Mysterious broken pitcher

   My wife collects those old potbellied white clay pitchers that are so commonly seen in Victorian pictures and even older representations. The pitchers are definitely bottom heavy. As they are a favorite of my wife's. it would be most unlikely that she would place one where it would be in danger of being broken. Our kitchen has a doorway that opens into a short hall (no door) off to the left are the rear stairs to the upstairs, straight ahead brings you through another doorway into the diningroom and off to the right takes you through a doorway (with door) into the downstairs bathroom. A wide shelf, well secured to the wall and top of the door, runs across the top of the doorway out  of the kitchen. That shelf is solidly anchored on both ends as well with heavy brackets. On that shelf my wife has placed one of her pot bellied pitcher plus two other pitchers and a couple of chicken figures. I was working upstairs in the front bedroom doing nothing heavy, I might mention, and my wife was painting details on the bathroom wall. Both dogs were sacked out in the dining room. Suddenly a loud crash was heard, bringing us all from different directions. The white pitcher was in pieces on the kitchen floor . Nothing else on that shelf was even moved and the shelf is still very solidly fixed. Only that pitcher which was bottom heavy (surely too bottom heavy to tip) was off the shelf and broken. There appears to be no explaination for this. So what happened?

Strange occurance

   Though the house has been quieter than normal, we did have a strange experience last night. It was about 9:30pm, My younger dog and I were in the kitchen finishing up some leftovers. My wife with our older dog at her feet, was working on the computer. As the house is rather large, I had left the lights on in the diningroom, I knew I'd be coming back through that way. The kitchen lights were on, a couple of lights burn in the kitchen 24/7. The Library has a small lamp that is also always on. When I had cleared up the mess in the kitchen, my dog and I started back though the doorway to the short hall that leads to the diningroom. Before I reached the diningroom, the lights went off in the diningroom. Thinking my wife had quit on the computer and was coming through to the kitchen, I said something to that effect. My wife answered me from the Library. So what happened to the lights in the diningroom? My first thought was I'd have to trek down into our dungeon of a cellar and see which breaker blew. But turning I saw the lights that I had left on in the kitchen were still on. Part of the kitchens lights are on the same circuit as those in the diningroom. So I figured we must have a malfunctioning lightswitch. Going over to the wall switch I found it in the "OFF" position. Who turned off my lights before I entered the room? My wife was in a different room and my dogs are too short to reach the switch. This is the second such episode this season. A few weeks back the lamp timer was changed, but not by us. We have experienced less of the walking noises this year, but did we trade it for a poltergist? Ideas anyone?

Candleabra bulbs

   The missing bag of lightbulbs is still missing. I had to buy new ones. Its very frustrating.

Intruder

 This occurred last Thursday. I debated whether or not to include it here. I'm fairly certain it was no paranormal experience. On thurday, in the morning, I went up to the local post office , only about 3 blocks from my house, not a long walk. My wife was preparing to go into town. My wife stopped at the post office on her way into town to ask me if I had come back into the house after I left for the post office, I told her I hadn't. She said that after I had left she heard the back door open and supposed it was me. She said, "Wasn't Larry at the post office today?" At that time the dogs went berserk and she knew it wasn't me. Then she heard the door slam. I went back down to the house from the post office. Our intruder had something white on his shoes and he had tracked it nearly across the kitchen carpet. Whatever it was it was difficult to sweep up because it just smeared into the carpet. Whoever it was wore a size 6 or 7 shoe. The prints were small. Nothing was taken; apparently the dogs scared whomever away. This is a small community; almost no one ever locks a door in the daytime and some never lock their doors ever. In the past 3 years or so there have been a few burgled businesses and possibly one private home entered. It only takes one rotten egg to spoil a community. At lest I now know my burgler alarm works.

Lightbulbs no show

   The missing bag of candleabra lightbulbs has not resurfaced. Again, how does a sack containing 4 or five new 60 watt candleabra bulbs just disappear? If you have read the previous post; you would know there really isn't anyplace for them to be concealed. The diningroom table sits in the center of the diningroom. It is surrounded with six chairs; one on each end and two on the sides. The chairs, the floor, as well as the table were checked for those bulbs. They may not reappear for 6 months or longer; or we might find them almost anyplace, tomorrow. Creepy isn't it.

Mischief is at it again

  My wife, today, was working on a centerpiece in the diningroom. I was working on our taxes in the parlour.  Suddenly I get a shout from her, "Your blasted grimlin is at it again." Moving into the diningroom I respond,"What are you talking about?" She explains, "I have not moved from where I am right now". "OK" I reply. " I was changing the bulb in the candle of this centerpiece", she continued, "I had the sack of bulbs in my hand but I needed both hands to unscrew the bulb; so I set the sack of bulbs, right here." she indicated the corner of the diningroom table, nearest to her. "I got the bulb out and turned to get the sack with the new bulbs and they are gone". I asked if she had checked the floor and got an, of course Dummy, look. I walked over to where she was working; there was nothing that even looked like the bag that carries those candlelabra bulbs. "Ah," I said, " I bet you only thought you got the bulbs; they're probably still in the closet." With an all knowing look that only wives can get she replied,"Then you go get them". Needless to say the bulbs were not in the closet where we keep all of our lighting together. "I told you  I know I had the bag of bulbs because I had to set them down in order to get ahold of this bulb and unscrew it." Actually this type of event is not that uncommon, although it has been months since the last episode and it usually happens to me. "As you know, I replied, They'll probably show up in some weird place." "Well they don't always show up at all". True, but only a roast and an address book have remained missing, other stuff reappears in some totally illogical place, usually in a few days. She continued, "I wanted to finish this centerpiece and take it into the store Friday; I need a bulb".  Be interesting to see if that sack of bulbs turns up before she leaves for the store, in town, on Friday. Today is only Wednesday.

Very quiet again

    Its still snowing. Its been snowing for three days. The snow is 6 inches deep and still it snows. The weatherman predicts another 2 to four inches. We are essentially snowed in. This tiny berg makes only half-hearted attempts at keeping the road open. I suppose, if I had to, I could get to the Interstate; but I was told at the post office today that even it is only open on one lane because the state is experiencing a salt shortage. One lane usually means very slow traveling as one wreck can really tie up traffic. So I doubt I'll be traveling for a couple of days. Even our next town, which is a bit larger, has closed up, so theres nothing open anyway but a couple of service stations. Talk about quiet. If there were anything the lest strange going on, I'd certainly hear it. I even hear the furnace turn on and occassional clicks in the hot water pipes. Even the dogs are sacked out in the floor asleep. At the moment the house is remarkably quiet.