Happy Halloween 2021: Yer Ghost Stories

A few years back I was rushed to the hospital because I had a very bad allergic reaction to medication.

I was admitted overnight for observation and was hooked up to some IVs. While I was sleeping, I rolled over and my dad was sitting there reading the newspaper. He told me to “go back to bed, everything would be OK”, so that is what I did.

When I woke up in the morning I looked over where he was sitting and I saw the newspaper folded on the table.

My dad passed away in 1996… years prior… He, obviously, was watching over me that night and came back to visit.

- Lisa

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A couple of weeks ago, my two year old kept saying “Papa! Papa!” while pointing to the corner of her room.

I let it go as my father in law had just come for a visit. Later, while I was rocking her to sleep with the lights off, she pointed to the corner again and said, “Hi Papa”, then she smiles and says, “Papa hiding!” At this point, I felt a breeze of cold on my arm and a sudden chill.

I decided to show her some pictures.

A picture of my father-in-law: no reaction. A picture of my grandfather: no reaction. A picture of my step-dad: no reaction. Then I showed her a picture of my biological father and she said, “Papa! Mommy’s daddy!”

I never refer to my biological dad. Ever. My kids know my step-dad as my dad. My biological dad passed in 1996.

To say the least, I bought white sage and am going to smudge the house.

- Heather

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I was 11 years old when grandfather passed. About  2 weeks after his death, my father kept asking me who I was talking to. I answered, “Gug”, but dad says, “He passed away”. I said, “I know!”

What happened was, I woke up ‘cause there was a weight on my feet and there was my Gug! Sitting on the end of bed! So I said “Hi Gug”, and he said “Hi Karl. Don't be scared, I'm in a good place and doing fine. Don't worry, you will  be here with me later”, and you know what? I think I will be with my Gug again, but not for a while I hope. I'm 62 and I will see my Gug again!

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My mom loved tulips. Adored them. Especially the red ones. But she would only look at them in magazines or on other’s properties as she would joke she “couldn’t take care of flowers to save her life.” So she never planted anything.

She passed away on sept 1,2001. On sept 11th there were the attacks on the world trade center.

I was still at her house sorting out her things and I really needed to get some air with everything happening. I went outside into her backyard and in the corner, by the cedars, was a big beautiful red tulip.

Freaked me out. But then made me smile.

- Mike

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When I was twelve years old, me and a bunch of girls played Ouija board. We ask for signs and the typical stuff! I was sitting with the bay window behind me and when I asked for my dead grandpa to give us a sign that bay window exploded behind me! He was an alcoholic and many years ago, on a drunken night, he broke the bay window in my dad’s childhood house! Never EVER played that game again!

 - Marie

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My mom used to work at this boutique in Mexico that was owned by a cousin. I used to drop by and help move things, and do things for my Mom that she couldn’t do. I came in one time and just before going to lunch, my Mom said, “There’s this one door at the back of the store that I cannot open, I was told to put extra boxes there; can you help?” So we go to the back and there’s the door, behind another door. So, I give the knob a twist and… it opens!

I said, “What are you taking about? It was unlocked!“

We open the door and find this room, which looked more like a corridor, and it’s really really long. Me being me, I want to go see how long it is. We start down the corridor and it goes on and on... We stop after a minute walking and turn around and the door where we came in looks really, really small, so we decided to head back. Fast. And, finally, we get out.

After that experience, I decided that that corridor seemed too long. I’m wondering if it’s even possible. So we go outside the building and count steps along the block to the street behind and determine it’s around 175 steps or so to the end of the street.

Armed with this new info, we go back inside and this time, with a flashlight just in case, we start walking into this corridor. We count up to 200 steps… and there’s more… that’s when we stop and literally run back to the entrance door and close it.  

We still talk about it in our family. As for the door? The next day we summoned up some courage and decide we are walking to the end! Well, we could never open that door again and the landlord had no interest in investigating saying, “it didn’t matter because it was not part of the rented premises.”

I still get goosebumps thinking about it, and still look at old building entrances with apprehension.

- Pepe

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About twenty three years ago I decided to go on a little trip across Canada with my best friend at the time. We were eighteen and had no plans but to hang out and party for a month straight. 

We stayed at my friend's father's house which was in the middle of nowhere Alberta and very old . 

My friends grandmother (at the time) was quite ill and my friend Mike was sad and worried that something bad would happen. On my third night there I decided to go to sleep before Mike. He was still in the living the room listening to the radio .

 You know that point when you start to fall asleep and you’re kinda awake but kinda dreaming at the same time? Well, I was about there when I heard a strange voice say, "Don't worry Mike, she will be ok." I passed it off as my brain just running wild, until a second later… Mike came bolting into my room asking me, “Did you just hear that? Did you hear somebody tell me she was going to be ok? That came from the speakers!!!"

I sat up and realized that I was not dreaming. We both heard the same thing.

