The Good News Network has collected 8 of many good news stories coming out of Ukraine. One of my favorites is #3 “Ukraine Joins European Power Grid, Ending Its Dependence on Russia.” Other stories include helping a perinatal center in Kharkiv, World Central Kitchen, a Russian and Ukrainian chef cooking to raise money for UNICEF, animals, and the Italian Government plans to rebuild the Mariupol Theater. For details, visit The Good News Network.
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Habitat for Humanity gets $436 million from Mackenzie Scott, and that’s not all.
Mackenzie Scott donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity. The third wealthiest woman in the US was previously married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She is now married to a high school science teacher, Dan Jewett. The Habitat donation was part of Dan and Mackenzie’s pledge to give away most of their wealth. For details, see this article from AP. The day after I read about the Habitat donation, I saw this NBC article reporting another round of donations. So far, Ms. Scott has given away more than $12 billion in four rounds of funding.
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Music is Just as Powerful as Exercise in Improving Mental Health
It might not come as a surprise, but it’s still good to find out that music is just as good for mental health as exercise. Makes me want to put on some dancing music! Here’s the evidence gathered by Science Alert.
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Congressional Gold Medal Awarded to Black Women’s Unit Who Served in WW2
On March 14, US President Biden signed a law awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion who served in WW2. “The unit traveled to Great Britain in 1945, surviving encounters with Nazi U-boats and a German rocket explosion along the way, before spending months sorting through mail and packages stacked to the ceiling in unheated warehouses…” Here’s more from CNN plus a video below.
Got Good News?
Please share your good news or GNT link in the comments!
Today’s Just Jot January prompt is, “trigger.” That’s the name of a character in our host’s interesting story.
When we think of psychological or emotional triggers, we often think of a word, image, smell, etc. that triggers something unpleasant. Maybe it’s an unpleasant memory, reaction, or past trauma. But stop! Don’t go there!
What about triggers that trigger good memories or positive reactions?
I seem to remember positive triggers being created when I was trained to do hypnosis. It was over ten years ago, and while I did some private practice work after completing my training, I haven’t kept up with it, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. Maybe something will trigger my memory of establishing a good trigger!
If someone is in a relaxed state or having a pleasant experience, and puts their hand on their heart, or makes an okay sign with their hand and repeatedly pairs the positive feeling with that gesture, then the idea is that the gesture will trigger the positive feeling. Now, I remember the word, anchor, was also used in our training.
The smell of pine triggers a memory of hiking in the woods. The smell of cloves or cinnamon can trigger the taste of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving or Christmas memories.
How about a song triggering memories or feelings from long ago? A song that was popular in our formative years can take us back to that time. Dan at No Facilities recently shared some examples in this post “Name that Tune.”
Songs by The Beach Boys trigger memories from the late 1970s driving to the beach in my 69 Dodge Dart with the windows down because there was no AC in that car.
Roberta Flack’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face takes me back to 1972 when David and I were dating.
Some songs just trigger funny feelings and images, like The Beatles Yellow Submarine.
Speaking of The Beatles, how about this one?
What are some of your good triggers?
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For more jottings and Just Jot January info visit Linda at:
California Legislature Passes Bill to Allow Ex-Inmates to Become Firefighters
California lawmakers passed a bill last month that would allow former inmates to pursue careers as firefighters after their incarcerations…….The bill gives nonviolent offenders who have spent time fighting fires the opportunity to have their records expunged so they can become firefighters….inmates are only paid between $2 – $5 a day, and an additional $1 per hour while fighting fires. (Source)
The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom to be signed.
In Canada, deaths from COVID started to plateau after July. This article from CBS reports on a day of no new deaths and Canada’s progress in fighting the coronavirus. Good job, Canada!
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Oil Rig Worker Rescues Dog from Ocean
Vitisak Payalaw was first to spot a dog swimming 135 miles off the coast of Thailand. He and his coworkers rescued the exhausted dog who was later transported to a shelter. Vitiskak had to work ten more days on the rig, then went back to adopt the dog they named Boonrod. The Good News Network has the story with a sweet video.
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Water From Air
In Arizona, solar-powered hydropanels are getting water from the air for 15 Navajo households who previously had no basic access to water. According Zero Mass Water CEO who manages the demonstration project with Navajo Power and Public Benefit Corporation, “A standard, two-panel array, produces 4-10 liters of water each day…” Read more from The Good News Network.
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Music for Plants
When Spain lifted it’s state of emergency, they still weren’t ready for large gatherings, so a Barcelona opera house opened with a concert for plants. Over 2000 plants were brought in with each plant having its own seat to listen to a string quartet. After the concert, the plants were given in gratitude to health care workers.
Got good news?
Please share in the comments!
Feel free to write your own Good News Tuesday Post, to use the sunflower badge and link it back here!
I heard this song yesterday right before I read the prompt. It goes “happy and well.” I remembered it as healthy and well. Maybe that’s because I made up a song to the tune of “I’m so Pretty” that goes, “I’m so healthy.” But anyway, this song below is fun and easy to learn. I’m a firm believer in singing and affirmations. I also like her outfit.
