Norah Colvin

Live Love Laugh Learn … Create the possibilities

Category: #WATWB

  • #WATWB Barber makes the cut

    #WATWB Barber makes the cut

    On the last Friday of each month, We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

    Founders of the blogfest state that

    “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    I agree and like to join in as often as I can.

    This month I am sharing a local story about a barber whose acts of kindness turned another’s life around. The barber Nicky Patti is extremely humble and doesn’t brag about the effects of his actions. Instead he says, ‘I think if everyone does their one per cent then the world would be different.’

    Nicky Patti says if each person does their one percent the world would be a better place

    I agree! How have you given your one per cent today?

    Click here to read the whole article.

    Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    The co-hosts for this month are: Shilpa Garg, Inderpreet Kaur Uppal, Peter Nena, Damyanti Biswas,  Eric Lahti.

     Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

    Thank you blog post

     

  • #WATWB Why put bumps on a $50 note?

    #WATWB Why put bumps on a $50 note?

    We’ve arrived at the end of another month. How do they pass so quickly? But one good thing about the end of another month is that, on the last Friday, bloggers all over the world, through We Are the World Blogfest, join together in promoting positive news.

    #WATWB says, “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    This month I want to share Information about the new Australian $50 note. This might seem like a strange story for #WATWB, but it’s not. It’s perfect, and here’s why.

    The new note has bumps on it to assist visually impaired persons recognise what notes they are handling. The idea for the bumps came from a blind twelve-year-old boy (now seventeen) who was given money for Christmas but was unable to tell how much he had. Tactile features are also incorporated into the $5 and $10 notes.

    Click to read the whole article: New $50 note as advanced as any currency in the world.

    As with others, this story shows the difference that one person can make, whatever their age.

    I found the article through Jens and his amazing website Creative Spirits, an exploration of Australian Aboriginal Culture. His story is also a positive one.

    Below is a brief introduction to his site.

    Click here to read about other features of the $50 note.

    If you would like to join in with #WATWB and share positive news, these are the guidelines:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    The co-hosts for this month are: Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Shilpa Garg, Mary Giese and Roshan Radhakrishnan.

    Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • #WATWB Children’s Book Authors Take A Stand

    #WATWB Children’s Book Authors Take A Stand

    On the last Friday of each month, We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

    “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    As someone who is passionate about education and children’s books, how could I not be attracted to an article titled Children’s Book Authors Are Selling More Than Books. They’re Taking A Stand?

    Some of the issues authors are taking a stand about are the separation of migrant families in detention and gun violence. They are raising money, protesting in marches and writing books.

    Click to read the whole article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/books/childrens-books-authors-activists-politics.html

    If you would like to join in with spreading the good news with #WATWB, here are the guidelines:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    The co-hosts for this month are: Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Shilpa Garg, Sylvia Stein,and  Peter Nena Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • #WATWB Eliminating plastic waste and cleaning up the environment

    #WATWB Eliminating plastic waste and cleaning up the environment

    On the last Friday of each month We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

    “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    It seems the world is finally taking note of the damage we are doing to our environment with plastic pollution. Governments, communities and individuals all over the world are taking steps to reduce and clean up the waste that is already causing havoc to our Earth and its inhabitants.

    This month with World Turtle Day just gone, and World Environment Day coming up on 5 June, there is no shortage of stories to share. I settled on this one about fishermen in Kerala (situated along India’s southern coast) who, for the past ten months, have been Fishing for plastic from the sea.

    So far 25 tonnes of plastic rubbish have been removed from the sea. Most of the plastic is recycled into making roads. I think that’s a mighty fine effort in helping to make our environment clean by beating plastic waste.

    Click to read the whole article: Fishing for plastic from the sea.

    Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    The co-hosts for this month are:  :  Shilpa Garg, Inderpreet Kaur Uppal, Peter Nena, Andrea Michaels, Damyanti Biswas.

    Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • #WATWB Malala returns to Pakistan for the first time in five years

    #WATWB Malala returns to Pakistan for the first time in five years

    On the last Friday of each month, We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

    “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    This month I am pleased to share the next chapter of Malala Yousafzai’s inspiring story.

