For me, I realized in my first reading that I am not a "predictor." I am someone whose task is to bring the messages and information forward that generally is meaningful and helpful and shows that love lives on.  I don't spend my time finding lost items nor can I tell you what dress to wear to a party, or what color shoes you should buy -- though I've been asked to do these very things, to my astonishment.

I once received an email from a poor gentleman who had lost his wedding ring. He wanted to pay me "up to $250" to help him find it.  I responded that he needed to check the pants that he wore the night before and look in all of the pockets.  I also told him it wasn't a "psychic moment" it was simply common sense because I had a feeling he'd been painting the night before and had removed his ring. And, I said, "the advice is free -- because I would much rather talk about your grandmother and the wooden spoon she is holding which shows me she was a cook" than worry about what he had done with his ring.

He replied that he'd found the ring- in the front pocket of his pants, but didn't believe in the "after life" even though yes, his grandma was a cook.  So there.  He didn't even thank me for finding the ring for free.

My sister wanted to know where her camera was and I was annoyed.  I told her I didn't have a clue where her digital camera had gotten off to and told her to check her closet. When she walked back in with the camera, smiling, she said "so you can find things, you just don't like to."  It's not that I don't like to, but as I explained to her, "couldn't you just have checked the closet in the first place?"  I had to tell another friend that I had no clue what slot machine she should play in Vegas.  In fact, everyone I stand next to when I am in Las Vegas loses -- so I wish I could predict those things, because I am not selfish.  If I could make us all millionaires, I surely would.  I would tell everyone to go play slot number 9, or pick number 8 on the roulette wheel.  I'd have us all beat the odds.  But this is not part of my journey, obviously, since I lose at penny slots and have the "receipt voucher" worth 1 cent to prove it.

Being a Medium and psychic isn't, to me, about the mundane things in life.  Those decisions are yours. Wear red shoes or black shoes to the party, I really don't think it will make a difference.

A manicurist I know is always asking me to tell her when she will meet 'the one.'  The problem is, she's met "the one" more than once and at the first sign of an issue she flits on to another person and another person and then comes back around to me wondering where's "the one?"  When faced with the fact that "the one" is right there, having just had dinner with her, she quickly moves on with, "no not that one, I want another one."  Okay--- but I can't make that happen. And, more importantly, when "the one" is already sitting in front of you, shouldn't you grab the opportunity and enjoy it?

Often times when doing a reading, a spirit will provide insight, information, or even suggestions for the person receiving the reading.  That is not "me" predicting anything.  I am simply the bridge between the worlds.  I have had messages come through for my friend Mike, repeatedly, that he needs to get off the cheese and wine.  Mike admits to me that he loves cheese and wine and he knows it isn't good for him with his cholesterol and high blood pressure problems.  The messages about Mike's diet come from his daughter who, from the first reading, has always been concerned that Mike take care of himself so he will be around a long time to be a grandfather to her son Cody. Jennifer's concern isn't a prediction from me, it is a very real message from daughter to father. What Mike does with that information is totally up to him. I am relieved to say that he took his daughter seriously and not only stays away from the wine and cheese, he also took her advice and started walking every day. He has lost weight to support Jennifer's desire that he be around to help raise Cody.

All of us have free will.  With our free will comes the power to change our lives.  And while I believe some things are destined, such as the time we will pass on, others are things that happen to use are the result of decisions that we make. We can alter our future by making choices.  If there are no accidents, then all of our choices and decisions are leading us down the path to our destiny.  No one can make your life be something that it was not meant to be.  The power lies within each of us.  I recommend that you choose your own shoes, seek out your lost camera, and use your time with a Medium to listen, and take to heart, the messages that come from your loved ones.

I lost my son before I became a professional Medium.  Even when I had lost my cousins and grandparents, I always looked back at events that surrounded those losses or lead up to the time of the loss.  Because I was not fully engaged in who I was as a Medium, I didn't recognize them as premonitions. I had long before accepted that I knew things.  I appreciated the visits and I appreciated the knowledge.  Somehow that made it a little easier for me. But to actually recognize the many premonitions that I had experienced in my life, it took the loss of my son.

One beautiful fall day, I stood in the living room of my home and looked at the assortment of sports equipment laying about the floor. That particular room was supposed to be kept clear of junk.  That room was for visitors and for relaxing in when I wanted peace and quiet.  With three growing boys, it didn't turn out to be used the way I had envisioned.  Instead, it had become the place where my sons kept their sports equipment so they could come in and out of the house and practice and grab the things they needed.  As I scanned the room, littered in equipment belonging to all three of my sons, I chuckled at how my vision of this room had been lost and was now owned by the boys.  I realized that it didn't matter to me.  I was fine with the having lost my 'peace and quiet room' and rather enjoyed looking at how they had taken over the room for themselves.  As I stood there, I stared at their belongings and thought how much each of them meant to me; how unique each of them were, how each of them gave something special to me personally.  Then I found myself overcome with a horrible gut feeling of ‘I would die if I lost one of my sons.  They are too precious to me.” Gazing at my middle son's things laying on the floor, the piano bench and strewn on the sofa, I thought, ‘he is so special to me.  He and I have such a strange, yet amazing bond.  I could not live without him.’  I glanced out the window where he was busy with his dad and my eyes were drawn to his painted handprints on the side of the shed where he had put them a year earlier when he and I were painting our poultry pens and I thought, ‘Look at those hand prints.  If I lost him, that's all I would have left.’

