Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

January 9, 2008

Today’s Announcement

Both Contests are now closed, today is the last day of Christmas contest stories.  We will finish voting on the poems contest before we start the stories. 

The Christmas Poem Contest is now closed; voting has now started.  You have until January 9^th to submit your votes for the poetry only.  Please make the effort and submit them.  Our poets are counting on you!

Happy Birthday Silvana Wagner:  SilvanaWagner@woolworths.co.za

The Latest on Matt’s Mom is that she has kidney stones. She is on morphine and has been in excruciating pain now for over two weeks.  It is just inhumane as far as I am concerned. The hospital expects her to linger like this until the stone passes.  This is an elderly woman who is in pain.  It just does not seem right to me. Please continue to pray from her recovery.

Don’t forget to order your copy of Angels Watching Over Me, the story of an ordinary woman facing less than ordinary challenges.  Angels Watching Over Me is a story of family love, sacrifices, poverty and an undying faith that makes heroes out of all of us. Here is the link in case you have forgotten it: http://www.lulu.com/content/964306

Important notice: Storytime Tapestry is a free e-zine, however 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.   You can make your donations to paypal at: winterose@videotron.ca, or if you would prefer to use the mail system contact the publisher at the same email address: winterose@videotron.ca

Today’s Stories

  ~**~**~

 ValueSpeak
A Weekly Column
By Joseph Walker

valuespeak@msn.com
 

NO PROBLEM

For a brand new driver, it was a minor trauma, at least.
 
Emma was miles away from home on one of her first solo adventures with the family sedan. She had driven carefully, parked cautiously and locked the car doors dutifully – just as her parents had instructed her to do. As she walked away from the car she savored the delicious feeling of independence that only a driver’s license and a fully fueled vehicle can provide.
 
But now, as she returned to the car, she experienced the dark side of motorized freedom. For some reason, the car door wouldn’t unlock. She pressed the button on her key ring remote control again. No unlocking sound. No little red light flashing on the control. She pressed it harder, as if sheer force would be enough to overcome whatever mechanical problems were going on with the car (I know, that’s a little like talking louder and slower in order to be better understood by someone who doesn’t speak English – it makes you feel like you are doing something, when in reality you’re not achieving anything but heightened frustration).
 
Still nothing. No mechanical “click-click” sound. No red light.
 
She tried to keep her composure, but she had no idea what to do. She’d never had any kind of mechanical failure in all her . . . well . . . hours of driving experience, so there was no personal precedent from which she could draw. So she called her mother.
 
“Mom,” she said, “I’ve got a little problem here.”
 
Her mother, who was already nervous about sending Emma out alone, skipped right over “minor trauma” and went right straight to full on, Big T “Trauma.”
 
“Emma, are you OK?” she asked anxiously. “Is anyone hurt? Is the car OK?”
 
“I’m fine, Mom,” Emma replied. “I didn’t have an accident. The car is just . . . broken.”
 
“Broken?” her mother asked. “Won’t it start?”
 
“I don’t know,” Emma said. “I can’t get in to start it.”
 
Emma explained her predicament. Her mother was relieved . . . and stumped.
 
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you,” she said. “Maybe the battery has gone out on the door opener. I guess we could bring the spare keys out to you. Let me ask your Dad.”
 
Emma’s Mom called her husband, explained the situation and asked if he had any suggestions of what Emma could do. The father hesitated, then asked: “You’re joking, right?”
 
“No,” his wife said. “She’s really stuck out there, and she’s getting cold standing outside. Should I take the spare key to her?”
 
To his everlasting credit, Emma’s father considered his next words carefully. But you have to know that his gut instinct was to laugh out loud. This was a real-life situation just crying out for a punch line, and he had the perfect opportunity to make his wife and his daughter – his BLOND wife and BLOND daughter, no less – feel pretty . . . well . . . you know . . . blond. This joke could be told and re-told, much to the everlasting embarrassment of . . . well, two of the people he loved most in all the world.
 
And it was that last thought that prompted him to suppress the laugh and to gently suggest that perhaps his wife should instruct Emma to use the actual key to open the car door.
 
