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Have you ever lived in a haunted house? Tales of the unexplained.

haunted house Since it's Halloween, I thought I'd share my experience living with "my" ghost Henry.

Let me say first, I'm not into the paranormal, but there were definitely some spooky occurrences that took place in my 60 year old house back in Kenosha, WI where I lived with my little dog, Merffy.

I remember the evening Merffy and I were watching tv. Merffy sat up quickly and acted like he was watching a fly buzz around his head. Then he jumped off the couch, ran to the foot of the stairs and sat there looking up the stairs to the darkened second floor. I was mildly interested watching his escapades until after about 30 seconds his tennis ball came bouncing down the stairs on it's own. Ok....now I was more than mildly interested. I sat frozen in place with every hair on my head at attention and heart racing. Merffy picked up the ball, excited with tail wagging while expectantly looking up the stairway. That's when I gave my ghost a name. I called him "Henry".

Then there was the night I was taking a bath and heard a crash coming from the 1st floor. I jumped out of the tub, grabbed my robe and tiptoed down the stairs armed with a... plunger. Lying in front of the fireplace was a broken picture frame that had been sitting on the mantel. The weird thing was it had been sitting at the back of the mantle, behind some other frames where they still sat undisturbed. How had that broken frame jumped over the other frames? I chastised Henry for disturbing my bath and for breaking my favorite frame.

One morning I was sitting at the dining room table eating a bowl of cereal and reading the paper when I heard something fall in the kitchen. A coin came rolling across the wood floor and stopped at my feet. It was a silver quarter dated the year I was born (Yes..a pretty old coin). There were lots of unexplainable events that proved I was either losing my mind or there really was a ghost living with me... and no, I've never done drugs.

I miss Henry now that I'm living in Chandler, Arizona. I don't have a ghost here to blame messes and missing keys on...but I do have a husband....

Amy Jones, Realtor, ABR, CNE, EPro, CDPE
Top Producing Realtor in Chandler, Sun Lakes, and the surrounding Phoenix East Valley.
Named one of the "Top 50 Real Estate Agents" by the Phoenix Business Journal

RE/Max Excalibur
4921 S. Alma School Rd
Chandler, Arizona

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Posted by Amy Jones on 10/31/2009 09:42 AM

Comments (10)

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10 Comments on Have you ever lived in a haunted house? Tales of the unexplained.

OCT

Thats a great story. I love a good ghost story. THanks.

I love the husband ending! I have one, too, and of course read this aloud (as I have a few stories of my own which my husband has been forced to listen to a few times!) He is laughing at this one, but it's not "with us" ... rather I fear his laugh is "at us"!

I used to live in Appleton, now I'm in Albuquerque. Don't you love the change in climate?

I love the tennis ball story. I woulda been outta there!

I just heard a paranormal expert speak at a luncheon, and she said that often ghosts follow the channeler rather than just stay in the house (glad I'm not one!). Maybe you can get one in Arizona! Just kidding - Happy Halloween!

Hi Amy, that was entertaining. Thanks for sharing.

My only experience with ghosts/spirits was in a house I owned for 15 yrs and sold 5 yrs ago. Nothing too exciting, just an apparition that would cross through a hallway from time to time.

I did, however, have 1 experience in that same home the night my mother passed away on July 19, 1997. I say the 19th, but in all actuality it was the 20th. Let me explain: it was the 19th in California where I live, but the 20th in Michigan where she lived. The difference is important as you will see below.

It was my son's 6th B-Day. I had a backyard filled with kids, parents, horses, clowns and so much more. I got the call that she was about to pass. I spoke to her and told her that once she was gone we would be so much closer and that she should come and visit me once she had settled. Kinda corny for me to say, but I was taken off guard with all the chaos going on around me it was the only way I could cope with my mother passing. So anyway I told her to come visit and SHE DID!!

After everyone was gone, the clean up crew leaving with the last bag of trash, I put my son to bed. I did find out right at the end of the party that she was gone. Now it was my time to relax and absorb all of this. Process the end of my mothers existence.

I sat on the couch, it was a still July evening. Weighted down balloons were sitting on top of the coffee table. I spoke out loud. Ok, mom, whenever you are ready you can come visit.

OUT OF THE BLUE, the balloons started swaying back and forth gently at first, but then picked up speed. I totally freaked. I jumped off the couch and speaking out loud, arms extended said NO WAIT...I am not ready. Come another day. I continued speaking and then just as suddenly as the balloons started, they stopped. She left. I know it was her.

Kinda sad because I have never had that experience again after all these years. My son, however, claims to have spoken to her on many occasions, but that is a whole other post.

Thanks again for sharing. I love reading about experiences other people have had, as long as the are harmless ones.

P.S. In case you didn't understand the importance of the dates. I was told that my mom hung in there at the hospital waiting to die after midnight her time, so that she would not die on her grandson's birthday.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Wow, Robin...thanks so much for sharing that story! What a wonderful memory and I know your mom is with you...even if she's not shaking balloons. She sounds like a very special lady who held on for her grandson's future memories. God bless you!

Peggy~ I wouldn't mind another friendly ghost, but I'm ok without one!

Rich~ Yes..don't miss those long dreary winters. My husband & I have a cabin up in Pinetop so we can still experience the change in seasons. That's the only thing I miss. My daughter went to school at Lawrence University there in Appleton. I know it well!

Ruth~ Our husbands are great aren't they...whether laughing with us or at us. Of course, they're good when we laugh at them too!

Chris~ Thanks for reading!

Amy - Interesting story that reminded me of a home I lived in many years ago. I had things go missing for days only to reappear later. Once my wife and I awoke to find a light bulb in bed with us. We also had the sound of footsteps, doors that would open by themselves, and many other peculiar but harmless events.

Strangely, my mother moved into the house following the death of my father, and she too, experienced some of the happenings--and I'd never mentioned them to her.

NOV

Amy - great story. There are so many old interesting homes in that part of the country. In the late 60's i lived in a home in Waukegan, IL that had been owned by the family of Vincent Price when he was a young boy. It looked exactly like something you would imagine him living in. When the wind blew in the winter time it literally howled up thru the stairwells. Kind of creepy - but no ghosts.

Hi Jane~ Wow! I'm from Waukegan!!! I lived there from 1959 until the 90's. Where did you live? I lived right down the road from where Ray Bradbury lived at one time. There were some incredible homes down on Sheridan Road that looked like something out of a victorian novel!

NOV

Hi Amy,

Enjoyed your story! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Chris

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