Trying to get rid of this blasted GHOST that's in my HOUSE!

Oh, boy, if ya'll only KNEW all the crap that this entity, spirit, ghost, shadow figure, whatever, has caused over the past few months, more so over the past month!  It's touched me (nothing harmful, but a bit perverted in a way, lol), it's lain next to me in my bed, it's hidden our car keys in places we'd NEVER put our keys (like the floor of my daughter's clothes closet), it's knocked on our 2nd story windows while we're by them (4 knocks in succession, on the window, right by our head...talk about freaky!), and just today, it knocked a stack of stuff off of a box in the upstairs hallway (no cats were around), which caused my golden retriever to jump up and bark at the pile like it she was waiting for it to move again, lol (a couple items on that box was a Catholic Youth Bible, which is heavy, and a dvd case to Paranormal Activity 2 (how about THAT irony, lol), but there were a few other things)...it takes a LOT to get a golden retriever to drop it's chew knot and bark, lol; plus a week or so ago, it actually manifested itself into a tall (about 6 ft) dark shadow figure standing in the corner of my bedroom by my closet.  It should be noted that about 6 months ago, before most of what I've mentioned happened, for some strange reason, I began to develop an aversion to my big walk-in closet.  I wasn't afraid of it, or of going into it to get my clothes, but it began to make me anxious and leery, to the point that when the door is closed, I put 2-3 throw pillows on the floor against it...it's like I expect the door to open.  My golden retriever use to sleep on the floor next to my side of the bed (between the bed and the closet), but for the past 2 months or so, she won't, choosing to sleep between the bed and the hall doorway instead (about 3-5 feet away).

I can say, however, that I don't think that whatever is in our home is malevolent, but not so sure it's super friendly either.  The animals appear to be fine with it, although I think it tends to annoy them.  We've got a multitude of cleansed and charged crystals in our pockets, on tables, windowsills, and such setting around the house (for positive energy), and today, I tried to do the 'you need to go toward the light, you're dead, blah blah blah' trick that they all say to do...then 3 hours later the box thing happened, so I'm taking that as a 'I'm not going anywhere' answer.' *sigh*  The next thing I have to do is a smudge, which is a house cleansing with a dried sage bundle. It's just so time consuming, and can actually backfire, which is why I've been leery of doing it (that's all the hell I need to do, piss it off worse, ugh, lol).  Which is also why I've yet to do an EVP session...kind of afraid what I might hear, knowing that I may not be able to get it to leave and then knowing it's here with me at all times, as well as my kids, while we sleep, are alone, shower, and such???? see??? when you think about all of that and take it all into consideration, you'd probably stop to think before doing it too.

Now, why and who?  I don't know.  We live in a non-smoking home (it's almost 10 yrs old and no one has ever smoked in it), and both of my daughters have said that on occasion they smell cigarette smoke, and even dill pickles.  My father has passed, over 25 yrs ago, and use to smoke, as well as my grandparents, who passed over a handful of years ago, but if it was one of them, why now?  Plus, ya'll know me, I buy, find, and bring in a lot of vintage and antique items...could it be someone that's attached to one of those items?  Seriously, I wish I knew.  The entity is freaking my kids out, as well as myself, it's never done anything to or around my husband, only us, but I've always been a bit sensitive to these kinds of things and my kids probably just inherited that.  When it did manifest, it did so when the dogs were at a dog sitter prior to my picking them up after our trip last week.  Did it do that only because the dogs weren't here?  because it's not done it any other time...that we've SEEN, that is.  Our animals will OFTEN just stare at something, we look, and nothing's there...and I mean stare INTENTLY, like something's either interacting with it, talking to it, moving or something, and they watch it.  Do we have more than one spirit or entity, maybe?  I don't know, that's a possibility, I guess.

There's been many other things that it's done, I've just not listed them all, a few things like shake my youngest's bed to the point that she and her cat wakes up, walk around downstairs during the night, knock on the iron support beams in the basement (just one knock), things like that.  It all makes me wonder.  What do you all think?  any other suggestions??  And please do not suggest a Oujia board, because we will not have one of those in our home.

Oh, it should be noted that we did live in one other haunted house, around 2002-2003, and at times there would be knocking on the windows at that house, as well.  But I've read that knocking on walls, doors, windows, etc, is just how they all tend to get your attention.  Plus, the ghost that was at that house, had lived there, I don't think it would leave a house that it had lived and died at just to follow piddly ole us, lol.  I use to read tarot cards, and did so in that house...after one reading, the encounters at that house tripled, and I've not read tarot cards since, lol (although my daughter has her own deck that she got for Christmas, but all this started before Christmas).

Wow, winter's upon us, which means ONE thing...GARDEN/SEED CATALOGS!

Yep, it's that time of year again.  If you're a gardener, then you're probably getting your seed, flower, and other garden catalogs in the mail already...I know I have been.  I've probably gotten at least 7 seed catalogs since mid December, some I don't even remember signing up for (but I imagine that I did).  I've had my garden journal out, updating things from the fall and winter, I STILL have brussels sprout plants growing and producing healthy, green brussels sprouts, they're the only thing pretty and green down in the garden (I need to take a pic and post it for ya'll).

