ARTICLE - THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF HARRISON BRADFORD

original blog can be found HERE

The Inspirational Story of Harrison Bradford

March 11, 2014 By: John Huntinghouse

 Many of you have read the piece I wrote last week titled Doing Good Anyways where I talked about how we strive to do things in life but many times despite our best efforts, life throws us a curve ball but we continue to do our best regardless of the outcomes that are produced.  The inspiration for that piece came from a courageous young man by the name of Harrison Bradford.  I had come across his story on my Facebook feed but I couldn’t remember who out of my Facebook friends posted it.  I spent about a week trying to find the story but I wasn’t able to figure out which friend of mine had shared the story.  So I decided to write the article despite not having the amazing story to go along with it as I couldn’t remember much of the details of the story.  As it turns out, 16 days after his dad originally shared the post, it randomly just popped up again in my newsfeed last Thursday (maybe God really wanted his story to be shared).  I’m glad I was able to find the story again (which was a mini miracle in and of itself) and share the inspirational story of Harrison Bradford.


Harrison was like many 12 year-olds who wanted to participate in extracurricular sports activities at school.  For Harrison, he decided to go and try out for track.  As his father explains it ”For the last two weeks he has been going to school an hour early and staying an hour late. Late last week he broke down to my wife and told her several of the other kids have been laughing at him and making fun of him as he had yet to qualify for the team in any event. He told my wife how hard it has been trying out with so many kids making fun of him. She told him he didn’t need to continue tryouts but he insisted. Today was his last chance to qualify. My heart and thoughts were with him all day. We told him again that he didn’t have to go through with it. But again he insisted. He worked his hardest today as evidenced by the severe bruising on his knees from falling several times during the hurdles.

I wish I could say he qualified but he didn’t. I know his heart was broken as was both his mother’s and mine. But for some reason he didn’t give up. He knew his chances were not good but he still went out there and tried. He knew the second he stepped out there the other kids were going to make fun of him. He knew that the kid who was leading the charge against him had already made the team. But yet, each day he went out there and did his best. I couldn’t be prouder.”

Many kids his age would have just given up and said “what’s the point?  The kids will just make fun of me anyway.”  Heck most of us adults give up in similar situations whether it be at the workplace, at school or around the neighborhood.  I wish I would have had the foresight and courage that Harrison demonstrated that day when I was his age.  The reason I love this story so much is because of the fact that he was a shining, real life example of one of my favorite quotes of all time. 

Had Harrison just continued to fight and eventually made the team, his story would have been a feel good inspirational story that would make all of us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  However, the fact that he didn’t make the team actually makes the example all that much more powerful.  It’s that much more inspirational because it’s more reflective of what happens in real life.  It’s that resemblance to real life that makes the story so real.  Not everything we do has a happy ending or at least ends with the outcomes that we originally intended to see.  Life is full of these curve balls that get thrown our way. 

One of the great teaching moments that I’ve taken from this story and something that I feel we all could learn from is the fact that he didn’t allow others to dictate to him, the terms of how he was going to live his life.  He didn’t allow the actions of others to belittle his desires to try out and make the track team.  This has so many implications to us in our lives whether it be members in our local churches that “offend” us, causing us not to want to go to church or individuals telling us we are too dumb to try to go to school to work on our education.  We ought to have the fortitude to continue to press forward, despite the obstacles that stand in our way.  He knew it would be hard to go back and try again but he had the fortitude to see this through anyway.

As is often the case in life as we face the curve balls that are thrown our way, we many times find ourselves going down a different path or running into great individuals that we otherwise would have never met.  Thus was the case with Harrison.

First, J Scott Savage is an author of the middle-grade fantasy series Farworld.  After reading on Facebook about Harrison’s experience at school trying out for the track team, he sent Harrison three signed copies of his books in the Far World Series. Needless to say Savage now has a fan for life and vice versa.

Lastly, Harrison was able to meet a local legend Bill Allen of Bill Allen Motorcycles and the TV show Hairy Bikers. He had heard about Harrison’s experience and wanted to meet him.   As Harrison’s father explains “Bill is an amazing and inspirational man. So grateful that God has put so many wonderful people in Harrison’s path. Bill has a life time fan!”

