In The Absence of Posts

I have to apologize for my absence. It seems there is little to write about these days that doesn't involve my babysitting woes. My sister had agreed to babysit and now she, too, has decided that she simply can't.

What am I to do? My family promised to help me and I'm booked into October/early November.

Part of me is fed up with everything. I'm fed up with seeing/sensing things, fed up with everything about it and fed up with trying to balance family, home and work. I need a vacation.

Now, this doesn't mean that I'm GIVING up, just that I'm FED up. I needed to vent. There. I think I'm done.

I'll come back in a better mood, I promise.

The Blue Lady

I forgot to record my sister's ghostly encounter that took place in my home and, then, I forgot that it had occurred.

She said that she had seen an elderly woman wearing blue and going out the back door.

I haven't seen this particular ghost. I do know, however, that an elderly woman used to live here at one point. (We still get mail from the Rev. Billy Graham organization addressed to her.)

Her sighting occurred about two weeks ago.

Wow!

At 5:00 a.m., I woke with a start. There was noise coming from downstairs. Burglars? Half asleep, I strained to make out the sounds: a man and woman having a conversation! Scully and Mini-Me were sound asleep.

Ghosts! For the first time in my life, I was a little uneasy and didn't go downstairs.

Ghosts aren't new to me but to be awakened by the noise is extremely disturbing.

The Fundamental Things Apply...

More babysitting woes. My mother, out of spite, decided that she will no longer babysit Mini-Me. This definitely leaves me in a bind.

On an emotional level, I was able to confront my mother for the first time ever today. I think that her behaviour helped me muster the courage.

We went to some good friends' new home--toddler in tow--for dinner and it went well. I didn't have to write any cheques to replace priceless broken figurines, etc.

Last night, as I explained, I had my last tarot party. It was a bittersweet experience: it was clear to me that I enjoyed doing this kind of event but it was also clear that I want my evenings to be dedicated to my family.

Scary tales from some clients about the trouble in which their adult children have found themselves. In these stories, I see the soul-grabbing dedication of mothers and the heart-stopping seediness that exists around every corner--that I can't see from where I sit--in the city nearby.

The Parties Are Over

I can't think of what to write these days. My babysitter bailed on me completely. My mother doesn't want to come up to babysit, just to visit.

Thankfully, my sister has come to stay with us until she finds an apartment of her own. I get a built-in babysitter for a couple of weeks.

Finally, my very last tarot party EVER is on Friday night. I was doing them every week before the baby arrived; then, I stopped booking them and simply met my commitments. So this one, booked almost a year ago, is the last one. For so many reasons, I wanted to stop. Suffice it to say that I don't enjoy the "entertainment" aspect of things and I really, truly have no time. My reading schedule is extremely busy and weekends are for family.

Sleepless

It wasn't "just a sore throat". I have laryngitis and I am putting up with relentless teasing by Scully. Even my toddler keeps putting her finger to her lips and saying, "Shhhhhh..." when I speak. She then bursts into laughter. Her reaction and my own voice are both pretty funny.

I cancelled my reading first thing yesterday morning and the client was happy to avoid becoming sick.

Maybe I overdosed on Bradosol candies last night. I had one nightmare after another but they weren't of the prophetic variety.

I was also up most of the night, too, after 3:00 a.m.. I always wake after my dreams but I was unable to return to sleep due to coughing and fever.

The Sick Psychic

I don't get sick but I'm getting sick. It's my throat. Fortunately, I kept my schedule light for Canada Day: only one reading. I'll just keep sucking on Ricola drops.

I keep thinking of T.S. Eliot:

Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless...
(The Waste Land)

(Of course, being psychic doesn't work that way. In fact, I have never even won a contest! It's about other people, about helping people.)

Last year at around this time, I had laryngitis. I had to cancel several readings one day because I had absolutely no voice. Hopefully, it will just remain a sore throat.

O, Ms. Vanderbilt!

I feel confident that she did not foresee this one particular point of etiquette (at least, not specifically), so I must address it myself:

Please don't email/call your regular psychic for "one quick question" and expect him/her to respond without compensation.

(I'm not talking about the people who write to me through this blog. That is a different matter.)

Really, one couldn't expect to contact a lawyer and ask for "one quick affidavit" without expecting to pay for it, right?

Frankly, if I were to respond to each and every request, it would amount to spending all of my time answering questions for free.

I want to help. I really do. This is why freebie requests create discomfort.

Where are MY manners?

Thank you to the person who recently reviewed my blog. I'm glad that you enjoy it.

Vacation

My sister left yesterday with promises to return once weekly. Unfortunately, she's ill again and I won't be seeing her until next week. Throughout her stay, it felt like a vacation.

Speaking of which...

I had been hoping to take the month of October off from readings but, after Scully's veto, I am now booking into that month, too. I guess I just wanted to take a vacation. There's always about a four-month waiting period to see me. I thought that I would use the month to renew myself. Maybe I'll take up yoga instead.

My sister reports more activity back at the family home: a cupboard door swinging open in the kitchen and the appearance of The Lady (as I refer to her).

