What act of human kindness would you do if you came into a vast amount of money?

Yukon? Wow! That must have been a fascinating trip.

You would enjoy Mackinac Island. There are no cars allowed, just bikes and horses. It's such a respite not to hear the revving of motors or to be tailgated - horses seem to have more sense than some drivers and just trot along at a leisurely pace. They don't message their relatives or play with SmartPhones, they don't tailgate or make rude gestures, they don't cut in front of other horses.

I haven't been there in years but there's a lovely forest you'd enjoy - the fragrance of evergreens is dominant throughout.

Company - of course!!! That would be fun. I do want to take one last trip to the lake, but in some ways any lake that is beautiful, unspoiled and tranquil brings back the memories. We stayed in a cabin on Watson Lake in the Yukon a few summers ago, It did it for me. I have heard that the wild parts of Michigan are lovely. Nature heals,

Would you like some company the next time you go there???

It reminds me of the Houghton Lake area in Michigan - I haven't been there for years but it's bucolic, rustic, soothing... a real foresty getaway. Hopefully it hasn't changed over the years but I wouldn't be surprised to find a fast food row somewhere in the area.

Your dream sounds so soothing.

thx garden. It is a conglomerate of my grandfathers cabin in the bush by a lake, which was the place where the family was the most relaxed and mother's rants less frequent and/or we could escape to the woods or the lake when she went of, and various places I have been since and the dream of many years to set up a retreat for tired and hurting people. Ex and I had a vision to do this as he was coming into some money, but he gambled and drank and ... it away. I guess I still have the dream.

Emjo, your comment is so descriptive that I can visually it in my mind. I think tonight I'll take a mental stroll through your respite area.

a retreat for all who are tired from... life...

it would be near water with lots of trees around, wild life, especially birds so you could hear them singing...

kind of a rustic atmosphere but with hot tubs and as jude said comfy beds and crisp sheets . and good food and places to prepare your own if you wanted to

art/photography classes, raised beds to do a little gardening of you wanted to, old movies available, boats and canoes for the lake,

crisp not crips^

oh and comfy beds with crips sheets and no noise to wake us

I think I might just spend my first few hundred thousands on giving you all a well deserved holiday - your choice mountain lakes woodland beach but wherever you are you will have access to a masseur/se every day and a facial for the ladies and shave and facial for the men to ease the stresses and strains of the last fe years away. In the evenings we all get to sit in our pjs and Skype to each other all the positives of the day - wouldn't that be just grand

Patron Saint of lost causes you know Lu!!!!

Id give it to the Saint Jude Childrens Hostpital to help little kids.

YES! to CM's post, It made me think of all the everyday things I wish were different.
I would hire a bunch of clever engineers to re design all those assistive devices I get so annoyed at. Bath chairs that are actually comfortable and recline for hair washing. Toilet seat extensions that pop off and on easily for cleaning yet are secure. Wheelchairs that are designed to handle rough outdoor sidewalks yet don't cost an arm and a leg... how come I can buy a cheap bike with shock absorbers but if I want to add them to a basic wheelchair they cost $500? Each? And while I'm thinking of affordability, why is it I can buy a lift to raise and lower a car for a fraction of the price of one to lift a wheelchair into my home?

First, I would put aside for my 'retirement' or nest egg.

Second, I would give token amounts to my siblings and the nieces who helped changed dad's pampers while I was on vacation.

Third, I would then see a financial planner or something. See if we can invest the money where I can get income from it yearly. This specific amount of money will be used solely for the cancer treatments of those in my island. While the US mainland's cancer rates are going down, our teeny tiny island's cancer rate is increasing. One person dies of cancer every 2 1/2 days. (Last year, it was one person who died of cancer every 3 days.)

There is a Financial Stipulation for those who have cancer to qualify from the trust fund. My dad and I are what you call the poor Middle Income family. We just make too much to Not qualify for all the local/federal low income projects/funding. After paying our bills, we rarely have enough money to buy food that would fill our fridge and the pantry. So, I would want my funds to go towards the lower Middle Income families who struggles financially in everything but don't qualify for anything...

I would invest some for my own retirement.

I would give some to a few places of higher education to create scholarship grants to help deserving students with tuition.

I would send my SIL and BIL on various trips so that they could relax and have some fun in their life.

I would likely move to another house where we would have to downsize because it would be the right size for two people and be very easy to get around it without a complicated yard with all sorts of landscaping that requires maintenance. I would still like a separate garage where I could put my "Man Cave."

Love it CM!

I would invest in a manufacturing company dedicated to the design and production of furniture and accessories suitable for frail or disabled people that are not bloody ugly.

And washing machines that can handle small frequent loads at an unusual array of temperatures.

And handling belts. Mother's was black with a day-glo orange go-faster stripe on it. Funny she never wanted to wear that…

And smart disabled parking bays, that use special ability and purpose recognition software (it would have to read minds) and vaporise anyone emerging from a car who has no business to be parked there. They'd just vanish into a pit, and all you'd hear would be a little muffled screech and then a puff of smoke.

They might get *one* chance to say they are very very sorry and will never do it again. In that case they get ejected from the pit fifteen feet in the air and back onto the pavement. Serve 'em right if they do need a disabled parking bay after that.

