Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

February 7, 2008

Today’s Announcement

Happy Birthday Patricia Wellen: fleur@hamiltoncom.net

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

THE GOOD LIFE – OR NOT

            I don’t know whose idea it was to remodel our home right smack dab in the middle of the coldest, snowiest winter in recent memory.

            OK, that’s a lie.  I DO know whose idea it was.  But if 30 years of marriage have taught me anything, it is that this is probably one of those times that I should leave her name out of this.

            So anyway, when Anita decided (OK, so maybe I haven’t learned anything in 30 years of marriage after all) to get this remodeling started RIGHT NOW, there were good and compelling reasons to do so.  For one, her nephew is getting married in April, and his family will need a place to stay while they are here.  I’m not exactly sure why a wedding in her brother’s family should end up costing us thousands of dollars, but if I’ve learned anything in 30 years of marriage . . . well, you get the idea.

            The other reason we decided to do it in winter is the fact that . . . well, it’s winter, and since nobody in their right mind would intentionally gut their house while there is more than a foot of snow on the ground, the remodeling crews are unequivocally available.  My response to this is the guys who host river running expeditions in the nearby – and currently snow-covered – mountains are also available right now, but I don’t see us rushing to take advantage of their services.  To which Anita smiles, pats my cheek and hands me another box to haul downstairs.

            To be honest, the house we live in has needed to have some work done on it ever since we bought it 14 years ago.  The plumbing was done on the cheap, and we think the electrical wiring was probably installed by a pyromaniac.  Then we turned the dining room into an office and just sort of filled the doorway with drywall and Silly Putty.  Every time my father-in-law comes over he asks when we’re going to get that fixed.  I used to reply that fixing the wall would also mean fixing the wallpaper in the room, which would also mean new carpet, which would also mean new furniture, which I couldn’t afford.

So there’s a bunch of stuff we’ve been meaning to do for years.  And I guess with the wedding and the availability of work crews and the fact that Anita has been saving for this for years . . . well, it just seems like the thing to do right now.

            So we’re doing it.  Right now.

            It’s been an adventure.  We currently have three rooms in the entire house that are more or less usable.  Thankfully, one of them is a bathroom.  But one of them is NOT the kitchen, although we do have access to the refrigerator and huge piles of snow outside for cold storage.  The workers broke our stove, and the power is cut off to the microwave.  So we’re pretty much reliant on the good graces of the Colonel and a cute little redhead named Wendy for food.  When this is over I will swear off fast food forever – or at least until they bring back the McRib.

            It’s been a challenge, but we seem to be making it.  And if I understand the plans correctly – and there’s always some question about that, believe me – within a few weeks we’ll have a better place in which to live.  So this is temporary, and we can endure it.

            But the other day we were talking about those who live like this – or worse – without any relief in sight.  We have indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, the opportunity to shower every day, cable television, mattresses upon which to sleep and the means to eat three meals – Happy and otherwise – each day.  For about 90 percent of the world’s population, that would be considered lavish living.  There is love in our home, and we are warm and dry and safe.  And if we start feeling too uncomfortable, we can hop into our car and go somewhere else.

            For most of us, life is pretty good when you stop and think about it – the occasional temporary discomfort notwithstanding.  Sure, there are challenges and frustrations, and once in a while a serious crisis rears its ugly head.  But often, the bad things that happen only serve to remind us of how good our lives really are – most of the time.  We just need to remember to appreciate the good times when we’re living them – and especially when we’re not.

            No matter whose idea the “when we’re not” part was.

 ~**~**~

 SELF-AWARENESS

Dr. Harmander Singh

"Are you meditating?” a lady asked an old man in a train.

"I myself do not know,” the old woman replied without any interest.

"But I feel you are doing it,” she said to him.

"How can you feel it?” the old man asked.

"I do not know,” she replied innocently.

"If I say that I'm doing meditation what would you feel?” the old man asked the lady with interest.

"I'll stop all of my thoughts, desires and emotions to help you,” she said.

"Such a Big Help, You're a great woman. How can you do that? It is not possible without deep meditation." The old man was amazed.

"I've read in the scriptures that one gets disturbed with the thought waves of others while doing meditation. Is not it?” she asked innocently.

"Yes, it happens when one starts to meditate. In the beginning it's a great self-indulgence and one can not tolerate the thoughts, expressions and impressions of others,” he tried to explain.

