STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

June 29, 2005  

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

Keeker Has Her Own Amusement Ride

Susan Roberts

Well, I know you all may be tired of hearing about my cat Keeker, but here is another one on her LOL

Keeker loves to sit on my computer chair. I have to fight her for it when I want to sit down at my computer.

My hubby said "Why don't you go get that other computer chair from the sitting room and bring it in here for Keeker?" sooooo I DID.

Well Keeker loves that chair!

The other night I was sitting here at my computer, her chair near mine. Keeker came running from the other room and jumped on to her chair. Well it is one that swivles around, and it did at a high rate of speed.

Keeker looked at me as if to say "What the heck did you do that for?"

If a few minutes she jumped down and went off back in the bedroom, only to come raceing as fast as she could and jumped up on her chair again.

And again it went around and around with her hanging on!!

In a little while she got down, went into the kitchen and came running back and jumped up in her chair to go round and round again.

She LOVES that chair! She has her own amusement ride in that computer chair.

If I haven't said it before, I will say it now, I HAVE A CRAZY CAT!!

Susan Roberts

twofamily2 @earthlink.net

About Me:

I am now married to my second husband.
We live on five acres outside of a little
town in the Florida Panhandle. I take care
of my 92-year-old mother in law. I have
two living children, two stepchildren and
seven beautiful grandchildren. I am an
author of a recently published book
GOD and The Hillbilly; published thru
publishamerica.com, about a
young woman I met online who was in a
very abusive marriage with two
little children. It is based on her life
and what happened when she
reached out for help and got out of the
situation. She was a blessing to know. I
have been blessed so much in my life with
wonderful family, friends and online
friends. If you go to
publishamerica.com and click on "search,"
that will take you to the
book site. If you click on the reviews,
you will find that I have
two pages of reviews, all giving the book
five stars. There is a
review from the Victim Advocate for the
Wakulla County Sheriff Dept.
as well.

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

 Accepting My Life

Dianna Doles Petry

The last week of my life has held many turns on the road of life for me. Unexpected changes have had me thinking about my life and what makes me happy as well as the things that bring me down. Ultimately, I have decided to break them down and share them with you! Doesn't that make you feel great? No, well, I'm doing it anyway!

First of all, I was in a restaurant having lunch with my niece and her sons when I noticed a couple in a booth directly across from us. Noticed is probably not strong enough here because it would have taken a blind person with absolutely no concept of what lovemaking sounds like to have missed the scene. I'm telling you that they could have been taking tonsil swabs for a medical exam with their tongues. The waitress was not sure whether or not to even approach the table to see if they were there to order food. I think you get the point.

Anyway, it naturally made me feel like something major was missing in my life. Then I started to think about it and I wondered if that bond they were sharing right that moment would last longer than the cheap lipstick that was being shuffled from her lips to his face. This groping might be the entire extent of their love. I might not have that passionate kiss to look forward to each day of my life but I have experienced love in the real form. I have known the eagerness of sharing some little experience in my life with someone else and I've worried when the phone didn't ring when it should or when I haven't known that my significant other was safe and well. I might enjoy the passion of a kiss again but I already know that real love means not having to put on a public display of groping because you can't carry on a real conversation for longer than three minutes.

My second round of self-evaluation came about when my son and my two nephews wanted to invite the neighbors over for a pool party. I've never had a problem with entertaining the children before. This time, a new child joined in and told us all that his mother serves his guests hot ham and cheese sandwiches, pizzas made from scratch and skewered shrimp anytime they have a pool party. Okay, I felt myself crawling into a hole in the wall for not being Martha Stewart! Then my son, in his infinite wisdom, proclaimed loudly; "While your mother is slaving in the kitchen to make you look good, what are you doing for her?" He added as an afterthought, "Don't you think she might like to swim with you instead of sweating her day away?"

Hey, I must be doing something right! The pizzas I buy from Schwan's and the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches seem to have them all smiling and happy so why change a good thing. I realized that a great hostess might make things look effortless but in reality, it's a lot of hard work and seldom appreciated! Please pass me the Hershey's kisses!

My third reflection involved my mirror. I keep seeing wrinkles when I look in there. I see arms that resemble wings and gray that is showing up around my temples and right smack in the middle of my bangs. I see a waist that is thicker than I want it to be and a butt that isn't hanging where it used to hang. My boobs can now double as knee warmers and I feel more than a twinge of jealousy when a perfect looking woman with perfectly done hair and make-up crosses my path. In fact, I'd like to wash the broccoli out of my teeth and pull the toilet tissue off of my shoe so I can battle her with my wits without her breaking into hysterical laughter!

In reality, there is a huge difference between being so attractive that you make men drunk at the sight of you and women drool at your perfection or being human. One will never equal the other. I have realized, a little late I admit, that more people are attracted to a pleasant personality than to a Barbie doll perfection.

