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Bride Holds Wedding at 35,000ft For Mother With Cancer Who Has One Flight Left

By
Terry Turner
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Airline Wedding courtesy Christina Frees, Frees it in Time Photography

A couple who met on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle got married on that same flight six years later in a special ceremony for the bride’s mother.

Kristy Stratton has been a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines for 11 years. She met Jim Larson on a layover to Seattle, where the couple now live.

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Kristy’s mom, Billie Jo Stratton, was a world traveler and inspired her daughter’s career choice. But when Billie Jo was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, she had to give up her globetrotting ways.

She decided she wanted one more trip to see where Kristy worked, lived, and would get married.

WATCH: Bride Wants Dance With Bone Marrow Donor Who Saved Her Life 

The flight attendant got the idea of holding the wedding on the flight as her mother came to visit. The airline approved it and bride and groom walked down the aisle of a Boeing 737 as passengers cheered them on.

“I was really touched and overwhelmed by the amount of love and joy flooding through the cabin,” Kristy Stratton told TODAY.

(WATCH the video below from the wedding flight) — Photos: Christina Frees, Frees it in Time Photography

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Solar Power in US Sets New Records, Beats Natural Gas for the First Time

By
Terry Turner
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For the first time in history, solar beat out natural gas in new additions to generating capacity on the American electrical grid last year.

More than 29% of all new power capacity in the U.S. came from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in 2015 – offering 7.3 gigawatts (GW) in additional renewable energy, a 17% increase over 2014.

Credit: Solar Market Insight
Graph by Solar Market Insight

Overall, solar now accounts for 25 GW of the U.S. power supply, up from just 2 GW in 2010.

Electrical utilities accounted for more than half the new installations, but residential installations accounted for a record breaking 2 GW of the total.

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Sunny states in the west and south led the way with California, North Carolina, and Nevada topping the list for the most solar installations, but the fourth and fifth place slots went to Massachusetts and New York in the northeast.

Solar outperformed U.S. Energy Department forecasts for the year, and is part of a mix of renewable energy sources — including wind, water, and biomass — supplying more than 17% of U.S. electrical needs.ecocapsule1 released ecocapsule

WATCH: Solar-Powered Pod Allows You to Live Anywhere Off the Grid, Now For Sale

The findings were announced Monday by the Solar Energy Industries Association ahead of it’s U.S. Solar Market Insight report to be released on March 9.

Share The Sunny News…  (Photo: Oregon DOT)

Sleek 3-Wheeled Car to Get 84 mpg and Sell for Just $6,800–Meet the Elio

By
Terry Turner
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3 wheel 84mpg car released Elio MotorsYou may be seeing a lot of these three-wheeled, two-seat cars in the future because more than 50,000 people have already signed up to buy one when they roll off the assembly line late this year.

Priced at just $6,800, the American-made Elio is designed to save you money–not just when you purchase the vehicle, but at the gas pump, too.

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Because of its aerodynamic shape, the car can go 84 miles per gallon — about twice as far as the most fuel efficient subcompacts — but still has a 672-mile range on a tank of gas. Its fuel efficiency means the Elio has a smaller carbon footprint than any of its four-wheeled cousins.

Prototypes have been touring the car show circuit around the United States in the past few months, and Elio Motors has just launched a national advertising campaign with commercials running on major cable channels including ESPN and FOX News networks.

Paul Elio created the company in 2009 with a goal of building a safe, fuel-efficient, and inexpensive car right in America.Elio side view released Elio MotorsThe Elio gets twice the mileage of a standard compact through aerodynamics and by keeping its weight 50% lower than similar two-seat roadsters. At the same time, it comes equipped with power windows and steering, air conditioning, and multiple airbags.

The company is currently building a new series of prototypes for safety tests and to serve as models to tweak the final design.

CHECK OUT:  This Bicycle With Roll Cage Could Save Your Life in Collisions With Cars

The car will be assembled at a plant in Shreveport, Louisiana, and 90% of its parts will be made in North America.

