Welcome to the last 9 days of August 2020 and into September 2020
Here's a note I penned to local family groups on my NWCT area (and an hour away) but which can pertain to many... Pat yourrselves on the back for pulling through, so far, so good! I know some who have come through big medical challenges so join me in sending more healing love and support as treatments continue to clear up one young girl's system... and many thanks to those doing the top notch work in the medical field and on all levels that promote healing, naturally, emotionally, spiritually and otherwise...It all adds up!
Hope everyone is feeling 'safe and put back together again' if there were bigger challenges in one's personal, family or community arena. I offer a lot of ideas (and a few stories and poems) on my blog Livfully.org.
The stories include an audio (The Jewel Story by Catherine Palmer Paton) and a text of The Turtle and The Acorn. I have poems for each month and the area too, though I have to put more of them up and organize my blog better. Until then consider it a 'treasure hunt' and someone one may feel inspired by breezing through the titles with the page numbers at the bottom for chronological events. Mostly about the NW CT area and some of the Berkshires, it also covers some Brooklyn adventures when I was living there as a child caregiver for a few years.
They could use a lot more community networking and volunteer efforts along the lines of what happens in smaller rural towns, but parks, the faith communities and some friendly neighborhoods provide some basics. Moozika by Jessie is now online so that may be nice to see. HopAlongAndrew does a remarkable job of enlivening the city with kids songs, generally for a fee per family but others can listen in.
Why not try to sponsor more programs for all families (when it's deemed okay to gather again)? Thankfully there is a lot on youtube so that's a big advance since when I reared my kids in the 90s and early first decade of 2000. We didn't have a computer for a long time, so closing the digital divide (or even tv, phone, radio for those who may need help obtaining access for whatever reason) to help people not feel or be isolated is always important.
Thanks to all learning about Safe & Together Institute or other important resources such as Battered Mothers Custody Conference (sounds scary but it's a premier advocacy group of experts and survivors doing critical research and work to educate the world about court and societal bias against women which leaves children in harm's way.) Okay that's plenty for one post, and the overall idea is to boost morale for everyone as this important time of election and schooling come 'round. Feel free to PM me if that's helpful and I can share info on my blog Livfully.org.
Toastmasters Intn'l is having its conference online this week so a great time to join (and Southern Berkshire Toastmasters is online currently, so another great reason for adults and even youth to visit meetings and learn the basics of that forum, with many other online meetings open and a lot on meetup.com to check out too, and youtube of course about Toasties (a friendly nickncame for the group.) See the FB page for SB Toastmasters...and check out Deb Koffman's IWOW, In Words, Out Words forum on the 1st Tues of the month (also online now.) Best to everybuddy...and hope I was within guidelines