Needless to say, we were freaked out and we ended up crashing at the camp up the road. The next day, we spoke to Mike's dad and kinda mentioned what had happened and he said that most people who have slept there have had something odd happen. 

The only other thing that happened to us while there was not half as scary but odd non the less. We could stay in  the house for days straight and nothing would happen but the second we both left, we would always come back to all the breakers tripped in the fuse box. If we left together ten times in one hour, we would have to reset the breakers ten times. If we stayed in and didn't leave, there was never an issue. 

I am not a true believer in this stuff but I can't explain it. Never happened before the trip and in the twenty years since, I have not seen anything else like it… that I could not explain.

- John

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I had been working at a local community hockey rink; working hard shoveling and flooding the ice.
I was in the washroom and had just finished washing my hands. I had literally just turned off the water in the sink and still had my hands on the hot and cold water taps when the hand dryer behind me turned on.
Every hair on my body stood up with fear. I was covered in goosebumps.
This was an air dryer that you had to push the knob for it to work. My hands were still wet and in the sink.
Frozen, I said a loud "Thank you!" turned around and dried my hands.
That was a little frightening.

- Ben

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We had just moved into a new house when my daughter was two and we were shopping in a store that gave out free samples. The sample lady told us that,

“Your daughter can see things. She can see THEM. If they bother you, tell them to Go Away".

Weird, right? So we left the store.

A couple nights later, I wake up at around 2 AM because I’d heard something. Turns out it was my daughter walking down the hallway (she just graduated out of the crib into the bigger bed).

I follow her down the hallway, say her name and she turns to look at me. I noticed that she looks totally out of it; eyes wide open, but not really looking at me and she says, in the creepiest voice I've ever heard,

"This child should not be here."

At this point I am obviously freaking out. I walk over to her, pick her up and bring her back to her room, put her in bed, turn around to leave and find that her door is closed behind me.

I walk over to the door and grab the handle when I hear this blood curdling scream coming from behind me. I turn around and my daughter is sitting up in her bed screaming and pointing at the door. I go over to console her for a few minutes and she finally calms down and I go back to bed.

When I get back to bed, my wife asked “What's going on?” I explain everything and she says, “Yeah, I heard a bunch of noise and I have to work in the morning so I came and closed the door behind you.”

Scared the living hell out of me. Only reasonable explanation is that my daughter was sleepwalking or, at least, I hope she was sleepwalking.

- Jaret

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ANONYMOUS TEXTER: “I don't know if this is much of a ghost story. But when I was a child I was playing with a first choice play set. I remember so clearly, I was sitting down and look at the wall and my shadow stood up and waved at me. I freaked out and went to my parents but got shrugged off. I'll never forget that day.”

Tom Thomson: the Great Canadian Mystery

For as long as I can remember, my dad’s been totally obsessed with Tom Thomson. As a kid, I thought this was purely based on his art and contributions towards Canada’s ‘Group of 7’ collective. I didn’t know the story and even when it was first told to me, I was like, “Oh. That's sucky." You know? I never paid it much attention.

Lately, an author has really captured my attention and now I find myself obsessed and wanting to know more. Maybe not the truth because I think that those in search of Tom Thomson’s death-related-truth may never be satisfied… but I definitely want to absorb everything that I can (within reason) about this troubled artist.

The author, Tim Bouma, masterfully tells the story (first person, sometimes second or third) of Tom’s final months on Twitter:

Canoe Lake: Residents are in collective shock. The man they knew as an artist is tied to a tree stump floating by a flooded shore.

— Tom Thomson (@TTLastSpring) July 16, 2021

Twitter is my social media go-to, so I easily became completely enamored with the @TTLastSpring account. Give it a follow if you’re interested or, better yet, buy the book ‘Tom Thomson: A Journal of My Last Spring’.

If you know of any other great Canadian mysteries to dive into or have more Tom Thomson related things to satiate my inherited interests, please get in touch!

Life, Death and Everything in Between: My Autoimmune Perspective

The anniversary of Glenn Frey's death from Rheumatoid Arthritis complications is mildly triggering to me. RA is serious and the drugs to treat is are equally serious. It's a high-wire act to stay healthy while knowing your life will likely be shorter than it should be.

It's paramount to do your best to take care of your body; in sickness and health. Make decisions that work for you. I'm on the CRAZIEST drugs ever after failing: methotrexate, leflunomide, sulfasalazine, Plaquenil, naproxen, ketoprofen, cortisone, hydrocortisone, Imuran, prednisone, ciclosporin & the fringe drugs to treat reflux, anemia, various deficiencies, nausea from chemo, insomnia, headaches. My internal organs (+blood) are at risk to damage the way my physical bones and joints are. I had my first joint replacement surgery at 17 which is why I missed my final high school exams and flunked out (graduated college no problem though).