    Malala fled Pakistan in 2012 after being shot in the face by Taliban militants for promoting education for girls. In 2014 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the end of last month, five years after the attack, she returned to visit her home in Pakistan.

    Click to read the report published by the BBC.

    I read about it first on the Facebook page of A Mighty Girl,

    and watched it here:

    I admire Malala for her strength and the determination of her voice in campaigning for education for all. I particularly applaud these two quotes by Malala:

    “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

    “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”

    Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    The co-hosts for this month are:  :  Shilpa Garg, Dan Antion, Simon Falk, Michelle Wallace , Mary Giese.

    Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • #WATWB Imagination Library: Dolly Parton donates her 100 millionth book!

    #WATWB Imagination Library: Dolly Parton donates her 100 millionth book!

    On the last Friday of each month, We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

    A statement of mission from the We are the World Blogfest website:

    “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    The co-hosts for this month are Belinda Witzenhausen,  Sylvia McGrath, Sylvia Stein,  Shilpa Garg, Eric Lahti . Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    This month I am sharing a story of Dolly Parton and the 100 millionth book she has given away through her non-profit Imagination Library.

    According to the article by Helena Andrews-Dyer in the Washington Post Dolly Parton Likes to Give Away Books. She just donated her 100 millionth.

    The article states that

    “Parton is the founder of Imagination Library, a nonprofit that started out donating books in Sevier County, Tenn., and grew into a million-book-a-month operation. Families who sign up receive a book per month from birth to kindergarten. The singer donated her organization’s 100 millionth book to the nation’s library on Tuesday.”

    Knowing the enormous potential that books and reading have for changing lives by improving the chances of success, not just in school, but in life, I couldn’t go past sharing this inspiring article, especially when International Children’s Book Day is celebrated in a few days on 2 April.

    Click to read the whole article in the Washington Post.

    Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • #WATWB Vending Machines for the Homeless

    #WATWB Vending Machines for the Homeless

    On the last Friday of each month We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

    “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    This month I am sharing an inspiring story of vending machines that provide free food to the homeless.

    Action Hunger, a non-profit organisation founded by Huzaifah Khaled in Nottingham, England, gives the homeless access to free food and other basic essentials such as toothbrushes and socks from vending machines. The items are accessed by use of key cards which are available through organisations that assist the homeless. Where other services are provided during restricted hours, the vending machines are available all day every day. Use of the service provided by the vending machines is considered a temporary measure for people who are working to improve their life situation.

    The project Action Hunger was inspired when Khaled “learned that even access to basic necessities like food and water was sporadic and oftentimes cumbersome . . . [He] realized that there had to be a more effective way of at least ensuring the bare necessities were always available.”

    The project plans to expand into the US in the near future. What a great initiative.

    Click to read the whole article: These Vending Machines Give the Homeless Free Food

    Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    The co-hosts for this month are:  :  Shilpa Garg, Peter Nena, Eric Lahti, Roshan Radhakrishnan and Inderpreet Kaur Uppal. Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • #WATWB #ReadYourWorld Multicultural Children’s Book Day

    #WATWB #ReadYourWorld Multicultural Children’s Book Day

    On the last Friday of each month We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. With this the first for 2018, it’s a good time to think about joining in. If you would like to do so, please check out the rules and links below.

    A statement of mission from the We are the World Blogfest website:

    “There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

    The co-hosts for this month are:  Shilpa Garg, Simon Falk, Lynn Hallbrooks, Eric Lahti, Damyanti Biswas and Guilie Castillo. Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

    This month I am sharing an inspiring story that, while it may not be “News”, was certainly news to me and maybe is news to you too. I hope it fits the criteria for sharing.

    A little while ago I came across the Multicultural Children’s Book Day website. I admire the mission of the organisers to:

    “not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.”

    There is certainly a need for more understanding, acceptance, empathy and compassion in the world, and it is very pleasing to see projects such as this being promoted. I’m sure you’ll agree that education of our children is a great place to start.

    Multicultural Children's Book Day
    Used courtesy of Multicultural Children’s Book Day

    Multicultural Children’s Book Day was initiated by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom, and is celebrated for the fifth time this year on 27 January with a #ReadYourWorld Twitter party!

