A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-25-05....Pippin's Thoughts ~ "Ghost Stories"

Billie, Pippin | Pippin

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, Mama_Bear ~

Hello everybody!

After a few weeks of craziness about the nomination of Harriet Miers, and all the feuding going on - not only on Free Republic, but also, in general - I thought it would be fun to get everyone off the subject of politics, hurricanes and stuff that's been permeating the news for the past three months. The leaves are changing colors and falling, the weather’s getting cooler, and the holidays are fast approaching; that means it's time to get into some fun - reminiscing of past holidays as well as planning for the ones coming up.

Of course, the first one (since it is October) is Halloween. And we all know what that means! Time to get the costumes for the kids’ trick-or-treating ready; bring out the candy and other goodies for the little monsters coming to your door on October the 31st. There are the Halloween parties and scary movies on TV, which make folks think of ghosts, vampires, witches and wizards, as well as other monsters of the imagination.

I have some memories of some scary and some not-so-scary moments. I remember I would sometimes mention encountering (or not encountering) ghosts. The jury’s still out on my belief - I guess you’d call me an open-minded skeptic. But I’ve had some strange things happen to me in past years that cause me to stop and think about what I believe. Below are some incidences I will relate to you, and you tell me whether I was “visited” by a ghost or if it was just my imagination.

When I was a little girl about seven years old, our family (Mom, Dad, my brother and two sisters) left Indiana and moved to Eastern Tennessee, around Greeneville, where my dad was born and raised.   Now, in that part of the country there are lots of old farm houses, and the locals there were a superstitious folk. I mean *every* place according to them had “haints” in them.

Well, Dad and Mom bought this old home from an elderly woman who knew my dad’s family. The house was over 100 years old. We lived in it less than a year because my dad, being a restless job-seeker, found a job in Maryland.

But I digress!

The house we were living in was reputedly haunted. While I never really experienced anything more frightening than a black snake in the outhouse, my dad told a story about being awakened by the former owner's ghost. (the old lady having died a few days earlier)   She was, in a way, telling him to take care of her house.

When we got to Maryland we lived in a trailer park in Odenton. Some of the rumors and stories there I can’t repeat here as it may be too offensive for folks of certain ethnic heritage. But, one thing I can tell you was that our trailer park had bats! Rumor had it that if you stood under the porch light for too long, the bats would come and make nests in your hair! That certainly kept us inside at night!

Then we moved to Glen Burnie, to the house my parents still live in. It was a small house, only three bedrooms, a bathroom, living room and kitchen. It was built in the late forties or early fifties, and was owned by two families before us. We rented at first, then later bought the house.

The neighbor next door used to tell us stories of the families who lived there before. They were some strange folks, according to her - including one man who used to chew or eat clothespins! She told us this man haunted the house, but I never ran into him.

My sisters and I were in the second largest bedroom; it’s now Mom’s sewing room/office. My brother was in the smallest bedroom (how he managed to get all the stuff he had in that room remains a mystery to me!).

Since the house was so small and my dad liked to stay up to watch TV, and my sisters liked to giggle a lot and talk while in bed, I always had a hard time getting to sleep so I'd just lie awake for the longest time.

My bed was nearest the bedroom door and I would sometime stare at the door and I can swear I saw it move by itself!

Sometimes I heard noises I couldn’t explain. One night I thought I saw a woman at the door of the bedroom - it wasn’t my mom, and I kept staring at the woman until she went away.


We had this little dog, Dickie; he was a Terrier/Chihuahua mix. He lived 16 years. After he died, my niece was staying at Mom and Dad’s house and she had to get up for something in the kitchen. Now the kitchen was where Dickie used to sleep in a little box made up as a bed under the kitchen table. At night he used to come out of the kitchen to wake someone up to let him out to do his business.

When my niece got to the kitchen she thought she heard Dickie moving around, and she swears she saw him come out of the kitchen - and he had died three months earlier!

About the time my brother entered the Marine Corps, Mom, Dad and my sisters went down to his graduation from boot camp; I stayed with a friend of mine in the house. Back then we had a dog named Topsey. Topsey was a quiet dog and never barked or whined much at night. But this night my friend and I were asleep in my room, and we were awakened by the most blood-curdling noise we had ever heard! It was Topsey - she had never howled like that before and it was scary! My friend and I couldn’t get out of the house fast enough. Everyone says it was probably something Topsey always did when she was alone in the house. But I think she saw something!

I remember the times we would all go visit my grandparents in Tennessee; they lived in a big old house. The house was torn down sometime in the late 70’s, my grandpa died in 1975. But I remember the upstairs part was just one big room with about 4 beds. I guess when you have 8 kids in the house you needed the space!

I remember hearing and seeing a lot of strange things. I must be some sort of medium or something because it seems I can feel the presence of ghosts in some places. I know it sounds weird but can you give me a better explanation?

The last story took place about 1982, a year after my grandma in Canada died. That’s my mom’s mom. Grandma lived with Mom’s youngest sister, who was taking care of her, and two of Mom’s brothers. Grandma died in March of 1981 and my aunt died only 8 months later! At the time of their deaths, my uncles were in the process of building on the same property as the old house, a larger and more handicap-friendly house. It was built to my aunt’s specification but neither she nor my grandmother got to live in it as it wasn’t completed until late 1982.

