Heard over the back fence: Dance the night away

LOOK FOR GOODNESS:
 The “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar notes the following interesting viewpoint: “The truth is, we see in life what we want to see. If you search for ugliness, you’ll find plenty of it. If you want to find fault with other people, your career, or the world in general, you’ll certainly be able to do so. But the opposite is also true. If you look for the extraordinary in the ordinary, you can train yourself to see it.”

DANCING SHOES TIME!
A series of dance nights are scheduled at the Shingle Springs Community Center, 4440 South Shingle Rd. The Nov. 2 dance night will feature Western Swing music. Light refreshments will be provided, and a $5 donation is welcome. For more information, call Maria Brugger at 530-306-4614.

SENIOR CITIZENS BALL:
 All senior citizens are invited to the annual “Senior Ball” at Camerado Springs Middle School, 2480 Merry Chase Dr., Cameron Park, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 2. Admission is free. Western attire is encouraged. Please RSVP to Susanna Fong at sfong@buckeyeusd.org or by phone at 530-677-1658, ext. 1605.

SNOW SHOVEL ADVICE:
 Review the “Who Knew?” calendar and you will discover the following sage advice: “Before going out to shovel snow, coat the blade of your snow shovel with cooking spray. That way the snow and ice will slide right off the shovel instead of sticking to it. This works on both plastic and metal shovels!”

WOULD YOU LIKE A FREE BOOK? 
The “Let’s Read Together Storytime” program for children is scheduled for the first Saturday of each month, at 10:30 a.m., at the Placerville Main Library, 345 Fair Lane. A free book is given to the first 30 families. For more information, call 530-621-5547.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: 
The El Dorado County chambers of commerce are offering a series of social media training classes for business owners. Classes are held on the second Thursday of each month, at 9 a.m., at Business Workspaces, 5170 Golden Foothill Parkway, El Dorado Hills. Classes are $20 for chamber members or $45 for non-members. Class topics include Pinterest Tips and Techniques, Easy Video — YouTube, Power Up Your Linkedlin Profile, and the Hot Test Platform for the Future and more. Contact your local chamber for tickets. For more information, call 530-621-5885.

EXIT STAGE RIGHT? 
Richard Lederer’s “Anguished English” calendar presents the following “Wrong Word:” “It always seemed to me that death must be the most exiting of all adventures.”

PROM NIGHT GENEROSITY: 
Soroptimist International of Placerville sponsors an annual “Prom Boutique” to help young high school women who cannot afford to attend prom night. If you have new or gently used gowns and accessories, you can drop them off at River City Bank, 348 Main St., Placerville. To have dresses picked up or for more information, call 530-919-4612. How about recycling earrings, handbags, wraps and shoes to match? Gift certificates from local hair salons and nail salons are gladly accepted.

ENJOY LOCAL THEATER:
 The El Dorado Hills Senior Center has a theater group which carpools and enjoys local theatrical and musical productions. For more information, call 916-358-3575.

SENIOR SANTA FUNDRAISER: 
The “Friends of El Dorado County Seniors” group is raising funds for the “Senior Santa,” a project to help senior citizens, locally, who cannot afford to buy Christmas presents for their families and loved ones and have a hard time getting out to shop. The goal is to enable at least 20 seniors to shop for Christmas. Each senior will be transported and accompanied by a caregiver or a “Friends of Seniors” volunteer on Dec. 10. After shopping, there will be a gathering, where local students will help with gift wrapping and refreshments. To donate, please make your check out to Friends of Seniors/Marshall Foundation and mail the check to PO Box 564, Placerville 95667.

A DALAI DILLY:
 Look over the “Insight from the Dalai Lama” calendar, and you will discover the following thought: “Great compassion is the root of altruistic action, the object of amazement to the world; there is no grater source of help and happiness.”

Send your jokes and event items for Heard Over the Back Fence column to Bob Billingsley at the Mountain Democrat, PO Box 1088, Placerville 95667, or drop them off at 1360 Broadway. First and last name of contact person are required. Phone 530-344-5036. Follow @BBillingsleyMtDemo on Twitter.

Bob Billingsley

Bob Billingsley writes Heard Over the Back Fence three times a week, keeping his pen on the pulse of the community. He also writes a biweekly column called Billingsley's Bullets, in which he uses “sideways” thinking to make your day a little easier to handle.

View all my stories Email Me