At that moment, I felt far off in the distance and mentally covered our family's many losses including the death of two of my cousins whom I was very close to and my husband's mother when he was a very young boy.  I drew myself back to the present and shuddered at my  thoughts.  I brushed them off to my usual, ‘you always worry about them.  You have always worried you would lose them.  Just knock it off.’ I stood a few moments longer watching him out the window and glancing one more time at his handprints, I went to the kitchen to make dinner.

Premonitions aren't always bad or about death.  Sometimes people have premonitions about an upcoming change in their job, or a visit, or even something as simple as a phone call from someone.  People have told me stories, and my own experiences have been, that listening to a premonition can sometimes change the possible negative results.  Not long ago I woke up in the middle of the night with an urgent feeling that my oldest son needed to get the brake pads changed on his car.  He was going to be driving long distance the next day and I couldn't shake the feeling of something being wrong with the brakes.  Knowing everyone was asleep, I laid in bed until the crack of dawn and then got up and left him a voice message on his phone.  I told him that he could not leave on his trip until he took the car in to have the brakes checked.  And then I waited and waited, until he called asking me why I was all of a sudden so concerned about the brakes.  He agreed that he would delay the trip while getting the brakes checked.  It was not a big surprise when the mechanic told him that his brakes were in bad shape and that he had been lucky they had not failed already.  It was a great relief that he had listened to me and delayed the trip.  Failing to take action could have had serious consequences.

Some people are unaware or ignore their premonitions. And some of us, including myself, believe that some premonitions are meant to help prepare us, not necessarily that we can change what is about to happen. For those of us who have premonitions about someone's death, it can be difficult to manage when the death occurs.  Sometimes there is a feeling of guilt or second guessing that often accompanies the loss of someone we love.

Two weeks after I stood in my living room that day glancing out at my son and then gazing at his handprints on the side of the shed, I lost him in an accident and held him in my arms as he died.  It would be many months before I understood that my premonition was not something I could have changed.  It would be many more months before I realized that I was meant to help others understand grief and loss by sharing my ability to Bridge to the Other Side. His handprints from the shed that we had painted together hang on my wall along with some of his things that were strewn about the floor the day I had the premonition. They are  some of my reminders that Love lives on.

My sister's friend Vince likes to talk to me in the middle of the night when I cannot sleep. Once when I was lying in bed in the middle of the night, he came and asked me if I'd write some things down for his wife. I told him his wife hadn't asked for a reading, and besides, it was the middle of the night. He replied, 'Your obviously awake. I'm here. Let's get going.' He's funny and makes me laugh. I see and hear dead people a lot of times' unexpectedly,' but I have learned that I can also tell them, 'not now' and they respect that and will wait for a better time. Well, most of them, Vince is different but that's probably because I allow him in since he's obviously a night owl like me. And we're both awake late.

Sometimes, spirits take advantage of 'an opportune moment' and have jumped at the chance to pass a message. Not long ago I went to get a facial and was all prepared for a nice relaxing time. Then, in the middle of the facial, an old Italian grandmother just had to let her granddaughter (the person giving the facial) know that she was there. So, I'm relaxed and thinking how funny this little old lady is and in my head we have a back and forth conversation. Much like Vince, this Grandmother is telling me to talk to her granddaughter and when I tell her I'm trying to relax, she informs me that she'll leave if I simply do what she asks. If I think the person is open to it, I will pass the messages on. Determining whether or not this was a good idea, I finally leaned my head back to the young lady and said, ' I know this might sound weird, but was your grandmother Italian and very stubborn?' The young lady looked a bit baffled and slowly answered, 'yes......' and the door opened to tell her that her Grandmother was present because I was a Medium and her Grandmother wanted me to tell her hi, and to please let her mother know that she would be fine once the divorce was final and that everything would work itself out. The nature of my facial changed dramatically as I went from thinking I'd be doing nothing but relaxing, to sharing messages with the young lady to help her mother.

I believe that spirits make the appropriate situation happen to get their messages to their loved ones.

This is exactly what Tim set up when he got me to go to a seminar of a very famous psychic of whom I really didn't want to go see. My sister and I decided to go to Vegas and then we found out that a very famous Medium was doing a show so we decided that would be a fun evening and purchased our tickets. When we got to the event, it just didn't feel right to me. I wasn't comfortable and really didn't want to see the Medium's show. In the pit of my stomach, I knew that my philosophies and way of doing readings wasn't a match with this person and I wanted to leave before it got started.

But, there was this nagging voice of Tim who told me in a big Texas voice that I 'really needed' to go find a seat and sit down. Tim had been around for more than a week and had showed me so much information that I had written it all down in my notebook just to get it out of my system.  The weird thing for Tim was that I had no idea who he was and I didn't have any readings scheduled since I knew I was going to be out of state. So I just wrote down the information and trusted that he would make the right situation and somehow it would all work out.

I told my sister that, even though neither of us were thrilled about this event, we were going to go ahead and attend because Tim had turned up and he said so. Knowing we were going to see another Medium, I had no idea why Tim needed me to be here. If his family was attending, they could obviously have an opportunity to have connections between the Medium and Tim. But, I decided to follow Tim, including choosing my seats based on where he most liked them. And then I put a block on the two seats in front of me. I told my sister that whomever sat in those seats was who I was supposed to talk to. Several people sat down in the seats, and then would get up and leave. It seemed all random except to me because I knew now that I was here only to pass a message for Tim. After several people came and went from the two seats in front of us, finally two women came down the row and sat down. Tim's excitement was obvious and I knew that these were his 'girls' as he called them. The great thing about this situation was at least I knew the women were open to what I was about to do, since they were attending an event to see a Psychic Medium. I leaned forward and tapped one of them on the shoulder, and, trying to keep my tone light-hearted, I said, 'I know this might sound really weird since you are here to see this Medium, but I am also a Medium, and I need to ask you -- is your Dad named Tim?!' The two women nearly jumped from their seats to turn around and the joy on their faces confirmed that Tim had created the opportune moment. We spent the next 15 minutes before the event started where I passed messages from their dad and told them that once the event was over if they wanted to talk further, I would give them the information that I had written down from Tim a week earlier.

