STORYTIME TAPESTRY

April 7, 2005

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now on to the good stuff..........

Animal awareness series endorsed by Shiloh and Hank our mascots; all stories must receive their approval.

Ugly was too Big

Sharon Bryant

My husband left work an hour earlier than I did today.  I'm glad he did.  I think if I saw what he did, I would have become sick.

He let the dogs out and was standing on the porch watching our roosters (7 of them, and one hen) eating their chicken feed on the ground.  Suddenly he heard this "Swoosh"  sound.  Within a short few feet from him, a hawk came at our largest rooster.  We call him ugly.  He's very sassy and aggressive with the other roosters, plus he's got all different colors on his body.  He's a very large rooster.

This hawk came out of no where.  His wing span was a good three and a half to four foot wide.  My husband saw his claws spread, which were as big as my husband's hand.  Ugly saw him at the last minute, as the hawk came within 2 inches of grabbing Ugly up.

We're not sure if the hawk didn't attack because from the air, Ugly may have looked smaller to him, or if the other roosters that started screeching, threw him off for a few seconds, but he didn't get his claws into Ugly.

But let me say this, Ugly went berserk after he saw that hawk coming at him at the last second, and missed or changed his mind.  This rooster went totally nuts, screeching and jumping all over, which got all the others riled up.  My husband said if I think they usually sound like Jurassic Park, I should have seen and heard them today.  Thank God "Red", our crippled little rooster was sitting on the porch.  He's got a bad leg and doesn't move as quickly as the others.  He's gentle for a rooster and has made friends with our two dogs. 

My husband said he's never seen a hawk that close and he was surprised at the way the hawk's feet were spread, and the attack position he came down with.  I know Ugly was upset, and I would be too if something came flying out of the sky and tried to grab me up.

When I got home from work, the roosters were still upset but when they see my vehicle, they always run towards me.  All of them came running today.  It was like, "Let's tell her what happened while she was gone."

I know some will think, "Man, it's only a rooster."  But....let me say this, these roosters are like watch dogs.  If a stray or someone comes on our property, they let us know.  They keep the yard clean of fire ants, fleas, and other things I'm not fond of.  And if they want to be watch "dogs" that's fine with me.  Some will say, "Roosters have no sense, they are just stupid birds."  "Red," our lame roosters does not act like a dumb rooster.  He's made friends with our dogs, he lets up pet him, I hand feed him bread and he makes little cooing sounds when you give him something special to eat.  Yesterday I gave him a sugar cookie.

I know, I know.......a softie.  But the way I see it, they're God's creatures also.  They need someone to look out for them.  I'm glad they can't talk.  I'm sure they'd yell out, "Hey, here's Mom!"  LOL

Sharon Bryant

1946 @bellsouth.com

About Me:

 I am Sharon Bryant, 59 years old and reside in Alabama.

I lost my child in 1977 when he was five and I write
articles on bereavement often.

I am a chocolate/candy maker and also a wood crafter and knitter.

I am married to a wonderful man, and have two remaining children, a daughter 25,
Amy, and a second son, Randy, age 22.

My main goal in life is to help those who
have lost a child. My website is: www.angelsremembered.tk

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Today's Queue Stories
~**~**~**~ 

Weathering The Storms

Michael Smith

               If you're a homeowner you most likely own a ladder, an implement of disaster, a

necessity for every do-it-yourselfer. I own one of these devices - a twelve-footer - given

to me by a neighbor.

               Normally, only things within my reach are in danger of destruction. With my

ladder, however, I can cover a twelve-foot radius. Within this radius can be found many

breakable items: windows, cars, power lines, and neighbors.

               I once had the misfortune of living in a mobile home. Older mobiles, like the

one in which I lived, had metal roofs; a source of many headaches. Constructed with two-

foot wide strips of aluminum and pieced together with folded seams, they are prone to

leaks. Winter snow builds up on the low sloped panels, and heat loss through the poorly

insulated roof causes it to melt during relatively warm days. Water trapped under the

snow seeps into the seams. At night, when the temperature drops, the water freezes and

forces the seams apart. This continues all winter long. By spring you're living in a sieve.

               During one particularly nasty spring storm, one with high winds and heavy

rains, my daughter approached me, "Dad, there's a leak in my ceiling." She grabbed my

hand, "Come on, Dad, hurry. It's a big leak." I hesitated. The first ball game of the year

was on TV. How bad could it be? It was probably just a small drip.

