kids find secret room behind the book case update

i know many of you have read the mysterious story of the room hidden behind the book case.
http://www.viralnova.com/creepy-door/

i have done quite a bit of research since i just can't let something like this go.
i thought you might want to know what happened after the story was written.

the family spent several days living with friends and family while the police searched.   one story says the police felt the person had moved on and one says that they felt it was a child since the space was so small.   both ways, there wasn't much response.   the family took things into their own hands and began to search out the space.   they searched the house trying to figure out how the perpetrator was getting in and out.   they eventually found a window that didn't lock properly every time.   the window was replaced and an alarm system was installed. after a few months with no apparent disturbance in the little room, they began to feel more comfortable.   they tried to decide what to do with the strange little space they had found.   logically, it was useful for nothing more than storage considering the size.    after throwing some sleeping bags and camping equipment into it, the space was not given much  more thought.

after more than a year of the original occurrence, the space was nothing more than a conversation piece.   one of the sons was assigned to map the house in their math class.   they figured this should be a fun project considering their little secret room.   the first measurements and drawing was done, but wasn't matching  up.   he measured again, drew again, but still came up with things not lining up correctly.   the family helped out next, even with everyone working together, the drawing was not matching the house they could see or the measurements they were taking.    beginning to worry, the father of the family talked a friend about it who was an engineer.   the engineer took precise measurements and drafted a blueprint for the family.   even the engineer was stumped and told the family that the blue print was not entirely accurate.   no matter how many times he worked it, the plan never came out exactly the same way twice.   none of the plans drawn from anyone came out the same way twice.   the problem seemed to stem from the secret room and some of the surrounding walls.

meanwhile, as the engineer worked on the blueprints, the boys had been exploring the secret room more thoroughly.   they had actually began decided to start using a hammer to bust through walls.   before the hammer came out, mom took one last stab at the room.   she did what moms do and found the unfindable.   the space was half way up the stairs, she discovered a piece of wood that moved to the side and revealed a key hole.   yeah, guess what that key they found went to.   obviously there had to be more than one since the person was gone and the spare key was still in the room.   she used it and found a tunnel!

the police were again called.   this time they took things a bit more seriously.   the search of the tunnel revealed not only a secret entrance to the house but also more little secret spaces.   in the other spaces were more evidence of someone or something living in and under their house.   evidentiality, the loss of the smallest and highest room in their secret den was no deterrent.     the search turned up more and more strange things.
as they searched, they turned up five more rooms.   each seemed to have a specific purpose.   it was determined that the first room they discovered had been for kids, hence the dolls and candy.    they found rooms resembling kitchen and toilet usage.   whomever had been living with them had been using their water, sewer and power but obviously in very small amounts.   it seemed almost as though it was a primitive family living inside a modern house.   bizarre food stores were found.   all seemed salvaged or hunted.   mostly rodents dried or smoked into jerky.   other gathered fruits, nuts, roots were hanging or stored in the "kitchen".   little was found for cooking as such.   all of the rooms and the entrance tunnel seemed small for our standards, shorter and child sized.

now, here's the part that will have you questioning your own safe and happy home.   as they began to explore the tunnel, or i should say tunnels, they found that there were more mini homes under several more houses in the neighborhood!      there was a neighborhood under the neighborhood!   every house that had a secret entrance, was built by the same builder.  a builder who had soon after gone out a of business and left the state.   each entrance lead to a mini house like the first.   each had similar small dimensions and similar family living evidence.   they followed the main tunnel to the end where it came out between a landfill and a nuclear power plant!   now we know where the store is.   the landfill provides plenty of discarded clothing rodents to hunt, wild plants, and obviously, toys for the kids.    the garbage was providing for not only one family but several.

with so many people being supported and living under foot, why had no one seen them.   that is still a mystery.   why did the builder actually build these mini houses into the neighborhood?   again a mystery.   he must be a friend of the colony or possibly one of them, not to mention every worker that helped on the projects.   here is the question that everyone should be asking though - how many more colonies are out there?   where are they?    who is living under your feet?

to be fair, they seem to be symbiotic, other than the stolen candy, nothing seems to be missing from the houses.   assumably, a child that snuck up to get candy without parents knowing.   no one was ever harmed, no one had anything stolen or missing that they had noticed.   but maybe that's what happens to the missing socks from the laundry.   imagine, how many other colonies might be out there.   how many neighborhoods, towns, states or even countries have these underground people living under them?  what else is going on under your nose and feet that you have no idea exists?   and here is possibly the most important - if they are not harming anything, why do we care?     while  most of the residence that had these mini houses found under ground were totally freaked out and had them closed, a few said to leave them alone.  no harm, no foul, no kidding!

i know i have learned a lot and had my eyes really opened from researching this story.   i have also had a lot of fun writing this totally bogus update.   yep, made it all up.  at least the update part, the original i have no idea although it seems a bit faux to me.   my friends on facebook were discussing the story and one of them said, "I just did some research on this and it says that this was posted over a year ago and the family was found dead right after these pics were taken . . . the man that was arrested for it admitted to living in the hidden space beneath the house. . . " which seriously made my heart jump for a second and then it made me laugh.   i decided i could up the ante a bit.   oh, yes, i have a seriously twisted sense of humor.

now, think about this though.   what is happening in the world that you know nothing about so it doesn't bother you?   things that are harmless to everyone, just disturbing to think about.   do we as a society force people into a form for no other reason than our own comfort?   maybe people are better off without so much interference and form fitting.   maybe you are better off without so much trying to fit the form.   and i think everyone is better off with some seriously twisted friends!   enjoy your day and sleep well!  

