Playing with Stones, etc.

Oops.

Well, I haven't been very good at keeping my blog up... and a few friends (ahem, you know who you are!) have been nudging me to get back to blogging, so since I have a few minutes, here's a little update.

We've been able to do a little upgrading of our home because of an unexpected financial boost for Mike.  We are carefully budgeting and fixing up the things that a family of two teenage boys, two dogs and ratties have helped, emmm, ruin.  LOL.  We started with our couch, which was literally destroyed by our rattie and doggie friends over many years.  The ratties loved hiding behind the cushions and we found out they had chewed little holes... which become bigger holes with the new pup!  So, out went the old, stinky couch and in came a new couch and love seat that the dogs are NOT allowed on (our rattie friends have all passed away). We moved the OLD 52" TV down to what is going to be the "man cave" near my studio and are getting a smaller, more manageable one to hang on the wall; it'll be nice having everything so open in our living room again! Next, we need to hire plumbers and electricians to fix two of our four bathrooms that are unusable and then some other things.  I haven't felt very comfortable in this house because of how it's been falling apart, so I'm excited about the little upgrades!

I've been back in my workshop more, lately and have been primarily working with larger cabochons.  Beautiful moss agates, dalmatian jasper, rutilated quartz and rutilated amethyst.  I'm learning how to add unusual touches to the pieces and not just hang a stone on a chain, so it's been fun.  Check out my newest additions in my Etsy shop!  Here's a couple of my favorites...

Rutilated Amethyst

My wide JOY ring!

Moss Agate Necklace

Besides that, our new puppy Sam is now around 60 pounds... he's a beast and we absolutely adore him.  Maggie gets irritated at him constantly, like he's the little brother who won't leave her alone.  He is great with commands, smart as a whip and lovable.  We need to find him a good doggie obedience school to get him more socialized and trained.  Right now, he's just a little fearful of other people and dogs, so that's next on our doggie agenda!  Here's a picture of our sweet pups:

As far as work goes, I've been super duper busy, and I think the busiest I've ever been... knock on wood!  It's funny, but the show The Long Island Medium has really helped in bringing mediumship back to the forefront again!  I also have to thank all of my clients who refer me to their friends and family... I LOVE seeing so many clicks on "referred by Barb's client" on my scheduling form!  THANK YOU!!  The only downside is that I haven't had a lot of time to make my jewelry, but it's ok... those stones aren't going anywhere!  And look at all these I need to set...  :)  If you like any of them, let me know!

Ok, better get going!  Need to clean up a bit before some dude comes to put some kind of bracket thingy on the wall for the TV.  LOL... I have no idea, but lots to do before he gets here!

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Blessings,

Barb

July Update - New PUPPY!

IT. IS. HOT.  I should just stop there, but I can't… I have more news!  :D


There are now TWO dogs in the Mallon household!  Yikes!  Last Sunday, one of my wonderful clients, Jackie, wrote me asking if we were interested in taking her new dog.  She's one of my Facebook friends, so I had been commenting on her cute three month old pup who looked SO much like our Maggie!  She works full time and had to crate Sam most of the day and wasn't able to spend enough time with him to train, etc.  She knew I was home often and he could be out all day.  It was a hard decision for her to make and we are honored that she asked us!  :)

The ironic thing is that Maggie seemed kind of depressed during the day and just laid around and slept.  She really needed a friend, but we wanted it to be the "right" friend at the right time.  We didn't want to force it, so we figured that when it was time, it'd happen.  Sammy was the name of our first lab who passed of epilepsy at five years old, so when Jackie said his name was Sam, that was it.  LOL.  She also said she'd send along his crate and take care of his next round of shots, so.... how could we refuse?  He's a handful, but we love him and he keeps Mags very, very, VERY busy all day!  I'll keep you up to date on his progress, training, etc.  :)

The horrid storm that blew through this area Friday evening was probably one of the scariest storms I've been through.  It lasted about 15 - 20 minutes but was INTENSE.  We were lucky to have only lost phone and some cell service and not our power, unlike our poor friends from Alexandria and up into Maryland who did... and for DAYS.  My prayers to all who were so horribly affected by the storm and to the families who lost loved ones.  And, thanks to my understanding clients who had to reschedule since I didn't have a phone to use for phone sessions!  We just got our service back last evening, so I'll be contacting you soon to reschedule.

Regarding my in-person sessions, I will be in the same office I am in now for another year.  I didn't want it to work out that way, but I missed the "automatic renewal" date and they had me locked in for another year, so I couldn't do anything about it.  So there's that.  LOL.

For those of you asking, my next mediumship demo is July 28 and I'll be donating a percentage of the proceeds to Jackie's favorite animal rescue or shelter, so sign up!  :)  Sounds like it'll be a Pit Bull rescue again because Sammy is part Pit as Maggie is.  We love our sweet pit bulls!  They are awesome!

