In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd share my own vintage ghost story. I've lived in some pretty spooky old houses, worked for a few years in the basement of an old asylum and have experienced lots of bizarre things in general, so I'd not afraid to say that I totally believe in the paranormal!
We all get attached to objects in life. Something was a special gift or was bought for an important occasion or held important memories. Through years of antique shopping, looking at other people's important possessions, Pj and I both have had some pretty strange experiences.
Some of you may remember, back in April, the family and I went to a great estate sale on a rainy Saturday. It was a cute mid century house, loaded to the brim with exquisite furniture, appliances and fashion items from the 50's and 60's. Pj held Rhys and Olivia came with me. Her and I headed straight to the bedroom to find the fashion things. In the bedroom, I was looking through gloves and scarves when Olivia looked at me and said "Mommy, this is Grandma's room." I was shocked because she has never said the word "grandma" before. She has a "Granny" and "Mee-maw" but no grandma. There were no photos in the room to indicate that an old lady had lived in the house. I ignored it, at the time, picking 2 scarves, a fur collar cardigan and a purse and heading to the basement with Pj and Rhys
In the basement, I spotted this perfect atomic floor lamp. I had been looking for a great lamp that the kids couldn't break and since this one was metal, I thought it was perfect! I bought the lamp, a 50's swim cap, a purse and scarf. The swim cap was a really cool addition to my hat collection and the new lamp was an amazing find for $15.
For three days, no one could sleep. Pj and I both had nightmares and Olivia crawled into bed with us every night.
One afternoon, while washing dishes, Olivia came into the kitchen and casually said "Grandma's here". Again, surprised by her saying "Grandma" I calmly said "Honey, no one is here, it's just me, you and Rhysie."
she said, "Grandma is here. She's in the living room."
I got a cold chill and wiped my soapy hands on my apron. We went to the living room and I asked her,
"Where is Grandma?"
Olivia pointed to the couch, but no one was sitting there.
"What does grandma look like?" I asked.
Olivia said, "She has hair...and black hands. She's a nice lady."
I immediately called my mom, who has dealt with these things many times before. The house was blessed the next day and "Grandma" was sent packing. That night, we all slept well for the first time in a week. I still have my cute lamp, scarf and such and Olivia hasn't talked about Grandma since but when I look at those things, I still remember our extra accessory that we brought home from an estate sale.
Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a unique experience?
We all get attached to objects in life. Something was a special gift or was bought for an important occasion or held important memories. Through years of antique shopping, looking at other people's important possessions, Pj and I both have had some pretty strange experiences.
Some of you may remember, back in April, the family and I went to a great estate sale on a rainy Saturday. It was a cute mid century house, loaded to the brim with exquisite furniture, appliances and fashion items from the 50's and 60's. Pj held Rhys and Olivia came with me. Her and I headed straight to the bedroom to find the fashion things. In the bedroom, I was looking through gloves and scarves when Olivia looked at me and said "Mommy, this is Grandma's room." I was shocked because she has never said the word "grandma" before. She has a "Granny" and "Mee-maw" but no grandma. There were no photos in the room to indicate that an old lady had lived in the house. I ignored it, at the time, picking 2 scarves, a fur collar cardigan and a purse and heading to the basement with Pj and Rhys
 |
| my purse from the estate sale |
In the basement, I spotted this perfect atomic floor lamp. I had been looking for a great lamp that the kids couldn't break and since this one was metal, I thought it was perfect! I bought the lamp, a 50's swim cap, a purse and scarf. The swim cap was a really cool addition to my hat collection and the new lamp was an amazing find for $15.
For three days, no one could sleep. Pj and I both had nightmares and Olivia crawled into bed with us every night.
One afternoon, while washing dishes, Olivia came into the kitchen and casually said "Grandma's here". Again, surprised by her saying "Grandma" I calmly said "Honey, no one is here, it's just me, you and Rhysie."
she said, "Grandma is here. She's in the living room."
I got a cold chill and wiped my soapy hands on my apron. We went to the living room and I asked her,
"Where is Grandma?"
Olivia pointed to the couch, but no one was sitting there.
"What does grandma look like?" I asked.
Olivia said, "She has hair...and black hands. She's a nice lady."
I immediately called my mom, who has dealt with these things many times before. The house was blessed the next day and "Grandma" was sent packing. That night, we all slept well for the first time in a week. I still have my cute lamp, scarf and such and Olivia hasn't talked about Grandma since but when I look at those things, I still remember our extra accessory that we brought home from an estate sale.
Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a unique experience?
Oh my! What a great story! Thankfully you did not have a malicious spirit, and I am glad that the blessing took care of it!