"Sir, what happens after long meditation?” she wanted to know.

"The disturbance goes off and one gets the stability and serenity of thoughts. However, there is no limit to this limitless experience. You know about it, so you'll have more and more,” he replied.

"Its self-awareness, is not it? In addition, others become the waves of this universal sea of self-awareness until the feelings of sole consciousness are left. Is not it?” she said.

            Both were lost in the depth of self-awareness.

Daily Moral Insight for a Peaceful Night

Is not it dearly important to enjoy sometime with our own self?

Is not it blissful to enjoy self-awareness by any means whether meditation or self-introspection, or even inner reflections?

is not it a great human to help the sensitive people by keeping silent and controlling the emotion, expressions what does not seem genuine to us as well as to others ?

Is not it a great beauty of self-awareness that the self-indulgence is like a deep bath of our consciousness?

Is not it a beautiful experience to enjoy our thought moves while feeling like a sea of consciousness?

Dr. Harmander Singh

bhagouauty@gmail.com

~**~**~

Today, 4 February 1929.

Bill Walker 

missourisage@yahoo.com

Today, 4 February 1929, is a very important day in my life. I wasn't here yet, but it is a day I remember.  You see it was the day my folks said the,  "I do" stuff.  What kind of day was it?  I think mother said it was a cold cloudy day in the big city of Springfield, Missouri. They both took a break from where they worked and walked a few blocks to the Green County courthouse.  The place where they worked , Traps Cafe,  dad was a cook  and mother was a

waitress. After the noon meal was over at about 2 PM, the marriage took place.

They went to the country clerks office and got the license. As they were leaving the office, a Baptist preacher came in for something.  I think he over heard something about now they needed to see the judge or someone to say the words.   He told them he would be glad to do that for

them.  I think from what I remember of the story told me, a small room was found, and the words  said, and they walked out man and wife.

For better or worse, and all the other words also.  The old yellowed paper has the Rev. Frank Naff as the one who did the honors.  There is a picture at the bottom of the page from the Book of Matthew with these words: 

For this cause a man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh.  What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put assunder.

They lived, through thick, and thin, good times, hard times, sickness and whatever came, till death parted them on the morning of 22 December 1968. 

After the words, there came the walk back to Traps Cafe.  I never learned any more of the day.

I know there was a trip either that day or the next day out to see Dad's folks, which almost wrecked the marriage right off.  Mother told me a time or two about that trip.  I guess the old lady about threw a major hissy. You see my mother came from the wrong side of the railroad

tracks. She was not of their royal class, or something. Besides Helen was such a pretty girl, and we all hoped you and Helen would patch things up, and get back together.  You see Dad had been married before to this Helen.

Mother never quite got over her welcome into the family of Walkers.  I didn't show up, till 7 September of 1930.  I think I got much the same welcome into the family. I think by my coming into being, it kind of really wrecked all hope that the marriage would some day break up.

A plain simple marriage, that stood the test of time.  No big blast, no wedding party, I am not so sure there was a wedding cake. Maybe a plain simple wedding, stands the test better then a lot of party stuff.

Oh and 5 February 1929, Dad was 28 years old. They had almost 40 years together, till that cold morning of 22 December 1968, when God called Dad to come home to the green green grass of Heaven.  Mother never found a man to replace her man that God gave her. To be honest about the

matter, I don't think she was looking for a replacement.

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

Poetry Corner

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 Readers Feedback

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 Ricky Fico - Really good story. It makes you think. Sadly in these days, we do have to be so careful. It hurts all the innocent involved.

Mindy Sayre

Ricky Fico - I am feeling so sorry for the ignorance in the world. There are millions of Sikhs in the world's every country and city and who had only done GOOD to PEOPLE/COMMUNITIES and Countries whereever they are. They fought in the world wars 1st and 2nd, wearing turbans and beards and showed more bravery than any other nation. How can people mix Sikhs with terrorists? If terrorists wear turbans and have beards, they still don't look like Sikhs. Turban is a crown for Sikhs and they wear it with pride. Sikhs are the safest people on earth who will give their lives to protect others.

S K Jandu

I really enjoyed reading "Blessings like rain" I can relate to this story although in different situations. When we think there is no solution to our problems, something like this happens to restore our belief in God.

S K Jandu

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, Marilyn Sink, Victor Buhagiar, Clarice Hinson, Conrad Cardinal,