by Sharon | Aug 22, 2018
I met some friends at our local coffee shop. Some dabble in ghost hunting — some more serious than others.
I like hearing of their ghostly adventures . . . and I’m rather fond of the blueberry muffins.
My friend, Barbara brought along her nephew Joel.
He seemed nervous.
After the introductions, Barbara told Joel to start at the beginning. Joel is a college student.
He decided to give us a description of the room he was in when his unexpected visitor appeared. The back room, they use as a TV room was added on to the back of the house about five years ago. From the living room, there’s an archway and you step down three steps into the back room. There are windows across the back of the room and a door on the right to the backyard. There’s a couch under the windows, a loveseat is against the wall to the right with the back door and to the left are bookcases and a couple of chairs with a table and lamp between them. Mounted on the wall to the right of the archway is a widescreen TV. There is a coffee table in front of the couch. Nothing is in front of the loveseat.
Joel was standing in front of the couch, bent down to pick up the remote from the coffee table. When he pointed it at the TV, in the reflection of the TV screen was a tall man wearing overalls and a straw hat, holding a shovel or hoe, standing behind the couch, right behind Joel. The curtains on the windows were closed, because it was night.
Joel stood still for a few minutes staring at the man reflected in the TV screen.
He slowly turned around to see if someone really was behind him. As happens so often, as soon as he turned his head to look, the man was gone.
Joel ran from the room, to join the rest of the family in the kitchen, looking at old photo albums. He tells his mother, Barbara’s sister, what he saw and to his surprise she smiles and walks away.
Joel just stood there, still in shock from his encounter. He watched pictures being passed around. There was an old yellowed newspaper article with a grainy black and white picture that he swears fell from the ceiling and landed in the middle of the table.
According to Joel, it was like the whole world stopped. He pointed to the picture and yelled, “That’s him!”
Barbara took the newspaper clipping from her purse and passed it around the table. Evidently, the man was found dead in his backyard, apparently from a heart attack, working in his garden. This garden is now the TV room.
Joel’s mother had seen the gentleman several times over the years. She usually saw him in the backyard before they added the TV room. At times she saw him in various areas of the house — this had been his home. She knew a man died on the property when they bought the place, but that didn’t bother Joel’s parents.
Barbara couldn’t explain where the newspaper article came from, but it was appropriate to note that the date of the newspaper article was August 20, 1968 — 50 years ago Monday.
We made a point of going to the cemetery and looking up this gentleman’s gravesite to place flowers and to let him know that he is remembered.
Joel is still uncomfortable. It will take him some time to come to terms with this unexpected visitor. He is actually no stranger to the paranormal . . . but it’s the newspaper clipping that has him creeped out.
I would feel the same way. How about you?
Leave me a comment, tell your friends about TwoCansOnAString.com and come back and visit us again soon!!
Sharon
by Sharon | Aug 3, 2018
I’m confident that many of you who have dabbled into the paranormal have had an experience or two that either still shocks you . . . or tickles you . . . and perhaps a little bit of both . . .
This Real Ghost Story happened quite a few years ago. I found it amusing and thought you may enjoy it as well.
Hey!! It’s not every day you encounter a ghost who gets offended and reacts in a non-ladylike manner . . .
I was in a restaurant with a friend, who is quite psychic.
I noticed a woman who kept rubbing her right foot on the carpeting . . . actually she did have her shoe on . . . and it seemed as though she was trying to get something off of it — perhaps she stepped in something . . .
This seemed odd. Not just the behavior, but that she was there one moment and gone the next.
I decided to concentrate on my meal and be polite to my dinner companion — Michael. Then, once again I saw that woman was back rubbing her right foot on the carpeting. I mentioned it to Michael.
He was so cool that he immediately turned around. Oh good grief!! I couldn’t believe it!!
And he did see her!!!
Now, if you want to know something, just ask . . . but not in the middle of dinner — oh good grief
Michael asked the waitress if she knew anything about the history of the land before the restaurant was built. She was new to the area and asked the manager to come to our table.
Well, we did find out that the whole area was once a pasture . . . a cow pasture . . . Need I continue?
And the ghostly apparition had evidently stepped in it . . . and was now cleaning her shoe.
It struck me as funny!
I burst out laughing!!
Now, if I had been embarrassed by Michael’s behavior . . . mine took the prize! But more than that, the ghostly woman, in her fine attire of two centuries ago came up to me . . . I could feel the chill of her icy stare . . . and without warning — all right, that isn’t true . . . I knew the woman was upset. She slapped me!! That’s right!! Slapped me right across the face . . . an open handed “bitch slap”.
