today was Hour Place's 10th Anniversary and E-15 was $1.89! I rolled in with my fuel light on, like a boss. shoulda got a receipt. it was $30 and some cents.

Rip got groomed today. he's looking sharp.

bought letters to re-do mailbox at the farm. and clear spray to finish Ouija Board. glued letters/numbers on today. and started spraying board.

6 hours and 35 minutes away. 399 miles.

got the purple lights hung on Clarice today, and started hanging the Victorian Christmas Cryptid Ornaments.

also, the picture arrived and starting on the Ouija Board. still a work in progress. have to get modge podge to put it all together.

I am quite excited about this project! also cleaned the downstairs bathroom today, which was also a rewarding albeit long overdue project.

todays Creepy Corner Progress...

hung the chandelier. ends up I could do it on my little ladder and tiptoes. yay me. put up Clarice the Beautiful Black Christmas Tree. finally found the spot for The Mothman sticker. and The Dover Demon (can you see him? he's perching on couch.) have to find the purple lights and The Creepy Victorian Christmas Ornaments I made several years ago. finish up the Vultures. make the Ouija Board. find another chair.

the Creepy Corner is coming along swimmingly.

hanging more stuff on walls. decided that Scare Bear and MR. Skeleton will sit at The Seance Table. Scare Bear has a nice stack of ghost books to sit on so he can reach the table. Mr. Skeleton is not with us yet, but he soon will be.

starting to look a bit like a paranormal museum....have my Vultures painted. need to find them legs, red eyes, and red beaks. they'll go on either side of The Ghost Adventures Debunked Display. when it's done, The Haunted Doll House will be reflected in the mirror leaning against wall, so you can see front and back. need to figure out exactly where Seance Table will go, so I can get Clarice The Beautifully Black Christmas Tree put up. and have to figure out how I'll hang The Chandalier from ceiling. I really don't want to get out the BIG ladder but I might have to. unless I trust the table to stand on....I put the legs back on it and it doesn't seem wobbly, but I do know how much I weigh....and I'll make some Haunted Pillows for couch. and when my Snapfish pictures come, will start on The Ouija Board. I hope to tear or burn the edges of picture, glue onto board, use the black letter/number stickers, then modge podge the whole deal. might make a fabric ghost hanging kind of like the ones we saw at that boutique hotel in Kentucky. but things are progressing nicely. getting a lot of listening to Bigfoot and Beyond with Cliff and Bobo done while I work. on Cliff's advice, ordered a wonderfully slimming podcast Tee and a Dr. Krantz book. but I can't pee off the porch 'cause I'm a girl.

while the sun was shining brilliantly through living room windows, I realized what a shitty streaky job I'd done on them, so did them again. will look at them again tomorrow with the sun shining through.

so I am declaring my basement clean up practically done. yeah, I have to get the exercise bike out to the farm for KJ. but pretty good. not spotless. but vastly improved. need to clean downstairs bathroom. and upstairs bathroom, kitchen counters, and floors.

US GRANT HOUSE, Galena, Illinois, haunted silver butter server update.

of course, the haunted status of this item is a status I have unofficially granted. but I did find a pic online of the dining room that I stole. butter dish is on far left forefront of table.

I’m a month old!! Like: Cuddling with my mommy and daddy Pulling mommy’s hair Mommy’s breast milk Being swaddled Sleeping Bath time Dislike: Waiting for my food Sleeping in my crib at night Diaper changes I eat 3 ounces every 3-4 hours, I’m 7lbs 14.5 ounces and 21 inches tall. I’m spoiled rotten and love every minute of it. 💕

summer is skipping merrily along.

well, I guess it's technically over, since our grandkiddos are back in school. Kevin finally went fishing yesterday for the first time this year, used his pretty new blue rod and a lure he bought from our old neighbor Krystle's son.

yesterday I picked up Ann & Izzy from ER and hung out awhile holding baby. which is always surreal and wonderful. it just doesn't seem that long ago that our kids were babies. and now they're parents. I cleaned on basement, specifically Kevin's corner. scrubbed on some windows. and we did some porch sitting at Melissa & Dave's after Kevin helped him mechanic on something.

we slept in today. Kevin went fishing again. I stayed home, listening to podcasts and cleaning. put fresh pillowcase on Rip's pillow in travel carrier since he got carsick the other day. cleaned some glass and then polished some wood furniture. we do have some wonderful old pieces that look so amazing when I shine them up.

ok. didn't hear anything on the US Grant House tour about ghosts (or corrupt administration or alcholism)

nor have I found anything online yet, but there was an interesting occurance on our tour in the kitchen. The guide was showcasing the silver service, bought while they were in the White House, and was demonstrating the lid on the Butter Server. and the lid wouldn't stay shut. popped open several times. he chuckled nervously and gave us the rules about upstairs and sent us on our way. of course, it didn't occur to me to take a damn picture. this is the only room I didn't take a picture in. the guy in front of me was lining up some spectacular shot, so I just went on upstairs. But I know what I saw. and the more I think about it....I mean, yeah. very old piece. used daily by the family. maybe there's something wrong with the lid. but then why would he use it, knowing the lid had a problem and it is an irreplaceable antique? and he did have a kind of weird look on his face. but I just wasn't in ghost hunting mode, I guess. totally blew my big moment. we even came down from upstairs and had a backside view into the kitchen, and again....no thought about taking a picture. wow. but I wrote it all down, and my own personal ghost experiences are my own personal ghost experiences. It just didn't register as odd to me until we were walking in the historic district. hindsight. maybe I can find a picture of this piece online sometime? I am incredibly busy, of course. will try to pencil it in.

felt like someone was peeking out the window at me at The US Grant House in Galena, Illinois.....

