Just My Thoughts
By Christina M. Meide

Curiosity piqued, I went for the email right away. Apparently, my friend had been reading some of the stories in my book and had turned it over to look at my picture on the back. My picture faded before his eyes and he quickly put the book down and headed for the email.

Now, keep in mind that I've known this friend for three years and have learned that he has certain gifts, though he does not always consider them gifts. Anyway, the email told me of what he'd seen happen to my picture and that he had not seen my email until he got up to warn me about what he'd seen. He continued on by saying that he wasn't comfortable with the Night Watchman and I going to that particular cemetery, but if we did, to please be very careful. Weird, too, was that one of his granddaughter's is always called "Ree" though that is not her birth name.

The Night Watchman and I did go to the cemetery as we'd planned, but I placed two of my Catholic medals on one chain around my neck, we carried a rosary and several crystals for protection.

We weren't scared by what my friend had said, but I have learned to take his visions very seriously over the years and our way of thinking was that it is better to be safe than sorry. Nothing of consequence happened that day, but we have not had time to go back at night as yet.

The last strange event, just like the rest, is impossible for the Night Watchman and I to explain. It is one of those things that makes you doubt your own sanity and to know that the person you tell it to may doubt your sanity too.

It was the middle of June and the Night Watchman and I decided to go for a drive. We had no specific destination in mind, but drove the back roads for a bit of change and fresh air.

Though I didn't know it until after the event you'll soon hear about, the Night Watchman had driven past a house in the country where a little girl was playing outside. He thought to himself how lonely it must be to live in the country and thought about our youngest daughter's friend whose last name is Buchanan. He never said anything about his thoughts out loud.

We continued driving and noticed, a bit later, a very strange looking silo type building across the field. As we drew closer, we realized that it was actually a part of a country church. It was very unique in design.

As I carry the camera with me at all times, the Night Watchman figured he would turn at the corner and head over to the church, but suddenly, my stomach was not feeling very good and I asked him to turn toward home.

We both, without knowing the other was doing it, looked at the road sign to make sure we'd be able to find the church again on another night. I saw the word "Buchanan" as clear as can be and thought to myself, "That will be easy to remember as it is Shaleah's best friend's last name."

The Night Watchman turned right toward home instead of left toward the church and part way up the road, I made a comment about the name of the road where the church was. He looked at me very strangely and said, "The road was Durham." I said, "No it wasn't. I saw Buchanan on the road sign." He told me that we'd know soon enough as there would be another road sign up ahead that would prove the road was Durham. Sure enough, when we reached our turn, the road sign read "Durham" - not Buchanan.

I actually felt angry at seeing the name of the road. I could picture the road sign I'd seen very clearly in my mind and told the Night Watchman exactly what I'd thought when I'd seen it. We couldn't explain it. This is also when he told me that he'd thought about our daughter's friend a bit earlier after seeing the little girl playing outside.

The interesting thing about this is that since we moved from Hampton to State Center, Iowa, our youngest daughter has not seen her best friend. They've written back and forth several times, but that was in the early part of the school year. There was really no reason for either of us to suddenly think about this little girl.

This, as weird as it was, was not the end. Several days later, the Night Watchman and I decided to go out and get pictures of the church we'd seen. Due to the events several days before, the Night Watchman drove the same route as we'd taken previously and we both watched for anything we may have seen that day that might have said "Buchanan". We reached the church with no sign of the word.

The church wasn't as old as I'd hoped, so I decided that I didn't want to take pictures of it after all. The Night Watchman asked where I'd like to go instead and I told him one of the cemeteries as I had the need to take pictures.

He suggested that we head back to town, get gas as we were running low, and go to the Lamoille Cemetery as it wasn't too far from home. It was getting dark already which meant it was getting later and we both needed to get up in the morning for work. I agreed this was a good idea.

We pulled into Lamoille Cemetery about twenty minutes later. I had the camera and the Night Watchman had the digital tape recorder. We walked down to a small area within the corner of the cemetery where there are a number of unmarked small stones and took a few pictures there. Then, the Night Watchman started going back up the hill heading straight for a specific stone. I followed.

He pointed and said, "This one is the first one that stood out when we pulled in. Take a picture of this one."

I walked up to the stone and pointed the camera toward it without really paying much attention. What I saw on the camera screen shocked me.

"Oh my God!" I said. "Did you see what name is on that stone?"

The last name, and of course, the largest was "Buchanan". That was odd enough, but what really shook me up was the name of the woman on the stone.

It read "Christina M. Buchanan".

I can't explain what I felt at that moment. It's odd enough to see road signs with the wrong word and "know" that is what you saw, but then to find a stone with that last name and the first name and middle initial of your own name with the word that you "know" you saw on the road sign... well... I have no words for my feelings at that moment.

We took several pictures of the stone, and a bit later that evening, the Night Watchman took a few with me with the stone.