When we first checked in we were given raffle-style tickets and told that if our number was drawn we would be able to ask the Medium one question. I knew not only my number but also my sister's would be called and I wanted no part of it. So we gave the tickets to Linda and her sister. After the show had started another lady sitting next to me leaned over and handed me her two tickets because she had decided to laeve the event (for similar reasons that I didn't want to be there). I knew that those numbers would also be called and turned behind me and gave the two tickets away to the two ladies sitting there. None of the four women could believe that my sister and I didn't have questions to ask the Psychic. It turned out that the Medium definitely did not work in the same manner that I do and I was uncomfortable with the crystal ball, long gown and the overall aura that was created. I knew that my discomfort of being there was because of these differences. It was no surprise to me when all four the tickets we had given away were called. The four women were delighted though and each one went up to ask their question. After the event, my sister and I had a wonderful conversation with Linda and her sister and I finished passing the messages from Tim. We still laugh at how I paid to give a reading, but it all worked out. Linda and her sister have been clients ever since and I always recognize Tim when he come through with that big Texas accent.

I think I live an extraordinary life being able to see, hear, and talk to those who have passed on. And I'm okay with the fact that I'm surrounded by Spirits and it's not exactly normal.

While doing a reading for Jessica, there were five other people waiting in the living room for their turn. The energy was high, the laughter plentiful, and all I could get from the spirit was that his name was "David." It was so loud and clear, for some reason, I second guessed it. Finally, after stalling for several seconds, I tell Jessica, "I keep asking him for his name and all I get is David. It's so clear to me." Tears roll down her face as she stammers, "That's my dad. Actually my step-dad, but I considered him my dad." Jessica went on to explain, "I told my dad that I would know it was him if you knew his name. That is if there was no question in your mind that his name was David. I just hoped you would say it even though I know we shouldn't expect things during a reading."

A lot of times I hear or see a letter and work from there. I tell the client, I hear a 'D' word and it's short -- Dan, Don, Doug -- very short. And then am overjoyed when the client says, "Don was my brother." In the case of one of my clients, Marty, I heard an 'M' name and told him "I'm confused because it feels like there's more than one. "It's short I say, and it's definitely an 'M' but I can't figure out why I hear -- Matt, Mark, Mike"--- and learned that those were the names of all three of Marty's brothers.

I love it when the names come easily and I wish that was always the case.

While doing a wonderful reading for Laura, I was interrupted mid-stream by the vision of my son's cat. I was thrown off for a moment thinking how odd this was because I knew it was nothing to do with a cat. Laura was surrounded by dogs. They were rambunctious and barking, nipping my feet as I did the reading. I knew she wasn't a cat person so why a cat, much less my son's cat, showed up in a reading was odd. So odd in fact, that I blurted out to Laura, "Here we are talking about your mother and for some odd reason my son's cat showed up. I have no idea why. She was a funny cat too -- my son named her Thomas because originally we thought she was a boy, but then when we found out she was a girl, he renamed her Thomasina." Laura screamed. Literally. Her mother's name was Thomasina -- hence the cat showing up in the middle of the part of the reading about her mother. I would've never gotten Thomasina, so it made perfect sense to me that my son's cat showed up to get me to tell the story of changing her names so Laura would know that her mother was present at the reading.

And sometimes I just "hear" names and have to say them. They may or may not be the person who is there at the moment. Sometimes they are another family member, living or passed, sometimes it is an old friend or co-worker, and sometimes it's their own name. Sometimes the names are crystal clear, and sometimes I can't quite grasp it. It's a communication that is sometimes difficult, not only for them to convey, but for me to receive. Getting the names, or initials and being able to narrow it down, is a form of validation. It's important and meaningful. Not everyone gets a name, or even an initial. It doesn't mean the message is any less valid. Names aren't easily passed between worlds and I am always grateful when I get it right.

Is it possible that people will change when they get to the Other Side?

Ummm.... yes, and no.

The "no" part of that answer is that my experience in working with those on the other side shows me that people do not
change their personalities. If your mom was a stinker and ornery when she was on this side, she will still probably be a stinker on the other side. And that's how she will show herself to me. How else would I know she's your mom? If all of a sudden your mom showed herself as this kind, gentle person and that's not how she was when she was on this side, then it would be a little hard for you to believe it was her, wouldn't it? One of the hardest things when doing a reading and a difficult personality comes through is to be able to bring forward the information without bringing the negativity forward, or worse yet, bringing forward the things that might hurt the person getting the reading. It's a delicate balance and not always easy nor am I always successful with this balancing act. Our loved ones (and not so loved ones) don't change their personalities just because they passed over, even if that is what we wish they would do.

They 'yes' part of that answer is that, in my experience, when someone passes over they are able to see and understand the pain they have caused while they were here with us. They have the opportunity to make things right, to the best of their ability. They have the opportunity to learn and grow -- if they so choose. They also have the chance to apologize and make amends, to some extent, again, if they choose.

What I love about the people on the other side who have passed and realized how difficult they were, and who choose to address it, is the compassion and apologies that they offer to those they have hurt. This doesn't mean they have changed, it means they understand the consequences of their actions and they can choose to try and help those they love.

