Omaha Nurses Overcome Stress and Exhaustion to Prove Love Conquers All
Halfway through a grueling 12-hour overnight shift at Omaha’s Methodist Hospital, registered nurse Jason Heimes popped the question to certified nursing assistant Ashley Jensen in the hospital's break room. Heimes works directly with COVID-19 patients in the North Tower's Progressive Care Unit and Jensen is assigned to the Short Stay Unit on the South Tower’s fifth floor.
Despite their shared emotional stress and exhaustion, Heimes was determined to create a memorable moment for his girlfriend of three years. Just after midnight, he proposed exactly where their love story began.
Co-worker Lucy Miranda-Gonzalez and seven other colleagues witnessed the scene as Heimes went down on one knee with a diamond ring in hand and asked Jensen to marry him. The group had been instructed by Heimes to wait outside the break room and then surprise Jensen by entering loudly at the very moment of the proposal.
On Instagram, Jensen posted a series of proposal pics along with this caption,”What a dream. Jason popped the question last night where our love story began on the progressive care unit (now Covid unit) at Methodist Hospital. Of course I said yes. I love you to the moon and back Jason. I feel like the luckiest woman alive! Thank you to all that helped Jason make this so special.”
She punctuated the post with two emojis: a blue heart and a diamond engagement ring.
Heimes, who has worked at Methodist Hospital for eight years, told the Omaha World-Herald why it was so important to include his colleagues in the proposal.
“They’ve always been super supportive of us,” Heimes said. “They’re like family to us.”
Miranda-Gonzalez, who captured the proposal on her smartphone, described the scene as “beautiful, fun, uplifting and heartfelt.” She said the proposal brought positivity to her and other nurses during these stressful and uncertain times.
“We are grateful that this can still happen among the chaos,” she told the publication.
Methodist Hospital gave the couple a shoutout on its official Facebook page: “Congratulations to Methodist Hospital's Ashley Jensen, CNA, and Jason Heimes, RN, from the entire Methodist family! Sending you our love and gratitude for all you do to care for and protect our community. Thank you for sharing your love story!”
Jensen noted that if she and her new fiancé can get through this pandemic together, they can get through anything.
“This will bring us all together, and we can really see what matters in life,” Jensen told the Omaha World-Herald. “And that love conquers all, really.”
Credits: Photos via Instagram.com/ashley_.jensen.
423-Carat 'Logan Sapphire' Is the Next Stop on Our Virtual Gem Gallery Tour
Our multi-part virtual tour of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection continues today with a closeup look at the 422.99-carat “Logan Sapphire." It's not only the heaviest mounted gem in the storied collection, but also boasts a provenance that links one of America’s most prominent families with Indian royalty.
Set in a silver-and-gold brooch and framed by 20 round brilliant diamonds weighing approximately 16 carats, the cushion-shaped Logan Sapphire was cut from a crystal mined in Sri Lanka in the mid-1800s.
Normally, the more than six million annual visitors to the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals in Washington, DC, would find the magnificent sapphire in the gallery called "Precious Gems 2."
But, with all the Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, temporarily closed to support the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, we offer our third virtual tour of the hall. Next stop: the Logan Sapphire.
-- First, click on this link... The resulting page will be a gallery called "Geology, Gems & Minerals: Precious Gems 1."
-- Next, simply touch the double-right-arrow once to navigate to the gallery called "Geology, Gems & Minerals: Precious Gems 2."
When you arrive, the left of the screen will be filled with a topaz exhibit. Lining the walls to the right of the gallery are jewelry showcases that include the "Hall Sapphire and Diamond Necklace," the "Bismarck Sapphire Necklace" and the "Logan Sapphire."
-- Click and drag the screen one-quarter turn to see the sapphire exhibits.
(Touch the plus sign to zoom in. Touch the "X" to close the map to get a better view of the jewelry and gemstones. You may restore the map by clicking the "Second" floor navigation on the top-right of the screen.)
