“No James, I don’t think this is a great idea!”, I said, as he tried to convince me to grapple off that mountain.
I love to have fun, therefore in addition to my biography I decided to interview myself with fun and sometimes serious questions, so here goes:
How did you get the name BakeR? It was my birth name. I never liked my first or middle name so when I moved to Arizona I had my name legally changed to BakeR, which was my only name for thirty years until I married my wonderful husband and decided to take his last name. A huge shock to me and most of my friends!
When did you first know you were psychic? As a child, although I didn’t understand why that beautiful Indian woman was talking to me! I just knew that she was kind, peaceful, and loving and she listened to me. I believe there was a Native American burial ground on our land. There were arrowheads scattered around, and various other pieces of flint tools. This sacred area was one of a few in the surrounding fields where I would hang out with the spirits. I also had some out-of-body experiences as a child, flying over the barn until I scared myself silly one day.
What’s your favorite vegetable? Tomatoes, carrots, beets….. but I really love all vegetables except okra…… Ewww is that even a vegetable? Cheese, I love cheese! What? Cheese isn’t a vegetable? Are you kidding?
Wait, mushrooms are not a vegetable, right? Because I hate mushrooms.
If you were a road where would you lead and why? If I were a road I would lead out into a wide open desert vista – into the beautiful mountains up near Lake Powell. A magical and mystical place, where I find myself, where I feel most alive. It is quiet, only the call of the hawk and raven, the stars so close I can touch them. Laying on the ground, I smell the sage and clean desert air. I feel every muscle in my body as I climb the slick rock. Cooking over a campfire I watch the dancing flames, touch the stars and listen to the night sounds. And it feels safe – very safe, nothing and no one around to disturb me.
This road has many branches too – they take you to new and exciting places. They lead you through the pain, through the shadows, and into the light. The road is easy and smooth – it is straight through the desert and curves through the mountains. It’s a secondary road off the main highway – quiet and yet it leads to the most beautiful spot – to healing – to wholeness. It is the road to love – the ultimate love of self, the most important love. It leads to self-love – self-importance – self-empowerment. And once you think you’re at the end you find you’re not, the road just disappeared around a corner or over a hill and it’s just waiting to carry you onward. Because this road is life, the road of life and it knows that you will always have more to learn, more to be, and more to do.
Lake Powell Arizona
Have you always been a spiritual coach? No, I was a Realtor for twenty years in Scottsdale, AZ before pursuing my real passion. Prior to that, I was the first woman (that I know of) to sell heavy construction equipment in Arizona. Fun Fact: I drove an 18-wheeler with a hydraulic tail trailer loaded with a Backhoe and Forklift across Hoover Dam, tractor and trailer combined were 65′ long ….I remember being a little scared!
If you were a fish, animal, or fowl what would you be and why? I am a Raven, guided by the quest for insight. Driven to play on the wind – soaring on the drafts. I am funny, curious, wise, and sociable. I create elaborate nests – home! I love to play – to laugh and to chase a hawk around the red rocks. I love to preen my beautiful purplish black feathers, until I shimmer in the sunshine I am able to look beyond the surface and see into you. I intuit where you came from and where you are going. I am joyous and strong, a true warrior if needed – champion for others. I love shiny things – a silver ring, jewels in the desert, raindrops sparkling on a leaf, a spider’s web glistening in the sun. I am intelligent and trainable – looking at all angles to figure out the puzzle. I talk to you if you’ll listen. I am Raven.
What do you do for fun? Hike, dance, read, coach people, watch movies, explore mountains, take pictures…..so much to do, so little time!
What one event or circumstance in your life did more to make you into who you are than any other and why? That would have to be the abuse by my father. As I see it now it shaped who I was to become, and forced me to work through that and come out the other side. I always thought I adored my father, when he died at 43 it was devastating for me. Twenty-plus years later when my partner was dying and the flashbacks of the sexual abuse started I had to recognize and own what had happened. I had to finally deal with the grief of the loss of “Father” as I knew him and accept a new warped version. A version that was dirty, shame-based, rage-filled, and ugly. This was not what I wanted to believe – I wanted to stay in the fairy tale – to know that the white knight was coming at any time. I wanted to stay in the illusion. But he wouldn’t let me – he was always there sitting on my shoulder – eyeing me – twisting in the wind – playing with my mind and emotions. The pain cut through everything, it was the base from which all flowed. I walled out love, I walled out connection and intimacy. Many years later I came to forgiveness – this created who I am now. The woman who walked through that death – through that pain and came to forgiveness. And through forgiveness gained freedom! Forgiveness allowed me to create a gorgeous, lush, rich life, full of love and joy. Forgiveness enabled me to go beyond myself and empower other women and men to find their way.
What are your favorite books? “The Little Prince”, “Eat, Pray, Love”, Stieg Larsson’s trilogy, anything by Jodi Picoult, almost anything by Diana Gabaldon, “Anam Cara”, the original unedited “Science of Mind”, I could go on and on and on!
“The Little Prince” by Antoine De Saint-Exupery, is probably my all-time favorite book. 
What are your favorite movies? Current movies include just out “Chloe” (an intense ride), “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”(caution – very brutal rape scene), “Crazy Heart”, “The Last Station”, “Iron Man 2″ and “Robin Hood” (yes, I was surprised I loved both of these), “It’s Complicated”. Older movies “Waitress”, “Doubt”, “Slum Dog Millionaire”, “Girl, Interrupted”. Again too many to mention!
If you knew you were going to be stranded on a desert island for a year what could you not live without? Nothing, the truth is I COULD live without anything except food, water, and air, but I WOULDN’T want to live without my husband – Andre’, a few good books, and Dr. Pepper lip gloss! Can I take some iced tea with me too?
What’s your favorite quote? I have so many, but here are a few:
“I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough, without ever having felt sorry for itself.” — D. H. Lawrence
“Allow yourself to trust joy & embrace it. You will find you dance with everything!” – – Emerson
“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” –Goethe
“I walk on fire! I can do anything I choose! ANYTHING!!! — BakeR
One last question what’s your favorite stress release? Playing with my tuxedo cat, Sir Spencer. He loves ice hockey, batting a piece of ice around with his own little hockey stick! JK, but he does use his paw and jumps up and chases it.
I hope you had as much fun reading as I had writing this page!! Many blessings, BakeR
