Am getting more involved with the local Food Bank in Pine & Strawberry AZ Continue helping organize food for distribution & now assisting with the purchasing of dry goods & meat for distribution to 120 local recipients! So rewarding to walk them to their vehicles :side by sides, SUVs that they are camping in the Forrest, and bicycles. So rewarding to see the smile on their faces that they know they have food for at least 2 weeks!!

So this year I thought I would do a simple thing ...say thank you to random strangers that you see in shops and offices - the cleaners, janitors, stewards and car park attendants etc that we all take for granted. Most would stop and smile. Some would say thanks. One lady cried - no one had ever said thank you to her in over 40 years of cleaning One man asked me why I said Thank You - I explained about Jenn's Challenge and he said he would look it up ... I think this is something I will continue - thank you Team Jenn for bringing me this

I decided to challenge myself to reach out to old friends who live far away. Life has a way of pulling us into the daily grind, and before you know it, time slips by and those connections fade. I didn’t want that to happen with the people who have been there for me through thick and thin. I started small, just sending a short text once or twice a week. Little things about what’s happening in my life and asking about theirs. Then I took it a step further and mailed handwritten cards to let them know how much they mean to me and to thank them for being my friends. Those tiny gestures sparked something bigger. One of my oldest friends and I even started a two-person book club. I now have a standing weekly phone call with another friend, and I’m texting almost daily with another. These friends are more like family, and even though kids and busy schedules had made us drift apart, it feels amazing to have them back in my life almost every day. Even if it’s just a quick text, a short call, or a snap, it keeps us close. I may not get to see these friends often, but they are some of the most important people in my life, and making the effort to stay connected has been so worth it.

I’ll be dancing today at a big House music festival and - since it’s pouring rain today I’ll walk (dance) part of the way there under the falling rain drops. All the while carrying Jenn in my heart. I included a photo from the last “I Remember House” dance party. 👯‍♀️

I was thinking about Jenn all month but when I was riding in the rain raising scholarship funds so anyone who wants to attend the camp two of my kids went to, Camp Tavor, can, I felt connected to Jenn and her goal of making the world a better place. I met my fundraising goal and I know the money will be used to train campers and leaders that are kind and cooperative. Will never walk (or in this case ride) in the rain without thinking of Jenn and your family. Hope this helps in at least a small way.

Each day I have 2 tasks that repeatedly show up in my alerts at 6 PM: 1. Did I treat everyone with dignity today? 2. Did I make someone feel good about the job they are doing? These 2 prompts cause me to reflect on how I did, and inspire me to do better tomorrow. They have also caused me to go back and apologize / repair things when my behavior was less than desireable.

A new neighbor moved into our condo recently. Because most of the people in the condo are people of Caucasian race this nice new neighbor of ours was a very sweet and lovely black lady who is disabled, I felt that I wanted to get to know her better and possibly become friends with her. After several weeks, we did become friends and I would even take her shopping with me as she didn’t drive or mostly have anyone to take her to get her medicines, groceries or anything else you might like to purchase. As I got to know this nice new neighbor, I realize that she had a story that was even more than her own disability. She has a grown daughter who is 25 now who when she was 15 was shot several times in the back and neck as she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This lovely daughter of hers lives in a wheelchair and I know it is very difficult for my friend to even be able to visit her. As it turns out this sweet and loving daughter has learned how to drive a car, take her wheelchair in and out of the car and lives alone and shops when her mother can go and help her. She picks up her mother several times a week and they spend time together, which is a blessing for both of them. You see you can never tell when you become friends with a person what their backstory is and how you might be able to help them get through the days and weeks of sadness with a kind gesture and a positive attitude. I love this family and I know that they all care about me also so I am very grateful that I was able to help her and still am when she feels like going shopping, Thrift thing, or any place that might be different than being at home. Kindness doesn’t take much, but if you realize when you do an act of kindness, you are sending out positive vibrations to the world and a quality of love that is so important nowadays. Blessings, Etta Stevens. ❤️

I overcame the urge to “get something accomplished” and spent the day lost in a good book. It was nothing heavy, nothing political or newsworthy—just enjoyment during a rainy day. I don’t spend enough days like this!

I took the dust cover off of my beloved drum set and sat down to play. Because of dealing with hearing issues, it’s something that I have neglected big time. Got myself some professional musicians earplugs. Put ‘em in and it turned out great. I may not be able to play my drums out in the rain, but it’s a great feeling as well.

Living outside of the US (or even just away from the East Coast) it can be a challenge to find good bagels. Did I mention I really like to eat bagels? A few years ago a friend gave me a bagel recipe, and I started learning the art of boiling and baking. This past year I've been able to increase production, which gives me the opportunity to occasionally surprise friends and new acquaintances with a random bagel delivery. People really like getting (good) surprises, and baked good seem to fall into that category. It's not too much effort to get a few extra in the batch or add a bake into the schedule, so I plan to continue delivering Bagels of Joy. Dancing in the bagel rain I suppose. Best wishes at Burning Man!

