Ravenswood, also known as the Leonard Home, is a historic home and farm and national historic district located near Bunceton, Cooper County, Missouri. It was built in 1880, and is a 2 1/2-story, eclectic Italianate/Second Empire style brick mansion. It has a low-angle Mansard roof covered with asphalt on top and grey, slate shingles on the slopes. Additions were made to the original house in 1907-1908, 1913 and 1914. Also on the property are the contributing summer kitchen (1

The Devil's Chair (or haunted chair) is a common legend but the one specific to Missouri involves what is known as "The Baird Chair" in Kirksville at the Highland Park Cemetery. The legend goes that those who sit in the chair at midnight (or Halloween, or during a full moon) will either be punished or rewarded for bravery. Another suggests a hand will rise from a grave and drag you down into hell. Since all devil's chairs are in cemeteries, it's easy to imagine getting spooke

Also known as La Voisin (the neighbor), Catherine Monvoisin was the wife of a French jeweler, and became famous thanks to the premonitions she's had ever since she was little. After her husband's business went bankrupt, she extended her field of expertise from palm reading to selling love potions, poisons, and even abortion drugs. Among her clients were many noblemen, countesses, and princesses. She was arrested, together with her daughter, under the accusation of witchcraft,

Introduction All Hallows' Eve is the evening before the Christian festival of All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallows. The word hallows is from Old English halig, a holy man. It was originally held on the 1st of May, but in 834 the Christian church moved it to the 1st of November. It is held to celebrate Pope Boniface IV's desecration of the Pantheon at Rome in 610. The Pantheon was originally a Pagan temple dedicated to all the gods of the Romans. The Celtic New Year

Day 26! #31DaysOfOctober Chapter One: The sound of the river’s tide washing over rocks was the woman’s only companion as she watched her newborn daughter float away in the darkness of the night to a family waiting to raise her as their own. Dooriya, still as a statue with a barely beating heart, let out the long-awaited breath she’d been holding. It could be seen against the coolness of the dark night. “Why persist in observing my sorrow, daughter of mine?” Sarah stepped out

At the Old Cooper County Jail and Hanging Barn, built in 1848, folks say the ghost of a young prisoner materializes and pounds on the old cell doors. Dark shadow figures have been seen here as well. The most famous of the many prisoners associated with the Jail was Frank James, brother of Jesse. On April 24th, 1884, James was brought to the Cooper County Jail by Sheriff John Rogers to answer a warrant for his arrest for a train robbery that took place in 1876. For more inform

Boonville, Missouri has had it's fair share of films created in and around the town over the years. But do you remember when Chuckie visited Kemper Military School? Child's Play, aka Chuckie 3, was considered super scary for the time. Chucky returns for revenge against Andy, the young boy who defeated him, and now a teenager living in a military academy. Quite frankly, the idea of doll's coming to life and committing murder is still terrifying. Want a less scary, but more mag

The meaning of tradition holds true - but different - for all of us. I have never been a fan of this time of the year, honestly. The days get cold, night comes sooner, and the sun doesn't feel as warm anymore. Being raised Baptist in the Bible belt meant we very rarely got to partake in any events that promoted Halloween. However, the older I get, the more my respect for this time of the year and my understanding of why it's necessary grows. This year I took the time to reall

As a follow up to yesterday's post about the oldest Halloween Parade in the nation, let's find out how it all started, shall we? A hundred years of Halloween tradition all started on Oct. 31, 1914 by the late Mrs. John Krebs. Founder of the Hiawatha Garden Club, Mrs. Krebs was very fond of flowers and not so fond of the pranksters who liked to wreak havoc in her flower gardens every Halloween. “Her house sat at 512 Iowa,” said Virginia Regier, longtime reporter with the Hiawa

It's day 19! Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary bet

This is my daughter Gabrielle doing Fall things at the Louisburg Cider Mill in Louisburg, KS. They have cider and cider donuts (yum), a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch. October is the perfect time to explore everything Fall has to offer. Corn mazes, pumpkin picking, cider... and seeing these things through the eyes of a child brings magic to the season! Want more magic? Check out Liz's Secrets, Spells and Tales book series: The Trials and Spellbound! Books are available on Ama

To commemorate the last day of October, I thought it only right to dedicate this blog to October 31st.... Halloween is an annual holiday, celebrated each year on October 31, that has roots in age-old European traditions. It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This time of year marked the

As you may know, "The Trials: Secrets, Spells and Tales" was my first published book. It's a small tale about a girl who is searching for who she really is, and when she discovers she has connections to the Salem Witch Trials - and a gypsy - her whole world turns upside down. Being that this tale is my first book, aka my "book baby", it means a lot to me that people are not only loving the story, but ready for it's sequel, "Spellbound: Secrets, Spells and Tales". AND... my "b