Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

March 29, 2007

Today’s Announcements

Special Prayer request for my wife, Diana Cassady, she will be undergoing removal of three vertebrae in her neck next Monday.  If this is not done, she will be paralyzed from the neck down.  Pass this on to your prayer partners.  Thanks... BJ Cassady BJ.Cassady@af-group.com

dearest Friends,

Please visit

www.qgazette.com

Read the current issue, March 28 as a pdf file. You will find my picture anda story about the award taht I received. ZIf any of you can send it to me as an email message, please do at

cynthia.groopman@verizon.net

I appreciate that very much. Thanks.Cynthia

Dear Prayer Warriors

On Monday, one of granddaughter's, friends Brytania was killed by a drunk driver in Land Park along with her 2 other siblings.  That drunk driver took a mother's three children from her in an instant.  My granddaughter, Erica has been friends with Brytania Nash since 2nd grade.  They are 16 years old now. 

Please pray for the mother and father that has lost their three precious children and then for my granddaughter she is not taking it very well.  She said that Brytania was a good person and made a good impact on others, she is struggling to understand why this happened. 

And the mother said on camera, "Have I been such a bad mother that God has taken all three of my children from me".  I'm sure she is shock, I know I would be.  Both the mother and the father and family are broken hearted.

Let's surround them all with ours/God's love please through our prayers.

Thank you for your prayers,

Love to all,

Barbara: weymouth@surewest.net

I cannot believe not one person responded to my plea for prayers for little Jazmyn Carol! But here is an update for you my friend. Jazz is home from the hospital the tumour was Benign so our prayers were answered. She is improving every day bless her. Her leg is completely encased in plaster and she has finally come off the pain killers.  Thank you for caring dear. God Bless you.  Violet: violetsrblue7@hotmail.com

Hello you all: My oldest son is in desperate needs of prayers. Here in Germany if you don't pass the German class, you won't pass the grade. This will be devastating for him. He already repeated the 8th grade due to our family relocation.

He is studying hard but with the help of prayers he could do better. Please pray that he stays focus and his German grade goes up to a 4 (D) or a 3 (C). He is having more problems with the written German. This year for the first time in the history of Germany they will be taking a standardized test (very normal in the USA). If he fails the German written test, then he will have to take a verbal test. His conversational German is better. If the still fail it, then he will have to repeat the grade and put on hold all his dreams....

I thank you in advance for your prayers.

From the distance, yours in Christ, TANNIA

www.myspace.com/tanniaortizlopes

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Today’s Stories

~**~**~

My Unforgettable Dad
by: Cynthia Groopman

March 5, would have been the 97 birthday of my dearest dad, Abraham. I
wonder what he would have been like as a 97 year old and often imagine
myself sitting with him and hugging him. I can hear his sweet voice
echoing gently in my ears.

97 years ago, Abraham was born on a farm in Woodburn New York. He was
the second of 6 children, and born to Russian Jewish immigrant parents.
His dad, Jacob was a farmer and a quiet man. His mom, Rebecca was a
person with extreme courage, bearing 6 children and 3 of them died in
infancy. She was the head of the household at the farm and later at the
Groopman hotel. She always had a warm smile and both of his parents took
being a new American seriously.

My dad at age 9 would take the cows to pasture, milk cows and do chores
around the farm. He was really intelligent and brilliant in math. At age
13 he made his journey to New York City, lived in the Bronx with uncle
and aunt so that he may attend high school and seek higher education. He
graduated from Morris High and at age 16 he worked in the Edison
Company, and attained his college degree at city college at
night. Tuition was free at that time to deserving students. He did well
and majored in Civil engineering.

In 1929, he passed the Civil Service test for Jr. engineer and thus a 50
year career with the City of new York began. While working for the City,
he pursued a degree in physics and in engineering at the master's level.
By that time, his family lived in the Bronx, and he supported them,
paying their rent for a spacious, airy apartment.

