OPEN IN PRIVATE—A Conversation With Carli and Parker

The Christmas holiday is rapidly approaching and by an incredible coincidence I just happen to have a Christmas romance ebook available. OPEN IN PRIVATE by Samantha Gentry is a sensual Christmas romance published by The Wild Rose Press.

I was fortunate to be able to snag a few minutes with Charlene Vance and Parker Simmons who agreed to sit down with me and share a little bit about their Christmas romance story.

Thank you Parker and Charlene for taking time from your busy schedules. Especially you, Charlene. As a professional personal shopper, this is definitely your most hectic time of year.

Carli:  Thank you for inviting us, Samantha. And please…call me Carli.

Parker:  (grins at Carli)  She's so well organized that even with this being her busy season she's able to make time in her schedule. As for me, I'm happy to tackle any questions you want to throw my way.

Carli:  You're right about this being my busy time. In addition to individuals, I have many corporate clients whose shopping lists include employees and business associates in addition to family and friends.

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Parker one of those corporate clients?

Parker:  I still am. In fact, that's how we met. Carli had been doing all my shopping, both personal and business, for five years. It had become a very comfortable and efficient working relationship. We had also become friends during that time. Then one day, everything changed.

That sounds ominous. What happened?

Carli:  We had our Christmas shopping meeting just like every year—prior to Thanksgiving. I gave him a list of everyone I purchased a gift for on his behalf the previous Christmas, what I bought and how much it cost. The process was always the same. He would go over the list, add and delete names, and approve a price range for each individual. Only this time it was different…very different. This year he hit me with a real shock that changed everything.

That's a very dramatic statement.

Parker:  (laughs)  It wasn't really all that dramatic. I told Carli I had gotten divorced several months earlier, the previous April to be exact, and my ex-wife, all her family, and all her friends were off the list.

Carli:  I have to admit…once I got over the shock, I was elated. (shoots a sly sideways glance at Parker)  I had secretly lusted after this man the entire five years we had worked together, but he was married which made him off limits. Besides, he had never done or said anything improper that would indicate his marriage was in trouble or that he had any interest in me beyond our professional relationship. Then suddenly he was available, but second thoughts reminded me he was a client. I had always believed that it wasn't wise to mix business with personal, to possibly jeopardize an excellent working relationship for what could end up being nothing more than a short-lived fling—a momentary mistake.

Parker:  My marriage had actually fallen apart a year earlier, before the previous Christmas. Then last Spring I finally took that big step of getting a divorce. I had trouble coming to terms with what I had originally perceived as my failure. And during that year my thoughts had often gravitated to Carli, thoughts far removed from anything connected to business. So, I turned our Christmas shopping meeting into lunch…

Carli:  Which resumed that evening as dinner…

Parker:  Which unexpectedly exploded into one hell of a night!  But the cool clear light of dawn also brought its share of doubts and concerns. The thought of jumping into a relationship, of once again becoming emotionally involved, frightened me big time. Commitment to another relationship was definitely not on my agenda. Been there…done that…was very leery about trying it again regardless of how much I was attracted to her.

Carli:  Everything happened so quickly. I didn't know which way to turn or what to do. I was so confused about what was happening between us. Could I be content with the no-strings-attached situation Parker seemed to prefer?  I had been divorced for seven years and 'never again' for a serious commitment had been the constant in my life. But with the passage of time and the prospect of developing something real with Parker, the concept of 'never again' began to rapidly slip from a priority position to no longer occupying an important place in my life.

It sounds as if the two of you definitely had some problems to work out starting with some honest communication.

Carli:  Smooth sailing it was NOT. For a while, I thought it was over as soon as it began. My pragmatic side also feared that I might have lost my best client.

Parker:  And I have to admit that I didn't help matters. Everything seemed to be moving too quickly and I didn't know how to handle it.

I'm sure there are many couples who have had to deal with these same issues. Could you share with us how you handled it?

Carli:  We certainly could, but…

Parker:  We won't.

What?  You're going to leave us hanging?  Or worse yet, let us think that everything suddenly and miraculously turned out okay?

Parker:  Nothing is that easy. You don't wake up and discover that there are no longer any problems.

Exactly. So…what happened?

Carli:  (smiles)  I'd love to tell you, but…

Parker:  (nods his head in agreement)  You'll need to read the book.

That's all you're going to tell me?

Parker:  (makes an exaggerated show of looking at his watch)  Oh no!  I think we're out of time. (laughs)

Well, I guess there's nothing left to say except thank you, Parker and Carli, for being with us.

BLURB:

As a personal shopper, Charlene Vance values her professional association with long time client Parker Simmons. But at the meeting to discuss the list for this year's Christmas purchases, she learns that Parker is divorced and the ex-wife is off his list. When lunch leads to dessert between the sheets, Charlene is eager to move their relationship beyond good business and incredible sex.

Parker Simmons doesn't want anything more permanent than what's on the menu for today. But Charlene's enthusiasm to experiment in bed satisfies his darker appetites and suddenly he's craving more. Parker might need her help with holiday gift ideas but he's got his own shopping agenda. On his list? Gifts only for Charlene—to open in private.

PG-EXCERPT #1:

"Everything looks so good. I think I'll have the shrimp salad." Carli closed her menu and set it on the table.

Everything looks good to me, too, and I don't mean the food. "I'm going to have the chicken carbonara…and a glass of wine with my lunch. Would you join me?"

"Well, I usually don't drink during business meetings, but yes," she extended a sparkling smile, "I'd like that. A chardonnay."

He placed their lunch order with the waiter, then returned his attention to her. "We've had a very nice business relationship for five years. You obviously know a lot about me from doing my shopping, but I don't really know that much about you personally, other than you have great taste, are very intelligent, and have a good sense of humor."

The waiter arrived with the bottle of wine Parker had ordered. After opening the bottle, he poured each of them a glass, put the bottle in the ice bucket, and left.

Parker raised his glass toward Carli in a toast. "Here's to another successful Christmas holiday season." He tilted his head and raised a questioning eyebrow. "And perhaps to an even closer working relationship?" Maybe something hot and naked in a big bed?

"I'd like that, too."

OPEN IN PRIVATE by Samantha Gentry is available in ebook at:

www.Amazon.com/open-in-private-samantha-gentry-ebook/dp/B00GOFP35M

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/open-in-private-samantha-gentry/1117482329?ean=2940148899365

Also available at other online vendors.

Additional information and excerpts available on my website www.samanthagentry.com

The Legend of St. Nicholas

Who is that man in red? The man who, every Christmas Eve, brazenly breaks into people's homes, helps himself to cookies and milk, and leaves packages behind resulting in a mess of wrapping paper and ribbon for others to clean up the next morning. Eight full grown reindeer and a heavily laden sleigh can't be good for the roof. Soot from a chimney tracked all over the floor…something else left behind for others to clean.

Yet every year we anxiously anticipate his arrival, track his progress through the skies, and welcome him into our homes.

Santa Claus can be traced back many centuries to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in what is now Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the best known of the St. Nicholas stories is that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery/prostitution by their father when he provided them with a dowry so they could be married. Over the course of many years, Nicholas' popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6. This was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married. By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. Even after the Protestant Reformation, when the veneration of saints began to be discouraged, St. Nicholas maintained a positive reputation, especially in Holland.

