Ghosts and things that go bump in the night

I am a paranormal investigator. I like to communicate with ghosts. I've had my first paranormal experience when I was six years old. But back then, you never heard the phrases paranormal or paranormal investigator. These days, the media is flooded with programs pertaining to people seeking out ghosts....and vocabulary such as Mel-meter, shadow people, and KII roll off the general people's tongues as though they are naming the toppings which go on their pizza.

     My group, New York Society Investigating the Paranormal (N.Y.S.I.P.) does not get involved with anything of the demonic nature. We are not equipped to, however we do have contacts which specialize and are experts in that kind of paranormal situation. Should you like to check out our web site, may do so at the address; www.nysip.net N.Y.S.I.P.  is a team of ordinary people with a penchant for the paranormal. We have come together to assist in those who are having troubles in their homes and buildings which are not explainable and are believed to be paranormal.  We offer all our investigations FREE OF CHARGE, and any information that is collected by us is kept confidential to protect the privacy of those involved. We are based on Long Island however we cover the entire Tri-State Area including  New York City and the Five Boroughs. The method in which N.Y.S.I.P. goes about our  paranormal investigations is from a scientific stand point. We do not use ouija boards, hold seances, or occult-type methods, nor do we condone such ways to investigate.

Recently my team and I just got through a crazy and highly active investigation which we had been contracted to conduct, in order to film a documentary. In all my life with all the personal experiences I have had....I never witnessed anything such as the past weekend. And I can honestly say, I am a little freaked by what we captured on film. Some of it was good, and some was not-so-nice energies that are dwelling on this property in upstate, NY. One of my bra's disappeared from my suitcase, as well as another investigator's bath towel. (And none of the team took either, to play a joke.) On the morning when my team was to head home....my car wouldn't start, the battery drained completely. I had not left my lights on, in the car...and my car had just passed an expectation so there were no issues with it, prior to going on this trip. It took awhile before we were able to get on the road to come back home....and as we drove, another team member recalled some of our equipment spitting out the words 'stay' and 'castle'. It is very clear that the energies on this property were enjoying our personalities, and the attention we were giving to them, and did not want us to leave.

     After this trip, and being rattled...would I give up my passion and stop participating in investigating the paranormal? Absolutely not. This interest has been in me since a very young age and I feel that I was called to becoming an investigator, and forming my own group to help people cope with the unknown.

The joy of autumn.......Halloween

          

     It's Saturday, and beautiful weather for being outside enjoying the sunshine and decorating the house for Halloween...or doing something natury and fun. But where am I? Stuck in the office until 5pm, trying to keep myself entertained. Sure I have my book to finish reading, and more importantly the owners manual the new cam-corder I purchased for the investigation....but what am I doing? Just nada, except checking out FB, and now deciding to blog.

     For most people (ok kids), nah...I'll say people....their favorite holiday is Christmas. But not for me. Ever since I was a youngin', I couldn't wait for Halloween to roll around, and not even or the candy aspect. I just adore the idea of dressing up as something which is not you (or maybe deep down inside, it is) and showing off your costume. it was always a chore for me to pick ONE THING to be dressed as....and some of my favorite costumes were not store bought...but homemade by my aunt and mom.

This guy can deliver my pizza any day!

         There was my Wonder Woman costume which was actually a bathing suit and rain boots (that's actually the first costume I recall.) There was also my kindergarten costume where I was a swashbuckling pirate...decked out in blue tartan pants and vest...and a 'real' sword which was actually cut cardboard, with the blade wrapped in tinfoil. There were my many attempts of being Elvira, and also when I wanted to be a punk-rock girl...had a wig of multi-colored tinsel. What I hate the most about being an adult is that I can't sew to save my life, and have to resort to buying my costumes these past several years. This year I am torn between being a 1940's pin-up girl....a glamour girl which is so out of the norm for my go-to look for Halloween. Or should I dress as Abby Sciuto, from my favorite show N.C.I.S. which is what mom suggested. I have plenty of things I can wear to complete my total Abby look. I am soooooooo torn. LoL.

     And then there's the movies on teevee! Oh the glorious, gory, poorly acted, and nightmare inducing horror movies. I love sitting up late night with the kitten, Lola, and Ida watching horrid movies from my youth and wondering how the hell they were (a) popular, and (b) considered scary. Friday the 13th 1-XX, Open Graves, The Cursed, The Fog, SleepWalkers, Pumpkinhead...the list goes on and on...and from bad to worse to frightfully gory. It's all on the tube. And not just one glorious channel who acknowledges the wondrous Halloween season....but several different channels. Of course the season is not complete unless you watch either or better yet both: Hocus Pocus and/or The Nightmare Before Christmas. And a great evening treat as you gorge yourself on these horrific horror movies is popcorn with candy corn mixed in. Yuuuuuummmmmmmmm.

