STORYTIME TAPESTRY

The Newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world

May 22, 2005

I am introducing a wonderful new writer for Storytime Tapestry. Louise Nomani, becomes writer #207. Thank you, Louise for submitting your work and helping us to continue to spread our love of animals and humanity throughout the world.

Happy birthday, Bobby Smith, from you friends here at Storytime Tapestry.

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

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

Castoffs, Throwaways and Hand-me-downs

& nbsp;

Louise Nomani

windmill@tdstelme.net

When I was little, I took little time trying to look pretty. My father called me half hitch for I was always not quite put together with buttons unbuttoned and zippers unzipped. Nevertheless, it was huge joy to me when a box full of hand-me-down clothes would magically appear in the living room. My sisters and I would paw through them greedily and almost always find a gem or two that would make our eyes bright, and because we were different ages and different sizes, there was no competition. That beautiful sweater would be mine if it fit.

I have had great regard for hand-me-downs since. Though they may not be quite as pristine and smart in their newness, they come with histories and are soft and forgiving in their fabric. Some horses are like that.

A big chestnut horse came to me in November. What a sweet fellow he is with a satin coat and eyes that are deep pools of dreams and nightmares. Those eyes cast a soft light that warms my heart. His muzzle is velvet and always busy with careful exploration of pockets, hands, caps and bottoms. He is a nuisance horse, a throwaway horse of grand stature and grand heart. He is broken. Parts of him grind and the inflammation and pain distort his gait so his cadence is lost and his power and dreams lost with it. He is a throwaway horse.

There was a time when he watched in dread for a big van that came every few weeks. He??囘 see his stablemates disappear down the road. They had pursued glory and perhaps found a piece of it, but something broke their spirit, their bone, their tendon. They never came back.

He knew when he was broken. The agony of pain seized his mind and body and dreams of glory. The agony was total. He was three legged lame and could not sprint to the finish line. He was broken. The van took him too, and it was a long journey of bewilderment and terror. He knew there??囘 be no going back and the forward going was rough and loud and painful. He did not know of the joy that hand-me-downs and throwaways can bring to simple folk of faith and hope.

???Mother, why don??冲 you just buy a good horse???? You know you can??冲 ride this guy. Be sensible!??? Well I squared my shoulders and set my heels for I never much cared about being sensible. I laughed even as bands of fear griped my heart. I laughed and joked about the throwaway horse even as my stomach churned and my head grew weary with indecision. I knew it was folly but would remind myself that there is good luck and there are miracles. I know this for I have a rich history of them.

My daughter knows me well. ???I understand,??? she said and turned to me with a smile and hug. It was strengthening. I turned to the horse and stroked his neck. I spoke to him softly of courage and a future of green pasture and rides along dirt road and pine path. I saw his eyes soften as our spirits connected. I saw in him the beginnings of hope.

The big chestnut??冱 name is Seven which means seven chances for repair and recovery-seven chances for a miracle to fix that bone and mend his spirit. Seven leans on my shoulder, and I talk to him about fixing those broken pieces. He does not understand. I feel his fear and his desperation. I hear his heart pound deep in his chest when the big van comes to the door. Seven knows again that there is no going back He fights this time and the pupils of his eyes turn huge with desperation. He fights the van and the leaving for Seven does not know about good luck and miracles. He does not know of the returning home. He does not understand that he must keep his appointment for the fixing.

After argument and long minutes of futile persuasion, two burley woodsmen arrive to measure this horse that will not load. There is a snicker in them for they train those amazons of the woods that have huge necks and girths and rumps. ???Where do you want him???? one asks with a twinkle in his eyes. I point being tight with tears that must not show. ???Lead him on,??? he advises and Seven and I take two steps to the ramp before we hit that invisible wall but then to my surprise, we are moving again. In disbelief I glance back to see my horse??冱 rear legs over the shoulders of these woodsmen who have thighs like tree stumps and chests like dump trucks. Seven??冱 power had been outsourced. We continue to walk forward. When his feet are again grounded, the butt bar is secured and the back of the trailer is closed.

The trip to Boston will be a long one, and Seven and I will feast on those images of his loading. I will tell him again about good luck and miracles; I will talk with him about going home. I??冤l have plenty of time to educate him on these matters. I will have plenty of time to polish this gem with chestnut coat and shinning eyes.

Biography:

Louise is a Maine girl who enjoyed years of travel with her career army husband and their three girls. She enjoyed his tours in Washington DC, Georgia, California, Texas, France and England. ???I was always happiest though when we could come home to visit and ultimately to retire in this beautiful state of Maine. I fit here like the bark on a tree.??? Louise worked many years as a hospital nutritionist and food service director retiring in 2000 with health problems. ???I am loving retirement for it permits me to indulge myself in my hobbies and my family.???

