I got a notice last Friday to say I had a registered letter to collect from the post office. Now to me, registered letter means something very bad- an eviction notice, legal action, notification of something very unpleasant or another. So I grumbled about it all weekend and thought up a million terrible scenarios. It pretty much wrecked the weekend for me. So when I finally went and got it on Monday, it was a gift-card (redeemable anywhere that has eft) for $100. I laughed at myself. It was a reward for some online surveying I did a couple of months ago that I had forgotten all about.

Anyway daughter had friends here over the next couple of days as it is school holidays and I ran them around and did mum stuff and last night I told her, today, daughter, I will be doing assignments all day and beyond walking the dog and eating I wont be leaving my desk for any reason. 

So I got up this morning, made coffee, sat down at my desk ready to work and in walks daughter to inform me she has lost the one and only key to our back door, which is deadlocked. My eyeballs just about slide sideways out of my sockets. You are kidding me. An hour ensues of leaving no stone unturned and we can't locate this key which we know she had last night when she came in from jumping on the trampoline, and we always put it in a drawer by the back door as it is needed to lock/unlock the door. But on this occasion apparently she has not put it in the usual spot and has instead thrown it into some kind of wormhole.

So I call a locksmith and he informs me it will cost me $150 to have the lock replaced. Oh goody. I don't have $150 and no, he doesn't take gift-cards. Next I call the real estate agent who informs me "I don't think we have that key but we have a bunch of keys, you can come and get them and try them if you want". Hmm. So barely concealing my irritation I get dressed and inform daughter we are going to town to get the stupid keys and if none of them fit then we just can't go into the backyard ever again and too bad. I decide we will visit a couple of shops and get something to eat while we are there and then when we get home I AM NOT LEAVING MY DESK FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON, CAPICHE???

Anyway just before we are about to leave I find the key. Stuck between 2 packets of biscuits in the pantry. Naturally. But I'm dressed now and I have my heart set on a veggie curry from the food court so, we're going anyway and that's that.

What we find in town is that our fave clothes store is having a big end of financial year clearance sale and all of the clothes we have been eyeing off for months are $5-10 and the next store is also having a sale and the next and...well, that little gift card went a very long way. We dine on the food-court's best offerings , and then daughter suggests we visit the make-up department at the department store. "But daughter, we have no money to spend now". "But mother, if you ask the sales-girls for advice about colour they offer to give you a makeover. Can't we?". Well, blow me down, she is right. A few questions about lipstick colours and suddenly we are in adjacent chairs being painted. Groovy! The nice lady painting me strikes up a conversation and is also a single mum and asks me where I work, saying "forgive me for being so forward but I don't meet many other cool mums in this town" lol. I think she was trying to suggest we meet up some time, but wasn't sure if it would be OK or if it would be weird. Anyway if we are destined to be friends we'll run into each other one way or another but it's nice to feel liked; it's been a while. It made me feel good

Anyway by the time we left the store it was getting dark! Its mid winter here so it was not yet 5pm but still, wow. We spent the whole afternoon in town. I managed to find a good frypan on sale on our way out as well  (I lost mine in the move and haven't had one since)  and we arrived home having spent almost no actual money but carrying armfulls of shopping bags. I love a bargain so this was a really successful day by my standards lol. What an amazing afternoon! 

So when we arrive home I cook and then sit down to do some work. Daughter comes in and asks if she can show me something and I sigh and huff and puff and make space for her to sit with me. She pulls out something she has bought today that she "wants us to do together".

It is a book called "30 day of happiness" and it is filled with almost blank pages each with a question at the top. The first one is "what am I grateful for today?" so, amazed, I listen as she does a gratitude list and then she asks me for mine and writes it all down. The book is filled with questions like "what did I do well today, what made me laugh today", a different daily question for 30 days. She asks if we can do this together each night. I have a tear in my eye. Good work, kid. Wow.

Amazing what can happen when things don't go to plan, isn't it?

Now, tomorrow, I WILL spend the day working at my desk....lol...