The sapphire brooch had been given to Rebecca Pollard Guggenheim as a Christmas/anniversary gift in 1952 by her then-husband Col. M. Robert Guggenheim. The Guggenheims had amassed one of the world’s largest fortunes through their mining and smelting businesses, and later became equally famous for their philanthropy.
Rebecca donated the magnificent gem to the Smithsonian in 1960 but kept it in her possession until 1971. Col. M. Robert Guggenheim passed away in 1959 and Rebecca remarried three years later, becoming Mrs. John A. Logan. This is where the Logan Sapphire gets its name. The gem went on display in Washington, D.C., in June of 1971.
Robert Guggenheim reportedly purchased the gem from Sir Ellice Victor Sassoon (1881-1961), the third Baronet of Bombay. The Sassoon family had acquired the gem from a maharajah in India.
After studying the gem in 1997, the Gemological Institute of America concluded that the Logan Sapphire's impressive color — a vibrant medium-blue color with slight violet overtones — was completely natural. It has never been heated or treated in any way.
A wall panel between the sapphire and ruby exhibits describes how both gems are members of the corundum family.
"Colorless in its pure state, corundum rarely has sufficient clarity or richness of color to be a gemstone," the panel explains. "When it does, the difference between a ruby and a sapphire is just a tiny bit of impurity. Rubies are, by definition, red. The color results from light interacting with a few atoms of chromium trapped as the crystals grew. Ruby is the July birthstone. Sapphires are corundum crystals in all colors but red. Best known are the blue varieties, tinted by iron and titanium impurities. Sapphire is the September birthstone."
Credits: Logan Sapphire photo by Chip Clark/Smithsonian. Virtual tour screen captures via naturalhistory2.si.edu.
Music Friday: Chris Lane Sings About His Real-Life Proposal in 'Big, Big Plans'
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you romantic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country singer Chris Lane shares his real-life proposal to reality TV star Lauren Bushnell in 2019's "Big, Big Plans."
In a music video viewed on YouTube more than 10.5 million times, Lane's fans get to see the actual moment he popped the question to Bushnell in the backyard of her parents' home in Oregon.
The video starts with romantic, smartphone-generated footage of the couple having fun in everyday situations and then transitions to his actual proposal, where he gets down on one knee and tells his girlfriend that she's the best thing that ever happened to him.
Written by Lane and two collaborators, "Big, Big Plans" offers a play-by-play account of how he bought an emerald-cut diamond ring and hid it in the bathroom.
He sings, "She don't know I already bought a ring / Hid it in the bottom left drawer right beside the sink / Shiny emerald diamond on a brand new band / Asked her momma for permission and her daddy for her hand."
“Even though I felt pretty confident I was going to get the ‘yes,’ I’ve never been that nervous,” Lane told People magazine. “When I got to the third verse of the song and knew it was time, I pretty much blacked out. The next thing I knew, she said ‘Yes’ and the nerves just lifted. It’s an explosion of excitement, pure joy, and love.”
The engagement took place in June of 2019 and the two married shortly thereafter in Nashville in October of the same year.
A second video for "Big, Big Plans" features footage from the couple's wedding day. That video earned 2.4 million views on YouTube.
Written by Chris Lane, Ernest K. Smith and Jacob Durrett, "Big, Big Plans" topped out at #33 on the U.S. Billboard Country chart.
Bushnell famously won the 20th Season of The Bachelor, during which she won the heart of Ben Higgins. The couple was engaged in March of 2016 and ended their relationship a little more than a year later.
Lane and Bushnell had been dating since 2018.
At the time of her engagement to Lane, Bushnell posted to Instagram a photo of the couple kissing, along with this caption: "I can’t stop smiling I feel so incredibly blessed that every misstep, mistake and heartache has led me to you. I couldn’t be happier to call you mine, forever."
Scroll down to see both the engagement-themed and wedding-themed videos. The lyrics are included if you'd like to sing along...
"Big, Big Plans"
Written by Chris Lane, Ernest K. Smith and Jacob Durrett. Performed by Chris Lane.