               She pulled me down the hall and into her room. "See, dad!" She pointed at her

ceiling. "Look!" She wasn't exaggerating. The water poured though the ceiling in a steady

stream, splashed on her desk, and ran off onto the floor, and soaked her carpet.

               "See, dad. I told you so." She stood with one hand on her hip and her head tilted

to one side, a miniature of my wife, proud she'd proved me wrong. She was right. I

needed to fix this right away. "It's OK, honey; I'll fix it for you." I said as I headed for the

door.

               I slipped into my rain gear and glanced out the window. I could think of several

places I??™d rather be than up on the roof. The wind threw the rain against the windowpanes

in sheets. The water running down the glass distorted the swaying trees and reminded me

of looking through the heat rising from a campfire. I looked longingly at my chair, the

beer on the table beside it, the open newspaper, and the ball game on the television. I

sighed and thrust my feet into my boots.

               Outside the wind-driven rain hit my face like hail. The storm roared through the

trees, blew my hat off, and caused my raincoat to flap behind me like a cape. I shielded

my eyes with one hand and leaned forward to keep my balance. I trudged to the shed,

opened the door, and there it was, "The Ladder." In my hands I could feel its evil power

radiating up my arm like the red line of an infection.

               The wind pushed and pulled at its length, and twisted me sideways as I battled

my way back to the house. I propped it against the side of the house and returned to the

shed for a can of tar and a brush.

               From the roof I could see white caps on the waves in the wind-churned cove.

They sped down its length and crashed against the rocks at its head. The road, which

wound around its shoreline, was littered with debris, tossed there by the force of the

waves. I spotted my hat tangled in the upper branches of nearby tree. Tomorrow it would

be gone, carried off by the storm, never to seen again. The rain beat down on me,

plastered my hair to my head, and made my glasses useless. I slipped them into my

pocket and crawled to where I thought the leak might be. Near the edge of the slippery

roof the wind blew up my backside and lifted my raincoat up over my head. It snapped in

my ears like a flag on a windy day and covered my eyes, blinding me. To a bystander I

must have looked like an umbrella turned inside out.

               On my knees, I waved my arms in circles and battled my coat back into

position, but not before the cold rain had soaked my shirt, gluing it to my back. In control

again, I located the leak and plugged it with globs of black, sticky tar, as water ran into

my eyes and dripped from my nose. It wasn't the best of patch-jobs, but it would do until

the weather improved, and I could do a permanent repair.

               I tapped the top back on the can of tar and drooled for a hot shower and a cold

beer. A gust of wind, the strongest one yet, made me drop flat to keep from being blown

over the edge. There was a scrapping noise behind me, and I turned in time to watch the

ladder slide from view and crash on the ground below. "Now, here's a fine mess!" I thought to myself.

               "Honey!" I yelled for my wife.

               "Honey!" There was no response.

               "Georgia!" I screamed. Still no response.

               I knelt and pounded on the tin plates until my hands were sore, but there was no

sign of rescue. My wife can be excused for her inattention; she wasn't ignoring me. The

fault lay with that slab of tin called a roof. When the wind blows, as it did on that day, it
causes the panels to rumble and bang, making a noise like a dump truck passing over a

large pothole. In bed at night, you can track each gust as it rattles the panels one-by-one

along the length of your home. It will start at one end, crash by over your head, and roll

like thunder to the other end, making you wonder when you'll have that long-wanted

skylight.

               On this particular day my screaming and banging blended nicely with the

natural sounds of a mobile-home, and my attempts to be rescued were just one more

instrument in an orchestra of sounds.

         Later that evening, after several well-deserved beers, it was easy to laugh about the

ordeal, but at the time humor was the furthest thing from my mind.

               That day reminds me that life often throws us a storm. We can??™t let it beat us.

We have to put on our rain coats, lean into the wind and trudge forward. We can beat the

storm, if we work hard to stay on our feet. Of course, there will be times when the wind

will blow us back a few steps, as if we were carrying a ladder, but when it lets up a bit,

we??™ll slowly make our way forward. Storms don??™t last forever. They blow over, and the

sun comes out. When it does, we??™ll be able to sit back, relax, and maybe even laugh.

               We have a choice: lean into the wind or hide in the closet.

               Me? I??™m a leaner.