While it’s nice for Harrison that he has been able to have the experiences that he has had with the various individuals, authors and celebrities that he has come across, the truth is that Harrison has provided so much more for the rest of us. He has become an example of perseverance and patience of someone who in the end, didn’t necessarily get the outcome that he wanted, but he still continued to pursue it anyways.

He has become an example for so many of his peers, who are going through similar situations in their own lives.  He has become a beacon of hope to those kids who are struggling with bullying and teasing, showing them as they stay strong, good things will inevitably come to them even if it’s not what you initially expected.  There will be many young adults who will read this inspirational story and will say of Harrison “because of you, I didn’t give up.”

ARTICLE - BEING A MORMON MISFIT: AND WHY THATS TOTALLY OK

original post can be found HERE

Being a Mormon misfit: And why that’s totally OK 

By Kayla Lemmon, September 30, 2013

 

When I went to school in Idaho I loved a certain spot in the Rexburg temple in the waiting area of the baptistry. Each time I went there I sat right there–in that same spot– just because of a certain picture.

It was a painting of the Savior holding a little black sheep, right beside the pew in the back. I would stare at it and think about everything that it meant to me. Essentially, it seemed that I was actually the one in the Savior’s arms in that picture.

The misfit. 

And if you’re reading this and you’re a misfit too–perfect. I’m glad there’s two of us. Or three. Or maybe even more than that. Either way, it’s good to know I’m not alone in the category of “Mormon misfits”. So welcome, friend.

How am I a misfit, you might ask? I simply don’t fit the conventional mold of what an LDS woman should be like, or I should say, what an LDS woman is often like.

I have a tattoo, to start. A huge one, actually, on my ribcage. I wasn’t always a member, and I have physical signs to show it–that also includes a scar on my bellybutton from a past piercing.

I work long hours while my husband goes to school and I have an “I want to be the CEO of every department” mentality *Well, I’m just a writer and not a CEO, but you get the point*

I can’t have kids right now. That doesn’t mean I don’t have the desire–it’s just the way my body works because of an ailment that can only be fixed with expensive treatments that we just can’t do right now. And it constantly hurts–like a bruise that just won’t go away because it keeps getting poked at.

I can’t sew. Like, at all. I can’t even hem a pair of pants. And during Relief Society craft nights I’m pretty darn useless. And I haven’t canned even one jar of peaches in my entire life.

I question pretty much everything. I’m not saying I’m a doubter–ok, sometimes I am, and that’s a downfall. But mainly what I’m saying is I’m the type of person who analyzes everything and tries to figure out why things are the way they are. I think that’s why I over-studied the history of the church and even went on a week-long church history tour where I spent over an hour staring out of the window that Joseph tumbled from. I just wanted to know and feel it for myself, not just hang on to the coattails of others.

I’ve never really fit in with Relief Society. I try–but it’s hard for me sometimes. I love the women, I do, and this isn’t me saying that I don’t. Actually, on the contrary–I find myself being overly critical of myself because I wish I could be more like them. They’re all so–perfect. At least in my mind, they are. They come in with their line of cute children on sundays like a mother duck and her ducklings, and they seem to know everyone and have time to make soup for all the sick members and cook for the missionaries every Tuesday night and do their visiting teaching every single month. Perfect Mormon women, in my eyes.

Anyway, I could go on and on with my list of how I’m so different–but I’m not going to turn this into a trilogy of me. But if you’re a misfit I’m sure you have your own lengthy list and together we could make a seven-book series.

But lately it’s been heavy on my mind–this whole black sheep thing. Because sometimes you just don’t want to be.

And just this last weekend when I forced myself to go to the Relief Society broadcast (and even the food and mingle get-together beforehand which is very un-Kayla of me) the nagging feelings were very prominent.

I sat down at a table that on one half had sister missionaries and on the other half had mothers. The sisters chatted about investigators, school before their missions, and how tight the waist bands on their skirts have gotten while out on their missions and being fed all these good dinners. They’re cute girls–but I couldn’t relate much. So I decided to tune into the women on the right side of me. One woman chatted about how she could barely take a shower today because of her colicky baby and one said she couldn’t either because of the puddle of Elmer’s glue her son left on the carpet and another lady busily talked about her last C-section and how she thinks she’ll be induced in this next delivery. With my freshly washed hair and newly painted nails and absolute absence of any glue-smearing child, I decided I didn’t really fit in at the table.

