Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

Halloween Contest  

November 12, 2006

Today’s announcements

Hi Ya'll

Thank you for all your prayers, angels and healings - they were truly felt!!!!

We started this adventure by staying at his god mom's house the night before, she lives in Delray Beach (only 30 minutes from the hospital)

We went to asleep around 12:30 and was back awake at 5:30 am - we arrived at the hospital by 6:30 am

Skyler was truly a saint, he acted so grown up and well-behaved, al the nurses and doctors commented on good and even tempered he was. Of course, my lover boy was hugging all the pretty nurses all morning long (and throughout his whole stay)

The gown they put him had DOLPHINS on it - how cool was that - I've attached a couple pictures at the bottom

He fell asleep in my arms about 10 minutes before the procedure started and when I put him on the surgical table, the anesthesiologist said he looked like he was already under. They allowed me to stay in there and hold his hand until he was completely sedated, once I told him I loved him and the angels were with him, he went under. The female technician/nurse said you can give him a kiss before you leave - I thought that was cool and very sweet.

Skyler's procedure went well - it took about 35 minutes and the doctor came out afterwards with color pictures of what he saw (very impressive)

Yes, there is an area in the lower esophagus going into the stomach was really irritated and a concern (located near the valve going into the stomach. )

He took biopsies of that area, the stomach and the entrance into the large intestines.

They also inserted an electronic probe into his nose and down the back of his throat into the esophagus and the stomach area so they could observe him for the 24 hours. The probe was attached to a computer (looked like a cd player) and everytime he cried, coughed, whined, or made any noises you pushed one button; when he was eating/drinking you pushed another button; and when he was sitting or standing up or laying down you pushed another button and then documented all of this onto a form - high tech stuff for sure !!!

I'm glad he was in the hospital for this and not at home, as he wasn't allowed to crawl around, because of the attached wiring. He was a trooper, lots of hugging, kissing and snuggling during this time (and you can imagine I love that !!)

The good news was there was no cysts, boils or growths anywhere - so cancer is totally ruled out !!! YEA !!!

We will get those and all other results on Tuesday 14th

He was awake but sluggish about 40 minutes after they finished (about 9:10 am) and they allowed me back there at that time and he was coughing and whining a bit, but nothing too extreme. (kinda like a teething day or a day with a fever) 

We got checked into his room about 11:30 and they had inserted an electronic probe into his nose and down the back of his throat into the esophagus and the stomach area so they could observe him for the 24 hours. Everyone from the doctors, the nurses, and the student nurses were all SUPER KIND, LOVING and A1 CLASS !! I was so impressed !! Come to find out the doctor (Dr Guerrero) was not only a gastrointestinal surgeon and specialist - he was the head of the ENTIRE PEDIATRIC WARD AT THE HOSPITAL !! The hospital is ranked in the top 100 for BEST PEDIATRIC in THE USA !!! (put this one in your rolodex !!) Palms West in Loxahatchee, FL (near Royal Palms, wet of West Palm Beach - southern Blvd exit)

MJ, his god mom came up around 1:30 and gave me a break, so I could go eat lunch and get some fresh air. While I was gone she got him down for a 2.5 hour nap. She left around 6, but came back at 8:30 to bring me her down comforter, as she knew I would freeze all night long. They had a lazy boy type chair for me to sleep in, it was great.

He ate 10 ounces for dinner, everyone was amazed and by dinner time, he had done a major turn around and was acting like his normal spunky, sweet self.

He fell asleep around 10:45 and only woke once around 12:30 for a bottle and then slept through the night until 7:30 when the nurse came in to get his vitals.

They took the probe out this morning and will download the information and give it to the doctor to read and analyze. Again we will get those results on TUESDAY 14th

He ate some cereal and fruit and a couple bottles for breakfast !! ;-)

The doctor came in around 10 and we were discharged and in the car by 11 am !!

He slept all the way home and until 1:30 this afternoon. He woke up bright eyed, cheery and happy (my normal Skyler baby)

Now we can have a quiet weekend and await the test results on Tuesday

So there's the update, I'll know a lot more on Tuesday, so please keep us in your prayers until then and I'll let you know what the outcome is....

