Saturday: Nov 27

Hola, All! Remember recently when I found a $20 in the gutter, and wanted to help my friend, Aida, who I met while teaching ESL? I put the money in a crystal bowl, and later added $40 more to it, making a total of $60. I then had a great idea on how to help Aida without it looking like charity. I have spent the last few months painting some of the downstairs rooms: den, entryway and kitchen. I have really enjoyed the way a new coat of paint has brightened each room. I really thought I was done painting but the dining room walls started calling my name, wanting their own new coat of paint. So, a couple of weeks ago I sent Aida an email, asking her in Spanish if she wanted to help me paint a room. Her answer was 'por supuesto', which means 'of course'. Please understand that my Spanish and her English are both limited, but we manage to mostly understand each other, especially since I keep my trusty Spanish-English Dictionary within easy reach. In the dining room, I had already taken all the books out of my bookshelf, planning to only keep some of my books, giving the rest away along with the bookshelf. (I seem to constantly be in a declutter mood lately.) I started painting the ceiling white, while Aida started with one of the walls. We worked at a steady pace, finishing the ceiling and 2 of the walls. The last thing we did was apply one coat of purple paint on the south wall. I have since finished all the walls, and put the room back in a little different order than it was. I have to say that it looks great! As I was taking Aida home, I gave her the $60 that she earned by helping me, and she gratefully accepted it. Wasn't that a great way to keep the abundance flowing?
Chao for now!
Dawnie

Monday, November 15: Women's Retreat

Hola, All! A few months ago, Kathy made reservations for a group (up to 15) of ladies to go to a Whispering Waters retreat in the big city (60 people) of Wizard Wells. The price was so resonable at $100 for 2 nights and 5 meals; what a bargain! The retreat has 3 stories; the bottom floor is where the guests stay and has 5 bedrooms, 3 beds to a room, a bathroom in each room, a large kitchen and dining area, massage rooms, a library, little store, etc. Every room is decorated differently with a different 'theme'; it is very eclectic. The upper 2 floors are living quarters for the wonderful people who run the retreat: Kevin, Lorie, Ruth, and Matt. After the arrangements were made, Larie and I decided that we wanted to lead the retreat, leaving plenty of time for people to get a massage, go for a walk, enjoy the grounds where Kevin had built a large labrinth, get in the hot tub, etc. We called the retreat: "Come Meet Clair", but we didn't tell the group anything about what we were doing, and they came anyway!! We opened the retreat with me teaching them a line dance called "Boot Scootin Boogie"; what a hoot that was! The next morning Larie introduced them to "Clair", which they had already figured out what it meant (sharp women in this group). Over the next day and a half, Larie and I talked about the four 'Clairs': clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience and claircognizance, how to determine which 2 were your main ones, what each one meant and how each of us has been receiving Divine guidance, many times without knowing that was what it was. They learned about the 7 primary chakras, where they are located on the body, and what each represents. Also, we explained about chanting, the purpose of chanting, and how it can help improve one's life. In between the lessons, we had massages, soaked in mineral bath oils, learned about voice mapping, played cards, were loud and laughed alot! Saturday night Kevin built a bonfire, where we gathered around and sang every song, off-key and loudly, that we could think of. On top of that, we were banging on drums and other hand-held instruments. I'm not sure the neighbors appreciated being serenaded by us, but we were having too much fun to worry about it. What a great time we had! We are certainly looking forward to the next retreat in the spring!
Chao for now!
Dawnie