Just look at her sittin' there
Sweatpants t-shirt in a comfy chair
Her hair in a bun one hand on her mug
And the other one's playin' snare
To a George Strait vinyl
That Yes or No line’ll get her close
But I don’t think she can understand
Just how far I’ve been lettin' my heart
Fall and what’s in my head
She don't know I got some big, big plans
Build a little house out on some hand me down land
Find a little island where we go to get tan
I bet we take our kids down there one day
And I know she wouldn’t mind if I
Did a lil somethin' like find a flight
Over night to Paradise
And leave tonight
And I'ma put a diamond on her hand
She don't know I got some big, big plans
She don’t know
She don't know
She don't know I got some big, big plans
She don't know
She don't know
She don't know I already bought a ring
Hid it in the bottom left drawer right beside the sink
Shiny emerald diamond on a brand new band
Asked her momma for permission and her daddy for her hand
I got some big big plans
Build a little house out on some hand me down land
Find a little island where we go to get tan
I bet we take our kids down there one day
And I know she wouldn’t mind if I
Did a lil somethin' like find a flight
Over night to Paradise
And leave tonight
And I'ma put a diamond on her hand
She don't know I got some big, big plans
She don't know
She don't know
She don't know I got some big, big plans
She don't know
She don't know
Well here I go
Cause right now we’re back in her hometown
And I’m down on one knee
I guess she finally figured out
I’m gonna ask her to marry me...
I some big, big plans
Build a little house out on some hand me down land
Find a little island where we go to get tan
I bet we take our kids down there one day
And I know she wouldn’t mind if I
Did a lil somethin' like find a flight
Over night to Paradise
And leave tonight
And I'ma put a diamond on her hand
She don't know I got some big, big plans
She don't know
She don't know
She don't know I got some big, big plans
She don't know
She don't know
Engagement Video:
Wedding Video:
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com.
Short Film Describes How Gemfields Brings Emeralds From Darkness to Light
Gemfields has just released "Emeralds," the second of four short films that offer a glimpse into the miner's world of colored gemstones.
While the first installment from two weeks ago emphasized the miner's commitment to responsible sourcing, the newest video shines the spotlight on the most valuable member of the beryl family and the official May birthstone.
The mining company is uniquely qualified to tell the story of emeralds because, for the past 12 years, it has operated Kagem, the world’s largest and most productive emerald mine. Kagem is 75% owned by Gemfields and 25% owned by the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
Narrated and set to music, the 1:27 film uses sculptured CGI tableaus in 3D to describe how emeralds form deep within the earth.
"Deep within the darkness is heat, pressure and a cocktail of aluminum, silicon and oxygen infused with chromium and iron," states the narrator. "Millions of years pass. Deep beneath Zambia, unparalleled beauty is grown one crystal at a time to produce an African gemstone of the rarest splendor. Green — symbolic of life, hope, fertility and peace."
In the second half of the video, viewers are introduced to a stone-like figure in the likeness of Cleopatra. The narrator goes on to explain how emeralds have been treasured by royalty and legends of old, and then emphasizes that they are worn today by those who know true luxury. The image of Cleopatra transitions to a representation of a contemporary businesswoman, carved in stone.
Gemfields is featuring the Emerald film on its website and on its YouTube channel, with shorter teasers posted to Gemfields' social media. The third and fourth installments are expected to air in July. Topics will include a smart buyer's guide to colored gemstones and a closeup look at rubies. Gemfields operates the world's largest ruby mine — the Montepuez mine in Mozambique.
Please check out the Emeralds video, below...
Credits: All images © Gemfields 2019.
Survey: Jewelry Tops All Mother's Day Gift Categories; Spending Climbs to $5.27B
Lucky moms will be showered with jewelry gifts at an unprecedented level this Sunday, Mother's Day. Despite uncertain times, spending on jewelry items is expected to reach $5.27 billion, making it the highest-volume gift-giving category by far, according to an annual Mother's Day survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF).
Jewelry spending is up from $5.19 billion in 2019, a modest increase of 1.5%. Special Outings, by comparison, will be down nearly 12% to $4.07 billion.
For the past 11 years, jewelry and special outings have been the top two categories in terms of Mother's Day dollars spent, with jewelry beating out special outings for six years in a row.