Elio Motors expects to employ 1,500 workers in its factory when it opens in the autumn and another 1,500 in corporate and sales positions once the three-wheelers start rolling off the assembly line. The company expects it will indirectly support 19,000 more jobs at companies supplying parts for the car.

(WATCH the video from Elio Motors below) — Photo: Elio Motors

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Chicago Celebrates Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with 3-Day Festival on 30th Anniv.

By
Terry Turner
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ferris-buellers-day-off-movie-Leisure rules

Ferris Bueller is getting three days off in Chicago this spring.

The city is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the film that told an epic story of teenagers skipping school — “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

The 1986 comedy directed by John Hughes, and starring Matthew Broderick in the title role, follows Ferris, his girlfriend Sloane, and best friend Cameron, as they play hooky from school, steal Cameron’s father’s Ferrari, and cavort around downtown Chicago.

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At one point, they hijack a parade float so Ferris can lead the crowd in a rendition of The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout.”Ferris Bueller Weekend screenshot Ferris Fest

“Ferris Fest” scheduled to run May 20 through 22, promises a recreation of the parade scene, along with screenings of the movie, and bus tours to locations used in its filming including the Willis Tower and Cameron’s house.

(WATCH the video from WGN News below, and READ more at the Chicago Tribune)

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Scottish Wildlife Group Buys Puffin Breeding Ground to Protect Species in Peril

By
Terry Turner
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Puffins and other water birds have a new home at the most northern point of Scotland, after a UK wildlife group purchased a stunning 40-acre site at Dunnet Head.

Sitting on a rugged peninsula with 300-foot tall cliffs, the site is a natural “seabird city,” drawing tens of thousands of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and kittiwakes.

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The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has leased the land since 2008, but has finally been able to buy it outright. With the purchase, the historic waterfowl breeding ground will become a permanent bird refuge.

Previous owner Ben Colson had held onto the site for 25 years, preventing any commercial development. He said selling it to the Scotland group will “ensure it continues as a place of wild beauty.”

(WATCH the video below of Dunnet Head puffins – READ more at The Scotsman) — Photo: Wilson44691, CC

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Best Moments of First Reunion for ‘Friends’ in 12 Years (WATCH)

By
Terry Turner
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What keeps friends apart for 12 years? Successful careers, or maybe just that “Smelly Cat?”

Five of the six stars from the long-running American TV comedy, “Friends” reunited for one night to salute the driving force behind their sit-com – a television icon named James Burrows.

David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow sat together on stage during the all-star gala reminiscing about their ‘friend-ships’ and paying tribute to the creator and director of so many hit shows—“Friends” in the 1990s, but also “Cheers,” “Fraiser,” “Will and Grace,” and “Taxi,” among others. (See a second video below...)

RELATED:  ‘Friends’ 20th Anniversary Spawns Real-Life Central Perk Coffee Shop

Matthew Perry, who is currently working on a stage play in London, couldn’t attend in person Sunday night but sent a video introducing his co-stars to the stage.

The actors reflected on how working together was the start of actual real-life friendships between them:

“We really just fell in love and adored each other instantly, and would hang out at each other’s houses and watched the show together,” recalled Aniston, while her cast mates nodded.

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The actress who played Rachael also called the series “the opportunity of a lifetime, and probably the best 10 years of our acting careers.”

WATCH:  Seinfeld Cast Makes Dying Man’s 67th Birthday One To Remember (WATCH)

The five also talked about their favorite episodes–although Smelly Cat, with it’s unforgettable song, remained just a memory.

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat, What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat, It’s not your fault.

(WATCH the videos from Yahoo! and NBC) – Photo: NBC

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Students Reserve 50 Tickets So Veteran Families Can Watch Baseball For Free

By
Terry Turner
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Hotdog Ballpark cc eric molina

When teams take to the field in Fort Worth, Texas this weekend, the stars of the day will be sitting in the stands.

Fifty tickets have been set aside for veterans who are studying at Texas Christian University (TCU). Inviting their families to a barbeque party and fun at the ballpark is part of a campaign to raise awareness of veterans turned college students at the school.

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Two daughters of student veterans will will also throw out the first pitch Saturday morning as the TCU “Horned Frogs” take on Loyola Marymount in baseball.

Lila Public Relations, a student-run PR team, teamed up with TCU’s Student Veterans of America to secure the tickets, arrange the first pitch ceremony, and host a tailgate party for veterans and their families before the game.

(READ more at SB Nation) — Photo: eric molina, CC

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The 15 Most Healthy And Happy Cities in The US Are…

By
Terry Turner
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Naples Florida Pier Gulf of Mexico CC Wilhelm Rosenkranz

Want to be healthier, less stressed, and leave depression behind? You may want to move to Naples, Florida or nearby Marco Island and Immokalee, where well-being and love of community is highest in the nation.

The place with its Gulf breezes earned the top spot in this year’s Gallup-Healthways poll of 190 metro areas in the US.

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The State of American Well-Being: 2015 Community Rankings annually weighs each city’s quality of life in five categories–purpose, social, financial, community and physical–to determine the happiest and healthiest places in America.

Top rated metropolitan areas in this year’s poll tended to feature lively culture and higher income levels, with half of them located along beaches.

CHECK THIS OUT: Help Wanted–Professional Panda Cuddler (We’re Not Joking)

The tri-city area of Naples, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, did not rank in the top ten last year, but a city located just 117 miles to the north, Sarasota, was voted number one – it fell to #3 in the latest survey.

Here are the top 15 cities for overall well-being:

1. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida
2. Salinas, California
3. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida
4. Fort Collins, Colorado
5. Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts
6. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California
7. Boulder, Colorado
8. Charlottesville, Virginia
9. Anchorage, Alaska
10. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, California
11. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
12. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California
13. Honolulu, Hawaii
14. Provo-Orem, Utah
15. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California

The 15 cities ranking at the bottom:

176. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana
177. Utica-Rome, New York
178. Flint, Michigan
179. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
180. Scranton-Wilkes Barre-Hazleton, Pennsylvania
181. Rockford, Illinois
182. Dayton, Ohio
183. Worcester, Massachusetts-Connecticut
184. Toledo, Ohio
185. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania
186. Chico, California
187. Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio
188. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, North Carolina
189. Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma
190. Charleston, West Virginia

The scores are based on more than 353,000 Gallup interviews with adults in all 50 states, conducted between January 2, 2014, through December 30, 2015. Scores ranged from zero to 100, with high scores being the best.

Naples ranked first with 65 points, while Charleston, the least favored region, scored 57.1.

(Photo: Wilhelm Rosenkranz, CC)

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Flint Students No Longer Fear Washing Hands As Boy Raises $10,000 for Sanitizer

By
Terry Turner
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Isiah Britt GoFundMe

When a seven-year-old boy heard about Flint, Michigan’s water problems, he wanted to do something to help. He ended up helping every grade school student in the city.

When Flint changed water supplies in 2014, corrosive water from the Flint River caused lead to leach from pipes, contaminating the city’s water supply.

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Isiah Britt of Gainesville, Virginia heard that students at Flint’s Eisenhower Elementary School were afraid to wash their hands in the water, so he asked his parents to help him send hand sanitizer to the school.

They helped Isiah launch a GoFundMe campaign to raise $500 — enough for 20 cases of hand sanitizer, one for each classroom at Eisenhower Elementary. But in just over two weeks, people have donated more than $10,000.

That’s enough to supply every classroom at all 12 elementary schools in Flint.

Hand Sanitizer Flint released Danielle Britt

The first shipment of product with alcohol as the active ingredient (above) arrived February 12 at Eisenhower Elementary, and his family is continuing to ship hand sanitizer to other Flint schools.

RELATED:  400 Union Plumbers Volunteered to Install Water Filters in Flint For Free

“It doesn’t matter if you’re small, it doesn’t mean you can’t do big things” Isiah Britt said in a video thanking donors for their contributions.

