It's a Trembling Tuesday here at the lair. It's also a Two-for-Tuesday with giveaways from Sosanna's Closet and from Hemlock and Garnet!!
Come see what we have to offer!
The winner of the author Sam Curtin Book Giveaway is....
Sharon Rawson!
Today's Blogger: Author Sam Curtin
Every year I recount to you all my tales of spirits
that I’ve come in contact with over the year. This year though is a little
different; I’m going to focus on one place that I visited and the interactions
and experiences I had there. I am
talking of course about my visit to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the hotel, it
is one of the most haunted hotels in the country and was the inspiration for
Stephen King’s The Shining. Naturally, it has always been on my supernatural
bucket list to check out.
This past May my husband and I went out to Colorado to
visit friends and attend Denver Comic Con (which is a whole other story). Our
first day in Colorado was a whirlwind of touring Northern Colorado sites, including
the Stanley Hotel. We drove up the winding mountain road up to Estes Park that
was reminiscent of the road in The Shining. Surprisingly, once we got to the
top, it was pretty commercialized; there was a McDonald’s not more than a
quarter mile from the entrance. Regardless, the place exuded energy.
As we walked up to the hotel, you could almost feel
the vibrations of energy coming from the mountains, echoing off the hotel
itself. After a long flight and countless tours of other sites I was pretty tired;
however, the energy from the Stanley seemed to wake me up. It was invigorating
and I was geeking out in every sense of the phrase.
We gathered in the basement of the hotel, where the
tours started. We were informed there was a private party going on and
unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to tour the main hotel area. At first I was
bummed because I was dying to see Room 237 and experience all it had to offer.
I was not disappointed though as we started the tour. The amount of spirits I
saw, felt, or sensed was astronomical and I barely am able to skim the surface
with this blog post; however, I will highlight the most important ones that
stood out to me.
First place we started was in the tunnels beneath the
hotel. Now it’s saying a lot about how much I wanted to go on this tour by the
shear point of me going into a tunnel in the first place. Boy was I glad I did.
We were all given a “Dum Dum” lollipop to hold in our hands. We were told that
there were spirits of children that roamed the downstairs, including the
tunnels, and they loved to steal candy out of people’s hands.
Many people in our tour group tried it, most to no
avail. One guy ended up having his lollipop stick moving a little bit. That’s
what I saw her. Next to the wooden door I was leaning on, a small girl with
sandy blonde hair appeared. She looked up at me and then disappeared. The
lollipop in my hand was promptly lifted up and dropped on the ground. I smiled
and I heard a few gasps around me.
Even though I didn’t see the little girl I felt her
presence in front of me; she was also in head whispering to me. I turned to the
tour guide and asked her if one of the children was a blonde named Emily. She
confirmed that was true and immediately asked me if I was sensitive. I nodded
as I heard a few scoffs from the group but the rest were dead silent staring at
the lollipop on the floor.
We moved out of the tunnels (thank the gods) and went
to a different building where the banquet hall was. The tour guides encouraged
us to explore and take pictures. She even asked if anyone knew how to play
piano. Grant remarked he did and she told him to go up on the stage and play.
As soon as he sat down I saw a man sit down next to him. Now Grant is a skeptic
(science first with him) so when I pointed it out to him he rolled his eyes and
started playing. The man next to him sat there quietly, looking at the keys in
front of him.
From there we went into the basement of the banquet
hall. That’s where I felt an oppressive weight on me as I stepped down the stairs.
Suddenly my body felt like it was falling through the floor. It took quite a
bit of coaxing from the tour guide to get me down there. But I clutched my
triquetra necklace with my essential calming amethyst and walked past the
vortex in the floor and down the hallway.
Then we went to the room that I still think about
every day, as it was one of the best spirit experiences of my life. The story
went that there was a transient woman named Lucy who once was known to inhabit
this room. The guide had us all sit in the room, in the dark, and she had me
sit in the arm chair right by the door.
As soon as I sat down, I felt a presence next to me by
the open door. The tour guide shut the door and I turned to see a figure
standing in the corner. Without explanation a smile curled my lips and I
suddenly felt very calm, a complete change to how I felt stepping down those
stairs into the lower level.
The figure moved closer to me and put a hand on my
shoulder. During most of the time in this room, Lucy stayed by my side. The
tour guide tried to get different people to call out to Lucy and even had us
sing “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Still, Lucy stood next to me, not leaving
that space between the arm chair and the door. To no avail, the tour guide
switched gears and tried to get the children to come to the room. A couple
people in the group said they heard and/or felt something scurry past them.
The tour guide tried with Lucy again, this time asking
anyone if they had a picture in their mind of what she looked like. At first I
kept my mouth shut, wanting to see if anyone else would speak up. Then I sighed
and told her I knew what she looked like. For some reason I had a picture in my
head of a thin woman with long, wavy, strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes. I
saw her wearing a long, ethereal teal dress and walking barefoot around this
room. The tour guide had whispered the description to one of the other group
members who then parroted back almost exactly what I had said (apparently the
dress was more blue than teal).
Still Lucy remained next to me until we turned on the
lights and started to exit the room. Upon exiting everyone noticed that those
lollipops they had in their hands, in their pockets, next to them, etc. were
now gone. Instead, they were piled up in the corner by the door, right next to
where Lucy was standing. This made me smile as we left to go back to the main
hotel.
The experiences I had and the feelings I felt while in
the Stanley were unlike anything I had felt before, and if you have been
reading these blog posts the past few years, you know I have experienced a lot
in my almost 26 years of being alive. One day I hope to go back and explore
more of the hotel.
