How many times have you
finished the laundry, folded your clothes, and come up a sock short? You
backtrack and examine the washer and dryer, but one sock has mysteriously
vanished. You frown and consider the possibility that house elves really do
exist and yours have cold feet.
One family in Portland,
Oregon solved the mystery of missing socks in their home. Their three year old
Great Dane became very ill and subsequently the veterinarian pulled out 43 1/2 socks from the dog’s stomach! The
article
didn’t say where the other half of the sock went.
Last winter after an
ill-considered snowball fight when I wasn’t wearing gloves, I noticed my
wedding ring was missing. I looked everywhere—the front yard, the car, through pockets
in my clothes and coats, even in drawers in the house, but no luck.
After a few months I had
given up hope of ever again seeing my old but cherished ring. One day as I was
walking through the living room, a sparkle from under a side table next to the
couch caught my eye. I bent over to see what it was and, EUREKA, I found my
ring along with a few dust bunnies. But how in the world did it end up there?
Some homeowners have
found treasures as well as creepy things in their attics. They probably never expected to discover a Vincent Van Gogh
masterpiece, cash in a bag from WWII, an original Huckleberry Finn manuscript, a
mummy, or (scarily) a man stalking his ex-girlfriend.
Sometimes during renovations of very old houses people find
objects like charms, bottles, dried cats, skulls, shoes, and clothes hidden in
walls, ceilings, floors, or chimneys. It’s speculated that these hidden tokens
follow ancient traditions to ward off evil spirits, bring
good luck, or aid in fertility.
Shoes are the most common
items discovered. If you happen to find old shoes (really old shoes, not PF Flyers or penny loafers) hidden in your
house, Northampton Museums and Art Gallery maintains a Concealed Shoe
Index and would like to add your find to their collection.
Have you lost or found
anything unusual in your house?