He sent his two brothers to pharmacy and one to dental school.
In July of the year 1946, he met a lovely gregarious lady named Edith.
They dated and on November 17, 1946 they were married.
My mom, Edith was a Hunter College graduate and a sparkling intelligent
lady.

In August 1948, my twin brother and I were born.
Dad was an unassuming gentle person never coming into a room with a bang
and he was humble.

He never spoke badly of a person and always gave people the benefit of
the doubt. He was a teacher at Pratt Institute in the 1950's and also a
substitute teacher for the NYC Board of education for adult math.
Dad rose through the ranks in Civil service and in 1966, he became chief
Engineer of the department of Water resources, a major city agency.
He was a fair, caring manager and steered the Water department through
hard times of drought, budget problems, water main breaks etc.
Dad was an excellent teacher and as children he would give us problems
in math to solve and used to take us on walks, cook bulls eyes egg
omelets and take us to the playground where we would be pushed by him on
the swings.

He loved classical music and had quite a record collection.
Dad was known as the genius of the family and all flocked to him for
advice. He was wise and thoughtful and analytical.

In1978 he retired from civil service and then was a consultant
After that, he was the outside man of the family, doing the shopping
going to the stores, etc.

When I lost my eyesight in Feb. of 1988, it was dad who put in my
eyedrops and was my companion walking with me and helping me adjust. He
was a calm man and a person whose actions spoke louder than his words.
I remember him accompanying me to the senior center in Feb. 1991 when I
had my interview for volunteer community service and his big pat on the
shoulder of encouragement.

In 1996, he started to decline. at age 86, he succumbed to a heart attack
in my arms. I hugged him and squeezed his lifeless hand before he was
taken away to the hospital.

At his funeral on August 16, 1996, a hot and sunny day, I gave the
speech of a lifetime pouring out my heart about him and how wonderful he
was as a person, a community leader and as a dad.

He taught me respect, self discipline, judgment, caring for others and
to be self directed.

I have written many poems about him and his impact on my life. He is my
hero and it was a blessing to have known him and have him as a dad for
awhile making up civil service exams in engineering.

Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

The Healing Touch

Cheryl Williams

We stand facing one another

as the venom flies;

I can sense your pain,

just as you can sense mine;

But our anger keeps us at a distance

and neither of us wants to give in;

How strong is our pride here in this place,

this home,

our home.

You turn and walk away from me,

and I turn my back to you,

wandering into another room;

I sit and pull out my journal, so

that I can write about you and

how wrong you are;

But a voice inside says,

"Go to him."

I push the words aside, but

they continue, nagging at me

relentlessly until finally my heart

is filled with compassion.

I walk back to the room where you are,

our room,

the place where love has been shared,

our love.

and there you stand, looking lost and forlorn,

like a little boy who has lost his best friend.

You raise your eyes to meet mine,

and tears begin to well up in both of our eyes.

I come to you, and you pull me close.

I feel your heart pounding

as our tears mingle together,

washing over both of us,

as a mightly river,

and forgiveness embraces us.

Sometimes renewal comes

without a word

after the venom has flown;

Sometimes a touch

is all that is needed to heal.

Cheryl Williams

politicalgirl04@aol.com

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Here is our Storytime Tapestry Angels: Also, I would like to thank those of you who chose to be a silent angel and gave an anonymous donation to keep Storytime Tapestry up and running.

Clara Westerfer, Mark Crider, Rosanne Catalano, Paula Booher, Kay Seefeldt, Mariane Holbrook, Mary Ellen Grisham, Louise Nomani, Sharon Bryant, Angela Walker, Hart and Helen Dowd, Keith Ready, Ginger Morgenstern, Ellie Braun-Haley, Surinder Jandu, Bob Shaw, Carol Meeks

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; Groopman, Cynthia; Braun-Haley, Ellie; Hansen, Chris; 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; Pringle, Sandra Lewis; 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

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Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder, Moderator

Clara Westerfer – moderator