Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

March 27, 2007

Today’s Announcements

Update on my daughter’s condition: Cheryl's recovery:  Dr has sanctioned her for two more added weeks off on sick leave; will possibly take three months for her voice to return to normal, swelling is down but the loss of the thyroid causes an emotional roller coaster which hopefully will be controlled by the only available medication. Synthroid.  Thank everyone for your prayers.  Love to all, Normie: hoopla214@yahoo.com

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Today’s Stories

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Cookies Anyone?

Dianna Doles Petry

A couple of weeks ago I visited my physician for a routine checkup. I was well aware that I had gained a few pounds over the winter but I was not prepared for what the doctor had to say. “Dianna, your blood pressure is higher than it should be, especially since you're taking medication to control it. Your heart murmur is more pronounced and you have gained fifteen pounds over the course of the winter. You need to lose that. Of course, stress is a definite no-no, you need more rest. Other than these few minor issues, you should be fine.”

Few minor issues? I should be fine. I think those words echoed in my mind for hours. Well, not those actual words. In reality, I think the only thing I kept hearing was “You're fat! Lose weight!” Now, like most people, that is a lot easier said than done and I found myself talking to a higher power. “God, please help me lose this weight. I promise I will make it to church more often, feed every stray dog that comes my way and send all of the money I've been using on ink cartridges to help feed starving children in a third world country if that is what I need to do.” Exaggeration? Of course, it is exaggeration but when a woman thinks of her thighs, her ample backside and more chins than she needs to carry around, the stakes get pretty high.

During the next few days I was strong enough to stick to a strict diet. For appetizers, I ate carrot sticks. I munched on salads with very little dressing for the main course. I enjoyed lavish desserts of celery sticks slathered with one half teaspoon of peanut butter. (A girl has to have her protein you know!) I danced to the oldies, scrubbed every floor in my home the old fashioned way; down on all fours with a rag and a bucket of water. I even made a point of going up and down my staircase at least ten times a day. I could feel the weight slipping away but didn't understand why my jeans didn't feel any looser than they did before I started.

This morning, I pulled out the scales and weighed myself. Drum roll please!! I had lost a grand total of...are you ready? I could barely believe it! Yes, I had lost a grand total of about six ounces if the scales are accurate. (I'm pretty sure they are.) Was I disappointed? Words cannot describe what I felt.

I may not have lost enough weight to entitle me to a celebration but I sure did deserve something to ease my stress at this point. I heard the unopened bag of chocolate chips in my cupboard calling out to me. I could almost smell fresh chocolate chip cookies baking. That was all it took, I was going to splurge and bake some fresh cookies. If the after school children were lucky, I might leave them one or two to fight over in the afternoon.

Now, apparently God had been listening to me when I asked for his help because baking those cookies today was not going to be the easy task that it normally is for me. I just didn't know that or I would have skipped the whole idea. God, if you're listening, next time could you please just reach down and smack my hand?

I started to prepare the first batch of cookie dough. Now, keep in mind, I do not know how to do small batches of anything. I cook enough to feed us and this community plus two others if necessary. Normally, it is just about right for the many teenagers that come through my dining room. I got a little creative and added M & M's, rolled oats and both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. If my thighs were going to groan after I ate one of these bad boys it was going to be worth it. I filled two large cookie sheets with the mixture, popped them into the oven and went through the house to add a load of laundry to my washer while the cookies baked.

Just as I closed the lid to the washer the telephone rang. I glanced at the clock on my computer and saw that I still had seven minutes before it would be necessary to take the cookies from the oven. Have I mentioned that my daughter can be long winded? We had many things to talk about today and since we only talk three to four times a day I could not be rude and cut the conversation short now could I? Okay, so the truth is, I forgot about the cookies. There! Are you happy now?

As the odor of burnt cookie dough came wafting through the house and caught my attention, I remembered what I had been doing before I was caught up in the adventures of Spunky the Feline and Kanawha the Wonder Dog. I slammed the receiver of the telephone down, deafening my daughter I am sure, as I realized that what started off a chocolate fantasy come to life was now more than likely going to be charcoal that any avid outdoor fanatic could use for calming stomach upheaval in a pinch.

Not allowing my spirits, or my quest to soothe my sweet tooth to be squelched, I pulled the black lumps of smelly substance from the oven and proceeded to make another batch of dough. This time I opted for plain old chocolate chip dough since I always had much better success with that.

I stayed in the kitchen while the first batch of the new cookie dough was baking. I made myself a fresh pot of coffee. Well, it was supposed to be coffee but was actually hot water since I forgot to put coffee grounds into the basket. I figured that was a sign that I shouldn't have the coffee since it is not good to drink as much coffee as I do. I pulled out the box of tea bags, placed one in a cup and poured the nice hot water from the carafe' over it. Looking up at the kitchen ceiling as if someone might hear me from the florescent light fixture, I muttered, “Thank you for the helpful hints! I appreciate them.”

It took eleven minutes exactly for the cookies to bake to a delicious looking golden brown. The scent was heavenly and I know I started to salivate at the thought of that first warm cookie straight from the oven. I pulled my well worn oven mitt over my hand and slid the hot trays onto cooling racks. I had two more trays ready to go in immediately.

As I started to place the first tray into the oven, I must have it the edge of the pan on the edge of the rack instead of on top of it. Cookie dough was tossed from the pan and landed all over the oven racks. Some of it, most of it in fact, slipped through the racks and onto the element in the bottom of the oven. Have you ever seen flames take off in your oven? Wow, they sure can start off quickly and get out of hand.

All I could think to do was to grab a spatula and attempt to quickly scrap the dough up and out of the oven. One word to the wise, the plastic spatulas meant for non-stick cookware will melt when exposed to very high temperatures. Believe me on this one, you don't need to attempt the experiment for yourself.

