Day 29 - 29 Gifts Complete!

Well, it is not all bells, whistles, streamers, etc, but I did finish the 29 Gifts challenge.  For the last day, I ended up making dinner when I was going out with my handy dandy crock pot.  What a surprise to have dinner ready when he got home! 

Today I am listening to Star Trek, The Next Generation.  I am a proud TNG fan, and the music for this series was incredible!

Now that the 29 days are over, I am considering a new and different challenge.  Perhaps a month of gratitude.  Or, maybe a month of movies. 

Any suggestions?  :O)

Happy gifting and thank you for the company on this special 29 day journey!

Day 24 - 28 of 29 Gifts, May 18 - 22

Wow, tomorrow is the last day.  I will save that to be a post all its own.  Here is the next few days for me on my 29 Gifts journey:

 Day 23, May 17: I changed my gift to be offering to drive during a hectic time.  He needed to relax so I gave him the gift of being able to stare out the window, look at his iPhone and relax after a really tough day.

Day 24, May 18: A morning bike ride!  I don't bike ride with him as often as he wants, so this morning, we went on a ride that we both would enjoy.  I had a good time too.

Day 25, May 19: Time with my mom and sister on a conference call.  It is good to give time to family, especially when so far away.  I also gave a book to another book club member that I thought she would enjoy.

Day 26, May 20:  This was the one day I gave to myself.  A day to myself, retreat like, and much needed, but I also gave my cats tons of my time too.   

Day 27, May 21: A donation to the Red Cross to help the people in Oklahoma; I only gave $10, but every little bit helps.

Day 28, May 22:  Today I purchased my last punch on one of my coffee cards and then gave it to the person at the counter to give to the next person in line for a free drink. 

I am listening to Marcus Roberts Portraits in Blue.  This is a fantastic jazz snapshot of Gershwin with touches of his own personality. 

Happy Giving, and time to celebrate tomorrow!

Day 17 - 23 (May 11-17): Catch up time

I have been missing in action for posting, but I have been continuing to gift for the 29 Gifts month.  Here is the complete catch up.

Day 17: Mother's Day Gift received.  I sent my mom a gift on Wednesday, but wanted to count it when it was received.  Today she called and left a message that she loved her 2 gifts!


Day 18:  1 hour of uncomplicated conversation with my mom.  Despite having an interesting, complicated time in my life right now, I decided not to talk about me and spent the hour focused completely on her and shooting the breeze about anything and everything.  We laughed and had a great time.  Cherish the moments!


Day 19:  Email to a friend in need.  I found out that my friend is still having thoughts about his wife having cancer, even though she is in remission.  I sent a message acknowledging how he feels and letting him know that it is okay to own his feelings and to cherish each moment with her.  We never know when someone will be taken from us.  The gift of the present moment is all that matters.

Day 20: A few more promotional posts to help others.


Day 21:  Gift to my sister for a coffee gift card.  She is having a challenging time and mentioned that she is not sure she can even afford the luxury of her morning cup of coffee she so enjoys each morning.  I hope the 5 coffees on me will help a bit to lift her spirits.


Day 22: Compromise for television night.  We both wanted to watch something, so I gave the gift of compromise instead of simply leaving or being stubborn.  We had a nice evening together.

I also gave the gift of letting someone go ahead of me in line at the grocery store.  He was an unassuming man.  He was only buying milk.  He was very surprised and had a great smile.

Day 23: Today I am going to go to my favorite coffee shop and get the last punch in my coffee card, and then, I will give the gift of my one free coffee after 10 purchases to someone else.  If I see a friend, I will give it to them.  If not, I will tell the person to gift the next person in line. I hope they will be okay with transferring the card to someone else.


I am listening to a CD I recently purchased.  I am getting into World Music via the lable Real World, which is Peter Gabriel's label.  Shelia Chandra's  The Zen Kiss is the CD of the moment.  It is all vocal chants and/or prayers and/or stories.  Exactly what I need to listen to today. 

