Happy Valentine's Day! Today I am all alone (well, except for three cats and two dogs) - alone for three days, as my husband has traveled to Iowa and my youngest son to Idaho. I have not been alone for three consecutive days since my oldest son was born 25 years ago. It is a strange feeling. Last night I was at the casino (I like to bring in small amounts of money and see how long I can last), and when I thought "I should really get home," I realized that I really had no reason to hurry. When I went to the gym, I measured my workout by how long I wanted to be there, not by when everybody else was done. I watched "Antiques Roadshow" on our projector, something that would NEVER happen if the rest of my family was home. Instead of cooking a big meal, I made myself eggs and toast.

It was very different, and not at all unpleasant. But since today is Valentine's Day, it also started me thinking about being alone on Valentine's Day. This national holiday of love has a bad rap, setting up even those of us who are in relationships for disappointment, blame and bitterness. So what could we be doing with this love fest instead? How about SPREADING some love?

In this age of global communications, it's easy to spread that love locally, nationally or around the world. Giving and volunteering is a sure-fire way to make yourself feel better. In fact, many studies indicate that volunteering is actually good for your health. 

So how can you get involved? How can you become more active in giving, volunteering or both? Here are some suggestions:

LOCAL VOLUNTEERING

• Contact your local food bank. Food banks often need help taking in food, stocking the shelves, or staffing the facility so that the food gets to where it needs to go.
• Ask a local minister or priest about things you can do to help in the community.
• Visit a nursing home or senior center. Many elderly people are lonely themselves, and anxious for someone to talk to.
• Ask local schools if they have need for volunteers. Sitting down with a kindergarten class and reading "One Fish, Two Fish" is a sure way to make you feel warm inside. 
• If animals are your thing, contact the local animal shelter to find out what kind of help you can offer. Dogs need to be walked, cats need to be loved, and the animals just need human contact.

NATIONAL VOLUNTEERING

• Volunteer at one of this country's marvelous National Parks. 
• The Red Cross, a national disaster relief organization, often has need of volunteers 
• Participate in one of several national service programs, listed at serve.gov.

GLOBAL GIVING

• A loan of just $25 can help an entrepreneur in developing countries, allow a farmer to buy seed, provide fabric to make clothing in Africa, or help send a child to school. Loans at kiva.org recycle as soon as they are paid back; you can lend again and again, or you can take your money back out as needed. To date I have made 13 Kiva loans; as they get paid back, I lend again. You can give Kiva cards as gifts, as well, so people you love can have the joy of giving.
• Heifer International allows people to help purchase agricultural livestock and basic living necessities for people in developing countries. A donation can help buy a chicken, goat, a pair of seedlings, or build a clean water pump in a village.

There are many, MANY other opportunities out there to volunteer, to give or to get involved. So this Valentine's Day, instead of being mad that your significant other didn't surprise you with a bottle of merlot and some chocolate strawberries, or instead of hating the holiday because you are alone, turn this day of love into a chance to spread some positivity around the world. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

13,000-year-old baby may hold key to past

It's easy to think of America as a "young" country. After all, the Declaration of Independence was signed two and a half centuries ago. But people were living and loving and moving around this country many centuries before Europeans ever even THOUGHT of a new world. Think of it; before the countries of Europe solidified into their current forms, before Charlemagne, before kings and Crusades and castles, there was an active and vibrant population here in North America.

An 18-month-old baby, buried by his family nearly 13,000 years ago, may hold a key to the origin of this country's first residents.

The Clovis Baby was discovered at the base of this Montana cliff.

The baby grave site, discovered near Livingston, Mt. in 1968, is the only burial site that has been linked to the Clovis era. Though he was just an infant - not an important warrior or chief - the child was buried surrounded by 125 artifacts. He also was covered with a kind of red ochre, which experts believe was part of some kind of burial ritual. The burial site shows that the baby was loved, and he was valued. What is important to us as humans hasn't changed so much.
New advances in DNA testing have allowed scientists to sequence the infant's genome and discover the origin of his people. The genetic markers were similar to those of Native Americans, indicating that American Indian tribes did indeed descend from this country's first residents. In addition, the DNA test reinforces the theory that those first residents made their way into North America from Asia, and not (as some have postulated) from European origin.
Of course, if you go back far enough, we are ALL related. I think it would do us good to remember that. No matter what differences we have, we have much, much more in common. We share a common ancestry. Beyond that, we all want what that baby had 12,600 years ago; we all want to be loved and valued.

To read more about the Clovis baby and DNA testing, see the article here: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/13/276021092/ancient-dna-ties-native-americans-from-two-continents-to-clovis

Save the cows, save the lions...

People who know me probably have heard me talk about my oldest son, who is a wildlife biologist. Tor's passion is big cat conservation - and his experience and research in that field has led him to understand that often, it is possible to succeed against what seem like nearly impossible odds. I'll write more about topics like the project to save tigers in Asia, or jaguars in South America. But today, I want to share the vision of a very special young man in Africa. Richard Turere was a little boy - less than 9 years old - when he was tasked with keeping his father's cattle herd safe. Lions often kill cows in Kenya, and so the Masai people hunt and kill them. Richard knew it was important to keep his cows safe. He also knew that killing lions meant an ever-dwindling lion population. He felt sad for the dead cattle, and for the dead lions - so he decided to do something about it. Using little more than native curiosity and a knowledge of electronics that came from dismantling his mother's radio (which got him in trouble with her), Richard created a system of moving lights that keeps lions away from his father's cowshed - a system that is now being used all around Kenya. The invention keeps lions - and, apparently, elephants - away from local livestock, which means that fewer cows, and subsequently fewer lions, are killed.

It doesn't take a fat bank account to see a problem and seek a solution. It takes an inquisitive mind, a willingness to be wrong, and perseverance. Take a few minutes out of your day to enjoy Richard Turere's story in his own words. If he can change the world, why not you? :)

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_turere_a_peace_treaty_with_the_lions.html

Welcome to the sunny side!

A couple weeks ago, I turned 50. While this landmark didn't really mean all that much to me in my life, I do find that it has forced me to look at myself and my life. I am undeniably middle-aged now; some would even say well past middle age. So who am I? Where have I been? Where am I going? Am I where I want to be?

Thinking about these questions has been a bit of a roller coaster. While overall I love the life I live, I have been forced to recognize that there is one major component missing. I am missing hope - hope for the future, hope for the world, hope that a single person can make a difference in this problem-packed present in which we live. Just when I lost hope, I can't say. Perhaps it has been a long, downhill slide into hopelessness. Maybe it is just a lifetime of being exposed to the tragedy, the catastrophe, the negative and the bad. Maybe - and here's where this blog comes in - maybe it's because I have just not paid attention to the many positive things that are happening in the world.

I'm not a Pollyanna. I know there is bad stuff out there. But there are also plenty of sites that will deliver that negativity in bold capitals, with a buy-one-get-one-free side dish of hopelessness. This blog aims to provide a little relief from the "ain't it awful" - a place for a smile, or a warm feeling, a place to affirm that there ARE good things happening in the world. I will include ways for individuals to make a difference - even if that difference is one person at a time.

So welcome to "Keeping My Sunny Side Up." I hope that you will find warmth when you are cold, and a smile when you are sad. Happy reading!