In my first reading with Laura, a woman came through who identified herself as Laura's mother. The woman's energy was very difficult and heavy for me. I didn't like how it felt and struggled at first to adjust to it. I told Laura that her mother was present and that the energy was heavy and the mother showed me that she had not been very nice to Laura when she was alive. Laura hesitatingly confirmed that her mother was not a nice person. The reading continued with Laura's mother showing me in more detail that she had alcohol problems, had verbally and physically abused her children, and was not the mother that Laura deserved. Laura confirmed what her mother was showing me. It was very hard to bring the information forward because it was obvious that even bringing up the subject was painful to Laura. I have to trust though that the mother was bringing up the past for a reason. And then, the moment, that I love most when these readings that are so painfully emotional from the past, happened. After Laura's mom brought through enough detailed information that Laura could validate it was indeed her mom; and the mother shared the painful events and memories with me to pass to Laura, her mother apologized in the most sincere and compassionate way she could muster.

As I passed on the words of the apology, the tears flowed down Laura's cheeks. Her mother's ability to recognize the pain she had caused and her choice to come to the reading was brave. She confided that she wasn't sure Laura would even acknowledge her presence and she was so grateful that her daughter had the grace to do so. Laura's mother explained that when she passed on she had the opportunity to reflect on her life and see where she could have done things differently, and where she caused pain. She had the opportunity to address it. It was through this reading that Laura's mom decided to apologize to her daughter. Her mother spoke of the difficult childhood that Laura had and she did not make any excuses, she explained that she wished she could take the pain away for Laura. Her hope was that the apology would ease Laura's pain and let her move on with her life.

At the close of the reading, Laura confided that she had been nervous that her mother might come to the reading. She also confided that the one thing she had wanted for many years was an apology from her mom. Laura said that the reading was a healing moment for her and that it would take time to mull over the many things that her mother said, but that the apology was a gift that that would make a huge difference in her life.

Laura's mom still has the same personality. She still is a difficult woman that has a heavy energy. But she took the opportunity to use what she learned when she passed and reflected on her own life to give her daughter what she had longed for -- validation that Laura was a good person and that all of things that had happened to her as a child were not her fault, but rather the difficult circumstances of her mother's life that enveloped the children and caused pain.

I've done other readings for Laura and her mother has not come through again. Instead, her delightful father who watches over her and adored her shows up. But for Laura, the apology and the visit from her mom in
that first reading was the healing that she longed for.

You betcha! I've seen several Mediums and think doing so is important for several reasons. One of the main reasons is that I can be connected to my loved ones and hear the messages they have for me unfiltered and unbiased.

Though I check in regularly with those who love me that are on the other side, it would be very tricky, if not impossible to give myself a reading. First of all, I already hear and see them all the time, so I could easily sway myself to get the answers I think I want. Second, it is especially validating to have another Medium tell
me something, even if I already knew it. It's like the frosting on a cake when I sit down with a Medium and hear my loved ones come through. I also get readings because I like to see how other Mediums work or because I am curious about a Medium that I've heard about.

I've had mediocre, good, and amazing readings; just like anyone else. What comes through for a Medium is dependent on my responsiveness and willingness to be open as well as the interpretations the Medium has of the messages. I am always fascinated with the messages, or not, that come through for me.

My first reading was with an amazing man, Michael, in Southern California. Michael did Tarot as a warm-up, as he explained it, "I'm waiting for the spirits to connect." I loved watching Michael handle and deal the Tarot cards, especially because I don't do Tarot. But find it fascinating and, in Michael's hands, accurate. I visited Michael several months after my son died. I knew Michael was the Medium for me when the first card he turned over showed that I had very recently lost someone close to me, and then he picked up on a message that was so personal to my family that I knew my son was in the room. I don't like to say what it was so that when I see other Medium's I know that if they pick up that very specific image/message, my son is present.

Michael validated many things for me in that Reading, including some of the details surrounding the death of my son that my family was struggling with. And when he mentioned the personal details that only my son could bring forth, tears of joy and sadness rolled down my face. When I left the reading I had a sense of peace that I had never thought possible. My sense of relief in knowing that my son was okay, and knowing that he was perhaps gone in the physical world but definitely near me all the time gave me what I needed as a grieving mother. It didn't make it better. It made it bearable.

When Michael retired, I tried other Mediums, sometimes because I wanted information or validation and sometimes out of curiosity. What I have always found interesting is that while my grandmother always comes through, no matter the Medium, my son only came through to Michael and, on one other occasion, he came through at a seminar with John Edward in Las Vegas. The other thing I always find interesting is that most Mediums don't pick up that I am a Medium, but when they do, it makes me giggle because as one Medium, Candice once said, "I was almost afraid to say it because it's just such an unusual expertise but I'm really glad I brought the message through!"

I like to go to Medium's for my own issues too. Though after Michael retired, and other than Candice and John Edward, I haven't really foun anyone who 'gets me.' I think we gravitate to Mediums who fit us best.

I also like to go to Mediums for readings because I like to see how they work. When I first started doing readings I just said what I saw, heard, and felt -- and was absolutely stunned at first that it was so accurate. Everyone has their own way of doing readings, interpreting messages, and even their own unique way of preparing. I find all aspects of a reading interesting.

