Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

April 21, 2008

 Today’s Announcement

 Happy Birthday wishes go out to our beloved writer and friend, George Waters Ojiegbe.  You can send him a birthday card at her email address: gojiegbe@oregun.jhplc.com 

Call for submissions:  Storytime Tapestry is in need of more stories, please keep them coming in.

Help support the continued running of Storytime Tapestry join me on mylot and get paid while we talk to each other and others all over the world:  http://www.mylot.com/?ref=winterose  if the link doesn’t work just cut and paste

From my son Steven Roach:

I was thinking you should advertise the link regularly in your newsletter if the link doesn’t work just cut and paste

 
http://greenhorse.com/join_now.ghc?r=177952857
 
tell them it would help support the newsletter and they can earn money from it. They need to sign up and install it but they don't need to do anything else. They just do what they normally would anyways on the net and they earn money while it’s on. In other words they just keep it running while they are online. It’s small doesn't take up much system resources and they can earn more if they advertise their own link and get people under them as well. Let them know some people make 5-10$ a day on it and its been open since 2002. 

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

 ~**~**~

Grandpa's New Crop
Clara Westerfer
cbwest@webtv.net
 
Grandpa was a shoe cobbler by trade, however his true love was farming. Each year he raised several acres of corn to sell for feed and corn meal, and another few acres in sugar beets.  Many of his neighbors raised tobacco, but Grandpa had not tried his hand at that crop.

One November Grandpa attended the tobacco auction with a neighbor. Said neighbor had been raising tobacco for many years. It was a good year and the man received a large sum of money at the auction. Grandpa was impressed with the knowledge the neighbor had funds to pay bills and buy seed for the following year.
 
It inspired Grandpa to have a go at raising a new crop. His neighbor gave him all the fundamentals and offered his help if needed. First Grandpa had to obtain
an allotment. The government allowed you to plant according to acreage.
They told you how much you could cultivate.

In February you prepared the "bed" by marking off a spot, outlining it with
lumber, adding fertilizer, breaking all the clods, making rows and
planting the seeds. It was then covered with cheesecloth to prevent
freezing. The bed was watered and tended until April. On sunny days above freezing, the cheesecloth had to be removed for the plants to receive light and warmth. It was recovered at night.

In the meantime the field was plowed and harrowed in preparation for the young plants. Once the plants were set in rows, it was weeded, hoed, and the
tobacco worms removed by hand. Grandpa did not believe in poisonous
spray.

In summer the big leaves reached maturity and the tobacco was cut near the ground. The stalks were taken and hung in the tobacco barn across 2 x 4's and allowed to dry. During the drying process, the stalks had to be lifted, one by one and turned in order to dry evenly. Finally the big day of auction came. Grandpa was there, proud as punch over his nice crop.

The auctioneer got Grandpa a very good price and his tobacco was beautiful.
After he was paid a lot of money for his crop, he sat down with a piece of paper
and his pencil, writing figures.
 

Grandma asked him how he felt about raising tobacco, and if he would do it again next year. Grandpa declared he had kept a record of the time spent raising tobacco. It was almost ten months of hard work. He had earned about a nickel an hour. Grandpa declared this was the only tobacco crop he would ever attempt. He also told Grandma he would lots rather eat cornbread and pickled beets, which he could raise in half the time.  

Clara Wersterfer

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

Laughter's Priceless Gift

Cynthia Groopman

Laughter's priceless gift is given any time during the year,
And it enlivens our hearts and fills our souls with smiles of mirthful cheer.
Laughter is such a wonderful gift for all of us to share,
And through its merry sound, we weave a tapestry of tender loving care.
When laughter is heard swirling all around,
We bask in its joyful sunshiny radiant happy sound.
For laughter's priceless gift  in a rejoicing heart can be found,
And it embraces us with thoughts so optimistic, cheerful and profound.

 Cynthia Groopman
cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net 
~**~**~    
  Ignored

Cynthia Groopman

Ignored I am,
And I am dismayed and saddened at the selfishness,
And uncaring of my fellow man.
Ignored I feel,
And thoughts of loneliness in my mind yearn to be healed.
Oh, I just cannot seem to understand,
Why there is no socialization or chatting in my conversation land.
When I open my mouth and attempt to say a word,
Only the sound of silence is always heard.
Not a single person seems to pay attention to me,
And my heart cries in sadness and misery.
I do hear others laughing and creating friendship's joyful sound,
But when I speak, there is no response to be found.
But only to hope and to pray.
Oh, I long to join the crowd,
As they have a jolly time speaking in a voice so hearty and loud.
So, to God, I shall speak because he is my beloved best friend,
And all of my trials and tribulations with annoying people.
Who ignore me will be put to an end.

Cynthia Groopman
cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net 
    

~**~**~

 Just Look Around

Cynthia Groopman

Oh, open your eyes and seriously begin to look around,
And you will see pain and suffering whirl round and round.
Oh, open your eyes and just look all about,
And you will see the tragic devastation of evil's ranting and roaring shout.
Oh, just look around and ponder in deep and intense contemplation,
And you will cry at sorrow's mournful desolation.
Oh, cradle the lonely heart that constantly weeps,
And provide shelter for the homeless,
Without a place to rest his head and comfortably sleep
Hear the children's grieving wail,
And show compassion to others' tragedy and travail.
Oh, open your heart, my dear friend,
So that your valuable time and money you can spend.
A positive difference in another's dreary life we must make,
So that a peaceful world full of happiness and hope, we can create.

Cynthia Groopman
cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net 

  Mailbox

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