In spite of the challenges Ukraine has faced defending itself from Russian, a Ukrainian energy company has finished the construction of the first 114 megawatts (MW) of a 500 MW wind farm. For details on this story, click HERE.
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EPA Proposes Restricting “Forever Chemicals” in Drinking Water
The US Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal to limit hazardous chemical, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), aka “forever chemicals” in drinking water. These chemicals are used in non-stick surfaces and being resistant to oil and water are hard to break down. This is something my region of coastal North Carolina has been fighting for years. Here’s more from AXIOS.
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People Live Longer in Countries with Gender Equality
A study of 156 countries showed a correlation between gender equality and longevity for both women and men. The biggest connection showed up in the area of education. While this may not be a surprise, it’s good to have the published research. NPR has details HERE.
In Changzhou, China, an unidentified middle-aged man was seen climbing up a pipe to reach a child who had fallen to the second-floor ledge of a building. Here’s the video:
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “tape.” Use it as a noun or a verb. Use it any way you like. Enjoy!
It’s Friday evening at 8:16. Earlier this afternoon, after reading the prompt, I became curious about the history of tape. Seems like it’s a relatively recent invention in the big tapestry of time. Tapestry, by Carol King is one of my favorite albums, by the way. But we will come back to music, if the stream goes that way.
“Scotch” tape was a brand name and a household marvel in the 50s and 60s. It was developed to help make a dividing line between paint colors on cars staring around the 1920s. Before Scotch Tape, there was glue and paste, wrapping things in paper, and string. There was a video I watched not long ago about wrapping presents in cloth – like small blankets or bandanas. Very cool way to save resources and reduce waste.
After Scotch tape became a common household tool, there were tape recorders. Or maybe tape recorders were about the same time or earlier. When my dad was overseas in Vietnam, he sent a recording of himself talking to Mom for her to play on the tape recorder which had two small reels. Later there were 8 track tapes that took the place of vinyl record albums, but not completely. I still have a box of vinyls that held up way better than 8 track tapes. But you could play 8 tracks in your CAR! and that was amazing at the time. When David and I dated in the 70s, he had a case of 8 tracks that he brought with him when we hung out with friends. I’m sure Jethro Tull was one of the tapes. Then there were cassette tapes. Sometimes the tape player would eat the tape. If a whole loop came out without breaking, you could sometimes wind it back in with a pencil and it might still play. Then there were VHS tapes for the TV, another amazing invention at the time – to be able to record a TV show or watch a movie whenever you want was quite a revolution for someone who liked TV.
Oh, remember taping posters on your wall as a teenager? Now, it’s considered tacky, but back then, it was fun.
Tape. So many ways to go with this. Duct tape is pretty versatile. I had a coworker years ago who said he (or someone else) needed duct tape on their mouth to keep from saying something inappropriate in a staff meeting.
I have a picture of duct tape on windows somewhere.
Speaking of windows, I have to be careful next time I fly with David in a small plane to not look out the side windows much. Motion sickness has always been a problem for me. Dramamine has usually helped a lot in big commercial planes and on boats, so I figured two Dramamine would work for my first private plane trip with my husband David as pilot. I didn’t quite throw up but came very close.
The first half of the 30-minute flight was interesting as I made myself think of something other than my fear of heights and that I might die. It was fascinating to look down at the Atlantic Ocean and intracoastal waterway. I took a bunch of pictures which probably didn’t help. After turning around to go back to the airport, I started feeling worse and worse nausea to the point of feeling miserable for the second half of the flight.
Before our next flight, I’m going to research additional motion sickness remedies, including pressure points on top of medication, and I’ll try to minimize looking down over the side…. next time.
Our flying club rental Seating DashboardRoads and waterwaysCarolina CoastlineInletPier and WavesLarge brush fireWaterways and Beach David flying toward Carolina Beach
David did an excellent job as pilot. I’m proud of him for working hard to accomplish his flying goals. There are not many people I would trust to fly me in such a small plane. I hope next time, I’ll be able to enjoy the flight more.
~~~
For more on Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit
(Sorry for being late today. I was focused on doing my yoga at home to stay home and do homey things. The good news is, I did my yoga then practiced with my 8 lb weights. I was folding towels when I thought, Wait. What day is it? it’s Tuesday. OMG, Good News Tuesday!)
Solar Company Shifting Away from Plastic
The Swiss solar module company Meyer Berger stated they will transition all of its manufacturing away from plastic to using 100% glass instead. Here are details from PV (Photovoltaics) Magazine.
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A New Law in Spain Seeks Equal Gender Representation
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday announced The Equal Representation Law that will require more equal representation of women and men in politics, business and public life including boards of big companies and professional associations. Reuters has more HERE. (From my GoodNewsLetter.)
