Sylvia Shults's Blog, page 71

Let’s Try This Again …

Some of you might recall that earlier this year, I went to the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts. I recorded my experiences there, in preparation for doing an episode of Lights Out. What I failed to foresee was that the guide for the ghost hunt wasn’t comfortable with me putting her on the show without talking to her agent first.

So! With her permission, I have re-edited the show, and simply used the recordings I did that do not feature her voice. You’ll still get the experience of being at the Lizzie Borden House for a ghost hunt with me, the humble host of Lights Out, your virtual campfire.

I do hope you’ll join me for a return to Lizzie’s house. Let’s see what turns up, shall we? https://youtu.be/dF7YpCzAgqM

[image error]Now available on iHeart Radio

A Day Off

So Halloween’s presentation at the Jacksonville Library went well. I got to hang out with my friend Loren Hamilton, and we both got to entertain a room full of people — including a reporter from the local paper. Check out the resulting article here.

And since I was already halfway to St. Louis, I decided to spend the night in Springfield and continue on to the city on Wednesday, to visit the King Tut exhibit at the St. Louis Science Center.

First, I stopped by to say hello to my T-Rex buddy.

[image error]Rawarggh!

Then I went into the Tut exhibit.

You guys, it was AMAZING. The premise behind the exhibit was the discovery of the tomb by Howard Carter in 1922. So first, they had mockups of each of the rooms of the tomb. There is a WORLD of difference between seeing black-and-white pictures of the inside of the tomb, and seeing it in living color and 3-D — in other words, in real life.

Then — then — they had the exhibit of every single thing in the tomb, laid out to look at. It was GLORIOUS. And the way they had it set up, you really got a sense of what went where in the tomb. I’ve been drooling over these artifacts for decades, and I even learned something new about them.

I spent half an hour or so just staring at the gorgeous solid-gold innermost coffin. And probably another twenty minutes staring at the mask.

[image error]Solid. Gold. And so freaking beautiful!

I have been obsessed with ancient Egypt since I was seven years old. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go to the Tut exhibit when it was at the Field Museum in 1978 (even though I lived in the suburbs, just twenty minutes from the city). I did go to see it when it returned to the Field in 2006 (holy CATS, has it really been that long?). And of course, when there was a Tut exhibit at the Peoria Museum, I volunteered so I could go whenever I wanted. And I spent HOURS there. But this — this exhibit blew all the others out of the water. Seriously.

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And I loved that people were so respectful. It was quiet in the exhibit, no matter how many people (and schoolchildren) were milling around.

 

If you are anywhere near St. Louis before January 7, 2018, do yourself a solid and go see this exhibit. You’ll find it interesting — and if you are an Egyptophile, it will ROCK YOUR WORLD. I want to go back.

And as an added little bonus, while I was walking back to my car, I met the guy with the World’s Best Job.

[image error]His name is Cowboy, and I got to pet his shoulder. (The horse. Not the policeman. I have no idea what his name is. I just want his job. Or his horse.)

Upcoming Events

October may be over, but I’ve still got a few busy weekends.

This coming weekend (November 4 & 5), I’ll be at two authors’ fairs. On Saturday, I’ll be at the Peoria Public Library (North Branch — 3001 West Grand Parkway, Peoria), from 2 to 4 pm.

And on Sunday, I’ll trek over to the Twin Cities for an event at the Bloomington Public Library (205 E Olive St, Bloomington IL) from 2 to 3:30.[image error]

Happy Halloween!

Let’s listen to ghost stories!