Sinter Klaas Comes to New York

St. Nicholas made his first inroads into American popular culture towards the end of the 18th century. In December 1773, and again in 1774, a New York newspaper reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death.

The name Santa Claus evolved from his Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). In 1804, John Pintard, a member of the New York Historical Society, distributed woodcuts of St. Nicholas at the society's annual meeting. The background of the engraving contains now-familiar Santa images including stockings filled with toys and fruit hung over a fireplace. In 1809, Washington Irving helped to popularize the Sinter Klaas stories when he referred to St. Nicholas as the patron saint of New York in his book, The History of New York. As his prominence grew, Sinter Klaas was described as everything from a rascal with a blue three-cornered hat, red waistcoat, and yellow stockings to a man wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a "huge pair of Flemish trunk hose."

Shopping Mall Santas

Gift-giving, mainly centered around children, has been an important part of the Christmas celebration since the holiday's rejuvenation in the early 19th century. Stores began to advertise Christmas shopping in 1820, and by the 1840s, newspapers were creating separate sections for holiday advertisements, which often featured images of the newly-popular Santa Claus. In 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-size Santa Claus model. It was only a matter of time before stores began to attract children, and their parents, with the lure of a peek at a live Santa Claus. In the early 1890s, the Salvation Army needed money to pay for the free Christmas meals they provided to needy families. They began dressing up unemployed men in Santa Claus suits and sending them into the streets of New York to solicit donations. Those familiar Salvation Army Santas have been ringing bells on the street corners of American cities ever since.

A Santa by Any Other Name

18th-century America's Santa Claus was not the only St. Nicholas-inspired gift-giver to make an appearance at Christmastime. Similar figures were popular all over the world. Christkind or Kris Kringle was believed to deliver presents to well-behaved Swiss and German children. Meaning Christ child, Christkind is an angel-like figure often accompanied by St. Nicholas on his holiday missions. In Scandinavia, a jolly elf named Jultomten was thought to deliver gifts in a sleigh drawn by goats. British legend explains that Father Christmas visits each home on Christmas Eve to fill children's stockings with holiday treats. Pere Noel is responsible for filling the shoes of French children. In Russia, it is believed that an elderly woman named Babouschka purposely gave the wise men wrong directions to Bethlehem so that they couldn't find Jesus. Later, she felt remorseful, but could not find the men to undo the damage. To this day, on January 5, Babouschka visits Russian children leaving gifts at their bedsides in the hope that one of them is the baby Jesus and she will be forgiven. In Italy, a similar story exists about a woman called La Befana, a kindly witch who rides a broomstick down the chimneys of Italian homes to deliver toys into the stockings of lucky children.

The Ninth Reindeer

Rudolph, "the most famous reindeer of all," was born over a hundred years after his eight flying counterparts. The red-nosed wonder was the creation of Robert L. May, a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store.

In 1939, May wrote a Christmas-themed story-poem to help bring holiday traffic into his store. Using a similar rhyme pattern to Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, May told the story of Rudolph, a young reindeer who was teased by the other deer because of his large, glowing red nose. But, when Christmas Eve turned foggy and Santa worried that he wouldn't be able to deliver gifts that night, the former outcast saved Christmas by leading the sleigh with the light of his red nose. Rudolph's message—that given the opportunity, a liability can be turned into an asset—proved popular. Montgomery Ward sold almost two and a half million copies of the story in 1939. When it was reissued in 1946, the book sold over three and half million copies. Several years later, one of May's friends, Johnny Marks, wrote a short song based on Rudolph's story (1949). It was recorded by Gene Autry and sold over two million copies. Since then, the story has been translated into 25 languages and been made into a television movie, narrated by Burl Ives, which has charmed audiences since 1964. 

Those Naughty Pilgrims

With Thanksgiving comes stories of the Pilgrims taking up residence in the new world, landing at Plymouth Rock in what is now the state of Massachusetts.  The pious Pilgrims certainly have a reputation for being a rigid, hard-working, and humorless group.  But there are a few surprises to be found.  Even though drunkenness was discouraged, beer was accepted as a drink for men, women, and even children.  The daily ration on the Mayflower was a gallon a day for each individual.  It took 66 days for them to sail from England to their landing place of Plymouth Rock.  Hmmm…66 days times 1 gallon per person times the number of people on the ship.  It seems that a lot of room on board the ship was devoted to storing the beer ration.

Even sex was not taboo under the right circumstances.  They had a matter-of-fact attitude about sex as long as it was between a married couple.  It's when sex strayed from being the exclusive right between a married couple that the stories get interesting.

Studies by a group of anthropologists at the University of Virginia found that the Pilgrims spent a great deal of time thinking about how to punish those with impure thoughts and actions.  Studies also discovered that in 11% of the marriages at Plymouth Colony the bride was already pregnant.  The same study estimates that as many as 50% of the Pilgrims engaged in premarital sex.  Definitely not an image that fits the stereotype of the staid Pilgrims.

But what about the actions and activities of those naughty Pilgrims?  As with so much in life, there's the façade then there's the underlying reality.

Although not liberal in their thinking or lifestyle, the Pilgrims were not as uptight as history would have us believe and apparently not as uptight as their cousins, the Puritans.  Both the Pilgrims and the Puritans were English Protestants who believed that the Church of England was in need of reform.  Although both groups were strict Calvinists, they differed in their approach to how the Church of England should be reformed.  The Pilgrims were more inclined to separate from the church (therefore known as separatists), while the Puritans wanted to reform the church from within.  The Pilgrims were the first group to seek religious freedom in the New World (thus separating from the church).  As strict Calvinists, members of both groups believed in original sin, predestination, and the literal interpretation of the Bible as God's word.

The Pilgrims tried to create a strict religious society, but had an understanding and mercy unusual for their time in history.  As time passed, however, intolerance grew and was reflected in their laws and clearly demonstrated by the notorious Salem witch trials.  Innocent people were convicted and put to death on evidence that later even the Pilgrims declared to be inadmissible—I saw it in a dream, the spirit of my dead grandmother came to me and said…

According to the Mayflower Compact, the colony was to establish laws based on Biblical teachings "for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith."  The Old Testament book of Leviticus was the basis for most of their laws, a biblical source that definitely predated the New Testament and Christianity's teachings of love and forgiveness rather than reflecting those Old Testament teachings.  Adultery?  Death.  A man has sex with his daughter-in-law?  Death.  Sodomy?  Death.  Bestiality?  Death.  Are you beginning to see a pattern?

But interestingly, the Pilgrims did not typically enforce the death penalty for sex offenses.  There is only one known case in which the convicted offender was actually put to death for sex crimes.  It was the case of Thomas Graunger, a teenage boy apparently at the peak of his raging hormones who sought satisfaction from any and all sources available to him…those sources being the farm animals.

According to Plymouth Governor William Bradford, "He was this year detected of buggery, and indicted for the same, with a mare, a cow, two goats, five sheep, two calves and a turkey."

Even though Thomas was the only one executed for a sex crime, punishments were routinely severe even with far lesser sex crimes and usually meant whippings, being put into the stocks, and fines.

