In a few short days, we will be adding a new addition to our family.  I am excited about the new adventure, and yet, a wee bit hesitant.  We will be adding a doberman puppy, NOT at all to replace our beloved Amelia, but because the house has been so quiet with out her presence.  I love that breed for their elegance, loyalty and the incredible intelligence they bring to the home. ( plus so much more!)  While I am a rescue girl at heart, I have decided to get a puppy for so many reasons.  I will always have rescues in my home, but I wanted a clean slate.  There is something so refreshing about seeing the way puppies navigate the world and how they view things.  Very much like a  baby and child who bring such awareness of our surroundings, which we often take for granted everyday.  I could use that right now...to be made aware again of all the beauty in the everyday moment.  To be able to see again through a new lens and view the everyday through new eyes.  We all need that now and then.  I don't recommend everyone go out and get a puppy or have a baby for that reason, but for me, at this time, it will be a breath of fresh air.  

  The hesitation comes from the sleepless nights and the constant hovering, hoping I didn't miss something that could bring potential harm.  The hovering during potty training, the biting the chewing...all the things that come with bringing home a puppy.  But I know, in the end, it will have all been worth it.  

I am ready to teach this girl how to be a wonderful companion and friend. To show her amazing new things and to have fun on our path together.  To love her with my whole heart and be ready for whatever our journey brings.  I might be yawning  a lot during our first couple months together, but I am READY!

    Today would have been my Mom's 79th birthday.  Although we did not share many years together, I celebrate what I do remember about her and what gifts she has given me that still live on today.  What I remember most about my Mom was her kindness and soft heart.  Mostly I am referring to our dogs that shared our home. We weren't allowed to have cats because she was "allergic" and we didn't have other little pocket pets because...well, I am sure she knew she would get stuck taking care of them. Dogs were the ones who made her heart sing.  That was back in the day when woman didn't really work outside the home.  My Mom didn't drive either, so she spent most of her time while we were at school in the company of dogs.  What a blessing for her!  I can not imagine sitting day after day in the house with no job or no car to go anywhere.  I think dogs were what kept her sane through many of her illnesses.  

  One dog in particular, Sam, I think, was one of her greatest loves.  Through the roughest times of her life and especially at the end, Sam was there.  After my Mom passed, Sam became sick as well.  Heartbroken?  Possibly...after all, they spent 24/7 together.  It was only 5 months later after my Mom passed, that Sam had to be euthanized due to health.  Age 13 was not a good year for me!  As I reflect on her birthday, I realize my love of dogs is so strong because of her example.  She treated them with such kindness and love because after all, they kept her company and were in fact her best friends.

I have often shared with my clients during sessions, that their animal wants to come back to them.  There are many different schools of thought out there about animals reincarnating.  I can tell you my own experience is that they do!  Maybe not all, but some!  Sam is an example of that.  The Sam that shares my life now, is the same Sam that shared my life when I was 13.  When I first laid eyes on him at the shelter, I KNEW it was him.  Not only does he have an uncanny resemblance to him, his mannerisms and soft gentle heart are one in the same.  I often wonder why he chose to come back and the reason that resonates the most with me is because he didn't have the chance to say good bye.  One day I came home from school and he was gone.  For years, I just buried the grief and never really felt it.  I think when it comes time to say good bye again, ( I tell him he has MANY years to go) I will hold on to the fact he came back just to be with me again and I HOPE letting him go will be easier.  
( who am I kidding??? There is no possible way THAT is gonna happen..lol)  But for now, I am so filled with gratitude for all that he did for my Mom while here and all the love that he shares with me daily, I try not to ever think about it. ( again, who am I kidding??)  

Today, I celebrate the life of a woman who gave me one of my greatest gifts and joys...the love of dogs. Happy Birthday Mom!  I owe this work to you.

Below is a picture of my Mom and Sam...I apologize for the poor quality, but it is only one of the few I have left.

