gift to all of my brothers

Finally I had enough in my Kiva account for this gift to my brothers, as well as to those seeking the loan there to enrich their community!

Meet Mary, of Good Hope Sgbl, in Zambia.

She's the third from the right in this photo of the group she works with for loans.

She needs the $2,750 "to buy beers and restaurant dishes" for her customers.

What made her ask so compelling for me?

Today is Friday.

That's the day I get together with my brothers and their friends for the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta at Jalapenos of Sandfly.

Seriously, that's a real thing.

The men quaff beers and the women sip margaritas and we all sit and chat for at least an hour whilst munching chips and salsa.

Then, we order and we're there another hour, still chatting and quaffing.

Hugs all around before we go our separate ways at night's end.

Let me tell you, this time with them is very important to my social life.

I'm sure the people in Zambia who dine at Mary's restaurant feel the same need for a place to eat, drink, and be merry with those important to them.

So, Happy Christmas, Smitty and Dood!

keeping wiki free to all

Dear Faustina,

Thank you so much for your USD $28.60 one-time donation to support Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. With this support, you help strengthen our nonprofit mission to ensure people everywhere can access the information they need, whenever they need it, for free.

Wikipedia only works because of the hundreds of thousands of humans who dedicate their time and energy to making it one of the most trusted sources of information online. The tireless efforts of these volunteers are what makes this website invaluable to billions of readers worldwide. This is even more important today with the changes in technology and artificial intelligence shaping our world.

So the next time you visit Wikipedia, I hope you take pride in knowing that you help make this possible. Wikipedia is a collective labor of love, and you’re a part of it. Thank you again for your dedication to this remarkable mission.

With gratitude,
Maryana Iskander
CEO, Wikimedia Foundation 

------------------------------

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Just click here.

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picking fruit from the angell tree

No, that isn't a typo in the title.

Laura Angell had been the youth minister for Asbury Memorial Church for years and when she died from cancer a few years ago, the youths became Laura's Angells.

Nice, right?

This year, the group has decorated the Angell Tree in Holliday Hall with paper ornaments bearing the names of gifts needed to help P.A.C.K. Savannah.

That group - People of Action Caring for Kids - had requested a range of items for their clients, running the gamut from sports items to dolls to warm coats in various sizes.

I don't usually participate in this drive, but I chose to be part of it this year.

The item I ultimately settled upon was "basketball", which was written on multiple ornaments on the tree.

 

My choice of which to buy was based on my belief that the toy was meant for a girl.

Here's hoping she will become as famous in that sport as the player - Caitlin Clark - whose name is emblazoned on the ball.