STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

June 11, 2005

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

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

Country Living

Sharon Bryant

I love all the animal stories.  Especially the ones about dogs.  Being a dog lover myself, I get tickled at what some of these fur balls can do.

"Bob" our Corgi, now speaks.  Ladybug shakes hands.  Poor Bob's feet are so short if he was trying to shake hands, I wouldn't be able to tell.  And Ladybug just refused to speak.  She used eye contact instead.

Our mama hen is still living in the flower pot.  Some think chickens and roosters are silly, stupid birds.  That is not so.  In the flower pot on the bottom, is some rocks.  Somehow, that hen gets in the pot with the seven babies, which are now getting pretty big and barely fit under her wings.  I thought the rocks were hard on the little guys feet so I put a towel in the pot to make it more comfortable for them.  They didn't like it.  They refused to sleep in the pot, instead slept outside on it on our porch two nights ago.

So...I removed the towel and everyone moved back into the flower pot.

Most people bloom flowers in flower pots.........we bloom chickens!

We have a pond on our property.  When the sun goes down, it becomes the neighborhood orchestra.  Baritones, tenors, you name it.  The frogs start up and it's music all night long until sun rise.  Of course at sunrise, the roosters start up.  It was so loud last night, the neighbor called and asked what the h..... was going on at our place.  I replied, "The "animals" are having practice for their July 4th party!" 

Tonight something else moved in on the porch.  I went to water my hanging plants when something jumped off one of the pots and flew over my hand.  I jumped back, spilled the water jug on myself, and looked at two bulging eyeballs looking straight at me.  I looked at it, the greenest frog I've ever seen and said, "Well, another houseguest."

I have no idea what is so interesting with my flower pots, but everything seems attracted to them.  Today I caught the rooster who is the father of the seven babies sitting in the flower pot on our porch.  In the middle of the day, he was sitting there yelling out to the rest of the crew.  Ugly, the largest rooster was spinning around in circles on the ground outside the porch watching the rooster who was in the flower pot.  I'm still trying to figure out what that was all about.  Could be a new dance step.  It would beat the "funky chicken" for sure.

I no longer need a radio to listen to music.  I don't need television to find a good comedy.  I could use some advice on how to keep the snapping turtles from finding our pond and invading it.  One was near the house the other day and I bent down to turn him around to head towards the pond and that sucker tried to bite me.  I let him walk.

I'm waiting to see what comes around next.  I've got rabbits, squirrels, deer, and poor Bob and Ladybug are going nuts seeing all these critters coming near their porch.  Bob tries to catch them so fast now he goes airborne off the porch and looks like a flying squirrel when he flies into the yard.  I think he keeps forgetting he's in a fenced in yard once he leaves the porch.

My husband has made a contraption on my clothes line pole that the state prison may be interested in.  He's a welder and builder and cut thin metal strips and attached them to the top of the pole.  That's because the squirrels were getting on our roof and leaping to the clothes line to get to the bird feeders.  It looks like barb wire, electric wire, and ET phoning home.  He also made metal "cones" and nailed them to the wooden main post but the squirrels have outsmarted him.  They still jump from the wood pole to the metal bars and are still stealing all the bird seed.  When the dogs see the squirrels, they bark, then the roosters get going, then the frogs follow the roosters.

I'm so glad fire ants don't talk.  With my luck, they're next!

One thing's for sure......there's never a dull moment around here.

Sharon Bryant

1946 @bellsouth.net

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
~**~**~**~

~**~**~

MISSION UNACCOMPLISHED

(February 2005)

From: Georgewaters Ojeigbe

??“ Lagos, Nigeria gojiegbe@jhplc.com

With tears in her eyes she shared that bitter story of her life.  I consumed every bit of it and I understood every line of her story. 

Bose was her name.  She hailed from Ilorin a land in the western part of Nigeria where it is difficult to be a Christian.  She told me that she was with her aunt for long in under hard burden.  Before the death of her parents her aunt promised to take good care of them.  Her parents??™ death came too soon due to a terminal decease which spread from the father to her mother.

Bose was a very humble lady with great visions ahead of her.  She dreamt of the days ahead to be bright and radiant than the sun.  She talked of attaining the height of schooling.  She promised herself to have a wonderful home.  She was never annoyed whenever my aunt who she came to serve as a housemaid talks to her in an inhuman manner; she just consumed all insults from aunt as if nothing ever happened.  My cousins also would blame her for nothing sake, even the list in the house always overrode her.  All she would tell me was ???situations has led her to this great embarrassment, it doesn??™t matter what happened I am going to leave here one of these days???.  After her usual saying I would simply reply an ???AMEN??™.

Bose would wake up as early as 4 a.m. every morning to get prepared to go to the mini restaurant which we run on Lagos Island.  She comes back late with me to yet do lots of home works.  Upon all, that does not stop her from going to bed very late.  It was so for quite numbers of months.