Overall Mother’s Day spending in 2020 is predicted to hit a record $26.7 billion, an increase of 7.2% from the $24.9 billion tallied in 2019. The 2020 total reflects a near doubling of the $14.1 billion that was spent for moms in 2009.
Exactly 34% of respondents said they will be buying jewelry for their moms this year, with the average spending per person pegged at $40.38.
While the portion of people celebrating Mother’s Day with a gift in 2020 remains the same at 86%, this year’s gift-givers will be spending more.
The average Mother’s Day outlay is expected to be a record $204.74, up from $196.47 in 2019. Consumers ages 35-44 are likely to spend the most ($296, up from $248), and men are likely to spend more than women ($266 compared with $146).
According to NRF’s Mother’s Day survey, $2.93 billion will be spent on electronics (to be gifted by 19%) and $2.87 billion will be spent on gift cards (49%). Other go-to items include flowers ($2.56 billion, 64%), clothing ($2.56 billion, 39%), personal service ($2.1 billion, 26%), housewares/gardening tools ($1.51 billion, 25%), greeting cards ($1.0 billion, 74%) and books/CDs ($0.71 billion, 24%).
NRF’s survey was conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics and reflects the anticipated purchasing patterns of 8,294 adult consumers. The survey was conducted April 1-6, 2020, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
Credit: Image by Bigstockphoto.com.
Mummy of Bejeweled Teenage Girl Found in 3,500-Year-Old Tomb Near Luxor
A team of Spanish and Egyptian archaeologists recently discovered the mummy of a bejeweled teenage girl in a 3,500-year-old tomb near Luxor, Egypt. The fashionable young lady was found wearing two earrings in one ear, two rings and four necklaces tied together with a glazed ceramic, or "faience," clip.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the teenager was only 15 or 16 years old when she died during the 17th dynasty (1580 B.C. to 1550 B.C.). The coffin containing the mummy had been carved from a single sycamore tree trunk, then coated with a whitewash and painted in red.
While the mummy was classified as being in a "poor state of conservation," her valuable jewelry was remarkably pristine. The archaeological team led by José Galán believes the jewelry may have been her bridal dowry.
The most impressive of the jewelry items — even by today's standards — is a fashionable 24-inch-long (61cm) necklace made from 74 beads of amethyst, carnelian, amber, blue glass and quartz. It also includes two scarabs, one depicting the falcon god Horus, and five faience amulets.
A second necklace measuring 27.5 inches (70cm) was adorned with alternating light and dark blue faience beads. A third, slightly shorter necklace featured green faience and glass beads. The fourth necklace incorporated several strings of beads knotted together at both ends with a ring, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The teenager wore two spiral earrings in one ear, both of which were coated in copper leaf. One of her rings featured a blue glass bead set in a metal base and the other was crafted from bone.
Also found in the funerary shaft were a pair of well preserved leather sandals and a pair of leather balls tied together with a string. Archaeologists believe the balls might have been used during a sport or for choreographed dancing.
Credits: Images courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Birthstone Feature: 'Trapiche' Emerald Remains a Gemological Curiosity
Resembling a wheel with six spokes, “trapiche” emeralds may be the most unique variety of May’s birthstone. Found primarily in the black shales of Colombia’s western “emerald zone,” these gemological curiosities display alternating rays of vivid emerald green and deep black.
Trapiche emeralds were first described by Émile Bertrand in 1879 in a meeting at the Société Géologique de France, but even after more than 140 years of examination, gemologists have yet to reach a consensus regarding the mechanism by which the pattern forms, or the conditions required for it. In one interpretation, the black impurities are remains of the shale matrix in which the emeralds formed.
The name “trapiche” comes from the Spanish word for the cogwheels used in sugar mills. Apparently, the pattern of the gem looks very much like the cane-crushing gears used by farmers.
The distinctive six-spoked “trapiche” effect also has been seen in other minerals, such as ruby, sapphire, garnet, chiastolite and tourmaline.
