Well Fancy that!

I want to share with you a wonderful experience which happened today. I was chatting with a lady, who for purposes of anonymity, I shall call 'Marilyn' as she looks exactly like Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn is currently going through a rather bitter divorce - tell me are they ever sweet? She is the daughter of a Texan oil millionaire who set up a trust fund for her so she would never have to do a day's work in her life. Trust me - these trust funds never work and are more trouble than they are worth.

Marilyn is a highly intelligent woman - but she never worked or had the opportunity to show the world what she was capable of doing - sadly. She tricked around for a bit with dress designing and jewellery designing - but never really worked too hard - because she did not need to.

She had looks and money - the whole package BUT, to quote her, attracted only "Loser Men" into her life - including the current one, who wants to take her to the cleaners. He likes to swagger around in the BMW she bought him, and play golf in the local Uppity Golf Club. He tells them all at the bar that he is tricking around in real estate - like Donald Trump -LOL. Sounds like a chapter from Desperate Housewives? Believe me this is the 'real deal'.

So what is this wonderful experience I want to share with you? - THIS IS IT - Marilyn has now embarked upon the 'Simple Abundance' path. She told me this - naturally I got excited - because I'm on the same journey myself - It was like meeting up on the train with a stranger and realising you are both going to the same concert!

Marilyn told me that she has booked herself into a convent for a few days to embark on a spiritual retreat* (see note below). She has done several of these retreats and getting so much out of them. She told me her bedroom there was a very simple room - just a bed - no ornaments - no pictures - no i-pods. It is a non-denominational convent retreat centre for meditation, etc. She is lovin' it. This is a girl who grew up in a 'Dallas style' ranch with every modern convenience. She told me the nuns encourage people not to let the water run when they are brushing their teeth, and all sorts of good advice like that. Do you let the water run? - I certainly did - until now!

Marilyn and myself exchanged some useful information, which I will share with you now. Firstly why don't you check out a retreat centre near you - you'd never know what you might learn - or who you could meet - or what you may experience - right? Every new day is an adventure in itself.

So for my part I told Marilyn (who is also a shopaholic in remission) about the Safeway 10% off Customer Appreciation Day (first Tuesday of the month deal) and how - wait for it - trumpets please - how I 'Saved' $170 which was deducted from the final count - everything I bought was on sale, and in addition I got my 10% discount off everything. Marilyn was amazed because she has lived in Victoria for years and never knew about that.

She likely shopped in those expensive organic markets which I 'used' to frequent until I realised they were all full of phoney baloney 'holier than thou' krapology. The last time I was there - and trust me - it was the 'last time tango'. They charged me the earth for their organic produce - which went off after two days - charged me twice as much as Safeway does for their equally good organic produce - and then they had the AUDACITY to ask me "do you want a bag?" I wanted to reply, but I didn't - (I'm trying in earnest to zip the lip). If I could, I would like to have responded "At the price you're charging me lady - it's the very least I deserve!" And then they make me feel like the scum bag ignoramous that I am when I say "yes please I'd like a bag" - here is the hook - they sell you expensive recycled bags which you can use for a week, until the handle falls off - it happens!

But you see I have to tell you - being the smart recycler I'm in the process of becoming...I reuse the supermarket bags when my pampered poochs do a little number on the street. Once I forgot my supermarket bag and Chi Chi did a 'little one' outside a lady's house. Because with chihuahuas 'little' is the operative word, I could have slipped off into the night like a thief - and nobody would have been the wiser - but not this time, I was being watched closely by the homeowner, from behind the valley of her squinting windows.

I knocked politely on her door "please missus but could you spare me a bag - my doggies have done a little you know what...on your lawn". The little lady raced into her kitchen, almost tripping over her walking stick, and rooted around for bags and then very kindly brought me out one which she presented ceremoniously to me (not 2 - they are a precious commodity) Armed with the bag in hand, I went to look for the dropping to pick it up, but I couldn't find the darn thing! Because she was watching me now, and had gone to so much trouble to find me a bleedin' supermarket bag - I simply ended up pretending to pick up something, grabbed a piece of grass and put it into the bag. I duly tied a knot in the bag, felt a right eejit, as off I trotted with Lulu and Chi Chi. So yes! supermarket bags come in handy on occasion!

The other bit of useful information which I shared with Marilyn is something I only recently discovered myself - (see the Universe is conspiring to make it happen!). It concerns gift cards. In fairness to them, the banks have always encouraged me to spend, and have been very supportive in that regard. (ATM machines being the exception - I find them moody and unpredictable).

As a thank you for spending, the bank rewarded me with Visa Gold Points (RBC Rewards Program). You spend lady - and we'll reward you - so really you're not spending at all - it only seems like you're spending. Anyway to cut a long story short. I discovered that you can get gift cards with your reward points - you can use these gift cards in major stores - The Bay, Zellers, Future Shop and Homesense - Eureka - I have tons of points! - I wonder why? Now if I need to buy a present for somebody for any occasion - christening, birthdays, wedding, divorce, pet dying sympathy gift, etc. etc. - I shall use my gift cards - after all I earned them!!

* A word of warning about touchy, feely places!! - As you vomit out your feelings, and your defenses are down - the gigolos are 'up'...to all sort of mischief!! Isn't that how Elizabeth Taylor met one of her husbands - they were drying out together - and ended up trying it out together!!

My word for today is HOPE

H - High fibre
O - Omega 3's
P - Probiotics
E - Enzymes

With hope in your body, and heart - you're on the right road!

Anchors away...

Patricia Delisha xxx