Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

March 12, 2008

 Today’s Announcement

Happy 31^st wedding anniversary for Roy and Kay Seefeldt :   birdnest@megalink.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

ANOTHER HISTORY? (February 2008)

By Georgewaters Ojeigbe – Lagos, Nigeria gojiegbe@jhplc.com

Now the race is on.  The two individuals are heading forward towards the hot seat in the White House.  Whoever the shoe fits; either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

I have wondered over the years why a nation as America has not broken the jinx of being the western nation to have produced a first female president and a first black president.  I pondered over this because the United States of America is noted worldwide to be the father of democracy where rule of law is respected.  A nation of freedom of speech and maybe acts.

As weak as the continent of Africa, it has a first female president in one of its countries, and of course, a first black president in South Africa which was many years ago ruled by the whites.  Not to be excluded are also first female presidents/prime ministers in some Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and South Korea, yet the United States has not exhibited such record which might have looked cheap and simple enough to attain.

I thought of discrimination as being the reason for not attaining this record or could it have been lack of trust.  A nation as USA should not have had gender or racial problem, at least two decades back.  But for long, it has shown that there has been difficulty in reaching this level.

Now the track is set for Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton.  I have no preference as a spectator from a far land of Nigeria in Africa where all news filters into my hears.  I am only acting the historian.  I am an observer from a weak continent which I pray would be greater someday, maybe in my life time or after my journey through life itself.  Although, I have known much powerful democratic proceeds in the giant country; the likes of Carter, Ragan, Bush and Clinton but I fear for now what I believe may come in the near future over a land which has been an example to other nations.  I see greater tasks and declining morals (care must be taken).  Maybe a tune towards the actualization of prophesies.   We must hold firm less we fall in a declining world where tomorrow may hold a dim future for the entire human race.  (A thought for all!).

Back to the gist, history is about being made in the God’s own country, America!  Some years ago; 2005, in the land of Liberia, Africa, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president over Liberia.  On her swearing in day, she exhibited brilliancy and bravery in her words.  I prided over this because history was made in my continent.  Even though things are not working out well but I was filled with joy that a legacy was born from the land of Africa where turmoil, man made disasters, hatred for one another and governmental greed leads.  I told myself that we are an example to a nation like the United States, at least to an extent.  For years, I have waited patiently to see the current happening in the God’s own country.

Whichever, however, and whoever wins the upcoming election has a place in the Guinness Book of Record or otherwise another book of record, maybe my book of record.

Barack Obama being of an Afro-American origin gives the black race a pride of having him be the next American president while Hillary Rodham Clinton being a woman gives the entire female gender the pride of having her be the first female president of USA.  Whoever comes first goes into the book of history but until then the world awaits a new dawn in God’s own land called America.

We pray that whoever the shoe fits would redefine the glory and take the nation out of its moral decadence, otherwise it future leaders may spell dome.

America get back to your leading role and show the world the examples which we have for years known you for.  The days when praying and teaching of Jehovah commandments in your public places were your priority and the days when discipline was respected, if not, dome looms the entire planet.

The END!

 ~**~**~

   The Lucky Frog

by Clara Wersterfer

cbwest@webtv.net

My husband, David and I were in Las Vegas about 10 years ago for four days.  To say I was a loser is a gross understatement. I dropped coins in nickel machines, quarter machines and even put money in the dollar machines. None of them liked me enough to give me any return of my money. The only machine that gave me money was the ATM.

We had enjoyed the food and entertainment and David had won a little, but alas, not I. It was our last day and our flight was scheduled for late afternoon. We had a delightful breakfast buffet, checked out, stored our bags and still had hours before our scheduled pick up for return to airport. What else could I do except put another twenty dollars in the quarter machine?

I determined to not load it with the required number of quarters which was three per pull. I was just playing one at each pull of the handle. Half way through a roll of quarters a gentleman came and

sat on the stool beside me. He asked if I was having any luck. I told

him "nope, no luck in four days" "Just a minute, I will get my Lucky

Frog and let you rub it. That will change your luck."

With that remark he removed a tiny little wad of tissue paper from his pocket. Opening it I saw a little green ceramic frog about the size of my thumb nail. The man told me he had gotten the frog from an old lady in Hawaii who had blessed it. This was his first time to try it out and so far it had worked.

What did I have to lose, besides more quarters? I rubbed his frog several times, wrapped it back in the tissue and returned it. The man then encouraged me to put three quarters at a time in the machine. On the third pull, I won 800 quarters!

While waiting for the machine to pay off I dropped a few in the

adjoining machine and won 300 more! I was scooping up quarters and filling buckets, pausing only to throw three more quarters

in the machine. Three gold sevens came up for a thousand quarters! So far I had won over $500 dollars.

The man beside me was elated. He patted my arm and said

"See, I knew it would change your luck to rub my frog"

I didn't know David had heard the commotion the machines made  when I won and walked up behind me just in time to hear what the man said. I turned around and the look on David's face was priceless. I shoved a bucket of quarters in his hands to keep them busy, and asked if he would cash them in and I would explain later.

I didn't come out a big winner, but did recover most of my losses. Sure wish I knew where to get one of those Lucky Frogs.

Clara Wersterfer

cbwest@webtv.net

-

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

My Grandma’s House

Janice Bumbalough Marler

My grandma’s house sits high on top of the mountain,
Back in the Tennessee hills,
 Near the woods, where the earth meets the sky,
If you listen carefully you can hear the Whippoorwills’
And all the littler critters that live nearby,
Grandma’s house is a grand abode,
Surrounded by a wooden fence,
An old barn and a dusty road

Inside, grandma sits by her window
Churning fresh cream for butter,
She hears her chickens cackling, they’re all in a flutter.
Peering out her sees Shep, her favorite dog,
Chasing them just for something to do.
And who chases him? Why it’s Tom turkey; what a zoo.

I see a smile creep across her face that’s tanned from the sun,
Grandma will work until her chores are done,
She will rise at the crack of dawn, her family to feed,
There’s lunches’ to pack, eggs to gather, and a garden to seed,
Her family called her blessed, she is never still
There is always a need.

The barn is gone; the house is no longer there;
The sound of laughter that once rang loud and clear
Has fallen desolate and bare,
She lives on in my heart, my soul, and in my mind,
There was none like her; she was one of a kind.
Grandma’s house was a grand abode,
Surrounded by a wooden fence,
An old barn and a dusty road.

Proverbs 31: 10-30

Janice Bumbalough Marler
January 14, 2000
poetrybyjan@nc.rr.com  

 

Readers Feedback

~**~**~

Carol, the article by Somari has been all over the internet for years and years. Ten or
twelve anyway. Mark Crider.

Tim Kevin,
I really enjoyed your poem "Wonderin" beautifully written! Can't wait to see more of your work in Storytime. Mary Dees Little

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