Men were not the only offenders in Plymouth colony.  The prim women weren't always so pious either.  Women were often caught since the evidence of their dalliances were babies.  The records of the times are filled with one out-of-wedlock child after another.  Babies showing up just a few months after marriage were also evidence of wrong doing.  Pre-marital sex was severely punished.  Fines were levied even for making passes, for appearing to have a lascivious carriage in public, or partying in mixed company at an unseemly time of night.

Sex outside marriage, even between two unmarried consenting adults, usually meant a whipping and fines.  If the woman became pregnant, the man had to either marry her or pay for the child's upbringing.  The man was usually placed in the stocks and whipped while the woman was made to watch.  Sometimes mercy was granted as in the case of a servant, Jane Powell.  Following years of hard servitude, she was destitute and had agreed to having sex in the hopes of marrying the man.  Apparently the court found her plea convincing and she went unpunished.

Even though the Pilgrims imposed strict punishment for crimes, they also understood human temptations.  In 1656, Katheren Aines and William Paule were sentenced for committing adultery.  William was whipped and forced to pay the costs of his imprisonment.  Katheren was whipped, imprisoned and forced to wear a letter on her shoulder designating her as an adulteress.  (Calling Nathaniel Hawthorne!)  However, Katheren's husband, Alexander, was also punished.  Alexander had left his family for some time and treated her badly during their marriage.  The Pilgrims viewed him as guilty of "exposing his wife to such temptations."  Alexander was required to pay for his wife's imprisonment, and sit in the stocks while William and Katheren were whipped.

This Thanksgiving as you sit down to your turkey dinner, it might be a good idea to take a moment to be thankful that you aren't subject to Pilgrim or Puritan laws and punishments. :) 

Eagle Vs. Turkey: America's National Symbol

It's that time of year again—the Thanksgiving season.

We all know that the bald eagle is America's National Symbol—a proud and majestic bird.  And turkey is what we serve every year at Thanksgiving dinner—a tasty bird made all the more appetizing when accompanied by dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy.

But did you know there’s a long standing rumor/assumption saying if Benjamin Franklin had gotten his way, the turkey would have been our national symbol? This has not been proven, but it has not been disproven, either.

In 1776, right after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress appointed a special committee to select a design for an official national seal.  This committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.  They each had their own ideas, none of which included the bald eagle.  They finally came to agreement on a drawing of a woman holding a shield to represent the states.  However, the design did nothing to inspire the members of Congress.

So Congress consulted a Philadelphia artist named William Barton who created a new design that included a golden eagle.  At that time, we were still at war with England, and the fierce looking bird was deemed an appropriate symbol…with one small change.  The golden eagle also flew over Europe. Federal lawmakers declared the bird in the seal had to be an American bald eagle.

On June 20, 1782, they approved the design that we recognize today.

From the start, the eagle had been a controversial choice.  Benjamin Franklin was quite vocal in his objection to the selection of the eagle.  He considered it a bird of "bad moral character."  A year after the Treaty of Paris officially ended the war with Great Britain, Franklin is said to have argued that the turkey would have been a more appropriate symbol.  "A much more respected bird and a true native of America."

Unfortunately for Franklin, Congress was not convinced and the bald eagle remained our national symbol.

Whereas both the bald eagle and the turkey are native to America, we can't lay exclusive claim to either species since both traditionally ranged in Canada and Mexico as well as the U.S.

And all of this leads us to one important question.  If the turkey had been chosen as our national symbol, what would we serve as our traditional Thanksgiving dinner?  Somehow roast eagle just doesn't have the same appeal as the turkey.

History of Thanksgiving Holiday

Most Americans are familiar with the 1621 Pilgrim's Thanksgiving Feast, but not as well known is that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot on the North American continent, indigenous natives sought to insure a good harvest with dances and rituals such as the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokees.

The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578, in what is now Newfoundland, Canada, although earlier Church-type services were probably held by Spaniards in what is now the state of Florida in the United States. However, for British New England, some historians believe that the Popham Colony in Maine conducted a Thanksgiving service in 1607. In the same year, Jamestown colonists gave thanks for their safe arrival, and another service was held in 1610 when a supply ship arrived after a harsh winter. British colonists held several Thanksgiving services in America before the Pilgrim's celebration in 1621.

The Pilgrims, with a puritanical rejection of public religious display, held a non-religious Thanksgiving feast with the one religious exception of saying grace. They seem to have used the three days for feasting, playing games, and even drinking liquor.

In 1623, the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, held another day of Thanksgiving. As a drought was destroying their crops, colonists fasted and prayed for relief. The rains came a few days later. Shortly after, Captain Miles Standish arrived with some staples and news that a Dutch supply ship was on its way. Because of all this good fortune, colonists held a day of Thanksgiving and prayer on June 30. This festival appears to have been the origin of our Thanksgiving Day because it combined religious and social celebrations.

Local Thanksgiving festivals occurred sporadically for more than 150 years. They tended to be autumn harvest celebrations. In 1789, Elias Boudinot, member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts, moved that a day of Thanksgiving be held to thank God for giving the American people the opportunity to create a Constitution to preserve their hard won freedoms. A Congressional Joint Committee approved the motion, and informed President George Washington. On October 3, 1789, President Washington proclaimed that the people of the United States observe "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer" to be held on Thursday, November 26.

The next three Presidents proclaimed, at most, two days of thanksgiving sometime during their terms of office, either on their own initiative or at the request of a joint Resolution of Congress. One exception was Thomas Jefferson, who believed it was a conflict of church and state to require the American people hold a day of prayer and thanksgiving. President James Madison proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to be held on April 13, 1815, the last such proclamation issued by a President until Abraham Lincoln in 1862.

Most of the credit for the establishment of an annual Thanksgiving holiday should be given to Sarah Josepha Hale. Editor of Ladies Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book. She began to campaign for such a day in 1827 by printing articles in the magazines. She also published stories and recipes, and wrote scores of letters to governors, senators, and presidents. After 36 years of crusading, she won her battle. On October 3, 1863, buoyed by the Union victory at Gettysburg, President Lincoln proclaimed that November 26 would be a national Thanksgiving Day, to be observed every year on the fourth Thursday of November.

The president has changed the day of observation on only two occasions. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in order to give depression-era merchants more selling days before Christmas, assigned the third Thursday to be Thanksgiving Day in 1939 and 1940. But he was met with popular resistance, largely because the change required rescheduling Thanksgiving Day events such as football games and parades. In 1941, a Congressional Joint Resolution officially set the fourth Thursday of November as a national holiday for Thanksgiving.

Today, Thanksgiving is a time when families come together and many churches open for special services. We have both Native Americans and immigrants to thank for the observation of a day for thanksgiving.

Now That Halloween Is Over…

I'd like to offer one last Halloween fright before we turn our attention to the next celebration of the holiday season—Thanksgiving coming up in the U.S. on Thursday, November 27, 2025. And what is that one last fright?  It's all that Halloween candy you still have on hand.

Halloween aftermath usually means two things—putting the witch and goblin decorations away and fighting the battle of all that candy in the house. First, there's the leftover candy from what you bought to hand out to trick-or-treaters. There's two schools of thought about what type of candy to buy. One theory says buy what you like so you can enjoy the leftovers. The other theory says buy what you don't like so you won't be tempted. And the second thing is all the candy your kids collected on their trick or treat rounds. Sacks full of candy. Enough potential sugar overdose and tooth decay material to last until next Halloween.

