Good News Monday #40: Home, Collections, and Cows

My bit of personal good news: We had an outdoor clean up the yard party and the guests wore costumes. Now that really cheered me up.

The election is tomorrow; All Souls Day was yesterday; Halloween passed quietly.

I saved only one bit of good news this week. So…

I had to go searching this morning for Good news.

Or maybe at least a bit of inspiring news.

First, a cartoon. This isn’t really good news, but it made me laugh out loud. Angels gotta land, don’t they?

There’s no place like home

“National Geographic” has a new book, America the Beautiful. Prominent people from all 50 states, six territories and Washington, D.C. tell us what they love about their home.

The idea came from the song, “America the Beautiful,” which I personally think should be our National Anthem. I mean, really. Do we need a war song as our National Anthem?

What I didn’t know, was that Katherine Lee Bates (not the Kathy Bates of Misery fame) wrote the song based on her travels across the United States.

…the well-traveled English professor wrote in her diary of “the glory and the music of Niagara Falls,” the amber waves of grain in Kansas, and the purple majesty of the Rocky Mountains. These sights later became the basis of her famous poem, “America the Beautiful.”

National Geographic, October 2020

Old McDonald had a (Patriotic) Cow?

She started out as simply #1035, but as her talents became obvious, she got a proper name, North Harbor Bonanza Patriot or Patriot for short. According to Her Owners:

In true patriot fashion, she vigorously supported the dairy industry and in her own quiet way, was prepared to defend it against all enemies and detractors.

Her main tactic was her prodigious output, and when she could no longer do that, Patriot became a “sweet old lady,” welcoming visitors to Old McDonald’s Farm, the business connected to North Harbor Dairy.

Click NNY360 for more

Patriot passed away last month, after living to nineteen years and after giving over 46,000 gallons of milk and nine calves. Jake Ledoux said Patriot contributed financially and spiritually to the success of his farm.

Condolences from the public are rolling in for Patriot on the Facebook page of Robbins Family Grain and North Harbor Dairy.

I suppose this story touched my heart because of my own cow-connection.

This is me and my Cow, Ladybird. She and I had a special connection. Ladybird was just 2 years old in this picture. I think I was 12.

American as Baseball Card Collectors

This story sorta caused tears to well up in my eyes. Partly because Love-One had a loved baseball card collection that got ruined in a flood and partly because the little girl is a smooth lefty. Plus, you know, the kindness of strangers and all that.

The Fresno County Creek Fire destroyed 9-year-old Reese Osterberg’s home and the baseball cards she’d been collecting for three years. She had about 100 cards collected.

The County Fire protection district started a “Step up to the Plate” drive on their Facebook page to help Reese replace her collection.

Kevin Ashford stepped up to the plate and gave Reese his entire collection of 25,000. He’s been collecting since the 1990s.

“I got to thinking about what I had in the garage… I thought, you know, what of instead of selling them on eBay, I’m going to donate them. I’m gonna donate them all and put a smile on a little girl’s face.”

NBC Bay Area


I had a tough time finding good news this week. The story about Patriot came to me through my brother, John.

Why such a tough time?

My state took a step back and increased COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Then there’s the election and all the real and threatened shenanigans associated with it.

Hopefully, next week will be much better.

Here’s to hope!

What’s on your good news radar this week? I’d love to hear. More is always better.