(WATCH the video below from WTVR News) — Photos: Danielle Britt

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Doctor Brings Caring on Campus With Mobile Medical Van for Homeless Teens

By
Terry Turner
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teen-van released Stanford Medicine

When teens can’t go to the doctor, Dr. Seth Ammerman brings his office directly to them.

Ammerman runs a mobile health clinic out of a big, blue bus — making stops on the campuses of seven high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area to provide free health care for teens.

He treats 400 young people every year in his “Teen Health Van”. Forty percent of those patients are homeless and many of the youth have never seen a doctor because their families couldn’t afford an office visit.

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The doctor says you can’t expect kids in that situation to seek out a practitioner—someone has to “meet them where they are.”

It’s not just quick medical care he’s providing. Ammerman’s team also provides counseling for depression, abusive relationships, and drug use. A dietitian works with malnourished teens — common among the poor and homeless kids the van reaches.

HEROES: Couple Defers Dream of Boat to Cover College Tuition for Entire Class

The van is a project of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Stanford and the Children’s Health Fund which has been providing the service for 20 years now. They just rolled out a new version of the van equipped with Wi-Fi and a lab that can give out HIV test results in 20 minutes.

RELATED:  Most Vets Don’t Qualify For Dental Care, So Dentists Are Giving It For Free

“Going to the patients makes all the difference,” Ammerman told NPR News, “and it’s not just a matter of convenience. It really is that these kids, because of all these access barriers — lack of insurance, lack of transportation — they’re not going to get this kind of care unless we go to them.”

(WATCH the video below from KNTV News) — Photo: Stanford Medicine

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Heart Disease Runs In Your Family? Ingenious Blood Test Detects All Possible Conditions

By
Terry Turner
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Blood samples Public Domain CDC

An all-in-one test can now identify every known, inherited heart disease with a single blood sample.

The test identifies 174 faulty genes associated with heart and circulatory system conditions including heart rhythm disturbances, a propensity for high cholesterol levels, and aortic diseases — 17 known diseases and conditions in all.

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The new test can identify family members at risk years earlier than before, allowing them to take action ranging from surgery to simple lifestyle changes to prevent heart trouble later on. It could benefit about a half-million people at risk of inherited heart disease in the UK alone.

The British Heart Foundation, which funded a portion of the research to develop the new test, says it provides a “cheaper and more efficient diagnosis” than previous genetic tests.

RELATED: Cardiac Arrest Victims Get Warnings Weeks Ahead – Know The Signs

“Genetic tests are invaluable when managing inherited heart conditions,” Dr. James Ware, one of the lead researchers said. “Without a genetic test, we often have to keep the whole family under regular surveillance for many years, because some of these conditions may not develop until later in life.”

The test is already being used to diagnose about 40 patients per month at a Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Researchers hope National Health Service labs across the UK will adopt it in the near future.

The research was funded by the British Heart Foundation, and the UK’s Health Innovation Challenge Fund and the findings were published February 17 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research.

(READ more at The Guardian) — Photo: CDC

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Biker Saves Abused Dog on Side of Road, Gains a “Co-Pilot”

By
Terry Turner
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Motorcyclist saves dog FB Brandon Turnbow

This biker was on a routine ride to meet up with his father, when he took a detour to rescue a little dog — and win a new riding buddy.

Brandon Turnbow noticed a truck stopped on the side of the road and it’s driver beating a little, white and tan terrier-mix.

He watched the man throw the dog into the air and drive off.

FIND INSPIRING ANIMAL STORIES WITH OUR GOOD NEWS APP—>  Download FREE for Android and iOS

Turnbow turned around, and found the dog, frightened and alone, standing about two feet off the edge of the busy highway.

Afraid the little guy would dart into traffic, Turnbow approached him slowly, and wrapped him up in his leather jacket to help him feel secure. He started the motorcycle and let it run for a little while so the dog could become accustomed to its sound and vibration.