What this means is it's time for me to start my planning.  A true gardener learns from their previous season and adjusts some of those lessons for the next season.  I've gone through my seeds, have started sharing some with a couple of friends, even in other states.  If you're going to share, then try to get started now, especially if you'll be mailing them, so they'll have them for when it's time to start them indoors.  And while I was doing this, it dawned on me, I need to check out Wintersown to see if they have any new types/varieties of heirloom tomatoes.  Last year, out of 12 tomato plants, only ONE of those plants weren't heirloom...yummm!  Once you have an heirloom tomato, you'll never want to grow another hybrid ever again, lol.  They're SO much more flavorful, and also have more acid in them (which I 'spose some people don't like).  But the high acidity in heirlooms are GREAT for canning, it means you don't have to worry about adding citric acid like you sometimes have to think about when canning with hybrid or store-bought tomatoes (some aren't very high in acid at all, which can increase your chances of poisoning all those canned tomatoes that you worked so hard on).  Anyway, you may remember me talking about Wintersown last year.  I learned about it from my gardener blogger pal, Mimi, from Gardening in the Boroughs of NYC.  And boy, I still can't thank her enough for turning me on to this great organization.  Check it out for yourself, they offer FREE seeds for wintersowing (or winter starting, I spose...I don't winter sow, but I request seeds from them), donation is not required but they really can use the funds to help to continue what they do...I always donate.  AND they take your seed donations, as well.  So if you collect and save your seeds and wish to share with them, they'd love to receive them.  Check on their site to see how you go about donating them.

So, what are your garden plans?  Have you started?  If you're a gardener, believe me, I have no doubt that you're already itching to get out there, lol  Where's Spring when you're ready for her? lol  I fear that since we've had a very lite winter (here in STL anyway) that it will have a negative effect for our gardening this year...bugs galore, snakes galore, maybe even some fungus and plant disease issues that we wouldn't normally deal with even...ugh!

Wow, I've not posted in quite awhile...sorry about that!!

Two holidays have come and gone and yet you've heard not a peep from me on here...that's very strange, eh?  I'm usually on here posting my holiday decor and crafts, but not this past season, sorry about that.  I had some surprise health problems pop up the week prior to Christmas and it really effected my posting schedule and desire, not to mention how much I actually decorated and crafted...which wasn't much.  But rest assured, I'm still here...with my bells on, lol.  If you ever doubt, just check my sister blog, Thrifty and Frugal by Debbie..and maybe you can find a few ways to save a few bucks while you're there ;)

Don't forget to enter my Christmas Gift Guide giveaways!!

If you're not a frequent visitor to my other site, Thrifty and Frugal by Debbie, then you may not know that I'm running quite a few Christmas Gift Guide giveaways right now, plus a couple of others!  Head over and check'em out!  My giveaways are listed at the top of the right sidebar, can't miss'em...see you there!!

It's about Christmas...I JUST got my tree up!

That's totally unlike me, I know.  I usually start right after Thanksgiving, but my schedule and motivation has not been great lately.  Busy as hell.  And when I'm not, I'm working on Thrifty and Frugal, or shuttling kids back and forth.  Yes, one drives now, but she refuses to drive on the interstate, and so does her boyfriend, which means mom or dad drives them back and forth to see each other, ughhhh, lol.

It's just bare bones so far, the hubs and youngest put it up on Saturday while I was at a seminar.  They didn't dare start decorating, lol.  They knew I'd want to inspect the fluffing of the branches and how many MORE lights it needed, lol.  It's finally ready to decorate, so I'll probably be doing that this week and weekend, since T&F will be down due to the move to WordPress. 

The hubs has the lights on the house, for about a week or so now.  I haven't done the swags on the railings yet, ughhh, I need to seriously get with the Holiday program!!  The peeps that know me know that I'm a HUGE Christmas fanatic...I've had 13 trees up in this house a few years ago.  Last year was only about 9 or so, I think.  So far, I have the one in my bedroom, living room, one by the front entry, and 2 on the outside on the porch...that's 5 so far.  We shall see what I do this week and weekend.

What about ya'll???  How goes the Holiday decorating for you?  Are you slow at getting to it this year like me, or did you grab the bull by the horns full force and jump in head first right away to get it done???

Ya know, Martha's Home Depot ornaments aren't as pretty in person...

So, yesterday, my oldest was having a shitty bad day, so instead of making her wait 2 hours and right the school bus home (she's an 'early out'), I picked her up.  Normally, she'd just drive home, however, last week, a few unmentionable acts occured, to which she's not allowed to use her vehicle this entire week for pleasure or school, as a punishment.  I picked her up and we started home and I decided to pull into the Home Depot lot and check out Martha's new 'shatter proof' ornaments that Kevin Sharky helped display and show off the other day on the show (yeah, I know, I talk like I know them or something, rofl).  Anyhoo, the shitty bad day was my excuse, because I knew that as soon as we got home, she'd go upstairs to her computer and I wouldn't see her for the rest of the day.  It turns out, I was right, because she instantly saw a shiny hot guy that made her shitty bad day not so bad anymore.  So after pressing all the buttons to make the dry-snow globes play music, we checked out Martha's new Christmas ornament line, and I was horribly surprised.  I mean, Martha, seriously????  you approve of less than perfect workmanship such as that?  They're defintely NOT as shiny, NOT as pretty, NOT as precise with the detailed painting, and NOT something I would want to spend money on.  I know...sad, right???  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

See?  don't these look like they'd be pretty?