But then the broadcast started. I chose a pew where I didn’t really know anyone and to be honest…yeah, I started watching it with a stink of an attitude. But that changed when Sister Reeves (The 2nd counselor in the General Relief Society) started talking.

Tears filled her eyes as she suddenly pinpointed the sister she wanted to talk to, out there somewhere in the world, who just doesn’t fit in to the cookie-cutter mold of an LDS woman or family. I felt like everyone had stepped out of the chapel as she spoke. She spoke about wounds you might carry that make you wonder where God is, and the things in your life that separates you from the norm. And then she told a beautiful story of the Provo tabernacle that was gutted with flames earlier this year. After the horrific event, members started questioning why the Lord allowed it to happen. But then, at the General Conference following the fire, President Monson announced that that gutted tabernacle would soon be revamped and dedicated as a new temple of the Lord. People couldn’t believe it. Mouths dropped. But it was true. And just like with us, she reminded, sometimes the Lord allows the fire so as to make us into a beautiful temple.

And then President Monson spoke–and he too, spoke to the misfit. Maybe not everyone caught that–but I sure did. He spoke about how everyone is in a different situation. Everyone has different journeys. Everyone is entirely different and sometimes takes a walk through the thorns. But no one is alone, for the Savior has walked the EXACT path you have, and continues to walk it, even now, WITH you.

With my face in my hands, I felt an overwhelming feeling of love wash over me. In that moment, I felt the arms of Heavenly Father literally wrap around my little misfit self and remind me that I’m EXACTLY who I should be and that being a member of the church doesn’t mean I’m supposed to carve myself into an ideal “LDS woman” image. It means that I can be just as I am–scars, questions, lack of sewing skills and all–and add to the rainbow of color that this gospel stands for.

You don’t have to fit in. 

We aren’t called to be the same. Yes, we all follow the same straight and narrow path and there are commandments we all need to abide by in the same way–but we can still be different.

I’ve always known it, I guess, deep inside. But often the culture makes you believe something that isn’t really even there. There seems to be a phantom ideal image that lurks in the minds of everyone and makes them believe they just don’t fit. But it isn’t true. Don’t buy into that thinking.

After all, as a member of the Mormon church, aren’t we really supposed to be misfits anyway? We’re supposed to think a little differently and all see the world a little differently, all the while on the same path toward salvation. I think sometimes we forget that–and that’s why we expect so much from others and ourselves.

As President Monson so sweetly said, the Lord has a specific love for you. Unique, different, beautiful, misfit you.

So, fellow Mormon misfit, come along this journey with me, because we all belong here on this path.

Bring your dinners that you often burn to a crisp, bring your lack of love for skirts, bring along your battle scars and wear them as a badge of how far the Lord has brought you, and bring questions and different perspectives that no one has acknowledged before.

Come along this journey, black sheep, and find comfort in the arms of the Savior of the world–the original misfit himself.

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it sure is comforting to know that others are also  "ugly duckings" who may not feel exactly right in the family they were handed in, or grew up in, or have known, or moved too, or have...

its comforting to know that being different isnt so bad.

thids article confirms to me, all i have said, and will continue to say.

i am loved, i am blessed, and thats all that REALY matters, in the big eternal spectrum of the universe.

i am not perfect, i never will be. but i am loved regardless, of that/those imperfections.

in a measure thats beyond my comprehension. 

no matter HOW i come to Him, i am, and will be, forever, eternally loved by a Heavenly Father that places an infinate worth on my soul. 

im gonna copy this article, and hand it off to that sister missionary i spoke with at the conference in saturday.

i think shed like this as well, i also wrote her a letter, to keep. ill post that here later, after i give it to her.

both of these together, should be perfect for her heart and mind to sup on when needed.

im betting theres way more of us than we realize, while i have learned to embrace this "weirdness" i chose to have and show off, others find it difficult to do so. and i understand that, it hasnt always been easy for me either.

