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ABC Illawarra / By Brooke Chandler Jun 2023

After struggling to make friends, Thomas Walters Whyte made the life-changing decision to create a social group for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Driven by the desire to meet people who understood him, the 22-year-old has created a little community in Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands.

Thomas Walters Creates A Group For Young People With Autism

"I felt alone," Thomas said.

"I was trying to connect with the members of my local horse riding club but because I was the only ASD person, I struggled. I couldn't relate to what they are saying."

With encouragement from his mother Jessica Whyte, Thomas posted the idea about a social group tailored specifically for young adults with mild ASD to Facebook.

The concept reached a greater audience when Rose Shaw from Community Circles offered her networking skills.

"There are large organisations trying to help people like me, but I just fell into the gaps," Thomas said.

"But in this small gathering, we can all enjoy a meal, chat, and soak up the not-so-busy atmosphere."

Now, every weekend Thomas sips an icy drink from a cafe accompanied by half a dozen young adults of neurodivergent backgrounds.…

By Good News Network -Jun 2023

A couple who hand-reared a one-day-old duckling before releasing her back to the wild were left stunned when she returned to their home six months—and brought a few family members.

Phil Garner took the tiny mallard under his wing after finding her abandoned on a fishing lake, before bringing her back to his wife Julia, snuggled in his coat pocket.

The 67-year-old said the duckling, they named Freda, became partially potty-trained using towels after she came to live in their three-bed house in Leeds, England. The couple even took turns sleeping near the “demanding” bird’s bed.

Julia said her husband of 16 years was undergoing agonizing treatment for cancer when he first found Freda. She now considers the duck to be like a “guardian angel” as he was able to focus his energy on caring for her during that difficult time.

“I wasn’t keen on my home becoming a duck sanctuary at first, but I think she was sent for a purpose… Freda helped him through it.”

They had tried for hours to find the ducking’s parents before being told by a fishery manager that she would perish if left in the wild.…

By Eva Milic - NWS9 NEWS 2018

A young Queensland woman has silenced her doubters by dropping half her body weight, and now she is hoping her story will inspire others.
Twelve months ago, Josie Desgrand made a promise to herself to lose weight and gain confidence.
"Seeing myself now compared to what I was a year ago, it's insane," Ms Desgrand told 9NEWS.

Josie Desgrand Shares Her Weightloss Story - 9NEWS

That's because she's half the girl she used to be - quite literally.
Her secret?
"I found out that sugar was horrible and sugar was in a lot more things than I thought it was," she said.
Once Ms Desgrand cut sugar completely out of her diet, she said weight was just falling off.

At her heaviest, she was 120 kilograms. Now she is a happy and healthy 60 kilograms.
And she did it all on her own - including some light exercise in her lounge room.
"I didn't want to go to the gym at all I felt too embarrassed at that size," Ms Desgrand added.

Now she's fearless and feeling fantastic, with a brand new goal to inspire others through her Instagram page "No Longer Fat Josie".…

By Janet Vargas - Independent Natural Health Researcher 30+ Yrs

Unable to sleep at night after you've finished your programs for the evening? The Blue Light emitted from the Screen has Affected your Melatonin Levels for the night. Maybe your Kids can't sleep after their share for the same reason? Maybe you were a bit distracted by what's on the Screen to tuck your younger Kids into bed at night - their little minds could be thinking "Why doesn't mummy (or daddy) stay with me? Why does she (or he) go so quickly?" And even your Teenage Kids could be thinking they're no competition to that mesmerizing TV of yours. That is, unless they're off in their own rooms with their own TVs and it's the other way round. You're wondering if that was such a good idea, buying that 2nd TV or everyone their TVs.

TVs can Change your Priorities; TVs can make you Lazy to get up and Attend to things or even Loved Ones; TVs can even blunt your Sensitivity to them; TV can Infiltrate your thinking habits, so you have little Interest or Motivation for anything else; TV can cause you to Compromise your Commitments or even your Morals; TV can talk you into buying things you really didn't Need and you're wondering why you bought them?…

By Janet Vargas - Owner Of This Website

Adopting some things from Yesteryear and some of us have not even been brought up with, like having a Clothesline and drying our Clothes Naturally, for instance. In this Article, I hope I can Inspire you towards some beneficial changes that will make a difference in your life or family some time in the very new future. Makes for more Family Orientation - Constant Use of too many Modern "Conveniences" don't.
Shall we go?

Lets Enjoy Sunshine - Nature and Good Old-Fashioned Values!

Here's How Much Money You Save With A Clothesline And Some Advantages

You can Save 20% on your Electricity Bills here in Australia. Your Clothes and Sheets and Towels etc are Fresher. Especially your Tea Towels. You Enjoy the Sunshine and Fresh Air more often - they're actually Good for You, and everything feels fresh and lovely to wear and place on your beds etc. If you've never experienced that before, you're missing something.

Also, a little exercise benefits your health as well. On Autumn, Spring and Summer days, you get to Enjoy the nice Blue Sky and maybe some white fluffy clouds.…

ABC Rural / By Cara Jeffery and David Claughton 2021

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ARTICLE FROM THE ABC 2 YRS AGO PRESERVED HERE ON OURS AUSTRALIA BECAUSE I DISCOVERED THIS COUPLE'S STORY ON THEIR WEBSITE A YEAR AGO AND BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING - GROWING THE ANCIENT GRAINS SPELT and KHORASAN, THAT ARE MUCH HEALTHIER THAN MODERN WHEAT, AND TASTY TOO. VERY NUTRITIOUS.

