Donna's Diary - November 2010

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna took part in last month’s CORE/Labor Source art show and performance. She read the piece below, which she wrote herself. She liked it so much she wanted it to be her diary entry. Enjoy.

And check out Donna’s blog!

My name is Donna Fairchild Stopa. I moved into the Charles SmartHome on July 3, 2009. I unpacked, then toured the neighborhood to meet our new neighbors. I love my new home. My life is becoming more of what I want it to be. Instead of living in a place where people have to take care of me, I now have a place to call home where I can do more things for myself.

This has been the most spectacular month of my entire life. It’s still sinking in that I’m married to Gerald. I love to see the smiles on people’s faces and to know that they are smiling because they are happy for us. One of the things I like about being married is being called Mrs. instead of Miss. Another good thing is that in the past month I’ve had more hours for my job at In-Clover. I used to work one day a week, and now I work three.

I have been a member of Imagine!’s Board of Directors for the past eight years, and as a Board member I want to do my part to help spread the word about the important work that Imagine! does. That is why I’ve been writing a monthly diary about my experiences living in the Charles SmartHome, working at In-Clover, and learning at CORE/Labor Source classes. You can find it by doing a word search at the Imagine! web site for: Donna’s Diary. (Or you can click here to go directly to my diary).

I hope you will follow along and share in this experience with us as we learn how to budget how to spend our money and spend it wisely. And now that I’m working more days, I make more money. Of course Gerald likes that too.

I hope you will also follow up on my blog because it and my marriage are new phases of my blessed life.