Day 12, 13, 14 of 29 Gifts - May 6 -8: Full attention, quiet time and book gifts

I am a little behind in my posting, so please forgive as I catch up.  On May 6, Day 12, I gave my cat my full attention.  It is so easy for us to not give our pets our full attention.  We pet them while reading a book or watching television.  We are almost always thinking about other things when we feed them or walk them. 

I have a cat that is 18 years old this year.  I definitely want to cherish the moments with her now before she leaves me for the rainbow bridge.  So, I stopped doing what I was doing and gave her my complete attention.  She has one of the best kitty smiles, and she enjoyed our time together by sharing her best purrs.  It was time worth spent and a gift to me as well as to her!

On May 7, my honey came home a little frazzled.  I decided to let him have the big TV and gave him some quiet time to himself yesterday.  He definitely was more cheerful later in the evening having that time to himself.

Today, I am mailing a book that I found for one of my college friends.  I found this book at a thrift store that reminded me so much of him, I had to buy it.  Thank goodness for Facebook since I was able to reconnect with him after many years.  He sent me his address, and I am happy to mail out his surprise, fun gift.  It's not something huge, but I know it will make him smile.

As I write this, I am listening to The Chicago Principal: First chair soloists play famous concertos, specifically Schumann's Konzertstuck in F Major for Four Horns and Orchestra. I adore this piece.  Very rich horn sound!

Happy gifting and Wonderful Wednesday to you!

Day 9 - May 3: Volunteer Time

I had a little time this morning and volunteered for a local nonprofit for almost 4 hours.  I know this organization needs all the help it can get, so I was glad I could help on a project they wouldn't be able to get into.  I probably will add some more hours later. 

I am listening to Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin's Hush.  What a great collaboration!  The music varies: folk, jazz, classical, new music.  On some of these tracks McFerrin sounds like a woodwind.  Incredible!

Happy Gifting and have a Fabulous Friday!

Day 7 - May 1: Promotional gift

I have been attempting to think of more ways to give without financial ties.  I decided to give the gift of one of my talents - promotion. 

I am considered to be one of the mavens of the world, meaning I enjoy sharing information, especially if it is for a good cause.

I found out that there were a couple of fundraisers for musicians that could use a little extra boost.  One of the campaigns was just getting started and one was for a musician that was wrapping it up.

I have no idea if my extra boost helped, but I did make an effort to get the campaigns out on various social media channels. 

This is a task that I normally give freely during my days, and I have never consciously thought about it being a gift to another person.  It's just something I do.  I am fairly well connected and generally send the information to people that would be interested.   I am realizing now that it is a gift I am giving them.

Also, I had a conversation with a colleague, and after I told him about the 29 Gifts program, he piped up to say that our conversation was a gift to him since it was helping him to organize his priorities further.  This is another talent of mine, brainstorming, and I enjoy working with people to help them through the thought process for making improvements. 

Giving of yourself by using your natural talents is a gift to the world!

While writing this, I am listening to Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall.  Yes, she is a diva, but her voice is so incredible, and the emotion she elicits is breathtaking.

I will be back later for Day 8 posting.  Happy giving until then.

Day 6 - April 30: Art gift

I bought a few original drawings from an artist a few years ago.  One of them I had a feeling I would give to someone that would enjoy it in the future.

Today was the day I gave that original drawing a great home.  It was my last meeting with a client. Since my business is changing directions, I would no longer be providing the same services.  I wanted to give her something special as a closing gift after working together for about 4 years.

It was a drawing from Boulder, CO artist, Nyla Witmore. Nyla loves to travel, and she uses these drawings to sketch ideas for her landscape paintings.  She decided to sell these drawings after receiving great feedback.  They are absolutely charming!  This particular drawing was of a moment of Champs, Elysees in Paris, France.  My client also enjoys traveling and has wonderful memories of France.  I thought it was the best home for this drawing!

As I write, I am listening to Sky Cries Mary's This Timeless Turning.  I like the ethereal sound of this group. I was introduced to this band by my long-term boyfriend in college.  I realize that although the relationship didn't last forever, there were gifts, like discovering new music, that did. 

The other gift from this relationship, my cat of 18 years.  If it wasn't for him wanting a cat, I may have never come to love cats as much as I love dogs. 



