Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber
door.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber
door;

Only this, and nothing more."

- Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

These are my favourite holidays, during my favourite time of year! Hope you all have a terrific weekend. See ya Monday!

The following is a listing of my 13 favourite non-Dr Who monsters. I could fill a listing, and half with those. Maybe next week

1. Baba Yaga in Slavic mythology, the wild old woman; the witch; and mistress of magic. She is also seen as a forest spirit, leading hosts of spirits. My mother would tell me stories of her when I was a child that chilled me to the bone. Disney could not make a movie out of her!

2. Bluebeard is the title character in a famous fairy tale about a violent nobleman and his over-curious wife. It was written by Charles Perrault and first published in 1697. The story of this fictitious mass murderer was also a childhood favourite!

3. Nosferatu the silent film, by F.W. Murnau is a classic, and Nosferatu the closest you will come to the vampires of Slavic lore. They are gruesome in appearance, and horrifying. Nothing like the romanticized version of vampires at all.

4. Jack The Ripper is an alias given to an unidentified serial killer (or killers) active in the largely impoverished Whitechapel area and adjacent districts of London, England in the latter half of 1888. The name is taken from a letter to the Central News Agency by someone claiming to be the murderer, published at the time of the killings. Whoever, he, she, they were, Jack the Ripper has always fascinated me, and provided a mystery for the ages. And yes, I do qualify certain humans as monsters.

5. Sasquatch is a figure prominent in North American Native folklore, and said to inhabit remote forests, mainly in the Pacific NorthWest region of the United States, and the Canadian province of British Columbia. Sasquatch is also reported in my home province Ontario.

6. Wendigo sometimes is confused with Sasquatch. They are nothing alike. Wendigo is a malevolent, cannibalistic, spirit into which humans could transform, or which could possess humans, appearing in Algonquian mythology. Humans who indulged in cannibalism were at particular risk, and the legend appears to reinforce this practice as taboo. Stories of Wendigo are particularly unnerving around a campfire.

7. Mothman My dear friend Robin grew up in Point Pleasant Virginia, and as a child believes she witnessed him/her/it. Robin now gives lectures on Mothman including the big Mothman fest in West Virginia. Mothman was the name given to a strange creature reported in the Charleston and Point Pleasant areas of West Virginia between November 1966 and December 1967. The creature was sporadically reported to be seen before and after those dates, with some sightings as recent as 2006. You may have read the book or seen the film with actor Richard Gere.

8. Godzilla I LOVE HIM!!!! Godzilla is a fictional monster featured in Japanese films and has become one of the world's most recognized movie characters. I was not too happy with the remake though.

9. Nessie or The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid, claimed to inhabit Scotland's Loch Ness, the most voluminous freshwater lake in Great Britain. She is the most famous of all the lake monsters! I would love to go on an expedition looking for her!

10. The Beast of Bodmin Moor is a black panther like creature that is believed to inhabit Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England. When we visit Nicola I will try to seek it out!

11. El Chupacabra the name translates literally from the Spanish as "goat sucker." It comes from the creature's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. It is mostly reported in Spanish speaking communities, and very creepy!

12. Spring Heeled Jack is a Satanic, Superman-like character from English folklore said to have existed during the Victorian era and able to jump extraordinarily high. The mystery of who or what was Spring Heeled Jack has never been resolved!

13. And last, but in no way least, Frankenstein's Monster who according to author Mary Shelley's book, was sensitive, intelligent, and wholly sympathetic...unlike the film adaptations of her story.

Thank you for stopping by, and allowing me to share my Thirteen Favourite Monsters with you. Please do leave a comment, and have a terrific rest of the week! Happy Thursday!

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Photo of me (the tallish gangly legged one) circa 1977 with my little Sis Dee

1. I believe in ghosts. Boo!

2. An astrologer once told me I would be married twice. Once very young, and then again in middle age. Looks like he was correct.

3. Same astrologer predicted three girls...and yep I have three girls. I only lament that he did not give me the 649 winning lotto numbers!

4. My fave colours are blue, and silver.

5. I worship the sun, seriously I'm resurrecting the sun cult.

6. I seek immortality through artificial intelligence.

7. I am building a robot to house the AI.

8. My hubby is my best friend.

9. Twice I have witnessed what I believe were UFOs once in 1990, and again once in 2001.

10. I am the webmaster of six websites.

11. When I was a teenager I volunteered at the Metro Zoo.

12. I live with two dogs, three cats, a bunny, and a fish.

13. I love going to garage sales, yard sales, thrift stores, and flea markets.

14. Usually I am reading two to three books at the same time.

15. We own approx. 500 + books on ghosts, and hauntings, UFOs, Fortean etc.

16. My favourite tv programs are documentaries, although I also love Sc-Fi.

17. I believe there are parallel worlds, and Michio Kaku is my hero.

18. Another hero of mine is American physicist Hugh Everett III who first proposed the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) of quantum physics, which he called his "relative state" formulation.

