Author: Andrea Mai

  • BLOG UPDATE – COMING SOON

    Exciting Changes Are Coming to the Blog

    For a while now, I’ve been wrestling with a big question: Should I keep this blog going?

    When I first started, running an independent website wasn’t too costly—domain fees and server space were manageable. But over time, expenses have grown, and every year, when renewal time rolls around, I find myself weighing whether it’s still worth it.

    Beyond the financial side, there’s another challenge: engagement. The internet isn’t what it used to be. What once felt like a space for open discussion now often feels hostile. I’ve always wanted to build a real community—one centered around the right audience, people who truly get what this blog is about. But let’s be honest: some of the topics I discuss are sensitive, niche, or simply not meant for everyone. And in today’s online world, it’s naive to expect that people will just scroll past what doesn’t resonate with them.

    So, I’ve made a decision.

    Going Subscriber-Only & Bringing Back Comments (Carefully)

    Moving forward, the blog will be subscriber-only. This ensures that only those who genuinely want to support and engage with my work will have access. It’s a way to protect the space while keeping it alive for the people who value it.

    I’m also re-enabling comments—but this time, with a tighter grip. After years of dealing with spam bots, drive-by negativity, and bad-faith arguments, I’m done leaving the door wide open. Moving forward, comments will be a space for subscribers only, fostering real discussion among those who are here for the right reasons.

    What’s Next? Big News Coming Soon…

    I’ve been sitting on some exciting updates for a while now. Behind the scenes, I’ve been working on multiple projects, and they’re finally coming to fruition. When the time is right, I’ll be making some big announcements—so stay tuned.

    In the meantime, if you want to keep up with everything (including full access to the archives, EVPs, videos, and future exclusive content), consider subscribing. This isn’t just about locking things down—it’s about making sure the blog stays sustainable, intentional, and worthwhile for those who truly care about it.

    More soon.

    P/S Doesn’t this cloud in the pic, look like lips? I did an EVP when I took the photo and P said, “Kiss me.”

  • HOW TO AFFIRM YOUR CONNECTION WITH SPIRIT

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  • BLOG UPDATE – RANDOM THOUGHTS

    As soon as the warm weather hits, things in my garden start to get busy. It almost seems sudden, as if the on-switch came on. Then before I know it, it’s time to harvest. It makes me think of the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper. There is only a limited time to grow and harvest before winter comes again.

    Often, when I’m working in my garden, I observe the principles of gardening, and I find myself astonished at the parallels to life’s lessons. For instance, each plant needs enough space to grow to its maximum potential. If you over-crowd the space, the plants, while it will still grow, its potential will be limited, the plants, though many in number, will be weaker and die off sooner, producing fewer and smaller. As persons, we need space to grow. Sometimes it is better to be alone by one’s self, which allows for the opportunity to become strong and independent.

    As I have been working on my garden and on my business, I have not been doing as much EVP. I stil find EVPs on my video recordings made on my iPhone.

    A while ago, I was enjoying myself as I processed some Calendula flowers for drying, I had my headphones on and my iPhone playing music on shuffle. When it was playing FallinLove2Nite, I noticed the volume decrease suddenly and then revert back to normal. I have known P to do this occasionally. After I was done with the flowers, I relaxed  with the headphones still on, I wondered if he would do it again, just to prove it was him doing it, not a fluke. And he did the same thing again during Hot Summer. It’s moments like these that make me feel like I’m a character in The Matrix. There is something out there, beyond my grasp for comprehension.

    I have been helping out a friend going through heartbreak in relationships. What I come to realize is that love relations among males and females is difficult, because one or both lacks empathy. It makes me think of the song by Kate Bush, Running Up That HIll, where she says, “And if I only could, I’d make a deal with God, And I’d get Him to swap our places”. If only people could see things from the other person’s perspective, we would be better able to get along, no more misunderstanding or apathy to how other’s feel. My personal theory is that twin souls are inherently empathetic to the opposite gender, because they are telepathically linked to their twin soul of the opposite gender, therefore a twin soul would not mistreat their other, as they are connected. This is why I do not buy into the whole “runner-chaser” concept that a lot of people talk about. The “runner-chaser” thing is really a narcissist-empath dynamic disguised to keep the empath stuck.

    I have been thinking a lot lately, about the social conditioning women have been treated to, about what love is, how many do not know how to recognize it.

    That’s all for now.

  • SPIRITS AFFECTING COMPUTERS

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  • 2023 YER-END REFLECTION

    The end of last year kinda of sucked. It was fraught with dealing with challenging issues that consumed my personal life. I thought it was going to finally conclude by the middle of this year, but it didn’t. I guess I shouldn’t have held my breath. It’s hard to feel free and be creative when certain issues are nagging at you. I have had to learn to take my mind off of such matters and move on, despite the inconclusive nature of the matter. I hope it will come to its final conclusion by the start of the new year. Nothing is promised, but Ill strive to move forward nonetheless.

