Latest news with #TheLittleEngineThatCould
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
I'm losing my mum to young-onset dementia. Caring for my baby reminds me who she was
When I saw the two little blue stripes on the pregnancy test, the first person I wanted to tell was my mum. The only person as excited as a new mum-to-be is her mother. Not only is she becoming a grandmother, she gets to experience one of the happiest and most life-changing events of her daughter's life, offering her wisdom along the way. My mum would've been no exception. She found immense happiness in raising her own children, and she had always wanted me to experience the same joy. But when I told her I was going to be a mum, she was past the point of understanding. She'd been diagnosed with young-onset dementia three-and-a-half years before, at only 58. Each time I saw Mum I would tell her my happy news again. Sometimes, she seemed to understand, sometimes she didn't. For the first half of my pregnancy I was horrifically unwell. And whenever I'm sick, my mum is the only person I want. I adore my partner, but no one can care for you like your mum does. Only your mum radiates worry until you're better. Through the sickness, and through the excitement, I felt Mum's loss acutely. There was no one texting me every day asking about my symptoms, sending me links to herbal remedies she swore by when she was pregnant, asking whether I'd felt the baby move yet, or when my next scan was. There was no one excitedly buying baby clothes every time they set foot in a baby shop, as I knew my mother would have done if she still could have. And there was no one I felt I could bother on a daily basis about whether this or that thought or feeling during pregnancy was normal. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion When my waters broke a month early I felt deeply afraid for my baby. I wanted so much to phone Mum to seek her reassurance; to have her come to the hospital with premmie nappies and tiny onesies. When the baby came five days later I phoned her from the hospital and told her she had a grandson. She said 'mmm', and asked if I knew where her dog was. When my mother-in-law gave us a huge wicker basket filled with beautiful baby things, I burst into tears because I knew my mum would have done the same, but couldn't. She would have bought so much loot for the baby and I would've been protesting that we had no room in the house and asking if she had the receipts because we probably didn't need 18 newborn-sized cardigans. I think of Mum often in my day-to-day life as a mother now too. Of how she would sing The Little Engine That Could when my brother and were too tired to walk any more: 'I think I can! I think I can!' Or how she would get us doing the hokey pokey to wash ourselves in motel showers when no bath was available. Her methods of making scary or impossible-seeming things fun were ingenious. Sometimes, when I need advice, I try to imagine what hers might have been. But it saddens me that I never seem to be able to think of what she would have said. I am slowly forgetting her, even though she is still here. Would she have been a confident grandmother, always offering her advice? Or would she have been self-conscious about not knowing how things are done these days? When I noticed I was forgetting her, I started writing down little things as I remembered them. Things like how she would eat the syrup off McDonald's sundaes and leave most of the soft serve. Or how a mealtime rarely went by without her asking if we wanted poo on toast. I love remembering these things, but they also make me sad that my child will never know them, will never know his nana. Even though she doesn't really know who he is, and always calls him a 'she', my mum's face still lights up when I take him to visit. She speaks gibberish to him. When he smiles, Mum says how beautiful 'she' is. I try to fill the void left by Mum by seeking connection and advice from friends and family members, but she has left a space that can never really be filled. All I can do is try to remember her and, one day, tell my son about her.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Good intention, but wrong solution, Kansas police say
OAKLEY, Kan. (KSNW) — A woman looking for books in a Little Free Library box found something that should not have been there. Right next to the children's book 'The Little Engine That Could' was the drug used to treat drug overdoses. The woman said it was the second time this week someone had put naloxone in one of Oakley's mini libraries. Kansas declares emergency, waives trucking hours for fuel She was concerned that little children use the libraries and might try to open the opioid-overdose antidote. She took the kits out and gave them to law enforcement. It prompted the Oakley Police Department to post a message on social media. Police say someone had good intentions, but the wrong solution. 