Was riding out to meet dad this morning an saw a vehicle pulled over on 171 with a worthless piece of crap beating an...

Posted by Brandon Turnbow on Sunday, February 14, 2016
 

When the dog was calm, and traffic died down, Turnbow pulled onto the road and met up with his father, also on a motorcycle, and together they drove 45 miles back to Turnbow’s house taking the dog to eventual safety with the pup riding happily bundled on the seat behind.

At a four-way stop, the biker turned around to check on the pup. He was sitting on the seat, “like he has rode all his life,” Turnbow wrote on his Facebook page.

CHECK OUT:  Airline Pilot Diverts International Flight to Save Dog’s Life

“I now have a Co-pilot — Meet Mr. DAVIDSON,” he wrote when posting the pictures and story.

More than 1,600 people have commented on his story, praising him for rescuing the pup.

“Bless you!” Pauline MacDermid posted in the comments. “You are a true hero and this pup has won the lottery.”

(READ the whole story at Brandon Turnbow’s Facebook page)

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Virginians Deliver 114,000 Pounds of Winter Warmth to Refugees in Turkey

By
Terry Turner
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News Conf released Northern Virginia Regional Commission

Local governments working with volunteers from religious groups and private business in Virginia delivered more than 72 tons of coats and blankets this winter to Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission, made up of 14 local governments in the Washington, DC suburbs, has been coordinating the coat and blanket drive for each of the last three winters.

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Volunteers began boxing donations in November, receiving contributions from 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Gym with Boxes released Northern Virginia Regional Commission

The number of coats and blankets quickly reached 144,710 pounds — more than four times as much as in the group’s first drive.

warehouse released Northern Virginia Regional Commission
Photos courtesy of Northern Virginia Regional Commission

The Paxton Companies and Maersk stepped in to ship the 4,900 boxes of donations for free, delivering them to Eastern Turkey. This month, a team from Virginia joined two nonprofit groups there, Embrace Relief and Kimse Yok Mu, to help distribute the cold weather gear to families and individuals bracing against the cold.

Note and Kids released Northern Virginia Regional Commission
Some of the volunteers wrote notes and tucked them in the pockets, so refugee children would receive warm wishes along with their warm clothes.

CHECK OUT: Christian College Kids Raise $800K in 2 Days for Women’s Hospital in Syria

The commission is already making plans for its next coat and blanket drive for this fall.

(READ more from the Northern Virginia Regional Commission)

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Dog Rescued Two Days After Disappearing Into a 14-Foot Sinkhole

By
Terry Turner
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dog-rescue-Alpha Fire Company -FB

Skye the golden retriever is back on top of the world, after police and firefighters rescued her following two days at the bottom of a 14-foot-deep hidden sinkhole.

Megan Holmes let Skye off her leash during a routine walk at the Penn State University arboretum February 15, but the dog never returned. A search that Monday night turned up nothing.

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On Tuesday, Megan’s husband, Ron, found an 18-inch wide sinkhole. He looked into it, but only heard rushing water. He was afraid Skye had fallen in and drowned. But when he checked the same hole the following morning, he heard no water, only Skye’s excited barking.

Campus police rushed to shore up the narrowing opening to the hole while firefighters widened it enough for one of their crew to be lowered into the pit and rescue Skye.

WATCH:  This Is How You Get a Near-Drowned Moose Out Of a Frozen Lake?

Skye has gotten a clean bill of health from the vet and the university has promised to fill in the hole, but the Holmes family doesn’t plan to be letting Skye off her leash in the future.

(WATCH the video below from WTAE News) — Photos: Alpha Fire Company, Facebook

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New Study Shows Meditation Changes Both Brain and Body

By
Terry Turner
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meditation CC unsplash

It isn’t just in your head. A scientific study shows mindfulness meditation really does reduce stress and “rewire” the brain to be less reactive.

