My Mother used to work in a Haunted house...

In the Sun~shiny days when my Father was still alive my family all of us lived in Summerville SC. It was such a sleepy town with large oak trees and moss hanging down from them. The trees lined many of the streets in the beautiful older home section of the town. Unfortunately my Fathers gone and my parents moved to Charlottesville Virginia another pretty place at least.

My Mother had obtained part time work as a tour guide at beautiful Middleton Place in Charleston. This is no long story but my Mom used to close up, and everyone had left the office. Mom had the keys to lock up. Strange about haunting's but I do believe there are Spirits and that they do roam. One evening she was finishing up and heard foot steps, someone walking upstairs. Now she knew everyone had gone but called up the stairs anyway, but of course No answer! Another time she smelled pipe smoke. She did not like to be there any longer than she had to, got out quickly and went home! Some of the guides would joke as they had heard some things too and would say it was Arthur Middleton roaming. Scary!

Middleton Place today:

MIDDLETON PLACE is a National Historic Landmark and a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, Civil War, and earthquake. It was the home of four important generations of Middleton's, beginning with Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress; Arthur, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Henry, Governor of South Carolina and an American Minister to Russia; and Williams, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession.

The House Museum, built by Henry Middleton in 1755 as a gentleman's guest quarters, is the only surviving portion of the three-building residential complex that once stood overlooking the Ashley River. The House contains one of the finest collections of family-owned artifacts. Expect to see Middleton family furniture, paintings, books and documents dating from the 1740s through the 1880s. Guided tours of the house introduce visitors to the men, women and children who made Middleton Place their home for over two centuries.

Have you ever lived in a haunted place?

I am wondering what experiences others have had with odd happenings in any dwellings they ever lived in. Thus the name of this post is have you ever lived in a haunted house? Well many years ago my X and I our 2 children and newborn Son...lived in a really small town of Lodge SC. We had been living in Summerville a sweet sleepy town in SC. Well we got the hair brained idea to answer an ad to rent a house way out in the country I guess bc we had horses. We went to look at the house and it was so very old and fell in love with it! This house was in the middle of No wheres really. Sometimes I look back and wonder why'd did we do some of thing's we did! We moved our kids Kitty's and horses out there. Lodge was really a beautiful place outside the more thriving town of Walterboro. The house had big old pecan trees in the backyard. This house was made of heart pine, heart pine nowadays is illegal to use bc it is a wood made from the heart of the pine tree and highly flammable. My then husband told me if you were to put a lighter to the house it would immediately start (slowly) to take the flame. The house was darkly stained probably from weathering. It was so old the house had to be at least 125 years old. The kitchen was separated by a small bridge from the rest of the house back then I'm sure to keep the heat from the main house. Al tho the house had No secret things ie passages it was quite a majestic large old home. The house was on a corner in the middle of no wheres and I guess you could say the crows in the fall were some of our only friends when the pecans started falling! I remember how noisy they were!
But getting back to being haunted. We had been living there several months and after I would get my young kids off to school I would lie down to briefly rest bf I officially get up. My dog Cindy an Aussie stayed in the house with us. But funny how she had never barked one time. One day and this was very early in the mornings I heard the kitchen cabinet's banging as if someone was in the kitchen and was cleaning up and slammed a few cabinets shut. The sound was un mistakenly of cabinet's slamming and it was pretty creepy. And this would go on about 3 days a week. I would run as fast as I could down to the kitchen but no Nothing was ever a miss! My Daughter had been home several times and she too remembers the noise.
I had a a very close elderly Christian woman at the time tell me Janet you must anoint the doors front and back and all the door frames inside with oil and announce to "whatever" was in the house that this is "The house of the Lord and in His name I order you to get out". So I did this and stood on some Bible verses and after that the the goings on stopped. I was thankful to the Lord it stopped! Halloween is one of my most favourite holidays But for me and my house I did not want any "entity" inside of it!
Finally my husband was able to obtain work in the Charleston area again and as sweet as that old house was...it was time to leave. This is the only time I have ever lived with "something" amiss in my house!

Some Absolutely Wonderful reading for Halloween!

When my children Jenny and Kibbie were about 7 and 8 I found the greatest Author and her name is Ruth Chew. Ruth Chew lives in Brooklyn NY and mentions streets and parks which is neat as I remember those places as I visited them as a child going to see my Norweigen Grandparents. She was way before all the Magic and Harry Potter books out now. I stumbled across them in Barnes and Noble but now a days ones lucky to find her books at all. I had to go on Ebay to find many of the ones that were lost in a move years ago.

The "Witches Buttons". The story revolves around a witch who cast a spell on these buttons, one was actually a man/wizard who she shrank down to button size and another was a flying saucer. The two friends find these things out as they go along, and the story twists and turns with surprises every step of the way. One scene has the two friends shrinking down in size, so they can fit into the flying saucer button and then take it for a ride, to spy on the witch.

Next is the "Magic Coin". The boy and a girl that found a coin they called Juan Pablo. It has a man with a little bearded face that is magic. He took the boy and girl on an adventure with pirates!

Also is "The Trouble with Magic". Harrison Peabody, a good-natured wizard who has a few "kinks" to iron out in his magic and his problems with an umbrealla who will only work when it rains and a Sea serpent in a large lake in Brooklyn!