Well, they weren't...actually, they looked a bit 'tacky,' believe it or not!

suppose to have glitter on the whites...not so much sparkle at all.

I had high hopes for those Tiffany Blue balls...blech, now that I saw them in person!


Now, the new Martha's Project Paint????? THAT is a comPLETEly different story!  We, of course, had to follow Shiny Guy around for a bit in the store (eh, it made her feel better, and it wasn't like I don't enjoy looking at fun project stuff in a hardware store, so I appeased her), so I headed for the paint aisles.  Now, Martha has paint, of course, gallons that you can buy, and now they have small 'sample' containers of the same paint that you can buy to see if it's what you want to use (or for small projects).  The lady pointed to where I asked, and she was giddy about them herself, lol and proceeded to give me the flyer of the the workshop that Home Depot is doing tomorrow night (Thursday, 11-10) around the US (participating Home Depots, times may vary by store) where they're going to do projects with Martha's Project Paint...I'm in!  I am SO going tomorrow night for this workshop.  Our's is from 6:30 - 8 pm, it's free, and you get to play with Martha's new paints!!!!  they have GLITTER paint...they have CRACKLE GLITTER paint! YESSSS, they DO!  They have her special paints that she likes to make her faux boui (or however she spells it) (fake wood) designs with.  She even has kits now that has the wood grain rocker in it ($5.99! seriously!) and other doo dads for projects. 

Ah, Martha, you surprise me sometimes...sometimes, eh, not so much! lol

UPDATED: Not ONE person better wish me a Happy Birthday!!!

That's not very nice, is it?  To not want to be wished 'happy birthday?'  The thing is, I didn't turn 30 easily.  I grew up fast, I made sure of it, but that didn't mean that I liked birthdays, and I don't...my own, that is.  I think I just hurt my husband's feelings because of this, and I'll have to go make amends for that, but don't you think that my wishes for my own birthday should mean something?  If ask 'no party' then I shouldn't have to endure a party in my own honor, one that I've been saying for over a year 'seriously, people, I mean it!'  If I ask, 'no gifts, I don't want anything for or on my birthday or anytime that is to celebrate the date of my birth this year' then I should have those wishes, don't you think?  I'll be celebrating the 2nd anniversary of my 39th birthday this year...tomorrow, actually, so you can figure out what age that is.  I do not want to be that age...I didn't want to be 30, so why the hell would I want to be 40???  I just caught my girls and hubs whispering under their breath to each other, and I know what that means...they have a prezzie or surprise that they're discussing or trying to hide.  I said, 'ya'll, I've been saying, I want NOTHING for my birthday except a normal day, and I mean it.  Do NOT wish me a Happy Birthday, do not give me a gift, don't even mention what the day is!'  I mean it so much, that even if my hubs comes in with a new $600 Coach bag, I'll be upset, not happy or surprised, but livid, to the point of pissed, because it's MY friggin birthday and those are my wishes!  I'm trying to save people money and the hassle of having to remember a birthday, to the point you don't even have to write it in your 'dates to remember' book, give it up already and take MY gift to YOU and forget about it....grrrrrrrrrr.  btw, thank you blogging bestie for my Bath and Body Works surprise package!! lol And all of this is probably why you had it sent to me LAST week instead of this week, lol  but I also know that you won't call, text, email, tweet, or blog me a 'happy birthday' tomorrow, lol  and THAT'S why you're my bloggin' bestie  ;)

Seriously, I can NOT be the only one in the world that feels this way.  Do ANY of you sympathize with me about this?  it's just so frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


UPDATE:  yes, I went downstairs last night and the hubs had a gift...he brought it in from the car and it was a HUGE Coach gift bag, with a HUGE Coach gift box w/ribbon in side.  I instantly burst into tears, because I told him I wanted NOTHING, and if I wanted nothing, then I defintely wouldn't want him to spend hundreds of dollars on me for a bday I didn't want to celebrate when we have bills that need paid, and he knows these were my wishes.  Ya know what he said???? Those rules and wishes don't apply to husbands.  yep, that's what he said.  So, my wishes only matter when someone wants to abide by them, but not when they want to say it doesn't apply to them? He got me a lafge Coach Tartan that he ordered weeks ago and they had to get it from Detroit because no one in St. Louis carries it yet.  So how am I suppose to be mad at him for that?  So he said, 'happy Monday' when he gave it to me....ok, well, tomorrow's Wednesday, wtf am I gonna get for THAT day??? lol