Discomfort

The Personal

I booked today off in advance because I had a doctor's appointment. I have been extremely emotional lately due to a combination of many things.

I'm not yet settled into this home of ours: I have no space of my own. There are workbenches, power tools and paint supplies in every major area. I would just love to have an office space and, one day, it will be done; however, there are several other rooms that need to be done first.

The Family

So far, just about everyone in the family has now noticed Mini-Me's "discussions" that take place within the presence of people and without. Scully pointed it out the other day: the laughing, the answering of unheard questions. I'm pretty sure my sister and mother have talked about it.

Scully has admitted to instances of thinking he sees (out of the corner of his eye) someone in the house; it often happens for me in my gardens. Of course there are ghosts in my home! It's just rare that Scully relates accounts of his experiences. It's rare, too, that he classifies his experiences as paranormal.

My sister has been visiting since Wednesday and I'm so glad: it's as if I'm on vacation. She changes Mini-Me's diapers, offers to give her meals and tells me to rest. Ah, sisters...

The Movies



We watched Birth, starring Nicole Kidman, and we weren't exactly impressed. (I don't mean 'we' in the imperial sense: my sister and I). It is a disappointing, oftentimes disturbing, tale of reincarnation that lacks character depth/development. Boundary-pushing dialogue and situations induce intentional discomfort in the audience and realize conflict in the main characters. Ultimate resolution of the conflicts is not really worth the wait.



We also attempted to watch the American version of The Grudge, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, but I kept dozing. I will have to try to see it again on a day when I'm less exhausted. From what I could discern, there seemed to be some interesting deviations from the original (which I could discuss later.)

Long Standing And A Little Sitting

I gave a rare, late-evening reading for a long-standing client who ended up having to wait nine months to see me.

This was rare for me because evenings and weekends are reserved for my family. She was grateful and I was glad that I had relaxed my policies a bit for her.

I booked several appointments this morning, watered my front gardens and I did these while Mini-Me slept.

Last night, during an even rarer event (a spare, quiet moment), I could see the moon from where I sat in the living room. Our neighbourhood is in a very rural setting, surrounded largely by a conservation area. My living-room window framed the trees and old garage and, as the wind gently shook the branches and leaves, I saw the moon. It was a moment of clarity and respite from the chaos.

The Week In Review

The Fat Psychic

Well, this week was interesting. One client offered me a "personal training" session (which I think, I hope, I declined). People automatically assume that I am unhappy with my weight, that I would like to shed it.

The Busy Psychic

I've noticed this change: I rarely have to send reminders to clients about upcoming appointments: they call me to confirm.

The Family Psychic

My sister and I were on the 'phone yesterday when she received another call. I pressed her for information about who had called and why she was letting me go. A "couple" were the callers and, as soon as she told me, I got chills and started shaking. I tried to ignore my reaction because I can't control my sister's life and I didn't think she would listen.

Many hours later, my sister had left shortly after our call, my mother and I were talking. I divulged to my mother my severe reaction and she, in turn, admitted that she was worried sick. I told her that the couple were plotting, that my sister was in danger and that I was very afraid.

Later still, unable to contain myself, I placed my third call to my mother begging her to ring my sister's cell. Instead, she gave me the cell number that I had forgotten. I let it ring and ring but my sister did not pick up. Resigned to inaction, I went to sleep.

The baby woke us at 6:00 a.m. and I waited until 8:30 to telephone my parents: my sister had returned home in the wee hours. As it turns out, my sister, at first, would not discuss what had happened; then, she revealed that the couple had robbed her of her money ($40.00) and left her stranded in the middle of the night in a strange city. She had no bank card and no credit card. She finally did get a ride home from someone else and, shaken and frightened, has learned a lesson.

Just A Thought...



I think I saw Poltergeist at the wrong time. I was thirteen, it was at the cinema and, frankly, I was dealing with this phenomena at home. To this day, however, I don't support the accepted definitions of poltergeists.

At that time, what I experienced was pretty exasperating but mild. Leaving the cinema, I couldn't tell what was going to happen to me or my family.

The events that we lived through were pretty run-of-the-mill where such activity is concerned: objects moving, physics-defying destruction of property and performances for guests.

Checking In

Today, I didn't get a chance to listen to my messages. The baby is going through a very difficult stage and so much of my energy was focussed on just getting through the day.

I have journeyed deeper into Angels & Demons. I'm going to reserve indepth comment for now and simply state that I am enjoying it: it's good suspense. It's interesting so far.

There was no ghostly activity that we were aware of today. Interestingly, however, a photograph of my great-grandfather was found outside its frame, behind other frames. I discovered this the other day when Scully was "weirded out" by things. I must say how proud I am of him. Instead of picking away at the situation for even the slightest implausible scientific interpretation of events, he pretty much said, "Holy ----!"

I have been tackling my children's book collection and, afterward, I will start cataloguing my books on ghosts and spirituality. This could take for-freakin'-ever.

Guess Who...

Scully has had the lion's share of 'paranormal' experiences today.

