Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

April 30, 2007

Today’s Announcements

Happy Anniversary, B.J. and Diana Cassady: BJ.Cassady@af-group.com

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Today’s Stories

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SEEING ANGELS

Joseph J. Mazzella

Almost 9 months exactly after my Mom died my youngest child was born. I felt truly blessed by God having this new baby come after such a difficult year. I did feel regret, though, that my new son would never get to know my wonderful Mom. As my baby got older, however, I started to notice something. When I would be playing with my son he would often look past me, over my shoulder and smile. At other times it seemed like he was laughing and playing with someone I couldn't see or hear. This mystery suddenly became clear one day when I showed him his Grandma's picture and he giggled like he had known her all of his short life. It was then that it occurred to me that while my son may not have gotten to know my Mom in person, he had certainly gotten to know her angelic spirit watching over him.

I was remembering all of this the other day while taking a stroll. It made my own spirit feel warm with God's love and joy. While I was walking along too I saw a little girl who I knew was always shy around strangers. I was amazed then when she looked at me, lit up in a big smile, and waved. That's when I realized that children can not only sometimes see the invisible angels around us, but can often see the angel living within each of us as well.

I think that Earth would be a lot more like Heaven if we all looked at each other and saw the angels within. What a paradise this world would be if all of us recognized each other as brothers, sisters, and Children of the same God. What a holy place this planet would become if we all realized that each of us is a special soul sent here on a mission of learning and love.

Always remember then that angels are all around us and that an angelic spirit lives within each of us. It is up to us to see the angels in each other and to allow our own angel within to share its love, joy, peace, happiness, goodness, and light with the world.___

Joe Mazzella

 joecool@wirefire.com

~**~**~

  LIVING WITHOUT KIDNEYS

By Ron Gold

There’s really nothing extra-special about this room per se.  It’s the people who live without functioning kidneys –men and women who hang-out and hang-on here -- that are more important.

The room is just another large pre-clinic waiting room in a hospital annex.  If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.

There are perks for patients here: large water color paintings, a few sofas and plenty of chairs. A large clothes closet with hefty hangers, a water fountain, both ice and coffee machines, a display board with helpful nutritional information, a large community tv, a patient’s restroom and those tough, surgery-proven pussycat tiger and tigress patients.

Some patients arrive for their treatments and leave in wheelchairs and walkers.  Others are delivered on gurneys by invalid coaches and ambulances.  Most patients, however, walk, stumble and limp in on their own.

Every patient here is living with a potentially deadly  prognosis.  And they know it.  Some are awaiting kidney transplants.  Others, like me, are poor transplant candidates until new, less threatening support medicines are developed; current drugs have side effects that can kill patients with heart problems.

Most patients share nodding acquaintances, gossip and conversations. They are on a first name, nickname or a more formal basis.  Everyone swaps smiles.

“How’ya doin’?” is the daily question we ask each other.  Most smile and nod and say “good.”  I say, “I’m still

above ground,” realizing I’m serving a life sentence here

in renal dialysis.

If a ‘regular’ is absent, someone knows him/her location.  Is he an in-patient at the medical center?  Is she on a cruise? (Some cruise ships have dialysis machines and trained professional staff.)  Is the absentee on vacation? (The Ambulatory Care Center arranges out-patient dialysis treatments at out-of-area clinics and hospitals.)

When called, you weigh yourself, climb into a recliner chair at one of sixteen stations in two adjoining treatment rooms.

After a Registered Nurse checks your vital signs, a dialysis technician inserts needles into your arm or thigh

sites. One needle enters a vein; another needle is placed in an artery.  The needles are tubed into a 3-1/2-foot tall dializer that cleanses uric acid and other poisons from your blood. Then your cleansed blood is returned into your bloodstream.

Without regular dialysis, you quickly die.

The length of treatment time is determined by your renal

physician, working in concert with the dialysis staff.

You weigh yourself again after you’ve been treated and

your second (or ‘dry’) weight is entered into a computer

with other treatment data.

To ease your treatment stays (my thrice-weekly treatments

last four hours each), all 16 stations have private tv sets with earphones. The main treatment room is made bright by full-length windows.  The room is also temperature-controlled for comfort.

If you like to read, there are medical pamphlets, paperback books and magazines available in the dialysis waiting room.

Many patients bring their personal newspapers, books and periodicals.  One patient totes a portable DVD player.

At least once a week, a dialysis ‘tech’ brings in a taped movie that plays through the individual tvs above each station.

When required, a special technician measures your blood

flow. Renal physicians and their Physician’s Assistants

visit their patients at the Dialysis Center.

The Center also maintains its own spacious eat-in/take-out cafeteria for patients, staff and visitors.

In a nutshell, our comfortable dialysis waiting room and treatment stations are bright, airy and comfortable.

It’s a good place to live

Ron Gold

outthinkresumes@aol.com

~**~**~

Poetry Corner

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 An Angel
Cynthia Groopman

Smiling brightly, in sheer elegance,
an angel adorns my life with mirth and radiance.
She turns each day into a festive one,
And her face is as sparkling as the warm golden sun.
Love and sharing, she lovingly imparts,
And the torch of goodness she kindles deep in my heart.
She is always so patient and kind,
She is a rare treasure, so precious to find.
My life with the joy of friendship she brilliantly lights,
And her cheerfulness adds splendor and joy to my lonely nights.
Although she lives far across the sea,
The warmth of her presence makes her presence so close to me.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Copyright ©2004 Cynthia Groopman

~**~**~

 A Tribute To My Teacher
Cynthia Groopman

Dear teacher, you are such a dear person in every way,
symbolizing all wonderful and beautiful in everything you do and say.
Your voice is pleasant and soft, exuding patience that is calming,
your manner is so gentle and you are very charming.
You possess a vast store house of knowledge that you generously impart
dear teacher, you indeed have a kind, empathetic and discerning heart.
For an excellent teacher, you shall always be,
thanks so very much for motivating, enlightening and inspiring me.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2004 Cynthia Groopman

~**~**~

 Tribute To The Borough Of Queens
Cynthia Groopman

Oh dear borough of Queens,
see nice beauty regally permeates everywhere,
as magnificent beauty crowns our aspirations and fondest dreams.
From lush green parks to the water's edge,
loyalty and love, to thee, we rejoicefully pledge.
A majestic tapestry of smiling faces harmlessly reside,
in a borough where brotherhood, peace and diversity abide.
Houses of worship and libraries enable us to enhance our mind,
joy and gladness like a flourishing in Queens you can always find.
For Queens, we pay tribute to you,
may God protect, love and always bless you.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2004 Cynthia Groopman

Readers Feedback

Sharon, re: your story Pick and Choose; there's a very simple solution, small claims court. All you have to do is document your experience then inform the people with a registered letter that if the obvious problem is not promptly taken care of their lawyers will have to meet your lawyers to settle it in court. Inform them that your are going to sue for all costs incurred such as legal, long distance calls, travel expenses, postage, everything.

I usually, if I have a problem with something like this, call the credit card company and cancel the charges. Then I inform the store manager (get and keep his name) that we will meet in court to settle up. This'll get'em off their duffs.
Mark Crider

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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