Heard over the back fence: Labor Day Bazaar time again

GLOBAL ADVICE:
 My friend John Chapman gave me the following “Advice from the Earth” T-shirt statement: “Be well rounded — Keep a positive atmosphere — Have a magnetic personality — Celebrate diversity — Think globally — Be good to your mother — There’s no place like home!”

LABOR DAY BAZAAR:
 The 40th annual Labor Day Bazaar will take place on Monday, Sept. 3, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Main Street, Diamond Springs. There will be dozens of vendors, music, food and beverages. This is always a fun event.

EXCHANGING IDEAS AND VIEWPOINTS:  On the last Friday of each month, from 2 to 3 p.m., the Book Club meets to discuss books and authors at the El Dorado Hills Senior Center, 990 Lassen Lane. The group leader is Mary Pearson. Drop-ins are welcome.

NAMI ED PROGRAM: 
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is accepting enrollment for the “NAMI Family to Family Educational Program.” This 12-week program is free for families and friends of people whose lives have been impacted by mental illness. The class starts on Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Department of Education, 6767 Green Valley Rd., Placerville. This class is taught by family members who have been trained by NAMI certified instructors. To enroll, call Maureen Focht at 530-621-4834 or Jan Melnicoe at 530-677-2676.

DISHWASHER DISCUSSION:
 The following statement appears in the “Who Knew?” calendar: “Those plastic baskets that berries come in are perfect for small items in your dishwasher. Just wedge in place and throw bottle tops, lids, and small utensils inside.”

QUILTS, LUNCH AND MORE:
 The Gold Bug Quilters Quilt Show is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Church of the Foothills, 2380 Merrychase Drive, Cameron Park. Admission price is $7. Gentlemen and children have free admission. In addition to the beautiful quilts, there will be a raffle quilt, vendors, a basket boutique, a silent auction, demonstrations, lunch and refreshments.

WAITING FOR THE STORK: 
Pregnant women and their partners are invited to a class titled “Childbirth Education” on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Placerville. This class is a fast-paced childbirth class, which will focus on the stages of labor, medical options, and pain management. The class fee is $6. First Five El Dorado offers a generous scholarship to assist with the class fee. Bring snacks, drinks and your lunch for the lunch break. For exact location information and to register for class, call 530-626-2990.

LEARN TO LET GO:
 The “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar has the following thought regarding fearful thoughts: “Let go of fearful thoughts. If you gathered up all the fearful thoughts that exist in the mind of the average person, looked at them objectively, and tried to decide just how much good they provided that person, you would see that not some but all fearful thoughts are useless. They do no good. Zero. They interfere with dreams, hopes, desires, and progress.”

NEW FITNESS CLASS:
A new fitness class titled “Sit and Get Fit” is scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays after Sept. 4, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the El Dorado Hills Senior Center, 990 Lassen Lane. The class punch card fees are $50 for a 10-class punch card or $80 for a 20-class punch card. Husband and wife may share the same card. Preregistration is not necessary. Join this group for a complimentary class, and try it out! For more information, call 916-358-3575.

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSES:
 On Wednesday, Sept. 5, the El Dorado Hills Garden Club will meet in the Community Room at Raley’s Supermarket, 3935 Park Dr., El Dorado Hills. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. Master Gardener Eve Kener will discuss “Pruning Roses.” Visitors are welcome. For more information, call 916-358-5759.

DO THE MATH: 
Richard Lederer’s “Anguished English” calendar notes the following “Jumping to Confusions:” “At a gas station: Cokes $.49 / 2 for $1.”

GOLD BUG ENTERTAINMENT:
 Have you visited Gold Bug Park and Mine lately? The mine, stamp mill, museum and gift shop hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week, through October. Admission to mine and stamp mill is $4 for adults, $2 for children ages 7 to 16. Children 6 and under are admitted free. All children must be accompanied by an adult. You can also enjoy Gold Bug Park’s picnic area and two miles of hiking trails. For more information, call 530-642-5207. The park is located at 2635 Gold Bug Lane off Bedord Avenue, Placerville.

NO USED BOOK SALE TOMORROW: Because of the Labor Day weekend, the Placerville Main Library will not be conducting their used book sale tomorrow (Saturday). The next book sale will be on Oct. 6.

A DALAI DILLY: 
Reviewing the “Insight from the Dalai Lama” calendar, I found the following statement: “Whether one believes in a religion or not, whether one asserts that there are former and future lifetimes or not, there is no one who does not appreciate compassion.”

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.

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