And what kind of candy is it that we now have in abundance? It seems that all the candy manufacturers, in addition to their regular size candy bars, make the little fun size candy—the mini candy bars or individual pieces. Those little bite size morsels that give us just a taste.  Unfortunately, it's usually a taste for more.

These little tidbits aren't as harmless as you'd like to believe. Many of the small treats are worse for you than eating a normal size candy bar. But that can't be, you tell yourself, because you're only going to eat one of those little things and that's certainly not the same as a regular size candy bar. What's that you said? Eat just one? Well, you and I both know that's a lie! Remember that old Lay's Potato Chip commercial from many years ago? Bet you can't eat just one. That applies to those tasty little bite size morsels of candy as well.

Perhaps the scariest thing about Halloween is the number of calories, grams of fat, and grams of sugar we consume under the guise of it's little, it won't hurt me.

And finally, how about Halloween Superstitions?

Superstitions flourish in all countries and all cultures. Some of the origins are so obscured by time that no one knows when, how or why they came into being. Friday the 13^th always brings out superstitions and the rituals used to thwart them.

However, Friday the 13^th isn't the only day of superstitions.

Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. They set places at the table and left treats on doorsteps for these friendly spirits. They also lit candles to help their loved ones find their way back to the spirit world. Today's Halloween ghosts are usually depicted as scarier, as are our customs and superstitions.

Here's a list of ten superstitions that seem to apply specifically to Halloween.

1)  If a candle goes out on its own on Halloween, it is thought a ghost has come to call.

2)  A burning candle inside of a Jack-o-lantern on Halloween keeps evil spirits at bay.

3)  You invite bad luck into your home if you allow a fire to burn out on Halloween.

4)  A person born on Halloween can both see and talk to spirits.

5)  Seeing a spider on Halloween could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you.

6)  If you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween, don't look back because it could be the dead following.

7)  Don't look at your shadow in moonlight on Halloween night.  Otherwise, you will die within a short period of time.

8)  If a bat flies around a house three times, it is a death omen.

9)  Ringing a bell on Halloween will scare evil spirits away.

10)  A bat that enters a home may have been let in by a ghost.

Do you have any superstitions that we could watch out for with Halloween of 2026?

Next week we'll take a look at the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. 

Beware Of America's Creepiest Roads

They've been called urban legends, ghost stories, creepy encounters. But they all have one thing in common—unexplained happenings on dark roads in the dead of night. If you'll pardon the use of the word dead.

Or maybe it's more appropriate than you realize. :)

Since October is the month of things that go bump and Halloween, it's the perfect time of year to explore these creepy lanes and the unexplained happenings that have been reported to occur there. Here's a sampling of some of these haunted roads.

Shades of Death Road in Warren Co., NJ:  Yes, Shades of Death Road is the real name of the street, but no one is sure exactly how the name came about. Over the decades, many murders have happened along this stretch of road, each its own ghastly tale, which certainly explains why so many different ghosts haunt the area.

The San Antonio Ghost Track:  If you put your car in neutral on the railroad tracks, the car will move off the tracks by itself. And if you cover the bumper in baby power, you'll find child-sized palm prints. However, be careful if you decide to try it out. There have been reports of bandits waiting in hiding for people trying to test this phenomenon.

The Georgia Ghost Roads:  Travelers late at night along Railroad Bed Road and Old Ghost Road (Robertson Road) see a faint orange light flashing in the distance. As they drive closer to it, a man will appear who is digging a ditch…or perhaps a grave. He turns and walks toward the car, but disappears before he gets there.

Buckhout Road in Harrison, NY:  The shocking murders committed by Issac Buckhout are believed responsible for the area's many reports of notorious activities such as farms burning, vandalism in a local historic cemetery, and people who claimed to have been attacked by flesh-eating monsters because they parked in front of a specific red house and honked their car horn three times.

Meshack Road in Tompinsville, KY:  This is supposedly the original location of the often repeated story of the young woman in the prom dress who is walking along the road and given a ride by a young man. He gives her his coat to keep warm. The next day he returns to the house where he took her in order to retrieve his coat. The woman living there told him her daughter had died several years ago…on prom night.

Milford Road in Oxford, Ohio:  The story of star-crossed lovers. The boy and girl were in love, but the girl's father hated the boy. The boy would flash his motorcycle headlight three times and if he saw her porch light flash three times in return he knew it was safe to go there. One night he was killed on the road, but the flashing lights continue to haunt the area.

Mona Lisa Drive in New Orleans:  A philanthropist donated a collection of statuary to the city with one stipulation—the statue commissioned to commemorate the death of his only daughter, Mona, be placed in a special location in the park by itself. One night a car chase ended with a car crashing into the statue and shattering it. After that, rumors began to circulate that Mona lurked in the park where the statue had been, haunting innocent and unsuspecting visitors.

Archer Road in Justice, IL:  Resurrection Cemetery is the site of a story similar to the Meshack Road haunting. A young man met a pretty blonde at a dance. At the end of the evening, he drove her home. When they reached the cemetery, she asked him to stop. She got out of the car, walked toward the gate, and disappeared. He went to the house where she said she lived, and the woman told him her daughter had died five years ago.

Spook Hill in Burkittsville, MD:  In addition to its ghostly reputation courtesy of the 1990s horror movie, The Blair Witch Project, an unexplained recurring event here is similar to the Railroad Crossing in San Antonio. When driving up Spook Hill, if you stop and put the car in neutral it won't roll back downhill. It will continue uphill as if being pushed. The local ghostly tale claims it's Civil War soldiers who think they're pushing one of their cannons up the hill.

Clinton Road in New Jersey:  If you find yourself on this haunted road, be sure to toss a coin into the river at the Old Boy Bridge. The ghost of a boy who drowned will throw it back. There have also been reported sightings of UFOs, mutated circus animals, and mysterious glowing eyes.

Highway 666:  This highway was originally named because it was the 6^th spur off of US Highway 66 (now mostly replaced by Interstate 40) through Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Travelers on this haunted highway, known as the Devil's Highway, have reported speeding ghost cars, packs of devil dogs, and a flaming demonic semi-truck that drives directly at the spooked travelers. Many people attribute these sightings to a biblical association between the numbers 666 and Satan. In 2003, the highway number was changed to Highway 491. There are still a few places where you can see the Highway 666 sign labeled as old next to the Highway 491 sign labeled as new.

Do you have any ghostly tales or spooky happenings where you live? 

The Ouija Board—Strange and Mysterious Brief History

Perhaps you've used a Ouija board, know someone who has, or merely seen them being used in movies and television shows. Originally called spirit boards or talking boards, they're a flat board with letters, numbers, the words yes, no, hello, and goodbye. The Ouija board goal is to summon the spirit someone wishes to communicate with. The spirit then communicates by spelling out words using the planchette (the thing you put your fingers on that the spirit moves around the board pointing to the specific letters and numbers to provide the spirit's answer).

While the Ouija board's origins only date back to mid 19th century America during the age of spiritualism, the concept of holding a device that points out words from an otherworldly source is ancient. Early accounts of this date back to 1100AD in China. It was considered a valid method of contacting the dead.