Emerald is the most valuable variety of the beryl family. Non-trapiche emeralds famously display more subtle visible inclusions, which are referred to as “jardin” (French for “garden”). These imperfections do not detract from the stone’s beauty but, instead, give each stone a unique fingerprint and distinct character.
The name “emerald” comes indirectly from the ancient Greek word for green gem, “smaragdos.” Besides being the birthstone for the month of May, it’s also the preferred gemstone to honor 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.
The extraordinarily rare trapiche emeralds are primarily found in the Muzo, Coscuez and Peñas Blancas mines of Colombia. The trapiche pattern is not an asterism, which is a six-rayed star pattern sometimes seen in cabochon-cut rubies, sapphires and other gemstones.
Credit: Image by Luciana Barbosa / CC BY-SA.
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Music Friday: ‘Diamonds, Daisies and Snowflakes’ Describe Marlo Thomas in ‘That Girl’
Welcome to Music Friday when we often bring you nostalgic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. In the catchy theme song from the groundbreaking 1966 TV series That Girl, writers Earle Hagen and Sam Denoff paint a picture of the title character, who embodies “everything that every girl should be!”
The 52-second ditty starts like this: “Diamonds, daisies, snowflakes / That Girl / Chestnuts, rainbows, springtime / Is That Girl / She’s tinsel on a tree / She’s everything that every girl should be!”
In the show, a 28-year-old Marlo Thomas plays Ann Marie, a sassy, smart aspiring actress from upstate New York who moves to New York City to seek fame and fortune.
While the Hagen/Denoff references to "chestnuts" and "tinsel on tree" seem silly and a bit dated 54 years after they were written, That Girl is often praised as the first sitcom in which the main character was a young, modern woman focused on her own dreams and aspirations. Thomas’ character challenged conventional social mores and gave the country an early glimpse at the changing roles of American women. The series ran from September of 1966 to March of 1971.
The Ron Hicklin Singers are credited with performing the "That Girl Theme." These studio singers from Los Angeles famously provided the real background vocals for many of The Partridge Family recordings. They are also the voices behind the theme songs of many popular TV shows, including Batman, Flipper, Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.
During the third season of Family Guy, animated character Peter Griffin appears as Ann Marie in a parody of the title sequence from That Girl. The episode, called "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington," originally aired in July of 2001. The animators matched each scene, cut by cut, and the writers simply changed the gender references. That Girl became That Guy.
Besides starring in That Girl, Thomas went on to become a producer, author and social activist. In 2014, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is currently the National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which was founded by her father Danny Thomas in 1962.
We hope you enjoy the opening credits of That Girl. The lyrics are here if you’d like to sing along. As a bonus, we've including a clip of the Family Guy parody. Have fun.
“That Girl Theme”
Theme written by Earle Hagen and Sam Denoff. Performed by The Ron Hicklin Singers.
Diamonds, daisies, snowflakes,
That Girl
Chestnuts, rainbows, springtime
Is That Girl
She’s tinsel on a tree
She’s everything that every girl should be!
Sable, popcorn, white wine,
That Girl
Gingham, bluebirds, Broadway
Is That Girl
She’s mine alone, but luckily for you…
If you find a girl to love,
Only one girl to love,
Then she’ll be That Girl too-ooo…
That Girl!
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com.
Baby Octopus Leads Divers to Lost Engagement Ring; Smartest Invertebrates Love Bling
A Canadian woman who lost her engagement ring while swimming in Howe Sound off Bowyer Island, British Columbia, is thanking a baby octopus for leading divers to the irreplaceable heirloom that had been in her fiancé's family since the 1940s. As the world's smartest invertebrates, octopuses have great memories, can carry out complex tasks and — thankfully — have a penchant for shiny objects.
On Friday evening, 26-year-old Annika Parkinson-Dow was enjoying a swim off her neighbor's dock, where she marveled at the bioluminescence as she moved her hands back and forth across the surface of the dark water.
It wasn't until much later that Parkinson-Dow realized that her engagement ring was no longer on her finger. The diamond cluster ring, which was originally cherished by the grandmother of her fiancé Colby Crockett, had slid off in the cool water.