“Oh . . . DUH! . . . of course!” his wife said, embarrassed and relieved all at once. “Sorry about that, Hon. I should have thought of that!”
 
“No problem,” her husband said.
 
Which, come to think of it, is exactly right. It COULD have been a problem, if the husband had taken advantage of the opportunity to tease and belittle and humilitate his wife and daughter. But instead he chose to be kind, compassionate and loving – hence, “no problem.”
 
And precious little trauma, either.
 

~**~**~

A Valuable Lesson Learned

Bonnie Carilles

When I went to court on October 1st, I thought that there was no way that I could lose with all of the evidence that I had. However, I was wrong.

My thinking: I thought that my landlord was overcharging me so; I stopped paying until she gave me a statement of my account.

That was definitely the wrong thing to do.

What I should have done was put the money into an escrow account with the courts so that late charges would not have accumulated and the courts would have looked at me in a better light.

Why? Because in the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is no defense to non-payment of rent. So, I ended up getting evicted.

I was angry, mad, and really depressed over the whole situation and decided that after 5 years of living here, I needed to know why I got taken to court in the first place because we were always able to work out "things" before. So, I put a call out to my landlord.

I asked her, "what is the real reason that you wanted me out because we have always worked this stuff out". She said there were several things.

The major thing was the fact that she said people had told her that I had "redone" my kitchen. She figured that I was spending my rent money on the kitchen.

Then she said that she had heard rumors that we were over here doing drugs. I don’t know if I was more shocked or more appalled.

I then explained to her that most of the stuff in the kitchen was given to me and the rest was done through gather home depot gift cards....and the thing about drugs, I have heart disease. I cannot do drugs unless I am on a suicide mission.

At the end of the conversation, we agreed there was a lot of miscommunication and she said she would stop by on Saturday to drop off applications (for people to apply to rent the land).

When she came Saturday, I told her I know it may not matter but, I wanted her to know what I said was true. I showed her my Gather gift card papers and my doctors papers, I even showed her my light bill and a few other things that I had explained to her.

When I showed her that, she said well, I tell you what, I will give you until October 31 instead so that you can find a place. I was appeased a bit.

My 10 year old daughter came up and I introduced her (again) to the landlord and we went inside. That night she called me and asked me if I had the judgment money for the court. I told her yes, I didnt pay it yet because I have to find somewhere to live. At which time she told me to pay the judgment amount, October rent and water and then I could stay.

I agreed and she came over Sunday and we signed another lease til June.

We both agreed there was a lot of miscommunication but I also agreed that had I been smarter than what I thought I was, I would not have put myself in this position in the first place and mentioned that My rent and water would not be late. That would for sure, keep me out of this predicament AND, if there is a problem, I need to sit down and talk it out with her.

So, that is one thing off my platter....what’s next....I am ready!

Bonnie Carilles

krazyB73@aol.com

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

Wishing Well

Conrad S. Cardinal

This is a story many old folks tell, in a

little western town by the name of Wishing

Well.

The reason it exists in this dry and fruitless

land is because they found gold there in the

sand.

A shaft was sunk deep into the earth.

The mine was  worked for all that it was worth.

One day there came a rumble from that shaft

beneath the ground.

The walls of Wishing Well mine were crumbling,

tumbling down.

Across the opening of the mine there settled

a huge boulder.

All the men were in the mine, so there wasn't

a strong enough shoulder.

The women of the town pushed, dug, and pried,

but couldn't move it no matter how hard they

tried.

There then appeared a stranger, from where

know one knew.

They asked if there was anything he thought

could do.

He passed among them slowly and never spoke

a word.

Yet all knew that he could help them, as though

he spoke and they had heard.

He moved to the boulder, his muscles swelling

as he walked.

All in the crowd were astonished, no one moved,

no one talked.

As he wrapped his bulky arms around the huge

dark mass,

the earth began to tremble, through him lightning

did pass.

His muscles, how they rippled, this man as strong

as steel.

This strength was it divine, this strength they all

could feel?

The boulder slowly moved, the opening was clear.

The miners and their wives were relieved beyond

compare.

After all were freed and the rejoicing was done,

they asked who did this task, the answer, the

strange one.

