Giving Back: Helping Others Does Help Me

Help others

I’ll just give you a plethora of reasons why this is a MUSTHelping people has a ripple effect. If you help someone they will feel more obliged to help someone else, and so on. Pay it forwardYou grow by giving and helping others. It can change you in ways you never expectedYour relationship with that person will become strongerIt’s the most fulfilling thing you can do on this planet. It not only feels amazing physically, you also feel like a good personI couldn't have chosen a more perfect Life Secret & Tip for this day then this one from the order of the list which it was selected from, as I love helping and sharing with others if and when I am able.This brings to me to where I was yesterday.  The Grey-Bruce VON held a Christmas luncheon for all their SMART Program Volunteers to give thanks and gratitude for the time and commitment all these wonderful woman have chosen to give from their own day to day busy lives.  Since Grey-Bruce is such a vast area should the two counties be combined, a luncheon was given at a Tiverton location last Friday, with volunteers more geared to this area attending the luncheon yesterday at the Stone Tree Golf & Country Club in Owen Sound.Before I go any further, I must confess this is the second time this year I have had the pleasure of lunching at the Stone Tree Golf & County Club, with the food being beyond exceptional on both occasions.  Good choice Grey-Bruce VON !The luncheon was a time to gather and enjoy other woman volunteers who are all Instructors for the VON SMART Program throughout all of Grey-Bruce Counties.  How nice to have a social time to relax and share all together, with each and every person having something to give in their own special way.  Giving in itself is something special, lending to many personal rewards."Dorothy Embacher is the VON SMART Coordinator for  Grey-Bruce Area, as I am sure I have mentioned many times throughout the past weeks.  The lady, speaking across the room in this photo,  is Marianne.  Marianne is Dorothy's right hand woman, and God help us all should her right arm ever be cut off, as the old saying goes, "the glue which holds it all together", is how I see Marianne being in her position "behind the scenes" with VON.  Marianne was, I am sure, the first to arrive making sure everything had been setup and in its rightful place."Dorothy so ever fun loving and thoughtful, also being the woman responsible for spreading the glue, had invited a most delightful local writer as Guest Speaker, to read from two of her published books for us.  This lady was Sheila Balls, Author of "Somebody Move the Cat !" and "Our Side of the Fence". 

"As Sheila was reading from her book "Our Side of the Fence" there was not a person in the room who did not have a smile on their face or a laugh come from their being while listening so some of Sheila's personal anecdotes."

Sheila's first book of personal essays, Somebody Move the Cat, was accepted by The Brucedale Press, the first publisher she sent it to, and came out in 2003. In 2005 she self-published Our Side of the Fence while living on beautiful Bass Lake south of Wiarton. Sheila, along with her husband, Carl, now reside in Grey-Highlands where she is now working on a third book.  Should anyone like to contact Sheila in person to have her as a Guest Speaker, or purchase one of her books, as either or both books would make wonderful gifts, please do so by emailing Sheila at carlsheila.balls@gmail.com .  I am in constant "awe" of how many talented people I have been so blessed to have met in the matter of a few short weeks !!!  I could not have been more grateful that Dorothy was so thoughtful to have had such a "delightful" Guest Speaker as Sheila Balls.Another amazing talented lady I have had the pleasure of knowing and being in her company for the past few weeks, is Cathy McDowell.  Cathy was the VON SMART part-time coordinator who was teaching the most recent VON SMART Course I, myself, just completed last week.  Our group so appreciated Cathy's knowledge, caring and humour, we all went together to having a shirt made for her, that she had seen another of us wearing and loving it on first sight. 

"Cathy is such a wonderful person and "Exercise is Medicine" absolutely sums it all up for Cathy, as being one of her strongest beliefs, or so I have perceived it to be one."




Cathy has been an inspiration to myself personally, and has so encouraged me, and not without gratitude.  As encouragement and caring are all part of giving back to each other.  Thanks Cathy, and I know you are only an email away.
"Our time together had came to an end this day, so we all grouped together with the fun memories of this time we were able to spend together as VON SMART volunteers."

By the time I had arrived back home, my "Crabby Cabbie" had left to do what he does best, with my "pack" all happy to see me and anxiously waiting my attention.  Needless to say, I was tired after such a day so wonderfully spent, so nothing further accomplished this day.I plan to stay home in my day ahead, however since I am in and out quite frequently with any one of the "pack", it being usually more often with Little Mercedes, I best be checking in with my Wiarton Airport Weatherman guy.

There it is in black and white.  I am happy our luncheon was Yesterday, and not Tomorrow, and this Present day I am remaining at home.  I am sure all the snow will be a definite for "setting the mood", will it not Bing?


For those who have never been North of the Checkerboard, the best I have ever heard it described was on the Stoke's Bay General Store's website,  the store being located where else other in Stoke's Bay which by the way just happens to be North of the Checkerboard, so enjoy the read at the following web link:

http://www.stokesbaygeneralstore.ca/behind.htm

Keeping in mind, anything "highlighted" within my "blog" will take you to where more information may be gained.

With there being always lots to do, and Christmas Baking not even started, I am off to have myself a new adventure in my day ahead, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".