How You Going to Keep Me Out Of Downtown - Now that I've Seen Poultney?

And so begins a mini series blog that starts with a  bit of a confession. When I was in my twenties and thirties - life was about great clothes, places to go, great hairstyles and fabulous food. I lived in the Boston area and then Boston proper  paying too much for parking since I was not about to take the "T" into the city and risk the smelly underground stations and where I often kept tags on my dresses to wear them once then return them for something new - after all - did not want to be seen in the same outfit twice. I mostly ate out - rarely cooked and drank cognac in fancy bars.

But after a move to Northern California where I became the owner of a very large Newfoundland dog - things began to change. The side of my closet with dog park clothes grew - and by the time I made it back to New England to live - my closet was ALL dog park clothes with absolutely nothing fitted or fancy - just practical and almost uniformesque with my field vests with myriad pockets for dog treats and toys and poop bags to my LL Bean classic overalls (which they since discontinued - I am in mourning over this still). Work boots and sub zero clothing replaced heels and pencil skirts.

I live on 10.1 acres in a small town in Southwestern Vermont called Poultney. I share my life with three cats, two dogs (a Newf and a lab) and a large array of wildlife that usually stays out of the house - but not always. I have a friend in Los Angeles with whom I speak about once a month. She always says to me that she thinks I am living the dream country life most people want - and how idillic it is with a garden and fields and deer in the front yard when I wake each morning. Some of it is - I do agree with her. But there is that real side to life that I just cannot get through to her about - like the resent rabbit invasion (how cute, she says) or the snakes that like to slide through the gasket on the garage door and hang out the ends as I try to pull up the door by hand to get the mower out to mow for four and a half hours in 80 - 90% humidity.

So these next blogs are all with my LA friend in mind - who showed up here a while back  in lovely snake skin pointy toed shoes and expected to be able to go for a walk around the property with me and my newfs (she ended up waiting back at the house). Stay tuned...

The Blog Predicament

I write non-fiction - specifically events from my life and work as a psychic medium, animal communicator and nutrition consultant for dogs. I am working on my second book - Will Talk to the Dead for Food (The True Adventures of a Psychic Medium and Her Dogs). It is the sequel to my first book, Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic: The True Story of a Clairvoyant and Her Dogs. It should release in 2011.

Now here is the predicament - if I blog about things that are happening around here - what surprise is left for the new book? I know there are people who use their blog material for their books - but that just does not work for me. I want you to be able to pick up my new book and read it from cover to cover without having to say - oh yeah - I remember that blog. I remember what happened that day on the dark Vermont road with the dog and scream for help and oh yeah - the man with the ghost at the gas station (oh hum - that again). And yeah yeah yeah - the flying newfoundland dog and the clever snake. Yeah - read them all in the blog. Well kids - it ain't gonna happen. You will have to hold on for the book.

So please forgive me for not being more prolific about the goings on around here. I'm sure you don't want to hear about my day - going to Honda for an oil change then stopping by the organic dairy farm for 2 gallons of raw milk. Ho hum. ... though that house on the farm is really really old with a dirt floor and they used to hide people in there and now there ARE spirits hanging out and one did follow me home....

I did, however, promise on Facebook to post an incredible brownie recipe. not exactly health food - but hey - it is the holidays and brownies were a tradition in my home growing up with three brothers who ate everything in sight and always came back for seconds, thirds and so on. So it will appear shortly.

Five Stars from Midwest Book Review

Small Press Bookwatch: December 2009




Midwest Book Review
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief


Review of Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic




When you're relaxed, your mind roams free. "Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic" is a unique memoir of how a woman came to hold that her own psychic abilities came from a strong relationship with her dogs. An unusual blend of the metaphysical, pet love and coming to terms with who one is, "Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic" is a top pick for people who love their pets and are curious about the world of psychics.

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/dec_09.htm

A Great Review

http://www.examiner.com/x-22641-Boston-Animal-Communication-Examiner~y2009m12d3-Memoirs-of-the-Bathtub-Psychic-The-True-Story-of-a-Clairvoyant--Her-Dogs