Hope you had a safe and happy Forth of July!  Stay cool!


Barb

June Update!

Hello, everyone!  The following is from my June newsletter.  If you haven't signed up, why not do so, now?  You can either text BARBMALLON at 22828 or...

Sign up for my Newsletter!

Hoping you're having a wonderful week.  It's been nice and cool here in Northern Virginia, but apparently we're getting some HOT weather this weekend.  Ah well.  :)

What's new here, you ask?  Lots of news! I've been trying to be much better about my blog and adding interesting things.  I'm about to start blogging on my diet and exercise regiment, if for nothing else, to keep myself on track.  I'm on day 12 of very healthy eating and already feel better, but in order to lose (or as a friend says, reduce my weight by...) this ickky 20 pounds, I need to incorporate more exercise.  My daughter is getting married at the end of September, so I need to work my butt off!  I've forced myself on my elliptical and stationary bike and have been taking 30-45 minute walks per day.  Hoping it'll start to work soon!  :D  Thanks to my wonderful friend Will for the help and encouragement.  Also, if you're on "myfitnesspal.com" friend me!  It's an app for iphones/ipads, etc. and is also online.

My friend, Rob Gutro has written another book, "Lessons Learned From Talking to the Dead" and he's included me throughout it.  It's a great book and I recommend you pick it up!  I'm also in another friend's book, "The Girls Ghost Hunting Guide" - check them both out when you have a chance!

I also had to get... ugh... progressives as I was sick of having 5 pairs of different strength reading glasses laying all over my house.  They are a ***** to get used to, let me tell you, and I think I'm going to have to upgrade from the "standard" lenses to the better ones, even if that means hearing an "I told you so" from the salesman I bought them from.  At least they're cute Ray Bans.  Ha!

I am not sure about where I'll be conducting my in-person sessions yet, as I just officially ended my contract with Regus.  They were just too unprofessional for me to deal with anymore, so I'll be moving at the end of August.  I will keep you up to date!

For all of you who have asked and asked about my Psychic Development Workshop, it's NEXT WEEKEND!  Please don't hesitate if you want to sign up.  There are three seats left!

All the fur babies are fine... Maggie is her same sweet pain in the butt (she figured out how to back out of her harness, ugh), and Sadie is getting a little older and more mellow.  We have Rocky raccoon come by every night and there's always a little turf war (hissing and yelling) between Rocky and the other raccoon "Gimpy" (he/she has an unusable back leg).  Our possums make an appearance every once in a while and our family of squirrels are all around still.  Fiona and Snickers both love to jump up on our kitchen screen as if to say "WHERE ARE MY PEANUTS, WOMAN?"

Here's today's food/workout diary:

20 mins elliptical
biceps curl - 5 sets, 10 reps, 2lbs
lateral raise - dumbbell side - 5 sets, 10 reps, 2lbs
triceps extension - 5 sets, 10 reps, 2lbs
dumbbell hanging triceps extension - 5 sets, 10 reps, 2lbs
kickbacks, bent, 1 arm, dumbbell - 5 sets, 10 reps, 2lbs
walk 45 mins (later, after dinner)

banana/whole wheat toast/coffee for breakfast
spinach and avocado salad w/light ranch and flax seed
broccoli & eggwhite stir fry w/quinoa for dinner (later)
maybe a little vino and a weight watcher ice cream bar… we'll see. :D


Have a great evening!
Barb

The Little Ghost Boy at The Admiral Fell Inn - EVP

Thanks to Michael for finding this MP3 for me!  I've been looking for it forever!

Here's the story:

I was doing a mediumship demonstration over the Halloween weekend at The Admiral Fell Inn in Fells Pt. MD. and was getting ready for the event in our room on the 4th floor.  Brady had been playing with my little tape recorder, which irritated me because I didn't want him to drain the batteries.  There were these deep window sills in the room and apparently he left the recorder on and put the recorder down inside the sill to hide it, and then closed the curtain… He was 6 at the time.  You can hear the TV on in the background and Brady was playing in the middle of the room talking to me.  Bren was only 4 but was on the floor putting a puzzle together.  I THINK Brady was talking about playing or doing something, I can't remember and it's hard to hear him, but he's intent on something on the recording.  Anyway, I guess Mike eventually found the recorder after I left, turned it off and put it away.

I didn't listen to any of the tape that night and had honestly forgotten about it and went to bed.  I couldn't sleep and tossed and turned all night and just wasn't comfortable.  I had my suitcase opened on the floor near the bed and woke up at 4am to see what I thought was Bren going through it.  I sat up about to snap at him, "BREN!  What are you doing in my suitcase at 4am???" The boy and I locked eyes and he looked as surprised that I could see him as I felt when I realized that it WASN'T Bren... and then he was gone.  It was so real that I turned on the light to make sure Bren was in bed, and he was… both of my boys and my husband were all sound asleep.