But for once a funny incident occurred in her life.  There was this particular evening, she was sent out to purchase some items.  The next thing was that we saw her rushed into the house.  One of my cousins queried her for the sudden rush which she replied that she met a relative outside the house whom she wanted to see off.  She dashed into the house and the next moment she was out again like a lightning flash.

We were a little bit confused as we have never seen her in this situation before.  Well, we knew her to be of a good behavior and so we were not too concerned about her sudden change of attitude.

The night was got deeper and Bose hadn??™t come back home.  We waited for quite a long time, yet she was no where to be seen, so we decided to steep out of our mini-estate place of abode, she was still no where to be found.  In that case we went back into the house hoping she would come.

After long, close to about 10:30 p.m., she came back hastily like one being chased by a wild dog.  Getting to the house door she pounced on it as an elephant would crush a tree to the ground.  She was crying furiously without enough words to explain her ordeal.  After a while of lamentations she was able to narrate her bad omen in a sobbing mode. 

The story of her meeting a relative was false, she only met a group of people we call 419 (fraudsters) here.  They are false prophets who would tell you that your ill luck is from the root of your family or your neighborhood and that you have got to receive prayers from them before you can be delivered of the ill luck.  At the time of you being told of this you wouldn??™t know when you will succumb to whatever you may be requested to do.

That evening she was asked to bring all her gold chains, and other valuable things in the house.  God was so kind that she didn??™t bother getting other peoples??™ things at home due to her good nature.  She only took hers and the little money she had been able to save from the monthly wages given to her by my aunt.  She was duped and was left penniless.  Well, she learnt her lesson never to listing to such stories again from these 419ers (fraudsters) that evening.

Some months later she traveled home to see her elder brother.  Before she left she had promised to come back and maybe later look for an alternative to start schooling.

The numbers of days she promised to spend expired and yet she never returned.  Our house helps whom I am always happy of because their presence reduces my house job but at their disappearance I would be back to those hectic duties which would almost run me mad, thank God it never did.

Later I learnt that Bose??™s elder brother came for a visit but he brought the bad news of Bose??™s death to us.  He said that she died of typhoid fever.  Her brother confirmed that as she got home from Lagos, she sudden fell ill and was treated but the medication was not really administered due to lack of money which resulted to giving her herbs for treatment.

The news of her death came like a hammer knock on us.  We shook our heads in disbelief.  It was too hard to believe this was true.

Now, some many years have gone by but those words of hers keep coming into my heart.  Not because that I am being hunted by her but because I am feeling bad that I saw a precious soul gone back to the Almighty Creator unaccomplished.  Dreams of years to come were thrown into the ocean of total forgetfulness.  I saw the life of the young lady finished like a blown off candle stick.  Glittering was her life for a moment but all of a sudden it disappeared to the world of no return.  I feel for her because I saw a soul that suffered inhumanity and never had the chance to rip the joy of life.  A wicked world I would say but the joy of it all was that Bose was really rooted in God??™s words.  She took all passage of the bible seriously.

With Bose??™s memory in my mind I reflect back from where I am coming from and I ponder over the meaning of life over and over again.  Each time I make the journey through another year of grace I always knew that Jehovah Lord God has a purpose for my existence.  Life is so short a place to be and not to contribute positively to humanity; I know that.  I have got to make my life a blessing to as many as possible as I can reach before the six feet below comes to be real for me.  I have always dreamt of a landmark, a monument and a billboard.  These are words that burn in my heart on daily basis as I remember that I still exist.  Sometimes, I get to that point of total discouragement of existence but I remember that I have not yet achieved the goals of life; I have not yet actualize my dreams and God??™s purposes for me.  I have a stake to bear and that is the calling to serve humanity.

I do not believe in reincarnation even though such believes are common in my society otherwise I would have said this pray ???OH LORD BRING BACK THE EXISTENCE OF BOSE AND MAKE HER ACHIEVE HER MISSED GOALS, HER UNACCOMPLISHED MISSION IN LIFE???.  For that now, bye gone is bye gone, let the living make haste for the time when no one shall be able work will come too soon.  This is the time to get on top of the highest mountain and lift your voice for the whole world to hear for a time shall come when the 6 feet would be the final laying place and heavens shall welcome thy soul home where no prayer, no fasting would be required and no landmarks would be needed to be accomplish anymore.

THE END

 Georgewaters Ojeigbe

gojiegbe @jhplc.com

BIO-DATA

I was born on 21^st April, 1970.  I live in Lagos, Nigeria the most populous city in Africa. I sing in a Church music group where I fellowship.  I love sports.  I love admiring the heavens and other wonderful works borne from Jehovah??™s hands.  I discovered the power of writing stories, encouraged by Carol.  Thanks for her existence!  I am pet lover minus snakes; I so much hate this creature called snake but others I prefer.  I like to do lots of home works like creating my art works, gardening, making some home furniture, fitting electrical appliances etc.