I’m wishing all of you good thoughts of being well from deep down in my heart.
I wrote the above on Friday evening which is usually my habit with SoCS. Now it’s Saturday morning and time to publish the post. I have to be honest. Though most of my posts are positive, because that’s what I think the world needs most, I’m not always positive. Sometimes I have waves of anxiety or sadness and grief, like this morning. I’ve been tired a lot lately. I tell myself it’s allergies. Maybe it is partly. So much is blooming. But it’s important to acknowledge all of our feelings.
Wild geese are going over right now as I write this. Their honking reminding me of Mary Oliver’s song. I meant to type poem. No, song…. I’ve shared this poem before here on “Anything is Possible.” The geese tell me to share it again.
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
Mary Oliver
Experience teaches us that the waves come and go. We learn to surf or to dive deep. The waves always pass.
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Today’s prompt was: “deep.”
Dive deep into the Stream of consciousness with Linda Hill at:
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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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!
Spread the word:
Maybe I’m late, but better late than never to jump into Love is in da blog.
The prompt: Love that travels or a love song about travel
First I thought about Carole King’s “So Far Away,” reminding me of my high school sweetheart moving 700 miles away in 1972. But then I thought about one of my favorite songs, the song about him coming back to me in 2011.
“The Long and Winding Road,” is easily about a returning love. It could also be about my spiritual journey. Great songs have room for interpretation making them universal, epic. That’s how I feel about this song.
For more on travel songs and Love is in Da Blog, visit Bee at:
Sensory-Friendly Santa for Kids with Special Needs
A mall in Lexington, Kentucky open early to create a safe and comfortable environment for kids with special needs. Dimmed lights, less noise, engaging activities, and wheel chair accessibility make it easier to include more kids in the Santa experience. Here’s the story with a video.
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Green Light Could Relieve Migraine Pain
There’s something about green. The following article explores research using green light for migraine and other kinds of pain. The main study has people sit in a dark room with a green light for an hour a day with reduction in symptoms over time. Of course quiet time in a dark room might also be a factor. I can’t help but wonder if being in a room full of green plants would also help. Here’s the article from the Good News Network
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Nurses Turn Surgical Wrap into Sleeping Bags for the Homeless
2000 large sterile wraps were being thrown away every day. But nurses at Tampa General Hospital had a different idea. Imagine if every hospital did this?
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One Love
This is not new, but it came across my bow wanting to be shared again. In 2018, a thousand strangers, Christians, Jews, and Muslims, got together and sang Bob Marley’s “One Love.” Here’s how it turned out.
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Rain Dance
It’s been raining in Australia! Some fires might still be burning, but we celebrate the joy of rain where it falls. This video shows a group of firefighters with one breaking out in dance. If you can’t see it, go to the YouTube link. There’s one more below.
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Got good news?
Please share in the comments!
Wishing you comfort, peace, and joy through the holidays.
“Peace is something that is built over time,” Mayen said. “It’s not about people coming together and signing cease-fires and so on. It’s a generation of change. It’s a change of mindset. It’s a change of attitude toward each other.”
Lual Mayen was born in war torn South Sudan. Shortly after his birth, his family treked 225 miles to a refugee camp in Northern Uganda. His two older sisters died on the journey. While still a refugee, he developed the first version of his video game, Salaam, which means “peace” in Arabic. Mayen is now launching his company, Junub Games which includes newer versions of Salaam. The game involves surviving as a refugee in a war zone and buying food, water, and medical supplies with real money which is then donated to help real life refugees.
High School Students Generate Electricity from Sound
A group of 11th graders from the Philippines have invented a device that uses sound waves to generate electricity. The device would cost about $4 and currently can provide enough electricity for a small light. However, the potential exists to generate greater amounts of electricity from noisy places like airport runways. Here’s more from the Good News Network.
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Homes for Heroes
A complex of 15 tiny homes for Canadian veterans is now complete. The complex includes mental health support and family space. This news report from CTV Newsincludes a video with perspectives from veterans.
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Chile’s Last Performing Circus Elephant is at Her Sanctuary!
After 50 years in the circus and being isolated from her own kind, Ramba has been rescued and has been in a temporary space while waiting to go to the Global Sanctuary for Elephants.
These are the final steps of a journey that began over 7 years ago. In 2012, Ecopolis—a Chilean animal welfare group—contacted the Global Elephant Sanctuary (GSE) to help rescue Ramba from her abusive circus owners. GoodNewsNetwork
Tuesday morning update: The Global Elephant Sanctuary Facebook Page says,
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wrap/rap.” Linda says to “use one, use both (for bonus points), use ’em any way you’d like. Enjoy!”
I wish I could think of a clever way to write about wrap. And maybe I will before this is over. You never know. Rap is a genre of music I don’t much care for. But there are exceptions. Didn’t Eminem do something good a while back? Let me see…. Something about recovery and getting clean?
“I’m not afraid (I’m not afraid) to take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (Everybody) come take my hand (come take my hand)
We’ll walk this road together
Through the storm
Whatever weather
Cold or warm
Letting you know you’re not alone
Holler if you feel like you’ve been down the same road.”
