Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

August 15, 2007

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Publishers Favourite Sites:

Rosanne Catalano

http://www.rosannecatalano.net/

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Michael Smith

http://subs.zinester.com/86758/

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Barbara Weymouth

penwormprayerwarriors-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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Helen Dowd

www.occupytillicome.com

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Today?s Announcements

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?As you may remember my Peaches was injured during a grooming incident in Dec.? I filed a small claims case against the groomer the 1st week in June.? My court date has finally arrived, August 15th.? I am not asking for prayers that I am successfull I am asking for prayers that the right decision is made and that the groomer will think long and hard before using the same grooming strap on another dog.

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Angela,?Owned by?Chloe,?Madison, Peaches?and?Rascal.?

http://www.loveourpets.com/mycolliehaven

HCR Applications Coordinator

www.houstoncollierescue.petfinder.com

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--
Lu Swart
Travel Writer & Photographer
The Ultimate Untourist
http://ultimateuntourist.blogspot.com
within you lies the power to achieve your dreams
Only YOU can succeed or fail

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

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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.

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Today?s Stories

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?ValueSpeak

A Weekly Column

By Joseph Walker

valuespeak@msn.com

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OUR BEAT UP OLD PIANO

I wasn?t trying to take advantage of Chris.

Honest, I wasn?t.

Not only was he a close and trusted work associate, but he was a friend. We did things together socially. We had some great times together (except when he was trying to convert me to British farce comedy, which I could never really appreciate no matter how many times Chris made me watch Monty Python). Why would I want to risk ruining that?

Especially over a beat up old piano?

But Chris and his wife were in the middle of an ugly divorce (which is not to say there is such a thing as a beautiful divorce, but only to suggest that this one was particularly nasty), and Chris was getting rid of stuff.

?Hey, you want a piano?? he asked me one day at work.

It was an intriguing idea. Anita and I had talked about the value of music in the home, and we loved the idea of piano lessons for our young children. But things were tight for us, and there wasn?t a lot of room in the budget for lessons ? much less, a piano.

?How much?? I asked.

?I don?t know,? Chris said. ?How much can you afford??

I really had no idea how much a piano is worth. Honest, I didn?t. So I said the first number that popped into my mind ? an amount that sounded like a lot of money to me at the time, but was still relatively doable for us financially.

?Fifty dollars,? I said.

?Sold!? Chris said, smiling. ?But you have to come get it on Saturday. I want it gone.?

So for $50 and the cost of a rental truck we bought a piano. It wasn?t much to look at ? time and children had already taken their toll on the piano case ? but it worked just fine. Once we had it tuned it became a focal point for family musical growth and appreciation. All five of our children have taken piano lessons on it (if you count Joe Jr.?s three-month exercise in pain and suffering as piano lessons) and we have all used it for musical expression through the years.

Today that beat up old piano is still positioned prominently in our front room ? older and more beat up than it was when we bought it from Chris. It rarely gets played anymore except by our granddaughters, who delight in pounding on the keys whenever they visit. But it is part of us, part of our history, part of our home.

And I?ve always felt a little guilty about it, especially after I found out how much a good piano is actually worth. Even with a slightly battered case, Chris probably could have demanded ? and received ? 10 times what we paid for it. My guess is he probably never thought another thing about it. But I did, even after I changed jobs and lost contact with Chris. I?ve always felt a little uncomfortable about it, like I got away with something even though I wasn?t trying to.

Honest. I wasn?t.

Thankfully, life will usually give you an opportunity to repay a debt like that. Our opportunity came a few weeks ago. A young man in our neighborhood was looking to borrow a fiddle to use during a four-day camping activity that our church was sponsoring, and it just so happened that during our family?s musical journey we had purchased a nice violin that was now sitting in our basement gathering dust. We were pleased to let the young man use it, and we enjoyed the beautiful sounds he was able to coax out of those old, dusty strings.

At the end of the camp the young man?s mother asked if we would be willing to sell the old violin. Anita and I looked at each other and smiled.

?Sure,? we said. ?And we already know the perfect price.?

The young man?s mother balked at the suggestion. ?That violin is worth way more than $50,? she said. ?I?d feel like I was taking advantage of you.?

So we told her the story of our beat up old piano, and we sold her the violin for $50.

And we didn?t feel the least bit taken advantage of.

Honest. We didn?t.
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MOIST EYES

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

???? I find that my eyes are watering up more often lately. They were wet when I got my daughter ready for her prom recently. I felt my vision get a little blurry too just the other day when I watched an old home movie with my Mom in it. These days I even find them getting moist from certain songs I hear, stories I read, and thoughts I have. Some think I am getting sentimental in my middle years. I think I am just getting wiser and more in touch with God?s love.

???? Not all of my tears are loving and joyful ones, either. I have had tears of sadness while holding my own crying son, because there was nothing I could do to ease the frustration his Autism causes. I have had tears of grief when first my Mom and then my Grandma died. I have even had tears of empathy in seeing the suffering that so many people in this world are going through everyday.

???? Even with the moist eyes and mixed feelings, however, I wouldn?t change who I am today. I have more love in my heart and joy in my soul than ever before. I have found too that it is our own caring souls that God uses to help heal the world. It may open us up to more pain and suffering, but God always gives us the strength, love, and goodness to handle it. It may give us a few more tears, but God makes sure that most of them are ones of joy, compassion, and kindness.

???? It is far better to have wet eyes and a warm, loving heart than dry eyes and be dead on the inside. Don?t be scared to let your eyes go moist then. Those tears will clear your vision to see God?s spirit in everyone you meet. Those tears will open your heart to all the love that God wants to bless you with. Those tears will strengthen your soul so that you can bring joy, compassion, and healing to all those around you. God gave you tears to ease your pain and tears to express your joy. Use them both to make this world a better place.

Joe Mazzella

joecool@wirefire.com

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Big Shots, and Crimes.
Bill Walker
missourisage@yahoo.com

Is justice ever done with big shots and crimes? Maybe and maybe not. Big shots as a rule had mass amounts of dollars, can buy the best?lawyers, who can take a story, twist and turn the words so judge, and jury gets lost. We have seen that happen many times. Remember, facts are facts, but when in a court room, the facts must support the claim a crime was done. One major slip up can change things to?a maybe. We on the outside know good and well a crime was done, but there was the maybe that showed up in the court room. In the court room it should be 100% sure, or the rich man walks. After all he has a lawyer?every step of the way.

In my work I have been called to tell what I know about a murder case. The person on trial, just had a good lawyer, who had to do the best he could on limited amount of money. He didn't have the many lawyers to help with each step of the maybe side of things. So the man went to jail for a long time. Where as if he had been a great sport player of some kind, I am sure he would have found a small maybe, that said to the jury, we are not 100% sure, so he walks.

We may well see this in the case of Vick, and the dog deal. He has the money, the means to lay the blame on what happened elsewhere. It looks to us animal lovers like he is nailed with the facts and figures of the charges. But a good battery of fast, smooth talking lawyers can take facts, and figures into a maybe, he might very well walk. His great fast moves on a football field may be over, but will he serve time for whatever crime? Money may buy him out of jail time, but the general public will still say he did it, like another case of murder some years ago.

Remember Johnny saying. "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit." Johnny was one smart lawyer. It is very hard to get an already tight fitting leather glove on a hand with a rubber glove on.

Also remember this. There is under our system, has always been that way, crimes of all kinds may be whitewashed, people may also be convicted of a crime where no crime was done. God will be the judge who will in time sort things out. Our courts are not perfect.

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Our public opinion is also not perfect. Mankind has taken the Ten Commandants, has turned, and twisted them so many different ways to suit themselves. The Constitution has also been taken, turned, and twisted so many times. The so called Supreme Court at times is divided as to the understanding of a word many times.

I was once told somewhere back when I was a young fellow, law makers
makes laws. Who are these law makers? Lawyers in many cases are the law
makers. The wording is done so as to give other lawyers a job.
Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

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Readers Feedback

Congratulations, Carol Meeks! For making senior poet laureate of New Mexico

Hope Gizzard

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Rotten Tomatoes:
Humble acceptance of any charity is sometimes a must and those that are deserving of it should be thankful should it come their way. Joe Mazzella

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Carol,
??? Thanks so much for including my story about life at the pool in today's Storytime.
It was an honor to be included with these two wonderful stories today.? Bill's Rainbow
Bridge story touched my heart and gave me hope for all the dear dogs out there.? Pam's
story was a delight and reminded me again how connected we all are to life, to animals,
to this world, to God, and to each other.? Have a wonderful week.? Wishing you every joy,
Joe

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The Soul Eternal was beautifully written, Carol. I am bad about not making comments on so much I read online but I do appreciate your writing skills. You always seem to touch so many hearts.

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Love,

Barb

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Storytime Tapestry Angels

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Angels on earth, they exist they are out there.? Angels come in all ages, shapes and sizes, civil status, and religion.? Their nature is love and their purpose is giving to the less fortunate of this world.? Storytime Tapestry angels are no exception.? These angels are loyal members who have contributed to the upkeep of Storytime Tapestry newsletter so that Storytime Tapestry can continue come to your email box 350 days of the year.

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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.

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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, Charlotte Hilliard, Maria Keller

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