Glenbrooke News

This website is designed to bring neighbors together by sharing news, events, knowledge, ideas and resources.

We all moved to Glenbrooke with the idea of enjoying this stage of our lives to the fullest. Our sincerest wish is that this website will help you better enjoy your community and neighborhood.

The only requirements for posting are to obey copyright laws and keep it friendly.   there are many issues that people will disagree about but we will  insist that all posts remain civil.

We are counting on the contributions of neighbors to make this site successful.    Submit articles or Contact us at newsofglenbrooke@gmail.com.

9/21/09

The  other night, I was asked why I started this website, I used the easy answer; I wanted a place where neighbors could share ideas, get to know one another and be involved in Glenbrooke.

While those reasons are certainly valid, I also needed a sense of purpose and the ability to feel I could still contribute.

When I left my last position, it was with a sense of new adventures, travel and consulting.    Those plans dissipated several months later when I suffered a stroke.

I have worked very hard both physically and cognitively to recover.   I had to relearn many things - including the value of numbers, how to add and subtract.  I spend 2-4 hours a day on cognitive exercises- hey card games countJ   While I can use the computer keyboard, I still have trouble writing and making letters.   Thank goodness for spell check in computers!

I was feeling lost - I was just a consumer in society and had nothing to offer.   Then my best friend, Doni Greenberg, suggested I write a blog for her website www.anewscafe.com.   I wrote everyday at first.  As I wrote, I started to be more comfortable with my limitations.  I finally felt I still might be able to do SOMETHING.  Doni helped me find my voice again.   Then we moved to Glenbrooke.

We didn’t know anyone in the area, let alone the neighborhood.  But we quickly found people here are accepting and friendly and I now have a new community.

The experience at anewscafe.com gave me exposure to a tool that can help build a sense of community.  So, gather around the virtual “water cooler” to exchange ideas, chat with friends and meet new residents.

It is something I CAN do. I may have to do it in small increments and I need a lot of help correcting errors, typos, grammar and spelling.   My new friend our neighbor Vickie Glaser graciously agreed to edit the newsletter. We quickly worked out a system to post GlenbrookeNews.com weekly.  Jim Gore is the technical support behind this website - without him, I would still be lost. Doni and all the writers at anewscafe.com are so supportive.   I know you will come to love them as much as I do as we have been given permission to reprint their articles.

Is this a business?   No, it’s a productive hobby.  There is no way I could deal wiith the need for advertisers, structure, or pressure of a business at this stage in my life.  GlenbrookeNews.com is limited to THIS neighborhood.

Will we charge a subscription? No, we paid the nominal fee for web hosting and no one gets paid for contributions - so there is no need for income.

Do we want to take over or be in competition with Ourglenbrooke.net?  No, I needed a hobby not a job.  The HOA website is just that, a HOA website for the business of HOA and is controlled by staff. Recently adopted policy limits resident’s participation and coverage of city or community events.

This is why I started GlenbrookeNews.com.   Now I hope you will help by commenting frequently, submitting articles, tips, recipes, notice of upcoming events pictures, your ideas and talent to change this from a website I started to our neighborhood newsletter.

Darcie has a  master's degree in Social Work and has worked  with diverse populations for over 30 years. She is a stroke survivor and is assisted by Bailey, her service dog. Darcie has been married to Jim since she was 17 years old. They have two grown children, Laura and Jeff, and she loves living in   Glenbrooke.