Eminem
I typed that listening to this YouTube video which seems to have a lot of F words in it, so I just shared the chorus which is less rappy. But it just goes to show you that there’s good stuff in any genre. Everything bad has something good in it, and everything good has some bad in it. Cept for Jesus. I don’t know, that’s just what my stream of consciousness says.
Back to rap. It’s kinda funny that my YouTube debut, and only performance on that venue so far, is where I’m doing rap. It’s about adopting pets that are homeless instead of buying from a “puppy shop.” We auditioned and everything, and I was chosen to be one of the rappers, but didn’t know I’d be in the role of Mom until the day I showed up and some other people didn’t show. So it’s about the family going to pick out a dog at the pound, aka, animal control, which is now part of our county sheriff’s department. Anyway, it was fun. I’ll find the video in a minute.
I’m signed up to volunteer at the Humane Society. I did that many years ago and since I only have one dog left who’s 17, I went to donate some dog food and ended up signing up to volunteer which I had been thinking about. While there, the staff person and I discussed the “no kill,” label. She said there really is no such thing since all shelters have to euthanize or transfer some animals who are very sick or not adoptable. To be “no kill” a shelter has to not euthanize more than a certain percentage of the animals they take in.
This is depressing, but sometimes we need to face reality and see how we can do something to make it a little better. Like the climate strike and not using plastic straws and writing to congress. Every little bit helps create ripples. Which reminds me that today is the International Day of Peace. I feel strongly, believe strongly, that we need to have a Department of Peace in the US. It should get just as much funding as the Department of War, or defense, or whatever it’s called. I could look for a rap song about peace. But I don’t want to, because maybe we need some diversity in this post.
Where do we go from here? Maybe we can go on the Peace Train!
And if you want to see me as a rappin’ mom, it’s in this video which was made 8 years ago when I had a different last name. (My friend, Paul is wearing the goofy hat. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.)
Happy Peace Day!
To join in the Saturday Stream of Consciousness, or read more streams, visit:
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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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.
Today’s SoCS prompt is the word, “strain.” We can use it any way we want to.
“Don’t strain yourself,” has been a sarcastic response to someone not working hard, doing the minimum, or less. Sometimes we have to strain. But often things don’t have to be as much as a strain as I make them by worrying. When I remember to breathe and let things happen naturally – taking action and making plans without the angst of what ifs, or at least with a lighter heart – I’m a lot healthier.
Work without strain. I can do that. Sometimes. I’m writing this Friday night as is my habit. I’m tired after a day of wrapping and boxing and carrying things from the house that was my parents’ to my renovated house. Soon it will be done. Maybe in a couple of weeks. The house will be sold and this physical work will be done. And I will hold the memories.
There are some timing things in the works. Lots of personal stuff going on between now and the end of June. Change can be exciting and tiring. But it doesn’t have to be a strain. Maybe I should write this in the morning when I’m no so tired. We’ll see. I could start over. That’s what morning is. Starting over. And you can start your day over at any time. But it was a good day. I’m thankful for my high school friend helping me today. SOOOO thankful. She went to high school with me and now we are friends again in our 60s. That’s very cool. On the way to my parent’s old house we drove through our old neighborhood listening to classic rock from the 70s, and singing along with some of the songs.
Here’s one we sang in the car to the mellow classic rock station:
Don’t you just love that album cover? Music sure does help turn strain into flow. There now. That’s better.
For more on the Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit Linda Hill’s blog:
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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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.
It’s strange that I don’t consciously recall hearing“Ain’t No Grave”before my friend Elaine shared it in memory of her father. Strange because it’s such a powerful song, especially with Molly Skaggs’ voice and the stunning images in the video below.
I share this song today in celebration of the spirit of Martin Luther King and hope Dr. King wont mind if I also share it in honor my father who left this earth two years ago today. They both loved Jesus dearly. They were men of courage and conviction. Dr. King changed laws and opened the eyes of a nation with determination, love, and peace. My father worked on a smaller scale. After 20 years of military service, my father (and mother) volunteered at the local soup kitchen, led a boy scout troop, ministered to disabled veterans, and taught Sunday school into his eighties.
Last night, I discovered a new stash of memorabilia in the attic. I thought I was done with the hard part of processing of my parents stuff, but there’s more. There are at least three big trunks in the attic, and I’ve only opened one of them. Inside the first trunk I found maybe 50 letters my mother sent my father in 1968 when he was stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba shortly after Vietnam.
After reading just two letters, I’m beginning to realize what a difficult time this was for my parents when I was 12 and clueless, though I must have sensed something. Who knows what I’ll learn through my mother’s letters and what more I’ll find on this fascinating journey where the scent of my father’s old treasures makes me want to fall into a puddle on the floor. But I don’t fall often. And if I do, I get up. I keep breathing and digging.
It’s all a process. Some day, I will have gone through all the physical items. The attic will be empty and the house will be sold. But the memories will live on. The spirit does not die.
As my father told me when I was 12, “Nothing is Impossible.”
Anything is Possible! 