TIME: 6:23 PM to 9:29 PM
PLACE: Alton, Illinois
SUBJECT: Mid Summer Night of Fright tour @ the McPike Mansion
The McPike Mansion in Alton, Illinois has been known to have paranormal occurrences. They have been featured on an episode of “Ghost Hunters”
If you google “McPike Mansion” you will find lots of links to paranormal sites and photos as well as the official home page.
They conduct monthly tours to raise money for the restoration of the house. My sister, her oldest son David, Stella and I took the tour this evening. We learned the history and saw vintage photos of the past residents as well as some photos with some unexplained objects.
Photo of a gentleman dressed as Henry McPike
We then toured the grounds.
Back of the house
Crypt on the grounds – no one knows who was buried there.
It’s had to see, but there is a spider on the side of the crypt.
Shadows on the house.
Then we entered the cellar and they turned out all the lights.
It was very dark.
Like “can’t see your hand in front of your face” dark.
The Medium, Sandy Little Lizard, let us know when the spirits arrived.
Some of the folks claimed they felt them there.
I couldn’t tell if I saw spirits or if I was just seeing the floaters in my eyes.
My sister took this photo – those are my knees in the front – do you see the round orb?
Maybe they were closer to me than I realized.
TIME: 2:11 PM
PLACE: West end of town
SUBJECT: Mom’s childhood home
This is the house my mother’s maternal grandparents built in 1906. They lived there all their lives. My grandmother did too. My mother grew up in this house and her sister, my aunt Alice lived here until she wasn’t able to be on her own any longer. It was sold last year.
It needed a ton of work. Whoever first bought it sold it to another party who rehabbed it. I’ve seen the pictures on Zillow, but wanted to check it out in person, There was supposed to be an open house today, but it was cancelled for whatever reason.
I stopped by anyway and took a couple of outside photos.
I hope they re-schedule.
Here is what it looked like back in the day.
“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.”
― Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore
TIME: 4:45 PM
PLACE: Highway 15
SUBJECT: House on fire
It wasn’t the best day at work.
Things just weren’t going the way they should.
On the way home, I passed this house fire.
I realized my day could have been a lot worse.
“When service should in my old limbs lie lame
And unregarded age in corners thrown:”
William Shakespeare (1564-1616), British dramatist, poet. Adam, in As You Like It, act 2, sc. 3, l. 42.
TIME: 6:27 PM
PLACE: Home
SUBJECT: Front porch column
HH received a phone call from his sister around 11:30 this morning with the news that his father had collapsed at home and was being rushed to the hospital. HH left to meet his sisters and mother there, but unfortunately, his father passed away in-route. He was 80 years old.
~*~*~
I’ve been turning to Fat Mum Slim’s Photo A Day for March when needing inspiration. It was especially nice to have today…
"Knuper, knuper, kneischen,
Wer knupert an meinem Häuschen?”
Or
”Nibble, nibble, little mouse,
Who is nibbling at my house?”
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. Hansel & Gretel. 1812
TIME: 8:17 PM
PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT: Graham cracker “Gingerbread” house
StellaDella made this house at school today. She said that she had a lot more candy on it, but she was hungry and ate them.
Abandoned farmhouse,
Paint peeling off white siding.
Wheels rust in the grass.
Original haiku by Sujomi
TIME: 1:37 to 1:54 PM
PLACE: Podunk, IL
SUBJECT: Abandoned farmhouse
The HandsomeHusband and I abandoned left our kids (not really, my nephew sat for awhile and Grandpa made sure they didn’t starve at supper time) and drove up to Podunk to meet with Dana for some broasted chicken at the Chick-N-Dip. It was great chicken and company. After we ate, we all stopped by the Podunk library which was having a book sale (Dana snagged a 6-drawer card catalog…score!) and then we hit the country roads to find some photo taking opportunities. This farm house fascinated me. I just couldn’t choose one photo – so I went with five today. And Dana? You’d better post some as well. I know where you live woman! *evil laughter*
“Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus!... There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.”
