The Crowning -- And -- The Next Chapter

Scroll down for updated program plan announcements, updated, Wednesday, July 29, 2:30 p.m.

I was crowned “Goddess Of The Glade” that is the New Horizons/Small “Zones Of Peace” (NH/ZOP) Retreat Center and Forest Bathing Sanctuary, at my 80th birthday celebration. 

It was a beautiful and uplifting event experience for me and for the others attending, both in person, properly socially-distanced, and by conference call, up against the backdrop of the pandemic crisis. 

How good it felt to have reason for celebrating! 

The occasion’s theme, “Celebrate Life: Yours, Mine and Ours,” drove home that all lives matter – and – how very grateful each one of us was to be able to honor a day like this, alive and well. In the midst of this strange and difficult time.

And – for NH/ZOP a new chapter began, ushered in by the “Open To The Public” Pandemic Survivors’ Discussion And Support Group, preceding a set of very special dedications and birthday rituals, created especially for me by my devoted board members.

For the past fourteen years, the work of the two intertwined non-profit organizations, the New Horizons Support Network, Inc. and Small “Zones Of Peace” Inc.  (NH/ZOP), I founded, the latter co-founded by Sue deVeer and myself, have presented many programs on behalf of groups and organizations in our closest local community, Frederick, Maryland, most frequently on a pro bono basis that I/we happily considered a way of paying forward.

Among the best known of these have been our Coffee House Conversations, our Abkhazian Dinners and our specially designed "Conflict Resolution And Anger Management #101" program for the UNESCO Center For Peace for high school students from around the world, based out of Frederick.

But there will be no more of these, on our local level. Certainly, not anytime in the foreseeable future.  

Those days are over, I remind myself, as my thoughts open up the heartache, once again, of the deep sorrows of our present circumstances 

Question: So where do we go from here?

Updated, Wednesday, July 29, 2:30 p.m.

Our coming attractions, already in motion include two major shifts:

1. Present and future programs into the foreseeable future will focus on reaching out beyond the local for national participation, with an intention of establishing regular, ongoing nationwide conference call support groups, and

2. Opening up our very peaceful Forest Bathing Sanctuary for limited, on-site, very small groups. Maximum 4 people. (Next NH/ZOP Forest Bathing Event. August 22 11:30 - 2:30)

Other developments, now in progress

Mss Study Group, Friday mornings. 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 

This is the one that earns you your ticket to: 1. Our daily Pandemic Survivors Support Groups and;  2. Monthly Truth Or Dare GAMES and; 3. GAME Community Support Groups (Temporarily on pause, as we start up our new tracks, as offered on this list.)

Daily Pandemic Survivors Support Group (now on Monday and Wednesday mornings, time varies, usually begins 10 a.m. Led by Sue deVeer.)

Monthly “Open To The Public Pandemic Survivors Discussion-Support Groups,” limited on-site spaces available. Maximum 4 people. (Next August 22. 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) Led by Anastasia. 

Monthly storytelling at the NH/ZOP Fire Circle. (Next Fire Circle Storytelling, August 22, 6 on.) Led by Anastasia. 

Also developing -- Anastasia The Storyteller Online Radio Shows to be increased with future shows including NH/ZOP Board Members. Some shows will also particularly want to encourage call ins and after show conference calls support and dialogue to follow up on program topics.

OMG! What a menu!

Please come eat at our table, far enough away, yet still able to join me/us for the sharing of human nourishment.

For details and reservations, contact -- Anastasia at: 
MountainWomanRJ@aol.com