Innocent Until Proven Guilty

Lizzie Borden after she was acquitted in her murder trail of her father and stepmother Andrew and Abby Borden

Since I was about 15 years old (I am in my 30s), I have had an interest in Lizzie Borden- even dressed as her for Halloween. Honestly, I don't know how it happened- it was around the time of O. J. Simpson murder trial and the case was occasionally compared to Lizzie's. Also during that time, A&E and the History channels aired the 1975 TV movie The Legend of Lizzie Borden starring Elizabeth Montgomery who I loved (still) and she died in 1995 during that time too. So needlessly to say, Lizzie's legacy was in my face and being a history buff, I got interested. I read books (this was just before the Internet took over), although I didn't get obsessed about it as I did with The Beatles.

Both The Legend of Lizzie Borden and Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014 with Christina Ricci who made a miniseries of fictional life after the trail The Lizzie Borden Chronicles in 2015) had Lizzie killed her father and stepmother, like an 'What If?' scenerio. Many people do believe that Lizzie did the deed- her alibi was shaky and was changed a few times when she was questioned. When her stepmother was being hacked to death, Lizzie claimed to be in the backyard's shed eating pears and looking for sinkers as well as doing some ironing. With her father, I believe she claimed she was resting.
Lizzie certainly did have motive- her father, despite having money, was a cheapskate and refused to get into the modern times of the day of electricity and plumping and she did not get along with her stepmother, calling her Mrs. Borden. Not long after their deaths, Lizzie and her big sister Emma moved to a much bigger house in the neighborhood with its modern devices with the inheritance from their father.

Do I think Lizzie did it? Honestly, I do not know. The evidence was shaky as well as contaminated with countless people coming in and ruining forensics. Not to mention that some other evidence also disintegrated with age and being passed around to anybody who believed to have the answers, which also got lost. Thanks to those problems, now the security to gain evidence is tight and the technology these days can assure that the crime can be solved.
As I said, I don't know if Lizzie killed her father and stepmother herself- Mr. Borden did have some enemies floating around. I do have a theory that Lizzie was involved in some way, like requesting to put a hit out on them. Mrs. Borden had more hacks than Mr. Borden and due to the strain of the relationship between her and her step daughters, it wouldn't surprise me if Lizzie took it upon herself to end Mrs. Borden's life. There's some anger issues going on there. As for her father, I think the only major problem was him being a cheapskate. Other than that, Lizzie was Daddy's little girl- her middle name was Andrew. Perhaps he was the one who was killed by an outside enemy?

There is something else that drives me crazy: there's claims that the Borden house (now a bed & breakfast museum) is haunted; many believe that it's Lizzie but I highly doubt that. I could buy Andrew and Abby Borden, maybe even Mr. Borden's first wife Sarah. But not Lizzie. She hated that house- why would her ghost would want to be there? If there's any ghost hunters reading this and want to find Lizzie's ghost, I would suggest Maplecroft. It is the home Lizzie bought and moved in until she died, the house she lived. Yet, it is a private home so I don't know if the current owner would appreciate the intrusion unless special permission.

The Hollywoodland Sign Girl

A very sad Hollywood story: a successful Broadway actress from New York (born in England) named Peg Entwistle who moved to California to follow her dreams. Instead she encountered failure after failure from her auditions and the one movie that Peg did manage to make, her scenes ended up on the cutting room’s floor. Depressed, Peg climbed up the H on the famous Hollywood sign (at the time it was Hollywoodland) and immediately jumped off, committing suicide. Ironically, after her death, Peg got an offer to appear as a suicidal woman in a play. Her story always fascinated me as a teenager and I always felt her story would’ve been perfect for a movie. Maybe someday…They say that Peg haunts that area with her perfume.

Monthly Holidays

In January, it is the New Year
ringing in everyone's ear

In February, hearts are flying everywhere
that means Valentine's Day is here!

In March, St. Patrick's day is wearing green
it makes a lovely scene

In April, the bunny hides the eggs
it's white, fluffy, and it has big legs

To honor our mothers on a special day
which leads us to the month of May

June is for our father
with plenty of love and honor

In July, we celebrate
to the United States of America, which is great

In August, we take a break
that's enough that we can take!

In September, it is back to school
to learn and operate our important tool

Ghosts and witches come to haunt October
our candy is out-numbered

In November, we eat very much
to gain lots of weight until tomorrow' lunch

In December, we celebrate Jesus's birthday
to open our presents on Christmas day

Originally written in 1998

Ghost Sucker

Originally posted on January 1, 2006

I'm a big sucker for ghost stories- I will watching any documentary of ghosts- especially on the History, Travel channels. I'm hooked on this show that's on the Biography channel, Ghostly Encounters: Dead Famous where a skeptic and a sentensive search for celebrity ghosts. I guess I am a skeptic myself- I'll believe it when I see it for myself; but I do believe that if more than just someone encounters one, especially the same one- like Resurrection Mary in Chicago, Anne Boyelyn in the Tower of London, Mrytle Planation...I would like to go to the Bed & Breakfast of Lizzie Borden's house- it's said to be haunted by her father and stepmother (some say it's Lizzie, but Lizzie hated the house- why would she go there?). I should just go on a ghost tour- all over, USA and England. But of course I don't wanna go by myself- any volunteers?