     This year is a tad bittersweet for me, as I do not have the time nor energy to deck my house out with all my fabu Halloween decorations that I have. However I did not fall short of the season festiveness, as I made sure to get my pumpkins and Indian corn to put on the stoop. This Halloween I have a 50/50 chance of going to Chiller Theater or having to work that day. I'm hoping Chiller Theater wins out as not only do they have an awesome list of special guests....but Patricia Quinn...best known for her roll as Magenta from Rocky Horror Picture Show is going to be attending. I would love to meet her, and perhaps have the opportunity to interview her as well. So if the Halloween gods are listening...please let me get to Chiller Theater, and rock my Halloween costume, no matter what I decide to be....and meet the lovely and talented Patricia Quinn.

                                                                                                                                                        

It's pumpkin time Charlie Brown............

I love autumn. The cool, crisp nights...the beautiful colors as the leaves change. All the awesome hooror movies counting down the nights until Halloween, and of course pumpkins. Ever since I was a little girl, going pumpkin picking was a big family to-do. And I still love going out to the farms and selecting my beautiful orange globe of pumpkiny-delight. You can find me in the kitchen making pumpkin bread, pumpkin waffles, putting pumpkin in to my oatmeal. I <3 love <3 pumpkin and all the things you can do with them. Witht hat being said...I am going to share two recipes with you. (1) is to kick off a lovely autumn meal with Guinness Beef Stew. The (2) recipe is a delicious pumpkin bread which takes practically no time to put together and bake. Bon appetite mon amie's!

1. Low-Fat Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice
• 1 cup chopped nuts or raisins (optional)

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce and egg substitute; mix well. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts or raisins if desired. Pour into two 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

2.     Guinness Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck steak, boneless and well trimmed, cut into 1 inch cubes (you can substitute mutton if you prefer)

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup quartered mushrooms

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

Pinch of crushed thyme

Pinch (or two) of crushed cayenne

Pinch of black pepper

1 cup Guinness beer

1 cup beef stock

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Bay leaf

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped potatoes

Chopped parsley for garnish

Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Instructions:

Heat the oil in a wide skillet or saute pan that has a tight fitting cover until hot

Add the beef and brown well, stirring occasionally to brown all sides (turn the heat down if necessary so meat does not burn)

Brown meat in several small batches to avoid over-crowding the pan

Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until onion is slightly browned

Combine the flour, thyme, black pepper and cayenne in a bowl and then add to the beef, stirring to make a roux

Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the roux is slightly browned (do NOT burn)

Stir in the Guinness and beef stock and bring to a boil, stirring until the sauce thickens and any lumps are cooked out

Add the carrots and potatoes, cover the skillet and place in a 325 degree F oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the meat is tender

Correct seasoning, ladle to bowls and garnish with parsley and serve

Which would you choose.......aka get to 'know' this Brown-eyed Girl

Remember when you were a kid, and your friends would try and force you to make a decision, when facing some kind of insanely ridiculous scenario? Ex: If you were stranded on an island with Michelle and....Colin Farrell, and cannibals were going to attack, and your boat could only hold one other person...who would you save? Weren't these questions great, trying to make people decide? I still love to pose these questions, usually to my mother these days. But I figure why not give some of you some insight to the crazy & kooky mind of this Brown-eyed Girl. Not necessarily in that format but you'll get the gist. Enjoy!

1. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?     Dark chocolate
2. Curly or straight hair?                         I now <3 love <3 my curly hair
3. Cat or dog?                                       Cat
4. Batman or IronMan?                          IronMan
5. Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark?             (It used to be Bruce Wayne) but TONY STARK
6. New York or California?                    New York
7. Sunrise or Sunset?                              Sunset
8. Morning person or night person?         Night person
9. Winter & spring or summer & fall?      Summer & fall
10. Keep or give you spare change?         Give my spare change on city trips
11. Steven Tyler or Joe Perry?                 Steven Tyler       
12. Coffee or tea?                                    Coffee
13. Chocolate or vanilla ice cream?           Vanilla ice cream
14. N.C.I.S. or N.C.I.S. Las Vegas?        N.C.I.S.
15. Comfort or fashion?                            Fashion
16. FaceBook or MySpace?                    Facebook   
17. Colin Farrell or Hugh Jackman?         (Do I need to choose?) Colin Farrell
18. Han Solo or Indiana Jones?                Han Solo
19. McDreamy or McSteamy?                 McSteamy
20. Soup or salad?                                   Soup
21. Island retreat or mountains?                Island retreat
22. Hugs or kisses?                                  Hugs (you can't fake a hug)
23. Death penalty or rehabilitation?           Death penalty
24. Vampire or zombie?                           Vampire
25. Forgivness or holding grudge?           Forgivness (you don't have to forget, but holding a grudge is just to energy consuming.)       