Michael Smith

mtsmith @qwestonline.com

~**~**~

ValueSpeak

A Weekly Column

By Joseph Walker

DENTAL GESTAPO

Joseph Walker

According to a survey conducted in 2003 by the American Dental Association,
41 percent of us would be more likely to visit a dentist more often if they
would just eliminate the possibility of pain from the traditional dental
experience.
Yeah, right.  Like I'm really going to believe that 59 percent of you said:
"Pain?  Nah - it isn't an issue.  I actually enjoy having someone stick a
needle into my mouth, or drill on my teeth until smoke curls from my
nostrils.  I'm fine with all of that.  It's that blasted little toilet they
have us spit into.  That thing just scares me to death."
Of COURSE we would be more likely to visit a dentist more often if it
wasn't for the pain.  Just like we would be more likely to eat Brussels's
sprouts if it wasn't for the taste, or more likely to jump out of airplanes
if it wasn't for the ground, or more likely to channel hop through late
night television if it wasn't for Howard Stern.  Normal people just have a
natural aversion to certain things, and pain is certainly one of them.
Thankfully, I was born with good, sturdy teeth.  They are straight enough
that I didn't need orthodontia, and strong enough that they seem to resist
decay no matter how much Dr Pepper I drink.  I brush and floss faithfully,
and I see my dentist several times a year.
Which is not to say that my dentist actually peers into my mouth several
times a year.  My dentist is my brother-in-law, Clive, and I see him
whenever the family gets together.  Most recently it was over a plate of
tacos and chili rellenos at a local Mexican restaurant, and for some reason
he didn't ask to look into my mouth.
This has not always been the case.  When I was growing up he saw himself as
my own personal Dental Gestapo.
"Let's take a look at those choppers," Clive would say whenever we went to
California for a visit.  Almost inevitably, he would ask this while I was
still finishing off the black licorice Mom brought for the trip, so things
looked much worse in there than they actually were.
He would shake his head and click his tongue.  "It's a good thing I've got
some free time tomorrow," he would say with great foreboding.  "We may have
to pull them all out."
I would spend the next 12 hours in abject terror.  I had seen my Mom go
through several root canals, and it looked like something out of a medieval
torture chamber.  So I skipped dinner and snacks, brushing my teeth every 15
minutes or so until it was time to go to Clive's office.
"Make sure we've got all the stuff we need to pull teeth out," he would
tell his assistants as he led me into the x-ray room.  "And clear out the
schedule.  We may be here all day."
I was pretty much a basket case by the time he walked into the examination
room with my x-rays in hand.
"Maybe I need to get a new x-ray machine," he would say as he studied my
x-rays, "but I can't see anything here.  Not a single cavity."  He almost
seemed disappointed, like he was looking forward to pulling out all my teeth
(this is probably where I got the idea that the patron saint of dentists is
the Marquis de Sade).
For my part, I was so relieved that I didn't mind the discomfort of the
thorough cleaning he always gave my teeth, or the fluoride treatment that
always made me gag.  Then he'd send me out to pick out a new toothbrush and
a new tube of Crest, but not before he warned: "Come back next time.  I'll
have a new x-ray machine by then, and I'm sure we can find some cavities to
fill."
Come to think of it, maybe it isn't pain that needs to be eliminated from
the dental experience to make it more appealing.  Maybe it's
brothers-in-law.

 Joe Walker

Valuespeak @msn.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poetry Section

~**~**~

  Sharing
Sharlette Hunt

Share, why can't I share the awful life I had?
The misery and pain I caused, It cannot be so bad.
It hurts to even think about the awful life I led,
A world consumed with alcohol, complete despair and dread.

My children, who I hurt the most, my gifts from God, I say,
And they were left to face the world, the day I went away.
My dad would sit and cry at night, so scared that I would die,
My family hung their heads in shame, for they did not know why.

I spent a lot of time in jail, that should have made me see,
I was doing harm to others, while completely hurting me,
The pattern of my life was set, all I did was drink,
Though thoughts ran rampant in my head, I couldn't really think.

Then, one day, it came to me, like lighting from the sky.
I didn't have to drink at all, I didn't have to die.
An honorable judge who sent me to the program of AA,
Helped me get my spirit back, showed me a better way.

My spirit's filled with joy today, I'm thrilled from head to toe,
I've changed in, oh, so many ways, I'm learning how to grow.
The beauty that I see today is so hard to ignore.
The grace of God has given me a life that I adore!

