Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

September 14, 2006

Today’s announcements

A birthday wish goes out to David Vincent Dec today from all of us at Storytime Tapestry: dave@davedec.com

From Tannia Ortiz-Lopes - Today's newsletter reached deep inside my heart. My sister in the Lord and best friend, Patti, is going thru a rough time with her son WJ who is battling a drug addiction. I took the liberty of forwarding this issue to her since I felt she would be blessed and strengthen by the message of this story and the poems.

God knows, my friend Patti, could use so many prayers and word of encouragement. Could you, please, pray for my friend and a positive solution for her son's addiction.

May the Lord of light and blessing shower you and your loved ones for this prayer.

Now onto the good stuff!

Today’s Queue Stories

~**~**~

Of Buzzards and Armadillos

Mike Firesmith

Armadillos must breed like so many armored and enamored rabbits. That is the only explanation I can find for their continued existence. The highway between where I live and where I work, twenty-five miles of it, holds the dead remains of so many armadillos that if I could get just a dollar a dead one I could merely ride to work and back and make a living each day. Were armadillos whisked from this earth by aliens, and really, they do look as if they are from another planet, I fear that our entire population of Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures would perish from this earth.

Most people don’t realize that there are two species of "buzzard" living in South Georgia. Those with black heads are Black Vultures. Those with Red colored heads are Turkey Vultures. Most people see the big black birds as some sort of reprehensible creature good only for breaking the windshields of those motorists unwary enough to pass them on the road at high speed. For those of you who haven’t had the chance to hit one of the birds I can only tell you that if you do not slow down when you come to a flock of buzzards feeding on an armadillo in the road, you run the risk of having one of the birds in your lap. They have enough mass to go right through your windshield and it will not be pretty. Their main self defense mechanism is to throw up.

You are not going to enjoy being puked on by a buzzard.

A friend of mine and I went to a Fourth Of July party one year and he got very drunk and horribly sick. While we were driving back home he cut through a flock of buzzards on the road and rammed one. The poor creature got embedded in the windshield and when my friend tried to get the buzzard out it puked on him. Twice. He then tried to beat it to death with a sign post and wound up knocking the dying bird through his windshield where it flopped around on the inside of his car. When I left he was on his hands and knees in a water filled ditch doing his own self defense mechanism. Loudly. I caught a ride with a trucker who, after hearing my story, took me all the way to my hometown and dropped me off at my doorstep.

If I was an enterprising evangelist I would capture a few buzzards, feed them roadkill, then get them to puke in a jar. I would then travel the world with a tent and a flashing sign. I’d let me take a whiff of what was in the jar and tell them that Hell smelled even worse than that. People would repent. People would pay me to baptize them on the spot. I would be rich.

When the mutts kill armadillos in my backyard I take the remains and throw them over the fence. Buzzards come to feed on them and the dogs are convinced that catching a buzzard would be great fun. Bert will jump as high as he can trying to bring one down and miss by tens of feet. Good thing. If he ever caught one I would never let him into the house again. Sam doesn’t want to catch a buzzard and he knows it. For some reason he’s afraid of all things in flight. Having been so close to death before I wonder if he didn’t see buzzards circling him. Sam is still afraid of them.

Truth be told, buzzards are doing us all a favor by eating dead animals. Without those birds filling that niche then carcasses would simply lie there and rot. They play their part in the Grand Scheme of Things, just as we do, and perhaps better since there really isn’t a natural need for either drunks or writers. Both of which very likely make poor buzzard food.

 Mike Firesmith

~**~**~

Poetry Section

~**~**~

More Than A Crocodile Hunter

Dianna Doles Petry

Some called him an entertainer,
We knew him as the man from down under,
He visited countries all over the world,
Studied creatures while he laughed like thunder.

He made us laugh and caused us to gasp,
Every adventure was filled with surprise,
He was at home in the swamps or the outback,
He smiled at our squeamish cries.

He didn't seem to have a fear,
Crocs never caused him to run,
What we considered to be dangerous,
Was to him nothing more than fun.

Now, I will admit to you,
I never have liked any kind of snake,
And teasing a croc while holding his son,
Was about more than I could take.

He's left two children and a wife behind,
To miss him and carry the torch he passed along,
Losing him so early in his lifetime,
Just seems so terribly wrong.