There has been anecdotal suggestions that mindfulness meditation, which involves being aware and non-judgmental in each moment, helps the brain and body relieve stress. However, there were problems with studying its effects scientifically—until researchers at Carnegie Mellon University figured out a way to create a placebo for comparison between groups.

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The scientists found 35 unemployed people under stress from their job searches. All were given brain scans and blood tests to measure levels of inflammation and and levels of cortisol — a chemical related to stress.

They were then put through a three-day program to test the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation.

Half the group was taught actual mindfulness meditation and practiced it for 25 minutes a day for three consecutive days. The mindfulness group “paid close attention to bodily sensations, including unpleasant ones.” The rest were put in a placebo routine of a fake form of meditation. Those people were given stretching exercises, relaxation, and joked during their sessions.

RELATED:  10 Easy Ways You Can Practice Mindfulness

After the three days, people in both groups claimed they felt better. But follow-up examinations showed a much different story.

Brain scans on those who’d followed the legitimate form of meditation showed actual decreases in inflammation. That didn’t happen with the participants in the placebo meditation group.

Another follow-up four months later showed those who were taught mindfulness meditation showed lower levels of chemicals related to stress in their blood stream than those in the placebo group.

CHECK OUT:  Yoga May Be As Good As Aerobic Exercise for Your Heart

David Creswell, lead author of the study and associate professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon, recommends training people in mindfulness meditation because the practice “improves your brain’s ability to help you manage stress, and these changes improve a broad range of stress-related health outcomes, such as your inflammatory health.”

The researchers published their findings January 29th in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

(READ more at the New York Times) — Photo: unsplash, CC

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At 106, She Breaks Into Jig Upon Meeting President & First Lady -WATCH

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Good News Network
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White House Dance Party FB screenshot White House

A woman who has lived for 106 years thought she would never live to see a day that she would walk into the White House, but she did—and she not only walked up to President Obama and First Lady, she sauntered and danced with them both.

Virginia McLaurin came to Washington, D.C. to celebrate Black History Month, after having witnessed more than a century of it herself.

CHECK OUT: They Wanted Her to Undergo Cancer Treatment, But 90-Year-old Hits The Road Instead

The spirited centenarian couldn’t keep still when she met Barack and Michelle Obama, booming a loud hello and almost running across the room to celebrate the moment.

WATCH: Obama Sings Amazing Grace at Pastor’s Funeral

While the President worried about her falling down, Michelle Obama beamed, “I want to be like you when I grow up.”

(WATCH the video below from the White House, via Facebook)

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Former Students Surprise Their Music Teacher Who Drops to Her Knees in Tears

By
Terry Turner
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A Caring Chorus screenshot Kleenex

A music teacher was literally knocked off her feet when two dozen former students appeared in the hallway at school and began singing her praises.

Chorus teacher Gabrielyn Watson thought the cameras were there for an interview she’d agreed to. But they were really there to catch Watson’s old students — some who hadn’t seen each other in 10 years — come back from around the country to cheer up their favorite teacher who was recently bothered by health problems.

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The makers of Kleenex tissue knew the reunion would be emotional when they arranged the travel – and the cameras – to catch all the tears.

Allie from the Class of ’06 described the kind of loyalty felt by the students: “We hear anything to do with Ms. Watson, we’re like, ‘We’re there.’”

CHECK OUT: Named “World’s Best Teacher,” She Gives Kids Choices–Instead of Tests

When the teacher walked into her school in Chicago, Peter, from the Class of ’05, who is now a thriving entertainer in California, appeared around a corner and began singing “Amazing Grace.” Watson thought it was just him, until two more familiar faces appear to form a trio.

The teacher is so overcome, she slumps to the floor.

WATCH:  Teens Pool Cash to Surprise Teacher With His First Birthday Cake in Decade

That’s when the rest of the group walk out of doorways along the hall and join in.

“It feels great to feel loved, and, that what you do matters,” Watson says after the performance.

Be sure to have tissues handy.