Sharlette Hunt

Sharlette863 @aol.com

**~**~

I'm Counting My Blessings
Sharlette Hunt

I know I've been blessed,
But why, I can't say,
Good things just keep happening
In my life today!

I looked up and asked Him,
Now, how can this be,
That all this is given to someone like me?

The spring of my life,
Overflowing with gladness,
Burst forth from a pit
Full of darkness and sadness.

My eyes, like a lamp,
From my soul you can see,
All the miracles of life,
That are happening to me!

I'm counting my blessings,
And, just for today,
I know that God loves me
And wants it this way!

Sharlette Hunt

Sharlette863 @aol.com
­

**~**~

God's Grace

Sharlette Hunt

Wading through memories,
Is not an easy chore.
Just longing to go back,
And do that once more.

But now that I know,
I must live for today,
The past is forgiven,
But won't go away.

For this is who I am,
This is the real me,
And all that was done,
Was the way it should be.

There's things I can't change,
And things that I can,
Accepting myself,
Was part of the Plan.

I try to stay happy,
And it's up to me,
While living God's will,
That's how it must be.

The love that I found here,
I'd never have known,
If not for God's grace,
And the mercy He's shown.

About Me:

I was born in Alabama, the middle of
seven children. At about age four we moved
to Central Florida and I have lived here
most of my life. I am a Viet Nam Era
Veteran. I have always enjoyed writting
and as I get older it seems to come more
naturally to me. I believe
everyone has many stories inside them and
some are blessed to be able to share them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Announcements

Seeking pastors and writers to submit articles for a monthly Christian newspaper, which will begin Jan. 2006. Stories pertaining to the intervention of God's hand in people's lives and uplifting the Lord Jesus Christ. E-mail james4436@charter.net

Forty Years Ago.. Reunion


    Celebrating America??™s Military <http://heartswithsoul.com/Military.htm>

Jerry Turner

egtwarrior25@sbcglobal.net <mailto:egtwarrior25@sbcglobal.net>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forty years ago this year (1965) was the first time that an Assault
Helicopter Company of the 101st Airborne was committed to combat. It was
the first time since WWII that any unit from the 101st had been
committed to combat.

It was done in the form of Company A, 101st Aviation Battalion, 101st
Airborne Division which very quickly became know as the "Warriors and
Thunderbirds".

We are planning a 40th reunion (many of us may not be around for the

50th) in Houston, April 22-24, 2005. As soon as a place is secured you
will be informed. It will be somewhere in the vicinity of Hobby Airport,
just south of the city which is most accessible by air and convenient by
land.

Our aim is to contact as many as possible of those that served at Soc
Trang (April 65 - Sep 66) as a Warrior or T-bird and all of our
supporting troops. We solicit your help in contacting as many you can
and inform them and or provide us with the e-mails, addresses or phone
numbers of those that we may not have contact.

Our goal is to have at least 50 that served during that period in
attendance. This can be accomplished if we will all get behind this and
contact our contacts.

Our point of contact will be:

Ken Harmon kharmon3@houston.rr.com H 281-343-7788 O 281-561-7111 C
713-816-4422

Ron Crotty hcrot1ps@ont.com Ed O'Quinn edoquinn77@charter.net

Jerry Turner egtwarrior25@sbcglobal.net AGENDA; Our Hospitality Room
will be open continuously for BS and other sessions From Friday through
Sunday.


  Itinerary

1. Friday 04/22/05; Welcome Meet & Greet, Cash Bar, hors d'voeuvres 1900
til 2200

2. Saturday 04/23/05; Reunion Dinner 1830 til 2000, $45.00 per person
(est.).

3. Sunday 04/24/06; Departure Brunch (Hail & Farewell) 0930 til 1130.

NOTE: I am trying to arrange a tour of The Johnson Space Center on
Saturday 04/23/05, time TBD, will confirm as soon as possible (probably
3 hours in length).

Please let me know what you think about this and any suggestions or
ideas that you may have will be welcome, thanks.

Hotel Info; HOTEL/RESERVATION INFO A101 40th Anniversary Reunion

22 April through 24 April 2005 South Shore Harbor Resort

2500 South Shore Blvd., League City, Texas

77573, United States Reservations: 1-800-442-5005 (When calling be sure
you tell them that you are with A101 40th Anniversary Reunion Group.)

