A Sneak Preview of Pet Psychic Diaries Two.  From my chapter The Light Side:

 The Light Side

What do you get when you talk to pets who are not only honest, but also operate on a toddler level? Laughter.   Enjoy these reading excerpts that have forced me to consider installing a seat belt on my chair.

Pip, a sweet little pug entered my sacred space, tail wagging, all excited to chat.  Then he started barking like mad….and barking, and barking. I didn’t know what was going on, and then it hit me.  So I gently told him that in order to understand him, he would have to use human language.  He said, “Oh. Sorry.” 

 A rare breed cat named Nick solved a puzzle that has probably plagued mankind since cats were first domesticated.  Why do they understand commands like Come, Get down, No” one day and seem to have memory loss the next?

Nick said, “Tell my mom that I understand her more than she thinks.  I just pretend not to sometimes so I don’t have to do something I don’t want to do.”

Showing his sweet side, Nick also said, “Someone said I cost a lot, but mom always says I’m worth it.  Please tell her thank you for that.  I bet she cost a lot too.”

Some pets will just answer questions they are asked.  And some just love to chatter and tell you everything on their mind.  Enjoy these gems from Squiggles, an adorable little pug.  He had a high, child-like voice and spoke very fast.

“I always want to be the baby, so I hope my family doesn’t ever get anyone cuter than me.”

“People make a big fuss over me.  Is my face pushed in?  Someone said I had a pushed in face.  Is that bad?  Mama says I’m beautiful so I don’t care what anyone else says anyway!”

“Cats are strange creatures.  But if I was a cat, I would be a lap-cat.”

I don’t want a bandana around my neck, but all other clothes are great.  And I will look very cute in everything.”

“I wish I could catch some of those birds outside.  They are fast!”

A very young Boxer mix named Rockie also had much to say.  Her mom was having trouble with housebreaking and asked me to speak to her about this.

“My family goes potty in the house, so I don’t know why I’m not supposed to!” 

“If we get another pet, please don’t let it be a cat.  They are weird.”

“I like to take my family for walks.  We have lots of fun.”

Some have few words to say.  When asked if he would enjoy going back to obedience school, little Grady said, “No. Not really.”

People often ask me if animals lie.  They don’t often lie to me in a reading unless they are trying to get out of going to the vet.  But I can usually tell if they are,  as they look very guilty.  Now, do they lie to each other?  Meet Jester and Gabby, two cats who share a home.  Their loving mom had just bought them a brand new cat condo, but only Gabby would play on it.  Jester hardly ever did.  He also avoided their bed and office when Gabby was there.  They always got along so well, that their family was confused over this behavior.

I spoke to Jester and asked why he didn’t play on the nice new cat condo.  He said, “The cat condo is Gabby’s.  She lets me play on it sometimes though.”  I explained to Jester that the condo was bought for both of them.  He seemed shocked and said, “Oh. I’m glad to know it is mine too.” 

Before we parted, Jester said, “I like Gabby. She can be fun, but she lied to me about the condo. She said it was hers and she just lets me play with it sometimes. Does this mean that everything else in the house she says is hers, is really mine too?”

Apparently, Gabby had also told Jester, the bed and office were hers as well.  I spoke to her next and explained that she was going to have to share from now on.  She said, “Do you think they would buy two cat condos?”

Before we parted, she said, “Thank my mom for telling me how beautiful I am all the time.  It makes me feel special.  She tells Jasper he is pretty too, but I know that she really thinks I’m the prettiest.”

Sarah was a lovely cat who had to be put on a special diet for her health.  We talked a little and as she was leaving, I asked if there was anything she wanted.  There was.  She said, “Please ask my mom to get rid of that lousy food!”

My first and only Flash Fiction experiment

A while ago, a blogger asked people to choose one out of a few old photos he had chosen, and write a flash fiction piece based on it. Flash Fiction is very short..only a few hundred words...and this is my attempt.  Let me know what you think.  I hope you enjoy it.

Waiting  by Jeanne Miller

Mary Ann watched the people crossing the road.  Where was Mommy?  Why hadn’t she come for her yet?  I should be patient.  Mommy always tells me that good things come to those who wait.  But she has been in the store for the longest time.  She told me to wait over here with Daddy, but now I’ve lost him too.  He told me not to wander off.  They are going to be so mad at me.”

Mary Ann turned around and saw some businessmen talking.  She guessed that was why none of them tried to help her.  They are busy and I’m not supposed to interrupt grownups when they are talking.  I hope they stop talking soon and notice me.  I hope someone helps me.  

Mary Ann turned back to watch the store across the road.  She knew Mommy would be coming out soon.  She has been gone so long. I hope she isn’t mad at me.  The men stopped talking and Mary Ann turned to ask them for help.  But they started talking again without noticing her.  She heard one of them more clearly than the others.  He had a deep, booming voice.  “Yup, it was a real shame, it was.”  Another man chimed in softly, “Yeah, I guess it was a real young kid too.  Her father was supposed to be watching her.  She ran out into the street after her mother.  Guess it was just about a year ago it happened.  So tragic to lose a child that way.”

