Saturday, October 30, 2010

My Haunted House


Our Haunted House


I've got a bit about our haunted house in my bio, people are naturally curious, so I get asked a lot of questions about it.



So here it goes . . .



My house is over a hundred years old. Built, my landlord thinks, about 1889 or earlier. His mom was raised here. Originally we think the property was a pig farm. We found a sign under the house that read: "Registered Dorset hogs for sale." But when my landlords Grandfather owned the ranch he raised cows. When we moved in there was a grape vineyard here. Now it's an almond orchard.



The house has a very long wraparound porch, and wood floors. Well, the whole house is wood. I was told my kitchen use to be the sleeping porch. There's also an old propane heater my hubby has worked hard to get to hold together with wire and a screwdriver.I think its circa 1936 or earlier.



In other words this place is damn old.



The first time we slept here we heard thumps in the attic almost all night. Then in the morning one of the big pine trees fell down, narrowly missing our small truck.



We keep seeing things out of the corner of ours eyes, like part of someone's sleeve or edge of a dress.



Things disappear and reappear some where else. One of my earring from my jewelry box disappeared and I found it in the middle of the floor a few days later.



After our daughter was born, the radio I had on in the room with her would change channels, from say baseball to country.



Then late one night while watching TV with my husband, the baby started to cry, and then we heard someone say very clearly "hush baby." My husband I gave each other a startled look, and then ran--I ran into the bedroom, and hubby ran out side.



We saw no one and the baby was asleep.



Since then we've seen a little girl who would disappear before our eyes. Later our daughter had an invisible friend and we realized it was the girl ghost. Our daughter told us her name, it's Jenny or Jenifer.



We're seen blue and green orbs, and so has our daughter and her friends. And we're felt someone poking us, too.



A couple weeks ago, while we slept, my daughter and I both felt someone running their long nails over over backs. To me it tickled and it woke me up, but to my daughter it hurt.



Our cats watch things that aren't there. Or at least I can't see them, lol.



One time when I was holding one of our kittens while watching TV, I noticed the kitten was watching something very intently--as only a cat can do. Then he got so spooked that he jumped right out of my arms. Then on to my head, the other shoulder, finally onto the floor. He scampered away and hid under a chair--shivering.



I never did find out what had frightened him so.



Sometimes when I wash my hands in the bathroom I hear a child crying, which is odd because we live out in the country two miles out of town with hardly any neighbors and I've heard that same child cry for 20 years.



I've often wondered if it was the ghost girl Jenny who was crying, but I'm not sure.



Our daughter is nineteen now and has grew up in this house, but she still remembers the little ghost girl she's play with.



.

7 comments:

BookHounds said...

That is seriously creepy, but at the same time, it could be comforting. I bet if you never heard the noises again, you might miss them.

Cazzie said...

Hi Janice this this my first time on here so I have no idea if my comment will post, but here goes. I was fascinated by your blog. My house in the UK is over 100 years old and my daughter (age 15 at the time) saw a victorian women walk through the wall and across the lounge. This freaked me out big time but now I have come to terms with it. I had a little word with the ghost (although I couldn't see her myself) and told her to move on. There have been no sightings here since but she is seen by others wandering the street, so I'm told. Just thought you 'd like to here my tale too.

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Mary,

Yeah, there is comfort in something you know. I don't get creeped out anymore, well most nights anyway. *grin*

Hi Cazzie,

Oh that is interesting. I loved hearing your story.

I tried to tell our ghost to move on, but I said go home. *sigh* She thinks she is home.

Thank you both for your comments.

Janice~

Cassie Exline said...

Loved your blog. The minute I saw the topic, had to read it. Living in a haunted house how exciting and creepy for you and your family. Lots of fodder for future stories for you.

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Cassie,

Yeah, a lot of people are interested to hear about my house. Several writers also suggested that I write a story about it too. :)

Janice~

Kathryn Scannell said...

Sounds like a perfectly normal old house. I grew up in one that was about 150 years old, and my current house is about a hundred years old. I'm always seeing things out of the corner of my eye, and when I'm outside doing yard work I often feel like someone is watching.

I don't find it terribly alarming, but two of my former housemates confessed after moving out that they didn't like to stay here alone at night. Every so often I feel like something upstairs is trying to scare me, but I tell it firmly that it's my house, and it needs to behave if it's going to be here.

That makes it slink back into its corner. I can practically hear it muttering "Damn, this one knows what she's doing" - not the words, but that's the feeling.

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Katheryn,

We're gotten use to it and yes I've been quite firm with our poltergist that's the one that knocks the shampoo bottles on our heads in the shower and pokes us(not our ghost girl). It usually leaves me alone.

Janice~