Song of the Day with Jennifer Rasmussen
This piece is just so fitting for the season! I was going to go with the 1980s cartoon version but why do that when you can find a Tim Burton mashup to go along?
Today's Recipe with Autumn Earthsong
Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
1⁄2 medium green pepper
3-4 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
2 cups frozen corn
1⁄2 cup dry white wine or 1⁄2 cup water
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
Topping
1 cup tortilla chips
Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño and green pepper with olive oil in a large pot until soft.
Add all the rest of the ingredients to the large pot and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or even more!
*Place this in a crock pot after it’s boiled as well and keep on low if you’d like.
Serve, topped with crushed tortilla chips
It’s so Good! Enjoy!
Blessing and Love,
Autumn
Autumn Earthsong is back for the 3rd year as our resident Kitchen Witch. You may have seen her recipes in Imramma Magazine and The Sunday Stew as well. Autumn has been a practicing Witch for 17 years and hails from Ohio. She is a wife, mother of two, and Nana to three busy little grandchildren. Samhain is a favorite time of year for her….with her name indicating what Season she loves! Cooking for family and friends this time of year is also a joy…..Especially this time of year! Hearth, Fire, love of family and good food is how she brings Magick to her home. You can also find her blogging at www.autumnearthsong.com. She looks forward to sharing her recipes with you all and hopes that you have a very Blessed Samhain Season!
Stones and Crystals with Jennifer Hodgson
Fuchsite
Fuchsite is green in color and is available from specialist stores. This crystal is great for channeling information regarding herbal treatment.
This stone deals with issues from past and present lives. It is great for those who fall into savior or rescuer mode.
Fuchsite is a great crystal to amplify the energy of other crystals. Helps to release blockages and shift energy into positive channels.
Today's Giveaway#1 from Sosanna's Closet
Two inches tall including bail - 1/2 inch wide - Wrapped in
20 gauge copper wire tarnished with tarnishing liquid. One of a kind
piece. Includes satin cord. Retail value: $65.00
Here's how to enter: (Canadians, skip this part and go to your section)
Visit Sosanna's Closet . Come back and comment on this blog post about your favorite item.
Remember to add your email address to the page (if you don't want to post it publicly, simply send it via the contact form at the top of the page).
Want extra entries??
1. Follow Sosanna's Closet on Twitter. Come back and comment that you did.
2. Tweet about this giveaway. Comment with the link to your tweet.
3. Blog about this giveaway. Comment with the link to your blog post.
4. Follow Samhain's Sirens on Facebook. Comment, and let us know you did (if you're already following, just comment and say so!)
5. Follow this blog so you'll be in on all of the fabulous fun throughout October! Comment here that you did.
That gives you 6 chances to win this fabulous prize!
CANADIANS: LOOK HERE!
Canadians, your country requires that you answer questions instead of participating the American way ;) So, we're bringing you some good old-fashioned trivia about your country this year. Answer the question correctly in comments (don't forget to put your email address in the comment!) and you'll be given 6 entries in the giveaway!
Here's your question:
What was the name of Canada's flag before the Maple Leaf?
This giveaway is open until 9pm EDT tonight. Winner will be announced tomorrow at 9am EDT. Remember, we have to notify the winner in email first, so those email addresses are critical for you to qualify for the giveaway!
Good luck everyone!
Giveaway #2 from Hemlock and Garnet
Grunge Pumpkin just wants a home to stay in. He says that he
doesn't light up but that he does bring the spirit of Samhain with him and that
he is quite handsome with his wrinkles and black accents.
Grunge is on a 6 1/2" x 9" wood plaque, mixed media. He features a swirl of autumns colors with a polka dot background, and dirty leaves rest under him. A braid of twine edges the plaque and the smell of cinnamon encases Grunge, for a hint of the season every time you walk by.
Value: $30.00Grunge is on a 6 1/2" x 9" wood plaque, mixed media. He features a swirl of autumns colors with a polka dot background, and dirty leaves rest under him. A braid of twine edges the plaque and the smell of cinnamon encases Grunge, for a hint of the season every time you walk by.
Here's how to enter: (Canadians, skip this part and go to your section)
Like/Get Notifications on the Hemlock and Garnet Facebook Page. Come back and comment on this blog post about your favorite item.
Remember to add your email address to the page (if you don't want to post it publicly, simply send it via the contact form at the top of the page).
Want extra entries??
1. Follow Hemlock and Garnett on Twitter. Come back and comment that you did.
2. Tweet about this giveaway. Comment with the link to your tweet.
3. Blog about this giveaway. Comment with the link to your blog post.
4. Follow Samhain's Sirens on Facebook. Comment, and let us know you did (if you're already following, just comment and say so!)
5. Follow this blog so you'll be in on all of the fabulous fun throughout October! Comment here that you did.
That gives you 6 chances to win this fabulous prize!
CANADIANS: LOOK HERE!
Canadians, your country requires that you answer questions instead of participating the American way ;) So, we're bringing you some good old-fashioned trivia about your country this year. Answer the question correctly in comments (don't forget to put your email address in the comment!) and you'll be given 6 entries in the giveaway!
Here's your question:
What is 7x7?
This giveaway is open until 9pm PDT tonight. Winners will be announced tomorrow at 9am EDT. Remember, we have to notify the winner in email first, so those email addresses are critical for you to qualify for the giveaway!
October 20: Trembling Two-For Tuesday!
by
Alexis Kennedy
on
9:00 AM
Shiver Me Timbers! It's a Trembling Tuesday here at the lair. It's also a Two-for-Tuesday with giveaways from Sosanna's Clos...