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR POSITIVE PRAYERS - We truly felt them all !! acaysha@photon.net

Today is the last day for posting the submissions for the Halloween Contest.  Thank you everyone for participating and making this contest another huge success even with my computer crash! Stay tuned for a special post that will indicate how you are to vote.

Donations are needed to help with the operating expenses of running the newsletter and to keep Storytime Tapestry the quality newsletter you are so accustomed to.   

Please note that Storytime Tapestry is a free newsletter to members and there will never be a cost for the newsletter.  Donations are purely voluntary and no member should ever feel guilty for not making a donation at this time.

Now onto the good stuff!

Today’s Halloween Stories

~**~**~

Halloween 1975 at Byrdtown Academy

Lynn Stevenson

      Ironically, the Halloween Carnival was held at my new school on November 1, 1975,the day after Halloween. It was a Saturday night and I was introduced to my new classmates, teachers, and principal on this night. My parents had some disagreements with the "powers that be" at the local public junior high school and decided to send me to a private school about 30 miles away from home for two years. I spent from November of 1975 until May of 1977 enrolled at Byrdtown Academy, a small private school that was located out in a country field between Society Hill and Hartsville, SC. When I look back now, I remember this period as being one of the happiest ones of my life.

     I still remember what I was wearing that first night. My parents had bought me a brand new cream colored leather jacket and I wore it for the first time that night. I also wore a wheat colored cowl neck sweater, red Converse high top sneakers and bell bottomed blue jeans with huge brass zippers on both sides of the front placket, from Miss Betty Cohen's store in Clio, SC. My best friend Valerie Bowen and her sister Melissa were already students there and Melissa and their parents escorted and showed me what was going on in each of the classrooms. Each grade had decorated their rooms with a different Halloween theme. Valerie was working at the eighth grade cake walk and Melissa and I ended up walking around the floor to try our luck. I ended up winning a caramel cake that one of my great aunts had made especially for the carnival.       

      Calvin Johnson, David Smith, and Chris Jordan were the only three males in our eighth grade class. I believe all of the girls had a crush on Calvin. He was the closest thing to Shawn Cassidy we'd ever seen. He had feathered light brown hair, blue eyes, and wore wire rimmed glasses that matched his silver braces. He always wore red labeled Levis jeans and stripped long sleeved rugby shirts that were all the fashion back then. He was

already smoking and all he could talk about was he rock band Kiss. To this day when I hear a Kiss song come on the radio, I still think of Calvin.

      David had thick straight brown hair and also wore stripped rugby shirts and Levis. Sometime he wore corduroys and plain tee shirts. I remember him having a dark complexion and being somewhat chunkier than Calvin. He transferred to Hartsville High School before we began ninth grade, leaving Calvin and Chris as the only males in our class.  

      Chris was a little bit shorter and thinner than Calvin and had dark brown wavy hair. He also had blue eyes and freckles, and wore black Converse high top sneakers and Wrangler jeans. I saw he and Calvin both, not at the same time, a couple of times when I was working at a local Sonic Drive Inn restaurant in Cheraw, SC, while I was still married to my first husband and my son was about three years old. Neither one of them could believe that I had been married for 4 years and had a three year old son.  It has been many years since I have seen either one of them. I'm sure they both have had children by this point and might even be anticipating grandchildren one day soon, like I am.      

      We had to ride an old yellow Blue Bird School Bus bus that transported students back and forth from the school. The route began in Clio, SC and continued through Bennettsville, Society Hill, and finally ended up at the school right at 8:00. Most mornings we had to be at our bus stop before 6:30. Some of the licensed high school aged students took turns driving the bus route. Some days it was Lewis Hamer, a red headed class clown who inevitably ended up drinking himself to death a few years ago, driving. Other members of the Class of 1977 who took turns were: the Driggers twins, Mark and Milton; Anita Jones; Lou Ann Smith; Roger Williams; Paul Culipher and Sidney Rogers. One of the Driggers twins, I think it was Milton, died in a motorcycle wreck a few years ago. Virtually all of the remaining class members who drove the bus have had their share of ups and downs since becoming adults and I have lost touch with most of them. I believe each of them has been married and have had children, and possibly by now, grandchildren.