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Clinical Trials in UK to Research New Drug for Endometriosis
Researchers in the UK have been awarded roughly $300,000 to investigate a new medication to treat endometriosis, a debilitating condition causing inflammation, pain, and scar tissue in women. Preliminary studies have shown a reduction in endometriosis lesions. Click here to read more.
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A Rescue Team Freed a Right Whale from Lobster Pots and Rope
A team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and others freed a North Atlantic Right Whale, nicknamed Argo, from lobster pots and commercial fishing rope tangled around his tail. Some of the rope was imbedded in his tail and the weight was slowing him down so much he was only able to use his front flippers to swim. At first, Argo tried to avoid the rescuers but later stayed close to the surface, perhaps knowing they were trying to help. We don’t know if Argo will make it, but at least now, he has a chance and time to swim free. Here’s the story and a video.
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Michelle Yeoh Wins the Best Actress Award for Best Picture
I haven’t yet seen, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, the movie voted best picture by the Academy, but I did enjoy Michelle Yeoh’s acceptance speech after winning the best actress award. I believe she is the first Asian American to win the award which she called “a beacon of hope and possibility.” She also said, “Ladies, don’t let anyone ever tell you, you are past your prime.”
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Got good news?
Feel free to share your good news in the comments!
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “mat/met/mitt/mot/mutt.” Choose one or use them all, any way you’d like in your post. Have fun!
I’m not planning a bit, even a minimal as the rules allow if I recall. Not to say I plan a lot or at all on other weeks, but sometimes I mull over the prompt before I start writing the stream. Today, I’m just writing.
No idea what to do with mot. Mottled? Is mot a word? should I look it up? Na. Not right now. I’ll go to the mat. I got a really thick yoga mat for my feet and knees, but it’s harder to balance on, so I went back to the regular yoga mat that lives in my car waiting to go to yoga class. The thick mat might come in handy if I ever go camping again or want to lie out on the deck.
We’ve used an old yoga mat for Marley to practice staying in “PLACE.” We should practice that more and not just use it when we practice being calm and lying down when Mama Cat is on the other side of the gate. The command comes in handy, and Marley’s pretty good at it in situations where there is control and Mama Cat stays behind the gate. We would not try it otherwise. Maybe one day….
Marley’s still a bit fixated
David has been getting Marley to lie down when they see a cat on walks – just until he is calmer, though Marley is on high alert when there’s a cat around outside. He’s become less reactive to squirrels, but when the squirrels get close to taunt my mutt, he gets excited.
Mutts are great dogs. I’ve read that they are often healthier with a diverse mix of genes. I don’t know if I like the word mutt as it’s got a sort of negative connotation. Mixed breed might be better. Heinze 57 is okay, I guess, but could there really be a dog with 57 different breeds all mixed together like a melting pot? Who knows? I know there are plenty of mutts and mixed breeds who need homes.
There’s a quote by Jimmy Carter about how we’re not a melting pot, but something better. I’ll go fetch it.
A woman at my church, Alice, is a kitchen designer. For fun she makes mosaics from tiles, broken glass, found objects, and melted marbles. She’s donated several to our church. Here are some of her creations:
Doves over a waverandom close upTreeWeave Us Together
Mother Nature also makes mosaics:
Maybe one day I’ll make a mosaic out of my big bottle cap collection.
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”
– Kahlil Gibran
Marley and I took a longer than usual walk near sunset a few days ago. We saw these trees waiting for spring with the moon overhead. I don’t know what kinds of trees these are, but I thought they looked pretty in the golden light and a little Spanish moss. Soon we won’t see so many branches.
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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday.
[Note from Annie: I came across this roundup of good news via Robert Hubbell’s Today’s Edition newsletter yesterday. I’m pleased to pass it on. If you make it through the last item–the Bad Lip Reading–the final few minutes may seem familiar; I included them in my January 10, 2023 post.]
On Saturday, more than 100 countries agreed to the “legally binding” UN High Seas Treaty to protect marine biodiversity with the goal to bring 30% of the world’s land and sea under protection by the end of the decade. Here’s more from Reuters.
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A 92-year-old Mumbai Man Transformed his Housing Society into a Green Hub
When Navin Chandra moved into his apartment building, the residents were paying a lot of money to have their water delivered by a tanker truck. He convinced his neighbors to invest in rainwater harvesting, solar panels, a windmill, and a composting pit. Eventually, the community became water independent, has a rooftop garden, and gets 50% of their electricity from nature. Read more from the Good News Network.
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Jessica Wade has written over 1700 Wikipedia Articles about Female and Minority Scientists
The 33-year-old British physicist, Jessica Wade, writes Wikipedia biographies for little-known female and minority scientists “to highlight their contributions and hopefully encourage more women to join and stay in the field.” She also wrote a children’s book called, Nano: The Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small. Nice News has details.