    In the coming year, I plan to clear out clutter and sell off things that I no longer need. I’m starting with my closet. I want to make room for new things to come in. As a 40-something year old, I’ve come to accept the fact that I might not ever get back to my 30-something year old body. But even if I do, I will move on to new things anyways. I have a new frame of mind when it comes to dressing. I’m in a new era. I care more about being comfortably dressed, but still, always, I am for style. I think confidence shines through when you are not fussing with things that make you physically uncomfortable.

    I want to get back to working on creative projects, making new art. I want to get more things done, and hesitate less.

  • PHONE CALLS ON THE OTHER SIDE – EVP

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  • MY EXPERIENCE USING A CUTTING MACHINE – PRINT AND CUT PROBLEMS

    Order this from my Etsy shop.

    Last month, I bought a Silhouette machine and learned how to make stickers. I researched a long time before deciding on the Silhouette Portrait 3. At first, I was thinking about getting the Cricut Explore, but the more I researched what the user experiences were, I saw that the Portrait 3 was the better choice for my needs. The main deciding factor was the software. Both companies offer the software for use without purchase. I found that the Cricut Design Space was limited in function and it required internet connection. Silhouette Studio lets you try a Basic version of the program and allows you to upgrade it for additional features. The program is very inclusive of a lot of functions you normally see in a graphic design program, like Illustrator. I did end up upgrading to Business Edition after getting the machine.

    I ordered my machine off Amazon in the US, and had it sent to my forwarding address. I was originally going to buy it from Silhouette Canada, but they were sold out, and I did not want to wait. I find that the American pricing comes out cheaper, even after fees and taxes. So it can be worth the extra trouble. However, buying things stateside, can pose issues if you decide to return it, you will have already paid the fees and taxes.

    When I first got the machine and set it up, I found that it was not cutting properly at all. It was only scratching the page. I found out that the Auto-blade was defective, as the blade was not adjusting correctly. But I found a way to use the blade manually and it worked fine. But I decided to buy the 1 mm Manual Blade and adjust it manually. I found that this relieved the problem and gave me better control over the outcome. I did not like leaving it to chance with the Auto-blade. I don’t know if it was just mine that was defective, as I did not have another to compare. I did not want to buy one to try. One thing I was suspicious of, was that the blade in the machine was not sealed in a tamper-proof package, so what if the blade was switched out from the box? I read the reviews of the Amazon seller, there were many complaints about the blades not working. I did contact the seller to ask if they would be willing to replace the blade for me. They responded that they would and asked my address. But they never sent it.

    The next problem I had was with the Print and Cut feature. I had issues with the machine not registering the marks. I kept making sure it was aligned with the marks on the mat. But it was really not working. I saw that other users online were saying to make sure the prints were aligned properly, by measuring how far from the page it was. This did not help either. But it did lead me to an idea for a solution. I made a template of the exact placement of the measurements and made a cut out of it to mark the mat. After doing this, I realized that the marks on the mat for where I should place the page was off. I had calibrated the machine and it was not related to this matter. It was a matter of where the machine was scanning the mark in relation to the mat. Since I also bought the pen holder, I used a Sharpie pen to make a new mat with a piece of clear Shrink Plastic. I mapped out a rectangle on the page for where the registration marks are supposed to be. I used Zig 2-way glue to sticky the mat. This method worked perfectly. The only thing is that the matts do wear out faster, as this plastic gets dented from the rollers after a certain number of times. But shrink sheets are much cheaper than Silhouette mats to replace. You can mark the sheet on both ends and make use of the other side when one side gets too worn out.

    After I figured out this method, I have not had problems with registration. The only time it fails, is when the mats I made get too worn out, or if the light in the room is really too low.

    Order this from my Etsy shop

    Another thing with using the original Silhouette mat, was if I managed to get the marks to register, things could still go wrong, such as the cutting being totally off. My speculation is that the scanner might be reading the marks on the original mat and getting confused. I did not have this problem at all after using the mats I made.

    Overall, I’m very happy with he purchase of this machine. The troubleshooting and learning curve was worth it. I’ve been able to use it for projects, such as signage for my garden, stickers and labels for product packaging, and decorative decals. It has definitely expanded my toolkit as an artist.

  • 7 YEARS LATER, MORE INSIGHTS…

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  • 7TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE’S PASSING


    Today marks 7 years since Prince’s passing. Every year since then, I’ve noticed snow in April. The number 7 was a significant number to P, as he was born on the 7th of June. It is also known as God’s number. This year, I was inspired to make this tribute artwork based on the lyrics of his song, 7.

    And I saw an angel come down unto me
    In her hand she holds the very key
    Words of compassion, words of peace

    I layered my photography to make the background, a photo of a sunset sky, and the night stars that I captured while I was in Europe on the year he passed.

    I sense that he is happy where he is, observing our world at a “distance”.

     

     

  • EVP AT THE GROCERY STORE – March 20, 2023

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