by Sharon | Apr 5, 2016
While writing a post on my website, ChristmasGoRound.com, I started thinking about things . . . things that mysteriously move around the house . . .
The website mentioned is my Christmas website, obviously. I was discussing how older children can get in on the fun of moving the Elf on the Shelf for younger siblings . . . but if you’re not aware others are moving the Elf around . . . it could be a bit freaky.
Of course, I got thinking about Chucky . . . that sweet scary doll . . . or a clown . . . many people get creeped out by them . . .
But, it could be anything out of place that may startle us.
I’ve heard people say they like to be scared . . . but deep down I don’t believe there are many who do . . . but, of course, I could be wrong . . .
Yes, I live in a haunted house . . . yes, I get creeped out from time to time . . . all right, I’ve been scared . . .
I’ve also gone “ghost hunting” and ran out of a place screaming . . . Laughing at myself later is the fun part.
We’ve all played pranks on others from time to time.
I remember cleaning up candle wax, rolling it into a ball . . . I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I tossed it into the air so it would stick to the ceiling.
I left it there wondering how long it would take for someone to notice it.
I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I pointed it out.
“Hey look up there!” I began innocently. “I noticed just a small bit a few days ago . . . now look at it.”
This got the ball rolling. No one could take their eyes off of it.
So, little by little I added to it. Sometimes tossing another piece up and other times getting a ladder and molding another piece of wax to it.
It was fun to watch my friends walk in and immediately look up to the ceiling.
Eventually, that glob of wax fell down from the ceiling . . .
I threw it out . . . the prank was over . . . or was it?
The absence of that glob brought on quite a stir among my friends. They knew it was somewhere in the house. Not seeing it was creepier than seeing it.
Thinking about it . . . it is so true . . . in movies the music in the background is heightening your anticipation of seeing something . . . or having something jump out . . . hearing footsteps . . . the rattling of doors . . . that cold draft . . . all those things are much scarier . . . ah, maybe not . . . ghosts can be scary . . .
It’s that anticipation . . .
I remember my friends moving the furniture. Looking under the coffee table . . . they even walked around carefully . . . they didn’t want to step on that glob or even bits of the glob . . .
I never told anyone, until now about my prank . . . it eventually died out . . . but brought up from time to time . . . I do wonder if they think about it . . .
Thanks for stopping by.
What is it that you could do that would bring on that creepy feeling . . . I had thought about adding these ghouls to flat surfaces . . . first one over here . . . then one over there . . . just in odd areas around the house . . . then having another join one of the others . . .
I wasn’t thinking of doing anything uniform or predictable . . . maybe have a group together . . . It would be great to have one and make it in different poses . . . that would be creepy . . .
You could do that with plastic skeletons . . . that would be fun . . .
Or add a hat . . . a jacket or scarf . . . give him something to hold, perhaps an acorn or a button . . . even a paper clip . . .
This is just a way of adding something fun to your living space . . . maybe, if your house is haunted . . . you’ll find the ghosts want to get in on the fun, too. Or other family members . . . you never know . . .
I like keeping the Halloween spirit alive throughout the year . . . That’s the season when most people think about ghosts, ghouls, goblins . . . but throughout the year we do tell ghost stories . . . maybe these guys from Ravensblight.com could be added to your spring and summer decor.
Ray O’Bannon has a large display of these . . . creepy . . . monsters
I like to add them to his various haunted houses.
These guys could be added to cupcakes . . . cards . . . inside the coffins . . . you could even use them as bookmarks. They would be fun in mini-albums and scrapbook pages . . . You could even add them to your hostess gifts . . . you always want to share with your friends and family . . .
Let me leave you with another image . . . This one is fun . . .
It does bring some character to the old homestead doesn’t it? They’re all gathered to greet you. How lovely.
Now, wouldn’t it be nice to have them peeking out the windows . . . you’ll have to decide this as you’re constructing this old house . . .
Just click the image if you’d like the make this ‘ghost house.” I’m especially fond of it because of the hidden secret chamber . . .
This is a great house to begin your paper craft collection of haunted places . . . It is absolutely perfect as a centerpiece for your next ghost story telling gathering . . .
Maybe you and your friends could make these one evening while telling stories . . . you could combine a craft and ghost telling night . . . Someone may prefer to build a ghost ship . . . that would be fun, too. A lot of people are into the pirate theme . . .
I think you have some things to do . . . Thank you for stopping by . . .
Sharon
by Sharon | Mar 6, 2016
I Love Vintage Photographs
I wrote about this on my TwoCansOnAString.com website today. 