'While we understand the importance of this lifesaving drug and we appreciate the fact that someone out there wishes for it to be readily accessible for people in need, placing it in places readily available for children is not acceptable,' the department said. Everyone has access to the little libraries, including children who are naturally curious. Police say children might open the naloxone box and mess with it. The Oakley Police Department said naloxone is said to have no adverse effects, even if it is not needed. However, there are still concerns about allergies and other issues if children get their hands on it. Drug Addiction: Where to Find Help Police ask that if you find naloxone in a Little Free Library, take it to the police department. 'To whomever is putting it in these places, thank you for caring about the people who need it, but PLEASE refrain from placing it in areas that are accessible to children,' the post goes on to say. 'Naloxone also needs to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment so placing it in these boxes will essentially ruin the medication and it will not help anyone who needs it anyway.' The department asks that you call the police if you find an unknown substance in a public place. Officers have gloves and training to handle unknown substances. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Buzz Feed
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
21 Not-Talked-About Movies That Basically Scarred An Entire Generation
Recently, we wrote about the films that have absolutely scarred an entire generation. And, in response, we got SO MANY MORE good suggestions from our BuzzFeed Community. Here are the less-talked-about movies that emotionally traumatized people when they were younger: 1. The Little Engine That Could (1991): "That. Mountain. Scene." 2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964): "I didn't realize how traumatic those Christmas claymation movies were until I showed them to my then 3-year-old, who literally ran from the room screaming. The abominable snowmen and the island of misfit toys are nightmare fuel." 3. My Dog Skip (2000): "I love dogs so much, and I was told by everyone I knew that I needed to watch that movie. NO ONE TOLD ME WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. It's scarred me to this day." 4. Horton Hears a Who (1970): "The Wickersham Brothers gave me nightmares, big time." 5. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998): "That movie traumatized so many kids who either saw it when it came out or on TV later." 6. Lord of the Flies (1990): "I stumbled across that movie when I was really young, before I had any idea it was a classic, and it scared the bejeebers out of me." 7. The Sound of Music (1965): "The Nazis in The Sound of Music...I had to sleep with all the lights on." 8. Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977): "I cry every time." 9. Benji (1974): "How has no one mentioned this yet? It's terrifying at times." 10. Charlotte's Web (1973): "My 4-year-old and I both cried at the end of Charlotte's Web. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, 'She didn't get to see her babies.' I'm crying now." 11. Clue (1985): "It was probably irrational of me, but the movie gave me nightmares for a week. I was maybe 7 or 8 when I watched it; I would cry whenever I went to the bathroom because I was afraid someone would come out of a secret passage/hidden panel and stab me. I didn't feel safe in my own home!" 12. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): "I was 5 and the mirror scared me so much." 13. Gorillas in the Mist (1988): "I saw it as a child, and I still can't watch any movie about animals 40 years later." 14. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983): "It scared me to death. It made me scared of carnivals for a while. I'm 53 and will not watch it to this day." 15. Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977): "My parents recorded it off the TV, and I damn near wore the VHS tape out watching it even though it scared the absolute shit out of me." 16. Superman III (1983): "The scene where the woman gets turned into a borg scared the crap out of me as a kid." 17. Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959): "When the banchees came to the front door towards the end, I had nightmares for years." 18. Once Upon A Forest (1993): "😭😭😭." 19. The Transformers: The Movie (1986): "I was a NASA and Transformers kid. In 1986, the Challenger exploded, and they killed Optimus Prime — that year warped me for life! Paramount Pictures / Ronald Grant Archive / Mary Evans — laughingasteroid20 20. A Troll in Central Park (1994): "It was the most terrifying movie to me as a kid, and I still can't watch it." 21. Mary Poppins (1964): "Don't laugh, but, specifically the scene where they were all up by the ceiling. As a wee tot, my cousins would torture me by playing 'I Love to Laugh,' knowing it would send me into hysterics. Even now, I still get the ghost of a shiver listening to that song."