Riverina organic grain-grower Bettina Walker has gone back in time to secure the future of an ancient grain variety.

The southern New South Wales grower bartered her rye grain for some hard-to-come-by Khorasan wheat seed to grow on her farm at Barellan in Southern NSW.

Ancient grains are a rarity on Riverina farms, where modern varieties of wheat, canola and barley dominate paddocks.

This season Mrs Walker and her husband, Robert, were growing two ancient grain varieties — Khorasan wheat and spelt — alongside a mix of traditional rye, oats and modern wheat.

A different-looking grain
But it was the addition of Khorasan wheat that was a standout.

Bettina Walker showing her Flour Mill at Beralla in NSW

"We've always liked heritage grains, and it's very hard to get them," Mrs Walker said.…

A handful of companies own the patents on virtually every seed planted in the US. Now, a new crop of unowned seeds is bringing biodiversity back to farming.

When Jack Kloppenburg looks out over his sprawling vegetable garden in rural Wisconsin, he sees half a dozen arm-thick green-striped squash called Candystick Dessert Delicata, and a gaggle of bright yellow Goldini squash among the lush green. “These are so delicious!” he exclaims with all the enthusiasm only a lifelong gardener can muster. But what’s special about the vegetables is not just their taste: They have all been grown from open source seeds developed by Oregon farmer Carol Deppe, a Harvard-trained geneticist and board chair of the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI).

Most people have heard of open source software, maybe also of open source beer (Free beer for all!) or open source pharmaceutical research. The principle is the same: Someone developed the seeds — for cowpeas, corn, rye and more — and now offers the resource for everybody to share. 

Just like software development has been co-opted by a few global companies like Microsoft and Apple, the international seed development and trade, too, is controlled by a few big giants like Bayer (Monsanto), Corteva (DuPont) and ChemChina (Syngenta).…

Lifeguards in Alabama are being praised for carrying a 95-year-old woman to her beach chair every day while she was on vacation.

Kimberly Waterbury, and her 95-year-old mother, Dottie Schneider, from Indiana, travelled to Alabama's beautiful Orange Beach this October for a week-long vacation.

Kindness and Goodness Prevails - Generous Lifeguards in Alabama USA Help Lady 95

Dottie uses a wheelchair and cannot walk in the sand. Her family was struggling to get her from their condo to their beach chairs.

That's when Shane Martin, the lifeguard on duty, pulled up on an all-terrain utility vehicle and asked if the family needed assistance.

Shane helped Dottie into the vehicle and drove her close to where her family's lounge chairs and umbrella were waiting.

He carried her the rest of the way and gently placed her onto the chair, making sure she was comfortable.

Every day for one week, Orange Beach lifeguards met Dottie and her family to help assist her down to her beach chairs.

Then at days end they escorted her back to her condo.

"We are forever indebted to the guys with Orange Beach Surf Rescue," Waterbury told AL.com.…

ABC Rural / By Megan Hughes and Katrina Beavan 28 Jan 2023

Consumers can expect to see more lychees on supermarket shelves for longer this year as cooler and wetter conditions result in a later harvest than usual.

And despite a bumper crop being picked, prices have stayed steady, meaning the delay is also good news for growers such as Lush Lychees in central Queensland.

Lychee Berries Growing In Queensland Now!

Owners Krystal and Paul Caton have processed more than 120 tonnes of fruit since December at their 5,000 tree orchard, 30 kilometres north-west of Rockhampton.

"This year we've had the greatest season that we could have asked for in the last seven years of owning our orchard," Ms Caton said.

"This really expands our market having a number of varieties that have all produced really well this year."

About 280km south, near Bundaberg, Australian Lychees Association president Derek Foley's orchard had produced a record crop.

"[The crop is] 40 per cent up on what I've ever done before," he said.

Mr Foley said the volume of fruit was up on last year across the industry but prices had stayed steady despite the increased supply.…

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IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, SOME OF US HAVE LEARNT SOME GOOD COPING SKILLS, AND OTHERS ARE REALLY COPING NOT SO WELL. MOST TIMES, YOU CAN'T CHANGE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THEM, BUT YOU CAN MAYBE MAKE THINGS A LITTLE LIGHTER BY BREAKING UP SOME POSSIBLE RUMINATION AND GIVING THEM SOME TANGIBLE IDEAS TO DISPERSE SOME CLOUDY THOUGHTS. SOMETIMES, JUST A SIMPLE INTERVENTION OF HAVING YOUR COMPANY FOR A WHILE AND DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT CAN BREAK UP A SOMBER STATE OF MIND THAT IS MAKING THEM FEEL SAD, LONELY OR VULNERABLE. IT'S SHOWING THEM SOMEONE CARES, HEY? AND THAT CAN MEAN A LOT.

Fill Someone's Day With Sunshine - There's So Many Ways!!!

From Different Authors

By Rachel Sharpe

Write Them A Card

If your goal is to cheer someone up, send snail mail and mail them a card. Let the card be a surprise. Within the card, write down all the reasons why you think that person is incredible. It’s a great way to make the person feel special and appreciated. It’ll likely be kept as a memento for years to come. If the person who needs cheering up typically doesn’t get mail, this will be a pleasant surprise for them.…