STORYTIME TAPESTRY

April 8, 2005

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

Let??™s give a warm welcome to our newest writer ??“ D.E. Shiveley, writer # 192 for Storytime Tapestry.  We will look forward to seeing much more of her in the near future.

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

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

Tinker Belle ??“  

 Nanci Stroupe

She was just a fluff of white fur, you could hold her in the palm of your hand. Her eyes were as black as coal. Her four paws were pink and black and her tummy was as pink as a newborn babies butt.  Needless to say we adored her. My dearest brother, Tommy, promised us one of the first litter. This was a champion. Her parents were from Ireland. Tommy had been there to build a new plant for AMF a company based in Shreeveport, Louisiana. It was quite a coup for Tommy to do well on this job when sent by his big brother and he did do well. He did very well and after the job was done he was eager to get back home with his wife and girls plus their two champion West Highland white terriers, adorable does not do them justice. My brother had good intentions to breed them and sell them at top price. Unfortunately for him, he promised each of his nieces one of the  litter. When the little ones were born, Tommy knew nothing about birthing those babies and two were born dead and all of  the rest were promised out.  So six or eight weeks later he drives down from Roanoke with a tiny dog in a cage. He said the trip was uneventful except that the little pup kept giving off a lot of gas and he could hardly breathe when he arrived. We all got a good laugh out of  that one. Because Tommy is always full of jokes and this  time the joke was  on  him.

It was a pretty day and we let the little  pup play out in the yard. She was so cute and we decided right away we had to name her. We took part of her mother''s name and a part of her father's name and named her "Tinker Belle" She was a pleasure in everyway. She followed me all over the house. And when I sat down she climbed up on the couch and kept me company for a nap.  She loved to ride in a car and when I went to get the children she always rode with me.  She  would get up on my shoulder and put  her face out in the wind so all the hair in her face would blow back. 

One day years later I was taking the girls to Piano lessons and she heard a loud bark and before I could stop her, out the window she jumped. Scared the daylights out of me and I stopped the car immediately and checked her for injuries. She had a small cut on her lip and I cleaned it and cried along with her and the girls. But she was fine and wanted to watch the wind again as soon as we got going again. She was not afraid of anything.  She would not bite a flea but she would go after big dogs like she could take them down. I guess it was the terrier in her. The Vet said there was no way to stop that behavior because that was the type of dog that she was. Ii watched her more closely after that and kept the windows up so she couldn't get out. 

Doug, my husband would cut her nails very carefully but it was a job that she hated and it had to be done. I  would  hold her on the picnic table and  after it  was  over Doug  would place her on the ground and she would cry like a baby wooffffff  woofffff  she would go real loud and it was so sad. 

She didn't like getting a bath either.  But she had to  have one or she would stink up  the house plus she slept with us and I could not stand the smell of her without a bath.  Doug would fill the tub up and Tinker would run and hide. No one said a word but Tinker knew what it meant to hear the water running. She also knew when it was time to go to the vet. she would run and hide.  Once we found her and put her in the car she would tremble and it made me feel so bad for her. 

Westies are not supposed to live more than about twelve years but Tinker lived to be sixteen. I had cancer and was undergoing chemo and I could not care for her like she needed. She became incontinent and so we had to put her in the garage as much as we hated it. We needed to have her put to sleep but neither one of us  could  do  that so my friend offered to come by and do that for us.  That morning Doug came home from work early and Tinker Belle was just about gone. I went to the linen closet and got a pretty white sheet with ballerinas on it and we wrapped her in it so lovingly but first I powdered her with Johnson's baby powder, Doug kept telling me to go in the house but I wouldn't do it. I wanted to help him as much as I could. After she was gone with tears running down both of our eyes.  Doug got a shovel and dug a deep hole and he placed her down in the hole. Then he mixed a big tub of cement and poured it over her so no predators could dig her up. He later made a brass plaque that said "Tinker Belle Stroupe born  May 5, 1970,  beloved pet of the Stroupe's, died July 5, 1986.  That little plaque was above her little grave until we moved from our home in East Hampton and moved to Country Club apartments in 1999. We brought the brass plaque with us. One of my most cherished possessions is a Japanese Hand knotted and brushed likeness of our precious dog, Tinker Belle. Friends of ours that we met in the sixties who were in the Air Force made it for us when they were stationed in Japan. Sue Wever the wife, punched the picture as Jim drew the likeness from photographs he had. They were living two doors down when Tinker Belle became a part  of our family and needless to say they loved her too. We still stay in touch with these dear friends and when they come to visit, Sue, will take the picture down and carefully take it apart and then with her secret tools she will magically brush until Tinker Belle comes to life again.  What special friends they are along with their three children, Greg, Dawn and Laura who all remember our beloved pet and now each of them have families and probably pets and I would imagine that Tinker Belle remains a part of their memories and always will. What a bit of white fluff, who would ever know what an effect that precious dog had on so many people through all these years?

Nanci Stroupe

Nanci loves writing about her pets, her family and her life. God has been so good to her and she hopes she can share many more of her memories with all of you.

Nanci L. Stroupe

ONENONI @aol.com

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

Today's Queue Stories
~**~**~**~

Too high

By Ken Swarner

My wife is afraid of heights. 
Not concerned or overly careful or slightly paranoid, but deathly fearful of them.  She's been this way since I've known her.
In many situations, a person afraid of heights can lead a normal and anxiety-less life.  They can visit flat places.  They can avoid crossing bridges.  They can choose to reside in towns below sea-level like New Orleans or Death Valley.
Unfortunately "living normally" doesn't work for mothers raising boys.  Boys LOVE heights.  They can't wait to climb or play on something high.  They like huge trees and tall roller coasters, and any chance they can get, they'll climb up on the roof.
All mothers, of course, are worried that their boys will fall and hurt themselves; but the mothers afraid of heights are typically one near fall from a mental collapse.
I'll never forget this summer when my family visited Badlands National Park in South Dakota.  It's the only National Park that allows its guests to climb on the geological formations.  There are no safety nets, railings, or, as my wife put it, "mothers with any common sense in the Parks Department."
At one point, our son literally jumped from one rock wall to the next with seemingly no concern that the ground was 200 feet below him.  Needless to say, my son was grounded, and, as for the rest of us, we're all hoping that "mommy's" nervous twitch is gone by Christmas.
Now some of you may be thinking that my wife should have been prepared for these things when she decided to have children - after all, everyone knows how much boys, and I should add, some girls love to climb things.  It's true - she did.  But, what those of you without height issues may not realize is that boys also love to "toy" with the elevation-aware.
As if freaking their mother's out by climbing to the top of bendy trees isn't enough, boys also think that there's nothing funnier than teasing the paranoid.  They'll say jokes like "Uh, oh, don't fall mom!" while rushing up to their nervous mothers and pretending to push them off the edge of a fishing pier or the Grand Canyon.  Boys will climb high places like large retaining walls or train trestles, stand on one foot and shout, "Look mom, I've got my eyes closed."  Or, boys will be the first to swing the seat on a Ferris wheel and say (in-between giggles), "Wouldn't it suck if we fell, mom?"
I don't know why boys do these cruel things...anymore than I understand why they don't outgrow it.
It's true - I'm just as guilty.  Case in point: I once made my wife cry on the Dumbo ride at Disneyland.
It was in 1991 and my wife complained that I was flying our elephant too high. (For those who haven't visited the 'Happiest Place on Earth,' Dumbo is NOT packed with thrill seeking teenagers.  Dumbo riders are typically four years old.)
In her defense, my wife will argue that she was mostly afraid because our 9-month old son was in the ride with us, and she was worried that he'd somehow leap from Dumbo to his death.  In my defense, I'll say that I wouldn't have teased my wife by flying Dumbo at the tippy-top if I had known that she was going to frighten the toddlers in line with her screams.
So, in conclusion I will say that boys and those afraid of heights don't mix. And, for that matter, neither do dads and Dumbo.

