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| << May18, 2005 - May 18, 2005 - Special Treat - Violet Apted |
May18, 2005 - May 18, 2005 - Special Announcement >> |
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STORYTIME
TAPESTRY The Newsletter
devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the
world
Now on to
the good stuff.......... Animal awareness
series endorsed by Storytime and
Animals Sharon Bryant I'm not sure when I began
writing stories for Storytime. I don't even remember how I met Carol,
but........I'm glad I did. I write for other sites, but Storytime is
"different." I can be me. The guidelines are simple to follow, and
the variety of stories offered can make my day, cause a tear to well up in my
eye, or cause a heart tug. And I love the animal
stories. All my life, I've been
raised with a dog in my family. My grandparents loved dogs, my folks
always did, and in my adult life, I've had five beloved dogs of my own.
Three have died from cancer, and each one was eleven years old when they
died. Today, we have my little guy, "Bob" our Corgi, and "Ladybug"
our Border Coolie/Aussie Mix. I received many emails after
writing "How Could You." And each letter was from someone who, like my
husband and I, love dogs. I love cats too, but I don't
think my dogs would be fair and accept a cat into our family. To be safe
for the cat's sake, we just have dogs for now. My feelings about dogs are
that they are "little people in fur coats." And nothing in this world is
more precious to any of us than to be loved. Dogs love us
unconditionally. Many of you who knew me a while back, knew about us
losing Pokey, our little Basset/Longhaired dachshund mix. Truly, she was a
lady. From the way she held that beautiful head and tail up high,
pranced when she walked, and gazed at us with those beautiful golden eyes.
She was always there on nights when I had a tough time on Holidays, Mother's
Day, etc. when the heart tugs would get the best of me remembering my little boy
who died. Pokey always seemed to know and no matter where I was at, she
would lay down next to me and put her furry little head on my arm and look at
me. When she became sick and we thought she had pancreatis instead of
cancer, I held her as much as I could. I wanted to maker her better.
I wanted to give her what she had given me on all those nights that I didn't
feel so good. Ladybug was adopted from a
shelter. We knew she had been abused by whoever had her before us, but we
allowed her space and time to feel us out and find out that not all humans hit,
beat, starve and mistreat a dog. It took her three days, but on that third
day she approached me and licked my hand. I knew then the healing process
had begun for her. Today, she stays by me all the time. She never
lets any other animal or car, human, anything come into our yard that she does
not alert me. Recently in the middle of the night when our tornado alarm
went off, though I heard it, she jumped up from the foot of the bed and began
barking alerting us to get up. She knows that her leash is handy and
ready at all times when we have to run for our tornado shelter. She and
Bob both know when we say, "Let's Go!" they stand and wait for the leashes to be
placed on them so we can run. Bob....our Corgi....he's the
first Corgi I've ever owned. He's the cutest, most mischievous little dog
I've ever seen. And he makes me laugh from the time I get up until I go to
bed. And like Ladybug, he's curled up in bed with us. I'm glad our
bed is big or it would get a little crowded with all four of us in
bed! When we travel, our dogs go
with us most of the time. I have travel bowls for water, feed bowls, and
we always carry a couple gallons of fresh water for them and some of their
toys. They set in their seats and enjoy the ride. Since both
are herding breeds, we love to see their reaction when we pass a pasture
with cows or sheep. It's like they're barking "Stop the van, we want to
CHASE them!" I cannot imagine not getting
our dogs their shots, their grooming, their heartworm, and all the things they
need. They depend on us so much for those things to keep them safe.
I depend on them for the love they give in return for what we give to
them. When I walk through the door from work, my husband always enters
first, and says to Bob, "Go get your mama." That little pudgy Corgi comes
running at 50 MPH to leap into my arms and give me 50 kisses. Ladybug,
being two years older, waits until Bob is done, then she reaches up her paw and
looks into my eyes, and I bend down for her kisses. That's all they ask,
is that we love them back. My vet told me something the
other day that made me feel good. He knew the breeder we bought Bob
from. She screened the families who got the pups. My vet told her
she didn't need to screen us or our home, that he knew us very well, and that
Bob would be given the best of care. Today, that breeder and I have become
very good friends. And she told me last week, "I couldn't have asked for a
better home for Bob than to place him with you and your husband." Plus by
knowing her, Bob gets to see his "biological" mama and his brother also.
