spending gary's money

This email says it all, so here it is!

*****

Alpha Chi Sigma national@alphachisigma.org
7:25 PM

Dear Faustina,

Thank you for your gift of $ 19.02  to our organization.  The advancements we have made can be attributed in many ways to people like you who have generously supported our mission.  We are grateful for your generosity and hope that you will take great pride in the important difference that your gift makes.

Since Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 educational organization, the IRS allows your contribution to be fully tax deductible as permitted by law. Please retain this letter for your records.
 

*****

And here's the inspiration for me to give for the betterment of science!

This email arrived yesterday.

 

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Supporting Our Brotherhood
Fresh off the success of #GivingTuesday, we’re opening up one more chance to show your support and celebrate 119 years of Alpha Chi Sigma Brotherhood. We’re inviting all Collegiate Brothers (and Professionals, too!) to make a participation donation of $1.19 to recognize 119 years of our double bond.
Feeling generous? How about bumping that number up to $19.02 to commemorate our founding year? Gifts of any amount are welcomed and appreciated!
As an added bonus, all Founders Day gifts will be matched by Brother Gary Anderson, Alpha Eta ‘62, up to $6,000!

Founders Day Celebration
You are invited! Join Grand Historian Mitch Levings tomorrow night at 8:00 pm EST for a virtual celebration of brotherhood.
Mitch will regale us with stories of our beloved Fraternity and will be joined by other special guests during the 2-hour celebration. We can’t wait to see you tonight!
 

*****

That bold, italicized line has been highlighted by me!

Since Gary was in a mood to have others spend his money, I was certainly going to help a brother Altotus out!

Now, the meeting starts in fifteen minutes, so, I have to make like a wyvern and fly!

(smile!)

something to believe in

That sounds like a song lyric, doesn't it?

Well, it should, as the mental jukebox in my brain is always in search of the next record to put onto the turntable.

This time, the blog's title is a song from Poison.

And the reason it popped into play?

Sumphun of Thailand.

That's right: all it took was one look at her name.

And just why had I even been on Kiva.org today?

Three reasons: 

1) I wanted to give a loan to mark would would have been Mama's upcoming 84th birthday; 2) I knew I had enough repaid funds from previous loans to do so; 

3) Tripadvisor.com was having a special "make a loan, make a second loan for free" deal.

That's why I'd gone to the lending site today instead of tomorrow.

 

The Thai weaver was the second recipient of the two borrowers chosen today.

I had seen her name and knew without further searching that she was the one for me.

The song had simply cinched the deal.

The first loan recipient took me almost an hour to find.

Then I noticed there were two women, both named "Christina", each looking for a loan.

As they had the same name as my first niece and Mama's first grandchild, I knew one of them were to receive a loan from me... 

but which?

The pink dress of the woman in the Solomon Islands running the general store won out; her loan had the shorter amount of time remaining for it to be funded.

How fortuitous that I had checked my email and found the Tripadvisor missive!

How fortuitous that enough repayments had been made into my nerdfighter account to encourage me to help a new borrower reach their dream!

How fortuitous that I've now made loans to countries new to my portfolio!

(smile!)

Happy birthday, Mama.

I'm glad we could start the celebration early.