JudeAH, you stole my idea! Seriously, I would like to build a couple of lovely homes that include assisted living and memory care. I would have the most beautiful things on the campus. Even those with severe dementia would receive benefit. I would have waterfalls in the lobby, fish tanks, state of the art visuals, etc. I would have a well trained staff with enough to give each person much attention. It would be a place that people would feel good about going if they had to or chose to go. It would be like a spa and resort. Those with funds could pay to go and those who could not afford it, could also go if they qualify.

I would also build a Endocrinology Center that specializes in diabetes. It would have the best doctors in the country and provide education to those in need. It would have a gym with special training for those who need weight loss and focus on those with obesity as well.

I would hire a private police force to enforce traffic laws and stop dangerous drivers in my community. Some people are too stupid to drive now days and/or they can't put their phone down long enough to get across town. That has to stop.

I would build a dream house for my parents so the rest of their days would be spent enjoying an outdoor living room complete with birdsand any flowers they want year round.

I would fund research to help fight Tuberous Sclerosis, so my little niece can have a chance at a normal life.

Then, with the money left over from my 350 million, I would fly around the world attending all the rock concerts that my heart desires, hang out with the band and live like a hippie. lol

Jeanette, you and I on on opposite coasts but thinking very much like. There's a 300+ acre farm for sale a little ways north of me--I'd carve out 50 or so for our dream home/farm/shop complex, and devote the rest to a non-profit transitioning retiring racehorses into second careers as riding horses.

If we are talking millions as in winning the super lotto, well then :)

I would buy about 20 wooded acres here in Oregon that has one of our gorgeous rivers running through it and build my dream home. THEN I would have architects come in and design a Animal Care/Adoption Center that could house animals of all kinds. Hire a full time vet and other needed employees. Open the door for business as a non profit organization. Invest the rest of the money wisely so it will have enough interest to keep everything running smoothly.

Notice I mention no family, not even my son?

I am pretty much like GardenArtist, I would keep the money... but since I have always been frugal my whole life I know I wouldn't change so part of that money would need to be put to good use.

If there was enough money I would donate the money to have a new fire house built for the volunteer fire department and volunteer EMT's in my area. These guys and gals are outstanding. If not enough money, then something to help them out.

I would come up with a better handicap accessible bathroom at public places. The ones they have now will not work for Mom since she cannot pivot well enough to sit on the toilet. I would love to see a larger bathroom with a bar on the wall and a portable toilet that you can let them use and then have a toilet in the same room, or a way to dump the portable toilet.

I would also like to set up respite care for caregivers...either come into the home for a few hours or something like you said Jude. A place where everyone is welcome and we all work together.

Windy, years and years ago I watched a Senate subcommittee or committee hearing on which Carl Levin and now Secretary of State John Kerry, among many others, participated.

Publishers' Clearing House and others well known fundraisers were brought before the (sub)committee to explain their aggressive and dishonest actions, especially with elders. Back pedaling and self protection was the order of the day.

Of course they really were all very good folks, just trying to spread money around, through the use of the Beltway Bandits and their duplicitous fundraising techniques.

The (sub)committee members eventually backed these $1,000 suit boys into a corner and forced them to admit the truth about the solicitations....especially the emotional pleas to families of MIA/POWs. The tear jerker fund raising solicitations were admitted to have been prepared by the Beltway Bandits, sitting not on a ship in the Gulf of Tonkin as the tear jerker appeals letters claimed, but rather sitting in their air conditioned offices in D.C. or Virginia, creating sob stories to cheat families of their money.

These people are the scum of the earth; if any largesse were devoted to rehabilitating or punishing them, I'd suggest something like real work, getting hands dirty and crawling on knees work. Maybe Sheriff Joe could use them out on his AZ chain gangs.

I'm a pretty selfish person so I'd prefer just to keep the money for myself and my retirement, but if it was a really generous amount, AFTER taxes, I'd use it to create art and nature respite programs for vets.

I realized how healing and therapeutic needlework can be when I taught adult ed classes, and know how much nature contact can heal wounded souls. I just recently read of a gardening program for vets; that would be close to something I'd consider.

It would of course have to have a pollinator garden, a respite for the bees and butterflies as well as humans. There would be assistive beds as well, built up so people in wheelchairs could access them.

Fragrant plants and herbs would be in abundance. Hardscape would as much as possible be created by participants. Plants such as violet flowers would be dried to use in art work, which would be sold at art shows.

There would be an annual show of creations, open to the public, to encourage similar programs elsewhere.

And of course there would be absolutely no pesticides or chemicals used regardless of how much damage might be caused to the plants.

So causing you no angst at all then windy!!!!!!

Glad you brought this up cause just the other day when I called Mom she had just gotten off the phone with publishers clearing house. D*mn if she hadn't won 15 million bucks and a brand new truck! All she had to do was go to Walmart or cvs and send a money order to some po box and collect her loot.

I thought I had "scam proofed" her. Guess I got so more work to do. But if she had won 15 million and shared it with me, I would spend it all on the best geek squad money can buy and track down these vermin and have them exterminated. And maybe save enough for new boat.........