what you need to know about going natural

over the last several years, i have tried to add more and more nature to my life.   you know, not like taking walks.   using more herbs and less meds.   using vinegar instead of shampoo and cleaners.   adding raw foods more than processed.   fermented foods.   that kind of thing.   trust me, i am not nature girl.   some nights, it's late, and we throw a pizza in the oven.    i am adding things a little at a time.   i am learning a bit, implementing, learning some more, and implementing more.    as i do this, here is what i have learned and what i warn people about when they ask about going natural themselves.     that's probably my first piece of advice- take it a step at a time.   do some research about the things that interest you.   look on the internet, pinterest, join facebook groups, ask your friends.   i have been really surprised which of my friends were doing various natural things.   choose one that looks the most doable and try it.   give it time, keep with  it.   once you feel comfortable with the new routine, look into another practice and on and on.   you will keep some and not others.   that's ok.   just be sure to give things a fair chance.

that brings me to my next advice.   realize that designed products force a certain outcome in a short amount of time.   nature doesn't do that.   nature takes time and nature has cycles.   we have put so much science into keeping certain standards at even levels that we have thrown our concept of healthy and natural completely out the window.   windows are actually a good place to start.   look out the window!   see that tree?   it took years.   if you cut it open, it will have rings of different sizes that reflect the difference of  it's growing conditions over the years.   it will not be even rings of the same size and shape.   point is, nature moves slowly and not nice and even and controlled.     it has ups and downs.   if you want to live a more natural life, you have to accept the ups and downs and cycles of nature.   *there will be good and not so good hair days for instance.   you will notice that they will go in cycles though.   you'll have great hair for a few weeks then it will slowly become less cooperative.   you will simply have to adapt to the cycle.*   going natural takes time and experimentation.   it will take days or weeks to adjust to some and  months and even a year or so to adjust to some changes.  *just sticking with my own hair cycles for instance - i wash with just vinegar for quite a while.  it goes great.   then, i have this not wanting to be cooperative time where i use a bit of coconut oil to tame it.   still looks fine though.  then we hit straightening it with coconut oil and a ceramic flat iron.   once or twice a year, i get a day or two where i have sort of waxy hair.   i wash it with dish soap and move forward from there.   it may seem like a fuss but my hair is more healthy, it is cheaper than what i was using and, honestly, i have more good hair days and less hot iron days than before.   plus, since it goes in cycles, i can predict what my hair will be like for the most part.      my tomboy princess's straight hair has a much longer cycle.   she rarely needs a good soap wash.   her hair is mostly braided though, that helps.   my curls are a bit more wild anyway so this is actually an improvement for me and my crazy mop.   **update - after more than i year of the vinegar for my hair, i have not had a waxy time for quite a while.   things seem to have calmed down and the cycles aren't so extreme.   things are starting to even out a bit more than at first.   it has taken time.**

*personal example for both giving it time and taking it slow - fermented foods - i started milk kefir 8 months ago.  i didn't have any trouble when i started but some people have an increase in the health problems they were trying to get rid of for a while.   it's called die off.   sounds super healthy right?   well, it is actually.   imagine all of the little bad things in your body that cause problems.    they are hiding out and burrowed in all over.   when you add the probiotics, good yeasts, good microbes, etc that are in fermented foods, they go in and dislodge the bad stuff.   when you add a little at a time, it dislodges a little at a time and your body can flush it (if you are drinking enough water).   if you jump in with both feet and start cramming in all the ferment you can, you are going to dislodge all of it at a time and that is harder for your body to deal with.   still ok, just uncomfortable at first.   go slow, get used to one thing at a time.   give your body a chance to adjust.   on the upside for us, everyone is healthier than ever before.   when i have a whole winter without being down and out in bed sick, it's a miracle!   definitely worth the little bit of time it takes to do it.  


a few last thoughts -  do try natural things, every bit of natural living that you do, positively affects your life.      don't think you have to be totally off grid to be natural.   ask yourself why you are going with natural practices and just stick with that.   do what fits your life and your expectations.     don't compare your natural path to anyone else.   you might be more or less than someone else.   it doesn't matter.  sometimes i hear competitive or even accusative statements made about not doing enough or trying it at all.   i hear both sides of it.   don't worry about it.   do what works for you.   that is what nature is after all.   nature does what works.   and lastly just enjoy it!

bound up braids

this was just a silly experiment with braids and a high on the side pony.   my tomboy princess likes the high on the side do's.   

so, pony, separate out a section to wrap around the pony.   this wrapping makes the braid higher.   

braids first, then twist the section of hair and wrap it around.  use your topsy tail to tuck the end of the twisted hair into the band holding up your pony.   i had quite a bit of end on my braid and i didn't want it just hanging so i wrapped it up into the braid and into the band as well.   tucking the end into the braid gave it a thicker look and kept it up higher.

it was just fun.

laced up locks

this is a fun technique.   it's pretty basic and really simple but gets rave reviews.
 it's useful to have a little loop to pull the ribbon through the braids.   you could probably do it without but it would be harder.

so, two braids (or more).    parallel or not. see how easy i am to get along with?

my first try was with braids on the outsides.   i started lacing from the front but spaced them too far apart.  i think the bottom looks great but wasn't pleased with the top.   i pulled the side braids together at the bottom with the ribbon and then tied the ribbon around the hair to make it more of a pony at the bottom.   that turned out really cute!

this was my next experiment with the ribbon.   

i brought one braid down from the front right to the side left across the front.   the other braid came from the right front down the right d´side and then across the back a bit.   

i laced the ribbon through every stitch in the braid this time and only went part of the way down.  i also ended both ends in the same side which was really cute as well.   

you could lace from bottom up or do paralele braids.  this could be used for anything.  i am seeing team colors or bridal/bridesmaid hair.   imagine the possibilities, i know i am.   i will be back to this post with new trials of what works and possibly what didn't.   you might as well learn from my mistakes too.