I'm now on Enbrel and you can google how wild *that* is. I'm accepting that risk to live a 'normal life'. I've been on it for 20 years this spring. I've got two healthy kids with my college crush and work as a rock n roll DJ in Ottawa, Canada.

Life is good. It's been hard but the hardships have shaped me. They've allowed me to have a perspective on life, death and everything in between that most people do not get (at least at such a young age).

To summarize: your life and experiences are unique. Maybe you'll live to 100... 120, maybe! Maybe you won't. What matters is how you approach your life and how you treat others along the way. Never, ever, ever take any of this for granted because tomorrow isn't guaranteed.

PC Organics Baby Food RECALL

Massive recall: PC Organics baby food recalled due to botulism risk
 

To read the full article via Today's Parent, CLICK HERE.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Loblaws has expanded it's recall of their PC Organics brand baby food, originally issued on February 3rd. The following products or "pouches" may contain Clostridium botulinum which is linked to botulism.

The recall originally included PC Organics Apple, Blueberry & Green Pea flavors but has been broadened to include the following:

• PC Organics Apple, Blueberry & Green Pea strained baby food, 128 ml, UPC 0 60383 06292 7
• PC Organics Apple Crisp Muffin flavour puree snack, 128 mL, UPC 0 60383 13730 4
• PC Organics Apple, Carrot, Apricot & Millet strained baby Food, 128 mL, UPC 0 60383 06996
• PC Organics Banana, Sweet Potato & Blueberry strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 05362
• PC Organics Apple strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 02840 4
• PC Organics Apple, Banana & Blueberry with Yogurt strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 04491
• PC Organics Apple, Banana & Strawberry with Yogurt strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 04488
• PC Organics Apple Cherry strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 02843
• PC Organics Sweet Potato, Apple and Mango strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 06294
• PC Organics Peach Maple Cobbler Flavour puree snack, 128 mL, 0 60383 13732 8
• PC Organics Banana Apple & Carrot strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 05363
• PC Organics Pumpkin, Apple, Peach & Buckwheat strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 06995
• PC Organics Prune, Apple, Butternut Squash & Quinoa strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 06994
• PC Organics Pear strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 02842
• PC Organics Mango, Apple, Carrot & Peach strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 05369
• PC Organics Blackberry Cobbler Flavour puree snack, 128 mL, 0 60383 13731 1
• PC Organics Banana & Kiwi strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 02846 6
• PC Organics Mango strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 02841 1
• PC Organics Banana & Raspberry strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 05480 9
• PC Organics Banana, Apple, Apricot & Rice strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 05368
• PC Organics Banana Bread Flavour puree snack, 128 mL, 0 60383 13589 8
• PC Organics Pear, Apple and Broccoli strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 06291
• PC Organics Sweet Potato, Banana & Apricot strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 05366
• PC Organics Tropical Twist Smoothie with Greek Yogurt puree snack, 128 mL, 0 60383 15430 1
• PC Organics Banana, Mango & Apple with Yogurt strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 04489
• PC Organics Orange Twist Smoothie with Greek Yogurt puree snack, 128 mL, 0 60383 15431 8
• PC Organics Prunes strained baby food, 128 mL, 0 60383 16963 3
• PC Organics Apple, Banana & Strawberry with Yogurt strained baby food, 6 x 128 mL, 0 60383 18427 8
• PC Organics Sweet Potato, Apple and Mango strained baby food, 6 x 128 mL, 0 60383 18429 2
• PC Organics Banana Apple & Carrot strained baby food, 6 x 128 mL, 0 60383 18428 5
• PC Organics Mango strained baby food, 6 x 128 mL, 0 60383 18430 8
• PC Organics Pear, Apple and Broccoli strained baby food, 6 x 128 mL, 0 60383 18426 1

If you have any of these recalled products in your home, throw them out immediately or return them to the store where they were originally purchased.

These items may not look or smell hazardous; that doesn't mean they can't make you very, very sick. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, dry mouth, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases, the bacteria can cause death.

Weird Dream Alert: The House of Epitaphs.

It's been two years since the passing of an old friend and former radio college. I had a dream about Lloydminster last night, actually. It felt very real. I was leaving Lloyd, prepping for the long drive home and on my way out of town I drove by a cemetery. I had to stop. I had to pay my respects.

Drove in through the gates and realized this wasn't your typical cemetery. This wasn't doom and gloom and headstones and crying - this was more like Rochester, New York's "House of Guitars".

The place was packed with people: friends, family and fans looking for specific epitaphs. After what felt like hours of rooting through headstones and rock memorabilia, I had to ask for help. I consulted the cemetery's legend/map. I found his name and it was in the "Ace of Spades" area of the bad-ass mausoleum. I later, consciously, realized if such a cemetery existed, he would be in the Guns n Roses area... for sure.

I never did find my friend but it was a cool dream. Very vivid. I don't know why that dream came to me last but when I woke I realized that the date of his passing is almost here. He was 33 and is missed by many.