~**~**~

WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

     I was walking into the local grocery store today when I saw two, lovely, older ladies getting out of a car. It seemed to be a mother and daughter both beyond retirement age. It touched my heart to see how gently the daughter helped her mother to her feet, held her arm, and guided her steps as they both walked to the store??™s entrance. I felt my soul grow brighter as I watched this scene of tenderness, caring, and love. It made me smile to think that this loving bond had lasted well over seventy years and was still going strong.

     I waited until both of these beautiful souls got to the door and then held it open for them to go through. It delighted me when the mother turned her tiny, smiling face to me and said, "Why thank you young man." I could see from the surprised sparkle in her eyes that she hadn??™t expected this tiny act of kindness and help. As I smiled back at her, though, I could see that she and her daughter had done a far kinder and more helpful act for me. They had shown me again what life is truly all about. It is about loving each other, caring for each other, sharing joy with each other, and helping each other from the second of our first breath until the moment of our last sigh.

     God put us on this world to love each other just as He loves us. To do anything else is to stray from our purpose and invite misery and unhappiness into our lives. We are here to love everyone be they family, friends, strangers, or even enemies. We are here to show and share that love with every smile we give, encouraging word we say, or kind act we do. Sometimes it is the easiest thing in the world to do and at other times it is the most difficult. Still, it is what we are here for and what we are made for. May we all follow those wonderful, old ladies??™ example then and joyously live our love for each other.

 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

s he goes about his daily life.

                              Poetry Section

~**~**~

       Candlelight

                                        Diana Petry

Lying here alone in my bed tonight,

Watching a flickering candle as it burns,

I think of so many yesterdays I've lived,

Wondering if I've grown too old to learn.

Like the flame of the candle here tonight,

Forms and shapes come and go in my mind.

So many people have crossed my path,

I wonder if there are new friends left to find.

This is my quiet place to be alone,

I can think of anything I dare to dream.

I can take a good long look at myself,

I wonder if I'm a part of a grand scheme.

I get lost in my own silent rhapsody,

Leaving behind what might have been.

I think of what destiny might lie ahead for me,

I wonder about the battles I might not win.

The candle's shadow dances on the wall,

Letting inner peace dry up my tears.

Hope and determination fill my soul tonight,

I wonder if you'll stay with me though the years.

Dianna Doles Petry

?©February 2005

Dianna59@charter.net of:
Women With A Unique Soul
www.womenwithauniquesoul.com
Webmaster of Short Stories
http://pages.ivillage.com/dianna40
Webmaster of Poetry From Life
http://www.geocities.com/diannawv/
Poems By Dianna
http://members.tripod.com/~poemsbydianna/PoetryofLife.html

~**~**~

I??™m so Special Simply Because I??™m Me

Sue Walsh

I may be just a babe

I may be old and very wise

Or somewhere in between but

Oh dear dear God please help them see

I??™m so special simply because I??™m me

I may be fast or slow

I may be tall or short

Or Somewhere in between but

Oh dear dear God please help them see

I??™m so special simply because I??™m me

I may be rich or poor

Black or white or cream

Or somewhere in between but

Oh dear dear God please help them see

I??™m so special simply because I??™m me

Whatever I am

Or whoever I be

Oh dear dear God

I know I??™m special simply because I??™m me.

~**~

No-one but Me

Sue Walsh

When I was young I wanted to learn music

But you had to practice in order to use it

I was off playing with a friend

And so the music lessons came to an end

Who could HEAR the vision loud enough to see

No-one, No-one but me!

For years I dreamt of being a doctor and healing the sick

But it would take forever, knowledge never comes quick

Who could HOLD the vision long enough to see

No-one, No-one but me!

Maybe I??™d settle for becoming a nurse

But my weak stomach couldn??™t think of anything worse

Who could FEEL the vision Strong enough to see

No-one, No-one but me!

I want to write a book now

And I know I can if I just learn how

But who will HOLD this vision Clear enough to see

No-one, No-one but me!

When I finally get to that pearly gate

And look back at all that??™s undone  - it will be too late

For who can HOLD my visions till they come to be

No-one, No-one but me!

Sue Walsh

Adelseal @senet.com.au

Bio

My name is Sue Walsh - I live in Adelaide, South Australia with my husband and two children.  I worked as a Legal Secretary for 25 years and then my husband and I started our own engineering import/export business.  I love to learn about spiritual subjects and have study many different areas.  I love to write spiritual/religious poetry and peace prayers, I am also endeavouring to complete a novel.

Writers Feedback

Deepak, I really enjoyed East Meets West. Good writing.
Gabrielle Morgan.

East Meets West ??“ Deepak, I love it.

Nat Symonds

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;

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