February 9, 2007
Meeting with Asia Voight

Maggie starts: Asia, don’t try so hard. I’m right here.
She announces that she is the smartest and that she runs everything.
M: I am the boss. (I ask who is the boss???) Hummph! Well yes.
First she wants to know what’s going on with the flooring.
My guess is that this has to do with the carpets being cleaned. Maggie agrees that that is right. She says that she should have known about this ahead of time.
M: The floors are my concern. Think about it. I’m on the floor all the time. I’m very concerned about anything to do with the flooring. The men were loud and were not respectful of our things.
I explain that we needed them to clean the carpets. She says that this is fine, but they should be more respectful of our things. (I mention Liz cleans every two weeks)
M: Oh yes, Liz, we like Liz. She always greets us and she is respectful of our things. We are glad we have Liz. She tends to her business and does a good job. We could get along without her, but we are glad we have her.
M: What’s the matter with Bob’s back?
I: He has back problems and he does those exercises in the morning so it won’t get worse.
M: Hmm OK. And what’s the matter with his mouth?
I: His mouth?
M: There’s something wrong in his mouth.
I: That has me puzzled. I don’t know of anything wrong in his mouth.*
M: OK. I should get my food on time.
I: I always feed you three times a day.                                                                                      Back to Top
M: Well, yes, but sometimes you are la de da about the time. How would you feel if you had to depend on someone else for your food and they didn’t get it on time? It’s very important to me. We should have lots of food.
I: But you know that you will eat until you throw up.
M: I didn’t always have lots of food and I had to eat whatever I could get when I could get it.
I: I know and that’s why you had those worms.
M: Yes, well I didn’t like that; it felt (weird?) all over my body, but I had to eat.
Aside to Asia: Ilene checks me on my sides to make sure I’m not too fat.
I ask why she gets upset and snaps at Bob when he tries to pet her in the evening.
Well, I need my space. I don’t want to talk about it, but my life hasn’t always been good. I was treated roughly. They used to slap me, so when hands come at me, I don’t like it. I like Bob very much and I always come to him when he asks me to during the day, but in the evening, I need my space.
Asia: What does he do in the room with the books?
Ilene: Is that his office?
M: Yes. The office why don’t we go there any more?
I: I told you we were moving and the office would be in our house.
M: Yes, but why don’t we go there any more?
I: Because it’s very far away now.
M: Will we go there again?
I: No, because we live here now and the office is at home. You get to go in the car. Bob takes you to the bank and the car wash and the cleaners and other places.
M: Well yes, OK. What does he do in the office?
I: Well, he’s kind of a wheeler dealer. It’s kind of hard to explain.
M (or Asia): Does he buy and sell things?
I: Yes and he helps other people buy and sell things and he talks on the phone a lot to get that done.
M: Yes. And what do you do in the closet?
I: Closet?
M: Yes, you look in there a lot. What’s so interesting?
I: What’s in the closet?
Asia (for M): Clothes. And you look in there a lot.
I: Well, that really stumps me. Could it be the computer?At this point Asia breaks and laughs. Asia: She is bawling me out. She says Asia, you goofed. I didn’t say clothes. You said clothes because I said closet and you were wrong! It is the computer.I try to explain that I communicate with people on the computer and that I use it to learn things and that I make websites for people who want to let other people know about them.
I: You have a website, you know!
M: Yes, I know.
M: I want to talk about the boys. The boys in the picture are nice boys, but not all the time. One of them is a pusher. (I guess that it is Jack.) Yes, that’s right. Sometimes he is very pushy. He is very tough and needs strict boundaries. (I’m supposed to tell Dorothy) Even though he is older, you need to explain to him like a three-year-old because he doesn’t listen well. He needs firm guidelines. His mother is too busy. The way we are in the picture is no accident. That’s the way it usually is. I go with Chris and Jasper goes with Jack. I think Jack is pushy, but Jasper doesn’t mind so much. The mother is very busy and Jack picks up on her energy. I like Chris’s energy better. That’s why I go with him.
I: Does she like the dog park?
Asia: snapping, barking and growling. She shows me a golden retriever coming up to her and she barks and growls and he runs away.
M: I make quite a display.
I: Yeah,  I know, but when another dog wants to be friends, that’s not so great.
M: (smugly) I put on quite a display!
I: Well I find it embarrassing! When other dogs are being nice, it would be nice  if you were nice too.
M.: Well, get used to it! I put on quite a display.
Asia: Maggie, could you think about trying to be nice to other dogs.
M: Hrumph! I guess I could think about it.
I: I’d really appreciate that.

