nerdfighter in flash match!

I had been waiting for Kiva.org to have a special fundraiser.
They do so fairly frequently.
A generous patron of the site would pledge to match donated funds up to some threshold.
Today, such a fundraiser was announced, but the catch was this: it was a 'flash match' and would end at midnight or after one million dollars.
Time for action on my part!

Then came decision time.
To whom should I donate my doubled $25 this time?
There were so many loans which were up for funding...
in so many different countries, for so many different reasons...
to so many different people.
I was only making the one loan, using funds which had been repaid to me.
Where would my money - and the match - be of the most help?

I chose the field of 'education' for my tenth loan today.
It will be the fourth such loan I have made on this site.
The first was to Elaine Marie, in the Philippines. She was the eldest of three, the first in her family to want higher education to better her life and theirs. That story resonated with me.
The second loan went to a young man, Maycol Francisco, in Nicaragua. He had nearly completed his degree as an anesthesia technician. He was in his final semester and needed funds for those final classes. Honestly, his story fit right in with those of the health professionals I was teaching.
The third loan, made at that same time, went to a young woman in Nicaragua, Yaleska Gabriela. Like Maycol, she was in her final year of studies for her degree in Public Accounting and Finance. That degree reminded me of my stepdad, so of course I helped her attain her goal.
Today, I chose Hussein of Lebanon. He was not asking for money for his own education. His three children would not have the tuition for school, as he was on a fixed salary and his wife could not work. He "wishes his children a successful future" and recognized that education was a requirement to turn those wishes into reality. Bravo!

Feeling inspired?
Want to join me as a Nerdfighter, to help defeat world suck?
There's still time to help Hussein and his children...
and to help Kiva reach that next billion dollars of dreams funded.
Thanks!

not missing AB+

Subtitle: M ke s me ne wh le g in

As part of the American Red Cross's recent summer blood drive, "Missing Types", I donated a pint of whole blood last month.
(FYI: That was my third donation this year. I plan to give at least once more. A maximum possible of six donations can be given each year, 56 days apart. I think I'll try for that in 2019. To help someone live, make an appointment here.)
Today, they informed me that my pint of blood had a little adventure!
It took a trip to Alabama to help someone there!
(smile!)

"Dear Faustina,
Thank you for giving blood with the American Red Cross on 08/14/2018. After first ensuring that local needs were met, your blood donation was sent to UAB Health System in Birmingham, AL to help a patient in need. Your donation is on its way to change lives!
Every day, patients receive blood for a variety of conditions including life-threatening illnesses, blood disorders and traumas. Your blood donations are critical to helping save patients' lives.
On behalf of the hospitals and patients we serve, thank you for being a Red Cross blood donor.
Sincerely,
Dr. Pampee Young
Pampee P. Young, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Medical Officer
American Red Cross "

How very nice of them to let me know!
I was once in Birmingham at the medical university. My BFF's little sister was graduating - with her Medical Doctorate in pediatrics.
Nice to know that my life-giving blood was used there.
(smile)
i thank You, God, that i am able to donate blood.

100 miles

If not for chasing rabbits, I don't know if I ever would have heard of this organization...
and yet, I drive by its office on Drayton Street quite often.
The rabbit I was chasing - provided by the Coastal Jazz Association - led to the site for volunteering for the upcoming Savannah Jazz Festival.
While at that volunteer site, I hippety-hopped to several of the organizations I knew...
and this one that I did not.
One Hundred Miles was founded in 2013 for the sole purpose of preserving Georgia's coastline -for our children, for our grandchildren, for the generations to come.
The science-first organization began in Brunswick, but they're here in my town now.
With its mission principles of education, collaboration, and celebration, it certainly seems tailor-made for me, doesn't it?
I don't know how it has escaped my attention for five years, but I'm onboard.
It's time for another sea change, for me, for the coast I have loved since I was a girl...
for the world.
I joined at the Horsehoe Crab level, mostly because those prehistoric beasts amaze me.
It was as easy as clicking here to choose my favorite.

i thank You, God, for rabbit holes and this birthday gift!

shindig for supers!