Yes, I was shocked! But, more importantly you’re probably wondering if I felt the slap . . .
Yeah!!
It felt as though I was hit in the face with a bag of ice.
Michael could see the imprint of the ghostly hand print as my face reddening . . . Yes, from the slap . . . and perhaps embarrassment, too.
It was absolutely amazing . . .
Michael was caught in one of those catch 22 situations, be consoling to me or be astonished that a ghost
“bitch slapped” me.
“Go ahead, Michael, it’s all right,” I said calmly.
He burst out laughing . . . and so did I.
Then, I quickly looked around for the refined ghost . . . but she was gone. I truly did not want a repeat performance . . . unless it happened to Michael . . . nah . . . but . . . it’s just one of those things you have to experience . . . and I wouldn’t want to deprive him of the experience.
As we were leaving . . .
And I was waiting for Michael to open the door . . . I’m not all that women’s lib . . . I enjoy gentlemanly gestures.
I looked at Michael . . . he was frozen in place . . . his eyes wide open . . .
I helped him outside . . . and to the car . . . and saw the ghostly apparition off in the distance . . . watching . . . She had a broad smile on her face . . .
I looked at Michael . . . back at the apparition . . . back to Michael . . .
He said through clenched teeth, “She goosed me, right up the . . .” (We don’t have to go there . . . I think you got the drift of it.)
I heard a laugh . . . a laugh that echoed through the air long after the apparition disappeared.
I didn’t join in her merriment . . . Michael looked so pathetic . . . and I was still chilled from the slap.
I often wonder what the other patrons in the restaurant thought while all of this was going on — the apparition cleaning her shoe, my being slapped, Michael being goosed . . . Did they see anything paranormal . . . or just thought Michael and I were odd . . .
In retrospect . . . what did I learn from this experience?
For one, don’t tick off a ghost by laughing at her after stepping in a “cow patty”.
And, there are ghosts who will interact with you . . . maybe not in a kind manner . . . (just ask Michael) . . . but then again, if I had been more kind . . . Being insensitive to a ghost is rude . . . especially one who was all dressed up and obviously upset by her situation of trying to clean off her shoe
I didn’t know anything about her. She may have been “someone” in this town, so . . . how dare I laugh at her unfortunate situation . . .
Well, I hope you enjoyed this Real Ghost Story and share it with a friend or two.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jul 3, 2018
You’re driving down a road in an older part of town.
You spot an interesting old house.
You want to get out of the car and explore the house . . . it may be haunted . . . do you really want to go inside . . . Are you prepared for what you’ll see?
I’ve always wondered what is worse . . . seeing something . . . or hearing something . . . something you know is there?
You sense it is just a few steps away from you . . . but you don’t know what it is . . . or where it is.
That’s the way Sam felt . . . he just bought a house . . .
His friends joked about it being haunted. Oh yes, everyone knew about the stories, but being a skeptic, Sam dismissed it as paranormal poppycock. He bought the house at an excellent price in an excellent location. It was definitely a dream come true. He was a homeowner!!
His friends helped him move in. It was a busy day for Sam . . . he took all the joking and ribbing about his house being haunted in stride . . . but after his friends left . . . he wasn’t too sure. Sam did fall asleep on his couch . . .
He woke up with a stiff neck, but went up to his bedroom . . . stretched out on his bed and fell asleep.
About two or three in the morning, Sam heard a loud thump . . . it seemed to be coming from downstairs . . .
He was sure it was his buddies who helped him move in. They probably returned to scare him. No way was Sam going to fall for that!!
Sam decided he was going to stay in his bed and let them come to him . . . he reached for his hockey stick, but it wasn’t where he knew he left it . . . He shook away the drowsiness of sleep. He waited . . . tried to clear his mind. Sam realized he was holding his breath. He was listening . . . and he felt his whole body tense up.
He felt a chill. He was sure the room was getting colder. He tried to get out of bed, but couldn’t move . . . something was holding him down . . .
Sam knew this was ridiculous — he was a skeptic . . . there was no such thing as haunting . . . he must be dreaming . . . sleep paralysis . . .
If this was a dream, then Sam was determined to control it. All he had to do was turn on the light, the lamp on the night table . . . Just reach out . . . Sam scolded himself. Shake it off! There’s no such things as ghosts.
There it was again! Bump, thud, scrape. Bump, thud, scrape. Bump, thud, scrape. Oh good, Sam thought, it’s moving down the stairs. He breathed a sign of relief.