Just as I feel I need to see a Medium for readings sometimes, I also find that those who are closest to me also benefit from seeing other Mediums. I think this for different reasons. When we are very close to people it can be easy to interpret the messages in a way that we want them interpreted, especially if it's something we have strong feelings about. By the same token, it can also sometimes be confusing and I wouldn't want to give the wrong information. Though I do tell my sister a lot of things, and pass on messages, sometimes there are instances when I think she benefits to see someone else, someone who doesn't know her and can provide information unbiased and unfiltered. I also have found that sometimes when I see something difficult coming or something that could be uncomfortable, it is better that my family and friends get those messages from someone they aren't close to in order to avoid any misunderstandings. When it comes to deeply personal topics, it's best for not only myself, but for my family members, as well,  to hear the messages from another. It works that way for me too. Sometimes I just need a someone else to tell me what I already know, so I can accept it.

I love to receiving readings and hear the messages. I am always happy when my Grandma comes through and I am always curious to see if my son will show himself. While I always feel his presence in the room during a reading, I marvel that he is very picky about who he let into his world.

So part one of what Vince had told me was true. My
sister knew him and she knew his wife. I told my sister I had pages of notes
and that Vince kept me up until I promised to write it all down. I told her I
would send her the notes because maybe she could validate them for me or maybe
she could check with Susan and see if she was open to receiving the notes. (I
would never have presumed that someone who didn't ask for a reading was open to
the idea of messages from the other side.)

I sent the notes to my sister who sent them along to
Susan. What came from that was amazing confirmation and a later visit from
Vince, funny as ever, who let me know that he had shown me something that I
could do. That is, doing a reading when there wasn't anyone on this side asking
for it. The following are the notes, along with feedback from Susan that
verified the notes. Susan's feedback is marked with double asterisks.

Notes dated 2006:

I’m sending you everything, though I have no idea how
accurate it is… cuz this is kind of a weird way (but a good test) of doing it.
Freaking Vince kept me up for hours telling me jokes until I promised to write
this down.

There is a man, who gives his energy as very big, but
that’s not how I visualize him…. so he let me know with energy that he’s "very
big". I see him with brownish hair thinning especially around the forehead
area. Well, all over actually but he’s telling me "he’s still very good
looking despite the hair." He is totally happy in his life. It’s like
everything is right – a nice wife, a nice house, a nice family. He’s got a
great smile.

**confirmed : thinning
hair, perfect family, happy man.

He shows himself dressed in a grey tuxedo and with a
wedding cake. But, the wedding cake has a candle on top as if it is signifying
the anniversary of something. The candle sits n a small silver candle holder.
It is lit but no one blows it out. So it’s not for a birthday, it’s for an
anniversary. He’s just beaming and says, "Happy Anniversary" pointing
to the cake in a "wahlah" type gesture of "isn’t this great".

**Susan says that she
has always celebrated their anniversary that was in June and believes he was
acknowledging that.

He likes to laugh. In fact he laughs a lot and seems
to be very outgoing and happy. He likes going to parties. He likes telling
jokes or stories. I see him standing with other men and him telling stories. He
is gregarious; the life of the party.

**Confirmed

I see cancer. But the left side of my face goes numb,
especially in my eye, though it seems secondary to me, but it stays numb for
long periods of time.

**Cancer is confirmed.
Susan says that she has terrible migraines and they are exactly as I have
described the numb face and pain in my eye and that it is on the left side

He shows me a little girl, a swimming pool, and a lady
sitting by the side of the pool watching the little girl play. It’s his family
several years ago. It’s the backyard of a house with lounge chairs and the lady
wears a white light cover over her swimsuit. She likes to read. She doesn’t
seem to swim much, but rather takes dips. The little girl has some type of
floating toy that she plays in. She likes pink. Her room was or is pink.

** Confirmed: swimming
pool, little girl, mom reading, and taking "dips." The daughter's
room was pink when she was growing up.

This man likes to say, "roger that; copy that"
and he likes to fly. Last night I had the feeling that he liked small planes,
but today it’s more of an "I like to fly." I like airplanes. It’s
just like a statement----

**Vince was a
policeman.

I see a family vacation on a beach with very blue water.
I hear Hawaii, see surf boards and friends around and hear "the best time
of my life." It feels like a vacation that was a really memorable one.

**Confirmed: Vince and
his wife used to go to Hawaii every year with their friends

He shows me a daughter and the numbers 17, 24, 27. When
I ask him what he’s telling me, he jokes, "well it’s not a locker
combination." It feels like the numbers are leaps in ages of his daughter.
Significant ages though I can’t get what he wants me to know. It feels like these
are marriage and baby dates or significant dates for her. He keeps trying to
tell me something about the 27, but I don’t get what he wants. Okay, he says, "shh
about the 27 part", then laughs and says, "well, it’s already out
there".

**Susan confirmed that
their granddaughter was born on March 17. The 24th was the date he was
diagnosed with cancer and the 27th was the date his cancer had gone into
remission and they had celebrated.

He stops joking====

He tells Susan that he loves her and her devotion to
him means a lot. He appreciates her keeping pictures of him around. I see a
picture of him in a frame on the side of a bedroom night stand. The small table
looks like an oak one to me. I see a wedding photo. I see a picture of him in a
uniform, surrounded by plaques. It’s like he’s showing me he was very
successful in his career. I have the feeling of detective, but then he says, "copy
that" and shows me a patrol car, but he’s so funny I have no idea if he’s
joking about the detective part or the patrol part or if the "copy that"
is verifying that he was a detective. He says she’s a great mother and has done
the job of two with style and class. He sends her a kiss across the room as if
they were at a party and he is across the room from her and they catch eyes and
he raises his chin upwards and winks at her. Oh man, he loves her. And he steps
aside, though he says "it’s momentary." He is terribly funny and "alive."