When we get those three Corgi's together, it's a day at the zoo. And
Ladybug looks at all of them thinking, "Man, are these other two moving in
too?" LOL We love our dogs. And
from the years of giving these precious animals a home, raising my two children
with dogs, the love for dogs has been passed on. My son now has a little
mixed breed he adopted and a German Shepherd he found. He knows they need
the "good stuff" in brands of dog food. He know they need brushing and
baths, grooming, shots, etc. I watched him the other day with his new
puppy. I saw the kisses the pup gave him. And I saw the laughter
begin in my son's eyes. I knew it had been passed on. There's only one thing with
Bob and Ladybug that I will not do that I did with Pokey. I won't buy them
Happy Meals at McDonald's often. I won't feed them scraps that are fried
often. For that is what caused Pokey's pancreas to be harmed and turned
into cancer. I carry guilt over that. For what I would give to have
her still in my life. If there ever was a lady, she was it. Ladybug
is following in her footsteps with her gentle ways. Bob will always be the
funny little guy in our home. I'm beginning to think a Corgi will
entertain themselves with anything you have in your home. Bob got into my
yarn again the other day and had my most expensive yard unraveled all over the
living room. He was proud and happily showed me what he'd done. My
husband burst out laughing and said, "Well, at least he's got good taste in
yarn!" And I would never have
believed that two dogs would make friends with a rooster, but "Red" and our dogs
have become best friends. They all curl up together to take a nap on the
porch. To see Red reach down and tap Bob or Ladybug on the nose with his
beak, is priceless. I would turn anyone into
authorities in a heartbeat that I saw abusing a dog. They will give in
return what they are given. They will stay loyal to you until the
end. Until that day they cross that
Sharon Bryant 1946
@bellsouth.net About Me: I am Sharon
Bryant, 59 years old and reside in I lost my child in 1977 when he was five and
I write I am a chocolate/candy maker and also a wood
crafter and knitter. Today's Queue
Stories ?©2005 Kathleene S.
Baker About Me: in my life was to give loving homes to the
dear
IMAGINE THE
POSSIBILITIES By: Kathy
Whirity There's a snappy little song on the
kids' channel; actually it's a commercial for PBS and it goes something like
this--'Oh, use your imagination, that's what you've got to do, use your
imagination that's just the thing to doo-da-lee-doo doo. Even when it's
raining, you can make the sky blue-use your imagination, PBS kids and
you. I absolutely love when this little ditty of
a jingle comes on. When it does I scurry for the remote, turn the sound up
and proceed to dance around the play
room. I'm purposely aware that the children all
look at me as if I'm a couple of notes shy of a nursery
rhyme. As a matter of fact it came on early this
morning , and at the first sounds the kids automatically jumped up and down in
joy shouting, "Kath, your song's on!" It's hard to know what sparks an
imagination, who can understand why the mind works the way it
does? It is a miracle in God's awesome creation
that no two snowflakes are alike. That same miracle applies to children
and their imaginations. What inspires some children to cultivate a
friendship with an imaginary playmate, or the customary fantasy of playing the
role of being mommy or daddy? I enjoy the make believe chatter served up
daily in the play room of my residence. I keep telling myself that I need to invest
in a tape recorder to share these priceless conversations with the 'real' moms
and dads. Playing house one afternoon, Kristen and
Katie were putting real life into action, playing it out as it
is seen through their eyes. Kristen (3) was playing the
mommy. Katie (2) being one year behind in seniority was stuck
being the baby. Waa! Waa! Waa! Katie
wailed, doing a great job of pretending to be a baby. Kristen, the
ever doting mommy was doing her pretend best to console the crying
Katie. Kristen's every sentence ended in
sweetie. "What is it sweetie?" she'd say, and "Okay sweetie, mommy's
coming." Soon Katie grew tired of the colicky
crusade. She jumped up from her pretend crib (her napping cot) and
yelled--"I don't want to be the sweetie anymore, I want to be the