Mary Ann turned back to watch the store across the street.  Where is Mommy?  Why won’t she come? I’ve been waiting so long.

Tobie - The Horse Who Wanted To Be Beautiful

As a Pet Psychic, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with many different kinds of animals.  In many ways, they are so much like us.  Their emotions can include love, jealousy, anger, insecurity, almost all of the feelings that we have….save one.  I’ve never met an animal who was vain. They accept themselves as they are and in speaking to them, they very seldom bring up their looks. To them..it is what it is.  I think a cat I spoke to once, put it best.  She was a gorgeous breed and when I told her how beautiful she was, she replied: “I know. Everyone tells me that.  I can’t help it.”

This attitude had been the norm during four years of readings, until I spoke to a horse named Tobie.  A beautiful 16 yr. with a star on his face,  Tobie is a beautiful example of an Australian Warmblood. And he is much beloved by his owner Sue.  A sad fact that I soon learned when talking to horses, is that they are seldom in their original home.  Most of them have been shuffled around their entire lives.  But I’m happy to say that by the time they get to me, they are usually in their forever homes.  Only people who deeply love their horses, want a Pet Psychic to send messages of love to them and to hear what is on their minds.  Sadly, with animals who have been moved around a lot, they come to their final home with issues, and these will often come out during a reading.

From the questions Sue sent, it was evident that she loved her Tobie so very much.  Every question was about his happiness and health.  The reading went fine until I asked Tobie if he would mind if Sue rode another horse, as well as riding him.  He immediately reacted and said: “Why would she want to ride another horse?”  I felt a large wave of jealousy hit me and realized this question had upset him terribly. I tried to get across to him that many people rode more than one horse, and that he could be assured that she loves him dearly.  I told him that her riding another horse would not take any love away from him. But he was still upset.  He said:  “It is my experience that when they stop riding you, they stop loving you.  Then the trailer comes for you and you are gone.”

Then came a part of the reading that had me stunned.  Sue had asked me to find out if he needed anything.  This is when Tobie started talking about his looks. He was speaking very fast and I was feeling great anxiety.  He said to me:  “I want something to wear to show people how beautiful I am. I want something to look nice against my coat.”  I was getting pictures sent to me very rapidly.  Equipment colors…blanket colors etc.  Tobie told me that he felt gold tones would look best against his coloring. 

Then he showed me what was really behind his sudden interest in his looks.  He sent me a picture of a beautiful black horse with silver equipment.  Tobie said that he was always jealous of this horse and his equipment.  He also felt the black horse was only beautiful because of his special equipment.  Tobie wanted the same thing. He wanted special equipment so that people could see how beautiful he can be.  He said he didn’t want any black colored saddles or equipment.  Only brown or gold.  He was emphatic about this.  Before he left, he sent me a picture of him pulling a blanket off his back.  I don’t know if it was because he felt too warm, or if he was trying to get across that he didn’t like the color.  He said: “I love my home and my girl, and I hope I never have to leave.”

I sent this unusual reading off to Sue and it wasn’t long before I heard back.  It was so clear to me that everything she does, she does because she loves Tobie so much.  But because of his past, he was misreading everything.  She wanted to ride another horse only because she wants to compete and Tobie doesn’t like competition riding.  He loves Trail riding.  So she wanted to take the burden of doing something he disliked, away from him.

She told me about some of Tobie’s former homes.  In one, he was always being told he would be sent to the glue factory.  In his last home, the lady who owned Tobie, had just bought a Black Friesian Stallion, and although she kept all of her other horses, she sold Tobie.   Sue also told me she had long wanted a Friesian, but the price was too high.  Because Tobie is so in tune with Sue, when she would think of this, he would “see” the black Friesian she had thought about.  And his issues would rise to the surface.

                                          The magnificent Friesian

I was so happy to talk to Tobie again and reassure him that he was never going anywhere, that Sue loved him and always would.  She asked me to tell him something that made him so very happy.  She said, “If someone were to offer me the most beautiful and expensive Friesian, but I would have to give up Tobie, I wouldn’t hesitate to say no. Tobie will never go.”  Tobie was also grateful to know why she would be riding another horse. Finding out it was to make him happy, had a remarkable effect on Tobie.   As we parted, I felt nothing but happiness coming from Tobie.  Oh, and during that follow up reading, Tobie never once mentioned gold equipment to make himself beautiful.  He knows now that to Sue, he is the most beautiful horse in the world.

I think Tobie is beautiful too.  That is why he will be gracing the cover of The Pet Psychic Diaries Two, due out this summer.