The next morning, a heartbroken Parkinson-Dow sought professional help by contacting diving schools in the Vancouver area. Within an hour, a team of divers was ready to get to work.
"I was pretty sure that there was absolutely no chance [they'd find] it, a needle in the haystack," she told CBC.com. "I wasn't even sure of the exact spot that I lost it."
After an hour in the murky water near the dock, the divers were about to give up. But then they spotted a baby octopus and decided to follow it.
Octopuses are known to decorate their dens with shiny objects, including crustacean shells, sea glass and bottle caps. That pile of bling is often called an octopus's garden, a theme made famous in a song of the same name by Ringo Starr and the Beatles in 1969.
In 2007, a South Korean fisherman caught a tiny octopus that had been clinging with its tentacles to a porcelain plate dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty. Porcelain from that period is regarded as some of the finest ever made. When archaeologists searched the area, they discovered a 12th century shipwreck filled with priceless porcelain and other ancient artifacts.
Back at Bowyer Island, the baby octopus led the divers directly to the ring. The cluster of diamonds was glinting in the water.
Parkinson-Dow said, "My guess there is that if the octopus put it out in front of its little den. When it saw the divers, it probably thought, 'Well, I don't want anything to do with those divers, I'm going to hide,' and if the divers then followed it back to its home, that's where it might have left the ring."
With the diamond engagement ring now safely back on her finger, Parkinson-Dow promised never to swim with it again.
Credits: Ring and couple photo by Annika Parkinson-Dow. Octopus image by Ansgar Gruber / CC BY-SA.
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San Diego Musician Pops the Question With Ring That's Seen Two Global Pandemics
The diamond ring that San Diego musician Scott Szikla used to propose to his neuroscientist girlfriend, Elena Blanco-Suarez, has seen two global pandemics — both COVID-19 and the Spanish flu that swept across the globe in 1918 and 1919.
Szikla had planned to purchase an engagement ring at a local jeweler, but was stymied because of the recent disruption of retail business activity in the San Diego area. Instead, the A/V technician and guitarist opted for a family heirloom.
"Since all jewelers are closed right now, I got ahold of my great-grandmother’s ring... It was actually given to her during the 1918 flu pandemic," Szikla told San Diego NBC affiliate KNSD. "Fast-forward 100 years later and this is happening. Weird timing."
After sheltering in place together for nearly six weeks, Szikla was ready to pop the question to his girlfriend of three years.
"I guess the quarantine even brought us closer together," he said.
With his great-grandmother's ring burning a hole in his pocket, Szikla was ready to deliver a no-frills proposal in their apartment.
But, when the city of San Diego lifted restrictions on some recreation areas, Szikla quickly drew up a new plan. He would pop the question at nearby Bird Park.
This past Friday, a bunch of the couple's friends visited the park ahead of the couple and set up a picnic basket with champagne, hand sanitizer, wipes and a blanket.
“We were out for a walk, and people were definitely watching us, and she was getting a little chilly and suggested returning home," Szikla told KNSD. "She saw the basket and thought the space was reserved for someone else, but then I dropped to one knee and popped the question."
"He started giving this beautiful speech," the Spanish-born Blanco-Suarez said. "And I was crying."
The friends were hiding in the bushes, snapping photos, as the Salk Institute neuroscientist said, "Yes."
"It was a surprise," Blanco-Suarez said. "I didn't know it was going to happen in the middle of a quarantine."
The 102-year-old ring symbolizes how previous generations have made it through times like these.
"As soon as I found out the significance of it, of what happened in the past, I said, 'OK, this might actually be the more perfect situation.' It worked out nicely," Szikla said.
Szikla imagined what the conversation might sound like when his future wife looks at her heirloom ring and reminisces about their engagement many, many years from now...
"Remember that time with COVID, we were locked in?" she might say.
"Yeah, I remember," he would respond. "But we got engaged."
The couple told KNSD that they may have to wait until 2021 to tie the knot.
“We're just trying to remain positive and as hopeful as we can,” Szikla said.
Credits: Screen captures via nbcsandiego.com.