mommy!" Ah, sweet Kate, her spitfire personality
brings much laughter to my day. They soak up their surroundiings and
sprinkle their world with the simple dicoveries handed down by way of parental
influence. You don't need a degree in psychology to
figure that out--just an interest in the imagination of tiny tots who talk on
make believe phones, imagine themselves as sweeties, or mommies, and of course,
princesses of Disney fame. They sit on thrones made of throw pillows,
clap with glee when a tent is magically created by placing a bedspread over a
table, and quite often their play time shenanigans are a sample of how they
perceive real life. There are a few things that I can never say
enough. I never get tired of encouraging
the children by telling them practice makes perfect when they are mastering a
new skill, such as Kristen hopping on one foot all across the
room. I also tell the older ones not
to bother crying if they are doing something they know is wrong and
get hurt in the process. (This works amazingly well in deterring them from doing
known no-no's) And, last but not least, I love singing the
imagination song. I love to make them
laugh. It is a treat to witness a 2 year old
giggle and chortle because they can recognize goofy adult humor gone
childlike. I will always lend an ear when little tikes
are talking their unique talk. The joy it brings is just one of the many
benefits of being an in home daycare
provider. And then there are times when this overgrown
kid, at heart, will spontaneously jump off the couch and sing a playful tune--Oh
use your imagination, that's what you've got to
doo-da--lee-doo-doo.... Kathy Whirity <kathywhirity@yahoo.com
> Bio Kathy Whirity lives in Chicago where she
shares her life and love with her husband of 28 years, bill, their two
daughters, Jaime and Katie, and two rambunctious retrievers, Holly and
Hannah. Kathy is a family life columnist for two
area newspapers. For more of Kathy's writings please visit
her web page: KATHY WHIRITY'S MUSINGS FROM THE
HEART http://www.heartwarmers4u.com/members?kathyw MY OLD
WATCH By: Joseph J.
Mazzella I have had the same
watch now for twenty four years. It was a gift from an uncle that I got when I
was just fourteen. It was one of the first digital watches ever made and it
weighs about two pounds. I have gone through about five watchbands with it so
far. Some of the numbers on the display are getting hard to read as well. Still,
I keep buying new batteries for it and refuse to get a new one as long as this
one works. My wrist feels strange without its familiar weight on it and my heart
still feels a touch of warmth from my late uncle's love when I look at
it. A part of me too is
reassured when I look down at this old timepiece still working away after all
these years. It gives me hope for myself in the years ahead of me. This body of
mine just turned thirty eight years old recently which means that if I live an
average life span on this world then half my life is already over. Since a large
part of the first half of my life was spent figuring out what life is all about,
this only leaves me the last half to really live my life the way it was meant to
be lived: in choosing and sharing love, joy, and oneness with God. I take hope
then in seeing my old watch still working away after most watches are thrown
away. It reminds me that I can keep working away too and bring a little Heaven
to Earth, no matter how old I get. Whether you are a
new clock, an old watch, or an ancient timepiece remember that you still have
time to make a wonderful difference in this world. You still have time to warm
some hearts with your love, touch some souls with your joy, and heal a few lives
with your light. You still have the time to live like you were meant to, to love
like you were born to, and to be one with God like you were designed to be. You
still have the time to bring a little Heaven down to Earth and to ready your
soul to fly from Earth back to Heaven. Joseph J. Mazzella
and three children. Various dogs and cats
have adopted Joe and his family for their
own. Joe enjoys his family, beauty, love
and hearing from his email friends. Joe
likes to take the time to smell
the roses and enjoy the beauty around him
as he
goes about his daily life. ~**~**~ ValueSpeak A Weekly
Column By Joseph
Walker valuespeak@msn.com "LOOK WHAT LOVE
HAS DONE!"
