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Lois Downy ( Full Profile | follr.me/LoisDowny )
Nonprofit Financial and Administrative Systems Consultant Membership Level: Free
I am a semi-retired nonprofit financial consultant. Before I retired and moved up to Lake Tahoe I was the CFO of a nonprofit environmental organization. Now I help small nonprofits with the financial and administrative systems, often helping them prepare for their first audit. I am a young grandma of 4 beautiful grandchildren. I am always striving to be the best person I can be.
Day 20 - Today I got our new roomba working together with an app on our phones. I didn't really think of this as a gift until my husband thanked me for doing that task. I tend to take my facility with technology for granted, and I'm so lucky that he doesn't take it for granted.
Day 19 - This week my husband and I decorated the house and trimmed the tree. I have very strong opinions about decorating. I tend more toward elegant and he tends more toward... exuberant. I took lots of deep breaths as I looked around me at some of the wild decorating he did and gave us both the gift of letting go of my vision in favor of a shared vision. As I've been walking through the house for the last few days, I've been smiling at the interesting places he puts things. I realize that it is entirely possible that someday I will have to decorate all on my own. I know that when that happens I will wish for the tinsel garland around the dining room light and the crystal cake keeper full of bows. Today I gave him a big hug and kiss and a thank you for all of his hard work making our space so festive.
Day 18 - Today I babysat my two grandsons. I made them laugh. Although this was intended as a gift to my daughter-in-law, I think the boys and I got the best end of the deal.
Day 17 - At a recent medical appointment, my nurse and I started chatting about retirement. She is thinking about retiring soon and I am semi-retired. She said that one of her concerns about retiring is that you need three things to be successfully retired - playmates, purpose, and passion. (I thought she was going to say money, but she didn't.) Her husband died about a year ago, so she has lost her playmate. She wants to figure out how to move into the next chapter of her life in a meaningful way. I have been thinking about purpose and passion a lot lately. I started reading the book "It's Never Too Late To Begin Again" by Julia Cameron which is specifically about this topic. I'm going to do the 12 week program suggested in the book starting in January. Today I gifted this book to my nurse friend and invited her to do the 12 weeks with me if she likes. I also offered to just be a sounding board as she moves toward this part of her life. Even if she doesn't take me up on it, I hope the book will help her in some way. The conversation itself was a gift to me.
Being a sounding board for others is a terrific gift. Your time and attention are priceless. I wish you lots of luck on your Julia Cameron program. I hope you find great benefit in its words and practices. :)
Day 17 - At a recent medical appointment, my nurse and I started chatting about retirement. She is thinking about retiring soon and I am semi-retired. She said that one of her concerns about retiring is that you need three things to be successfully retired - playmates, purpose, and passion. (I thought she was going to say money, but she didn't.) Her husband died about a year ago, so she has lost her playmate. She wants to figure out how to move into the next chapter of her life in a meaningful way. I have been thinking about purpose and passion a lot lately. I started reading the book "It's Never Too Late To Begin Again" by Julia Cameron which is specifically about this topic. I'm going to do the 12 week program suggested in the book starting in January. Today I gifted this book to my nurse friend and invited her to do the 12 weeks with me if she likes. I also offered to just be a sounding board as she moves toward this part of her life. Even if she doesn't take me up on it, I hope the book will help her in some way. The conversation itself was a gift to me.
Day 16 - I found some old cassette tapes with recordings of my husband's kids when they were babies. I borrowed a cassette converter machine from a friend and started digitizing them for my husband, his ex-wife, and the kids (who are now in their 30s). Again, my husband stepped in and helped when I got overwhelmed. So, I gave the idea, the supplies, and the technology. I received the gift of time from my husband. I also now have the opportunity to come up with a thank you gift for the friend who loaned me her machine.
Day 15 - One of the physical therapists at the rehab center I've been going to just became a vegetarian about a month ago. I've been a vegetarian for nearly 25 years so I've been giving her tips. Today I bought an extra package of my favorite veggie burgers and took them to her. She was super excited. Such an easy gesture to make and it really made me even happier than she was.
Day 14 - I found the most perfect necklace made by a local artisan for a friend of mine. She collects heart stones and this looked like a heart stone. I sent her a note making it clear that this wasn't a birthday or Christmas gift, just an "I love you" gift - the random kind that doesn't need to be reciprocated.
Day 13 - I sent my cousin a box full of pine cones! She was admiring them when she was visiting a couple months ago but didn't have space to any home with her. She received them today and sent me pictures of her holiday mantle piece all decked out with pine cones. She was over the moon. She lives in Texas and she is so excited to tell everyone that they are REAL. My husband was a huge help with this gift. We waited several weeks for the sugar pine cones to become dry enough to knock off the pitch, but that never happened. He looked it up online and found out that you have to bake them to get rid of the pitch, which he did. He also packed them for me while I was swamped working. Such a love!
Day 12 - Today I made time for a walk with a good friend. We have been trying to get together for several weeks now. My real gift was to let her know explicitly how much she means to me.