i dont cook, well, not well anyway.

i dont sew either, and i proved that at a reliefe society thing we recently had, where i was attmpting to sew a bag, simple right? not so for myself.

i sewed the bag shut, 3 different times. i dont know why i dont have the "gift", but i ..do not.

i also dont have a bunch of kids. mormons (along with catholics) are notorious for having broods of children. i, have 1 here on this earth, and one in heaven. 

i never home schooled, and i did work when i was a single parent, i was divorced,  all things that in the past, have been looked at as  not what a "molly" mormon would, or should do.

but im not a molly. never was, and i never will be. simply because God didnt cut me, from that cloth that he cut so many of them from.

no, my fabric is rustic, and tattered, and worn, and most likely something that itches the eternal skin of some of those im around for great periods of time.

there used to be a time when i cried about the difference, and how far away from everyone i felt because i wasnt made from the same cloth as they all seem to be. 

but then, i came to a place that said, my fabric, to God, is divine, and beutiful, and has the SAME VALUE as all the other cuts He has made. mine isnt any less loved.

maybe mines loved BECAUSE its a different cloth.

so, i embrace the odd me, the different me, the  out-of-the-box me. 

and once i started to aprciate me, all of a sudden i saw others who were allot like me, different,  not as "molly" as i thought every other female was, some loud, some silly, some different to be different, some different because that just the way they feel, some dont cook, some have neve rhad kids, let alone been married, others  have positions in my church id never want to have, because the responsibility of having that position carries allot of weight, and im not cut out for that kind of thing...others have a ton of kids, some have none..and the list of odd-ball mormons goes on.

i bet, inside, we ALL feel like misfits, and were so painfully aware of our own differences we THINK, were alone in a sea of a million other misfits, when we all are just a little strange.

weve been told were "peculiar people". 

i say wear that with distinction! 

dont be afraid.

allow that toi be a wonderful facet to who you are.

theres only ONE you...make that ONE stand out, and be noticed! 

 

ARTICLE - SHOTS FIRED ON OU CAMPUS

 Shots fired on the OU campus

Posted on: 11:31 am, January 22, 2014, by KFOR-TV & K. Querry, 

NORMAN, Okla. – Officials at OU are warning students to take shelter in place following a possible shooting at a building on the Norman campus.
Norman police confirmed they are working with OU police on a shots fired call at the campus.
Authorities say the call went out just after 11 a.m.
Students received a text message saying, “OU Emergency: Shooting on campus. Avoid Gould Hall. Seek immediate shelter in place.”

UPDATE: no evidence of shots fired:

12:05 p.m. Joey Stipek, an OU journalism student, said armed authorities entered Gould Hall about 11:45 a.m.
Students in nearby Gaylord Hall were told to stay inside.

Stipek said he and other students went outside when they heard sirens. There was no initial indication of injuries or anyone transported.
Alec Polk, an Edmond freshman, said he heard three gunshots and people ran into nearby buildings.

11:50 a.m. Dozens of emergency vehicles and personnel are on the scene. Multiple sources have reported hearing shots fired.
Gould Hall on the South Oval houses the College of Architecture.

11:35 a.m. NORMAN — University of Oklahoma police are responding to reports of possible shots fired on campus, Major Bruce Chan said.
University spokeswoman Catherine Bishop confirmed there are reports of shots fired in the vicinity of Gould Hall.

One OU official said, “We are all on lock down. Scary deal.”
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such a sad comentary of our livesa t this time, with all the advancements and technology, has also come, freedom of thoughts, and attitudes, and the rights (of few) to feel justified in shooting others.

while i completely support the right to carry arms, i do NOT condone the use without reason.

this kinda thing, shootings is becoming more and more common, so much so ive had 2 here outside my home last year, alone. 
as we advance towards a higher and higher technology, we will also have more and more conflict.

no where, anymore is.."safe".