Contact; Sharon Whitten Sales Manager Room Rate: $99.00 plus tax (12%)

I have blocked 50 rooms, with 30 rooms we get a free Hospitality Suite.
There is no penalty if we do not fill all the rooms by 15 April, any
excess will be released for normal booking. If we drop under 30 rooms,
no complementary Hospitality suite.

Reservation cut off date: 14 April 2005.

If you are interested please let me know ASAP, so I can get you on our
Morning Report and make your reservations before 14 April 2005, thanks guys.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer Requests

Cindy Morrison is my step son James's Aunt, She was the one who had a very bad

stroke about two months ago or so. I ask for prayers for her. Well she is doing great

a little better each day, and you know why? Thats right you knew it because you

all have prayed for her.

She is talking now instead of in  a coma, eating on her own now without the fedding

tube.

And now for the FYI Cindy's Dad and James's grandpa Bill Morrison give his life to

God and is now a born again christian, CAN ANYONE SAY AMEN.

So that just go's to show you all of your prayers are being answered! Praise the

LORD!!!!!!

Just thought you all would like to know God bless you all for all of your prayers!

Richard & Jackie Sims

I have a dear friend who is like a sister to me. Her spouse was admitted into hospital today with a deadly form of influenza. He is quite ill, with a high fever. My friend and her son must take medications to ensure they will not become ill. What is also unfortunate is the fact that my friend and her husband were to go to TN to see her sister. Her sister just lost her daughter to breast cancer. My friend's sister is very ill, herself. She needs surgery but has had to cancel it due to her daughter's illness, then death. She was looking forward to the visit by her sister and brother-in-law. As he is in hospital, they are unable to make that trip.

So, there is one very ill man in hospital, his wife at home worried for her husband and her sister. And a sister in another state who is grieving the loss of her daughter and at the same time dealing with her own illness.

To top it off, my friend's son had his shop (he does auto repair and work) broken into last night. The vandals stole some very expensive items and they trashed his shop, doing severe damage to two vehicles. His dog, an old German Shepherd mix, was in the shop during the breakin and she is traumatized. It is possible the thieves did something to hurt her.

I wish I could do more to help them! But I know prayer can be powerful. If you could say a prayer for them I know it couldn't hurt...
Thank you all!
Kathy Anne Harris

Please pray for Tiffany, my friend Wanda's great niece.  She is a senior in High school and just began having seizures out of the blue.  Please pray that the Lord

will guide the physician's hands in a proper diagnosis.

Thank you all for your prayers,

Love,

Barbara

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."
--Romans 8:28

Dear Prayer Warriors

Please pray for Aaron and his family

He and they are certainly in need of our Savior's touch.

Thank you for your prayers!

Love,

Barbara

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Answer to Prayers

Remember I ask for prayers about my ear, I had strep throat and then it went into

my right ear the fuild in my inter ear was causing bad head aches behind my right

ear and it was throbbing too. My doctor sent me to a ear nose and throat doctor,

Doctor Edwards said that this doctor would put a tube to drain off the fuild in my

inter ear.

Well thanks to you all for your prayers and the good lord for anwsering them my

ear stopped hurting and everthing cleared up. At the appointment now yesterday

april 5th the doctor said my ear looked find, no problem to be  founded! So I just

wanted to say thanks to all and God bless you all for your prayers for me!

God sure did answer them!

Thanks again

Richard & Jackie Sims

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SENIOR WRITERS

Agee, Vance;  Apted, Violet;  Baker, Kathy;  Batt, Al;  Berry, Nell;

Boda, Ginger;  Bryant, Sharon;  Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.;  Crider, Mark; 

Deming, Barb; Goodier, Steve;   Harris, Kathy Anne; Hunt, Sharlette; 

Jacobson, Gary;  Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Jenkins, Pamela;

Liles, Norma;  Mazzella, Joe; Ojeigbe, Georgewaters

; Petry,Dianna Doles Shaw,Bob; Sims, Richard; Vaknin, Sam; Walker, Joe; 

Warner, Gorden K;

Whirity, Kathy;  White, Robert;

STORYTIME TAPESTRY STAFF

Publisher: Carol Roach-founder

Moderator: Thelma Hartselle-co founder

Moderator: Clara Westerfer

Send all inquires about the newsletter including submission requirements: