Things That go Bump in the Night

Good afternoon everyone! It's a lovely (not) fall day here in Michigan and I'm wishing I were back in Cape Cod where we spent 10 glorious days two weeks ago with temps no lower than 70! We stayed in an oceanfront cottage my friend's mom owns and it was absolutely an amazing vacation. For many reasons, and one of which is my blog for today.

Our second night there we (hubby, myself, daughter and son-in-law to be) were all sitting in the living room watching tv. I happened to glance up and saw an old man standing the bedroom doorway. He was not translucent, he was solid. I didn't freak out, didn't scream, faint or swoon as this type of stuff has happened to me too many times in my life to even make me blink an eye nowadays.

I stared at him and noticed he was scowling at me. He had white-gray hair and was wearing a dark blue, almost black suit with the hint of a white dress shirt at the neckline. For about 15 seconds we continued to watch one another, then as fast as he was there, he vanished.

I didn't say anything to the family right away cause I know my daughter would pass kittens! (Yes, she's my drama queen) So about 10 minutes later, I said "I don't want to freak anyone out, but there was a man standing in the bedroom doorway a few minutes ago." Yes, you guessed it, she freaked!!! (Remember, this is the same child who yelled at me when I fell on the ice last winter)

My family was a bit concerned about our visitor but seeing as I wasn't upset, they chose not to be. Except Amanda. She kept staring at the doorway all evening long. I will admit though when I went to bed later than night I was apprehensive he might reappear and startle me in the dark, but nope, nothing happened.

The next day we went into Sandwich to tour the glass museum. While there, I happened upon a photograph of a man in uniform. The uniform looked alot like what the man at the cottage had been wearing. Could it be????

I checked with the homeowner and she said no one including herself had ever seen anything. But the cottage had been housing for military families back during World War 2. Which was way before they ever owned it. And to date she had never heard that anyone died there.

So who knows. Was he a soldier back from the dead visiting? Or maybe someone entirely different. His age would be correct if he had died in later years. My grandfather was in WW2 and he is 90 now. I'm not sure who he was, and part of me wishes I could see him again and ask him. But it's highly unlikely I will get the chance.

During my life I have had many visits from deceased family members, and also two not so wonderful out-of-body experiences when I was going through chemotherapy. Those I hope to never repeat. They were more frightening than seeing a ghost.

But with Halloween right around the corner, it's the perfect time to sidle up to a spirit and ask what questions come to mind. You never know, it might make for a great next novel.

Happy haunting all!
Patti

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Hey everyone, well it's been a week since I've been back from a wonderful vacation on Cape Cod and wanted to share with you something that happened while the family and I were there. We stayed in a cottage my friend's mom owns right on the ocean on the Atlantic. The ocean is right over the sand dune off the deck. It's the closest you can get to paradise in my opinion.

We arrived late on Thursday night and went straight to bed. Friday evening we (meaning hubby, daughter Amanda and her fiance James) were sitting in the living room watching tv when I happened to glance up at the bedroom door (the room hubby and I shared). There was an old man standing in the doorway. He had whitish color hair, very grizzled looking and had a scowl on his face. He wore what I thought was a dark blue or black suit and I could see a white shirt collar at the top.

I stared at him for about 15 seconds then he was gone. He disappeared as fast as he came. I didn't say anything for a few minutes, just digested what I had seen. Now this sort of thing is not uncommon for me. It doesn't freak me out or send me screaming for cover. I've had this happen to me too many times over the past years to count. What it did do was make me wonder who he was and why pop in now.

I waited about 10 minutes and calmly said to my daughter - "Don't freak out but..." well she leaped out of her chair thinking I was talking about a spider. The cottage had a few of those and Amanda is deathly afraid of them. But no, I finished with "There was a man in the bedroom door just a few minutes ago." My hubby and James looked at me oddly, as Amanda stared at the bedroom door. She kept asking me why I was so calm, why wasn't I having a fit. Because it didn't scare me. A couple hours later, I went to bed and all was quiet.

Two days later, we are at the breakfast table and hubby announces, "Weirdest thing happened last night." Amanda is on full freak out alert again. "I was getting into bed, and a few seconds later, I swear I felt something tug at the bottom of the bedsheets at the foot of the bed by my feet. Twice," hubby says.

Now Amanda wants me to call Mrs. G and ask about the cottage. Did anyone die there? Any ghost stories? Who lived there before. I refused. That's the last thing someone wants to hear. Plus people who don't believe are sometimes very sceptical of those who do.

We spent the day at the Sandwich Glass museum and as I was wandering through the exhibits I cam across a portrait of a soldier. His uniform caught my eye immediately. It was almost exactly what the apparition in the cottage was wearing. Dark blue, almost black with the hint of a white shirt collar at the top. Could it be my ghost was in the military?

A few days later we learned that the cottage was over 50 years old, but had burned down in 1998 due to an electrical fire. No one was hurt and it was rebuilt as it is today. Originally the cottages were built as housing for the military back in World War 2. Then sold off after the war ended.