Zerelda's first day of Kindergarten.

we have now knocked ZZ Top off our legends rock-n-roll list.

I love haunted hotels but the venue right across the street was almost TOO convenient. and I got an excellent nights sleep since I wasn't prowling the hotel and scrying into the night. there's no reason this hotel can't be as insanely haunted as The Julien. if (probably when) we return to Dubuque, we'll be staying at The Canfield, said to be haunted. and close enough to venue to walk.

booked something a lil' spooky in KC Oct. 21st. an hour tour and half hour lights out investigation. close enough we can drive there and back and not have to board the dog.

sometimes nothing is happening and you're just there too long. this will be a quick in and out of a location we haven't been to before....

Event by Apex Paranormal 4000 Baltimore Avenue,Kansas City,64111,US Tickets · $15 via Eventbrite Public · Anyone on or off Facebook Come enjoy the spooky season with a ghost tour and mini investigation of the Harris Kearney Civil War Home in Kansas City, MO! Come join Apex Paranormal and enjoy the spooky October season with a walking ghost tour and a mini investigation of the insanely haunted Harris Kearney Civil War Home! Only 1 out of 4 Civil War Era homes still standing in Kansas City, this place is incredible! For the 1st hour, we'll leave the lights on and give a history and ghost tour of the location, during the final 30 mins, lights go out and we'll lead attendees on a mini ghost hunt. Tours will be led by real paranormal investigators who will also share their experiences hunting for ghosts inside both buildings. This is an all ages event so bring the whole family for some spooky fun! Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing as you will be walking throughout both buildings, including stairs and walking outside between the buildings. Refunds may be issued up to 2 weeks ahead of the scheduled event. This is a tour and brief investigation but feel free to bring your own EMF meters, recorders, and cameras if you would like. Apex will also provide ghost hunting equipment to use.

Kevin was up sick most of night and called in today.

Rip and I watched an Albert Fish doc that I'm pretty sure I'd seen previously. the guy with the handlebar mustache who is so proud of the letter Fish wrote to Grace's mom seems mighty familiar. worked on basement today. consolidated boxes, more stuff off floor, threw some stuff away, and even did some sweeping. also stepped on some broken glass barefoot cause thats the way I roll. it's a work in progress, but looking better. took stuff to trailer at David's. KJ came to get chalkboard for Z's first day of school tomorrow. changed sheets. finally remembered to run dishwasher. found suitcase.

little Zerelda

It’s the first day of school! Ian is in 3rd grade, Coralie is in 1st, and Violet is starting preschool at home

A Chef, a Vet, and a Firefighter....I. am. proud.

Katie told me some time ago that I should watch Midnight Mass. I finally did.

it was very disturbing. kind of Jim Jonesy. I don't think anything has bothered me this bad since I read Nos482 in 2013. I swore Christmas was cancelled. and of course it wasn't. but damn. Midnight Mass made you think. blindly following. power going to your head. ugh.

stacked everything back up on KJ's basement shelf. actually, a shelf of stuff from him, Taylore, and Zerelda when they moved in with us. my big plan of moving a shelf over to put all that wood on bottom so I could stack stuff on top of it...didn't realize HOW much wood there is down there. guess I'll still give it a go. and if doesn't work like I thought it would, then there you are. at least I tried. that was my original goal for today, but I wussed out and did KJ's shelf instead. maybe tonight??? or tomorrow???? actually, I am amazed with what my lazy ass actually has accomplished. truly. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know.

😂there was a kid we kept bumping into taking 'butt pictures' and I thought...why not?

Kevin rolled my butt out of bed this morning and asked if I wanted to go work or go play....so we used his free zoo tickets from work! it was the perfect day, cool, drizzly....all the animals were out. including my favorite critter at Blank Park Zoo....

and these other critters....did mostly videos today. that was my mood. it was also Princess Party Day at the zoo, so saw lots of little girls running around in long dresses and tiaras.

we signed up for the Chevy Sweepstakes and Kevin asked the salesguy how heavy duty that display truck really was? cause he wanted to take a Rhino on a joy ride through the zoo. this guy. 😂 so we bought a little rhino in a hoody in the gift shop on our way out the door....

and FINALLY donated that huge bag of clothes that has been joyriding in the back of the car for an embarrassingly long period of time.....

more wedding pics....