Ruth Chews written many more than these and here I have only mentioned a few. This is reading for young people but I have found All of her books simply deightful!

The Texas Renaissance festival is here again..

The Texas Renaissance festival is here once again October 11th to November 30th 9 AM to dusk right outside the small town of Magnolia. I think we shall go to the Highland segment as husband is from Scotland. I think tho it will make him sad when we go bc Scotland is so old~worldy every place you go and incredably beautiful. I am surprised tho he has not lately said lets go home! Who knows what is ahead?! Anyway off to do things as it is past lunchtime and I have spoken to my Mum~in~law today besides that Ive done nothing else for shame!
Have a lovely day to all who stumble upon my blog!

For a bewitching Halloween eve..

This is a fave of mine and is entered into the Art bead Scene contest. Many enteries for the month of October! Who knows maybe I shall win?!

What I have been up to..

Well Ron and I went to our 2nd glass class and it was really wonderful. learned some more glass secrets. Secrets are wonderful arent they bc you hold them close to your heart! We made some nice tiger beads and learned also to use Silver foil. Using Silver foil is easy but to see things done in person...watching and remembering ie irreplaceable knowlege. It was an all day class and lunch was served. What a delightful day.

More and more jewellry

Some pcs I never put up...The mermaid and her babies done with mother of pearl. Nexts the mermaids family Ive gotten many compliments on this one. My hydrangea beauty and the mer~cat which is a real fave of mine. Lots of Green girl material here!

Some other peices Ive made

Well Ive been wanting to show some recent pics of some Jewellry Ive designed and strung.

Funny how we find our own "style"! Ive often said to myself why dont you string this and do that. And then I knew the answer...it wasnt my style. So with that we all sparkle and shine in the tapestry of life.

Chinese New Year beads

This top peice was made from Chinese New year beads brought to me by my lovely Daughter in law Yao. She was visiting her Mother in Tiawan and I was so pleased to recieve them and Immediately strung them! Notice the green girl studio heart on the end! The next is a favourite pc I wear of a lovely koi...who swims thru glass pads!

Hurricane Ike

It was a very scarey night here the eve hurricane Ike blew in! I made sure we all prayed for safety! We are 60 miles from Galveston and that was a good feeling to be atleast that far. It was pretty windy and during the Night I wondered if any tornado would spawn...so we went into some safe havens of the house. Heres some pics of my yard as you can see all the fences were blown down. Epps Im so thankful we were all ok.

A some what new necklace

This is one of my favourites. A lampwork tablet and all strung by me. I wear it very often its so pretty. I will have to post a few more pics soon of some other things Ive made.

Heres my newest Necklace

Finally I feel a my Jewellry creativeness is loosening up. This is such a lovely peice and it was hard to send it off... but the person was so deserving! Its so fairy like and delicate I will have to make another one. Cynthia Thornton sent me some lovely pewter peices, especialy a butterfly that is not listed on any sites. That made me feel especial. What a lovely thing to do and this Necklace was created just for her with love! xx

Dive bombing isnt such a good thing

Heres Cheeky the Quaker parrot and Cherub the Sun conure on my bed hanging out. Theyre so cute Cheeky is a real talker and every morning hell greet me with a "Good morning my Darling". They are known as wonderful talkers. But Cherub is the timid one as she prolly wasnt handled much as a youngster. But atleast they are bonded and have each other when we are away. Unfortunately Cherub doesnt get out alot these days b/c shes taken to dive bombing my Son every chance she can get! If only she could be more of a thinker!

Here are my fids!

Cheeky is the green Quaker parrot.

Cherub is the Sun conure.

They are gifts despite how terribly messy they are.

This was my house in Scotland 3 years ago

Something to share of my life in Scotland with my husband who was born and raised in England. Life is harder and I will say it takes longer to get ahead in the UK. My husband had a very good job as an engineer but lived with a coal fire for twelve years. That was difficult with some rooms cold all the time you always felt things just werent right. Came home to appreciate things here with eyes that saw all differently. Jobs are tight as well as money. I saw people very conservative and less apt to spend as easily in the UK. Many differences but to describe Scotland would be the land of lovliness. I miss my house but I dont miss being as poor as I was. A shame really look at that house I do miss it! My house was in a wee villiage named Tarves outside of Aberdeen.

Thoughts of today and tommorow...

The unblemished green leaves and glad blossoms of early summer are a brief, but the midsummer garden is a more lasting affair. Outside the front porch and on either side of the path that runs in front of the house, the lavender harebells and summer roses bloom faithfully during the hot July days. Throughout the rest of the garden, the foliage of plants and trees becomes heavier and greener, and the grass requires mowing less frequently.

So it is with anticipation that I look forward to the days ahead as well we may journey back to the green foothills of Virginia! I will be praying for favor to the one who never slumers nor does He sleep! I hope for us to go home soon to Virginia!

My Singing woods...

I am Norweigen by my family tree and my name is Janet Snowden McDonald. I currently live in Texas with my British husband. I have gone to Parsons School of Design and the New School in NYC. I have recently set up house with my husband Ronald in Houston at my home I call "Singing woods" and I am setting up a work studio.

Many huggs ...
Jan