Do you let the people who used to live in your house in your house?

it was reassuring to go back and see that it was being cared for. My heart will always be with that house, because we brought it back from ruin and made it a showplace that was featured in magazines and newspapers.

Oops! * giggle * Hi, ossobuco! I see that a word of explanation is in order.

I was reacting to what chai2 had said, which is quoted as follows:



Now, first of all, knowing that chai2 lives in Texas, I knew that her house was not built upon MicMac burial grounds, as the MicMacs have never lived in our fair state. At least that's what I've assumed. So, I also assumed she was joking. Specifically, I think she had a certain Stephen King novel in mind that resolved around a particular MicMac burial ground located in the state of Maine, of course, several miles in the forest behind the house in which the protagonist and his family had settled; namely ...



Perhaps you've read this novel, as have most of our fellow A2K members (again, another assumption of mine). I did in 1983, the year it was published. If you haven't already read it and you like suspense, you might enjoy reading it (or maybe not). I loved it! My wife didn't want to read it because of all the cussing, which Stephen is wont to do; so, I told her the plot in all its horrifying detail. During both of her pregnancies, I'd joke with her and say that if we had a son, we'd name him Gage or if we had a daughter, we'd name her Zelda.

By the way, there's an excellent three-hour radio adaptation of Pet Sematary that was produced for the BBC and is currently available on CD and possibly on audio cassette as well. I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested. It certainly is far superior to the movie, which I found to be disappointing.

There's something I forgot to say. My response to chai2 reads as follows:



In order to explain my comment, I'll have to give away part of the plot of the novel. Stop reading now if you haven't read it, but intend to read it and don't want me to spoil the plot for you; or if you don't care, go ahead and read this: The MicMac burial ground behind the protagonist's home was cursed and had the power to crudely reanimate corpses with evil spirits (instead of restoring the soul or life force). Once again, I loved it!

That is all.

Boomer, I can't imagine this happening in NYC. I could be wrong. Not gonna try it.

There are a few apartments I have fond memories of, and I'd love to see them again to see if they're as I remember them. Two of them are in walk-up buildings. One is in a dangerous neighborhood. They're all in the Bronx. Not gonna happen.

I suppose I'm lucky in that the next door neighbours to my last house are very good friends, so whenever I'm back in Britland I invarioubly pop round there and can have a good nose over the fence.
The tiny magnolia sapling that I planted all those years ago is now quite magnificent, but the veggie plot, the one that I broke my back on clearing brambles and adding umpteen tons of manure, is now grassed over and is just a plain lawn area. The grass looks very healthy though!

exactly!

I was actually going to mention that little Gage often knocks on the door, but I don't know who has read the book and would get that.

will you play wif me..

oh god....

I love when Gage says "No Fair!"



For those who have never seen Pet Semetary, Gage is not drunk. He's dead and has spent the last 15 minutes trying to kill his daddy.
That's what happens when you come back from the pet semetary, and why I don't let them in my house.

Here's an interesting caricature ...

Nobody will come and knock on the door - we are the first family living in our house.
But I myself have been knocking on the door to see different houses. It was very interesting.
The first one we tried on a tour was the place my father was born. I had written a letter telling we were on our way etc. We came and were invited in and had a nice visit. From there to the next door farm which my grandfather also had had.
There we were invisted to come in, but could not as we had to catch a ferry.
We stayed overnight on a small Danish island, where my great grandparents come from. The hotelowner started to ask question about where we came from and what we were doing etc. So I told that I was looking for my great grandfather´s place. He had passed away something like 80 years earlier. Oh the lady said. I know whom you talk about. Go to the drugstore and ask for so and so and she will tell you were you can find the house.
Next morning off to the drugstore and found the lady and she told us that now the store he had was a shoestore. Off to the shoestore and again I had to tell my story. We were showed around in the house. His old strong box (?) was still standing there. The owner suggested we should go to the townhall and get copy of pictures taken more than 80 years ago when my great grandfather had his store. There were several pictures in the arcive.
Next place on our tour the chicken house in the old days has now been converted into a lovely house. The main building was the way I have seen on pictures, but noone at home. The last place on our list is now a hotel - so expensive that we only had a cup of coffee. Still dream now and then about staying overnight. At least we had a look at the church where my parents got married.

my great aunt had a couple (brother and sister) come to their house, as they apparently grew up there, and asked if they could come in, she said yes. they ran up the flight of stairs, jumped on the step that was third from the top, said "yes, still squeaks", ran back downstairs, said thanks, then ran out the door!!!

and sometime this summer I'm planning on taking a walk in the neighbourhood to visit my old house...

I have been asked twice, and said yes twice. Both times after I thought to myself "I bet they were casing the place looking for stuff to steal". Luckily this was a long time ago, all we had was crap, so it was no problem.

We built our Okinawan house and dojo in 2000. The old homestead that is buried about 12 feet under us was a vacant lot for nearly 100 years. Would love to know more about who lived there back then, though.

I would love an opportunity to visit my old family home in Massachusetts. The house was built the year I was born to accommodate our growing family (eventually 4 boys and 3 girls, plus the occasional "state-assigned" kid who needed temporary shelter).

Maybe one day I will, if I see a chance to visit the States again anytime soon. Of course I will write months in advance to ask permission.

Yes, I love to visit at my old house where I have spent my early days from childhood to adolescence age. There are a lot of memories attached with the surroundings. You did a very kind job and surely that person was definitely very grateful to you.

No. I would not let anyone in my house that I did not know. Good way to get yourself into trouble.

That is very, very sad.........

You hit the nail on the head, Medusax. You are very perceptive.

Exactly.

This is exactly the sort of thing people say to get access into your home.

If someone knocks at my door, I obviously first look through the peep hole. If I don't recognize them, and especially if I don't recognize them and they look like they are looking to get me to sign some petition or the like, I don't even bother answering.

If I don't recognize them, but for some reason I want to see what they want, I open the window slightly next to the door, and ask them what's up. 99.99999999999% of the time they start in with some bullshit, and I just walk away.

If someone has the balls to come up to my house with their agendas, I have the balls to make it known they're not welcome, because they're not.