Good News Tuesday for Jan. 11, 2022: Man Reunited with Family after 33 Years, Stranger Returns Wallet, Nurse Adopts Patient’s Dog, an Amazing Bee Whisperer, and a Cosmopolitan Request.

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Man Abducted as a Child is Reunited with Family Over 30 Years Later

Li Jingwei was four years old in 1988 when he was kidnapped and taken to another province China, but he never forgot his family or home village. Abductions have long been a problem in China, but recently, technology, social media, and law enforcement have helped reunite abductees with families. The detailed map Li Jingwei drew from memory of his home village also helped. After 33 years, he was reunited with his original family on New Year’s Day. Here’s the story from CNN’s Good Stuff.

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Stranger Delivers Wallet He Found in the Snow

Jake, a college student from Maryland, lost his wallet full of Christmas money, college money, and ID. He and his mom looked for the wallet in the snow but couldn’t find it. Early on the morning Jake was to head back to college, a man named Juan came to their home and returned the wallet. Here’s more of the story from the Good News Network.

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Nurse Takes Care of Patient’s Dog

 When John Burley was hospitalized for pneumonia and lung problems just before Thanksgiving, no one was available to take care of his 12-year-old dog, Boomer who had been picked up by animal services. Responding to John’s pleas for help, nurse Jennifer Smith searched for and adopted Boomer. Now she takes him to visit John. Here’s the story and a heartwarming photo from CNN’s Good Stuff.

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The Bee Whisperer

Erika Thompson doesn’t just save bees in Texas, she’s the “bee whisperer.” You can watch her fascinating work below:

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Got Good News?

Feel free to share your good news story or link in the comments!

Today’s prompt for Just Jot it January from Willow is “cosmopolitan” which means, “including or containing people from many different countries.” Though a lot of my good news sources lean toward US news, I make an effort to find good news stories from other parts of the world. The Good News Network has a world news tab, so that sometimes helps. If you know of a good news source outside the US, please let me know.

For details and jots on #JusJoJan, visit our host, Linda Hill here. Linda’s post contains a link to Willow’s blog, too. Thanks to Linda and Willow!

A Few More Sips

We saw bees out on New Year’s Day taking a few more sips.

Photo by JoAnna of the Forest

Photo by JoAnna of the Forest

Photo by JoAnna of the Forest

It was unseasonably warm on New Year’s Day. Below freezing temps are on the way to the Carolina Coast. I hope the bees have a warm place to buzz. That’s how they keep the heat on, by buzzing in place.

This post is for One-Liner Wednesday and Just Jot it January.

For details, visit the post of our host, Linda Hill.

Good News Tuesday for Nov. 30, 2021: Scout to the Rescue, Overcoming Pancreatic Cancer, Bees Survive Volcanic Ash, and the Accidental Text that Led to a Thanksgiving Tradition

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Boy Scout Rescues Couple and Dog Lost on the Trail

David King, a 12-year-old boy scout in Hawaii, was working to earn his hiking merit badge, when he and his mom discovered a couple and their dog lost on the trail. It was late in the day, the couple had run out of water, their cell phones weren’t working, and their large dog Smokey couldn’t walk, because his feet had been cut by the trail. Read about how scout David made a stretcher with T shirts for Smokey and helped the couple find their way in this article from CNN.

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Overcoming Pancreatic Cancer

After battling pancreatic cancer for a year and a half, Robyn Hobson is cancer free. It’s been a rough road, and she still has an uphill climb. Robyn had surgery to remove part of her pancreas, her spleen and gallbladder, along with part of her stomach and appendix. “I just think it is a miracle that I am alive,” says Robyn. I hope you’ll watch the video in this story from Spectrum News.

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Thousands of Bees Survive 50 Days Under Volcanic Ash

Five hives of bees survived being buried under volcanic ash for 50 days in the Canary Islands. Thankfully, the beekeepers had not collected the honey that kept the bees alive. Here’s more from the Good News Network.

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Welcoming Thanksgiving Tradition Continues into 6th Year

It all started six years ago when Wanda, thinking she was texting her grandson, accidentally sent a Thanksgiving dinner invitation to Jamal who was 17 and a stranger. See how this “mistake“ extended family circles and became an ongoing tradition.

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Got Good News?

Feel free to share your good news story or GNT link in the comments!

Thursday Tree Love: Early Bloomer (Bradford Pear)

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.” Sarah Ban Breathnach (Brainy Quotes)

Bradford Pear Blossoms with Bumblebee

The Bradford Pear is considered an ornamental tree. Some people say they are invasive. I say they are prolific and lovely. The bees like them, too. With cross pollination, these trees can produce small berry-like fruit that is reportedly not good to eat raw. I hadn’t noticed the fruit before, but I’ll be looking for it. Bradford Pear Trees are occasionally mistaken for dogwoods that will blossom later with broader, more individualized flowers.

I took these first photos at my church. Hopefully we’ll be back in there soon. Do you see the evergreen mistletoe among the white blossoms?

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  This tree has been here for many years.

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  Bradford Pear Tree with Mistletoe

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  See the bees?

The next photos were taken in my neighborhood. The Bradford Pear Trees are relatively small compared the the pine trees and oaks.

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  This evening, a storm was forecast but never materialized.

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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. For more tree love, visit: #ThursdayTreeLove – 106 – happiness and food

Good News Tuesday for Oct. 6, 2020: Bee Populations, Jet Suits, Hope for Planet Earth, and Paying Medical Bills with Volunteer Hours

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Bee Populations Growing in Some US States

The Good News Network reports that bee populations are increasing in many US states with Maine showing a 73% rise in the past two years. Click here for details and how you can help.

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A Jet Suit for Paramedics

In the UK a new jet suit is being tested that would allow paramedics to “fly” over rough terrain to reach patients. With small engines on their arms and another on their backs, these heroes will be able carry med kits and skill to the injured much faster. My Goodnewsletter led me to this story and video from BBC News.

Update: I just found a better video: ( I think this is a test run.)

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Hope for the Planet

Geophysicist Michael Mann says on 60 minutes, “If we stop burning carbon now, we stop the warming of the planet.”

We’re making progress according to this Good News Network article, but we still need to stop burning fossil fuels.

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One Doctor Does What He Can About Medical Costs

Demetrio Aguila has created a program so patients can pay for surgery by volunteering at a charitable organization. Patients can gather a team to help with the volunteer hours.

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Got good news?

Please share in the comments!

Or create your own Good News Tuesday post and link it back here!

Good News Tuesday: Teacher Recognition, Alternative Energy, Welcoming Students, and BEES

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Teacher from Kenya Wins Global Teacher Award

The world is full of hardworking and dedicated teachers who deserve our respect, recognition and support. This story is about one teacher, Franciscan Brother Peter Tabici who was recently awarded the Global Teacher Award in Dubai. He teaches math and physics in a remote area of Kenya where most of his students come from very poor families. His school only has one computer with internet. They have no library, no kitchen, and a shortage of teachers. Brother Tabici donates 80% of his earnings to community projects and plans to use the one million dollar prize to help his school. After losing his mother at age 11, he was raised by his father who is also a teacher. In the following video, the father is invited on stage at the award ceremony.

 

 

You can learn more about Peter from his Global Teacher finalist video, including his starting a peace club which plants trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Good News for Alternative Energy

This article from The Guardian reports on a study showing that coal production in the US is more expensive than wind or solar.  We are now at a “coal crossover” point.

By 2025 the picture becomes even clearer, with nearly the entire US coal system out-competed on cost by wind and solar, even when factoring in the construction of new wind turbines and solar panels.   (The Guardian)

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Students Welcome New Kid who was Bullied at Former School

This short, sweet video about Azzy – the new kid in school – will make you smile.

 

 

 

 

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Morgan Freeman’s Bee Sanctuary

Morgan Freeman, one of my favorite actors who played God in Bruce Almighty and the US President in Deep Impact, has turned his Mississippi ranch into a bee sanctuary. He imported 26 bee hives from Arkansas and and has planted bee-friendly Magnolia trees and lavender. I didn’t realize that Mr. Freeman is 81 which reminds me it’s never to late for a new project. Read more about the ranch and why it’s so important to save bees  here.

 

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Got Good News? Feel free to share in the comments!

Good News Tuesday: Bee Vaccine, A Special Coat, and 99 + Stories from 2018

The First Vaccine for Bees

Scientists at the University of Helsinki, Finland have developed a vaccine for bees. The vaccine called “PrimeBee” targets the deadly bee disease American foulbrood and can be delivered on a sugar patty.  The vaccine is not yet available for sale, but I’m thankful researchers are working hard to save bees. You can read more in this article from NPR

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A Special Coat for Zoey

Zoey lives in Michigan where the winters are very cold. Having cerebral palsy and being in a wheel chair made it hard for her to bundle up for recess. So Zoey’s mom invented a special coat. I hope you enjoy meeting Zoey and learning more about her mom’s invention in this video.

 

 

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99 + Good News Stories from 2018

We still have a lot of work to do as a species, but this collection of good news stories from “Future Crunch” celebrates some of the progress we’ve made this year. The stories are arranged in the categories of conservation, global health, kindness/tolerance, living standards, decrease in war/crime/violence, and environment. Take your pick or read them all!

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And on the personal front, I got my computer fixed!

Got good news? Feel free to share!

Bringing a little balance, One Tuesday at a time.