I have already decided on my gift for tomorrow.   I have something in mind for someone from my past...stay tuned!

Happy gifting and Terrific Tuesday to all!

Day 5 - April 29: Stamps for Longhopes Donkey Shelter

Yes, I like donkeys!  I have been donating off and on to the Longhopes Donkey Shelter in Bennett, CO for a few years now.  I noticed as a part of their wishlist that they are in need of stamps.  I decided to go the extra mile and use a donkey picture of my two favorite daughter and mother donkey friends, Roma and Savvy, and create a special stamp for them at Zazzle.com.  I also bought them a sheet of regular stamps.  So, all in all, 40 stamps for them to use!

As I write this, I am listening to Paul McCartney's Driving Rain.  This is one of his sleeper albums, but it has some really great tracks on it.

For a workout today, I am going on a hike. The 75 degree weather with tons of sunshine is continuing so I have to take advantage of it.  Later I will add some weights.





Happy giving to you, and Marvelous Monday to all!

Day 4 of 29 Gifts: Tree Memorial plus Louis Armstrong

Last week my aunt passed away, and I have been meaning to send a memorial gift to my uncle.  Today I went to the Arbor Day Foundation site and purchased a memorial tree gift for him in honor of my aunt.  They will plant 10 trees, in her name, in a national forest in Florida.  These trees gifts are not only a great memorial gift, but the trees will give  to future generations too.

Today I am listening to a Louis Armstrong CD of Great Original Performances of 1923-1931.  Such a fun era of music. Jazz was simple back then, easy melodies with a little bit of improvisation.  I am a big Louis Armstrong fan.  He was such a personality and contributed greatly to the jazz art form.  What is special about this CD, besides the music, is it was purchased in New Orleans during a work trip, a Louisiana Red Hot Records compilation by Robert Parker!

For a workout today, we went on a tandem bike ride for 30 minutes and a little later I will do some strength training.  It is such a lovely day, I had to get out to enjoy!

Happy giving and have a great rest of your Sunday!

Day 3 29 Gifts, a little Stewart Copland, plus workouts

Day 3 of the 29 gifts, and this morning, a giving opportunity fell into my lap.  I am not a morning person, but today I decided to get up and make a full breakfast for my sweety.  He had a mushroom/spinach/cheddar cheese omelet, half an orange and half a waffle, with coffee.  Of course I enjoyed this breakfast with him!

The coffee is a favorite of mine, Organic Love Buzz by Equal Exchange.  Yum!


The reason I wanted to make breakfast for him is the fact that he gets up early, feeds the cats and makes coffee for us every morning.  Since it was Saturday, he could sleep in a bit and then sit back and relax.  I am thankful for what he does every morning for me and the cats and was glad I had an easy opportunity to thank him.


I also found out this morning that the gift I gave for the Twtr Symphony did not take since they didn't make their goal.  So, I will recycle this particular gift to another musician friend that is fundraising this month, pianist Pierre-Arnaud Dablemont.  He is doing a new Beethoven Sonata project that is very interesting.  You will get to see some of the behind the scenes work and it will result in not one, but two versions to show the choices a pianist can make for performing repertoire.  He also dives into the history of the pieces so his choices are very well thought out and explained.

If you want to give to his campaign, there is only a few days left.  Click here! 
 

While writing this, I am listen to a very different CD, Stewart Copland's The Equalizer & Other Cliff Hangers.  I have been a huge Police fan since the 80's and have discovered that Stewart Copland has composed quite a bit since then.  This CD is from 1988 so it has a bunch of synthesizers, and 80's feel to it.  I don't think it is his best work, but it is enjoyable new music.





I might as well post my workouts like I used to here as well.  Today I did 30 minutes of hiking up and down my steep driveway. It's almost a 13 degree grade at the top.  After that, I did some upper body sculpting using Jillian's No More Trouble Zones and Amy Dixon's Give Me 10 More.  Early in the day was time for gardening.  Overall, a very satisfying day.

I am attempting to get in shape to do a 14 footer by the end of the season. 



Happy giving to you, and enjoy this wonderful weekend!