**Confirmed that Susan
has pictures of Vince all over the house. Also confirmed: they were very much
in love and that he is terribly funny.

===========

Then there is a younger person here. She doesn’t seem
older to me, but rather like she died young. It feels like she "didn’t
have a full life" or she’s showing me her childhood, I’m not sure which.
So, I’ll just describe what I see:

I see two girls playing "clapping games"
(you know, like "Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black,
black") Blonde hair, pony tails, wearing dresses, one yellow, one baby
blue. The baby blue one looks checkered.

The girls are sisters and play the clapping game
trying to use their names--- "silly Sally down in the valley" and
similar rhyming games. They play this clapping game a lot like they are close.
Sally’s name is easy to rhyme with and the other girl’s name is not so they go
back to "traditional" rhymes because the other girl says, "this
isn’t fair, nothing rhymes with my name very well". The girls seem to be
between 8-12. They seem to like each other.

**Susan confirms this
is her sister Sally. Sally died early 20’s, so the "not a full life"
was correct.

When I focus on the word “Sally” all I get is a little
blonde girl about 10-12ish. I hear a mom tell her not to "dilly dally"
and I see her going down concrete steps to play as the mother watches her
through a screen door. This girl really liked to rhyme---cuz I hear rhymes
again.

Vince butts in and says he can make a rhyme for
Susan’s name --- And I hear the sound track to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory and the Oompah Loompah’s sing, “Susan Petite, Susan Petite, Oh my gosh
she has mighty big feet." And Vince thinks he’s just pretty hysterical.
And he steps aside again.

Now, I see one of these girls as a teenager with blond
hair in a "flip" (like the 60’s hairstyle).

I also see a girl with a white sweater and a "poodle"
skirt – she has blond hair and a flip too; though this girl is older than the
first one and she is now in junior or high school and holding books in her
arms. This girl looks at boys and is very popular.

** Susan said they both had blonde hair and they grew up in the
50's.

So, it "feels" like this is showing me the
girl growing up…..

Now, I see a woman with cancer---well actually, I see
two women with cancer, one has ovarian/uterine/something like that, the other
it seems like is breast cancer, though that is not as strong. Michelle or a
name that starts with an M or sounds like this or

"Shelly" though “Michelle” seems to be
pretty strong and the Beatles title “Michelle, my Belle" starts playing in
my head.…

I feel like I’m in the 50or 60’s and she’s sitting on
a couch smoking – Virginia Slims or something sleek – and there’s a lady with
short hair watching I Love Lucy on the tv. This time it’s black and white. It
seems like she isn’t a career woman, but a stay at home mom. I have the feeling
she really should’ve stopped smoking, it led to health problems. To me, she
feels like she’s on a "slow burn" – not really happy. She’s married
but I don’t see a husband and it seems like this is one of the things she’s
annoyed at – like he’s busy working and she’s waiting at home with the kids—and
not terribly happy about it.

She seems very reserved. Kind of quiet and like she
holds things inside. Doesn’t like to let on to her problems. She’s thin and
blondish brown.

**Susan confirms that her Aunt Maybelle had a husband who was in the
Navy and he was deployed a lot. She died of ovarian cancer.

I see a young lady, brownish hair, long with bangs –
seems like age 12-14 in a light yellow chiffon dress. She’s watching something
– like a wedding.

**Susan confirms that
her sister Sally wore a yellow chiffon dress in Susan’s first wedding.

I see numbers again. Vince says I’m still messing it
up and he’s laughing. He’s terribly funny. Truly a happy and nice guy. I see
17, 24, 47. I see a combination lock but I sense that these are important ages
again. Ages when something significant happened and it has to do with the girl
in the yellow chiffon dress.

He’s saying something about a sergeant. A sergeant he
knows, name starts with a J or Juh sound. Jim, John, Joe, George. He’s
acknowledging this man, who is a sergeant saying, "he’s a good man"
and it seems like this man was at his funeral/service and is a friend. I hear "atta
boy, 10-4, and copy that." Then he cracks to me, "attaboy" isn’t
politically correct to say to a woman, but attaboy anyway.

**Susan confirmed that
Vince’s closest friend is John who was a Sergeant when Vince died. John has had
a hard time losing his friend.

I keep seeing Vince in a grey tuxedo, standing in a
room with a high ceiling. The walls and ceiling are wood – like paneling –
cedar or oak—but not cheap—more like a beautiful room finished in wood. A light
hangs down on a long chain, but it’s not a chandelier, it feels like a church.

**Susan says this
describes their wedding

I get a terrible headache on my left side, especially
by my eye. My face goes numb again –and it stays that way a long time.

**Susan confirmed her
migraines and these are the symptoms.

Vince says, "10-4 on the Betty Boop." He’s
so funny, I have no idea what this means but he wants this all to end with you
(Susan) laughing and smiling (and wiping tears from your eyes at the same
time). He sends you so much love that it is hard for me to contain it.

**Susan hasn’t
explained the Betty Boop thing.

And then he steps aside. And they are gone.

===============

As you can see, Susan and my sister were able to
confirm almost everything that I had written down in my notes during my reading
with Vince. Vince has visited me on other occasions, usually in the middle of
the night. One of those nights, I told him I was really tired and that he could
just visit me in the morning, to which he replied, "You can do it now. I'm
up, you're up, what's the problem?" And he laughed so hard that I had to
laugh too...

And sometimes I just am compelled to listen to the messages and write notes even if I don't have a scheduled reading. In that case, and it has happened many times, somewhere down the road a situation will occur where I will find the person that 'owns' the notes. I'll be able to let them know that their loved one had come through and I couldn't get them to leave me alone so I wrote everything down. It seemed odd at first, but now, if someone bugs me that much to write something down, I simply do it trusting that there is a reason and a way will be made to pass the message.

