Sunday, February 8, 2009

Good News for February 8 (Posted by Mary Beth)

Check out The Flog - Author Chris Fabry's Blog

"Chris Fabry is a radio personality and author. Share his insights and emotions on his blog, The Flog."

Click here for a blog concerning his son.


Tuning in to hear others: In a chaotic world, companies emphasize listening skills


Is listening under siege?

"Do you have trouble listening? Deborah Hicks, chief human resources officer at Harvard Medical School, thinks so. Listening is an overlooked skill in an era of hurried schedules, high-tech overload, and now economic anxieties, says Hicks, whose 8- and 13-year-old sons keep her honest by demanding that she repeat back what they say, if they suspect she's not hearing them fully."

Click here to listen in on the discussion.


Underwater stones puzzle archeologists

"Forty feet below the surface of Lake Michigan in Grand Traverse Bay, a mysterious pattern of stones can be seen rising from an otherwise sandy half-mile of lake floor.

Likely the stones are a natural feature. But the possibility they are not has piqued the interest of archeologists, native tribes and state officials since underwater archeologist Mark Holley found the site in 2007 during a survey of the lake bottom."

The rest of the story is here.


Daffodil Hill: A California Gem

"Amador County, California is home to a seasonal delight. Daffodil Hill is the family homestead of the McLaughlin family, who settled in the area in the 1880s. A four acre area blooms with hundreds of varieties of daffodils and other flowers."

Visit the Amador County Chamber of Commerce tribute to this wonderful garden.

Sunday, February 8, 2009 Good News Posts from Margaret

56-year-old becomes 1st woman to swim Atlantic

"Jennifer Figge pressed her toes into the Caribbean sand, exhilarated and exhausted as she touched land this week for the first time in almost a month.

Reaching a beach in Trinidad, she became the first woman on record to swim across the Atlantic Ocean — a dream she'd had since the early 1960s, when a stormy trans-Atlantic flight got her thinking she could don a life vest and swim the rest of the way if needed."

Click here to read more about her journey.


Herb Gardening - Planning and Planting an Herb Garden

"Herbs gardening has gotten a bad reputation for being fastidious and snooty. Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow and they grow effusively. Most require very little maintenance, unless you have the notion of planting a tidy 4-square decorative herb garden. Most herbs are not tidy and the plants are meant for use, not decoration. "

Click here to learn more about herb gardening.


Vitamin D May Cut Multiple Sclerosis Risk

"Getting enough vitamin D early in life may cut the odds of developing multiple sclerosis, researchers report.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is more common in parts of the world far from the equator, where the sun wanes during winter. During that seasonal sunshine shortfall, it's harder for the body to make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight."

Click here to read more about this study.


Ministry supports couples facing troubled pregnancies

"Cubby LaHood will never forget the news her doctor told her 20 years ago.

LaHood, then 13-weeks pregnant with her second child, was told her unborn baby had several fatal abnormalities and would likely die within one week after birth. She was advised -- in the best interest of the baby, herself and her family -- to terminate the pregnancy."

Click to read more about this ministry.


"Be Mine, Valentine -- I Gave to Charity"

"Valentine's Day has long been a boon for confectioners and greeting-card makers. (Consumers are expected to spend a whopping $448 million on candy alone during the week of Valentine’s Day, according to The Nielsen Company.) Now another group is trying to horn in on the Valentine's Day spending frenzy: Charities -- and the retailers that say they give to them."

Click here to read (and see) more of this story.





Dahlia
By Flickr Member Audreyjm529