I usually don’t like repeating links, but I thought it appropriate to share here. I’m sure you have similar photographs in your family albums with the “shadow” of the photographer.
I’m sure this is very common throughout the world . . . or maybe just North America . . . but much depends upon how many of these have been discarded or the shadow section cut off . . . it would be interesting to know.
Although there is a logical explanation . . . it brings up thoughts of “shadow people” or something more sinister.
We are more curious of the “unseen” than the seen. We’re always looking for clues in photographs of what escapes our everyday observations. Too often we don’t see what is right before our eyes.
And then there are the sounds. We put a label on them . . . oh, that’s the neighbor or the heat turned on . . . or its the wind . . .
It’s only when things are persistent that we turn to the paranormal for an explanation . . . or something that scares us to the point of running out in the still of the night screaming.
Or huddled up under the covers . . . the blankie shield.
Anyway . . . it does make you wonder a bit . . .
Waving At Ghosts
I may have mentioned this before . . . but I do see ghosts from time to time sitting on their front porch and waving as I go by. They are aware of me . . . just as I am aware of them.
That could be creepy, but it makes me feel good. I just wish I could join them on their porch and have a bit of chat . . . but it doesn’t work that way, unfortunately.
We get snippets of information from ghosts, but most of the time we have to do research . . . or watch them . . . and take note of the various times we see them throughout the town . . . and sometimes we’re so busy with our own thoughts that we miss them completely.
Yes, I’m guilty of that.
Patricia was riding to school with her mother one morning.
She saw the ghosts on the porches waving at her, so she waved back. Her mother asked, “Who are you waving at?”
“Oh that couple sitting on their front porch.”
Concerned, her mother asked, “Do you know them?”
“No.”
Patricia didn’t tell her mother that they were ghosts . . . nor the fact that there were ghosts at school and ghosts at the market and just about everywhere throughout the town.
This wasn’t a topic her mother wanted to discuss.
She did, however, discourage Patricia from waving at strangers.
This was sad . . . because the ghosts were no longer waiting for her on their front porches.
When Patricia was old enough to drive herself to school, she once again waved at the ghosts sitting on their porches. She also spent more time at the cemetery. This was where she could openly try to communicate with them.
She would do her homework under a tree and ask for ghosts to show themselves to her.
They would stroll by on occasion.
She tried capturing EVPs and even pictures . . . without success.
This is all too true for many of us.
Then, one day she heard about a seance a friend of hers was having . . . since her parents were going to be gone for the weekend.
Well, things didn’t go as planned.
Patricia thought she was joining a small group of other girls . . . but boys were invited or they invited themselves . . . a Ouija board was brought in . . . and there was no psychic to conduct the seance.
With this change of plans, Patricia was tempted to leave . . . but with peer pressure . . . she stayed.
We do have wonderful hind-sight . . . too bad at a young age we allow others to influence our behavior than relying on our own common sense.
The Ouija session started out as usual. Is anyone there? What’s your name? Will Patricia and Josh get married? The usual questions.
Then, things changed when Alex wanted proof that the spirit was real. “Prove yourself,” he said. “Move something in the room.”
Alex continued his taunting until there was a huge swirl of energy knocking furniture over and pictures off the walls.
That got everyone running out the door, including Alex.
But Patricia wasn’t moving. Her friend dialed 9-1-1.
Patricia recovered from her head injury. But there was something different about Patricia . . . she changed in behavior and attire. She was possessed, or so it seemed. She would cock her head to one side as though she was listening to someone.
She knew things . . . the outcome of the homecoming game . . . the drug bust that was being planned the next day. Patricia became very popular. She didn’t have close friendships, everyone was her friend . . . including the drug dealers and the popular crowd. She didn’t care who she hurt or benefited by her information.
Actually, Patricia didn’t have any friends. She became a loner . . . a recluse . . . an outcast in many respects. She kept up with her school work and was a model student . . . and a perfect child as far as her parents were concerned.
It was the internal torment she felt within her mind and body . . . Patricia was gone . . . replaced by a spirit of some sort . . . completely missed by her parents, teachers and former friends . . . they couldn’t see what was right in front of them . . .
No one saw it . . . no one came forward to help . . . and Patricia was helpless to help herself. She had no future . . . no goals or aspirations . . .
It was difficult for Patricia to concentrate on that night with the Ouija Board . . . the supposed seance . . . she couldn’t remember what was asked, but she knew Alex was tormenting and challenging . . . her . . . not the old Patricia, but the new Patricia . . .