He brought many things to our attention,
The environment and the things we destroy,
He left behind a legacy of dreams,
To be carried out by his girl and boy.

"Crocodile Hunter" you will be missed,

As you live on in the heart of this fan,

You were a teacher, an adventurer, a conqueror,

But most important of all, you were a good man.

IN Memory Of Steve Irwin – Feb 22, 1966 – Sept 4, 2006
 

©Dianna Doles Petry

Dianna59@charter.net

September 4th, 2006

~**~**~

"Just Being Genuine"

written by

Paula Booher

(inspired by Sheila Gosney)

Reaching from the deep recesses whispers within once quieted

The ache of pain surfaces again to the memorys' floor,

Stepping back with little resistence

Fingers grasped the open door.

Forming words to tell her story

Her frame from the shadows went forth,

She gathered her thougthts from among the rafters

She placed them on paper and headed north.

Her journey has not been without sorrows

The path has been lain with many tears,

The struggle has been fought without courage

As she was born into a life with many fears.

Early on from heaven this young one was assigned special angels

To take watch and guard over her life,

For she would be required a strong journey

Much more than the usual strife.

God had specifically molded and shaped and valued

One so lovely and kind with compassion,

Who would take His message to the tens of thousands

Through this one His Hand did fashion.

Sheila Gosney would take no credit

A humble soul lies within this faithful one,

Serving daily she walks to serve others

Giving God Glory through His Son.

copyright 8/7/2006 11:52p.m.

Paula Deann (Roe) Honeycutt Booher

wrappednword@yahoo.com

In The Paper Today

Sheri Solomon

In the paper today the headline screamed

man, found dead in his home, dead for two weeks

Imagine

for two weeks no one checked

no one called

no one visited

It was the mail carrier that alerted the police,

something called a 'well being' check

because his box was full and no more bills, flyers, junk mail

could be delivered

Amazing

dead for two weeks

and no one knew

One neighbor said he used to talk with him

but hadn't for a long time

the neighbor used to pull weeds

the neighbor used to mow his lawn

the neighbor used to talk

used to be, almost friends

Imagine

two weeks dead..... and humanity went on

for two weeks dead ... and no one knew to mourn

for two weeks......

Watching now my own neighbors

Wondering

Hoping

Suddenly aware of their every move....

Praying this will not happen again

Sheri Solomon

email.sheri@verizon.net

~**~**~

Readers Feedback

Brother Jim - Joan Clifton Costner What a precious poem - I smiled all the way through it!  Well done, Joan... Kathy Baker

Hello Pamela,

 I have to say that I always cook with bacon grease. It is the only way I cook green beans & potato's in the crock pot. I also fry my egg's in it as well...a touch here or there in almost everything I cook. (My mother taught me this too)...

Take care,   Mary M. Dees

Senior Writers

Chief writer: Sharon Bryant

Chief researcher/historian: Hartson Dowd

Agee, Vance; Apted, Violet; Baker, Kathy; Batt, Al; Berry, Nell; Blaine, Pamela; Boda, Ginger; Booher, Paula; Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.; Costner, Joan Clifton; Cavalera, Robyn; Crider, Mark; Dees, Mary; Deming, Barb; Doherty, Maria;  Dowd, Hartson; Dowd, Helen; Gilbert, Robert, Jr.; Gold, Ron; Goodier, Steve; Grisham, Mary-Ellen; Braun-Haley, Ellie; Harris, Kathy Anne; Henry, Linda Ann; Hunt, Sharlett; Hymes, Christina; Jacobson, Gary; Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Kevin, Tim; Jenkins, Pamela; Liles, Norma; Lily Jodi Flesberg; Lock, Joyce; Marlor, Janice Bumbalough; Mazzella, Joe; Mizrany, Mary Carter; Morris, Deepak; Ojeibge, Georgewaters; Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan; Shiveley, Debra; Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Streidel, Saskia; Swarner, Ken; Vaknin, Sam; Verhoeff, Jan; Walker, Bill; Walker, Joe; Warner, Gordon, K; Walsh, Sue; Weymouth, Barbara J.; Whirity, Kathy;

Wainland, David; Westerfer, Clara; White Robert;

Storytime Tapestry Staff

Carol Roach - Founder/publisher

Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder, Moderator

Clara Westerfer – moderator

Bob Johnston - moderator