Michelle

ARTICLE - 2 OKLAHOMA CITIES RANK ON LIST OF TOP AFFORDABLE CITIES

http://kfor.com/2014/01/08/oklahoma-towns-rank-on-list-of-americas-most-affordable-cities/

Two Oklahoma cities are ranked in the top 10 most affordable American cities for living on a budget, according to Apartment Guide.
If you’re like most Americans, you like to save money.
The cities ranked in Apartment Guide’s most budget-friendly metros will help you do that.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, tops the list and Oklahoma City comes in at number nine.
Researchers looked at Apartment Guide’s listing prices and the cost of living index by The Council for Community and Economic Research to find the cities with the lowest rent and the lowest cost of living.

ARTICLE- GIRL REMEMBERED THROUGH LETTERS TO FUTURE SELF

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/01/08/girl-dead-letter-self-future?hpt=hln10_3

Girl remembered through letter to future self

 

By AJ Willingham

updated 1:40 PM EST, Thu January 09, 2014

• Taylor Scout Smith, 12, died from complications of pneumonia Sunday
• While going through her things, her parents found a letter to her future self

"Dear Taylor, how's life? Life is pretty simple 10 years in your past, I know I'm late for you, but I'm writing this early, so congratulations on graduating high school, if you didn't, go back and keep trying, get that degree...Do you have your own place yet? If we're in college what are we majoring in? Right now I want to be a lawyer."
Tim and Ellen Smith of Johnson City, Tennessee, were cleaning out their daughter Taylor's things when they found a letter. It was written by Taylor to herself at 22 years old, 10 years into the future.
Tragically, Taylor will never be able to read it. The 12-year-old passed away Sunday from complications arising from pneumonia. In the days that have passed, her grief-stricken family has found comfort in hearing others' stories and memories about their daughter.
"You see all the other things that she's done that you didn't know about, things at youth group, things at school, things where she just touched people's lives in ways that are unbelievable," Taylor's father Tim Smith told affiliate WJHL. "I'm more determined now to find what God's will is, and right now you're even seeing a glimpse of what God's will is, all the people that are being touched by what's going on."
The family has also begun going through Taylor's room. They've found boxes full of poems, journals and other musings, to-do lists left undone, letters left unsent.
One letter was addressed to herself.
"To be opened by Taylor Smith on April 13, 2023, only unless said otherwise," read the envelope.
Taylor's letter to herself was filled with encouragement and questions any 12-year-old would ask. She wanted to know what she was studying. If she wasn't studying anything, that seemed to be OK, too. She wanted to know if Dr. Who was still on the air.
Her parents say Taylor was a deeply spiritual girl, and the letter reinforces what a special young life she led.
"She's just a perfect example of what it is to love God and to love people," her father said."She showed me how God loves, she didn't see anything on the exterior, she only saw the inside and what was best about you."
Smith says his daughter's words give the family peace.
"Well, I think that's about all. But remember it's been 10 years since I wrote this. Stuff has happened good and bad, that's just how life works and you have to go with it."

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i blog for allot of the same reason, mostly to have something for my son when i am gone, thoughts, insights dreams, ideas, thoughts, emotions id work through, basicaly a deeper sense of who i am in discovering what i liked and what touched me, motivated me got fire set under me.
my mom left this life without anything for me to really KNOW her inner self.

 in my real life, i try to drop gems of wisdom as i find ppl.
i try to tell them to be positive, to never stress, to enjoy the moments they have right here and right now, because tomorrow, isnt promised us, all we have is right here and right now.

id hope in my sharing those idea nd ways to make life better, when im gone ppl will miss that part of me.
and want to keep soemthing of that fire i have inside lit and going.
but that rwquires a desire to be  inspired and forge forward, and not afraid to speak the words your told to say, because thy may just help and effect change in someone.

change is good. as long as it makes you better.
i want to effect good changes in ppl.
and then they effect good changes in others.

and through them, ill live on.

Michelle

ARTICLE - MAN CRASHES CAR INTO GAS STATTION ..and streals...just read the story....

http://www.okcfox.com/story/24407631/man-crashes-car-into-gas-station-steals-one-banana

On cam: Man crashes car into gas station, steals one banana

 

Posted: Jan 09, 2014 12:10 PM CST Updated: Jan 09, 2014 12:11 PM CST

By: Jay Dillon, Senior Digital Content Manager

NEWINGTON, Conn. (AP) - Call it the case of the banana-eating bandit.