Well, you can imagine what went on . . . Alex was the target . . . and Alex was going to suffer . . . and suffer he did. He shattered his kneecap in a freak accident — no longer able to play football or any other sport he enjoyed. There went his college scholarship. He also lost his girlfriend . . . his parents were on him to make something of himself.
Even after Alex died from a drug overdose . . . the entity didn’t leave Patricia . . . there was always a new target . . .
Patricia lived a long life . . . she did go to college . . . she did work in the corporate world . . . she never married . . . she was very successful . . . destroyed her competitors . . . and was finally free when she died at the age of 98.
I have no way of knowing if the entity found a new vessel to possess . . . a nurse, a doctor . . . a paramedic . . . a child visiting someone in the hospital . . . a young mother or father . . . another high school student . . . a new born . . .
And maybe it returned to explore the possibilities . . . when someone played with a Ouija board.
by Sharon | Mar 20, 2015
There are plenty of paranormal stories about bridges in the forest and elsewhere.
Joe and a few of his buddies were going on a motorcycle trip into the mountains. They reserved a large cabin near a lake so they could do some fishing. As college students, they also planned to hit the books. They thought the change of scenery would be good for them.
I know many of you are thinking college guys, motorcycles, woods, fishing didn’t equal studying, but Joe and his friends were serious about their studies and their future. They had a schedule.
Ben and Pete didn’t have motorcycles, but Ben had a van. They loaded it up with fishing gear and ice chests of non-alcoholic beverages and food. They also had bags of snack food. They had planned to cook outdoors, but the cabin was well equipped with a kitchen.
“I don’t know much about this place,” Pete began. “I’ve heard about this creepy bridge in the forest we have to cross to get to the cabins in the woods.”
“Yeah? Well, I’ve heard about those woods and devil worshippers, but I think it’s just an urban legend to keep people away.”
“I don’t doubt that, but this bridge has me a little worried.”
Ben and Pete spoke for awhile, but stopped when they approached the bridge. They saw Joe and Harry crossing the bridge and then disappear as though in thin air.
“Where did they go?” Ben asked.
Pete didn’t answer, he just looked straight ahead. He was terrified of bridges, but didn’t want Ben to know.
They continued across the bridge, then saw Kevin and Larry. They pulled along beside them.
“Have you seen Joe and Harry?”
“Yeah, they went on up to the cabin. They told us to wait for you.”
“I guess nothing’s wrong,” Ben said. “Must have been some optical illusion.”
Pete agreed, but he wasn’t too sure. He had his doubts about the trip and wished he’s stayed at the dorms.
After unloading the van and getting settled in the cabin. Pete began feeling better. Joe made fried chicken with baked potatoes and green beans. The TV was tuned to a sports channel, some of the guys had books open and a few were watching the game.
At dinner, Ben mentioned the optical illusion he saw on the bridge.
“I’ve been coming here for years,” Joe said. “I’ve seen the same thing. My mom was ready to get a search party for Dad when she saw him disappear on the bridge.”
No explanation was given, but Joe said very seriously, “Don’t go out in the woods after dark.”
For any other group, this would have been a challenge to see what was out there, but these guys didn’t have anything to prove to themselves or each other. They came to study and to fish. That was their only agenda.
Joe and Ben were talking while the others were studying. A scraping sound was heard on one of the walls.
“Are there rats in the walls?” Pete asked.
“No, not rats,” Joe said. “This place is haunted. Always has been. That’s how we got it so cheap and on short notice.”
The guys didn’t know how to react, many laughed, thinking Joe was pulling their leg. But as the night progressed, they heard and saw things that almost sent them running out in the night. They heard footsteps. Then the whispering. The loud banging on the door unnerved the group of young men.
“All right, Joe,” Harry said. “You’re going too far. We have exams to study for and we came out here to study and relax. This ghost nonsense isn’t helping.”
“Look guys, I’m not doing anything. I told you the place is haunted. Just get through the night and all will be fine in the morning. We’ll go fishing and then things will calm down. Don’t give in to your fears.”
No one wanted to admit their fears, but during the night each man was faced with them. Pete had to face his fear of bridges and experience in a dream his death when he crossed it to return home. The others were confronted with their fear of failure and not being good enough to succeed in the business world. They were tortured throughout the night seeing their lives destroyed in various ways in their dreams.
Before dawn Joe awoke the group with the wonderful smell of coffee, bacon and eggs, hash brown potatoes and orange juice.