In ’82, I took my oldest nephew up to Vancouver to the World’s Fair that was being held there and to visit Mom’s other sister who lived there. The three of us decided to go to Saskatchewan to visit with my uncles and maybe stay in the old house one last time. I don’t remember were Mike or my aunt slept, but I slept in the small room off the living room where my grandma used to sleep. There were still a lot of her things in the room. My aunt used to sleep on a small cot just outside the room; Grandma had Alzheimer’s and could not be left alone for too long.

As I was starting to sleep, I felt like there was someone in the room with me; I wasn’t scared, instead I had a sense of peace and comfort. I felt safe. It is almost as if my grandmother and my aunt were there telling me that all was well and they were happy with their new “Home”. I had a good sleep that night!

Well, there you have it! My stories, now it's your turn. Do you have stories of strange occurrences? Tell us about them - they can be scary or funny or even comforting. ~ Pippin

09-27-05 ~ Hall of Fame #13

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 10-24-05 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Aquamarine]

I am using my first "offset border" and with it used the portion of it to make my platform for the thread.

Sounds interesting. Don't think I've ever done anything like that, still had so much to learn it seems.

[Aquamarine]

Glad you're keeping yourself nourished. I'm bad to post a graphic and say nothing. Hard to respond to that. lol

[DollyCali]

You probably have done what I did. I just don't know the right terms & am using what I think they "might be called"

FReepmail

[Darksheare]

LOL.
Well, I tend to wander aimlessly.
And typo with wild abandon.

[dutchess]

Just a quick in and out. Did another hit of theraflu and heading back to bed. Aqua...will freepmail you back about NYC once I'm 100%!!! (I DON'T do sick well!!!)

BOO!!!!!

[Darksheare]

Theraflu, uggg!
Get well soon!

[Aquamarine]

And typo with wild abandon.

So I've heard. :)

[Aquamarine]

Good Night Dutchess. Hope you feel better tomorrow.

[Darksheare]

Yes.
More so on other threads.
And, it gets worse at times.

[Billie]

My mom once in awhile will make pecan pie.

I have to make it for Thanksgiving every year; usually that's the only time I make it. It's so rich!

[deadhead]

Great thread, and very interesting. I have had a few strange, unexplainable experiences in my life....which were really weird. After my Dad died, when I was a child, there were a few times when I felt a presence in a room, not scary, just a weird feeling. Twelve years later, my brother died when he was 20, a few years later, I was driving and there was a crew of landscapers driving by me....I noticed right away that one looked like my brother and was smiling and waving to me. I waved back and it was really weird, too strange to explain. Years later, my Mom passed away. A few months after my Mom passed away, I was driving to work. Passed a car that looked just like my Mom and Step-Dad's car. And, in the passenger seat was a woman who looked just like my Mom. Again, too strange to explain. It freaked me out, having had all these strange occurrences happen to me in my life. LOL, no....I am not nuts. Several years ago, I was working at a health care center, worked with a Psychiatrist (and other Doctors). We were having lunch together one day and I decided to mention all of this to him. He told me that what happened to me is very common when you lose someone very close to you. Felt good to know that what I experienced was common :-)

I am a Christian, believe I will see my loved ones again one day. And perhaps these were all signs from my loved ones.

[Billie]

Thank you, Mr. Fox - I'm glad you could drop in this evening.

[Billie]

Thanks for coming back this evening, Aqua. I miss you - miss our sistah mails. ((((((((Aqua)))))))))))

[Billie]

Hi, Dolly - thank you for coming back, too! :) It's been unusually slow today - hope everyone gets well and the hurricanes will quit coming ashore, too. What a terrible year for catastrophes this has been. :(

[Billie]

My hand is again tightening up and bigger. Getting more difficult to key in.. need to soak it, eat some dinner & get some meds in me.. later

:( Do take care of that hand - are you soaking in Epsom Salt? Do you use ice packs, too?

[Billie]

I am using my first "offset border" and with it used the portion of it to make my platform for the thread.

Sounds interesting. Don't think I've ever done anything like that, still had so much to learn it seems.

Are you talking about a side border, like I used today? If so, you *have* used them, Aqua. :) I have fun making them, like those today - they were three little individual graphics that I put the same vignette around as the one I did for the opening, then lined them up on the left side of the solid pink bg and gave it a drop shadow. Is that sorta what you're talking about, Dolly?

[Billie]

Shudda had a Hot Toddy tonight! :) Take care, sweet sistah!

[Darksheare]

Mom also made a cheesecake that is unbelievably good.
However, it is possible to eat too much of it and make yourself sick.

[Billie]

I loved your post, Colleen. It's so plain to see that your family is very important to you and mean so much to you. Thank you for being here tonight. ((((((((((deadhead)))))))))))

[Aquamarine]

Hi DH. I've done the same thing, it's unsettling.

Have been meaning to tell you that my scanner is tore up so I can't upload any pictures right now. When we get a new scanner I'll upload my parents wedding pic. Thanks for caring.