Day 2 of 29 Gifts

This morning I decided to give to my friend Laura who is doing the MS Walk in May.  She is attempting to raise $1,000 and is on her way at $730 raised.  If you want to give, click here! 

I can't believe how many autoimmune diseases there are that still need to be cured.  There has to be a way, and I hope they find it soon.

Today as I write, I am listening to another gift CD, the WFMT Party Mix.  My mom likes to donate to WFMT and send the special gifts along to me as a gift.  It's always about great music and it is for a good cause, so I like the gift combo she is doing.

This CD is very lively with a variety of music.  Arrangements galore from Handel to Bernstein to the Beatles. I am grateful for fantastic music.

Now my thoughts are on my next gift.  I am finding that many of my friends are having fundraisers right now, yet I need to pace myself on money gifts.  I am at the moment on a time off segment in my life so it would be best to find other gift ideas.


I have noticed that if you are open to giving that many opportunities will suddenly appear.  Maybe this is what is happening.  Can you imagine if we were all open to giving when and where we can?  I believe all of us would be in a better place.

Not that I want to get all feisty today, however, the greed in our world is harming more than it is helping. Also, the lack of awareness, or the choice to ignore the realities is making it more difficult to move in a positive direction.

I will wrap this day up by saying once again that we have the power to become aware and find out about the companies we choose to purchase from. When a CEO chooses to make 1700 times their regular employee, there is a problem.  Sure, it is their choice, and I hope they will choose to be more fair in the future.  In the meantime, we can choose not to purchase from a company that chooses greed over making their employees' wages and healthcare benefits more realistic for living conditions.

We can also learn about the politicians and figure out whether or not they really have the public's interest at heart or their own wallets. 

It is a matter of choosing to take a little time to find out the facts.  This is where the process of democracy has broken down.  We have to care again to do this!

Whatever you choose, have a good day, and I will back for gift 3 tomorrow. 

29 Gifts, Twtr Symphony, and the music that goes with all of this....

I have been taking some time off from my business in order to recharge my batteries.  I have been reading, listening to lectures, watching movies, and generally playing a great deal of brainless games on my iPad.  I came across a book called 29 Gifts - How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life by Cami Walker.

At first I wasn't sure if this was the right book for me to be reading right now.  I am after all a perpetual, natural giver.  Sometimes I give too much away and I end up depleting myself, which is why I am in time off mode to regain my energy.

The one rule of the giving is to not give out of obligation or a need to receive.  The giving should be free and open without any expectations.  In this way, you will not feel like you are depleting yourself.

I realize that in business, giving freebies away is a business building tactic, but if you are not careful, it will feel like an obligation.  I'm thinking that perhaps trying this new way of giving may actually give me the positive energy that I need to rebuild myself and my faith in giving again.

So, today I am announcing that I will sign up for this project and give with an open heart and mind.  Let's see if my giving will help put back the positive lilt in my step!

Day 1 - April 25, 2013

Today, I decided to give to the

TwtrSymphony: Believe in the Power of Music

New Music for a New Audience in a New Way

I know some of the musicians of this project, and I have been impressed by what they have been able to accomplish already.  This is a group of musicians that have come together via Twitter and have composed/recorded new music and then have placed this music online for a new audience.  It has been a long time since we have seen innovation like this in the classical music industry, and I am excited to see what else they will be able to do once they are financial backed.  

Right now their campaign is set for $20,000, and they need as many backers as they can find.  If you believe in the power of music and new ways to create and perform music, please consider donating as well! They only have 3 days left! 

I have decided that during this campaign, I will write an entry for each day of giving, so you can follow what happens during this process right here on this blog.  During my entries, I will listen to a new CD of music.  Today I am listening to Side by Side with Itzhak Perlman and Oscar Peterson, two of my favorite musicians of all time!  It was a birthday present that I'm finally getting around to listening to, and it is absolutely wonderful!  It makes me very happy.  

Tune in tomorrow for my next gift.  I am not sure what I have in mind, but we shall see. 

Day 7 of 30 Days of CDs and etc.