Spring is a time of renewal.
A time to start over. A time
to begin again.
And yes, I know how illogical that last expression is. Speaking grammatically, one can begin a
thing and then one can do it again.
But one cannot "begin again," since one can only begin a thing
once.
At least, that's what I used to think. And then I met
Mark.
Mark had experienced more pain and greater challenges in his six years of
living than most of us encounter in a lifetime. His mother began abusing him even before
he was born by taking into her body substances that damaged his developing
body. The abuse continued after his
birth in a variety of ways too despicable to
mention.
As a result, Mark's sixth birthday was hardly a cause for
celebration. He was about the size
of a 3-year-old, and functioned on a level even younger than that. He couldn't walk. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even breathe without the
help of a tube inserted in his throat.
He was partially deaf, partially blind and no one was sure how much he
could understand of what was going on around him. He never smiled, which is understandable
because the only happy thing in his life was the fact that he had been abandoned
by his abusive mother.
Pathetic? Perhaps. But hopeless? No
way.
On the other side of the country from where Mark lived, a single mother
was longing for a second child.
Unfortunately, the only man in her life was her 9-year-old son, Damien,
and most conventional adoption agencies wouldn't even consider her as an
adoptive parent.
So she started trying to work out something unconventional. She contacted agencies that specialize
in hard-to-place children and found them to be much more open to her desire to
adopt. Eventually she heard about
Mark. She started loving him almost
immediately.
"It'll be hard," a social worker warned
her.
"That's OK," Donna said.
"I'm tough."
"But he's got all of these medical
problems."
"That's OK," Donna said.
"I'm a nurse."
"But he's black and you're
white."
"That's OK," Donna said.
"I'm color blind."
So Donna flew across the country to pick up her new son and bring him
home to nurse, nurture and love.
They returned, appropriately enough, on Valentine's Day, and Mark began
progressing immediately and remarkably.
Within a short period of time he was walking and learning to do things
for himself. It turned out he could
see and hear better than anyone thought he could, and he could understand quite
a bit. And within just a few months
they took that tube out of his throat so he could breathe normally for the first
time in his life.
Oh, and there's one other thing he started doing: smiling. A lot. Especially when he was snuggled on his
new mother's shoulder.
"People are amazed at how well Mark is doing," Donna told me. "They call it a miracle. And maybe it is. But it isn't a surprise. Everyone knows that love is a
power. It's just that Mark has
never really experienced it -- until
now."
Donna smiled as Mark toddled into his big brother's arms, smiling every
step of the way.
"And now," she said, "just look at what love has
done!"
Love gave Mark a new life.
It gave him a home. And more
than anything else, it truly gave him a chance to begin
again.
Which, come to think of it, is just as it should be in the
spring.
Writers
Feedback I really enjoyed this interview. (Carol
Roach)I think the Fireside Chat is a wonderful addition to an already wonderful
Tapestry!
Announcements I would like to
introduce you to Phil
Evans and his business
known the world over as People
Stuff Phil sends his love
and good wishes to all. Hey everyone if you have the time please
help out a fellow member who is starting
up his own newspaper. Carol, Just letting you know I
have a website explaining the upcoming paper, should anyone ask. Thank you for
running the ad for it. www.christianlink.com/publish/mwwj Thanks again,
Jim
Prayer Requests and Updates Prayer
Requests: Pray for God to look down
from on High, upon all those who wish to further His Kingdom, and to
re-distribute the wealth of the world, into the hands of those who have waited
and longed to serve Him more. . . . in ministries, and in outreaches, which need
to be replenished, and supplied.
SENIOR WRITERS Agee, Vance; Apted, Violet; Baker,
Kathy; Batt, Al; Boda, Ginger; Bryant,
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; Roberts, Susan;
Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Swarner,
Ken; Vaknin, Sam; Walker, Bill;
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:
Winterose @videotron.ca |
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| << May18, 2005 - May 18, 2005 - Special Treat - Violet Apted |
May18, 2005 - May 18, 2005 - Special Announcement >> |
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