The miners and their wives searched far and

beyond,

yet they could not find the stranger, there was

sadness, he was gone.

Until this day they ask, who did this task so hard?

Was he just a passing stranger or was he sent

by God?

Conrad S. Cardinal

Cconseth@aol.com

Story Feedback

Dear ImLadyBug, April, You my dear are what makes memories so awesome and alive for us keep writing and sharing I enjoyed this story (My Christmas Miracle) so much and the picture you drew just let me come right back there in your life and walk along memory lane with you into the now.  God bless a fan of yours  Leona

Awesome story shared JoeCool  I will look forward with expectation to reading every story of this precious angel son of yours.  He truly is sent of God to brighten your life as well as all who are tuned to the shared writings we will receive from time to time  God bless you and your shining messenger angel  A true fan Leona

Carol,
    Thank you so much my friend both for sharing my words and
for forwarding me this letter.  You are the best.
     I loved the Christmas contest this year.  There were so many wonderful stories and poems.  I hope that 2008 brings you nothing but joy.  Joe

Here are the Published Christmas entries to Date.  If you want to review the stories or poems before voting which will come only at the end of this contest, just go to the archives:  http://archives.zinester.com/98907

Stories

Name                    Story                                                 Date

Williams, Cheryl           Christmas: Look forward to it ….         December 20

Haley, Ellie Braun         A Christmas Story                                December 20

Bryant, Sharon I Walked The Halls                               December 21

Bryant, Sharon Believing                                               December 21

Lock, Joyce                 Abbreviated Christmas             December 21

Smith, Michael  Memory Tree                                       December 22

Walker, Bill                  Mary Did You Know?              December 22

Levine, Arthur              The Troubled Geese At Christmas        December 23

Walker, Bill                  Christmas Lights                                   December 23

Mazzella, Joe                Christmas Gifts                         December 23

Wilson, Mary               Through the Eyes of Mary                     December 24

Walker, Bill                  Jesus and Santa                                    December 24

Colasanti, James           An Angel In Between                            December 25

Walker, Joe                  The Two Sides of Christmas                 December 25

Dowd, Helen                Tintagel The Forest Angel                     December 26

Walker, Bill                  The Christmas Gift                                December 26

Wersterfer, Clara          No Christmas Presents             December 27

Wainland, David           Christmas Doesn’t Get Any Better       

                                    At the North Pole                                 December 27

Blaine, Pamela  Christmas at Baring School                   December 28

Bryant, Sharon Thank You                                           December 28

Dowd, Hart                  Hundreds of Easy to Make Gifts           December 29

Haley, Ellie Braun         Ripples We Make                                December 29

Dowd, Helen                Our Last Deliverer Has Come               December 30

Walker, Joe                  A Christmas Wish List For You            December 30

Dowd, Hart                  One Unforgettable Christmas                December 31

Singh, Dr. Harmander Happy Christmas: Learning Art of

                                    Problem Solving for Prayer                   December 31

Bryant, Sharon             Santa’s Mistake                                    December 31

Apted, Violet                An Unexpected Visit                             January 1

Apted, Violet                Confetti Snowballs                                January 1

Apted, Violet                Mary’s Christmas Miracle                     January 1

Apted, Violet                The Ghosts of Christmas                       January 2

Walker, Joe                  Finding Christmas                                 January 2

Bryant, Sharon The Greatest Gift                                  January 2

Johnson, Patricia           Epiphany                                              January 3

Cassady, B.J.               Christmas 1989                                    January 3

Cassady, B.J.               The Pig Who Saved Christmas  January 3

Cassady, B.J.               One of the Best Presents I ever Received January 3

Cassady, B.J.               A Gift of Giving                                    January 4

McCarthy, Janelle         Bake A Cake                                       January 6

Hinson, Clarice Scarlet Fever Christmas                        January 7

Sobkowich, Bev           Happy Celebrations                              January 7

Lipscomb, April            My Christmas Miracle              January 8

Ebling, Leonia               Anticipation                                          January 8

Walker, Joe                  Happy New You                                  January 8

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, Charlotte Hilliard, Maria Keller