Ken Swarner
kenswarner @aol.com

Now Available - "Whose Kids Are These Anyway? the hilarious
new book by Ken Swarner (Penguin/Putnam). Available at
bookstores everywhere.

~**~**~

Book Covers

Bill Walker

wildbill6807 @yahoo.com

I have heard it said, never judge a book by the cover. Some books look like a million dollars, isn't worth the time picking up, while others look kind of not worth much, but are a gold mine of learning.

I was reading a story that Malcolm Forbes wrote. The story is about a poor looking couple that showed up at a mayor school of learning.  Seems they had thoughts of something in memory of a son who had died.  Stuffed shirt president of the school gave them a brush off.   They packed up and went west, started their own school of higher learning. 

I find that to be very true about people.  You just never know sometimes just what a person has in pocket;   maybe pockets can't hold it all.  On the other hand the stuffed shirt may have nothing in pockets other then holes.

I remember a man, and his wife that lived here a number of years ago.  I also remember the man's mother and father. Nicer people, be hard to find. They had money, never know it by just a chance meeting. I have met them somewhere by accident; they could be with some stuffed shirt.   I would hear the words.  "Why hello Bill, how are you? Nice to see you."

If you had a need and was in their store, and you got turned down, you could ask to see Mr. Banker.  He heard you out, and figured a way to help you. Oh did I tell you his dress code.  Well it was on the order of common. He might have a sweater on, a common shirt, and a well sure a pair of pants, and shoes.

Those folks are gone, no longer here.  The place was turned over to son and grandson. I was in one day, right church, wrong pew, grandson told me off.  The funny is those two are no long there.  Seems they forgot what brings people in the doors.  They forgot how to be nice to people.  A person may be poor today; maybe tomorrow they could be rolling in dough.  Also may be rolling in dough today, but no dough  tomorrow.

You just never know about people by looking at them. That I guess is about like looking at a book cover.  It can be fancy, nothing in it.  It may be a little plain, and well worn, might be a real good buy.

Bill Walker

wildbill6807 @yahoo.com

About Me:
Well I??™m a story teller, not a writer. Never learned the art of fancy English. I

happen to live in Nebraska, but I??™m still Missouri. Never married, all the Dollies I

ever took a second look at was too smart. Now at 74, just turned that other day, I

figure they all home safe. I love Doggies and Dollies in that order. Lost my two

true friends this year, that be Tinker and Poo. So I found me a new one. This

time a little girlie Peke. She is a normal female. Got a mouth, talks all the time.

She will never be a great writers of stories like Tinker and Poo. They have

about 50 stories on HWS. And now writing back from Rainbow Bridge.

I just try to write about people, places and things best I remember. Have something

over 250 stories on HWS. under three names.   

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

Poetry Section

<p>~**~**~</P>

Spring
D. E. Shiveley

Spring comes not quickly, yet neither does she crouch in the shadows of
Winter ready to pounce, for she is gentle.

No, her arrival is subtle, sweet, and most of all, beautiful.

She dances above the tree tops, twirling and spinning under the guise of
March winds.

Her step is delicate and spontaneous, even hesitant, as she pivots her way
along the sky, covering the earth with her sweet, moist breath.

She comes in the sunshine of April with her intoxicating perfume hanging -
floating in the air.  Her days are pink - she blushes - laughs in the brooks
and streams, just newly awakened.

Then, she is crowned in the flowers of May - her coronation and greatest
glory. Lady Spring, how lovely you are!

Now, sweet as she is, she slips by, with only a whisper, and introduces her
sister - Summer.

Copyright 1978

D. E. Shiveley
Merribuck @merribuck.com

About Me:

Hello, my name is Debra Welch.  I'm 52 and the very proud mother of a soon-to-be 13 year old son named Christopher.

Christopher is adopted, so I have some writings on the subject, and he was born with a moderately severe unilateral clefting of the lip, gums and hard and soft palates.  He is beautiful!  Chris also has learning differences: ADD, Dysgraphia, and Executive Function and Working Memory Deficit.  He is the joy of our lives.