Police in Connecticut say they're looking for a man who smashed his vehicle into a gas station in Newington, swiped a banana from a shelf and ate it before leaving early Wednesday morning. Nothing else was taken.

The store's surveillance video shows a Ford Freestyle with Connecticut license plates backing repeatedly into the store and breaking the glass doors, which set off the burglar alarm at about 2 a.m.

The man was gone before police arrived.

Authorities describe him as a black man who was wearing a brown hat, dark jacket and dark pants. Police say the station wagon has damage to the driver's side taillight and rear bumper.

ARTICLE- SELF HELP - 8 SURPRISING TOXIC FREINDSHIPS TO AVOID

http://http://positivemed.com/2013/12/24/8-toxic-friend-types-to-avoid/
8 Surprising Toxic Friendships To Avoid
Edited By Stephanie Dawson

Friends are usually for life and help make your life complete. We can have many friends in life but some turn out to be toxic. When people say "toxic friend," they actually mean the type of friend who is good at embarrassing you in front of others to gain attention or who is a betrayer. Here are some toxic friends you may want to eliminate from your life:

1. The Hater
A friend who is a hater can never be satisfied. They tend to have negative opinions about almost everything, like the clothes you wear or the people you talk to. They are good at making things seem bad and blocking your positive vibes. They are never happy with your choices. They feel jealous at times and will never compliment you for your good choice even if they love it.
2. The Leech
We usually have that one friend who is constantly borrowing money or your stuff and depends on you. This kind of friend should definitely be avoided. If a friend takes things from you and never returns favors the friendship becomes one-sided. 
3. The Fault-finder
This type of friend does nothing but find fault in you and others. They are always keen of everything that you do or say. If you want to keep such friends you can say something in a joking manner like “Let’s see if you can last an hour without saying anything negative,” however if you are not comfortable with these friends and are continuously subduing your self-respect then its better to keep away from them or eliminate them.
4. The Manipulator
The manipulative one is often the stealthy one. Such friends are good at manipulating situations and have usually got too many problems to mention. It's better to keep away from these friends as they manipulate things to their convenience.
5. The backstabber
Backstabbers are nice to your face. They can make you enjoy their company and have fun with them. You like spending time with them and it becomes confusing to recognize the backstabbing, but hearing negative things from others it gets depressing. Give these friends a chance to explain themselves but stay bold enough to distance yourself from such friends.
6. The one who finishes your sentences
This is a friend who knows you well and can read your mind. They are so interested in your conversations that before you tell your story they intrude and finish for you even if they have never heard it. They are good at hijacking conversations. They love to talk and won't let you talk. More than a friend they need an audience who can just listen to them.
7. The comparison maker
These friends always compare their lives to yours. These "frenemies" are jealous of what you have and possess. They are not happy with your success and tend to create hurdles in your path to success. Your accomplishments are shot down with their "no big deal" attitude. Such friends try to keep you down in every aspect of life whether it is about friendship or career.
8. The Gossip
Some people enjoy gossip. Every time you meet them they have news about other people. You can never share your personal information with these friends as they are good at disclosing stuff to others. The things they talk about are usually complaining or disrespectful to others. They can even blackmail you for stories you have shared.

ARTICLE - CHIMP TWINS BORN (october 3rd 2013)

Chimpanzee twins Thelma and Louise were born to mum Cherri last week

3:12pm Thursday 3rd October 2013  By Jim Durkin

TWO new 'surprise' additions have been welcomed at Monkey World ape rescue centre.
Newborn twin chimpanzees Thelma & Louise were born to mum Cherri last week.


Park director Dr Alison Cronin said: “We knew that Cherri was pregnant but twins were a surprise as they are not very common.”

That wasn't the only surprise element to the story - Cherri had been on birth control but a course of antibiotics for a chest infection last winter caused them to fail.

A spokesman at the Wool primate centre explained: “As the park's birth control 'outlaws', the twin girls were aptly named after the famous movie fugitives.”

The twins' dad is the park's dominant male chimpanzee, Hananya, who was rescued after being smuggled from the wild into Israel for the illegal pet trade.