“What is this place?” Harry asked. “I had terrible dreams all night. I don’t feel much like fishing this morning. I have to hit the books, then return to the dorms.”
The others grunted in agreement.
“All right,” Joe said. “I brought you here to share success with you. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. My mom saw the same thing you saw on the bridge. She was afraid and had a terrible nightmare. She faced her fears and now owns a chain of dress stores that bring in millions of dollars each year. She was able to achieve more than she imagined. She attributes it to this cabin and what it taught her.”
“So what are you say?” Pete asked.
“You got through the night. You don’t have to go fishing, but you do need to face your fears and put them behind you. You can succeed in whatever you put your mind to. I find fishing relaxing and I do a lot of thinking out on the lake while fishing. You can suit yourself.”
Harry cleaned up the breakfast dishes while the guys went fishing. He wanted to stay behind to think through his dreams and walk through the woods.
By the end of the day, each young man came to terms with their fears and studied in earnest. They were amazed how clearly they thought and how everything seemed to come together for them effortlessly. There was indeed something magical about the cabin and the woods and the creepy old bridge that changed these young men for the better.
Is this possible?
Paranormal experiences affect people in many ways. It’s all a matter of how we use them to our advantage.
©Sharon Harvey March, 2015
https://oldhauntedstuff.com
by Sharon | Dec 8, 2014
I don’t know these ladies nor where they were when this selfie was taken, but I can only imagine their surprise when they took a good look at it. The ghostly figure looks happy enough. I guess she was having a good time, too.
It may give some people pause and others a bit of a fright. There are also nay-sayers who will claim it’s fake. That’s fine, too. I’m wondering why the image is so small compared to the women in the picture. It makes me wonder if there was a picture on the wall behind them or some sort of reflection.
I do find the picture interesting . . . I have no real explanation . . . I can’t answer my own questions. I don’t like to think everything is a fake, but this doesn’t ring true to me, but what do I know. I could be taking a selfie one day and get the same type of thing and need to go through all kinds of explaining . . .
Well, real or fake it’s interesting. I do have a story, of course I do 🙂
Here’s Jake’s Story and why he now believes in ghosts.
He was up at his family’s cabin in Michigan with some friends on a Saturday night. He was afraid of the woods at night. Not that he believed in ghosts, but he was uncomfortable with what could be out there that he couldn’t see. It makes sense to me.
He began talking brave about the woods and such, so his friends decided to call his bluff. They bet that he couldn’t go out in the middle of the woods alone to a particular old logging site that is told to have a single grave with a candle that is always burning.
Jake wasn’t going to admit he was just “talking big” so he agreed. The proof was to take a selfie at the grave.
As he walked through the woods with a flashlight in one hand and his cell phone in the other, he thought about the cute animals that would be in the forest. He didn’t want to jump out of his skin when he heard the “hoot” of an owl.
The woods were quiet. He could hear the crunching of dead leaves and small twigs with every step he took.
He did find the grave, but the candle was not lit. He lit the candle and snapped the selfie.
Jake thought he heard someone talking. He looked around, but could see nothing. He thought a lone grave out in the middle of the woods was activating his imagination. He was curious, but also didn’t want to see anyone out in the woods — real or spirit.
He heard something fall with a loud thump. He looked around. Then he saw a man walking around in circles, like he was looking for something he lost. The strange thing was that his footsteps didn’t make any sound among the dead leaves and twigs.
Jake took off running for the safety of the cabin with the selfie to prove to his friends.
Sorry to report that there was nothing with him in his selfie snap shot.
©Sharon Harvey 12/2014
https://oldhauntedstuff.com
by Sharon | Jul 27, 2014
I love making things out of paper using Free Templates.
Occasionally I run across something that grabs my attention and just won’t let go. I know there are many products to buy that create some interesting haunted scenes, but something you can make either for yourself or friends seems to be much more meaningful and fun.
Yes it’s paper and it’s a craft, but it’s a fun project. I found while I was working on it that I remembered some creepy stories others have shared about an old house that had been abandoned for years. Every town seems to have one . . . some people seem to have one in their own neighborhood . . . or when you were a kid, you had to pass it on your way to school. You’d swear someone was inside and walked across the window way at the top. The longer you stood there your imagination went into high gear scaring you into action to run all the way to school.
This craft haunted house is just the thing that will do it.
The image and free templates are compliments of http://www.ravensblight.com
The secret chamber really sold me on this Haunted House. It’s a bonus where you can hide some mysterious treasure that could be anything from a newspaper article or something you picked up while ghost hunting. It could be a secret room used for all kinds of rituals and séances or a nice dry cozy place to keep potions and dry herbs.