  I don't know about you, but these sun less days are starting to weigh on me.  On one hand, it is a good thing.  On days where there is no sun, I feel freer to do things I normally would not.  Napping, lounging with a good book, trying a new recipe or just watching TV feels easier to do those things without beating myself up about it. Sadly, I tend to over eat those days too!


  What is it about the Sun makes everything SO much better?? I have more energy, I am generally happier on those days and I feel HIGHLY motivated to clean and put things in order.  As I continue to learn, I believe that getting outside has its benefits....NONE which can be done inside!  I love to feel the warm sun on my face and skin.  If you are sitting by a window, it certainly doesn't feel the same.  I love to smell the air out there.  When inside, you are doomed to breathe the staleness of the cleaners and the gunk inside.  I love to have my feet planted, especially my toes in the grass.  Not gonna be doing that NOW, but it brings a sense of calmness when you can connect DIRECTLY to the earth and her wonderful beauty.  Connecting to the earth resets many of our imbalances through her magnetic field which we cannot do on the same level inside the house.

  Did you know your animal friends feel the same way?  The air, the smells, the feelings of OUT there feels so much better than inside.  That is why you will see my doing my best to walk my dogs in WHATEVER kind of weather we have.  ( within reason of course!)  They, being very pure, spiritual, magnetic beings, much like yourself, have not only the desire to be outside, but the NEED for it.  It helps them in ways we don't even begin to understand.  I have had 2 animals tell me,  this week alone, they need some sun!  It makes me chuckle because, A.  I cannot help them with that and B. I COMPLETELY understand!  

  I encourage each and everyone of you to remember that your animal friends ( I am speaking to mostly dog people here) rely on us for this benefit.  They only have you!  You can do something to take your mind off of your troubles or do something to keep you busy....they only have you!  It is up to us to make sure they stay balanced and happy.  They do what they can for us by helping us to heal emotionally, or to actually take on some of our emotions.  THEY NEED to get outside to recharge and replenish, to reset and re-balance.  They only have you to make sure it happens.  Exercise and being outside ( within reason again) Is KEY to their health and well being.  If you are unable to walk them, please find someone who can or at minimum make sure they can be outside a little each day.  Putting their paws on the earth, lifting their faces to the sun and breathing in all those  beautiful smells are the most simple of things, but it is a BIG key to keep them happy...in more ways than one!

I encourage you to think about this whenever you add a new addition to your home, whatever the species. ( I am speaking to those who own something other than a dog here)  What can I do to recreate their natural, instinctual behaviors inside my home? They may be simple things, but do your research and learn what is it they need to be happy.  Are they hunters by nature?  Are they climbers by nature?  What food would they eat in the wild?  Do whatever you can to make sure they have an environment similar to where they originated from. When they feel at home they are less stressed and it is easier for them to carry on with the work they came here to do.   However they have shown up in your life, whether you rescued, found, adopted or whatever the case may be, it is not a coincidence.  They came there specifically FOR YOU!  

  I just came off a webinar from Danielle MacKinnon titled " Your animals as Gurus" and it was so fascinating!  If you ever get the chance to listen to her speak, I highly recommend it.  The webinar taught that ALL animals teach us something and she walked us through an exercise on how to figure out what they are specifically to teach us.  I did the exercise with one of my own dogs, Gus.  Gus is an old beagle we rescued almost 3 years ago.  He appears to be about 10-12 years old.  At first, the exercise didn't seem to really apply, but then she took a caller who said exactly what I was thinking and her response was exactly what I needed to hear!  ( I love it when that happens!)

  Danielle believes every animal comes to teach one of 4 possible lessons:
1.  Do I feel safe, supported, and protected?
2.  Am I good enough?
3.  Am I loveable?
4.  Am I undeserving or worthy enough?
They could be teaching all 4 things at the same time, but chances are they are working on 1 or 2.