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Binghamton CSD becomes branch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
BIGNHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Young kids in Binghamton are receiving a special monthly treat in the mail, designed to foster a love of reading. The Binghamton City School District is becoming a virtual branch of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Roughly 350 children between birth and 4 years-old who are currently enrolled in a Binghamton Pre-K or the PACT program began receiving the books last month. This morning, teacher Jennifer Mosher read 'The Little Engine That Could' to her students in the pre-K room at Calvin Coolidge Elementary. For the first month, all kids received The Little Engine That Could, but going forward, the books will be designed to be age-appropriate depending on the recipient. Scout Orr is the Director of Math, Science and Technology for the district. He says it allows parents and caregivers to share the adventure of reading with their kids. 'I know with my own children, they love running out to the mailbox and opening up a package in the mail. I think all the children who are receiving a book will be so excited every month,' Orr said. 'It's so important, it's so vital, it's beautiful, it's joyous to snuggle up with a good book and go down that adventure of reading.' Pre-K teachers and PACT educators are encouraged to incorporate the monthly books into their lessons. Binghamton has multiple Pre-K classrooms both in district schools and with partner agencies in the community. Funding to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Binghamton was provided by the Katie Titus Early Literacy Fund, which honors the memory of Binghamton High School Junior Katie Titus who dies in an automobile accident in 1996. The books will arrive year-round. Orr says she's hopeful the district will be able to sustain and grow the initiative in years to come. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists search for answers after gray whale washes ashore in L.A., bitten and underweight
Over the weekend, a 38-foot-long female gray whale washed ashore at Dockweiler State Beach, prompting an outpouring of grief from marine mammal lovers and leaving an important question etched into the sand — what killed her? Her 14-ton carcass offers several immediate clues, said Keith Matassa, chief executive of the Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance, who is leading a necropsy of the whale to determine her cause of death. "Every mortality is a tragedy," he said, "but each mortality has a story to tell us all about the animal, about the ocean and the environment." An initial assessment revealed that the whale was underweight and had an abnormal amount of whale lice, suggesting she was suffering from some illness or lack of adequate nutrition, he said. Marks on her body also indicated that she was nibbled on by a great white shark after she died and might have been injured from a previous entanglement with fishing lines, he added. It's also possible that the mammal died from blunt-force trauma after being struck by a ship, which is what probably killed the last four whales Matassa's team examined after they washed ashore on L.A. and Orange county beaches. A more definitive answer, however, will have to wait until he receives results from blood, blubber and tissue samples collected from the whale. John Warner, chief executive of the Marine Mammal Care Center, said that seeing the big gray whale washed ashore on Sunday morning felt like "a gut punch." "Whales hold a very special place in our hearts and in our imaginations," he said. "When we see them not being in the water and not frolicking ... it's nothing short of devastating." Gray whales perform one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling a 14,000-mile round trip from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to breed in the Baja California lagoons, and then back again with their young calves. "It's almost like 'The Little Engine That Could,'" he said. "It's just the ultimate form of, 'I'm going to make it, we're going to get there safely.'" In recent years, human intervention has made this already challenging journey even harder. Read more: Starvation has decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast. Can the giants ever recover? Pollution and toxins mix into the sediment where whales feed on small invertebrates and fish. In addition, the mammals face significant danger from ships and other vessels, especially around Long Beach and San Pedro, where two of the world's largest ports are located. To make matters worst, climate change is making the Arctic ice sheets recede, forcing the whales to travel farther distances each season to reach their northern feeding grounds. "When you add many more miles onto a journey that's already the longest," Warner said, "they're showing up [in California] in emaciated body states many years in a row." The gray whale population experienced an unusual mortality event from 2019 to 2023, which scientists believe was caused by a decrease in available prey in the northern Arctic seas, resulting in a significant population decline and reproductive failures. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has declared this mortality event over, but scientists are still keeping a close eye on the population. This is another reason why it is so important that organizations take the time to examine the cause of death of the whale found on Dockweiler State Beach, said Warner. "Anything and everything we can learn is in service of helping the next set of animals hopefully avoid this fate," he said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