I returned home the next day and on Monday, the Today Show was featuring the top 10 most haunted hotels.  Guess which one was number 8?  The Admiral Fell Inn, and guess who haunts it (one of many)… a little boy.  :D  The year before, we had stayed in another room and "someone" was playing with the extension cord inside my ceramic Halloween bowl on the floor… picking it up and dropping it over and over, so this wasn't the first time we'd experienced craziness there!

So, I thought the ghost boy was pretty cool, but soon after we unpacked,  I found the recorder and listened to the tape.  This little etheric boy's, "I don't think so" is so clear and right next to the recorder.  He must have been responding to whatever Brady was saying.  It's the clearest EVP I've ever gotten… and accidentally (thanks to Brady), at that!

Does it sound like "I don't think so" to you?

FELLS POINT EVP

Enjoy your evening!
Barb

Today's Unusual Spirit Communication

Anyone who knows me knows that once I'm "off" as a medium, I'm off.  Period.  End of story.  I normally do not like to be nudged by a spirit during my off time and so I have made it "the deal" since I've been working as a professional medium (now about 14ish years).

Recently, I've relaxed this rule a bit - not sure why; maybe a little nudge by my guides that those on the other side need more opportunities?  But this morning, I had a very unusual thing happen…

My son wasn't feeling well, so I allowed him to stay home for a few hours and told him I would drop him off a little late on my way to the office.  Since I didn't have to get his lunch ready right away, I decided to take a small nap until it was time to get up and get ready for clients.

While I was slipping off to sleep, I was jolted by a male voice saying to me, "I died of lung cancer."  Whaaaa?  Who the heck was this?  So, I start talking to him… "and?"  He's sitting at the end of my bed - a lean or frail older man blowing cigarette smoke circles in the air.  I also smelled a hint of cigar or pipe.  He said that he was worried about his family because they "still grieve."  I said that people tend to grieve for a very long time, sometimes all their life and he said, "no, they grieve not because of my passing, but because all that I went through during my illness… they dwell on how sick I was, how sorry they were, how they wish I hadn't had to go through that, how long it took… "  "Oh" I said.  He wanted me to tell the family that he was free of that illness and not to think of him that way - to think of him when he wasn't ill and that he's at peace now.  He mentioned the name Charlie (not sure if it was his name or a connection) and I told him if I came across the person who needed to hear the message, I'd tell them.

I thought that was the end of it.  Nope.  Next I see a short round lady with dark hair and in a very LOUD and, ahem, obnoxious voice, said "IT'S SKY HIGH!"  I jumped…. "what is?"  "Blood pressure" she says.  Then she was gone.

Again, another person made an appearance.  This time it was a man who was killed in a war.  He was in his 30's and was lean and good looking with a very charismatic demeanor.  He had been in an explosion and had severe head trauma… he said it another way, which I won't say here.  He said he had left his wife and kids at home - I believe there were two small children.  He also said the name Ronald or Donald - not sure if that was his name or he was connected to that name somehow.  He wanted to say hello to his family and reassure them he was ok, and, that he knew it was hard raising the kids alone.  Again, I said I'd give the message if we found the person who needed to hear it.

Lastly, I heard this very sweet voice say, "Susan."  I said, "ok, now who's this?"  Suddenly it occurred to me that I KNEW this voice and I racked my brain trying to figure it out.  She was sweet with a big smile, a little insecure but that voice… who was it?  Suddenly I remembered the voice and it was exact.  It was my daughter's aunt Sue who passed not long ago.  She came into focus and looked MUCH different than the last time I saw her… she looked exactly as vibrant as she did when I first met my ex-husband back in the early 80's.  She didn't say anything, but I knew this was how she was now and was a message in itself… she was happy, healthy and vibrant again.

I finally fell asleep and went into the office later.  Again, the first man who had lung cancer came in before my clients had arrived.  I wrote a few more details down (pocket watch, merry go round, popping his teeth out, lively, etc.), and called my clients in.  Two other spirit people came through first, and then the man started pointing at the notes I'd written, so I knew he was back.  It turned out that it was my clients' grandfather… she understood almost all of it and it turns out the rounder loud lady wasn't a spirit person, but was a person he was connected to still alive who has a myriad of health problems.  He presented her that way - loud and obnoxious to identify her.  My client laughed because it summed her up perfectly.  I told them to make sure she was watching her blood pressure…

So those messages were passed on.  The other client was fairly sure that the man who died in the war was from her father in law, Donald's family.  He had many brothers and she thought there was a story of one who passed in a war.  We shall see.

I posted this because even though most was validated, I still have this weird feeling it could also be for someone reading this…. sometimes more than one person will understand a message - spirit has a very cool way of working and getting their "hello" out to their loved ones here.   Don't strive to make things fit, but if it makes sense, take it as a hello.  Please let me know if you do understand anything by leaving a comment below!  It was SUCH a unique occurrence, so I had to share.

Have a great weekend!
Barb

Boring Spring Break

It's Spring Break this week, and I am LOVING being off.  I always take off this week because the kids are home from school and I guess it's just an excuse to take off!  :)  We never go anywhere, but always want to, and with the exception of my husband, we all get to sleep in and be a little lazy.

It's nearly impossible for us to travel, anyway, especially with a pet rat.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's true.  Rats are very sociable, and you can't just dump a bunch of seeds on the cage floor and leave for a few days like you can with mice or hamsters.  Well, I suppose you could, but it'd be cruel.  Rats really shouldn't even be in the rodent family; like dogs, they are incredibly social creatures and need to get out for "free roam" time at least an hour a day or they become very grumpy.  :)  They also require fresh food (veggies, meats, fruit) twice a day and lots of warm voices saying hello to them.  They don't live very long, normally 3 years, and you tend to get incredibly attached to them, as they do to you in that very short amount of time.  Currently, we have a little (well, now fat) white pink-eyed rat named Sadie.  We bought her after our rat, Penny passed away in March of '11 because Penny's sister, Abbey was really depressed about losing her sister.  Abbey was an older rat and very set in her ways and refused to get along with Sadie.  So, we kept them separated and in November, we also lost Abbey.  Getting back to my point, Sadie was neglected at the pet store, so she's very skiddish and would not be easy for someone to watch for a few days if we were to go away.

And then there's Maggie, our new lab/pit bull mix who loves to try to sneak out and prefers inhalers over chew toys.  VERY high maintenance and cannot be left alone in the house without being crated. The only way to go away would be to put her in a kennel for a few days and she already howls when I leave her to go to the grocery store!  HOW can I do that to her???  Oy.  So, we've accepted the fact that we just can't travel much right now… at least not until little Sadie leaves us and then we can try for pet friendly hotels for Maggie… maybe.  :)

So, no travel this week… and the week has gone by FAST.  I spent Monday and Tuesday making silver jewelry (I am OBSESSED with making rings, lately!) and yesterday was all about catching up with emails, paying bills, etc.  Today?  It's already 1pm and I'm still in PJ's… :)  I somehow hurt my toe and am contemplating seeing a doctor, but I think it's gradually getting better.  It's a beautiful day, so I may take the dog for a walk if it doesn't hurt the toe… and maybe go out and clean up the back yard.  My herbs are all coming back and looking beautiful.  Need to check on the hastas… am I boring you yet?  I'm boring myself with this post.  zzzzzzzzz….

Anywhoooo, just a quick update!  :)  Have a great day!

Barb

Finally Getting My Act Together

Well, hi!  Happy SPRING!

I LOVE this time of year, especially here in Virginia.  It's so beautiful and bright green… you know, all that new growth on the shrubs, trees and grass, etc.   If you look closely, you'll see all these pretty tiny white flowers in the woods.  From far away, it looks like snow.  We've been watching for new baby squirrels, and have already seen Rocky Raccoon and Mr. Possum make their return.  CANNOT wait to clean up the grill and hang out on the back deck.  Most of my herbs are re-emerging when I thought they were dead, so I'm just too happy.  I love my herbies…. need to plant my basil, and will soon, yay!

So, I've finally started planning events for this year… only about 3 months late, but I'm getting there!  I have my hotel dates booked for my two Psychic Development workshops, two mediumship demonstrations, and our FOURTH annual Halloween event.  Still in planning mode and will be adding new events soon!

So far:

Mediumship Demonstration April 28 - 6 - 8pm
I am going to donate a percentage of the proceeds to a local animal rescue.

Mediumship Demonstration - May 12 - 6 - 8pm
This will be a fundraiser for Relay For Life.  More details coming soon!

Psychic Development Workshop Series - May 5 and May 12

Fourth Annual Double Medium Halloween Event - Oct. 27 - 6 - 9:30 pm.
More details coming soon!

If you'd like more info on any of these events, you can go HERE.

Other than that, we saw The Hunger Games (LOVED!  If you saw it, did you like it?  Were you lucky enough to NOT see it with a theater full of rude-arse teens?  Did you read the books?  Loved the books more!).  I've been fusing silver like crazy, drawing out some designs and watching for more wild animals in my back yard.  :)  ...cue Australian accent, "Barb's Back Yard" as my daughter, Sara jokes.

I'll have a WHOLE week off next week during spring break, so look for more jewelry.  :)  Anything you'd like me to make?  :)

Have a lovely week!

Barb