      In August of 1977 my parents decided to enroll me back in school at the local public high school. The first day of my tenth grade classes was a great culture shock! There were about 100 to 150 students all totaled at Byrdtown. I was swamped by at least that many kids walking along the one corridor at the high school at one time! I felt as if I was suffocating or drowning. Thank God, that feeling quickly went away. I graduated in May of 1980 from Bennettsville High School, the same year that Byrdtown closed for good because of years of declining enrollment. 

      Last year I rode by the old school building just out of curiosity's sake, to see what had become of it. Now it sits empty in a run down field. You can tell it was once a school house. It sent a shock wave through my soul to see it abandoned and boarded up. I can still see all of the students who used to attend it in my mind's eye. None of them are dead, have gained weight, have lost or graying hair, or wrinkles. They are still young and beautiful, in their primes, awaiting whatever cruel fate life still has in store for them, almost thirty years later

Lynne Stevenson

Pugmom37@aol.com

~**~**~

 FEAR

By Surinder Kaur Jandu

Babu was a fearless child. He would make fun of children who were scared. He did not believe in any ghost stories, superstitions or even religious stories. He would joke about them, tease them and have a good laugh. Children always thought about ways to teach him a lesson. Babu always met their challenges.

Now they were teenagers and Babu heard his friends talking secretly about something.

"Please tell me what are you talking about?" babu asked.

"Go away, don't disturb us" was a reply.

Pleaseeeeee---

Nooooo---

Whyyyyyyyyyyyy

"Because you will laugh".

"I will not laugh--promise"

"O K then, listen. I have heard that today our village tailor Keher Singh was coming from city on his bycycle. When he was passing near the grave yard, a witch sat behind him on his bike. Now the poor tailor is very ill." One of the friends told him.

"It must be his wife who sat behind him. She looks like a witch any way and she must have scared him" Babu laughed. He explained that it was mid July and temperatures reached over 100 degrees. He must have imagined something or the other.

Now Babu was a fine young man and worked hard on his farm all day growing wheat, corn, suger canes and other harvest including vegetables etc.

One day while he sat under a tree for rest, other farmers came down and gathered around. They shared their food, roties (Pan cakes), sabji (Vegetable curry) and fresh lassi (Butter milk) and sweet rice, they talked about daily news and events.

One man said he came down at night to the farm and was amazed what he saw.

"What you mean?" Babu asked.

"Just over there-- at the end of your farm, some figures were dancing in circles. It seems they must be witches."

"How can you tell whether or not they were witches?" Babu asked

" I did not have a closer look but they say witches have their feet towards the back and their heads can turn around in any direction."

"You mean they can see all around them?" Babu was curious.

"Yep--and they do not have their reflection in the mirror."

Babu wanted to see the witches himself to believe it. It was about time he had some proof that this was true.

Babu got up in the middle of the night and went to the farm. His heart was thumping with anticipation. He hid behind a tree near the spot waiting for witches to appear.

He could not believe his eyes what he saw--there were hundreds of them dancing around. They were coming towards him. He looked closely at their feet and saw they were towards the back while they moved forward. their heads were turning all around in every direction.

Babu ran with all his strength and felt they were following him. He felt lucky to escape them and could not get up from bed for several days. He could not tell any body what had happened to him.

During Sharadh time (It is believed dead souls come to visit their families expecting to get fed in October/November), all the old friends got together to have a party when they prepare lots of food and feed poor families as well as take it to religious places.

They sat down to have a chat about their childhood beliefs. They challenged Babu to go and circle around a particular grave at night.

"You know that I am not scared." Babu replied.

"We need to see the evidence." they insisted.

"O K, I will accept your challenge."

It was agreed that Babu would not only circle around the grave but dig nails around it as well, so that they can go next day and see that he did actually go there at night.

They left Babu near the spot and waited at certain place.

They waited and waited but Babu never returned.

They did not have the guts to go near the grave so came back thinking that Babu had run away somewhere.

Next morning they went to see if Babu came home but could not find him. His wife told them that babu had not com home all night.