When I first started doing readings, I would get images of a long line of people. I didn't know what it meant and really didn't think a whole lot about it until it kept happening. I would be washing dishes, or working on the computer, or heaven forbid, trying to sleep, and I would see this long line of people standing quietly. They looked patient but seemed to want something. One day, I finally had an aha moment and ask if the line was from the spirit world and if these people waiting for me. The answer was a unanimous 'Yes!' followed by a man's voice of "oh duh, you caught on." This came from someone in the line who I had a strange sense of familiarity. I felt that I might know him, or he knew me, or was in some way connected.

This man stepped out of the line and started the conversation. He was tall and thin and very funny; and very persistent. He explained to me that I would know who he was if I asked my sister. Easy enough, I can do that. I tell the man that I will ask my sister about him if he gives me his name. He likes to joke and it took awhile to get through his comic act, but he tells me his name is Vince. He says he wants a reading, and I tell him that I can't give him a reading because there's no one here to give it to on this side. After all, it is the middle of the night and I don't have anyone scheduled for the next day, so I know he hasn't just shown up early for an appointment. Vince tells me that I should write down everything he has to say and that once I talk to my sister I'll know what to do with the notes. Frankly, I wanted to go to sleep. But Vince had other ideas. I finally got up and wrote down notes without knowing how in the world I would validate any of what I was writing and not sure if this was even possible. But, I figured if I wrote it all down and trusted what Vince was saying, it would all work out.

The next day I called my sister. I told her about the long line and the 'aha moment' and that these were people patiently waiting for readings. And then I told her that there was a man named Vince who wanted a reading and that I had to take notes but she would know what I was supposed to do next.

My sister, as I recall, yelled...... Vince! He's my friend Lori's husband!

To be continued, tomorrow ...

Your job is to find a quiet place to relax and be open to what messages come through.  Your biggest task is to avoid the pitfall of expectations, and welcome whoever comes forward to greet you.  You can bring pictures or mementos to the reading though, unless you are asked to show them, it is best to keep them put away. I like to see the pictures and mementos after a reading.  I find it wonderful when something a client has brought to a reading is shared with me.  If your reading is a phone one, then you can sit in a room that you feel comfortable in and surround yourself with mementos.  Even if you really want to hear from someone specific, you want to set that aside and just relax. This allows your loved ones to come through unrestrained, whenever they want and regardless of your surroundings.  Just because you are sitting in your husband's favorite chair, with his picture sitting on the table, that doesn't mean he will be the first person to show up.  In fact, there are no guarantees that someone will show up, but it does feel very good to be near things that belonged to those we love who have passed. If your reading is a phone reading, take the phone to a quiet place where you won't be disturbed or distracted.

As a Medium, part of my preparation is ongoing and an aspect of my lifestyle and part is special; something I do before each Reading. Each Medium has their own way of preparing, and each person has their own belief system - which is unique for each Medium.  I don't believe there is any one right way to prepare just as I don't believe that there is only one way to give a reading.  Some Mediums use Tarot cards, Runes, and the I Ching as part of a reading; others, including me, do not.

As part of my ongoing preparation, every day I spend a minimum of an hour in meditation.  Meditation has many benefits including lowering your stress, helping you focus, and bringing you peace of mind.  For me, meditation also permits me to relax and be open to the other side. Another part of my ongoing preparation is staying involved in my work by readings books and articles on topics that involve Mediumship, the afterlife, and other spiritual area.  Reading on topics that are part of my work helps me stay focused.  I love to practice with Runes and I throw the I Ching regularly for myself, which I find interesting and helpful for direction in my life.

I also do exercises now and again to keep my awareness heightened.  I love to sit quietly and listen.  Careful focused listening to the sounds in my environment keeps my auditory senses sharp. I will first notice what is closest, and then I relax and focus on sounds farther away.  As an example,  if I am doing the exercise outside, I will hear the neighbors in the backyard first, then birds, then a cat meowing somewhere in the neighborhood, then cars on a distant main road, then planes far away, and ambulances across town.  I like to listen for sounds big and small, near and far.   After I quietly listen, I then will switch to focusing on what I can see.  When I move to the visual exercise, I not only look at the big picture surrounding me, but I also look at the details.  If I am sitting outside for this exercise, I keep my eyes forward and look at everything in my view, and then I focus on the smaller things; the details.  I notice the petals on the flowers, and the stems, and the small prickly parts on the stems and the pot they are in.  I again try to notice, big and small, near and far. Finally, while keeping my head straight, I see what I can in my peripheral vision.  I love this exercise and it keeps my visual senses sharp.  My strong clairvoyant abilities have always been a lot of fun for me.  I love the movies in my head, so the visual exercise is always something I enjoy, especially when expanding my peripheral vision. It's pretty cool when my kids say I have eyes in the back of my head, and I can say, well, yea, I actually have great peripheral vision allowing me to 'almost' see what's behind me.  Well, okay, I enjoy all of my preparation, but there's something extra special about that one.  Lastly, I sit quietly and 'feel' not only my body, but my surroundings.  I will notice how my feet and legs feel and if I'm sitting in meditation pose, they usually feel stiff and scream to be straightened!  Then I focus my attention on my stomach, back, torso and move to my hands, arms, and shoulders, and finish with my neck, head, and face which are almost always filled with tension. I have the bonus relaxing as I go through this exercise.  I notice whether I am hot or cold, what the air around me feels like, how my hair feels resting on my forehead and shoulders.  I try to feel as much as I can.  Then I focus on what I smell or taste.  Doing these exercises a few times a week keep my senses heightened and make it easier for me to tune in to what I see, hear, and feel when I do a reading.

About an hour before a Reading begins I will sit down and meditate for 30 minutes.  This meditation is unique and only for preparing for Readings.  I like certain music and certain smells at this time, and so I retreat to my meditation room that has an atmosphere of peacefulness.  My meditation room is full of things that I love and that have meaning to me.  I start my infuser with essential oils that I have combined  to create scents that I love; I put on my music; and tune in to myself by relaxing and then open myself to the other side.  As I relax, I always ask that the reading goes well for my client and that the messages are positive, loving, and for the client's higher good and in their best interest.  I ask that only those people and messages that will benefit, help, and support the client come through. Because my son always shows up at this time, I tell him how happy I am that he came to see me and ask him to help me give the client the best reading possible. There are other guides that show up during this preparation time and I look forward to seeing them also, in my mind's eye, because they have been with me since my very first reading and I trust them to help me do a good job.

This 30 minute preparation time is very important to become focused and open to the spirit world.  At this time I attain a most amazing feeling that I can only describe as bliss.  When I move into the openness that allows me to speak with the other side, the world is a different place, where everything is peaceful with an exciting energy that resonates throughout my body.  From that point forward until all the readings are done for the day, I live in a world that sees a bigger picture.  I am able to be in a world that is happy and joyous and while I am doing my work and service of providing messages, I am also surrounded by love.

As each reading ends, I close off the session for that particular client, keeping the connection to my guides and the bubbling energy that I have created.  I silently thank those who came through for my client and I thank my guides for supporting and helping me give validating messages. When the last reading of the day is completed, I am left with a great satisfaction in my heart -- for being given the opportunity to help others connect with their loved ones.

I've done many readings where I've been shown pictures falling, lights flickering on and off or rocking chairs moving, just to name a few. These are signs that have been given to my clients.  Often when I bring up these things, the client will say, 'I thought that might be them!' or "I hoped that might be them!'  They often will also say, 'I thought it might just be a coincidence so I ignored it.'

One of my favorite stories is when a young boy named Brandon came through to his mom.  Brandon is a boy who had severe physical handicaps.  In his case, he had to figure out how to communicate with his family while he was alive and now he was trying to communicate with his mom after he passed.  April was desperate to know that her son was okay.

The first reading I gave April, I saw doors slamming, chairs rocking, and pictures moving or falling over. I also sensed that April saw and heard all of this and 'hoped' it was Brandon but would shut it off almost as quickly as it happened as 'coincidence.'

So, it was a 'coincidence' when she sat out on the front porch and talked out loud to Brandon and the chair next to her started rocking. Or when she sat on the sofa at night writing in her journal about how much she missed her son, and the lights would flicker on and off, or she would be thinking about him and the door to his bedroom would shut with a bang.

April wanted validation that her son was okay, and the validation was right there with her. All she had to do was accept and acknowledge it.

During the phone reading, I told her Brandon was in the room with her moving something or had moved something a few minutes before the reading started.  She laughed and said that right when I started talking about needing to acknowledge the messages instead of writing them off as 'coincidence' that a picture of him had just fallen off the table in the living room.  She was nowhere near the table during our call and no one else was home.

Brandon had done about as much as he could to show his mom he was around her - and once she accepted that these were signs and messages from her son, she found a great deal of peace.  More importantly, as we talked, she said she could feel Brandon near her and I explained that is exactly what he had been hoping for.

I told her when the lights flickered, or the chair rocked, or the door inexplicably closed to say, "Hi Brandon!' and she would feel his presence and 'know' he was there.

A few days ago, I did a reading for a young woman who had lost a friend.  I told her that I sensed the friend spent a lot of time at her house trying to convey that he was okay.  His way of trying to get through to her was by playing with the lights.  Excitedly, she said that every time she talked to her mom or other friends about her upcoming reading, 'weird things happened' - a light that had been burned out came on.  The TV turned itself on and then off again and the light on the Christmas tree came on when none of the other lights were on.  She said she was a little nervous when this kept happening throughout the week but then she also was excited when she understood that this was her friend's way of telling her that he would be at the reading.  And sure enough, he came through loud and clear, to let her know that he was okay and everything she had tried to do for him while he was alive was appreciated.

My own experience is that of my son who consistently changes the seats in my sister's car.  My son was always going to have a 'fancy car' and so it wasn't a big surprise when I would often feel his presence with me when I was in my sister's Mercedes.  What was a surprise is the many times that I would move the seat up and arrange the back just the way I wanted it, only to come back out of a store to find my seat pushed all the way back and reclining as if someone was relaxing in the car!  Despite my own knowledge and acceptance of signs,  the first few times, I thought maybe I had somehow pushed the seat back or something had happened to the adjustment.  But it became obvious that it wasn't me or a malfunction in the seat when it happened not only to my seat, but when I wasn't with my sister, she too would often come out and find the driver's seat 'adjusted' to fit the legs of a young man who might be stretching out enjoying her car.  We laugh when we come out of a store to find the seat adjusted and while I miss him terribly, it is also a great comfort to know that he hangs out with me wherever I go.

Those on the other side work hard to let us know that they are okay.  These are some of the ways that they let us know that they are near us.  You might find that when you acknowledge them in this way, you will start to see more signs because you are now more aware.  Awareness creates more opportunities.  Acknowledging the signs and say 'hi' to those who are sending the messages will bring your heart joy and validate the presence of your loved ones.