STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

June 4, 2005

Happy Birthday to our moderator Clara Westerfer.  If anyone would like to send her a birthday card the address is:

 CBWEST@webtv.net

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

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

BATHED IN TEARS

By,

Kathleene S. Baker

I was bathed in the tears,

Of some lady called ???Mom.???

She said, ???You're Miss Josey,???

Her voice sweet and calm.

I was a soppin??™ wet pup,

Cradled snug in strange arms.

As she promised a life,

Free of danger or harm.

One look in her eyes,

I saw straight to her soul.

Our bond was a treasure.

And we two, made a whole.

Sometimes when happy,

She wept just from joy.

As we romped and we played,

With some silly new toy.

Our good times were many,

And bad times were few.

But at the sight of a tear,

I knew what to do.

I was right by her side,

With the loss of her mom.

Drenched with her tears,

But I helped her hang on.

I??™d curl up in her lap,

Or just snuggle real close.

And when tears started falling,                                             

They??™d be licked from her nose.

Mom taught me tricks and games,

And ???bout all kinds of tears.

But, I started getting tired,

As my days turned to years.

Mom??™s eyes lost their twinkle,

And often she??™d weep.

When I gave up my toys,

Preferring to sleep.

My naps brought me visions,

Of beautiful things.

A bridge and bright rainbow,

And I heard angels sing.

The last thing I remember,

Were mom??™s magical tears.

As they swept over me,

Away went all fear.

Away??¦went??¦.all??¦??¦??¦.fear??¦.

?©2005Kathleene S. Baker

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??™t imagine a home without them.  In fact, they were my inspiration to begin writing.  I??™ve had stories or poems featured by Starfish, Storytime Tapestry (Senior Writer), Driftwood, Inspired Buffalo, Women With Heart, Texas Bob??™s World, Hearts With Soul, Petwarmers, Pearlsoup, SFPNN, Christian Voices, Heartwarmers, Warm Fuzzy Stories, In The Light of Angels, Springfield Online, Skywriter, MS Musings, A Click to Your Heart (Japan), Heartcatchers, and Insight of the Day.  I was more than honored when Starfish added me to their Wall of Fame as a Featured Writer.  I??™ve always felt my one mission in 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.

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

 NOT PERFECT

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

     I was looking out on the woods that surround my house today as I walked through the melting snow. It seemed so strange to see how the trees looked in the middle of winter. Their black, gray, and brown trunks were twisted, wet, and gnarled. They were full of chipped bark and dead limbs. They seemed almost ugly and as far from perfect as you could get. Still, I knew that in just a few months they would be alive again with bright, green leaves and in a few months after that they would be full of beautiful colors that would delight the heart and uplift the soul.

     Thinking about this made me smile and reminded me that you don??™t have to be perfect in order to live a blessed life. God knows that I am far from perfect myself. I make mistakes every single day of my life. I am still a gnarled, empty, tree trunk much of the time. I do try, however, moment by moment and choice by choice to live a good life. I do try each day to choose and to share love and joy. I do try to grow in oneness with God more and more as I travel the path of life. I think, in fact, one of the best moments in my life was the moment that I decided to stop trying to be perfect and to just live in love and joy while sharing all the gifts that God gave me.

     We all need to stop trying to be perfect. We all need to stop judging ourselves and just love ourselves. We all need to give up on living a perfect life and enjoy living a good and beautiful life. Anne Frank wrote, "Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don??™t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!" Let us all live the good news within us then. Let us all grow some bright, green leaves of love in our lives. Let us all share the beautiful colors of peace and joy from our hearts and souls with everyone everywhere. We might not be perfect, but we can still bless the world with the best within us and with the gifts God gives us.

Joseph J. Mazzella
joecool @ wirefire.com

Joe lives in West Virginia with his wife

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.
 
I??™m Sad

~**~**~

 I Thought I Had It All Figured Out

Richard Sims

Jackie and I went to Granby today to visit my Mother. Jackie had told me

on the way back she wanted to stop in Joplin at office depot and pickup

some things.

I had been hearing about this software called Via voice for windows, I

thought it would help me with my spelling and my writing. So when we

got to Joplin on the way home I looked and found the Via Voice software

fifty dollars for this. I figured that fifty dollars was a small price to pay for

the time I would save writing with its help. No more misspelled words. I

knew I would still have to edit all my work.