Oh my gosh! Sam just realized . . . whatever it was WAS in the bedroom with him and it was holding him down!!
Sam threw back the blankets and reached for the light. The closet door was open — he reached for his hockey stick . . . and crept down the stairs. He noticed he was tip-toeing. So much for being a skeptic . . . he smelled the aroma of coffee. There was a bang of a heavy skillet being put on the stove. He could hear the sizzling of bacon . . .
He was going to rush into the kitchen with hockey stick in hand in a menacing gesture to catch his buddies in the act . . . of cooking breakfast . . .
Then Sam heard singing . . . a woman singing . . .
“Oh what a beautiful morning . . . humming . . . Oh what a beautiful day . . . humming . . . I’ve got a beautiful feeling . . . humming . . . ”
Sam found himself singing along with her, “Everything’s going my way . . .”
He set down the hockey stick . . . he heard the cracking of eggs.
He heard the last line of the song again, “Everything’s going my way . . .”
What? Sam wondered. If everything’s going her way . . . what does she mean?
This was his house!! He picked up his hockey stick walked into the kitchen to confront the intruder.
He flicked on the light. Nothing. Just the lingering aroma of coffee, bacon and eggs. And the faint sound of humming . . . and the bump, thud, scrape echoing as it went up the stairs.
Even for a skeptic, it wasn’t difficult for Sam to realize he did indeed have a ghost living in his house . . . and his friends were right . . . he bought a real haunted house!
Just to rub salt in the wound a little . . . Sam realized how his ghost got the upper hand? He was awake, out of his comfortable bed, branishing a hockey stick in an empty kitchen during the wee hours of the morning.
Now Sam was fully aware of the meaning of the song lyrics: “Everything’s going my way!”
Was that a chuckle coming from the bedroom?
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jun 27, 2018
There are many urban legends and downright scary stories about driving down a country road — running out of gas, seeing No Trespassing signs, seeing a ghost . . .
This real ghost story is a bit different — and maybe familiar. Yes, there is a ghost involved and a cemetery — an interesting combination.
Normally, I’ve heard, ghosts don’t hang out at cemeteries. They’re busy haunting houses and hospitals, nursing homes, etc. They may be looking for closure . . . and some don’t realize they’re dead. That’s the strange thing . . . when you’re not sure you saw a ghost or not.
Yes, this is my story — one of many real ghostly encounters.
This “ghostly encounter” took place years ago — I would say 35 to 40 years ago. I was driving down this country road, lost in thought . . . and lost.
I obviously made a wrong turn somewhere along the way. There were miles and miles of farm land. Fields of I don’t know what. I did see abandoned trucks and tractors in a field here and there. An old barn falling apart. Yes, there were “no trespassing” signs scattered here and there . . . and an old cemetery. There were a few cards parked outside. There was a funeral going on. I thought I’d stop and ask for directions after the ceremony.
For some reason I parked my car, got out and began walking among the headstones.
One caught my eye, it was overgrown with weeds. I started clearing the weeds away. The date on the headstone was 1849, 100 years before I was born. The death date was my birthday . . .
I felt a chill . . . more like a tingle . . . it wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t comforting either. The name on the headstone was nothing familiar to me or similar to my name at all — we didn’t share the same initials — just the death day (my birthday) and the year (100 years before I was born).
As I was clearing away the weeds, I was basically talking to myself and wondering who this woman was and what her life was like . . . I also wondered if there was a connection — besides her death day was my birthday with a 100 year gap.
Obviously, I was a bit fixated on it — as I am now recalling my paranormal experience.
I heard a voice behind me. “Hello. Thank you for clearing away my grave.”
I thought I heard her wrong or maybe it was “her grave” in regards to being a relative.
I immediately stood up and apologized for intruding . . . but no one was there. But off in the distance, I did see a woman walking away. I ran to catch up with her.
I was so caught up in what had happened that I didn’t ask for directions, but I wanted to know about the woman who’s grave I just cleared.
The woman seemed very relaxed and spoke of “Margaret”, the woman who died in 1849 as though it was yesterday.
“It was a beautiful day and a lovely ceremony. Paul, Margaret’s husband was devastated. Their four young children — the youngest at home . . . Margaret died in childbirth. It was a girl . . . ”
My head was whirling with questions — was this woman Margaret or the daughter — but that would make her over 100 years old — it wasn’t possible . . . maybe the granddaughter of Margaret???
Would she refer to herself in the third person if this woman beside me was Margaret??