The friends hesitantly walked towards the grave and saw him lying beside the grave. As they went closer, they found him dead. They checked all the nails dug around the grave---but could not understand why and how he died.

The whole village gathered around and tried to pick up his body---and --found--- that---the last nail was dug through his pyjamas-----that he was nailed to the grave.

Was it that he thought he was caught by the dead man's soul and died of a heart attack?

Or was he actually caught by the dead man's soul?

This is a mystery unsolved up to today.

Surinder Jandu

surinderjandu@hotmail.com

~**~**~

                                          "A How lin' We Will Go!"

                                                  written by

                                            Paula Boo Her!

                                               (real name!)

                                              I was born just

                                              before Halloween

                                             on Oct. 29th, 1957 

                                                & came home

                                                  on the 31st

                                                    Was I a

                                                     trick or

                                                      treat?

                                                         **

                                                          *

                              Melvin loaded the car with his vulumptuous wife

                              A delightful bundle safely tucked inside,

                              A boy they decided would be delivered by night

                              By afternoon a baby girl had made it to their sight.

                              Whatever shall we do no name had been chosen

                              Everyone was Shocked their thoughts were frozen,

                              Trudie, my mother was only full of lovin,

                              As she turned to her mother for consolen.

                              The name had been picked Paul Dean

                              The problem is not as bad as it seemed,

                              Grandmother referred to mothers dream

                              Ah yes, my mother redeemed.

                              She thought a second and took a swalla

                              A switch of thinking, she Was a doll' a,

                              This baby girl with smile as big as a holla

                              Your Dean becomes Deann your Paul, a Paula.

                              Grandma on the maturnal side declared

                              The answer of the paternal quandry there,

                              To continue family tradition they scratched and stared

                              They got a girl a Halloween 'trick or treat' beware!

The thought behind this is:  My parents and grandparents truly thought, for whatever reason that "I" was going to be a boy and had picked very sincerely my name to be Paul Dean Roe after my deceased uncle Paul who had passed at the age of 22 quite some time before I was born.  I was the next child that had not had a name picked out that could be his namesake and it had been decided that I would be the one to carry on his name. My mother had had a dream when she was a little girl about the name Paul Dean.  That is the reference to ''the dream" that my grandmother makes in the poem.  When I came out a girl that decision was somewhat foiled Until my mothers mother came up with the brilliant idea of adding a few letters to my name to make it Paula Deann to solve their problem.  It wasn't perfect but I suppose everyone was happy because that is my name.  Fouteen months later my mother delivered twins.  One boy and another girl.  My father got his son.  The family then got their boy and decided to continue with their original plan of carrying on with the name of Paul Dean after our uncle Paul who had passed on and so my younger brother is Paul Dean.  (I call them Bud and Sis.)  Then they needed a twin name for our baby sister to match Paul Dean.  Our mothers mother once again stepped up to the plate with her genius ideas and came up with Pauline Jean.  For the longest time people thought we were triplets because of our names.  Paula Deann, Paul Dean, and Pauline Jean...or they just thought we might be uncreative people.  I don't know.  Anyway that's the thinking of my family and to date we are still the people we are only much older and somewhat wiser...at least older...LOL

The whole family would report that I've always been a little scarrey and a bit strange.  They would agree that my birthday is certainly appropriate for my personality...hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha.  In a Good way of course. 

Paula Deann (Roe) Honeycutt Booher

copyright 11/2/2006

wrappednword@yahoo.com

~**~**~

If you would like to reread any entry before voting please go to the archives where they are permanently listed according to date of publication and contributing writer’s name:  http://archives.zinester.com/98907/

Published Halloween entries to date:

Name:                                     Contest Title                                                  Date  

Apted, Violet                          Halloween Green                                           Oct 28,

Apted, Violet                          Whatever Happened to Grandma?               Oct 28

Apted, Violet                          A Thunderstorm To Remember                    Oct 28

Booher, Paula                         I Wouldn’t Go There if I Were You              Oct 29

Catalano, Rosanne                Halloween Horrors                                        Oct 30

Smith, Michael                       I Stood in the Rain                                         Oct 30

Berry, Nell                             Halloween                                                       Oct 30