 Now we talk to Jasper.                                                                                            Back to Top

Asia: What do you have outside your house that you are going to change? It’s something kind of decorative.
I: I guess it could be the windsock. It’s a heart right now for Valentine’s Day and they have their Valentine’s Day collars on.
A: Yes that’s it. He sees that you do special things for different times and he thinks that is good.
J: I think I’m a very good boy. I used to have some potty problems, but now I always go outside.
I  agree that he is a very good boy. I say that he should always potty outside and never go anywhere inside like offices or stores or other people’s houses, even if another dog has gone there.
Asia takes time to explain this fully. Even though we know it his nature to mark and go over other dogs urine, people really don’t like it when you go anywhere that is “inside.” 
J: I really try to be a good dog.
Again, I agree that he is a really good dog. I worry when he runs and goes in the street.
I: Kate tried to show you that you could get hurt in the street. Do you know where our yard is? I like you to stay in our yard. I like you to be where I can see you.
He thinks he knows, but he needs more practice to know when the boundaries are.
J:  We should go out and when I go where I shouldn’t, you would say , “No.” so I could know the boundaries.
I: I also worry when you go in the woods at night. There are coyotes and other animals that could hurt you particularly at night.
Asia further explains this. She says only go by the trees when it is light. I say well the whole yard has trees and we discuss and clarify this .
He really likes the bed. He’s glad he has all those pillows and it is really nice. He doesn’t have to be on a cement floor. He really thanks us for the nice bed.
He is really fast and Maggie can’t catch him. He thinks that is really funny. Sometimes he teases her by running at her and he thinks that is really funny too.
He says he can jump higher than Maggie too. He wants to know why.
I: Well, she’s older than you are. Maybe that’s why.
J: OK
He didn’t always have a good life. He used to be left alone a lot. He enjoys his food now and he likes to eat it slowly. Maggie eats really fast “like a piranha” and then would eat his food.
I: I know, but I won’t let her. I try to guard your food so she lets you have it.
J: I know. I appreciate that you protect my food. I would get very hungry if I couldn’t eat.
I: Does he like Maggie.
J: Oh yes. Maggie tells me what to do. Maggie works very hard.
I: Does he like the dog park?
A: He likes the dog park, but sometimes he gets scared. It’s better when there aren’t so many dogs. Oh, there is one dog that he really likes!
I: That would be Tina.
J: You should call Tina’s momma and tell her to come when we come.
I: Well, I don’t know the number.
J: We could go there and then, when they come, you could ask for the number and you could call so they could come when we do.

 Now we go to Angel and Asia says he is right here, right in front of her nose.              Back to Top

A: I am really pretty now. My hair is a little longer. I know people thought I was pretty when I was there, but I’m prettier now. It’s important to me to be pretty. I feel good and I’m happy now. I’m just waiting for you.
I: Did you ever see Suki.
A; Yes, Suki is here. She is a little doll. She is so sweet. I don’t see much of her because she has a job. We work here, you know. Suki works with children with disabilities. I don’t have a job yet. I’m just waiting for you. I’ll be here when you pass. Don’t worry, it’s not bad. One day you will close your eyes and then, when you open them again, I’ll be right there and we’ll be together. You will be young again. I’m like I was two years old. You will be young again too. You know that we had a special bond. I know you love Maggie and Jasper, but with us it was different. We were soul to soul and we will be together again.
The latest thing he enjoys is running on the beach with a man. He is tall and athletic and he played basketball in school.
A:I think you know this man.** At any rate, we run on the beach and I really enjoy that.
A: Say “Hi” to everyone for me.

Through this part, I have shed a few tears. I’m so glad he is happy.

Notes:

*When we got home and I was telling Bob about this, he said that he had a reoccurring dream that he had gum stuck in his teeth and couldn’t get it out.

 **Jerry Shane who went to high school with me passed away in 2005. He popped into my head about a week after this reading. I checked some old yearbooks, and he played basketball. Don’t know if this is the connection or not. He was a nice fellow, but we were not particularly good friends.

A little further explanation;
My computer is in an armoire with doors that can be closed to hide it.
Kate is another communicator that I have used. When I talked to the dogs before we moved from Indiana to Illinois, Maggie expressed concern that we wouldn't be going to the office. I told her then that she would go for rides other places.