October 15, 2007 - Farmington Valley, CT

Monday, October 15th I spoke to a group of about 50 people at the Valley Baptist Community Church in Avon, CT. It was a lovely church. You could tell they were very involved with their community and in helping a lot of folks.

Rick Connel, President of the NAMI - Farmington Valley affiliate was kind enough to invite me to his home for a Chinese dinner. We both shared our family experiences with mental illness and how it impacts so many people.

Again, the group was wonderful and there were many great questions. I also had the good fortune of meeting Frances Pass and several other active members. Frances, I hope we have a chance to sit down and have a long talk someday - since we're both southern girls who have lived in the north.

One woman shared that her symptoms of bipolar disorder showed up during her first semester of law school at Harvard. Talk about a stress trigger! I was extremely impressed and glad to hear that she finished her degree and has been practicing law. She is a great advocate for folks who are not be able to advocate for themselves.

Here is a group shot from the meeting:

From left to right: Nancy Kunak - President NAMI Newington, Francis Pass - Vice President, NAMI Farmington Valley, Rick Connel - President, NAMI Farmington Valley, (Dot) Dorothy Gilbey - Former Treasurer, NAMI Farmington Valley, and Angela Grett.

NAMI - Fairfield County

On Thursday, October 11, I had the honor of speaking to a group of approximately 50 people at the First Congregational Church in Fairfield, CT.

The event was sponsored by NAMI - Fairfield County, NAMI - Trumball County, NAMI - Samford County, and Fairfield University. Betsy Entwisle, Peter Case, and Sharon Abbate were gracious hosts to me that evening. The auditorium was set up and ready to go when I arrived. By the way, it was pouring down rain that night. They all came out to my car with umbrellas and h elped me unload the car. Amazingly, everything was relatively dry!

As the 7:30 start time approached, attendees began to stream in. Most of them were nursing students from Fairfield University. I understand they were attending the meeting in lieu of the classroom that week. They seemed attentive just the same.

The presentation was video-taped and will be aired on public access television in the near future. I will post the date and time as soon as I receive the information.

The question and answer portion of the evening was fantastic! There were a lot of great questions. I was touched by a mother diagnosed with bipolar disorder who asked questions about how she could make life better for her two young children. In reality, she knew there would be times when her illness took over and she would not be herself. She had obviously taken responsibility for her illness and her desire to maintain a loving, safe, and open environment for her children was truly inspiring.

Unfortunately, because we turned off lights during the presentation, I don't have any photos to share from the meeting. However, here are a few incredible autumn shots of the area. The first was taken in a park near Manchester, CT.

This photo is from another park in Manchester (my home base for the first 10 days)...

This one captures some of the foliage and the beautiful rivers that run throughout central region of CT...

Here are a couple of shots of Long Island Sound from Hammonasset Beach, a state park near Madison, CT.

We have enjoyed blue skies for most of the trip.

October 11, 2007 - Connecticut

We arrived in Manchester, CT Tuesday night. It was an intense two-day drive, but we made it safely. Max and Rosie were great travelers. We're all adapting to the cooler temperatures and enjoying the fall colors.

I will be speaking at the NAMI - Fairfield County meeting this evening at 7:30. Fairfield, CT is the hometown of a very dear friend, so I'm looking forward to visiting the area.

Please check back soon as I will post pictures and thoughts from the meeting.

On the road,

Angela

Tour Launch

Welcome to the Hope for Healing Tour blog. The purpose of this blog is to share experiences and people I meet during my upcoming cross-country speaking tour.

On October 8th, I will pack the car and my furry children, Max & Rosie, and head to New England. I have the honor of speaking at six NAMI events throughout New England. It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet a lot of folks, share a message of hope, and make a difference.

Please visit the blog often as I will post photos, stories and thoughts as the trip progresses.

Kind regards,

Angela Grett, CBP