(WATCH the video from Kleenex below and Share The Joy…)

Principal Rewards Students’ Good Grades w/ Cash and Letterman Jackets

By
McKinley Corbley
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Louise had talent, she had grace, and she was Charles Evans’s whole life – until she passed away in 2011.

Once the grief subsided, this devoted husband decided that a headstone over a grave wasn’t a good enough memorial for his wife of 60 years, so he created a museum dedicated to their love.

MORE: Husband Plants Field of Flowers for Blind Wife to Smell, So Spectacular it Gets Visitors

Complete with walls papered in photographs, the shoe shine stand where they first met, and all the music they used to dance to, the monument is a breathtaking homage to Louise Evans tucked away in a cozy little cottage in Starkville, Mississippi.

(WATCH the story above from Steve Hartman and CBS News) –Spread the Love… Share This

609 Years Of Love Stories That Grow Sweeter With Age (LOOK)

By
McKinley Corbley
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love sized

As a wedding photographer, Stephanie has always been interested in taking beautiful pictures – and hearing beautiful stories.

In a photo series titled ”To Grow Old With You,” Stephanie interviewed fifteen couples she’d never met about how they met, their first date, and how they take care of their marriage. What began as a personal project displayed at her college Brigham Young University became a message to her generation about the toils of love.

LOOK: Husband Plants Field of Flowers for Blind Wife to Smell, So Spectacular it Gets Visitors

“Throughout this project, I’ve realized how a relationship begins is far less important than how it endures,” Stephanie told the Good News Network. “Some couples knew they found “the one” in an instant, others struggled and toiled, and some didn’t like each other at all in the beginning. Each couple is unique. Some bound together by light hearts, others a oneness with God.”

Here’s five of our favorite couples interviewed Stephanie:

1. Ray and Tess – 54 Years of Marriage

Elderly Ray And Tess - Released

Ray was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 4 years ago. To this day, no matter what happens to him, if you ask him what he would like to do, he always responds, with “Whatever Tess wants to do.” That is the one thing he never seems to forget!

2. Doug and Fran – 55 Years of Marriage

Elderly Doug and Fran - Released

“We dated eight years. We broke up and got back together six times. We just couldn’t communicate. But the stars kept bringing us back together. We are still working on that communication thing, but our love grows deeper every day.”

3. Andrew and Norma – 57 Years of Marriage

Elderly Andrew and Norma - Released

“We met when I was working at a women’s dress shop in California, and he was working next door at a men’s clothing store. Every morning we’d both go out to sweep the sidewalk. One day our brooms met, and we fell in love on that sidewalk in front of those stores. We talked everyday and he swept me off my feet!

MORE: Single Mom Parlays Small Lottery Win into Fund For Homeless Man In the Cold

Gentle humor and a light heart to not take things too seriously unifies our marriage. We love spending time with our children. We have 36 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren in the area. Once a month we try to get everyone together. We like planning service projects with our family clan. Prayer within our home is the best defense for struggles. Love means respecting the person you are with and knowing about them deeply.”

4. Lloyd and Helen Fay – 64 Years of Marriage

Elderly Lloyd and Fay - Released

“He has a twin brother and I have a twin brother, and we rode the school bus together. I was in the third grade and he was in the sixth grade. We fell in love riding on the school bus and going to baseball games together. I was eighteen and she was sixteen when we got married.

MORE: Penniless Artist in India Falls in Love, Rides Bike to Sweden to Be With Her

I made it a priority to do anything I could to provide for my family. I’ve herded sheep, ran a saw mill, run a farm, bailed hay. We’ve stayed active in the church all our lives and that’s kept our family together. We have 30 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. We sure are glad we rode that school bus together.”

5. Robert and Patricia – 23 Years of Marriage

Elderly Robert and Patricia

“We met on a blind date. My niece set us up and we went to Chuck-a-rama. She didn’t like me at all and I didn’t like her dog.

We’ve been on three service missions together and it’s important to say I love you everyday.”

If you want to check out the rest of the Growing Old photo series, you can go to Stephanie Jarstad’s website.

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