Like I said, I didn't think the exercise really worked for Gus and I...what is he there to teach me?   I rescued him, so I wasn't sure what he was teaching me...wasn't I teaching him about love and protection?  ( he was a stray and appeared to be an outside dog for most of his life)  He has several health issues that we can not really resolve.  He has a wonky hip, his hearing isn't all that great, he had heartworm disease and treatment, he coughs a lot because of the damage done by heartworm and he is starting to have trouble getting up on the sofa, he has allergies and the list goes on.  So what could he be teaching me???  Wasn't I the one doing him the favor by bringing him in and giving him a soft place to lay his head?  Wasn't I protecting him from the elements and teaching him this is what LOVE looks like?
  Danielle's response to the caller ( she had a similar situation ) was " How does that make you feel when you can not help someone?"  The answer is NOT GOOD ENOUGH....Well, that is an age old lesson for me!  I struggle with that many times...( and I KNOW I am not alone!)  Just when I thought this exercise didn't really teach me something and that Gus really is here because he needed love and I was just the person to help, BAM!, the REAL lesson of his being in my life showed up.

I believe firmly everything happens as it is suppose to.  I often see wisdom in Gus' eyes and his devotion and love for me are unquestionable!  I didn't think the lesson would be THAT deep though!

I encourage each one of you to take a step back and look at each one of the animals that occupy your world.   (Danielle said even a squirrel who crosses your path could be a guru to you)  The exercise is simply to identify a "problem" you are experiencing with your pet and what emotion does it bring up.  Then to use that emotion and see which one of the 4 questions that is resonates the most with.  That could be the lesson your little GURU is there to teach you!

I have ALWAYS known that animals are special and amazing.  I just didn't realize the depth at which they are willing to teach us the soul lessons we came here to learn.  There is NO animal that occupies your life or that has occupied your life without helping you to grow.  I encourage you to take some time and really think what the lesson was.  And when your done, make SURE you take a moment to say THANK YOU for the job they are doing to help you to become the better version of yourself!

In gratitude,
​Tracy

  Some of you may know that I had to say goodbye to my Amelia 5 months ago today.  For those of you who don't know, she was my beautiful doberman girl who I lost to cardiomyopathy at 6.5 years of age. It has been a LOOOONG  5 months and yet, at times,  it seems like yesterday.  Most people think that since I am an animal communicator, that my grief might not be as strong or it is "easier for me to process."  I do have the ability to connect with her on an energetic basis and for that I am SO grateful.  I will say it is NO different for me, though,  MISSING her physical presence.  I still find, whenever I am on my way home and I feel a sweet bit of excitement that I will be seeing her happy, goofy face when I walk in the door, I am overwhelmed with the sadness of knowing she will NOT be there.  I am caught off guard my this feeling.  It is a painful reminder every day of how much I miss her presence in my life. I think  that I would have moved through this phase quicker.  I find that it is a gentle reminder of the fleeting love that we share with all of our companions that share our homes, and that it must not be taken for granted.  Amelia taught me so many things...but mainly, she taught me how to love with a full heart.  She taught me that when you love someone, YOU SHOW them...however it may look to others, doesn't matter.  You just show them so they know...so there is no question they feel that way about you.  I miss that.  EVERY DAY I felt SO loved because she made sure of it.  I often think that is why her heart gave out.  She used it to its FULL capacity every single day to spread love, to BE love.  I used to think she was needy..always wanting someone to pet her or be right next to her holding her paw.  Now I see she was just sharing her infinite amount of love with me.  I am filled with gratitude for the gifts she has given me.  May I use what she has taught me and be more courageous in spreading the love around so she lives on.  

Run on my friend...I will catch up with you someday!  And when I do, may my heart be as big as yours!

A NEW BEGINNING FOR ME!

Welcome!  I have been guided to start blogging about my experiences...to perhaps offer insight, get you interested in how communication works or just share my thoughts.  However it shapes up, I am excited for the opportunity.  I hope you will check in and see what I am thinking about or sharing...who knows?  It might be something specifically written for you!