Leadership Training Seminar takes place at Sugar Factory

Just what I needed. A rep for John Weinrich, realtor, left me a coupon for half a dozen melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts from Weinrich's Bakery.

Since today was our Leadership Training Seminar at my house, I dutifully drove to Weinrich's this morning, arriving shortly after they opened.

I am not used to being up and about at 7 a.m.

It was wonderful! Snow flurries were falling and the world was clean and beautiful at that hour. I had the road all to myself.

Only two customers were at the bakery and I was taken right away. I picked 6 assorted doughnuts.

Lemme tell you something. I used to abbrev "doughnut" as "donut." But it doesn't do the confection justice. Look at the full and b'ful word "doughnut." Doesn't it make your mouth water?

Weinrich's donuts, photo from the Internet

Since our Leadership meeting ran from 11:30 to 1 pm, I needed to provide sustenance for the eleven people who attended. The leaders of our Family Member Group - Carole and Greg Hodges - were vacationing in Cancun.

From Starbucks Huntingdon Valley, I got a box of Decaf and a box of Regular, plus leftovers from the day before.

The manager, Matthew, had filled a huge bin with enough sugar treats to render comatose every insulin-dependent diabetic in the room.

plastic container from Starbux which I'll return tomro.

Half the people left by 1:30 and here are the remaining people.

We all wore name badges like at our meetings. I conducted a simulated meeting, giving people roles to play in the group. I wanted to teach them how to deal with difficult people or situations.

Phil, standing by the door, played "the intrusive person" who constantly must comment on everything a person says. The group began laffing, he did such a good job and was in everybody's face who tried to talk.

Fontaine played the "monopolizer" - I had her talk about her fave hobby: shopping - but people thot she was so interesting they didn't mind!

Fontaine, a family member, is personal mentor to several family members. She does a superb job.

Johannes said he enjoyed learning about Fontaine, whom he had seen at group but never spoken to.

I'd wrin a 12-page Leadership Handbook for everyone - find it here on the ND website - but, after the group, I needed to add a few new informative grafs.

Par example, she said en francais, a physician and his wife brot their son to the Beck Institute in Bala Cynwyd. They were told to make a list of all the unusual words their son spoke when he was getting manic. These can serve as a guide to recognize mania.

When I was first manic when I was 38, I also used an entirely new vocabulary. I had no idea where it came from. I declared myself "a spiritual healer" - "a codebreaker" - and used the word "energy," emanating from the sun, to describe myself.

To prepare for the meeting, I cleaned my house from top to bottom. What a great feeling! I also prepared the handout well in advance.

But I had no idea how to conduct the meeting. Sitting on my steps the entire time, I decided, as I called the group to order, to have a simulated meeting.

We did a go-round w/everyone introducing themselves, such as, Hi, I'm Ruth Deming and as you know I had bipolar for 20 yrs but it's been gone for good. Sometimes it goes away later in life.

"Vince," a bipolar guy w/a great job, brot his 13-yr-old dtr Caroline b/c he didn't want to leave her home alone.

When it was her turn, she said she was glad her father was all better cuz it was really scary living with him when he was manic and angry.

We reassured her he'd be fine b/c he "obeys the rules," that is, takes his meds.

Vince had been an insightful group member so I wanted him to join our team.

Helen has been w/us for 20 years! She runs the Giant daytime meeting and the Bonfire of the Vanities. (I have no idea what that is. A book?)

Here's Ada Fleisher, while Ron Abrams descends the staircase at Tara. Ron brot up some important points concerning suicidal individuals in group. What to do?

He and Fontaine role-played about this.

Johannes and I later spoke about this on the phone and have come up with a new strategy to help people.

These meetings are so helpful! Brainstorming.

I thanked Helen for helping clean up. She made sure all the goodies were out of my house. Everyone who wanted took something home.

Phil had made a resolution - no sweets! - and stuck to it.

Diabetic moi only had two bites of a cinnamon bun, a bite of a chocolate raspberry truffle and two cups of delicious steaming hot decaf.

Tonite is movie nite! Right now, Scott is baking the pizza next door, and he'll surprise me w/one of his films or we'll put on selections from the Twilight Zone, which I only watch when Scott is with me.

I'm a lifelong 'frady cat.