In the late 19th century, a person's average lifespan was less than fifty years. The desire to communicate with departed loved ones at a séance wasn't that uncommon. However, those events were often frustrating and expensive. Spiritual mediums were unreliable and charged a lot of money to send and receive messages from the beyond. That created a market for a cheaper method of contacting the dead from the comfort of one's own home.

And the Ouija board answered that need.

It was introduced to the public in 1890 by a businessman named Elijah Bond. His original product was called a Talking Board and was supposed to answer facts about the past and predict the future. It was introduced as nothing more than a fun throwaway game, completely unrelated to ghosts or the occult. By World War I, large groups of people were convinced that the movements of the planchette had an otherworldly origin.

The first person to rename the talking board as the Ouija Board was Elijah Bond's employee, a man named William Fuld. Conflicting reports say the meaning of Ouija came from the ancient Egyptian word for good luck or it was a combination of the French Oiu and German Ja, both words meaning yes.

Some Christian denominations believe Ouija boards lead to demonic possession. The scientific community has criticized the paranormal beliefs associated with Ouija boards. But—however you feel about them, they're thought of as being spooky.

If you believe that Ouija boards really do connect with the dead, you're in good company. Many famous and successful people during the last one hundred years have used Ouija boards—English writer G.K. Chesterton, rock musician Alice Cooper, Pulitzer Prize winning poet James Merrill, Italian president Romano Prodi, and Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson.

Have you ever used the Ouija board, either seriously or as an entertainment source? 

Classic Monsters And Their Origins—part 2of2

With Halloween this month, what better topic for my October blogs starts with scary monsters,  a 2-parter featuring classic monsters. On last week's blog, we looked at the first 7 of the list of 15 monsters. This week we'll take a look at the remaining 8.

8. Ghoul

Another undead, flesh-eating monster is the ghoul, but the ghoul is not a picky eater. They will eat the living or the dead. They look similar to their original human form but much more demonic. A ghoul's favorite place to be is a graveyard—it's like their own personal underground buffet. Since they will attempt lure the living in to try and feast on them, watch your step if you're ever in a graveyard! According to ancient Arabic lore, the curse of the ghoul is the result brought about on a human that has eaten flesh— living or dead. Some lore states that ghouls can shapeshift and will appear as the last thing they ate. For protection from a ghoul, the best thing to do is to decapitate them.

9. Goblin

The goblin dates back to the Middle Ages and is a mischievous creature that is usually small and often described as very gross. Thought to be the counterpart to fairies, goblins have similar magical abilities. Some lore even states that they can shapeshift. There are many different types of goblins, mostly popular in Scottish, Irish, and English folklore. Goblin is a term used to describe any sort of evil or mischievous creature. In some legends, goblins are born from spores  germinated underground. Others suggest they reproduce in a manner similar to humans. Goblins live in temperate climates, either in fields or preferably small caverns or caves. They are known to attach themselves to a human's home and cause a similar disturbance to poltergeists.

10. The Headless Horseman

The most popular Headless Horseman legend is from 1776 and 1820 America. In 1776, a trooper in the Battle of the White Plains was decapitated by a cannonball and his fellow soldiers carried his body away while leaving his head on the battlefield. In 1820 author Washington Irving wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow based on that incident. This is the version of the story that is widely popular today. The legends state that the ghost of the Headless Horseman rises from his grave in Sleepy Hollow every night in search of his head. If he is unable to find his own, any head will do. Until he is successful, he uses a menacingly lit jack-o-lantern in place of his missing head—the jack-o-lantern being one of the symbols associated with Halloween.

11. Troll

Trolls originated in Norse mythology. They are built similar to humans but are much stronger and generally much uglier. In Nordic folklore, trolls simply live in isolation in the mountains, caves, or rocky areas. They live together as families and are not helpful to humans. In Scandinavian folklore, trolls are much more troublesome. These trolls can either appear to be the same as humans and simply live in isolation (much like Norse trolls), or be extremely old and strong but equally dumb and dim-witted. These strong and dumb trolls are man-eaters who turn to stone in the sunlight.

12. Swamp Monster

A swamp monster is a creature that lives and haunts a body of water, primarily swamp or marshlands. They resemble humans but have traits of aquatic animals such as webbed hands and feet, gills and large yellow eyes. In Cajun folklore, swamp monsters are called the rougarou. This creature is thought to have the body of a human, but the head of either a wolf or a dog and wanders the swamps of Louisiana looking for misbehaving children to eat. Whoever kills a rougarou could become infected with the curse if they were exposed to the monster's blood. For this reason, fire would actually be the best defense.

13. Ghost

A ghost is the spirit of a once-living being that was left behind trapped in the realm of the living. Ghosts resemble their once physical form but are transparent and do not adhere to the laws of physics in the same way that humans do—adding to their spooky factor. They can float through solid objects and walls at will. Many believe that the reason ghosts choose a path that goes through walls instead of around them is that the walls they go through did not exist while they were alive. Most ghosts haunt places that they were familiar with, even if that structure has been changed. There are ghosts that don't mean any harm and simply make their presence known by continuing their once-daily activities, then there are vengeful ghosts. Many stories say that the reason the spirit does not follow the now-deceased being is that it still has business to finish on this side of life. Some of the first mentions of ghosts date back to the 16^th century. Salt and iron can allegedly offer protection from these ghosts, but the way to rid their spirit from this world is to find their bodily remains, salt them, and burn them.

14. Poltergeist

A poltergeist is literally a noisy ghost. It translates from the German poltern which means to make noise or to rumble and geist which means ghost or spirit. Their appearance is much like a ghost although poltergeists can at times be invisible. Poltergeists are said to haunt a specific person and not a place, which is different from regular ghosts. Stories of poltergeists gained popularity around the 17th century and continue today. They cause disturbances by throwing objects, moving furniture, or making any number of loud noises.

15. Aliens

Aliens, also known as extraterrestrials, refer to any being that did not originate on Earth. The first mention of aliens in modern science fiction was in the 1950s when the flying saucer phenomenon gained popularity because of the incident in Roswell, New Mexico, creating a plethora of outer space invader movies. Aliens can range in appearance from tall, skinny humanoid-like creatures with pointed faces and large eyes to giant squid monsters. The theory that we are not the only lifeform in the universe has been around for a very long time. Mentions of aliens and UFOs can be dated back as early as the 4th century in China. The motivation of aliens is unclear. There are plenty of invasion stories where aliens will try and take over whatever planet they see fit, kill off its inhabitants, and occupy that planet for themselves. It is also theorized that they are peaceful beings and simply wish to coexist with others in the universe. 

In defiance of the concept that modern science fiction came about in the 1950s, we need to mention two writers responsible for popularizing modern science fiction in the late 1800s: H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. Both men were referred to as the father of science fiction, with Verne often called the father of modern science fiction due to his scientifically grounded works. H. G. Wells gave us THE TIME MACHINE 1895, THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU 1896, THE INVISIBLE MAN 1897, WAR OF THE WORLDS 1898. Jules Verne gave us JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 1864,  20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA 1870, and AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS 1873.

Classic Monsters and Their Origins—part 1 of 2

Halloween is almost here! And nothing says Halloween quite like creepy, scary monsters. Many of the traditions surrounding Halloween that have been passed down through the years involve some of the most gruesome monsters and creatures. Ghosts, goblins, ghouls and witches are just some of those beings that are more active around the time of Halloween.

Stories and legends of different types of monsters date back to some of the earliest known recorded times in history. These stories range from ancient China and Greece to more modern times, some as recent of the 1950s. There is one thing for certain. These legends aren't going to stop being repeated any time soon.

Werewolves, mummies, vampires and witches are some of the first things that come to mind when anyone mentions Halloween. These monsters are widely known as the classics for Halloween, but where did they originate?

I have a list of 15 monsters. We'll look at 7 of them this week and the remaining 8 next week.

1. Vampire

There are stories of vampire-like creatures from as early as ancient Greece. This centuries-old monster is said to be undead, meaning they are animated and act similar to a living human. They survive by draining the living of their bodily fluid, primarily blood, by way of biting their victims with sharp fangs. Sunlight will burn a vampire's skin, so they are active mostly at night. They can occasionally be active during the day if the weather permits. This is why storms, mist and cloudy days contain a sense of foreboding. According to folklore, a vampire's downfalls are crosses, silver, and garlic. They can also be extinguished by stabbing them in the heart with a wooden stake. To be safe, it would work best to decapitate them.

2. Zombie

Stories of zombies date back to 17th-century Haiti. Zombies are said to be the result of voodoo. A voodoo practitioner would utilize a mixture of herbs, bones, shells and other animal parts as part of their practice. This mixture could cause symptoms such as confusion, difficulty walking, trouble with breathing, and sometimes even resulting in a coma for the victim. These instances resulting in a coma seem to be the basis for believing that a zombie is raised from the dead. These undead corpse monsters are known for feeding on human flesh (focusing mostly on brains).

3. Mummy

Mummification began in ancient Egypt. It was a special method for preserving the body used in burial rituals. References to the mummy as an undead monster gained popularity after King Tut's tomb was found in 1922. This resulted in many classic horror films such as the 1932 Boris Karloff movie, The Mummy. Similar to zombies, mummies are reanimated corpses. The main objective of the mummy is to get revenge. Mummies, especially royalty, were buried with riches that lured treasure hunters. As movies have shown us, many of those who looted tombs ended up with much more than they bargained for. A mummy's greatest weakness is fire. If a fire can't be produced easily, decapitation is an option for protection.

4. Werewolf

Werewolves are cursed humans who turn into large, strong wolf-like monsters during each full moon. The curse is the result of being bitten by a werewolf while it's in its monster form. Some legends say the monster looks like a human/wolf hybrid while others say they are all wolf. While they're in this wolf state, their hunger for human flesh is unquenchable. One of the first mentions of the werewolf is in the world's oldest known Western prose, the epic poem Gilgamesh, written approximately 1400 BCE. Another early mention of werewolves is from Greek mythology and the legend of Lycaon. Werewolves are also mentioned in early Nordic legends. Werewolves are exceptionally strong beasts, their weakness is silver. They can still be harmed in many of the same ways that humans can, but silver will do the job much more efficiently.

5. Frankenstein's Monster

English author Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818. The novel is about Victor Frankenstein, an alchemist/scientist…and madman. He seeks to create the perfect being. He is successful in building a sentient humanoid creature by way of connecting many different human parts that he scavenged from graveyards. Rather than pleasing him, what he created frightens him to the point of abandoning that creation. What is left behind is a scared but hideous monster that no one wants anything to do with. Frankenstein's monster is strong but can be annihilated in much the same ways as a normal human.

6. The Grim Reaper

The idea of the Grim Reaper originated in 14^th-century Europe following the black plague. The Grim Reaper is often thought to literally be death itself. However, that's not quite so. After passing over into the realm of the dead, the Grim Reaper is the being that guides those into the afterlife. While its only duty is to gather departed souls to make sure they go to the correct place, the Grim Reaper is an intimidating creature. There are stories of seeing the reaper before death has occurred. Speculation suggests that the Grim Reaper resembles the skeleton of a human covered in a cloak and carrying a scythe.

7. Witch

Witches are traditionally women who harness the power of magic. Largely thought to be sinister, many women were accused of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials in 1692-1693 in Massachusetts and hanged (in France witches were burned at the stake, in England they were hanged. Since those who settled in what is now Massachusetts came to the new world from England, they were hanged rather than burned). While many of the powers that witches possess are capable of harm and cursing another being, there are also many harmless practices. The spooky factor of witches lies in the unknown. Magic can be awe-inspiring but equally frightening, especially if a witch chooses to use dark magic. Originally, witches were depicted as nasty, hook-nosed old women who use gross potions and spells to carry out their evil deeds. In more recent times, witches are simply women who possess the ability to harness magic, can be any age and look as normal and beautiful as any other woman.

Check back next week for a look at the remaining 8 monsters on the list of 15.

America's 10 Most Dangerous Bodies Of Water

There's no question that America has many beautiful lakes, rivers, and coastlines. But it's also a fact that an average of 4,000 drownings occur annually in the US, many within these same beautiful waters. Places that appear idyllic can possess an undercurrent of danger that often goes unnoticed.

Following is a list of 10 of the most hazardous waters in the United States.

1. Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is a captivating body of water that also has sudden and vigorous rip currents, which sadly have led to a series of tragic drowning deaths every year. From 2010 to 2016, Lake Michigan emerged as the site of more drownings and rescue operations than any of the other Great Lakes. The tranquil picture that the lake often presents is in stark contrast with its dangerous undercurrents.

2. Colorado River

While the Colorado River boasts breathtaking beauty, all is not as calm as it looks. The dangerous rapids and currents found there are not to be underestimated; even experienced swimmers and boaters have struggled and the area has seen numerous deaths. Water temperatures can be extremely cold. Underwater hazards such as trees and other debris can pop up out of nowhere, leaving dangerous conditions for even expert-level whitewater rafters. And remember, this is the river whose forces carved the massive Grand Canyon.

3. Potomac River — Great Falls area

The Great Falls area of the Potomac River displays dazzling beauty with water flowing over the steep, jagged rocks. But it's an area that harbors concealed water danger. Treacherous undercurrents, dangerous rocks, and rapids have resulted in several accidents. Swimming is strictly prohibited in this area and if the warnings are ignored, rescue is extremely difficult.

4. Hanakapiai Beach

Hanakapiai Beach is one of many breathtaking beach areas in Hawaii. It's a beautiful place to hike, but the waters command the utmost respect. The hidden currents are incredibly strong—and dangerous. The reason? There are no offshore reefs in this area to provide a barrier against water swells. The beach may look peaceful, but the waters can pull someone far away from shore and into danger in an instant, and there are no lifeguards.

5. Lake Tahoe

Straddling the border of California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is an inviting area of crystal-clear waters, an enticement to anyone. The surface may look tranquil, but the strong currents and sudden depths require caution. The maximum water depth is 1,645 feet (501 meters) with unexpected drop-offs that can startle even the most experienced swimmers. Adding to the complexity, the cold water temperatures pose challenges, potentially catching those off guard who dare to take the plunge. The area has seen numerous drownings over the years.

6. Yukon River

Amid the rugged splendor of Alaska's wilderness, its rivers reveal a landscape of both beauty and challenges. Cold water temperatures, swift currents, and floating debris create a dangerous environment, demanding extreme care from both boaters and swimmers. One prime example is the Yukon River, which snakes its way through Alaska. It's renowned for its icy waters, potent currents, and difficult conditions that increase the risk of accidents, leading to boater deaths.

7. Delaware River

The Delaware River has a level of danger that has played a role in numerous boating and swimming accidents over the years. Its deceptively strong undercurrents can lead to trouble if you haven't taken proper precautions. Always wear a life jacket in the waters, don't overestimate your swimming ability, and be aware of changing water conditions.

8. San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay might look inviting, but don't be fooled by its appearance. This picturesque body of water comes with its fair share of challenges, including chilly temperatures, robust rip currents, and gusty winds. The bay has a history of accidents and even fatalities involving swimmers and boaters. There's also the potential added danger of Great White Sharks lurking in the waters. These are some of the reasons Alcatraz, located in San Francisco Bay and a federal prison as early as the Civil Way, was considered escape proof. Alcatraz, now part of the National Park system, is no longer a prison.

9. Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier in Georgia might seem like a slice of paradise, but there's more than meets the eye. Concealed obstacles, unpredictable currents, and a steady crowd create a challenging scene for swimmers and boaters. And the outcome of these challenges is that Lake Lanier has witnessed numerous unfortunate incidents, including fatalities and accidents. The manmade lake was formed over an old cemetery, leading to spooky stories and an air of mystery surrounding the waters.

10. New River, West Virginia

West Virginia's New River is a waterway that's far from ordinary. The currents and volume of flowing water should not be underestimated. This river has a reputation for being unpredictable, especially if you aren't familiar with the hidden dangers it holds. The river's water level can change daily, making what was once safe an entirely different situation the next day. In addition,  there are deep holes, rocky bottoms, and swift currents. 

28 Incorrect 'Facts' You May Have Learned In School—part 2 of 2

Last week I shared 14 of the 28 Incorrect Facts with you in part 1 of my 2-part blog. This week I'm sharing the other 14. Like many myths, these stories often have their roots planted in truth, it just isn't what you learned in school.

MYTH: Bats are blind

If this were true, would Bruce Wayne really model his superhero identity of Batman after an animal that can't see? You've probably heard someone use the phrase blind as a bat to describe a person. Contrary to this widespread belief, bats are not blind. Large bats are said to see three times better than humans. In addition to a normal sense of sight, bats rely on a technique at night known as echolocation. In low-light environments, as the term echolocation suggests, they are able to locate the source of sounds based on echoes that are produced. This is particularly helpful when trying to find prey and other food sources.

MYTH: Tilting your head back will stop a nosebleed

As a child, you might have been taught to tilt your head back in order to stop a nosebleed. Doctors agree this is not the solution. In the case of a nosebleed, you should tilt your head forward and pinch right below the bridge of your nose to stop the flow of blood rushing out of your nostrils. Tilting your head back might actually lead to more damage. It can cause blood to enter your throat which leads to your stomach and further unpleasant complications.

MYTH: When you swallow gum, it stays in your body for seven years

Gum will stay in your body for some time, but nowhere near seven years. Unlike most food, gum can't be broken down by the body's enzymes and acids. Therefore, that piece of gum goes straight through your system without being dissolved or broken into smaller pieces, and is later expelled. Even though swallowing a wad of gum accidentally or on purpose won't cause it to stay with you for a long period of time, it's probably best to just spit it out when you're finished. There have been rare cases of children having internal issues due to swallowed gum.

MYTH: Camels store water in their humps

You might have been taught that the purpose of a camel's hump is to store water, but this is not true. Some camels have one hump while others have two, but regardless of quantity, they serve the same purpose—to store fat. The stored fat serves as a substitute for food when camels are traveling long distances with limited available resources. According to Animal Planet, a camel can use the fat as an energy source to replace approximately three weeks of food. It's the camel's red blood cells that account for its ability to last one week without water. Unlike other creatures, a camel has oval-shaped blood cells that are more flexible and enable them to store large portions of water.

MYTH: You must drink eight glasses of water a day

The origin of this myth isn't entirely clear, but it is believed that people were convinced of this health rule after the Food and Drug Administration suggested it as a guideline in a 1945 published paper. The truth is that you don't need to drink eight glasses of water each day. Your body will still receive necessary hydration from other fluids and foods. It's probably best to drink a healthy amount of water and indulge in a moderate amount of less healthy beverages (like sugary ones). The most important thing is remembering that your body needs to maintain a balance since fluids are constantly entering and leaving the body. The amount of hydration needed also varies from person to person, since there are factors like age, health conditions, and activity level to consider.

MYTH: There's a five-second rule that applies to food that falls on the floor

If you've ever dropped a piece of food on the floor and quickly picked it up within five seconds, deeming it safe to eat, you have been misguided by a popular health myth. According to the five-second rule, food that falls on the floor is acceptable to consume as long as it hasn't stayed on the unclean surface for more than five seconds. Research has found that the rule is not accurate or applicable. While it's true that the longer dropped food stays on a surface the more germs it attracts, but food will instantly become contaminated as soon as it hits the floor.

MYTH: An apple a day keeps the doctor away

While the nursery rhyme has the laudable goal of getting kids to eat more fruit, it doesn't really work. Apples have vitamin C and fiber, but they are far from containing all the nutrients people need to stay healthy. The best diet you could have is one that consistently gives you a well-rounded group of nutrients. One that uses a lot of vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats is probably ideal.

MYTH: You can catch a cold just by being cold

It makes some kind of intuitive and linguistic sense—if you're cold and uncomfortable, your health will suffer and you'll catch a cold. But that's not quite how it works. In reality, viruses that cause people to catch colds predominate in North America during the winter. Furthermore, people tend to stay indoors when it's cold and in close quarters, enabling viruses to spread more easily. Low indoor humidity, which happens when the heater is on, is also conducive to the flu. So it isn't so much the cold causing colds. It's the cold weather creating conditions where colds spread.

MYTH: You'll get cancer if you stand too close to the microwave

You might have been taught as a child that you shouldn't stand in front of the microwave because of potential effects on your health. This is mainly due to concerns over radiation exposure. Radiation exists on a spectrum, and the radio frequency radiation used by the kitchen appliance is low-energy which is not harmful. According to the American Cancer Society, the energy emitted by microwave ovens is contained within the device and if used correctly "there is no evidence that they pose a health risk to people."

MYTH: If you shave your facial hair, it'll grow back thicker

A biologist who has studied hair for more than 30 years said that has not proven to be true. A razor cleanly cuts the hair, which results in blunt ends. Once the hair grows back, it might feel thicker because of the bluntness.

MYTH: If you eat plenty of carrots, you'll have great eyesight

The exact origin of this myth isn't clear, but it's believed that it became a widespread idea during World War II. When the British issued citywide blackouts in their attempt to defeat the German air forces, one UK soldier, John Cunningham successfully shot down planes. From there, the country started spreading posters and other propaganda that credited carrots as the reason for his exceptional night vision. This was believed to be a myth spread by the government to hide the knowledge of radar from the Germans. The bottom line is that although carrots are high in Vitamin A, you won't have magically superior eyesight or night vision.

