Happyzine weekly – November 22nd, 09
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Enjoying the Journey
This morning I gathered up my son Kahu, and my best ever running companion – Maia the Dog – and we went push-chair jogging through the drizzle. I love running in light-rain, especially in the morning, when everyone else seems to be retreating inwards to the cosiness of their beds, or their morning rituals. I feel as if I’m the only one in the world out enjoying the outdoors and it’s one of those times I enjoy the solitude. There was a woman carrying small sacks of stones up her steps. I’d seen her yesterday too, only then she’d been using buckets, so she must have modified her technique. She told me she was on a very important mission, with her stones. She didn’t say what the end result was going to be, but in a way it didn’t matter. The mission was the mission, if you know what I mean? Kahu, Maia and I continued on our way, relaxing into the familiar feeling of padding down the hill for our-warm up, jog-walking along the Rail Way Reserve, past all the fruit trees and nut trees, and the occasional person. And then, turning to run a little faster on our way home. She was still there, as I headed back up the hill, walking now, sweat beading down my face. She was descending her steps, again. With her empty buckets. I told her she must feel very ‘zen’ slowly shifting the pile of stones from one place to another, and I realised that I did too. Jogging. Again. With the child in the pushchair. Again. And the dog. Down my street. We smiled at each other through the drizzle. She, happy to be shifting stones. My, myself, taking pleasure from a simple jog. And that was very easily, most completely and utterly, enough.
Enjoy Happyzine this week.
Good News Roundup
Breast-feeding. This subject is something most of us will closely experience at some point in our lives – as a baby, as a Mum, perhaps as a Father, watching on. There are countless benefits involved with breastfeeding, though contrary to popular knowledge, the art of breast feeding can sometimes be a bit tricky. Our new columnist Lorraine Cuadro (Mum and Breastfeeding Counsellor) points out that the good news is most Mums do have enough breast milk, and explains why breastfeeding goes far beyond being simply a physical act.
From the ripple effects of birth, to death and its implications – here, blogger Marty Mars shares his opinions on why it’s good to return human remains to their people – whether it be here in Aotearoa/New Zealand, or elsewhere.
Onto good news about the environment, we begin with a discussion about mulching. Check out this blog by Charlotte Squire explaining why she adores a good seagrass mulch.
What’s your vision for the future? More specifically, what’s your vision for a low carbon 2020? “If we start by dreaming and imagining our futures, then perhaps we can effectively gain some control over them,” says Scoop Editor Alastair Thompson. The websites Scoop, Celcius and Hot-topic have issued an open invitation to all to contribute to the ‘Imagining 2020 Project’.
Next, blogger and author Caroline Webster explores the ‘veggie-led backyard revolution’ – explaining why the days of a ‘passive backyard’ are gone, replaced by a veggie growing, chook running, thoroughly interactive garden exerperience.
This couple are taking the term ‘interactive experience’ to an exciting place: a Belgian-Spanish couple and their fourteen month old baby are cycling the country to raise money for Forest and Bird. They aim to raise $20,000 and are seeking fundraising challenges.
Finally, here’s a fun way to do good for the planet, if you’re planning to be in Wellington or Auckland on Saturday the 5th of December, check out Sign On’s ‘Planet A Day’. There will be simultaneous marches in Auckland and Wellington, and a free concert in Myers Park at the end of the Auckland march featuring Opshop, Midnight Youth, Kirsten Morrell, Don McGlashan and Lucy Lawless.
Writers! Join the Happyzine Team!
Do you want to write or blog about something, or a group that you’re passionate about? Now’s the time to do it. Happyzine’s expanding. We’re just about re-launch an upgraded version of our site and we want more bloggers, researchers and reporters to join us as we journey towards our dream of inspiring hundreds of thousands of people with good news each month. Check out our job-descriptions (and tell your friends and family):
Wanted: Roving Good News Reporters – for all the towns of New Zealand. Would you like to report on your town’s good news? Tell kind tales about your community while honing your reporting and research skills. We need people to blog about the good news that they see in their local papers, and source some original good news too. We’ll help you every step of the way. Contact us today for more information.
Wanted: Community Bloggers – are you part of a group (ethnic, social, sports, etc) that you’re proud of and you’d like to tell our community about? We’re looking for people to share their first-hand experiences about a community that they’re proud to be part of, with our readers on a regular basis. Blogging’s an easy, relaxed way of sharing your take on the world, with like minded people. Writing style: just be yourself, and we’ll help you too. Send us in sample blog and a little information about yourself today.
Wanted: Project Bloggers – are you part of a project or mission that you feel adds something wonderful to your community and to the planet? We’re looking for people to tell us all about the projects that they’re passionately working on. Bloggings an easy form of writing, and we’ll help you too. Share your thoughts, your designs, your photos and ideas with a community of people who want to be inspired. Send us in a sample blog and a little informatin about yourself today.
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