2008-02-23

After a wakeful night beset with one nightmare after another, all aimed at reducing my feelings of self-worth, and liberally bestowed with coughing and sneezing fits, I arose most thankful that it was daylight and that none of my dreams was true! Mick and I made our Morning Offering and had our breakfast from room service.

Jim and Romi set up the vendor table. Our table space has been reduced to half a table and Mick says a most trying person is sharing table space with L/L Research. We sold exactly one book all day! It is nice that it was our coloring book for kids! I am proud of that offering, as we are one of the only metaphysical publishers anywhere to have a product for the small child. It looks as though Romi will be taking some books home when he leaves us on Sunday night.

I asked Holly for advice first thing this morning, as I felt as though I were near death. She said to rest, recuperate and not to worry about my previous agenda, which had been to mix and mingle with others on behalf of L/L Research. That advice gave me peace of mind and heart. So I relinquished my human agenda and rested all day, sleeping the morning away and reading in the afternoon. By evening the coughing and sneezing were beginning to subside a bit, for the first time in over a week.

This hotel is one of the most poorly run and expensive places I have ever enjoyed! But I finally was able to receive a light bulb for the lamp on this desk, sufficient hangers for our clothes and, after 4:00 p.m., housekeeping came to empty the wastebaskets and change the towels. There was no attempt to make up the beds and I had to ask for the dirty spots on our carpet to be vacuumed away.

We finally were able to receive the long-promised wheelchair, but after the bell captain wheeled me down from our room to his desk to sign for it, he left me where I sat. Mick and Romi were involved with the vendor table on another floor and I had no one to ask for help, so I began to wheel myself across the acres of slot machines between the front door of the casino and the elevator to our wing, my poor, sore shoulders regretting every stroke, but knowing it was better than trying to walk the wheelchair up in my current shape. Fortunately a charming British man saw my plight and wheeled me all the way to my room. God Save the Queen and all British gentlemen!!!

We found that the hotel offers dial-up access to e-mail, at $9.00 per phone call, so I have also relinquished my need to attend to e-mail while we are here. It just makes my resting more profound and frees my mind for peace and restoration of vigor. Because our room is right next to their business center room, my wireless searcher can find their network and I can get on the internet to post my Camelot journal entries; a very nice piece of good fortune.

Romi discovered a nest of fast food places at the other end of this huge casino, and Mick and I have resolved to dine almost exclusively on their offerings. We are beginning to carve out good ways to save money and enjoy ourselves here!

At dinnertime Romi joined Mick and me for the opening banquet, which featured good food and the lovely surprise of seeing Anna, who had been a part of the Mackinac Island Gathering last August. She is looking wonderful! She brought me the most beautiful gift, a boiled-wool, lined, white coat with Austrian embroidery and intricately decorated fastenings. Imagine carrying that all the way from Norway! We had a great conversation during dinner and then Romi, Mick and I broke away and came to the room for relaxation and wine. Romi had purchased a bottle from the open bar at the banquet and we enjoyed it together.

Jim offered the closing prayer at the Gaia Meditation tonight.