When I used to run my own marketing/public relations company, I did a lot of work for funeral homes. (Right, who would have guessed it? ) But part of representing funeral homes was learning about death, dying, and grief. One of the terms in grief counseling is a “grief burst,” which is a sudden onslaught…
Category: Freaky Friday
Why don’t you spend the night…
We have a cute sign on the wall next to our front staircase. It reads, “Remember, as far as anyone knows, we are a nice normal family.” I’ve often thought that I ought to create a smaller sign and hang it right underneath that would say, “Just please ignore the ghosts.” However, quite frankly, some…
A Permanent Guest
There’s a hotel in downtown Freeport that has been around since 1928. It had a diverse past, from housing workers who were building the railroad to being used as a halfway house during the Great Depression, it’s halls and rooms have sheltered both the upscale and the downtrodden. It was even rumored to have been…
Haunted Inn
Clare (not her real name) grew up in a stone house that used to be an inn along an old stagecoach route. So the ghosts she lived with while growing up were just part of her family’s history. “My mother always talked about seeing the ghosts of a little boy with his governess or nanny,”…
Orbs
Last week I had the opportunity to speak with the Lake Carroll Women’s Club and tell some ghost stories. I had a great time, they were a wonderful audience. Afterwards, one of the women came up to me and asked me what I thought about orbs. She mentioned a friend who has taken photos of…
Say Cheese
On Wednesday, July 12, a trucker named Saul Vazquez encountered a traffic accident on the highway heading the opposite direction from where he was headed. On his Facebook page he wrote, “I took this picture just few minutes ago from the cab of my truck. It was an accident between Campton and Stanton on the…
Oakdale Nature Preserves
Oakdale Nature Preserve is one of the most peaceful settings in the Freeport area. Once out amongst the trees and the birds, you really hate to leave. This is the story of someone who never did. Jim, the former supervisor at Oakdale, has had several experiences with this long time nature lover. “The first time…
Tales Around the Campfire
The sun has set, the moon is rising and the frogs have begun their starlight serenade. As the darkness rolls in, you move closer to the campfire, closer to that circle of light. You look over your shoulder, gazing into the woods that surround you. You jump when the fire pops and you laugh nervously…
The Corner of Your Eye
A few years ago, when I still had my office in our walk-up attic, I had a very interesting experience that led me to learn something new about ghosts. I often wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and go to my office and write. (The advantage of having your office…
Kitchen Help
There is a family who lives in the Freeport area who has very unusual kitchen help. “We’ve lived here since the late 70’s,” said Doris (not her real name). “Our dining room and living room are right next to each other, separated by an archway. From one chair in the living room, you can see…