I have been writing since age nine.  My father came to visit and plopped down a pad of paper and a pencil.  "Write me a poem," he said "and call it 'Poetry Problems.'"  This is when I learned that my father and great grandfather both wrote poetry.  I was being tested.

I have just finished co-authoring a novel with my cousin titled "Jesus Gandhi Jetta Mae Adams," a murder mystery set in Columbus, Ohio and am starting my second novel.

It's good to meet you all.

**~**~

Why God Made Nurses

Sharlette Hunt 

Nurses are angels

That come from above.

They drifted on down here

To share their sweet love.

They looked and they saw

Lots of sickness abound,

So they brought lots of love

And spread cheer all around.

For nurses are special,

It takes a kind heart,

These angels are strong

And they have to be smart.

They come from all over

And travel for miles,

Just full of God's goodness

And covered with smiles.

The caring they showed me

I always can see,

I know He made nurses

To watch over me.

Sharlette Hunt

Sharlette863 @aol.com
­

**~**~

That Day in June

Sharlette Hunt 

Looking back to a different time,

When all the rules were clear,

And couples roamed beneath the moon,

We knew that June was here.

Love seemed to sweet, a melody

Played softly in my mind.

The jasmine bloomed, as hand in hand,

We challenged Father Time.

We sat in quiet, it's own reward,

You gave your love so pure,

In reminisce, I had no qualms,

Our love would long endure.

And on this day, I hope and pray,

God's will it is, as was,

I say your name, I have no shame,

I love you just because.

As time stands still, I get a thrill

Just thinking of that day,

And one day soon we'll meet again,

Our love will find a way.

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 writing
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.

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

Writers Feedback

 A different kind of love well written and really made me stop to think. I remembered seeing my father through different eyes for the first time.....as an elderly man on his last legs.

I had taken him to the doctor's office and left him seated when the visit was over to go get the car. When I came back, I would not have recognized him except for his hat and coat.

Anyway, thank you for sharing this with us.

Love,

Dianna

Proud founder of:

Michael Smith ??“ Goodbye My Love - I understand what a final decision that must have been. When my husband was ill I worried that I might have to make a decision like that, but God was kind and took him while he was taking his afternoon nap.

Nat Symonds

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

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

 Dear Prayer Warriors

Please lift my friend, Linda and her family up in your prayers...

Her beautiful 27 year old daughter, Ann, ended her life this past weekend.

Linda and her husband Jim had been fighting to save her for several years

she was Bipolar and would not stay on her meds. 

She made a last cry for help, but mental health would not give her the meds

with no insurance.  It is hard for me to understand what our medical services

have been reduced to.  Money seems to be the driving force in this world today

for everything.  The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil.

Linda and Jim would have found a way to do pay, but the illness overtook Ann. 

Please keep this family in your most heartfelt prayers.  Their hearts are broken!!!

God Bless each one of you for your prayers...  Love, Barbara

Vicky Field

Subject: My son has been shot in Falujah..

I wanted to get everyone to pray for my son Chad. Today,
Sunday, I got a call from the Army that my son had been
shot in the head. I am asking for all your prayers.
He was in a Humvee going through Falujah fighting and
a gang of militia fighters fired on the Humvee and hit
Chad in the head.

The driver got him out of the city and took him to
Baghdad. He was in fatal condition, but now has been
upgraded to stable critical. His dad and I are on
standby to fly to Washington then on to Germany as
soon as the military calls us to go. The Army is trying
to stabilize him enough to fly to Germany and at that
time we will leave..

Please pray that my son will not have brain damage and
that he will be restored and healed by the blood of
Jesus, and the grace of God. I ask for you to pass
this prayer request on so there will be many prayer
warriors praying for him.

Thank you so much and I will try to keep you updated
on his condition.

God Bless

Vicky Field
Granbury, Texas

Please pray for this young soldier and please pass
this request along to those who will pray for him

jcoleman@semo.net

"God created many special people"
To behold one, just look in the mirror.

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

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: