Thank you all, so much, for the help on this one.

I think on Example #1, it is pretty clear that the way I have it written is not the way meaning I meant to convey. So back to the proverbial drawing board...

As for the second example, Jude nailed it - it must be that the phrase is an idiom, which is why it sounds all right even though taking it apart might tend to make it mean something that it wasn't supposed to.

Contextually, the sentence figures in this way: Something great happened to Lois. But it happened a long time ago, and her memory of it had faded. In fact, she was starting to wonder if it had ever really happened at all. She wondered if perhaps she hadn't dreamt the whole thing altogether.

In the end, I guess you all are telling me the best way to go. Rewrite both sentences, make them more simple, and remove any confusion altogether.

Thanks smile
Lynn

You know that boy'd walk on water for you? Or he'd drown tryin'. -Perry White to Lois in Just Say Noah