ReplyDeleteI can't recall a time when I didn't believe in ghosts. I've just always felt they had to exist. My father especially has been interested in the paranormal. While I have never had an experience of the stature of your story, I have just had generally creepy feelings of areas, or felt cold spots in areas that made no sense.
Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
-Janey
I do think there are ghosts but I do think that most "paranormal activities" have a more down to earth explanation. My mom loves the paranormal investigator shows and seeing the "evidence" they find has made me more of a skeptic but not enough to think that ghosts and spirits can't exist.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally giggling at the "extra accessory" comment. lol Interesting story! I can't say that I completely believe in paranormal thing but I don't disbelieve, either, and I'm fascinated by the possible existence of some things. I think my reluctance to say I believe is because I haven't really had an paranormal experiences that I can recall. I enjoy a good spooking now and again and LOVE a good ghost story!
ReplyDeleteI am always thinking that exact thing, will I bring anyone with me when I buy these items? I haven't yet, I grew up in a haunted house, so I definatley am a believer!
ReplyDeleteOh snap! I remember when that happened! I can tell you that thankfully I don't see them or hear them-God knows I would most likely go nutso if I did. But I do feel them. I have felt my grandmother on a few occasions, my mother until I was in my early 20s a few times, and my grandpa before he died. If I ever do feel anything bad around me-I usually pray my power prayer (thats what I call it) which is the Hail Mary. I have another story but will save that for another time...this one was intense and bad but like your mama, my dad got rid of that thing with a swiftness! LOL Happy Halloween!!!! Boooaahahhahahhhhhhhh xox
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have always believed in the spiritual realm . Since I was a baby I have seen Angels , ghosts and also demons. My husband and I also live in a haunted house . We had so many scary experiences that now looking back we wonder " how the heck did we live through that!?" after blessing our house ( which grew from just ghosts to being possessed ) our house is now peaceful and quiet . We now have two baby girls and an adorable home built in 1951. We experienced everything from talking in the hallway, people walking on the hard wood floors, things moving and missing to me being choked towards the end. It seriously was like an episode of "the haunting" but now I can encourage others who go thru hauntings because I understand.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story! I'm always a little leery of estate sales for that very reason. Back when I was in college I worked at a house museum and I can't tell you how many times I answered the door to find nobody there. I'm fairly sure what was going on there--the original owner of the house had been murdered on the front lawn. I'm a Galvestonian now and I'm the only person I know here who doesn't have a haunted house. The built-in-1874 shop I work at, however...we certainly have somebody about who likes to fiddle with our sewing machines. ;)
ReplyDeleteFascinating story!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I, along with my Mother, Grandmother, Mother in Law, one of my MIL's sisters, and now my youngest daughter, have seen and felt ghosts and had other unusual experiences (such as dreaming about someone you've never met and then meeting them).
I've not lived in a haunted house, but my high school (built in the late 20's early 30's) was haunted. My MIL's house (built in the 60's) has a spirit. He was visible for the first 10 years or so, now I mainly feel him.
That is a creepy story!! Now you have me wondering about what I might be bringing home from an estate sale besides my sale goodies! I wouldn't call it a 'ghost' story, but my sisters and I all somehow knew exactly when my Grandma died... I asked my boss for funeral leave just at that time, one of my sisters was on her way to the hospital because she had an overwhelming urge to go see her, and my other sister (who lived 8 hours away and was trying to get home) was visited by Grandma's spirit, needing to make sure it was okay that she couldn't wait any longer.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty scientifically minded, but I do believe that there absolutely could be plenty of things we still don't know about how our brains work: electrical impulses, extra-sensory perception, etc. that could play a part in 'ghost' stories and mysterious happenings.
I was always believed in paranormal stuff but avoided thinking about it as I quite easily freak myself out, but I also thought that most of what was talked about was made up...but I got to live through it when I went to baby sit for one of my mums hippy friends. She sat me down before she headed off to let me know about the lady that haunted the house. Trying desperately not to roll my teenage eyes at her (already laughing inside over her job as "crystal healer") I listened patiently as she explained that years ago a father killed his baby while he was drunk and then the mother killed herself. Apparently the ghost liked to protect children in the house. She said if her son started to talk about "the lady" that I should introduce myself and just let her know I was looking after him and I wouldn't hurt him. Honestly I thought my mums friend had really been smoking too much and promptly forgot about it. Not long after she left the little boy (about 2yo) started jumping up and down on the lounge yelling "lady, lady, lady" and giggling happily and the whole room just felt cold (in the tropics I found this pretty weird). By this point I was freaked out enough to do just what she said. I told an empty room that I was here to look after him and I wouldn't hurt him. After that it was just like someone had left the room.
