Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

Dec 17, 2006

Our Christmas, Channukah, Kwanzaa, New Years, holidays Contest begins.

Today’s announcements

Under the submissions you will find the published articles to date.  This means only the stories that have been published in Storytime Tapestry and not the articles that are still waiting in the queue.  The list gets bigger each day as more and more stories are added.

Happy Anniversary Barbara and Bruce Roney: busyb460@msn.com, and Pamela and Michael Blaine:  pamyblaine@blaines.us

Now onto the good stuff!

Today’s Contest Stories

~**~**~

The Very Best Gift of All

By

Pamela Perry Blaine

Christmas is just around the corner and many people are anxious to choose just the right gift for those that they love.  Many people agonize over what to give.  We all want to give something special and we want it to cause the eyes of those that we love to light up with joy.  We want to give the very best gift of all!  

As I considered this, I remembered a story, Christmas Day In The Morning, that was written many years ago by Pearl S. Buck.  The story was about a teenaged boy whose father woke him early each morning at 4:00 A.M.   It was milking time and he needed his son to come and help milk the cows. 

One day the boy overheard his father telling his mother how much he hated to awaken his son so early but he was unable to do all the chores alone.  Through hearing this conversation, the boy came to understand how much his father loved him although he had never verbalized that fact to the boy.  That morning the boy did his work with unusual enthusiasm because he realized how much his father loved him.  

Christmas time was coming and the boy had gotten his father a small gift at the store like he always did but this year he just wished he could do more.  He thought and thought about someway he could show his father how much he loved him when an idea came to him.  He decided that on Christmas Eve he would do all of the milking by himself as a surprise gift to his father.  True to his commitment, he managed to get himself up at 3:00 A.M. and he crept down the stairs and out to the barn.  The boy had never done all of the milking by himself before but he found a new energy and excitement in the task before him.  He fed and milked all the cows by himself until all of the empty milk cans were filled.  Afterward, he quietly made his way back into the house with just barely enough time to get back under the covers before he knew his father would come in to wake him at 4:00 A.M.  As usual, his father came to the door and sadly announced that even though it was Christmas that it was time to get up and do the milking.  His father went on out to the barn ahead of his son to get things started. 

Of course, when his father got to the barn, he soon found that his son had done all of the chores by himself and he was overcome with joy at the great gift his son had given him.  For the first time, his father was able to enjoy watching all of his children come downstairs on Christmas morning.  On other Christmas mornings, he had not made it back from the barn before the children awakened.  It was a special gift that both father and son remembered all of their lives and I don’t imagine either of them ever questioned the unspoken bond of love between them.

The account of the boy and his father tells us that the very best gift of all isn’t something that is bought in a store.  Like the boy in the story, it takes an overpowering desire to let others know that you love and care for them.  That kind of overpowering desire comes from the heart and was demonstrated to us on the very first Christmas.   It came straight from the heart of God when He gave the world the very best gift of all!

“And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings

 of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

(Luke 2: 10-11)

By Pamela Perry Blaine

©December 7, 2006

Pamela lives in Missouri with her husband, Michael.  She enjoys writing, music, and country living.  She writes "Pam's Corner" for her local newspaper and many stories have been published on the internet as well as in several books such as The Miracle Of Sons, 2The Heart/People Who Make A Difference, and A Tribute To Moms.  Her goal is to write to encourage others and to write stories for her children and grandchildren so that stories and family history will be preserved. 

Pam and Mike have made a CD of several songs she has written called, "I'll Walk You Home".   It is available by freewill donation.  More information as well as a clip from the CD is on the website at:  http://www.blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
e-mail: pamyblaine@blaines.us

 
 
My Website:
http://www.blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
e-mail: pamyblaine@blaines.us
 

"NO ONE IS USELESS IN THIS WORLD
 WHO LIGHTENS THE BURDEN OF ANYONE ELSE"

http://www.greatcom.org/laws/englishkgp/default.htm

~**~**~

    Buttermilk

    Bob Shaw

    Since Ronni usually takes her medication at night with a glass of

chocolate milk, I really didn’t pay much attention to the glass. She handed it

to me to take my pills, and after sputtering and carrying on, she laughed and

asked what the problem was. As if she didn’t know. I’m not exactly a fan of

the stuff. I think what she had was a 2 % cultured non fat nearly dairy

buttermilk mixture of the stuff. Meanwhile, I sat there licking the sleeve of

my dirty shirt trying to get the taste out of my mouth.