I tried it the second time with a good old fashioned metal spatula. That worked pretty well until I flipped a chunk of hot melting cookie dough right down the v-neck of my sweater. I sure do hope Mother Nature didn't mistake the dance I was doing for a rain dance. Whatever kind of dance it was, I stripped my sweater off and tossed it across the room at the same time I grabbed for a cold, wet cloth to dab to the quarter sized burn spot there on my chest. Thank goodness my mother and I were the only ones in the house.

Now is it just me or does company show up at your house at the worst possible times too? I was in my kitchen trying to get the last bit of cookie dough I had made into the oven after managing to get the element cleaned off and the floor of the oven cleared up enough to finish the baking. I might end up with two dozen cookies after all. I had started out with enough dough for five dozen cookies but I was going to be grateful to have any at all after this fiasco and I was already promising you know who that I would not eat any at all if I could just get this mess cleaned up and finish the baking. Still without any top covering except for my pink bra with the word Saturday embroidered across the cups, (yes, I know it is Wednesday), I heard a knock at my front door.

Talk about a dilemma, if I left the immediate kitchen area to retrieve my sweater from the seating area, I would be in the direct line of vision of the front door. I tried covering up with a dish towel when I heard the second knock at the door. Gee, they sure don't make those things as big as they used too. Why it barely covered up one boob! If I stayed in the kitchen, that was going to be just downright rude and besides, what if it was FedEx with my official possible winner notification from Publisher's Clearinghouse? What was I to do?

Before I could actually figure out a solution, the front door opened. Now I had no choice. I held one arm across my chest and grabbed for my sweater with the other hand. Sable, my beautiful fur-baby, thought I wanted to play tug-war so she grabbed the end of the sweater. She let go in mid-air as I backed into the kitchen area, pulling my sweater over my head and trying to yell out, “I'll be right there!” at the same time.

I heard one of my neighbors laughing. This guy has got to be two hundred and five years-old but he is still trying to hold on to his youth. Wearing a toupee' that looks like an eagle's nest on his head and a gold chain around his neck that pulls his entire head forward, he grinned at me and said, “Need some help getting that sweater on, or better yet, off?”

“Careful, Henry, you might hurt yourself if you think too hard. A man your age has to be careful.” Now I was the one smiling.

“Girl, I am not quite old enough to have traveled on Noah's Ark but I've always liked that idea of mating. God had a good plan with that one male, one female, idea he had, don't you think?” He as proud of himself now. It showed in his eyes and his almost puffed out chest. If his chest wasn't a part of his stomach these days he might have pulled it off.

“What brings you over today?” I asked, nearly afraid to ask anything else.

“I was wondering if you're going into town today? I need.....” and his voice trailed off and then picked up in a fit of laughter. I looked down to see my other beloved fur-baby, Skye, now standing at Henry's feet with a pair of my unmentionables in her mouth. He reached down and said, “Find you a toy girl? I'll give you a good steak bone for that.” Then he really burst out laughing.

I snatched the panties up, ushered Henry out the door, sent the dogs outdoors to run in the yard a while and sat down at the dining room table. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry but I knew for a fact that I wasn't going to touch a single cookie. I may never touch another cookie again for the rest of my life. I picked up the platter of cookies and took them outside to toss over the fence. After all, I had promised to feed stray dogs hadn't I? I guess my prayer was answered today, I didn't eat the cookies and I got a lot of exercise I don't normally get. It's going to be hard to give up the money I normally spend on ink cartridges but I'll do it. As for the starving children in third world countries, I'll do what I can but I will not send cookies! They tend to get a person into trouble.

Cookies anyone?

Dianna Doles Petry

dianna59@suddenlink.net

02/28/2007

Dianna Doles Petry is an author from Fayette County, West Virginia. She has self-published a collection of short stories from her life and her poetry is becoming very well known. She has been published in "Gambit," a literary magazine produced by West Virginia University. WynterBlue Thunder Publications, based in Ontario, Canada, has also published Ms. Petry's work. Dianna is a Senior Writer for Storytime Tapestry, an online Ezine with a staff of writers from many different areas of the world. She is proud of her membership with the West Virginia Poetry Society and also  West Virginia Writers.

http://diannapetry.tripod.com
http://members.tripod.com/~poemsbydianna/PoetryofLife.html
www.womenwithauniquesoul.com
www.myspace.com/diannawv

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Poetry Corner

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Spring’s Smile

Cynthia Groopman

Spring's smile is majestically radiant

Blooming like a flourishing flower so fragrant.

Dancing sprightly with exquisite flare,

Spring's smile is a delight for all to cherish and to share.

Spring's smile is brilliant as a magnificent sunrise,

Filling hearts and souls with charming surprise.

Full of elation,

Spring's smile is full of joy and celebration.

For spring's smile,

Chases away the winter weary blues for a long while.

Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

~**~**~

Hug Shy
Cynthia Groopman

Nowadays people are hug shy,
This is perplexing and I wonder why.
Hugs are medicine for the soul,
Mending a broken heart with tenderness to be healed and whole.
In times of great despair,
Hugs reassure the saddened one that you care.
Being hug shy is of course not a good trait,
For hugs not only console but also glow as we celebrate.
So, my friend, never forget to give a hug and to share,
For God blesses those who help others and who care.

Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Copyright ©2007 Cynthia Groopman

 ~**~**~

Smile For Me,

Cynthia Groopman

Smile for me,

Let your heart dance sprightly.

Chase away those doleful frowns, As I hear a smile's beautiful melodic sound.

Smile for me, is my request,

For when you smile, your soul does flourish in mirthful zest.

Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

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