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A Transplant was Successful after a Doctor Ran through Marathon to Pick up the Liver
The route to transport the liver for transplant was blocked by a marathon in Philadelphia. So, a surgeon ran about a mile to and from a hospital, weaving through runners, to pick up the liver for the patient. The Good News Network has more.
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Hero Sisters Rescue Kids from an Icy Pond
Sisters Jacora and Jasmine Morris ran from their Iowa apartment to save two young children from an icy pond. Here’s their story:
Today’sprompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wild animal.” Choose a wild animal (or many wild animals) and use it any way you’d like in your post. Enjoy!
Wild animals are not necessarily wild to each other. People can act as wild as (other) animals sometimes. Elephants grieve the loss of their loved ones in ways that we can see. Whale mothers carry their dead babies for days or weeks, not wanting to let go. Dolphins, Chimpanzees, and birds have been seen using tools. Wolves use strategic pack coordination in hunting. What makes them wild and humans not wild?
You can read about the emotional lives of “wild” animals
Today, penguins have been on my mind. Our choir director used to call us penguins because we dressed out in black and white choir garb. He has a collection of stuffed penguins on the organ. Now, his body is becoming overwhelmed by cancer. He’s been moved to hospice. It’s real now.
Chris has been a big part of my life for years of Wednesday night choir practice. His strange sense of humor made practice interesting. When Mama Cat was living at the church in the pre-pandemic years, Chris was the main person to feed her. She had a reputation as being mean, like a wild animal, but she was really scared. Her first expression of affection to a human was to rub against Chris’s legs. During the pandemic, when we were not having church, Mama Cat came to live with me. She’s not wild anymore.
Since Chris has been sick, I’ve been picking most of the music for Sunday mornings and playing my guitar to lead the congregation in singing. We tried a couple of hymns acapella, but that is risky. My guitar skills are very basic and much softer than Chris’s organ playing, but the guitar helps us be on key as I find the confidence to sing loud and clear enough to lead the singing.
On Tuesday, after seeing the scripture readings, I emailed my suggestions for Sunday’s music. Our priest added a suggestion from the hymn book. I started to feel a little overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s hard to find the guitar chords for traditional hymns so I’ve been leaning toward more contemporary songs. Now, I’d have to look for the chords and see how hard they were. I started to respond in an email that I was feeling a little overwhelmed. But I got a nudge. I checked one of my songbooks with chords and found the hymn there. The chords were easy! No problem.
Yesterday, I was praying. I started by giving thanks for the blessings of my life. I suddenly realized that with all the blessings – David, retirement, security, and relatively good health – I realized that preparing and leading music at church for a while is the least I can do. This is a temporary situation. Life is temporary. I can do this ministry with love and gratitude.
Animals act wild when overwhelmed by fear or maybe hunger. They act on instinct to protect themselves. The same thing can happen with us humans. We get anxious or confused. I think, this is too much. It’s not going to work. My stomach tightens and not in a good way. But if I take a deep breath, pray, and get more information, things work out. I also want to remember that most things are not life and death situations, except when they really are.
Here are some old and new photos:
Feral Mama CatDomestic Mama CatMe with Penguin FriendsOur Good Shepherd WindowLight beam on church pewChurch windows reflecting sunset
I can’t get the “Eagles Wings” song chorus out of my head and that’s okay.
It goes like (this with God saying):
And I will raise you up on eagles wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of my hand.
Here’s our choir singing it a few years ago with Chris playing the organ.
~~~
Update: Chris passed away this morning. I’m very sad, but thankful he did not suffer long.
~~~
For more information about Stream of Consciousness Saturday
Waylon Saunders was found face down in an icy swimming pool. His body temperature was so low, paramedics couldn’t get a reading. When he arrived at the hospital, he had no pulse and was “legally dead and had been for a while.” But a team at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Ontario performed CPR for 3 hours without stopping while warming his body. After almost three hours, Waylon’s heart restarted. Here’s more from The Good News Network.
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Car-Free Streets
In Dublin, New York and California, cities that closed streets to cars in favor of pedestrians during the pandemic are keeping the streets car free. Here’s more from GoodGoodGood.
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Former Poachers are Protecting Sea Turtles in the Philippines
As a child, Johnny Manlugay didn’t know killing sea turtles and collecting their eggs was illegal. Now he’s using his former poaching skills to help protect endangered turtles. You can read about how it works HERE.
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Turkish Firefighter Rescues and Adopts Cat
After a firefighter rescued a cat who’d been trapped in rubble for ten days, the cat would not leave his side. Watch this short, sweet video!
Anything is Possible! 