Lights Out: Ron Hood

This is what it sounds like when two radio show hosts (okay, a radio show host and a podcaster) get together for a conversation. Ron Hood, host of Ron’s Amazing Stories, gets to sit in the guest’s chair for this episode. https://youtu.be/yDaCn1rfia0

[image error]Now available on iHeart Radio

Salem Township Library Visit

On Thursday, I got to go to one of my favorite small libraries, Salem Township Library in Yates City, Illinois (just outside of Peoria). This is the second time I’ve been there, and the reason I call it one of my favorites is that they are just so welcoming there. Yates City is a small town, and it seems like everyone knows everyone else there. (There’s a flyer on the bulletin board advertising farm-fresh eggs, which the seller will deliver to the library for you. That’s what a small town it is.)

What I really dig about visiting Salem Township is that everyone feels comfortable there — the Q&A after a talk is lively, and people actually discuss the answers. It is SO much fun to be a part of a discussion, rather than just standing at the front of a room spewing the answers. (Not that I have a problem with that. It’s just that I enjoy people’s participation too.)

I’ll be at Jacksonville Library next Tuesday, for Halloween. Join me![image error]

You Can’t Go Home Again … But Sometimes, You Can Visit

Most of the time — okay, ALL the time, I’m so very glad that time only moves in one direction, and that I will never, ever be in any danger whatsoever of having to attend high school again. (Except in those weird dreams about being late for Spanish class, and not even sure I’m actually enrolled…)

But sometimes, it’s good to reconnect with the people you knew in high school that were — okay, so maybe they weren’t cool, but at least they were as dorky as you were. Fellow dorks? Possibly.

A few months ago, I got a friend request on Facebook from someone who was actually a friend in high school. She now works at a library in Elgin, much closer to the Chicago suburb where we both went to school. She graciously invited me to do my Fractured Spirits presentation at her library, so I decided to make a weekend out of it.

On Friday, I did the presentation at the Lake Villa Library — and almost had my name in lights! Well, the asylum’s name was in lights, so that’s close enough.

Then I went to my friend Joe Diamond’s magic/mentalism show, with a tour of the haunted Dole Mansion for afters. And yes, I was allowed to record an episode of Lights Out there. Coming soon!

The next day, I joined my friend Tish Calhamer for lunch …

And the presentation. After the talk, I got a tour of the magnificent Gail Borden Library in Elgin.

After I got done being TOTALLY jealous of my friend’s workplace, I went to the Barnes and Noble in Crystal Lake for a book signing. I heard a GREAT ghost story there, so look for that in an upcoming episode of Lights Out. The next day, I headed for home. It’s good to travel, but I’d almost rather be home curled up with a book — especially as it’s very nearly hibernating weather!

Harvest Time

The weather here was gorgeous on Saturday, and yucky on Sunday. I wanted to enjoy a fire in the firepit Saturday or Sunday evening, but alas, that was not to be. Saturday night was far too windy, with the change in the weather coming, and on Sunday night, the wood was wet. Blah.

But I did get out in the garden Saturday afternoon, and look what I found hiding in the dirt — sweet potatoes!

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Lights Out — Plymouth, Mass.

Join me on a walking tour of Plymouth’s Burial Hill and other historic places. Janice Williams, owner of Dead of Night Ghost Tours, is our guide to the spooky side of Plymouth, Massachusetts. https://youtu.be/ktdzFWF43gw

[image error]Now available on iHeart Radio

MOS2017 – Ghost Stories With Sylvia Vol 3

Ron's Amazing Stories - The Blog

Welcome to week three, “Part 2”,  ofThe Month of Spooky 2017!

I hope that you enjoyed Tuesday’s podcast because we are going continue with the Ghost Stories. Since ancient times, ghost stories?tales of spirits who return from the dead to haunt the places they left behind?have figured prominently in the folklore of many cultures around the world. A large amount of these tales seem to involve historical figures ranging from queens and politicians to writers and gangsters, most of whom died early, violent or mysterious deaths.

In 2014 I was introduced to whom I believe is the finest, funniest and best ghost storyteller there is. She has a way of making you feel fear and see the humor in that.Sylvia Shultshas spent years in the pursuit of the weird and the strange. She now shares those experiences telling true ghost stories and has five books on…

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