The Ronald McDonald House had a fundraiser this afternoon and I couldn't resist being there!
"Super Summer Shindig" - such sweet syllables!
(smile!)
The alliteration drew me right in, of course.
Plus, I had a personal reason for my presence.
When my ex's grandson was born, the baby had to stay several days in the hospital. His mom spent those days, and nights, at this house... at no charge.
What a blessing!

What made this a 'super' event?
All the superheroes that were there, of course!
As well as those provided by Princess Productions
- such as the 'Amazon Princess' with me -
the kids and their parents were encouraged to
dress in costume.
Such fun!

Face painters were present to adorn all comers,
cornhole sacks were there to be tossed,
and there was food and drink, too.
Oh, yes, free food was in abundance, as was...
free ice cream!!!
Thank you, Ben & Jerry's, for making sure
to have nondairy available, too!
Better yet, it was the coconut almond fudge
chip that I love so much!

I'm so glad I was there to help support this fundraiser.
The birthday funds I donated were partly from me and partly from my exhusband. I know he would have been there if he could have been, to help this sanctuary that had sheltered his daughter.
I'll be watching for more of these in the future.
Who knows? Maybe he will make it to the next one!

story time for cats... in.... space!

Oskar, the blind kitty, is now stardust.
However, his space adventure, "Mission To Cataria", with Klaus will live on forever!
Once into the ether, always out there somewhere!
(smile!)
Thanks to the project to send their book to the International Space Station, the actual book gained passage and arrived there earlier this year.
Once there, it had to wait its turn to be read aloud..
and that moment has arrived!
The story, written by Travis Bossard and Mick Szydlowski, has been read aloud by Richard (Ricky) Arnold II, a genuine astronaut!
But guess why I think this almost 55-year-old was the right man for the task?
He's a former US Navy sailor, like me! And what does the acronym "N.A.V.Y." mean? "Never Again Volunteer Yourself" - LOL! That's how we found ourselves in the Navy - by volunteering our services. That trait is in our blood, that desire for helping others.
i thank You, God!
I also like that he was a former science teacher - also like me! Plus, he loves the ocean. Purr-fect!
(smile!)
Now, settle in for the tale, keeping in mind that its run time is 13:51 minutes.
My many thanks to Story Time From Space for making "Mission To Cataria" a reality!
It's available here or on the ISS website.

utility patent for my invention has been filed!

Hallelujah!
For the last five months of hard work, emails have been flying back and forth between me and Cramer Patent & Design.
But, good news!
The finalized Utility Patent application has been e-filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office... and well before the August deadline!
That includes fifteen pages of the application itself, five pages of drawings, one page of addendum, one page for an oath, and four pages for the power of attorney for Aaron Cramer to represent me to the USPTO.
I must say, this has certainly been a learning experience for me.
Trying to explain an educational tool for blind and low-visioned students to a group of people who have full sight has certainly been a daunting task...
but, worth it.
Yes, it's been worth every minute, every hour, every day.
I had hoped for my invention to be available to students this coming academic year.
That will probably not be the case, given that August 2018 is a mere two months away.
That's fine... August of 2019 for its launch will be fabulous!
Hold on, chemistry students of the world - it's coming to you soon!

halfway to 13!

I had thought to title this "happy birthday to three strangers", but, no...
why not be more obscure?
(smile)
So, just what is the meaning of the title above?
Well, let me remind the reader of this post, about a year ago.
At that time, I had completed twelve gallons of blood donated to the world.
Since then, I've allowed the American Red Cross to draw four more pints from me, as gifts to a total of twelve people, somewhere in the world.
As four pints is two quarts...
and two quarts is half of a gallon...
that means I'm halfway to completing my thirteenth gallon!
Feels good, too.
As a nice bonus, today I was given this new T-shirt!
I'm regarding it as a birthday gift - oh, yes I am!
Thanks, y'all!
i thank You, God, to be able to donate life's liquid to others.