Chimpanzees are not deliberately bred at Monkey World. Female chimps are routinely given birth control to avoid overpopulation at the park.

However, this is not the first time Cherri's birth control has failed. The primate, who was smuggled out of Africa to be used as a photographer's prop in Spain, became a young mum under similar circumstances more than a decade ago.

 

Park staff have been keeping a close eye on Cherri, now in her early 20s, and her tiny twins.
They'll be dependent on her for at least the next four or five years.

Dr Cronin said: “Cherri makes sure that both babies are placed near to her breasts so that both infants have a good opportunity to feed.

“It is fantastic to see her doing so well, especially as chimpanzees use their hands and feet to walk and climb.
“But Cherri is very conscious to help support the two infants, so her hands are full even when she is climbing up our 20 metre climbing frames.”

Dr Cronin also said it was nice to see how the whole chimpanzee group had come together, with all of them showing interest in the babies.

USGS RECORDS SEVERAL EARTHQUAKES IN OKLAHOMA

USGS records several earthquakes in Oklahoma

Posted: Jan 05, 2014 10:49 AM CST Updated: Jan 05, 2014 11:54 AM CST

Posted by: Jon Miller, Assignment Editor 

 

LANGSTON, Okla. (AP) -- No damage was reported after several earthquakes hit Oklahoma on Saturday.

   According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the largest of the three had a preliminary magnitude of 3.7. Its epicenter was 10 miles north-northwest of Langston and 13 miles west of Stillwater. It struck at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

   A preliminary 3.5-magnitude quake was reported at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Its epicenter was 1 mile north-northeast of Cherokee.

   The USGS says a third earthquake hit at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. That quake had a preliminary magnitude of 3.2 with an epicenter 9 miles north-northwest of Chandler.

ARTICLE - (ART/SCULPTING) - A TEACHERS WIFE DIES AND HE MAKES A MARBE SCULPTURE OF HER.

A Teacher’s Wife Died At Age 31. What He Did A Month Later Is Simply Beautiful.

 http://www.viralnova.com/teacher-sculpts-wifes-grave/

December 21, 2013

Life isn’t always fair. In fact, it almost never is. There are situations and circumstances that arise that may break us into pieces, but we soldier on and find a way to cope with what happens. This school teacher had to face loss so young in his life. His beautiful wife was taken away from this world too soon, she was only 31 years-old. That’s when he decided to do something incredible to both honor her memory and help himself deal with the pain he had. Here, he explains just what he created to remember his late wife by:

The finished marble bust. I did her originally in clay, then had that laser-scanned and roughed out in marble by robot (photos at the bottom). I then refined it with a dremel and polished with sandpaper. 

 

 She was only 31 and I would have preferred her hair less ‘matronly’. I needed photos from every angle though so I had to use photos from our wedding day when her hair was up with orchids in it. 

 

 

 I had never sculpted anything before, but the school where I teach painting has one of the best sculpture programs in the world. The director (Robert Bodem) gave me his studio for months and showed me what to do. 

 

 After they found the tumor my wife adopted a small dog found on the streets of Naples. This is her dog, Emma, on her cushion, in marble. 

 

 She slept with her ears down for a couple of days after my wife’s death. I tried to capture that. 

 

 

 It will go at the foot of the grave, like a modern day Ilaria del Carretto.

 

 Working in clay from life at home. The dog sleeps by the radiator all winter, so she was an easy model.

 

 Working in clay from photos at Robert Bodem’s studio.

 

 The giant marble-carving robot. This digital process worked to my advantage in that, having never sculpted before, I had made the bust of my wife way too big. By using this method of the laser-scan and 3D computer image I was able to measure an old life-sized oil portrait I did of her and reduce the dimensions of the digital wireframe model to her exact scale.

 

 How the marble looks when the robot is done.

 

 I’ve worked as a professional portrait painter for years. Normally, the process with portraiture is that the closer you get to a likeness the happier you feel about the work.

 

 When sculpting your wife a month after her death, the dynamic is very different.

 Our pain, and how we react to it, helps define us as people. No one wants to encounter pain like this, one so severe and gut-wrenching. When this man did, though, his reaction was so beautiful.