Dowd, Hart                            The Hallowe’en Lantern                                Oct 31

Dowd, Hart                             The Origin of the Halloween Festival           Oct 31

Dowd, Hart                             Once-A-Year-Visitors                                    Oct 31

Sobkowich, Bev                      Gypsies Out Helping Unicef                          Oct 31

Fox, David                              Halloween                                                       Oct 31

Cassady, B.J.                         The Cabin and Miss Mary                            Nov 1

Nomani, Louise                      Lottie’s Ghost                                                Nov 1

Mizrany, Mary Carter           Pumpkin Surprise                                           Nov 1

Mizrany, Mary Carter           It’s Just Halloween                                        Nov 1

Gifford, P.S.                            The Gatehouse                                               Nov 2

Ortiz_Lopes, Tannia              Spooky                                                            Nov 2

Siver, Lori L.                          The Inheritance                                              Nov 3

Seefeldt, Kay                         Witch of The Woods                                      Nov 3

Mbambo, Sizamile                 Halloween In Africa                                       Nov 4

Foster, Leeuna                       The Yellow Rose                                            Nov 4

The Irish Warlock                  October Night Ride                                       Nov 4

Radicchi, Tom                        Just For The Hell of It                                   Nov 5

Gifford, P.S.                            All Hallows Eve                                              Nov 5

Petry, Dianna Doles              Halloween Moments                                      Nov 6

Petry, Dianna Doles              Shadowy Stalker                                            Nov 6

Petry, Dianna Doles              Halloween Pirate                                            Nov 6

Mizrany, Mary Carter           Old-Fashioned Halloween                             Nov 6

Wainland, David                    To Begin Again                                              Nov 7

Hunt, Sharlett                         Scared on Halloween                                     Nov 7

Tripathy, Gautami                  Omen                                                              Nov 7

Tripathy, Gautami                  Resting Place – Morbid Thoughts                Nov 7

Tripathy, Gautami                  Deeply In Love with Dracula’s Daughter    Nov 7

Talley, Sheila                         Ashland                                                           Nov 8

Dees, Mary                            My November                                                Nov 8

Louidor                                   Halloween Trickery                                       Nov 9

Bryant, Sharon                       Best Halloween                                              Nov 9

Lisa, West                              Pumpkin Face                                                 Nov 10

Smith, Michael                       Momma                                                          Nov 10

C., Donna                               Fifteen Minutes                                             Nov 10

Stevenson, Lynne                  Halloween 1975, At Brydtown Academy      Nov 12

Jandu, Surinder                      Fear                                                                Nov 12

Booher, Paula                         A How’lin We Will Go                                   Nov 12

Readers Feedback

Carol,
What an outstanding issue for Nov. 11!! Each of the four authors, Bill Walker, Louise Normani, Ron Gold and Sandra Lewis Pringle presented stories that tugged at the heart.  It certainly made
us remember what this day is all about. Thank you. Clara

Just wanted to send a thank you to Hartson Dowd for his research and wonderful history lessons.  The poem In Flanders Fields  makes my heart and mind cry each time I read it.  The horrors of war do not much change I think except in the monstrousness of weapons used and quantity of blood that flows.         Louise

Michael's story reminded me of the psycho movie..... Very well done......Tannia Ortes-Lopez

Hi Bruce: My brother is in the Army and although I was unable to go to his graduation, he always sent me the pictures of all his military post.... I had his entire military training record in pictures and with letters telling me his adventures. Once day, I decided to give it all back to him. I got an old family album from my dad with a handful of photos from him (my dad) and his few military pictures and from those scraps I made a beautiful album for my brother. I titled, A Soldier's Story. I included pictures of him when we were kids, high school, etc. Then, I organized all his military pictures. And the time capsule were all his letters. I sealed them with contact paper and tape.  Those were memories not to be opened but to be remembered....

I believe this is the best gift I have ever given to him. I was very proud of it. maybe you could do something similar for your son... He will appreciated it......

Very nice story... Tannia Ortes-Lopes

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; Meeks, Carol; Mizrany, Mary Carter; Morris, Deepak; Ojeibge, Georgewaters; Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan; Shiveley, Debra; Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Smith; Michael; 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