He yelled up the stairs while I was in the bath. He knew that the baby was napping (and that we really like it when she is napping), so, I thought, it must be important.

"I think the ghosts want you."

"Huh?"

The cabinet door (behind where he had been sitting in the dining room) had popped open without impetus.

"It wouldn't even close," he explained.

Then, after my bath and while the baby was eating her lunch, I stood outside the back door. My husband was setting up his mitre saw.

The security alarm went off at the front door, then the doorbell rang. Thinking that it was my father-in-law, I ran to the front door and swung it open to find nobody. I peeked around each corner (he could have been hiding) but, still, the porch held no visitor.

"That's just...bizarre," he opined. Then, with a shrug, he added, "Better find out what they want."

Aged Angel Statues and Ferns...

If anyone is thinking about coming to the Great Lakes region of Ontario, consider this: the heat and humidity are stifling this month.

It's not possible to air-condition a turn-of-the-century home unless there are modern windows. Our windows are as the title (or should I say, titular?) picture of this blog shows: mullioned. (That is, by the way, a picture taken by yours truly of the window between the first and second floors: it is about 9 feet in height and it was during our first winter blizzard last year.)

My readings are late in the day today, so I don't have to rush around cleaning. My mother and sister will be babysitting.

Due to the lengthy (months-long) wait for an appointment with me, many people have requested to be put on a "cancellation list". If only I were that organized! I do my best. Usually people don't cancel, thankfully, so it isn't much of a problem. I am going to think of a way to devise a cancellation system. Maybe put a form on my website? I don't know.

I don't have a lot of spare time so I generally just let things coast. My business kind of runs itself.

A Medium's Media

My husband, an IT professional, insists that his family is geared with the best. At any rate, I must be a very connected psychic: personal digital assistant, laptop, desktop, wi-fi, and more...

Yesterday, he surprised me with a USB mini-light. It lights up my keyboard.



Tomorrow, I will happily accept delivery of my universal wireless keyboard for my palm. Actually, I have been wanting this for a long time and, finally, Scully agreed that it was essential for me. Yay for me!

What Was I Thinking...?

My babysitter bailed on me this week. It was a horrible, gruelling struggle to find someone. I seriously considered cancelling the rest of this year's schedule but I think I was just overwhelmed. I was promised that it would never happen again.

Being a professional pyschic is still work and, as for any working mother, it's a battle to keep all of the balls in the air while juggling. Sometimes, it is easier than at other times.

For some reason, while out for my daily walk with Mini-Me, I decided that renting a movie could work for me. After all, it was just a 2-hour-or-so commitment, right?

I rented, Darkness.



Ack. It didn't work. I tried admirably hard to find the time. Finally, with the DVD already two days late, I sat down to watch it. Unfortunately, with about 30 minutes until the end, Mini-Me awoke from her nap. The material just wasn't suitable for an almost-two-year-old child.

Tomorrow should be interesting. I had to get my Mother-in-Law to fill in.

Even a psychic can't see everything coming. Last night, while in the kitchen, I asked my husband for a glass. Neither of us was paying attention and I ended up walking straight into the glass that Scully was handing to me. Consequently, I have a HUGE bump on my forehead.

It's just one of those things. Mini-Me keeps pointing to it. She wants to know if it hurts.

Only when I smile.

Change and Routine

Three months ago, I decided to book this past Friday off: no readings, no work-related issues. Happily, it coincided with our reno schedule. My husband was off this week, too.

Thank you to the person who reviewed this blog. I know that it takes some time and commitment to do so and I appreciate it.

I wanted a change and decided to alter the background colour, etc. I hope it works. I guess the rationale behind avoiding the black background in the first place was to avoid playing into the stereotypes about psychics and the paranormal. I truly hate the "flake" factor that comes with the territory.

This being said, I've begun to read Dan Brown's Angels & Demons. (Forgive me for not searching for a more thought-provoking link.)



The very title put me off but I can't resist a good mystery or a good piece of genre-writing in general.

Last night's dream: a heavy-set, female ghost with long hair walked past me and told me that she would be present at the next reading. She disappeared into a building before I could ask why.

Umm, O.K.

While this is not unusual for me, I can't help but get a little irked that I'm never told why. It does become clear during the reading but why the heads-up?

Oh, well.

The Nursery

My readings this week went quickly but my babysitters (family) flew out of the house like bats from a cave just minutes afterwards.

"Did you see a ghost? You know they're really harmless." They were behaving as if they were (uncharacteristically) frightened considering their own experiences with ghosts.

"No, no...We just have to get...going. Bye now!"

I think the nursery freaks people out though Mini-Me is not bothered in the least. She is perfectly safe in that room and she knows this.

Oft have I been sitting with her only to discover that she is laughing and speaking with someone directly behind me.

"O.K.," she giggles and puts her hands to her mouth to stifle laughter. "Fun!"

She is so very well-behaved. There were no tantrums during my readings.

I hope that this week's events don't indicate years of revolving-door babysitters due to an unsettling feeling that comes over some people.