Update: Gratitude, Books, and Bees

First, I want to let you know how much I appreciate you, my followers and readers. Sometime in May, I passed 2000 followers! What a surprise! It seems these things happen when I’m not watching the numbers. I wish I could read every post of every follower, and while that might be possible, life calls me to a variety of responsibilities and adventures. I do enjoy learning about people from all over the world as we share our ideas, hopes and dreams. Thank you for your patience and your support!

♥ ♥ ♥

Next up, my story, “I Almost Gave Up on Romance,” is now available in

The Miracle of Love. 

I’d submitted stories to Chicken Soup for the Soul twice before, but they weren’t accepted. Another reminder to persevere!  As I begin reading The Miracle of Love, I’m finding the stories rejuvenating and easy-to-read.

If you’d like the juicy (and mostly clean) details of my story, just click on my book, Trust the Timing, up on the right side bar for more information.

 

And now to the BEES!

A little while ago I mentioned about the bees in the wall at my church and our plan to bring them to our backyard. It took a couple of weeks to get everything ready including putting up a fence around the bee area to keep Doodle out. Then we had to wait for the rain to stop. During that waiting, David noticed fewer bees coming out of holes in the brick and wondered if they’d “swarmed” to a new location.

On Monday, he opened up the wall while I handed him stuff and took pictures.

Once David opened up another section of wall, he discovered there were only a only few hundred bees and no brood. Most hives have several thousand bees. The original hive had swarmed. The bees present were likely “robber” bees from another hive attracted to the remaining honey. I prefer to think of them as scavenger bees doing a job.

David vacuumed the bees out of the wall with a very gentle vacuum he built himself.  The inside of the hose was smooth which is extremely important for bee survival. I’d been worried about this common procedure, but it worked.

Since this collection of bees was not really a hive (there was no queen), David decided to let them go. When he opened the box outside, hundreds of bees immediately flew away – hopefully to their own hive. A small group hung around getting their bearings, but went home before dark.

Being an aspiring vegan, I’m not 100% comfortable with this whole process, though it is interesting. David, who jokes about being allergic to fun, greatly enjoys working with bees. He had fun even though he didn’t get to bring home a hive. So I’m supporting him in this interest and learning a lot about bees myself. Besides, the  bees could not stay in our church wall, especially since our music director is allergic to them. The more I learn about bees, the more I appreciate them. As pollinators, they are part of a wonderful system and responsible for most of the food we eat.

Here’s a moving video about compassion for one special bee.

The Bees Are Coming!

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt is, “grill.”

Grill. Gerill. Gorilla. Gorillas are vegetarians mostly. Like me. They eat fruit and leaves and occasionally they eat bugs. I don’t eat bugs. I never want to eat bugs. Never. Ever. I love the taste of food cooked on the grill but haven’t done that at home in a long time. Our old grill is quite weathered. But I keep saying we should grill some veggies on it. Eggplant, corn, squash… But it’s easier to eat out. I don’t think we are going to grill this weekend. My husband is getting ready to take some bees out of the wall in our church and we’re making a place for them in our backyard. It’s quite an adventure I’m looking forward to.

A small dilemma is that I’m inching ever closer to becoming vegan. And vegans don’t eat honey. I’m gonna research humane bee keeping. I know there’s someone out there raising bees without smoking them. Sending smoke into the hive apparently calms them down so you can work with them. You are after all stealing their honey.  But I want to support my hubby in this interest and endeavor. Plus, the bees have to come out of the church wall and go somewhere. Our church music director is allergic to bee stings, so they definitely can’t stay at church.  I’d like to make friends with them. Bees are fascinating and I’m only just starting to learn about them.

I could not resist the urge to go hunting for articles on humane bee keeping. So look what I found!

Can You Be A Vegan Bee Keeper?

I’m not sure I agree with everything in this article. It’s one of those gray areas to explore. But I am not the beekeeper and my husband is not the aspiring vegan, so I can observe, and support, and learn, and continue to be imperfect.

So don’t grill me!

For more Streams of Consciousness, visit Linda at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/05/25/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-26-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

Good News for Bees: The European Union Voted to Ban Neonics.

The European Union has passed a ban on pesticides considered lethal to bees. Neonicotinoids or “neonics” have been linked to the drastic decline in bee populations in recent years. Bees are important as pollinators for the majority of our fruits and vegetables. Without bees, we would have no broccoli, asparagus, blueberries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, almonds, apples, cranberries, and cherries, just to name a few of the treasures we owe to bees.

This National Geographic article explains more about the ban of neonics and why this is good news.

The following video provides more information about efforts to save the bees.

 

Bees are a blessing in the grand design of our ecosystem.

We need the bees and they need our protection.

 

Got good news? Please share!