MYTH: Sharks can smell a drop of blood from miles away

Sharks are known for having an acute sense of smell. Although they have a better sense of smell than many other creatures, they cannot detect a single drop of blood that's miles away. These predators can pick up on small amounts of different chemicals in the water, but there are other factors that should be taken into consideration (like what kind of substance and the speed of the water current). Some shark species can detect a drop in an Olympic-sized swimming pool while others can sense chemicals up to a few hundred meters away.

MYTH: Milk is good for you

Yes, that's right. The proven health benefits of milk are few and far between. It's mostly the product of an enormously successful advertising campaign. But humans are the only mammals to consume milk during adulthood. And while no one disputes that milk contains essential nutrients to help children's bodies grow, study after study shows there's no evidence milk does much good for older children or adults.

MYTH: Coffee stunts children's growth

It's a myth grown-ups use to stop kids from drinking coffee—it will stunt your growth and make you shorter later in life. The idea behind it is that caffeine limits the body's ability to absorb calcium, which is important for the growth of younger children in particular. But the overall idea that caffeine is going to significantly stunt growth is bunk.

28 Incorrect 'Facts' You May Have Learned In School—part 1 of 2

I recently came across a list of 28 things you may have learned in school that have since been proven wrong. I'm going to share 14 of them with you in this blog and the remaining 14 in next week's blog. Like many myths, these stories often have their roots planted in truth, it just isn't what you learned in school.

MYTH: Chameleons change colors to camouflage themselves

Chameleons are thought of as spiky lizards that change the color of their skins to fit in with their surroundings. While their color-changing abilities are real, it's their way of maintaining a certain body temperature and communicating with other chameleons rather than a means of hiding from predators.

MYTH: Christopher Columbus discovered America

The belief that Christopher Columbus discovered America is still widespread. The U.S. even has a federal holiday honoring him. A 2005 survey from the University of Michigan showed that 85% of Americans believed Columbus discovered the continent while 2% of those surveyed answered that Columbus couldn't have discovered the land now known as America because millions of Native Americans already lived here. The first European to land on the North American continent is widely accepted by historians to be the Viking explorer Leif Erikson who sailed from Greenland to Newfoundland in what is now Canada around 1000 A.D., almost 500 years before Columbus set sail. However, Columbus is historically significant because his 1492 voyage (he never reached the North American continent but did land in the Caribbean Islands) paved the way for European imperialism in the Western Hemisphere.

MYTH: You can only taste certain things on certain parts of your tongue

According to the tongue map myth, different parts of your tongue are for different sorts of tastes—the back of your tongue detects bitter tastes, the front takes in sweet tastes, etc. This is wrong. Taste receptors are all over your tongue, and they all detect all kinds of tastes. It's true that some taste buds are more receptive to certain kinds of tastes than others, but the difference is slight, and the locations of those taste buds aren't in accordance with the tongue map.

MYTH: Sir Isaac Newton "discovered" gravity when an apple fell on his head

Newton's apple legend isn't true. But like many urban legends, it's an embellished version of something that actually happened. An apple didn't fall on Newton's head, but Newton did start theorizing about gravity when he saw an apple falling from a tree. Of course, today our account of physics is far more precise than Newton's notion of gravity.

MYTH: Albert Einstein failed math in school and was a terrible student

It's an attractive idea for young kids. Even if you're not a good student, you can still bloom as a genius later in life. Examples of late-blooming talents are everywhere, but Einstein isn't one of them. Not only was he an excellent student in math, he was excellent in everything. The myth that he flunked a math class may be from the time he failed the entrance exam to the Zurich Polytechnic. At that time, he was still a couple of years away from high school graduation and he only spoke a little bit of French—the language used on the exam. He did pass the mathematics section, but failed the language, botany, and zoology sections.

MYTH: Diamonds are made from ultra-pressurized coal

Both coal and diamonds are formed from carbon under the surface of the Earth, which is the origin of this myth. However, the carbon that forms diamonds is much more pure, and the process requires a lot more heat and pressure.

MYTH: According to laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly

According to the myth, its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think. This is, of course, wrong. Bumblebees can fly. The idea may have developed because bumblebees are pretty big and their wings are pretty small. There's a difference between a real-life biological being and a mathematical model of that being. Honeybees fly by flapping their wings really fast.

MYTH: Convicted witches in America were burned at the stake

While convicted witches in France were burned, witches in England were hanged instead. The English tradition made its way to the American colonies during the Salem Witch Trials and other places of anti-witch hysteria. All the convicted witches in Salem who went to their death were hanged, with one exception. That sole exception is Giles Corey, who was pressed under large stones.

MYTH: Pluto is no longer considered a planet

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) originally classified Pluto as the ninth planet that orbits the sun. In 2005, Eris, another really big space rock 27% larger than Pluto that also orbits the sun, was discovered. The IAU re-evaluated what a planet actually is and ended up with criteria that neither Pluto nor Eris met. So neither could be one of the major planets that go around the sun. Instead, the two are considered dwarf planets. Pluto is still a planet, it's now just a dwarf planet.

MYTH: The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure that can be seen from space

This depends on your definition of space. It's worth noting that while man-made structures like the Great Wall are visible from satellites orbiting Earth, they're not visible at all from the moon. Secondly, the structures you can see largely depend on the weather and how high the orbit is. Given the proper conditions, astronauts in the International Space Station can see major cities, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and some big bridges from their orbits.

MYTH: Raindrops are tear-shaped

According to the United States Geographical Survey website, raindrops are shaped more like hamburger buns or beans. When they get really large, they split in two. Only then do they turn into a teardrop shape but quickly become burger buns again.

MYTH: You can't start a sentence with a conjunction

You've probably been taught in school that you can't start sentences with but or and. But, as anyone who writes fiction will tell you, you most certainly can. Some grammar rules in the English language are unbreakable yet are broken anyway. The important thing to remember is that different publishers have different house styles. Each publisher will set its own rules about grammar, like deciding whether to permit starting sentences with conjunctions or allowing sentences to end with a preposition.

MYTH: Deoxygenated blood is blue

A common myth is that oxygenated blood is red and deoxygenated blood is blue, but this belief is inaccurate. While glancing at your skin, you may be lead to think that the veins below the surface are carrying blood that is a different color than red. This is actually the result of how you perceive light and the way body tissues are absorbed. Blood that leaves the heart is full of oxygen and bright red, while blood that travels to the heart is dark red. So, even though your veins might appear blue, green, or purple, the blood that flows in them is red (unless you are an extra-terrestrial being, then all bets are off).

MYTH: Humans only use 10% of their brains

The origin of this myth is unclear, but the idea that humans are storing approximately 90 percent untapped abilities in the brain is not true. Scientists have repeatedly been outspoken about this false claim, which has also been perpetuated by movies. All the neurons in your brain may not be firing at the same time, but that doesn't mean that parts of your brain are totally inactive. According to a neurologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "Let's put it this way: The brain represents 3% of the body's weight and uses 20% of the body's energy."

Stop by next week for part 2 of my 2-part blog about Incorrect Facts You May Have Learned In School.