Monday, December 22, 2008


Things That Go Bump In The Night........part 2

Even though I wasn't aware of any Native American (commonly referred to as Indian) burial grounds directly adjacent to my new home, I knew several existed along the California coast. There is quite a bit of Indian culture as well as Spanish in California, and most people have a basic knowledge of the Spanish language because half the streets, towns and businesses have Spanish names.

Grandma J loved to walk her dog, Charlie up to the park on the Mesa to run and play. It was a very nice park with a great vista of the ocean that was about a mile away. Another nice feature was the fact that hardly anyone was ever there. Without any facilities, it wasn't very popular.

Another element of life along the Southern California coast is liquefaction. The soil is unstable and sandy. There are also a plethora of fault lines running through the area....so a bit of creaking is normal and just stuff settling all the time. Believe me, trying to scare people about earthquakes never worked because they still crowd there sweet arses into the State of CA. Except me of course who moved to Texas....which is a whole multi-part blog in itself.

A little creaking at night.....we're used to it. Hearing a kitchen cupboard close not so normal. But then, maybe I really just imagined it. One morning, I get up, go downstairs and three cupboards are open. Now, I never ever leave cupboards or drawers open...EVER. My cupboard doors were the type that didn't have knobs, and were self closing with a nudge. So, I'm feeling a little nervous and I check all the doors, and they are still locked. OK, I tell myself that maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, and just because I never leave the doors open, I might have accidentally forgot.

For a few weeks I hear and see nothing. Then one night I'm watching TV and hear what sounds like footsteps upstairs. I turn the volume down on the TV.....hold my breath as I listen, and listen.....

Nothing! I turn the TV volume back up and forget about the noise...until I get up to fix some tea. I walk past the stairs on my way to the kitchen and hear the upstairs bathroom door shut. I freeze in my tracks for a moment. At the same time Charlie lets out a growl. I grab his leash, put it on him and take him out front.....now I'm afraid to go back in!

I walk Charlie around the neighborhood, and realize I'm being silly. No one could have gotten in the house without me seeing them or Charlie barking. I shake it off and go back inside, and fix my tea.

Later, as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard some noises downstairs....I hold my breath, as usual. The noises continue, but I freeze, lying there with Charlie, holding my breath, facing the opened bedroom door. My thinking was this, if someone was down stairs, so be it. Just don't come upstairs and we will all be fine. Take what you want, just leave me alone....I eventually drift off to sleep.

I become sleep deprived....as this continues off and on.

No one gets much rest anymore. Then one day, I had company over, and one of my friends, who was a planner with the city, remarks about how surprised he was when the city of Huntington Beach approved the permits to build on this tract of land. I asked him why he was surprised. He said the parcel wasn't large enough for most builders to consider developing, and the easement requirements were stricter too.

I'm like "huh?"

He said, With the Indian burial ground up on the mesa, most builders were reluctant to take on the additional cost of having an archaeologist analyse the perimeter to determine the burial grounds boundaries, so the city waved the requirement as long as they agreed to add a flood control easement between the hill and construction.

Now that I knew about the Indian burial ground up on the mesa, it made sense that over time, with erosion due to the soil conditions in the area, some of the relics had no doubt made their way down below.
I was probably living on someones grave.

This was a relief to me. Honestly? I decided to have a little pow wow with my Indian friend. If you could have been there, you would have had me committed.

With Charlie on my lap, I told my boarder that we had to co-exist with respect for each other. She just couldn't go around scaring me. Guess what? It worked. Every so often I would hear a door or cupboard...then I would quickly remind my friend that it wasn't nice to try and scare me because it didn't work anymore!

**I've added a new gift idea below. It's a new infomercial by Vince the Shamwow guy....remember? You'll say WOW everytime. Thanks to my boyfriend Michael K. at dlisted, I borrowed it from his site....take a trip over, he's the funniest evah!

15 comments:

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Grandma J: Movie Critic; World Traveler; Heartbreaker; Ghost Whisperer.

You're pretty incredible, and way braver than me.

Hula Hank said...

Ddi you have a sighting? How did you deduce that it was a 'she'? And don't say it was because the spirit was always in the kitchen!

Busy Bee Suz said...

Wow Grandma J, this is crazy and it is very similar to the ghost I had when I was a teen.
So, did you always have her in the house? Did she ever leave before you sold the place?
freaky.....

Busy Bee Suz said...

On the shamwow. We saw the commercial recently and my smart husband had only one question.
If that thing absorbs so much water, then what happens when you put it in the washing machine? won't it just suck up all the water????

Cool Breeze said...

I love that story, but I don't know how you lived there without freaking out.

Unknown said...

CBW, Not a ghost whisperer....I just sat there and laid down the law so to speak. Maybe it's all in my head, but I think it's kind of like dealing with dogs. If you let them know you aren't afraid, they leave you alone. But then, I could have been talking to myself!

Hula Hank, I'm assuming it was an Indian maiden, because she had great listening skills and did what I told her. HA HA!

Suz, She is probably still there. Remember, it's basically her house...she was there first.

Cool Breeze, after a while, you have to realize that no harm has come to you, and the ghost was friendly. Then you let go of your fears...like jumping out of an airplane.

jlo said...

I'm such a chicken. I wouldn't have handles it as well as you. "I do believe in spooks. I do. I do." Name that movie!! ;)

Katrine said...

Freaky! But cool.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could have been there!!! I am such a paranormal fanatic. I scare my hubby with my obsession of watching T.A.P.S

I hope to one day join their team...I'm SO Serious!

Big Hair Envy said...

Did you ever tell your guests about her while you were living in the house??

Too bad CBW wasn't around. She could have come over with her Ouija board and found out the woman's name.

jlo - "Wizard of Oz" :)

Unknown said...

This is SO interesting! I loved that you had a talk with your ghost and layed down the law! You are the coolest!

Jason, as himself said...

Fascinating! But I want more! I don't want the story to be over! I want a midget woman to come in and do some ghost-exorcising things and announce, "Your house is clean." Only it really wasn't.

Unknown said...

BHE, I told everyone who spent the night about my ghost. I would also announce loudly to my ghost, "company was coming, so be a good girl". I really think that once the ghost knew I wasn't afraid, there wasn't much fun in trying to scare me. I would just say "OK, let's knock it off"...or something similar.

Rebeckah, see what a meany I am? No letting up on the dicipline.

Jason, I wish I could make the story more exciting for you but things simmered down and life went on with a few noises, but no fears or cleaning. Now if she was at your house, I'm sure she would have a whole lot more fun because you are an interesting bunch!!

Anonymous said...

Are we still an item? I'm concerned sice I didn't receive any christmas cookies and now your dating Michael K?? xoxo and I hope you and your family have a Very Merry Christmas!!!!

Unknown said...

Nick, of course we are still an item! I was just joking about Michael K. You know how he likes to feel important.

You didn't get my cookies? What the....?

Best of the best to you my dear friend...I hope Santa is good to you and your family. Get a blog dude so I can keep track of you :))