Francis P. Church, New York Sun, Sep. 21, 1897
TIME: 5:42 PM
PLACE: Public Square
SUBJECT: Santa’s House
Since 1963, children in our town have been able to visit Santa in his very own home away from home. On our way to my Dad’s house for Christmas Eve dinner, we drove by his temporary dwelling. The snow covered sign indicated that he was out – Of course he was out, it’s Christmas Eve and he has to deliver all of the Christmas gifts. Sheesh.
“Xander: Wait. Hansel and Gretel? Bread crumbs, ovens, gingerbread house?
Giles: Of course. It makes sense now.
Buffy: Yeah, it's all falling into place. Of course that place is nowhere near this place.”
"Gingerbread." *Buffy the Vampire Slayer.* Perf. Nicholas Brendon, Anthony Head, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. 12 Jan. 1999. Television.
TIME: 3:49 PM
PLACE: Downtown
SUBJECT: Sand Gingerbread House
As part of our city’s annual gingerbread Christmas festivities, several local businesses and our Main Street group sponsored the sculpting of this sand gingerbread house on our public square for the Christmas season. The sand sculptor started on Wednesday morning and was finished by this afternoon. During the month of December, our city also has an annual gingerbread house building contest (one of these years I’d like to enter), a 5K run and a downtown gingerbread cookie walk. Santa arrives next week Friday in the annual Santa Claus parade. Kids will be able to visit him in his cottage right next to the ginger-sand house.
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
Thornton Niven Wilder (American playwright and novelist, 1897–1975)
TIME: 10:26 PM
PLACE: The Living room
SUBJECT: Department 56 Set
HandsomeHusband gave me this set in the fall of 2005, when I experienced my 1st Thanksgiving without my mother. I didn’t feel much like celebrating that year (heck, I STILL find it difficult to get into any holiday spirit), but his thoughtful gesture touched my heart. I don’t have many Thanksgiving decorations, so I am glad that he presented me with this one.
Water Fielding: Do you know how hard it is to find a really good carpenter? Besides, I think he's got a brother who's a plumber!
Anna Crowley: Really? A brother who's a plumber?
Water Fielding: I think so.
Anna Crowley: Do you think I should sleep with him?
Water Fielding: Maybe just this once.
The Money Pit (Tom Hanks, Shelley Long, Richard Benjamin-director, 1986)
TIME: 9:03 PM
PLACE: Our bathroom
SUBJECT: Remodeling carnage
The time has come to remodel the two bathrooms upstairs. They probably should have been redone before we moved into the house 8 years ago, but it all takes time and money. And unfortunately, we don't have a lot of either. But, it can't put it off any longer - the craptacular shower was leaking, and the cold water in the sink was continuously dripping, no matter how many times HandsomeHusband replaced the washers. Plus, we need to redo the bathrooms before we can even begin to think about replacing the kitchen downstairs (my main goal!), because of the plumbing. Ahh, the joys of living in an older home; something always needs to be done.
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”
Abraham Lincoln (American Lawyer, 16th President of the United States, 1809-1865)
TIME: 12:11 PM
PLACE: Shiloh, IL
SUBJECT: James Scott Home
According to the property listing, this home was owned by James Scott, a friend of Lincoln. It also claims that Lincoln slept here. I don't know if that is a true fact, but even if it turns out to be a falsehood, I don't care, I have always liked this house. Whenever I pass it, I like to imagine who lived there and what life must have been like for them. (I haven't done any research like I did on the sign in January - it's late!). It was built before 1900 and sits on 2.66 acres. The house has 2,540 square feet of living space, with 2 gas fireplaces, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. There is a view of the St. Louis Arch from the brick patio. A gazebo and large barn are also on the property. What more could I ask for? For the small sum of $397,000 it could be mine!