I didn’t care if this woman thought I was a bit coo-coo . . . so I just asked, “Are you Margaret? The woman who died in childbirth?”
She did laugh, but not in a cruel way, “Of course I am!”
Oh my gosh!!! She was a ghost!!! She had to be . . . or she was goofing with me.
“So . . . ” I began, but stopped. I couldn’t take in the fact that I was seeing and having a conversation with a ghost . . . So I did what I do when I’m nervous . . . I started babbling about how I was looking for my grandmother’s house which had been bought and moved out in the country. “I must have made a wrong turn and I ended up here. I found this overgrown grave and started clearing away the weeds . . . and now . . .”‘
“I brought you here.”
“What? Why?”
“You passed your grandmother’s house a few miles back. You wouldn’t recognize it, the beautiful porch is gone and I didn’t think it would be right for you to see it. Keep your memories of how it once was and the good times you shared there with your grandmother.”
And then she was gone!! Gone, gone . . . I didn’t see her walk away, she just vanished.
I did see a ghost . . . she did do me a favor by not allowing me to see how my grandmother’s house had changed with the move . . . I suppose I did her a favor by clearing her grave of weeds . . .
But . . . I believe I received so very much more than she received from me . . . Or, perhaps, it was mutual to a degree of a ghost being able to have a conversation with a living person . . . a conversation, just like one would have with another living person . . .
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jun 8, 2018
Natalie and Mark found an old rocking chair on the side of the road.
It was old, but in perfect condition.
They picked it up, put it in the back of the truck and continued on to town to run their errands.
You may be thinking that picking up the rocking chair was an ill-advised decision for Mark and Natalie. I agree.
There are many items from furniture to jewelry that have been known to be “haunted.”
But . . . Natalie and Mark’s story turned out to be different.
Yes, they did pick up the rocking chair and set it in the bed of their truck and went on about the business they had in town.
When they returned to their truck . . . the rocking chair was gone . . . evidently someone stole it.
A few weeks later, when Mark and Natalie were returning to town, they once again saw the rocking chair on the side of the road.
They didn’t stop to pick it up, but agreed if it was still there on their way home, they’d pick it up and take it home.
Natalie thought it was an omen that the rocker was meant for them. She knew where she wanted to place it in her house.
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a creepy feeling about that rocking chair — the same creepy feeling I got when Natalie and Mark were telling me of their experience.
Yes, the rocking chair was still there and, of course, they picked it up, took it home and placed it in their home.
That night, Natalie couldn’t sleep. She made a hot cup of cocoa, sat in the rocker and relaxed sipping her cocoa and thinking of planting her garden and thoughts of burning down their farmhouse.
Disturbed, Natalie immediately got up, cleaned her mug and as she glanced over at the rocking chair on her way upstairs, she saw an old woman with white hair rocking in the chair and laughing . . .
She felt momentarily paralyzed . . . she called to Mark, but no sound escaped her lips . . . Natalie couldn’t remember what happened, but when Mark woke up, he found his wife sleeping on the staircase.
Over breakfast she told Mark what she remembered of the night before.
They decided to move the rocking chair out of the house.
They completed their chores about the farm and when they returned to the house . . . the rocker was inside and rocking . . . They both swear they heard laughter.
Mark decided to take the rocker outside, take an axe to it and scatter the pieces out into the woods near their home. But Mark’s truck wouldn’t start. He decided to take the rocker pieces to a clearing on the farm and burn the pieces, but the rocker would not burn.
He then dug a hole and put the pieces in it . . . only to find the rocker back in the farmhouse.
Mark and Natalie were frightened. They had no idea what to do next . . . except leave their home . . .
They did contact a psychic. They didn’t care if the psychic believed them or not. They were desperate to get rid of that rocker . . . and save their farm. Natalie was sure that old woman ghost was going to burn down the farmhouse and they didn’t want to be inside when she did it.
Well, the psychic believed their story. She had experienced other “haunted” or “possessed” items and knew a simple cleansing wouldn’t work for them. She contacted a priest for advice.
He would not perform an exorcism. He didn’t want to have anything to do it. The psychic and the young couple felt as though the priest knew more than he was telling them. They had no other choice but to sell the farm . . . and take what personal belongings they could pack and store in a storage unit until they sold the farm.
Fortunately, they did sell the farm . . . with the rocking chair inside . . .
They never picked up anything on the side of the road again . . . but a few years later, they drove by the farmhouse . . . only to find it had been burned to the ground.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