For me, its a place for me to create something I could find in a basement or others have found in basements of old houses that give you the eerie creepy feeling about those who have once lived there and the spirits that still do.
Here are the free templates:
Haunted House Assembly Instructions
The Haunted House
There’s an old abandoned house just a few miles away from my house that has a colorful history.
It has the picket fence out front. This seemed to be the quaint lifestyle of the 1950’s and earlier. It separated your yard from the sidewalk. Although it was a low fence with an unlocked gate, it gave a sense of privacy and a little security if you had a small child or puppy that ran out the front door.
This particular house was owned by a science professor at the college. He lived there for many years with his wife and their four sons. This isn’t a mad scientist story, but one about giving. He planted his garden every year and turned it into a sort of Victory Garden where students came and even planted new sections of crops to share with others. Neighbors even got in on it and welcomed the help of students and invited them to add to their gardens. When it came time to harvest, students and neighbors got together to share in the bounty and the canning process.
The professor’s hands-on approach to botany made his college courses popular. His wife got involved with growing herbs. She had an herb garden that brought with it another element she hadn’t planned or knew existed. It was introduced to her by her eldest son’s girlfriend.
The town has rumors of satanic cults and witch’s covens along with other related secret societies. The professor’s sons got involved with these individuals and they initially thought they were doing something beneficial for the professor and their mother. It all seemed harmless and was related to botany.
Herbs were dried and labeled in the basement. Next potions were made by the professor’s wife and the many young girls who visited the old place. They sold these potions throughout the county to help with sleeping and all sorts of ailments. The most popular were love potions which were advertised and sold through the mail.
This worked out to be a lucrative business for the professor, his family and their growing number of friends. Then the unthinkable happened.
Someone died after ingesting the herbs she was sent.
There was a full investigation. All the herbs were confiscated. The professor and his wife were arrested. The house was also confiscated turning out the boys to fend for themselves or move in with friends or relatives.
There was no evidence that the herbs on the professor’s property led to the death of the woman, but someone did have tainted herbs bottled and labeled like those sold by the professor’s family.
By the time the professor and his wife were released from jail, his life was ruined. The college wouldn’t give him his job back. They wouldn’t hire him to do anything. He had hoped he could be a consultant in his early retirement, but that wasn’t going to work out for the professor.
His wife’s business pursuits were ruined by the allegations, even though proven false.
Desperate people turn to desperate means.
They joined forces with a satanic cult, which many believed set up the professor and his wife originally.
They returned to their home, their sons returned home as well. Along with that came the cult and the various activities that took place in the house and the property.
Neighbors moved out and the professor bought the property around him with the assistance of his new associates and business partners.
The professor, with the help of his family, started their own produce market. Once the market was thriving, the professor and his family mysteriously disappeared.
It is believed the cult took over the market, but the old house was abandoned and has been empty for years.
There have been rumors of lights mysteriously turning on and off. Strange visitors have been seen entering the old house after midnight. The sounds heard during the early morning hours “are not human.” There have also been sightings of hooded figures chanting and leading a procession down the street and disappearing in the field of the professor’s property.
It is believed that the original two acre parcel belonging to the professor is haunted. The neighboring acreage had been sold. These new owners scoff at the rumors and sightings.
I personally wouldn’t want to live near that old house, there is, however, a part of me that would like to see the old place fixed up and brought back as a tribute to the botany professor who did so much good for the community in the early 1900’s.
If you like the old Haunted House and want to add something to it, here’s a great cemetery you can make:
Image and Free Templates Compliments of http://www.ravensblight.com
Hidden Cemetery Assembly Instructions
The Hidden Cemetery
I bring out the old haunted house and the hidden cemetery as a centerpiece on my dining room table for the fall. I enjoy looking at it and I especially enjoy knowing I made it and also made others for friends and family.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the Haunted House story I have above, but it does have something to do with the Haunted House Craft. Many old houses had family cemeteries on their property. You may be able to add some spooky effects to make it look like low hanging fog and ghosts lingering in the cemetery — add bats and owls in the trees — maybe a black cat on the fence and pumpkins outside on the cobblestone walkway. Some trick-or-treaters may be a nice touch, too. This is excellent food for thought to get your imagination in high gear.
Oh my! I did forget something valuable . . . the occupants of your great Haunted House!
MicroMonsters1
MicroMonsters2
©Sharon Harvey 7/2014
http://www.oldhauntedstuff.com
