Late last night, parked in a Walmart parking lot, my eyes fell upon a small muslin bag a van lifer gave me last year, saying, “If you’re ever really down and out, open this.” It’s been hanging above my altar all this time and I’d more or less forgotten about it. At the time, I was searching for laundromats near me. Taking down the bag, I removed the two incense sticks and looked inside. There were red rose buds and petals and three $20 bills. I stared at it for a while, flabbergasted, remembering the time I spent with her. It was a great lift to feel the love with which it was given and the joy that I would now treat myself to wash-and-fold on my momentous day.

Fifteen minutes after setting out early (for me), I found myself unable to turn down the last street to get to Spin Zone because it was closed for construction. I drove around the blocks twice, so discombobulated I went the wrong way down a one-way street and still couldn’t find my way to the place. Using Google Maps, I found another laundromat close by, only to arrive and see there was no place to park a 30-foot skoolie. Ditto for the next closest place in this beach town. I finally started calling places. One man was kind enough to check outside and report there was room across the street to park Karma. No wash-and-fold, though.

So here I am, in an empty laundromat, drinking a bottled protein coffee shake and trying to type with a jammed right index finger injured when throwing clothes into one of the three machines I filled. (I never would have stripped all the layers off my bed this morning had I known I’d be the one washing and folding.)

I will find a place to park by water and spend the rest of the day making the most of the dark moon energy kicked off with yesterday’s solar eclipse and moving into tomorrow’s Mercury going retrograde. So on this, the 1,000th day, I will sit with my situation and trust the goddess to show me the way for my highest good and greatest joy.

PS I couldn’t post this from the laundromat because I could not get an internet connection. While folding the tie dye blanket I love, I started laughing. I bought it at a thrift store some time ago, not knowing where it was from. Well, it turns out I was in Wildwood, NJ. I took it as a sign I am in the right place at the right time.