Horses are a special lifelong passion and Louise has three. Two are retired racehorses and one is a lovely spotted Tennessee Walker. ???He is the horse I ride when the cold is biting and the wind is sharp. My Thoroughbreds inspire with their high spirits and beauty but to ride them can be like paddling a canoe through rapids. I should know better at my age but passion is not ruled by sensibilities.???

Seven is a grandson of Seattle Slew. I adopted Seven in November of 2004 and discovered that he had knee chip fractures. These were recently removed at Tufts Veterinary Hospital and I hope and believe that he will attain soundness following this surgery. I applaud New Vocations Racehorse Adoption for their efforts to save and find homes for horses like Seven... ???Many of these horses are sold for slaughter which is an unjust reward for horses that will run their hearts out and break their legs in an effort to win the race for owner and rider. It is unjust penalty in an industry that systematically maims horses running them as babies before their bones are hard and tendons are strong. Such things seem petty to many in a world with so much pain, but I cannot help but sadly think that society??冱 indifference is a value statement that is reflected in too many area of our life.???

I am not a writer but this story came to be on paper because Kay Seefeldt knows of my love for horses and knows of my trials with

Seven. She encouraged me to write and share the adventure. Thank you Kay! Kay also edited this piece for me and I can only hope that I have mended everything that needed fixing. Kay is an inspiration in her art and her writings.

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

Call Back To Service

Bill Walker

wildbill6807@yahoo.com

I hear a lot of people is being recalled to service these days. You know, army, navy, air force, and marines. They thought they had put in enough time, and retired, but they found out it was a blip of an retirement.

I ran into a man who was recalled the other evening. His General had another need of him. Maybe General is not the right word. I don't know just what the right word is at this point in time. Maybe by the close of this it will have come to me, the right words.

I was at this place to feed my face, you know food, that I didn't fix myself. For some reason my chunkier did another silly thing. I was trying to get the door to open. This car has those door locks that snap click lock, and unlock at a certain shift of the gear knob. Put in park, the door locks will unlock. Well this time the thing kind of bulked. Here I am with lights flashing, horn on a toot, and old Willie wondering what next. At last I gets the door to open, and got the key in the door to shut this off before the city cops show up.. There was a few people walking by. They said something, I answered about this dumb hunk of junk. One young fellow said now you don't say that about a Classic like that. I said, a few unkind words about this car. We talked on the way to the door about this thing. When we got to the door, a older fellow opened the door, and all trooped in, I was last. I stopped short, the man holding the door, I felt like I should be holding the door. He was wearing the service man's clothes. He also was maybe a bit older then I am, still in service. I never noticed just what his rank was. I sometimes don't understand these new markings of rank.

He said he has been recalled. His service is needed one more time. Said he retired a few years ago, and thought he was all done. Guess one never knows, just when the service work is really done. well his type of service. We did a lot of talking while in the line to get a table, place was full. I was kind of in hopes we would be seated close together, that was not to be the case. I would have liked to talk more with this fine service person.

Later I seen him for a couple minutes. I said, "Sir, I am at a loss, just what Church are you with?" He said "The old Church, Church of Christ." I had a dumb look on my face for a minute, Im sure. He went on in more detail. The last words were, "Church of England, Episcopal." I said, "OK, now I understand, the church my favorite General of all time was a member of. General Robert E.Lee" . He said, "yes he believed that was so. That is General Lee was of that branch."

So I guess you can say I was talking to an officer in the Army of the King of Kings. His services is needed one more time, he has been recalled. You know I am really wondering, is the work for the King of Kings really every done. One may even be dead. That is the earth death has taken place. I was thinking when I recalled General Robert E.Lees name. By reading about his life, and actions and his work he did. He was a real worker in the Army of the King of Kings many a time. We can all learn something about being a true Christian by reading about him. So is his service still being used? He may not really be retired either.

About Me:

Well I??冦 a story teller, not a writer. Never learned the art of fancy English. I

happen to live in Nebraska, but I??冦 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.

~**~**~

THE MAKING OF A MEMORY

By,

Kathleene S. Baker

One can??冲 predict when or where they will come from; those memories that stay with us a lifetime, and never fail to bring us warm fuzzy feelings.

My husband had just finished loading his car; made one lap back through the house and then into the kitchen. ???I guess filling my thermos is all I have left to do, and then I??冦 off.??? Down the drain went the hot water that had been warming his thermos. With a very nostalgic look on his face he softly said, ???When I filled this earlier with water, I thought of your mom. In fact, anytime I fill my thermos I think her.???

???Oh honey, that??冱 so sweet. I know she??冱 watching and listening right now with a big smile on her face,??? I responded as tears began to brim my eyelids.

???You know, I never fill my thermos that I don??冲 think of her and I always smile too.??? The tone in his voice was so tender as he spoke of my mother who is no longer with us.

