Good News

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting tired hearing of all the bad things that happen in the world.  Plane crashes, religious extremists, and let's not get started with the presidential election.  It seems like practically everything you hear on the news is bad and keeps getting worse.  I've even reached the point that after reading the main headlines on the Internet, I make a conscious effort to stay away from the news, which gets repeated over and over again.

It's probably no surprise, but the news stories broadcast are usually negative.  Journalists often abide by the "if it bleeds, it leads" motto.  Sure, some feel good stories pop up every so now and then, but there aren't many, and they're usually put at the end of a news broadcast or at the bottom of a webpage where they get little notice.

I'm glad, though, that there's a rise of websites focusing on positive news.  At a time when so many bad things are happening, there are actually a lot of good things happening as well.  For instance, there's the story of a college prep school in Maryland that raised money for one student's mother to fly from Nigeria to see her son graduate.  Or the one about the flight attendant who soothed an infant by carrying and walking with him in the aisle.  Then there's the one about the dog who got bitten by a snake while he was protecting a young girl.

If you're like me and need to hear some good things going on in the world, check out the following websites for a dose of positive:

• The Good News Network  http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• Huffpost Good News   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/good-news/
• Leon Logothetis  http://www.leonlogothetis.com/blog/
• Reddit Uplifting News  https://www.reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews/
• Sunny Skyz   http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news

Just because the news bombards you with doom and gloom doesn't mean that the world doesn't have some good things.  The good things are there, but you may have to dig a little bit deeper for them.

Trying to stay positively yours from the perch.

Celebrate the National Parks!

In April, my husband and I traveled to the East Coast to visit family in New York and Pennsylvania.  While we were there, we went to a number of historic sites, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park, Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill, Vanderbilt Mansion, and the battlefield at Gettysburg.  We were lucky that the week we visited was National Park Week and admission costs were waived, but even if we did pay, the National Parks are truly one of the greatest gems of the United States and well worth the cost of admission.

This year, the National Park Service (NPS) marks its 100th birthday.  That's right--the National Parks have been around for 100 years since President Woodrow Wilson signed on August 25, 1916 the act that allows the federal government to preserve scenic areas, parks, and monuments so that present and future generations can enjoy the wonders of this country.  I'm sure you've probably heard of the more well known places managed by the National Park Service.  Besides the places I've already mentioned, there's the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and the Statue of Liberty, among many others.

In the Inland Northwest, we're fortunate to live within driving distance of some of the nicest National Parks.  In Washington State, we have Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic, in addition to historic sites like Fort Vancouver and the Whitman Mission.  In other nearby states there's Glacier (MT), Grand Teton (WY), and Crater Lake (OR), not to mention Yellowstone (ID, MT, WY).

Summer is just around the corner, and perhaps you're thinking about where to go with your sweetie or your family.  If I may make a suggestion, why not consider going to a National Park or another historic site managed by the NPS?  You'll have lots of fun, and you'll have memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Wishing you a great National Park Service experience from the perch.