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| << May14, 2007 - Hearts and Humor - Two Mothers |
May25, 2007 - Hearts and Humor - Respect >> |
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Hi, Gang! A warm welcome goes out to all our new "Heartsandhumor" family members. I'll hope you'll make this your family of choice. Ginny and I are having a lazy day. We did grocery shop, but for the most part, we've just enjoyed each other's company. Outside, rain falls steadily. The grass is loving it, as are the firefighters, who battled major forest fires in the pine barrens in southern New Jersey. It took them several days and a good rain to get the blaze under control. If you have a moment, say a prayer for those who lost their homes and for those who suffered damage to their homes and property. I'm now posting my stories on "Ourecho.com." If you wish to read my stories there, go to: http://ourecho.com/index.php?page=search&keyword=Michael+T.Smith&search=Search Take a moment to leave a comment. If the owner likes what he hears about a story, he awards a monthly prize to the author - me I hope. If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to your friends. I only ask that you leave the link at the bottom for them to join us. NOTE: IF YOU WISH TO STOP RECEIVING MY STORIES, PLEASE USE THE UNSUBSCRIBE LINK BELOW. PLEASE DO NOT MARK ME AS SPAM. MY STORIES ARE ONLY SENT TO THOSE WHO SUBSCRIBE TO MY EZINE. I'd Love your comments. I received a lot of them last week. Sadly, I can only post a few, but rest assured, I loved them all and always reply. Send your comments to: msmith4@nj.rr.com A good friend of mine has a new book out. You should check this out. Carol's been through rough times. She tells it all in her latest book. Carol Roach M.Ed, B.A. Publisher: Storytime Tapestry Author: Angels Watching Over Me:http://www.lulu.com/content/644485 Picking up the Pieces: A Woman's Journey: www.publishamerica.com If anyone is interested in greeting cards, Ginny belongs to a group of artists. They've teamed together to market their products. Check them out at: http://www.etsygreetings.blogspot.com Ginny's cards and other crafts are at: http://www.ginginsgoodies.etsy.com Be sure to check out my collection of inspirational sites at the end. There's something for everyone. Now for today's story. American Idol is drawing to a close. This week we'll know America's favorite new star. I'm addicted to the show. I'll be sad when it's over. Today's story is an older one, I thought was fitting for this week. You Don't Have To Be Original I sat on my deck and enjoyed the evening. Birds chirped and fluttered around the birdfeeder in the backyard. Finches clung to a bag of thistle hanging on a tree branch, only ten feet from me. They'd grown used to my presence and no longer flew away when I stepped out for fresh air. I sat and watched them pull the thistle through the tiny openings in the fabric. Their feathers - red, purple and yellow - were beautiful. From a distant tree, I heard the song of a cardinal - purdy, purdy, purdy. The song changed. It was a starling. Next, it was a version of the robin's evening song. A little later it was a song I couldn't identify. It was a mocking bird. For more than thirty minutes, he sang through his repertoire of songs. He was loud; his singing perfect. He didn't have a song of his own. He mocked the songs of other birds, pieced them together, and created a concert for my enjoyment. I was reminded of "American IdolŠ," a show my stepdaughter, Heather, has me addicted to. Hopeful singers sang the songs of others and were judged by a panel of three. The top contestants went to Hollywood, where they competed against other successful singers. Each week they faced new challenges and one-by-one they were eliminated, until a winner was chosen. The mocking bird continued to sing, ignoring the hammering from down the street, where a carpenter was building a house. He used skills, learned as a young man, to construct a basic house. Over time, the carpenter learned more. He added his personal touch to his work. He took the basics he learned from those before him and made it a creation of his own. The mocking bird, the winner of "American IdolŠ," and the carpenter have a common link. They took the ideas of others, copied and learned from them. They added to what they learned and created their own works of art. We don't have to be original. We start with the building blocks placed in our path by those before us. We have a choice: we can continue to copy or we can add our own blocks for the next to follow and learn from. I have to run. I hear my mocking bird outside. I want to hear what he has created for my enjoyment today. Michael T. Smith If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to your friends. My only request is that you include the link for your friends to join our family. To join our family, go to: http://subs. zinester.com/ 86758/ REMOVE THE SPACES TO GET TO THE SITE. SPAM BLOCKERS ARE HURTING EZINES. DON'T LET THEM PREVENT YOU FROM READING GREAT STORIES. As promised, here is a list of great inspirational sites. I subscribe to all of them. You will love these sites. Run by my friend Carol, Storytime Tapestry at: http://archives.zinester.com/98907/ By my good friend Keith in Australia: http://www.agiftofinspiration.com.au/ My friend Phil runs http://www.peoplestuff.com.au/ Phil's awesome and brutally honest Zev, yes another friend, runs http://empoweringmessages.com/stories/ Heart Catchers is a wonderful site. www.DianeDeanWhite.com www.Heartwarmers.com and www.petwarmers.com are two wonderful story sites. http://hodu.com/ http://www.mydailyinsights.com/ www.ripplemaker.com http://www.sermonillustrator.org http://www.SkyWriting.Net Here's a newly discovered one I like: http://www.archive.zinester.com/9516 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WarmFuzzyStories/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WithInSight/ That's all I can think of right now. If I come up with more, I'll add them. Enjoy!!! I love your comments, Send them to msmith4@nj.rr.com. I'll include some in every post. Dear Michael You've done it again! I really enjoyed If Only I Could Bridge Time. It is remarkable that you could capture the essence of John's life in 500 words. Take a bow and KEEP WRITING. Take Care and God Bless Lesley S. Loughborough UK ***************************** I loved reading "Two Mothers." What a special story for Mother's Day. Thank you. Linda Cedar Falls, Iowa ***************************** Beautiful story. It made me teary and melancholic, so I ran to my mother's bedroom and hugged her tightly. Thank you for reminding me that I should not take things for granted. Jessica ***************************** This is from my good friend and faithful reader Sandi. Sandi was honest with me about my contest entry. I appreciated it. Okay now, Mike, you know I like your writings, but this one about bridging time is not my favorite. Maybe it's because you were limited to the number of words and thus didn't use many descriptive adjectives or much detail. I actually prefer your true stories a lot more. You asked for feedback from your readers, so that is my two cents' worth! But thanks as ever for sharing, and a huge, sincere thank-you for the list of inspirational websites we can click on since you have highlighted them and added a tidbit or two about them. What a nice gesture on your part. You think of everything. . . even serving Ginny breakfast in bed on Mother's Day! What a nice surprise gift! Sandi, FL |
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May25, 2007 - Hearts and Humor - Respect >> |
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