life too."

At least we spared her of that.