I had a ton of holiday shopping to do this weekend.  We will begin again at #7.  Today I listened to: Bernstein, which has Candide Overture, The Age of Anxiety: Symphony No. 2 for piano and orchestra and Fancy Free -  Jeffrey Kahane, piano and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton, conductor. 

I started listening to this while I was doing some work, but the music was so powerful that I had to stop and give it my full attention for a little while.  If you like Bernstein, like I do, you might consider getting this CD for your collection.


I'm still doing level 1 of 30 Day Shred so no new workouts yet.  Tomorrow I will be adding some new ones in.

I have been watching the new show 2 Broke Girls.  My sister and I actually tested the pilot in Las Vegas.  It's getting quite funny!  If you liked the humor of Sex and the City, you will love this show.  The comedy is sharp and surprising.




-SDF :O)

Day 6 of CD Challenge and etc.

And now for something completely different.  I'm listening to The Crystal Method's Vegas CD.  This is a great background CD for driving, working or working out.  My friends think it is funny I like this group and this type of music.  To me, electronica music is very similar to classical minimalistic music, so it is quite natural for me.

Tomorrow I will choose another classical CD.  There are tons I want to hear again.

Today I did level one of 30 Day Shred.  I'm starting to not feel as winded on this one and will need to start rotating in level 2 soon.  I have been seeing that others add more cardio, which is what I will be doing next week.  I think I will also add back in my yoga/stretching.  It's good to be more flexible in life.  ;O)


That's it for today.  Have a Thriving Thursday!

-SDF :O)

CDs, workouts, and Muppets!

I'm catching up with 2 CDs today.  I listened to Brahms Concerto No.2 and 5 Intermezzi with pianist Van Cliburn, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner.  He is my absolute favorite pianist.  If you want to get into classical music and like the piano, I suggest getting some of his recordings to listen to, or, listen on Spotify.  They have a few of his tracks there.

Right now I am listening to Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, Passages.  Fascinating.  This is a CD I have never listened to before. 

I'm loving it.  If you like Indian music and/or new music, this CD is for you.


My workout today was level 2 of 30 Day Shred, and I just about shredded my knee.  I have bad knees to begin with, but I have to say that her warm-up sucks!  It does not get you warmed up (the major joints) before getting into the intense workout, thus my injury.  I have no clue why she didn't carry over some of the moves from warm-up level one. This is the only criticism I have of this workout.  Otherwise, it does what it is supposed to do.  I ended up having to go lower impact, but I was still sweating up a storm by the end.  I will rotate level 1 and level 2 for another week.

Last thoughts for today's blog, why is Fox News going after the Muppets?  I cannot believe that Fox News is picking on this kids' movie saying it is radically brainwashing our kids.  Here is a tongue in cheek commentary on this story:

Muppet movies: their communist plots revealed

Politics (and certain political commentators) are getting crazier by the minute. How dare the Muppets pick on the poor defenseless oil industry.  I'm sorry, but if politics are defending an industry that continues to turn a profit and then asks us to give them tax breaks in return, I don't see them as being "poor" in any way, shape or form. It is poor taste to defend an industry that is buying chunks of our political system.  I also think picking on the Muppets is poor taste, and I hope these crazy political commentators will stop the (er, their) madness.

-SDF :O)

Day 3 of 30 days of CDs and other thoughts

Day 3 of CDs is a gift that I haven't listened to yet.  Bachanalia! Carl Grapentine's favorite instrumental works of J.S. Bach.  Carl Grapentine is an announcer on 98.7 WFMT, Chicago's all classical music station.   This was part of one of their donation drives.  It's a charming compilation from Naxos specifically for WFMT.  You will need to contact the station if you are interested.  It has a bunch of tracks from Brandenburg Concertos, Overture (Suite) No. 4 in D Major, Cello Suite No. 1  in G Major, and more.  Very nice!




I'm on day 4 of 30 Day Shred.  Level 1 is getting easier and easier.  I'll probably be level 2 next week.  Let me know if you are using this workout and what you think.  For someone who likes dance type workouts, this is a little boring.  It is effective though.  I think I'm already seeing some small results.



That's it for today.  Have a terrific Tuesday!

-SDF :O)