19. Through some genealogy work I have found out that I am probably 1/8 Gypsy

20. My Father's family including my Dad were from Transylvania, and Hungary, and my Mother's family were Ukrainian.

21. I am a first generation Canadian, and am strongly drawn to my Eastern roots.

22. I would like to travel to England, Egypt, and India in the next decade.

23. I collect skeletons, angels, Dr Who figures, and rocks from reportedly haunted locations, amongst other stuff.

24. I like to resurrect dead house plants, and I am often successful! I pick these up at flower shops, and sometimes out of the garbage.

25. I am a Nintendo junkie, and I love playing video games. My faves include the Zelda series, and Castlevania.

I had fun yesterday morning hanging out with my friend Robin Bellamy, and her Toronto District School Board ghost research class. We visited the Swansea Fire Hall, and spoke to the fireman about their ghostly encounters in this historic west Toronto building.

I took a bunch of interior pics, and will be updating the Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society website with them, and the firefighters reports later this upcoming week.

Does anyone else remember this really cute 1970's, British, children's tv show? It was called The Ghosts Of Motley Hall, and was about a group of rather friendly, but still very much creepy ghosts from various eras that were haunting this fictitious English manor home.

I was delighted to find out that the entire series is available on DVD. I miss the days when tv was more about good writing, and talented acting, as opposed to the "reality" schlock we are bombarded with now, especially when it comes to the paranormal.

When I do watch tv for the most part it is either well written Sci Fi like Doctor Who, and Torchwood, Dexter (another brilliant show) and documentaries or classic DVDs.

With Halloween almost upon us I look forward to re-visiting all three series of the Ghosts Of Motley Hall. Definitely the season for it!

I love a good mystery......which is why I chase after UFO's, Ghosties, and other strange beasties....in conversation with Matthew the other day I had the opportunity to remember, and relate a strange experience from my childhood, which may have in turn been the impetus for my deep interest in the paranormal.

My encounter with the "Impossible Little Man" is from way back, 1973 to be exact, and I was 5-6 years old.

Make of this what you will.....

In '73 my Mom was pregnant with my younger sister and my parents were looking to upgrade their home. Often they would take me out with their real-estate agent looking at houses.

One house in particular was in the Bridle Path. Torontonians will know it, but click on the link for the wiki entry if you are unfamiliar, and would like to learn more.

The house was brand new at the time, and therefore never lived in.

Being a kid I was itching to explore, and seeing it was unoccupied I was given free reign. And I did explore on my own bottom to top.

I came to one bedroom that was just too cool!!! It had skylights, and I said to myself this is soooo going to be my bedroom!!!!!

I whirled around intending to run down the stairs and tell my parents, and the realty lady that I picked MY room ...

And that when I saw him ....

He was standing in the corner of the bedroom. A little man, slightly smaller than myself at age 5-6. He was wearing non-descriptive clothing, looked rather stern and was staring directly at me.

I remember being shocked. I remember blinking, looking away, and back again and he was still there. I was probably scared, that I can't really recall, but I do remember knowing he was "wrong" ... not supposed to be there, not "real" ...

I have no idea how much time passed, but eventually I heard my parents and the realtor outside of the door. I looked at my mom in the door frame, and gingerly made my way past the little man who had kept his eyes fixed to my own the entire time.

I said nothing .....

But I loathed the house from that point. My father put a deposit it on it, but the deal fell through ... and I was relieved ...... we eventually moved elsewhere.

Many years later I told both parents about that day. My father was a scientist and both were atheists ... yet they always accepted what I said at face value, and never insulted my intelligence....in other words if I said it happened it happened.

My mother claimed to have recalled that day, and how my demeanor did do a 180, but she just wrote it off ... naturally I said nothing to her at the time.

So there you have it, what, who, why I can't say.....beyond he was solid, and looked very real ... yet somewhere in my child's mind I knew he was "impossible" ....... maybe even a ghost......or some bleed through from another space, and time....I'd like to think so.