If you have any questions you'd like to throw at me, to see where I stand, please post them and I'll gladly answer. :-)

Lola the broken puppy

Lola, for those of you who don't know is our family puggle. She'll be three years old in January and has been quite a handful since day one. In this photo of Lola is her truest best friend..Luna, who joined our house this past June. They are never far from one another and wrestle and play and sleep together.

When we first had gotten Lola, it was love at first sight, but also a long nightmare which was costly and worrisome for us. You see, Lola is a broken puppy. She is broken because she is the product of a puppy mill, stupid dog breeder who lied and cheated. (Yeah, I'm still bitter of the fact.) When we had gotten Lola...we had been promised her medical records and her papers. We were guaranteed that she was 100% healthy. We were lied to. Lola came to us with an intestinal parasite known as coccidia (for more information on this horrid and costly disease visit the web site http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=727). It took 2 rounds of 2 different antibiotics in order for Lola to kick this illness. But oh...the vet visits did not stop there. After we cleared up the coccidia, we brought Lola in for her routine shots and the vet asked if she was having ear issues. We had said 'no' and watched as the vet stuck his finger in the puppy's ear and remove something which looked like feces. No, it wasn't feces, or even ear mites. It was a sever ear infection caused by the afterbirth and birth sac left in the puppy's ear canal's because the stupid breeder didn't clean her properly. We had to get that cleared up...then had to try and decipher why Lola was scratching and what food could she eat due to food allergies. It seemed like we were living at the vet, and my vet bills were getting more and more expensive and extensive. Once we got that squared away....things seemed to go smoothly for Lola, the broken puppy.

A few weeks ago the family went to our timeshare, upstate and had a break from crazy cats and pugnacious puggle dogs. The animals were left in good hands to be pet-sat, and Lola was treated like a queen. Upon our return, our friend who had watched Lola for us asked if she was having sight issues, as her right eye looked cloudy and she wondered if it could be a cataract. So that planted the seed of worry, and I observed Lola in the house and when we went on walks. She maneuvered the house without any issues, and was always anxious for a walk. But I did notice that loud noises tended to outright frighten her and that when it was after sunset, she did not like going for a long walk, up the block, towards an area where there were no street lights. In the past, the darkness or noises never bothered Lola. And that right eye did indeed look extra cloudy. So today I took both Lola and her BFF, Luna to the vet. Luna, to get spayed...and Lola to get her eyeball examined.

Of course the vet needs to do all kinds of tests on the dog's eye to see what is going on. When I ask if that is covered in the office visit...the vet almost laughed out loud. He then had his assistant draft a new estimate which runs close to $300...and that is to do an eye pressure test, stain the eye, and two different tests. He also tells me that Lola may need to go to an optometrist. Really? REALLY??? Why? Is he going to have her read an eye chart? Can my optometrist see her or does she need to go to a doggy optometrist? I did consent to the vet checking to see if there was any trauma done to her eye...and thankfully there was not. So here she is...a broken puppy. A truly broken puppy. I believe that this stems to the genetics and breeding that our Lola came from. That is an actual possibility per the vet. It just amazes me however, how much vets are...and how they make you feel like a bad pet owner...when you tell them you can not afford the costly treatment plan they have all mapped out for you.
Lola is fine...her personality has not changed, and she still does everything that she loves to do. As I type this, she is sleeping right under my chair. And just think how much fun I can have with her. I can put a little eye patch on her, and make her a pirate! Plus mom and her make up the perfect team: mom can't see out of her left eye (Lola can), and Lola can't see out of her right eye (and mom can.)She may be a broken puppy....but she's our broken puppy, and we'll keep her no matter what.

Back to blogging

     So here it is. I find myself back on my old 'home', blogger. Why? Who the heck is really going to read this? Isn't that what FB is for? To keep up with the daily lives of your friends? Well.....I'm back here because my dearest treasure, my best friend in the whole wide world, Michelle posed the simple question: 'when are you going to start blogging again?'
      Damn, although I remembered my old blog title, I had no way to remember what my sign-on and password was, and Google wasn't much help with hooking me up with that information. So I had to think up a brand new, and witty blog site title, and go through the painful decisions of what background I wanted for it...and the dreaded profile picture. And if anyone knows me...yes it is painful for me to make a decision, as I always have a hard time picking something. But yet, here I am. Back on blogger. And with the witty blog title Brown-Eyed Girl's Glance at the World. And ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, how clever am I with the title...because uh...yeah I've got brown eyes.
     And I have to give props to Michelle. <3 Love you <3, sista from another mista....because it feels good to be back blogging. The words seem to just flow. Maybe this will be a form of therapy for me too. And hopefully....you will be entertained....readers out there *cricket....cricket....cricket* is anyone out there? Because sometimes I can be funny. Yeah, I said it. But alas, I have to go and watch some old-time classic horror movies...because you know it's my favorite month of the year.