Step #1 Get off the Couch!
Last night I saw a special on TV that said the time between Dec 20th and Feb 14th was one in which people felt most alone. No concrete reason for this was given.
My thoughts were we could correct this by becoming involved in our community! Join a CLUB. A gym, an activity that might be of interest to you or a family member, volunteer!
Say hello to the person living next door! Greet the Kroger check out person, become active in developing a social network, look outside yourself. Care about others. These are real simple solutions that may just work, researchers suggest these simple steps have been successful steps for people feeling lonely and isolated.
Joining a CLUB, Volunteering, are great ways to instantly increase the number of people in your circle. Several Clubs* I can recommend, are:
Blenko Collectors Society this is a group of men and women who get together annual in Milton, the dues are $50, an award winning colorful newsletter comes four times a year. They don't ask anything of you - and will answer most all of your glass questions. Its a great deal for $50.
http://www.blenkocollectorssociety.com/ .
West Virginia Museum of Glass http://wvmag.bglances.com/. This museum is located in Weston, W. Va. and if you have the time to volunteer they welcome volunteers, the museum is a place you can spends days, researching or just 'looking' they publish books, pamphlets and a newsletter - they are associated with a group that meets one night a week to study WVa Glass. Check out the website.
Huntington Museum of Art http://www.hmoa.org/ . This of course is here in Huntington. As a child, my Mom would take my friends and I to see exhibits and for special events on Saturdays. The gift shop was always one of my favorite places to spend money. The website has information about special and on going events, ways to volunteer. Check out the website.
West Virginia Culture Center http://www.wvculture.org/agency/cultcenter.html. In Charleston, The West Virginia Museum of History and Culture at the State Capitol Complex should be a must see. This is a great place to volunteer. The exhibits change often.
Blenko Project.
http://www.blenkoproject.org/. This is a group always in need of volunteers to assist with upkeep of the Blenko garden and lake area. The goal is to promote BLENKO GLASS and the West Virginia craftsmen who make BLENKO and other glass. Interested, click on and link and send an email with your name and address.
If Glass isn't your thing - go to the gym, or to a coffee shop, get out of the house just for today! Don't forget to take the laptop - must read the blog!