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
A. My face

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
A. White

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
A. Yes

4. Do you plan outfits?
A. Sometimes I do.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
A. I'm tired, but otherwise ok

6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red?
A. My hair....also Skelly's hat - See above photo

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
A. I was moving into a very large older mansion (probably haunted too)

8. Did you meet anybody new today?
A. No

9. What are you craving right now?
A. Sleep

10. Do you floss?
A. Yes

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
A. Rolls

12. Are you emotional?
A. Not at the moment

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
A. Yes.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
A. Both

15. Do you like your hair?
A. Yes

16. Do you like yourself?
A. For the most part

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
A. No

18. What are you listening to right now?
A. Matthew typing

19. Are your parents strict?
A. No they were not

20. Would you go sky diving?
A. No freakin' way

21. Do you like cottage cheese?
A. No

22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
A. Yes.

23. Do you rent movies often?
A. Rarely

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in?
A. Many things

25. How many countries have you visited?
A. Four

26. Have you made a prank phone call?
A. Yes

27. Ever been on a train?
A. Yes

28. Brown or white eggs?
A. White

29. Do you have a cell-phone?
A. Yes

30. Do you use chap stick?
A. Yes

31. Do you own a gun?
A. No

32. Can you use chopsticks?
A. Not really

33.Who are you going to be with tonight?
A. Matthew, the kiddo, and furbabies

34. Are you too forgiving?
A. Depends on what it is

35. Ever been in love?
A. Yes

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?
A. Working

37. Ever have cream puffs?
A. Yes

38. Last time you cried?
A. Yesterday

39. What was the last question you asked?
A. Are you going out after school?

40. Favorite time of the year?
A. Fall

41. Do you have any tattoos?
A. No

42. Are you sarcastic?
A. Rarely

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
A. No.

44. Ever walked into a wall?
A. Yes

45. Favorite color?
A. Blue

46. Have you ever slapped someone?
A. Yes

47. Is your hair curly?
A. No

48. What was the last CD you bought?
A. NIN Ghosts

49. Do looks matter?
A. Only if you are playing a role on reality tv. And, no of course not.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
A. No

51. Is your phone bill sky high?
A. No.

52. Do you like your life right now?
A. Yes

53. Do you sleep with the TV on?
A. Sometimes

54. Can you handle the truth?
A. I'd rather the truth than be lied to

55. Do you have good vision?
A. I wear glasses

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
A. Yes.

57. How often do you talk on the phone?
A. Rarely

58. The last person you held hands with?
A. Matthew

59. What are you wearing?
A. Pjs

60. What is your favorite animal?
A. I prefer them to people

61. Where was your default picture taken?
A. My livingroom

62. Can you hula hoop?
A. Yes

63. Do you have a job?
A. Many

64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
A. Pizza

65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
A. Yes.

When we see a child or young person do mean-spirited, thoughtless, immature or stupid things it is easy to take a look at the parents, and to assign blame to those parents who are obviously lacking in parenting skills.

We all encounter them...dreadful kids that either make us think I hope my kids will not turn out to do such things or if that were my child I'd be very embarrassed at the least.

As people age, and gain life experience they tend to mature, and mellow out, at least that has been my observation with only a few exceptions. I have met, and know several people from horrific family circumstances that grew up to be nice, thoughtful, and decent people.

So I guess my question is based around when should this naturally occur? At what point should people have to take responsibility for their own actions, and not hide behind the poor me, look at my bad upbringing excuse for their own bad behavior?

And if they cannot see how their own lack of compassion, maturity, and empathy affects others at what point do we say this person is just a jerk that seemingly does not care a wit for anyone else's feelings beyond their own no matter what their upbringing?

This past Sunday morning Matthew, two of the kiddos, my sister, and I volunteered at the Toronto Marathon. We were part of the Hemophilia Ontario team pictured above.

Matthew, and I manned one of the water tables, which is set up for the runners. It is a pretty fast paced job!

We also cheered on the runners to the point where my voice was still a little rough the next day.

My eldest daughter (pictured middle) was the team lead for our group, and did an excellent job of keeping us organized, and motivated!

Go team Hemophilia Ontario!!!

While the event went great the drive home took almost three hours from downtown T.O to the west end.....I'm not exaggerating. Between road closures, construction, and a couple of accidents it was brutal. Next year we are definitely taking the TTC.

I happened to be in Roncesvalles Village the the other day, and snapped this pic of the construction currently going on. Vast sections of the street are torn up at the moment, and apparently construction will not be completed until January 2010.

This can't be too good for business for the cute shops, and restaurants that make up this fun street.

Definitely a great area to shop in, just don't attempt to drive around there until the construction has been completed.

Urban decay

A sad, broken building

Another view

What makes abandoned, and ruined places such as these even sadder in my opinion is how they sit empty, and decaying while we have 1000s of homeless people, and those awaiting some sort of affordable housing in this city.