    It wasn’t the best of timing. She was taking a big swallow of the stuff,

and getting her pills down when I said “I gotta gargle somethin”. Well, the

milk came out of her and the glass like a blow hole of a Whale. It was all

over me, Aimee, and the floor, and Ronni was leaning against the wall

laughing, and trying to stand.

    I got it wiped off of me, got Aimee cleaned up, and started on the floor.

I told Aimee to help me wipe it up, and she just looked at me like she was

saying “I ain’t touchin’ the stuff“. Can’t say as I blame her. I wouldn’t want

to lick the floor either.

    So here we are, going into a new Holiday Season. I guess I’ll be

wearing egg nog next. Never could handle the taste of that, either. Give me a

Diet Coke on the rocks any day, and I’ll be happy.

    As we enter this Holy Season, we’d like to say to everyone, Have a

very Merry Christmas, and a Blessed New Year, from Bob, Ronni, Aimee the

Shih Tzu, and Baby, the Cockatoo.

Written by Bob Shaw ‘06 CapeRabbit@semo.net

Bob and wife Ronni live in the Cape Girardeau, Missouri area.

~**~**~

"A Visit from Tanner Claus"

Aro

There is no way to describe the feeling when the phone rings and on the other end is your son, the soldier, telling you that this is his "last call home," before boarding the plane bound for a war zone.

The call came in September. "Mom. I won't be home for Christmas this year. I'll be leaving for Iraq soon." Twenty-five years of Christmas memories flash before my eyes. What can I do to make the holiday better for my son, and help keep my mind occupied?

An idea creeps into my mind. There are 289 soldiers in Tanner's unit. Is there any way I can provide at least one wrapped Christmas present for each soldier? Unemployed, I know I can't do this alone.

An email to a few online friends, and a donation box at my local coffee shop, produces an amazing response! Almost 600 gifts are currently winging their way to Iraq, each wrapped with ribbon, bearing gift tags that say "Thank You" from whatever state they were donated by. A combined effort of 12 states made a fleeting thought, a reality.

My son will play "Tanner Claus" to his entire unit on Christmas Day. An online magazine has printed the story complete with pictures of my son and the gifts his unit will receive.  

You can read the entire story with photos at www.givingyouavoice.com

Another article with photos called "Christmas Together-From Dr. Dentons to Desert Camo, will be published on this site also.

Knowing that my son and his unit will receive a little Home Christmas is making my holiday easier to cope with. The generosity of many will be evident this Christmas Day, for 289 soldiers far from home.

Arlene R. O'Neil

Proud Parent of a US Soldier

Writing is what lights me up. To create a story from a word, phrase, or thought, is my passion. To "touch" a reader is the reward of writing.
I live in CT with my two dogs, Little Bit and his Mom, Pepper. I am also the very Proud Parent of a US Soldier. 

arolittlebit1@aol.com

Readers Feedback

 Bill,

       I don't know much about companie's pollutants so I won't comment on that.  I do empathize with you about the dangers of smoking.  You are abolutely right, smokers are killing themselves and others through second-hand smoke every time they light up a cigarette.  I have tried, unsuccessfully through opinion articles in my college's newspaper to warn others about these evils, but few wanted to listen.  I even received quite a nasty rebuttal which was printed in the "Letters to the Editor" section.  There was an adjunct professor, who sided with me though, ending her letter with "those who concern themselves with aboloshing cigarette use are truly compassionate people who care about another's well-being."  (Her name was Charlotte Hoiffman).  There needs to be more people like her, and you who are not afraid to tackle important issues like this head-on.  I think this could be done successfully through the media with more anti-smoking commercials.  Thanks for listening.

Sincerely,

David Fox

The Morning Glory People by Leeuna Foster could have been written by me! A night owl all my life, I  try very hard not to schedule anything before 1:00 in the afternoon. The later, the better for me.

Personally, I believe morning should begin at noon.

Enjoyable story and very close to home!

Arlene

Leeuna,

     It's no doubt you have your own newspaper column...you have one heckuva great sense of humor!  Congratulations!

Yours truly,

David Fox

Contest Submissions that have been posted only,

Name:                            Title:                                                                    Date published

Ortiz-Lopes, Tannia     From Devine To Human                                     Dec 17 (see special treat)

Blaine, Pamela              The Very Best Gift Of All                                   Dec 17

Shaw, Bob                     Buttermilk                                                           Dec 17

Aro                                A Visit From Tanner Claus                                Dec 17

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