During this time of year, the name Charles Dickens often brings up visions of Tiny Tim, Ebenezer Scrooge, and a host of ghosts that are set on redeeming an old miser. But another book by Dickens, Little Dorrit, lays claim to another Christmassy – or at least snowy scene that is the perfect backdrop for…
Category: Freaky Friday
The Candy Lady
Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, cover it with murder, and a candy bar or two? The Candy Lady. Okay, that’s not exactly how the song goes – but the urban legend does. Clara Crane was born in the sleepy town of Terrell, Texas in 1871 according to the OnlyInYourState website. Her…
See You In September
Earlier this week, one of my friends, Camille Hack McDaris, asked me if my “house guests” get more active during this time of year. And then suggested that perhaps a Freaky Friday about this subject would be in order. So, here it is! First, personal experience. I have noticed a lot more “corner of my…
Superstitions in Tudor England
It all started with a Facebook post – someone offering tutoring but not quite getting it right. So, I had to post a meme of a Tudor gentleman on horseback looking quite dashing. Then, a brilliant friend replied to me, letting me know that the Tudors were rather unlucky. I didn’t know that – so…
The Wolf Girl of Devil’s River
This weekend my daughter, son-in-law, and three grandsons are going camping up in the northern part of Wisconsin. As we were talking about how great camping will be, my oldest grandson who is nearly eight years old talked about catching a bear or, at least, a wolf while he was up there. We had a…
Pets – A Ghostly Gage
Our pets have the most uncanny ability to see, and deal with, the paranormal. I remember, years ago, we brought our Siamese-mix cat, McDuff, to the vet because he was acting WEIRD! He would walk into our living room and stare into one corner of the room. He would arch his back and hiss, then…
At The Zoo
In 1968, Simon and Garfunkel wrote a song called, “At the Zoo” and it was featured on their Bookends album. The lyrics of the song begin with, “Someone told me it’s all happening at the zoo. I do believe it. I do believe it’s true.” Those words might either give comfort or consternation to the…
The London Underground – Part Two
Welcome back to the London Underground. Last week we were able to investigate three stops – The Bank, Bethnal Green, and Farringdon. This week we’re going to explore a few more stops and I promise, each one will be as scary or scarier than the last one. All aboard!! Let’s start at the Liverpool Station….
The London Underground – Part One
When I used to live in Chicago, I often took the subway either to school or to work. Working late some nights, I was sometimes the only person standing on the empty platform waiting for the next train. And, I’ve got to say, it was really creepy. But I’m happy to say that it was…
The Killing Stone
Remember at the beginning of the year, we all looked back with a sigh of relief that we made it through 2021 and said of the upcoming year, “Well, we survived 2021 – how bad could 2022 be?” Yeah, NEVER ask that question again!!!! So, amidst all of the other terrible, horrible, no good, and…