I wish I could say I had something really exciting to relate that a whole family of ghosts inhabit the place, but that's not the case. But was the man I saw a soldier in the war back then? I don't know and I doubt I will ever know.

If nothing else, it gives me an idea for a new book and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. I do love my paranormals and you might just see this one on the shelves sometime.

Until next week, enjoy the fall weather. Here in Michigan it's been raining for a week. Take care, Patti

Spirits and Supernatural

Casper the friendly Ghost, the friendliest ghost you know?

Think again. I'd like to bring up the subject of a Poltergeist. No not the movie which happens to be one of my favorites and I just love the ending where they enter a hotel room and he shoves the television out the door.

I am speaking about the real deal. Many people tend to believe a spirit has to be visible. Not true at all. The most common apparition is auditory, as in the case of a Poltergeist. There is one spirit who connects with the world of the living while the others cling desperately in hopes of finding a human host...or not.

The auditory apparitions are the last ones to fade away. They found a way to communicate with the living even though you may barely be able to understand what they are trying to tell us. In the case of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, we find many Poltergeist activity as well as single, angry spirits.

Spirit meaning an actual sentient presence, a "ghost" is a psychic recording. There is a difference between the two.

Now, the "tactile spirit" is the one you need to watch out for. These spirits will make a room turn cold, the hair on the nape of your neck stand on end, they can push you, touch you, and even walk through you. These are the ones found mainly in haunting, although appear less frequently. They manifest into a shape that can be seen, and no, your eyes are not playing tricks on you, if you are lucky enough to spot them. There have been reported cases where the occupants of a building have reported feeling the temperatures rise in a room, this suggests that the spirit died in a fire.

The tactile is the most feared and the one that will make you scream while you are trying to get away from it. The very same that will make the breath solidify in your throat to the point where you may even faint. Yes, they are the scary ones. Walt Witman is one of them. The famous author is sometimes seen walking the upper floor of the Raritan Library in New Jersey.

At the old run down Slaughter house across the road from Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital in Marlboro, NJ you will find the tactile spirit of the old man who owned the land. The story as told, was that he owned the passed down property until the government came in and wanted his land.(Eminent Domain) he threatened them with a rifle and protested leaving his childhood home where he also lost his wife. The government waited,the man died, but they never took the land. And it is said that he can be seen waking around the back of the slaughter house with a hatchet in his right hand. visitors who have trespassed have been followed by him. He has also been seen sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch of the house.

There are four main reasons a person stays behind after death. The first reason is the most obvious...the person doesn't realize her or she has died, especially if they died suddenly or violently.

This is a time where they try to contact the living or their loved ones with no success. Sad really. Once the spirit is convinced they are no longer among the living, and it may take some prodding before they truly understand. then and only then will the haunting stop.

The second reason they stay is because of unfinished business or a promise they kept to someone. They feel they have to finish the task at hand in order to move on. This may take some time, hopefully the spirit was a good soul in the world of the living or the person being haunted is is some serious trouble.

The third reason is that the person wants to say goodbye, which doesn't last very long, but they do appear in astral dreams later on.

And the fourth and final reason they remain is they want to offer guidance and protect the ones they left behind. Again this apparition comes in dreamland, provided they can get through.

Scary story I'd like to share. In 1994 I lost my sister in law to a two year battle with breast cancer. Her youngest was only two years old when she died. He sat next to me one afternoon a few months after the funeral and said, "I saw Mommy." mind you he was only three at this point.

I looked down at his shinning little face and said, "You did?"
He just shook his head yes as if it were something normal. So I asked, "Where?" he replied simply, "In the light. She picked me up before I fell down the stairs." My youngest nephew would have died had he fallen down those steps, they were slippery and steep. So I believed him. Children see what we don't because of their innocence. Their little minds are more open to the unknown. Which is why some young children are able to see their grandparents after death.

Some adults are very sensitive to spirit activity. Have you ever gone into a room after a couple argued and felt the tension in the air? Well it's the same when you feel a spirit. Some people feel sadness or depression and illness if the person who died was ill at the time. Some experience a feeling of warmth if the person in life was a good soul. While others can experience fear or regret.

Poltergeists are the most common activity you will find Ghost Hunters tend to attract. The word poltergeist derives from the German word for "noisy ghost."

In this instance you have a spirit that's referred to as the "epicenter" I touched on this in an earlier paragraph. The epicenter spirit is the one who moves them, the one who controls, and the one who speaks. A poltergeist can be found manifesting around a person who is under a tremendous amount of grief or stress.

The epicenter spirit is usually a loner which is why he or she demands company. Some are angry and some are rather good natured. This type of spirit can move objects, they are heard by "tapping."

If you listen very closely you can almost hear some of them speaking at once. But it is the epicenter who will ask the questions to the others and their answers will be a sequence of taps or raps on walls. A poltergeist can become very strong as they add in numbers. For those of you willing to go on a Ghost hunt you can find them lurking through the dark run down corridors
of Willow brook State Hospital in New Jersey.

My next post will be on "Enteties.." Stay tuned.

Until then,

Happy Hunting,

AP Miller