ReplyDeleteAbout a year later my mum and I moved in to the house with her friend and things got even freakier. My mum was never home so I was always listening out for my baby brother and so often through the night I would hear crying and get up to see if he needed a bottle. Sure enough he would be fast asleep, as would the other kid. Our neighbours didn't have kids either. It wasn't just the mother that haunted the house the baby would cry all the time. At first living with it was terrifying. But in the end it was just a sad, heartbreaking reminder of what went on there.
Ever since I have tended to believe people when they talk about these things as I am sure there are plenty of people who think that story was crazy. Including my very first boyfriend who came over one day while I was baby sitting and I made him introduce himself to the lady when she showed up LOL (so sweet that he didn't run for the hills after that). When it was a female she would show up and then leave. If there was a male in the house she stuck around.
I have had way too many ghost stories and unusual happenings to share here. I could fill up at least half of a journal book, so lets just say I am a believer.
ReplyDeleteThe sends a chill up the spine for sure, and reminds me a bit of tale I once heard from a man in his 60s that I worked with at a restaurant. Seems that when this fellow was a little boy an old lady came to the door one day and asked to speak to his mother, who wasn't home at the time. The boy invited her in to wait, but after some time his mother still hadn't returned home from work and the old lady said she had to get going. The boy asked her what her name was so that he could tell his mom, and the two parted ways. When his mom got home he told her about the encounter. When she heard what the woman's name was (I don't remember it) she went white as a sheet and asked her son to describe the woman, as he did her pallor vanished even more. With a shaky voice the mother told her son that the woman he just described and named was none other than his grandma who had passed away some seven years before! Had the ghost of a dead relation stopped in for a visit or was the whole ordeal just a strange coincidence (with another woman who looked like and shared the grandma's name). No one, the man told me, was ever able to find out for sure.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
I have seen one and heard one so from being a sceptic I have become a believer.
ReplyDelete*EEEkkk!* Your story gave me a little chill.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child I saw "people" no one else could see. I didn't KNOW at the time what I was seeing. I remember saying to my Mom once at about 5 years. *Pointing at a man in our living room* "Mom who's that man??" She had no clue what I was talking about. I walked right over to the man and pointed next to "HIM" "Can't you see him Mom???" (Now that I think about it my Mom was probably scared out of her knickers!) I know I would be.
Apparently children just like animals are able to sense and see things that adults might never see. Had I never saw what I seen as a child I would not believe in that sort of thing.
The house it started in was a old little 1940s home on the outskirts of town that had the creepiest basement. With a wall of frosted glass windows seperating two rooms. I remember NEVER wanting to go down there. My parents got that house blessed and the "people" went away. Until we moved to a 1950's home in town. Then there was new "people" to deal with. Thankfully they went away after the first couple of months.
I am guessing you took home Grandma's favorite scarves and handbag. =O
you're so right about kids being able to see things. My sister always saw things when we were kids. Olivia must be very sensitive. This summer, we stopped at a garage sale. We got out of the car and she pointed at the house across the street and started screaming and crying. There was nothing in the window but she said there was a "scary ghostie" standing in the window. Poor baby! :(
DeleteWow, that's quite the experience! I haven't brought home a spirit yet (We all wish we could bring home a lost WWII soldier, don't we?), but I definitely believe in the paranormal. I watch all the ghost hunting shows, and love when people tell me about their experiences. I have had a few small encounters, most of my family, but nothing to scare the bajesus out of me. And what about young children and their imaginary friends? That's always peculiar. I think I will post about my sightings :) Happy Halloween!
DeleteIvy
http://eviestearoom.blogspot.com/
I LOVE you blog! We have so many things in common, especially the "ghost" thing. You actively do the vintage "things" I would love to. I have focused more on finding vintage things to resell, and repurpose. Good luck on your move, we'll be doing that in the next few months as well.
ReplyDeleteNote to self - sprinkle my vintage hats with holy water!
ReplyDeleteMary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
What a great ghost story. My granny bought a pearl necklace, but she kept feeling it strangled her. Then she asked my mother to wear, and she didn't feel anything (granny didn't tell her about the strangling), gave it back to her and it was cured. Strange.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's sooo creepy!!!
DeleteHoly cow that's spooky. I have chills right now.
ReplyDeleteI do believe in ghosts. I grew up in a hundred year old house that had cold spots and some areas that you could feel yourself being watched. When my mom first brought me home from the hospital, she was in my room and glanced in the mirror over the fireplace. To her shock, there was a woman dressed in an all yellow Victorian outfit complete with hat and veil, standing over my crib. When my mom turned around, there was no one there.
There were other strange occurrences and sightings in that house but that is my favorite.