    There is much to explore on the Multicultural Children’s Book Day website; including resources such as, a list of diversity books and activities for teachers and parents, and  a free Classroom Empathy Kit that includes a book list and activities to help children develop empathy. You can even sign up to get a free diversity book for your classroom.

    (Note: There is also a great way for authors and publishers to help out by donating their books with multicultural themes.)

    I hope you see how both these organisations are working towards making our world a more positive place for all of us.

    Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

    1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

    2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

    3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

    4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

    1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

    Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

    Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • A break in the Flash Fiction routine: #Flash4Storms #WATWB #FFRODEO

    Usually at this time on a Tuesday evening (my time) I am posting a flash fiction response to the prompt by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. But not tonight, and for good reason.

    The usual weekly Carrot Ranch flash fiction prompt is on hold during the month of October, replaced by the Flash Fiction Rodeo which kicks off today. There are many prizes for both writers and readers. Check out the post for details of how you can win.

    My contest runs first with a prompt about childhood ambitions. It will go live at the Ranch, and again here, on Thursday. I do hope you will join in.

    You may have read my contribution to the We Are The World Blogfest with the story I posted on the weekend, #WATWB The Teacher Helping Hurricane Harvey’s Youngest Victims – And How You Can Help / A Mighty Girl | A Mighty Girl The story tells of  a teacher from Texas who created the online Hurricane Harvey Book Club. The Club involves children recording videos of themselves reading books to share with children who, as a result of the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, have no access to books. Hundreds of videos were uploaded to Facebook, and the Club is also raising money to help restock classrooms devastated by the storm.

    Flash for storms

    Hurricane Harvey was just the first. More was yet to come with Irma and Maria following close behind. Fellow Blogger and Rough Writer at the Carrot Ranch Sarah Brentyn, who blogs at Lemon Shark has extended a helping hand to those in need with her own flash fiction challenge #Flash4Storms.

    For each flash fiction response to her prompt “Help”, Sarah will donate $1 to hurricane relief. Check out Sarah’s post to find out how you can join in and lend a helping hand.  Let Sarah know in the comments that I sent you, and I’ll add another dollar to Sarah’s donation.

    Here’s my response to Sarah’s challenge for a story of 50 words or less on the theme ‘Help’.

    Kindness repaid

    He was proud, never asking for or accepting help. If he couldn’t do it, it wasn’t worth doing. He’d always be first to help others though. Never too much trouble, there was little he couldn’t do. But, one day, when his world came tumbling down, they eagerly repaid his generosity.

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

  • #WATWB The Teacher Helping Hurricane Harvey’s Youngest Victims – And How You Can Help / A Mighty Girl | A Mighty Girl

    On the last Friday of each month in the We Are The World Blogfest, bloggers post positive news items that demonstrate that “love, humanity, and brotherhood” still exist in a world where negative news items seem to proliferate. They encourage as many bloggers as possible to join in and share good news stories.

    I’m a bit late joining in this week, but I wanted to ensure you heard this wonderful news about teachers and children helping out those affected by the recent devastating hurricanes  – education of the heart.

    Books, children, reading, children helping children, teachers, compassion, empathy. Great ingredients for a better world.

    If you would like to join in, click Here to enter their link . As they say, “Bigger the #WATWB group each month, more the joy!”

    The cohosts for this month are: Michelle Wallace , Shilpa Garg,  Andrea Michaels,  Peter Nena,  Emerald Barnes. Check out their posts, and others, for stories to warm your heart.

    This is the story I share with you as part of the Blogfest this month:

    When Hurricane Harvey struck this week, second grade teacher Kathryn Butler Mills of Katy, Texas quickly learned how many of her students were affected. In photos on social media, she saw “several of my students, past and present, sitting under staircases, in bathrooms, and in pantries, waiting out tornado watches and warnings.” She wanted to find a way to “bring a little normal to them in very not normal circumstances.” After seeing a number of kids pictured with books in hand, she hit on the idea of creating an online boo

    Source: The Teacher Helping Hurricane Harvey’s Youngest Victims – And How You Can Help / A Mighty Girl | A Mighty Girl