1) Just Be Nice: I have dear friends whose mother was to undergo brain surgery a few days following my return from a work trip abroad. I often bring candy home with me, as I prefer it to the US options and ingredients. I knew they along with their relatives were very worried about her surgery, and would be accompanying their mother in the hospital. Normally, I am quite stingy with what I share from the candy stash (One to two items per close friend, typically). I decided to change that and instead assembled a varied stack of options to offer for their waiting time. Thankfully, the mother's surgery was a success. My dear friends and their relatives now have a new candy favorite, too! 2) Pure Joy: Last week, I was in Weeze, Germany for an EDM Festival called Parookaville. Attending these events are what bring pure joy to me, as the music is incredible, people want to be there, and it is very easy for attendees to be themselves. The best part is when you make new friends, share the electric rhythm, and dance your hearts out! Admittedly, I have discovered these venues more recently, and wish I had discovered them sooner! May Jenn's joy live on!

As friends and family will attest, I seem to be wired for acts of kindness over my lifetime. I was waiting till closer to the deadline for Jen’s Challenge to select & write about which recent act to post and this is it. For 6 years after my husband Jack’s stroke, his physical therapist would walk him up and down the condo hallway, and whenever neighbor Armon was in view, he would always bless Jack and give him strength and courage to go on. Armon, an observant Jew from Morocco, and was half the height of Jack in physical stature, but in his religious practice, he stood very, very tall …..going to the synagogue twice daily to pray. You can imagine it was not a small thing to be blessed by such a righteous man. Fast-forward it’s now a year plus a little bit since Jack left the body, and Neighbor Armon decided to sell his apartment. At the same time, I had to flee my apartment to a retirement home because of the roof noise and odor caused from putting on a new roof during the day. Armon sold his apartment so quickly that he had nowhere to go and for weeks was renting a hotel room at a high, unexpected cost. In speaking to Armon over the phone yesterday, I invited him to use the key in our lock box and stay in our unoccupied condo apartment for a few weeks until he could settle on a new home for himself. I expect nothing from Armon… He has already paid us with his prayers and encouragement, which were priceless. Speaking of priceless, this challenge of selfless acts of kindness is such a tribute to Jen and her family and friends … thanks for the opportunity to be part of the challenge.

A couple of weeks ago, I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude—I finally got to play golf again. After a long, stressful year and multiple surgeries, stepping back onto the course felt surreal. As I sat there reflecting, I snapped this photo. Golf has always been a huge part of my life, and being able to return to it after so much uncertainty was deeply emotional. I had a smile on my face the entire day—and I’m smiling again as I write this. It even rained a little, but that didn’t dampen my spirits. My only regret? I didn’t dance in the rain. Thank you for the challenge. :)

Recently in my Zumba class there was an awkward, gawky teenage girl. She was getting exasperated and embarrassed since she was not able to keep up with the instructor's moves. I told her she was doing great - just the fact that she walked through the door showed her courage. I shared with her that I don't know how I had the bravery to come to this class initially but I am thrilled I did. It is my very happy place! She told me I was a good dancer. I thanked her for the compliment and told her that the more you do something, the better you get at it. I told her as long as she was moving, she was doing great and that all of the people were so busy watching the instructor that no one has any time to watch or judge anyone else. She smiled. After class, her mom (whom I didn't realize was in class) came up to me to thank me. She said her daughter had been going through a rough time and whatever I said to her that made her smile, was the first time she had seen her daughter smile in weeks. I am thrilled I was able to put a smile on this young girls face. No one ever knows what struggles or battles others are dealing with. Just be kind! Lisa, I think what you are doing is an awesome tribute to your daughter Jennifer.

I have been falling off my morning routine and have made my days somewhat of a mourning routine lately. It's difficult to get back in the habit when you've fallen off to today I did a short yoga session and breathed in my affirmations: I am a PsyRen, I am a sphinx, I am a bell. Thank you for Jenn''s challenge. 🫶

At the local library there is a librarian who created custom programming for my students. We go every week, like clockwork. The librarian saw a need and made something special for us. My students are all adults with developmemtal disabilities who love to go on outings, especially the library. Here's what I did for this librarian. I'm a new storyteller. I participated in my third storytelling event which had the prompt "Beyond Expectation". I told the story about the challenges and the blessings of going on outings. I talked about this librarian and how my students respond to his kindness, his consideration. I won the storytelling contest! I forwarded my story to the librarian...who shared it with his coworkers... who shared it with management. The librarian is getting a promotion! I was told that my story tipped the scales. I couldn't be happier!

Last week while I was volunteering at Phoenix Children’s Hospital I was called to the Emergency Department to watch a baby who was taken away from his parents due to neglect. The baby was around 9 months old and was quite distraught especially after the nurse had to place an IV into his tiny hand. I tried all of my baby calming tricks trying to help console him but nothing worked. As my shift ended, this child was still quite hysterical and the nurse said I was not to worry as the baby will eventually wear himself out. Well my heart would not let me leave this child and for the next 5 hours I sat rocking and singing to the baby despite his continued hysterical crying. I gave him as much love and care as I could well into the night and although he was unable to calm down, I made sure he wouldn’t be alone in the ED room and stayed until he was admitted to and sent to a room in the hospital. I came home late that night and cried as I told my husband of this tiny person’s struggle and how my heart broke for all he had gone through.

Hello! I chose to do something that brings me complete joy and that is taking my family to the lake and enjoying every minute that we can with family and friends while we are there. Attached is a picture I recently took of my 3 kids on a tube :)