Years ago we had been visiting my parents, and the morning we were leaving mother

watched as Jerry began to fill his thermos. Being the ???coffee drinker??? in the family, he??冱 always placed himself in charge of thermos duties. Mom then casually offered up a tidbit of advice. ???Jerry, if you would fill your thermos with hot water and let it sit a while, your coffee would stay hot longer on your drive.??? The look on his face was priceless as her simple suggestion sunk in. Well of course it would! It only makes all the sense in the world! Who wouldn??冲 know that? He dumped the small amount of coffee already in the thermos and ran the tap until it was at its hottest; then refilled with piping hot water. After pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee, he sat down to enjoy a few more minutes with mom and to discuss this unique new idea.

Words of wisdom from a loving mother-in-law made an impact that will never be forgotten. When spoken that morning, Jerry didn??冲 realize he would always hear those words ringing in his ears, or that they would bring a smile to his face time and time again. And Mother would never have dreamed her words would be a treasured, and everlasting memory in the heart of her son-in-law.

The ???fondest, lasting memories??? don??冲 necessarily come from ???major moments??? in life??ｦthe making of a memory simply happens??ｦ??ｦ??ｦ..

Lnstrlady@aol.com

I was born and raised in the small town of Augusta, Kansas that is only a few miles outside of Wichita. I married a native Texan in 1977 and was soon transplanted to Dallas. A large city offers many things, but I miss the slower pace of small town America. I have two stepchildren and three grandchildren. Pets have always played a huge part in my life, and I can??冲 imagine a home without them. In fact, they were my inspiration to begin writing. In the past year I??况e had stories or poems featured by Starfish, Storytime Tapestry, Driftwood, Inspired Buffalo, Women With Heart, Texas Bob??冱 World, Hearts With Soul, Warm Fuzzy Stories, and Petwarmers. I was more than honored when Starfish added me to their Wall of Fame as a Featured Writer! I am also very thrilled to have become a Senior Writer for Storytime Tapestry, as well as Moderator. I??况e always felt one mission in my life was to give loving homes to the dear creatures God has provided for us??� they are always at our side with their unconditional love.

Lnstrlady@aol.com

~**~**~

Poetry Section

~~~

I'm Free at Last
Sharlett Hunt

The many years I've wasted, yet,
Those times that I'll not soon forget,
The past is gone, I can't relive,
The knowledge that I must forgive.

With mile after mile of misery,
Regret, far as the eye can see,
A life so filled with tales of woe,
And sorrows man should never know.

Whichever way the wind would blow,
Would steal my heart and off I'd go.
The hurt I caused so many then,
I never cared if foe or friend.

It lives with me, this thing called, "past",
With all the things that never last,
This moment lives in time, you see,
It's more than just a memory.

My hope is just to linger still,
And live each moment as I will,
I'm free at last, I found a way,
To just be happy, day by day!
Sharlett Hunt

\12/11/04

Sharlette863 @aol.com

**~**~

These Things

Sharlett Hunt

Sitting here pondering this question today,
About things in my life that were taken away,
Looked up at the sky and I asked Him above,
The answer was that He replaced it with love.

The problems I've had with my fellow man,
Carefully placed in my life so I'd understand.
I've cried out in anguish, I've cried out in woe,
Just learning these things that He wants me to know.

And when I get tired and I think it's all done,
My problems are over, the war has been won,
Those times I am weary and can't think at all,
He solves all my problems, no matter how small.

The things that He gives me are only a test,
To never be perfect and just do my best.
Though hardships are many and get in the way,
"This too shall pass" and there'll be a new day!
Sharlett Hunt 11/21/03

Sharlette863 @aol.com

About Me:

I was born inAlabama, the middle of
seven children. At about age four we moved
toCentral Floridaand I have lived here
most of my life. I am aViet NamEra
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.
*************

In the smile of a child....
Maria Doherty

I held it together until that smile,
That smile of trusting, radiant beauty,
Shining in the blackness of devastation,
The smile of an innocent child.

I held it together through all the news,
Through every hideous, painful statistic,
As the hourly enumeration of the lost
Grew beyond my comprehension.

I held it together as I heard the names
Of places where I had danced my dreams,
A warm and gentle ocean I played in,
Never once sensing the death it would bring.

I held it together until that moment
A little girl's heart whispered to mine,
As strong hands lifted her from the wreckage
She smiled a smile that broke me apart.

I held it together through all the corpses,
Through people weeping in grief and shock,
And then her smile like a heat seeking missile
Shattered the barrier protecting my heart.
Maria Doherty

mariadoherty@blueyonder.co.uk

Writers Feedback

I really enjoy reading all the stories that people write, the animal stories are cute.
Tammy

Announcements

I would like to introduce you to Phil Evans and his business known the world over as People Stuff
Phil Evans produces PeopEmail - a FREE weekly inspirational e-newsletter and you can subscribe by visiting his website - going to Subscribe to FREE PeoplEmail button in the main menu - and following the simple steps.
There is also a virtual library of inspirational 'stuff' to be found by going to www.peoplestuff.com.au and checking it out.

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

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; 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