Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

February 24, 2008

Today’s Announcement

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

  ~**~**~

My Little Dollie Likes Shopping
Bill Walker
missourisage@yahoo.com

My little Dollie, likes going shopping. Many stores have signs in
the door windows, "No Dogs" I think they  are missing the boat
when it comes to gals like my little Dollie. When I have taken her into
stores and places, I notice she looks things over, and she does pick out
things she needs. No need to fear that she is going to cause
trouble, heavens no, she is shopping for her every day needs. Much
like the bigger Dollies shop for things they need, like another pair of
shoes, or more undies, or another shade of paint, and lipstick.

 I have noticed she might change her mind, the bigger Dollies are always
doing that too. She sees something she can't live with out, and she
grabs it. But wait a minute, over here looks like a better class of
stuff. She will drop the cheaper one, and then she picks up the
better one. Then what’s this, here we drop that one and try this one
for size. I guess she might cause some clerk a bit of trouble, you
know putting the one she thought about, back in the right place. So
what? I have seen the big Dollies have a whole section of a lady's
department torn to shambles before they decide on a frock. Heck I have
seen one or two I know of tear the place apart, and then walk out buying
nothing. Now my little Dollie will buy something if she gets in the
place.
She tells me her thoughts on things. "Lets see, what cost the most in
the way of a new toy?? My old one is getting kind of shabby.
And you don't take me to see that nice lady with the two doggies with
so many nice toys any more. The lady, you call Ma Baker. Her kids
have so many nice toys. The one time we met them, I tried putting them
in a pile, so they knew where their toys were."
Yes, my little Dollie likes going places and shopping. Just like all
the bigger Dollies I know. She also likes to help others in getting
their stuff together. Be nice if she would do that at home. I find
toys here, there, and every where, but not together. Guess it is a girl
thing.

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5
 .  

POLITICAL RELIGIONS

Duane Bates

Politics has often be referred to as “the art of the possible”, but paralleling the growth of extreme and hard line religious factions in many mainstream religions of the world we are also seeing the same phenomenon in American political parties. By political religions I mean the development of political parties of factions within existing parties that insist their beliefs about how things should be are fixed and unchangeable and not subject to challenge, scrutiny or modification based on evidence or changes in the world we live in. We simply have to accept that they have the only real truth about any given issue and should move immediately to adopt all their conclusions.

True religions, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and the many other religions, are based on faith and do not require proof or evidence for their beliefs.  Politics, however, operates in the real world and demands some degree rational proof or evidence for any policy that they are insisting will work if implemented.

In the world that our ancestors lived in, a world that was overwhelmingly rural and agricultural, little changed over generations. But with the advent of the industrial revolution the pace of change increased, the ability to change and adapt became real keys to survival and success.  Most humans, however, do not do well with rapid change and the rapid changes taking place in their everyday lives made them look to their religions for a set of beliefs and values that were comforting and constant, unaffected by the increasing velocity of social and economic changes swirling around them.

In this sense political philosophy can take on the characteristics of a sacred religious creed or beliefs systems, handed down from by a deity, usually the person or persons who developed the idea to begin with.  The persons of any political party that hold these types of rigid beliefs are referred to as ideologues; those persons who fervently believe that their views on any subject is the right one and that putting it into action will resolve all our current problems and create an almost perfect world. They also believe that our refusal to accept their pronouncements is the root of virtually all our problems that we face today and evidence of our ignorance.  Another key characteristic of the political ideologues is their unwillingness to examine or accept any information that challenges or contradicts their sacred beliefs. They reject, and sometimes even refuse to examine, any data that disproves or challenges their beliefs because they hold the special truths. 

Unfortunately, Americans seem to be strongly attracted to political religions, perhaps because they offer simple solutions to complex problems.  Americans need to adopt a very skeptical stance when simple solutions being proposed for complex problems, whether the issue is healthcare, the national debt, or governmental spending and demand evidence and proof.  Missouri is known as the “show me” state.  We all need to be from Missouri when evaluating solutions to the many challenges we face today.  The world we live is a complex, complicated place and it isn’t getting any less complex.  We need to demand better, workable solutions from our political leaders.

Duane Bates

batesduane@yahoo.com

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

  LEFT

Dr. Harmander Singh

He left his beautiful home. He went here and there, when he could not fine that beauty anywhere in the world, he was sad. One day, he was happy with only one thought, which he told to his friend when he said:

In the days

Of life

The things are

Left

For nothing visible

Can move into

The dimension of time

As loving

Is pure

When affection is

Because of spirit and soul

Just not the flesh alone

So is time

When time

Allows me

To carry wonderful memories of my life

Which Bhagouauty have just left

In the hands of past as the footprints

Of memories are sought  

 Dr. Harmander Singh

bhagouauty@gmail.com

~**~**~

SURPRISE

Dr. Harmander Singh

She was very sad because throughout her life things always happened accidentally. She found a letter from her uncle. She opened it and read saying that her sorrow was baseless. She pondered and deliberated for hours, days and months. After six months, she wrote back to her uncle saying:

Surprise is

Blessed moment

Of my life

Surely, it is when

I thank God

From deep inside

To break

My worries

And to stop

My sufferings

And to clearly guide

My ways always leading,

And to shake

My thoughts

And to change

My thoughts

God blesses

With a surprise of

Having a new thought

Giving joy in the morning

Making us feel surprised.
Readers Feedback

~**~**~

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, Marilyn Sink, Victor Buhagiar, Clarice Hinson, Conrad