I got this tropical flowering plant several years ago from my grandmother's funeral. It was part of a large basket of planets, and my uncle gave it to me. When the initial flowers fell off a couple of weeks after the funeral they never grew back. No matter what I tried including moving its location, special plant food, etc, nothing seemed to work in getting it to flower.

Then in a weird bit of coincidence guess what I saw on the morning of Christmas eve last year.

It may seem a bit silly, but it is wee little things such as these flowers spontaneously blooming that keep me positive, and hopeful.

I thought I would share some of the last few Fall flowers that are blooming quite nicely in my neighbourhood, and that I enjoy during my early morning walks.

To be honest I do not really have a green thumb for flowers or outdoor gardens so I'm not even sure of the names of these beauties, but I do admire them.

When I was a small child I often would pick flowers right out of people's gardens! My Mom would always give me heck, but I was still compelled to do it. These days I take photographs, instead of the flowers themselves. I'm certain much to the happiness of the gardeners as well.

Late in 2007 I was diagnosed with Graves Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder. Part of dealing with it involves frequent trips to the hospital for blood tests, something I'm getting pretty sick, and tired of having to do.

I opted for the atomic solution (radioactive iodine) back in the Spring, and finally my thyroid numbers are leveling out (Graves attacks the thyroid, and really screws up the chemistry of a body). Hopefully this means less trips to the lab, and far less track marks. Ew! and yeah...Ouch!

Welcome to my new blog, and domain! Please excuse the dust, and general mess as I fix the place up. You may be wondering.....Why The Name Change? Read on.....

Most of the people who will surf through here, at least initially, will have known me as a Darroch. And for two decades my married name was Darroch. When my first marriage ended amicably in 2000 I decide to hang onto the Darroch name for a time so that my children, and I would share a surname, and because it would be a hassle to have all of my ID changed back to my maiden name.

So here we are 9+ years later....two of my kids are adults, and the baby of the family is a teenager. Time for a name change!

I was considering going back to my maiden surname, which is Demeter, but realised a few years ago that when Matthew and I decided to make our relationship "official" I would probably change my name again anyway. It was at this point that I decided that what I really wanted was a "name" for my own... one that I loved, had meaning, and one I could live and die with.

So over the last year, and after much discussion with both Matthew, and my daughters I decided to legally change my last name to St. Clair which, oddly enough, is and is not Matthew's mother's maiden name.

Matthew's Mom was born to her father, James St. Clair-Hughes, and while working at Bell Canada many, many years ago, she was approached by the RCMP and questioned as to why she was using an "assumed name!" Apparently this shocked her greatly as she had no idea why the police were questioning her last name, but after a couple of phone calls and some in-depth family discussion the truth was finally revealed.

It ends up her father was using an "assumed" name ... but only because HIS father did......

To make a somewhat long story short Matthew's Great Grandfather (maternal) was actually just a "Hughes"... but after becoming a sailor, and going off to sea, and apparently learning to do magic, and joining a Masonic lodge, he came back from his journeys and promptly became a "St. Clair."

He advertised himself in his magic act as "Professor St. Clair".

The Professor did quite well as a professional magician... even performing for royalty.

He later married a woman with a flair for business and of all things bicycles, and he settled down. Their children were all "St. Clairs" until The Professor's parents passed away... then, in what was probably a bit of guilt, he started hyphenating the kids to "St. Clair-Hughes"... but it really wasn't legal (his children had no knowledge of this until much later on in their lives) and Matthew's mother was "called out" so to speak on it by the Mounties. It was soon explained and understood... and (I assume) she was no longer deemed a threat to society because she was allowed to return to her job.

Matthew and I learned the whole story through his sister Jody's fantastic genealogy research that led her to the The St. Clair Story as remembered by Ernest St Clair circa 1978, and later transcribed during the 1990's by L.W. St Clair. Click on the link to The St Clair Story to read the story, and view an ad including testimonials of Professor St. Clair's work.

Anyway the whole "Professor St. Clair" odyssey stirred my imagination and I became quite enamoured of his story, and that is how I decided that it was the name for me... a little adventuresome, a little "comfortable family", a little magic, and has a strong if not odd connection to my husband, and it can be all mine... much like The Professor's only properly legal.

And that is the story behind Susan St. Clair......and it does have a nice ring to it if I do say so myself!

Welcome to my new blog! This blog better reflects the recent changes within my own life including the new name (explanation coming shortly) and I am feeling energized just getting it started.

More soonly!

If you would like to zombify yourself you can check out the app located here.

Cheers!