So I bought it and brought it home and installed it on my computer it was self

explanatory and simple to load on my computer, Then I decided I would give

it a try to see how it worked, I was just like a kid in a candy store with  all

Items on sale. Well now after spending three and a half hours for it to type

three paragraphs I have decided to take it back and just suffer with the faster

way of typing it out myself. I will just use spell check here on Yahoo.com

and do all my corrections.

Richard Sims
armaksman @yahoo.com

About Me:
I am Richard D. Sims of Arma, Kansas, I am
46 Years old. I was born and raised in
Granby, Mo. the oldest mining town in
southwest Mo.
I enjoy writing poems, short stories and
just being able to cheer up people!
My hobbies are 1/4 mile drag racing,
wood crafts and spending quality time with
my family, and serving our lord Father in
heaven.
Richard D. Sims:
armaksman @ yahoo. com

~**~**~

AN  UNFINISHED GOAL IN MY  LIFE

Leona Ebling

A manuscript titled ???The Boss," a  story of romance and a cat,

and another finished manuscript "Search for Life Through the Past.

A  drama, a series, or a novel,  it could be either one,

written some twenty-six years ago how time has flown.

Then on to  "The Day girls at Ma-Ma and Pa-Pa Days house;

and "Heidi and Peek"  adventures though they are only a mouse.

"The Calling"   "Those Last Hours" and  poetry galore,

Are some of my efforts at writing, but there are many more,

My Journal of my childhood sort of a modern "Tobacco Road"

about my grandma, my family and times rough and hard.

Then "Dancing With Life" and memories I shared

And "Spring Came in October" and how God really cared.

These are some of the names of my words I have penned down,

on pages of pages  and let them just lay around.

Oh I've sent in a few 'queries' and an out line or two

let friends and family be my critic...'well just a few'

And done nothing, but nothing through the years but wait

There is a really good word for what I have done, it's called "procrastinate!'

So "Take the Bull by the Horns"  the old saying of years gone by

Maybe I'll get lots of rejections but at least I'm gonna try.

To get at least one of my writings published and sold!

Before I am past caring because I'm just to darn old

I thank you for your time and kindness as always,

Sincerely,

Leona Ebling
wwjdleona @aol.com

About Me:

Leona Ebling I have five children, 18 grandchildren and 18 greats going on 19
and more to follow I am sure. I have been for soon to be fifty years a full
time wife, mother, gramma and worked as personal companion and caretaker for
over thirty years. I write as a loved hobby and I am in the process of two
books being published and another to follow shortly I hope.

I write fiction, non-fiction, inspirational novels and short-shorts. I also
write children books and love writing poetry.

Writers Feedback

Hello Karin,

I wish to welcome you to the family of Storytime_Tapestry!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your account of your l life but I am glad that you have seen the gratitude rather than the sorrow.  Also,  I come from a large family; ten children to be exact and I am #9; 75 years of age; live in Ohio and like you, I enjoy writing; stories and poems.  From time to time, you may see my writings in Storytime; a lovely place to feature your writings and a host of friends.

May I welcome you with arms outstrechted.  It would be nice to hear from you.  By the way, I live and have lived my whole life in Ohio.

NormaLee LIles  nliles@cinci.rr.com

Hello Sharon,

I just read your story in Storytime and just loved it.  If you have read much of my stuff, you might have noticed how I love to look back on day's gone bye.  This story really touched me and I do know that God plays a huge part in our lives.  I just feel like I know your aunt even though she is not related by blood, know that we are all related through Christ.

Keep the stories coming.  They are so refreshing!  NormaLee

p.s. I took a piece of candy out of the box!  hehe yum yum, I love candy!

Announcements

Greets all!

I know many of you haven't heard from me in awhile, but I have some news to report.

My first real official book signing has been scheduled for June 18 at 10 am. at the St. John Parish Library in Reserve, Louisiana.

As it happens, it's the day before my birthday (June 19). 

Sincerely,

D.A. Arthur

Author of The Maverick Princess

ISBN #1-4137-1294-0

http://www.daarthur.us

http://www.publishedauthors.net/daarthur

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

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