By middle age, most men have accepted that women are going to gain some weight, need eyeglasses and suffer from menopausal symptoms. Most women have accepted that their man will have a storage shed over his tools and a football game or shooting match will be much more important than a sexy new night gown. After all, why pay so much money for something you're going to take off anyway? He could have purchased a new universal remote with that cash! I'll just be me and if love finds me, it will find me just the way I am. Right now that consists of house slippers that yap like a pup, which causes my little dog to chase and gnaw at my feet, which makes me giggle! Does it get any better than this?

Next, I recently purchased a new vehicle. I looked around, did price comparisons, checked with my banker and anguished for several sleepless nights before I could bring myself to sign that contract and bring my Jeep home. My good friend and work associate informed me that she just purchased a new Porsche, convertible no less, with a built in laptop pc! Okay, I let the green monster grab me and nearly eat me alive before I came to my senses!

I live well. I don't have the most expensive of everything and my house isn't a just built tribute to technology. It is however; dry when it's raining and warm when it's cold outside. It's filled with laughter and love every single day and I am doing this myself. I don't have a sugar daddy buying my attention and I don't want one. I don't have an inheritance or trust fund to use for purchases. I do it with the sweat of my brow but hey, it does keep my ass...ets from over expanding! The bottom line is that expensive things wouldn't make me happy. It's the atmosphere in my life that needs to be good for me to smile!

Now, the final thing that nagged me this week is something that would bother most women. My niece is 38 years old and I am 43 years old. Not that big of a difference there, is there? I'm telling you, not even a bill collector could have gotten a call in here for the last four days. The girl had four different guys calling her to find out if she made the trip okay, if the visit was going well, did she break a fingernail or did her car need washing! It was sickening! Yes, the green monster again!

I could see the tension in her though. I think she has actually forgotten who the heck she is! She is so into being "on" on the time and remembering who likes what traits about her that she is stressed out. She is expected to always be the life of the party while I'm sure many gossips are waiting for her to say something dumb or put herself on the hot seat. I know for a fact that I have far too much blonde in my hair to even attempt a juggling act like that but I wouldn't do it anyway. If I am a hit with people it will be because I am genuine. I might be genuinely silly or genuinely dressed funny but it will be the real me!

I am accepting me for what I am. I am not going to let my self-esteem take a beating because I don't measure up to anyone else. I am going to use my self-reflecting to kick myself in the butt and move forward with what I have. It might not be in the same spots it used to be in and it might not ever make the cover of a fashion magazine but it's mine! All mine!

Dianna Doles Petry

Dianna59@charter.net

Proud founder of:
Women With A Unique Soul
www.womenwithauniquesoul.com
Webmaster of Short Stories
http://diannapetry.tripod.com
Webmaster of Poetry From Life
http://www.geocities.com/diannawv/
Poems By Dianna
http://members.tripod.com/~poemsbydianna/PoetryofLife.html

  ~**~**~

Doctor Says I Have Bipolar Disorder

By Richard D. Sims

Two months ago I got a very sore throat it stayed dry and was very hard to sallow

anything, I also ran a small fever with the sore throat. I made a appointment with

my doctor, after taking a look at my throat he told me I had strep throat.

Then he wrote me a perception for some antibiotics to clear up the infection or

strep throat. A week later my right ear felt as if someone had stuck a red hot

poker into it, it was terrible pain then the gland under my ear swelled up. and still

I had a sore throat.

Returning back to the doctor, he told me I had fluid trapped behind my ear drum,

he said because of my high blood pressure he couldn't give me anything to take

care of the pain nor get rid of the infection. He said the best thing to do was to

take alcohol and peroxide and mix the two of them and drop at least four drops

of the mixture in my ear for a total of about four minutes. Then turn my head to let

the mixture drain out. This was supposed to dry up the fluid behind my ear drum.

Taking the doctors advice we tried it with no help the pain was still there and no

relief, and still a sore throat too. My nights grew sleepless and I walked the floor all         

hours of the night. I tried sleeping with my head on the heating pad, still no relief

and still a sore throat and a throbbing pain in my ear and a swollen gland under my

right ear too.

Returning back to the doctor he told me that the strep throat was gone and my

throat shouldn't  be hurting at all, this time he prescribe some nasal spray this

would dry up the water behind my ear drum he said. We bought the nasal spray

and I tried it, two spurts in each nasal once a day. Now a week later still up all

hours of the night walking the floor with a sore throat and a ear throbbing with

pain and still a swollen gland.

Now by this time I had lost a lot of sleep and felt like a walking zombie, Jackie

thought she was married to a piss off  polar bear too! nothing we tried

seemed to help at all. Still putting up with the pain and the loss of sleep and

now hunger was starting to get to me too still not able to eat. Now I tried the heating

pad, ice packs, hot showers, still no relief.

Going back to the doctor again, he prescribe ear drops and more antibiotics, and

Jackie got me some Halls menthol cough suppressant / oral anesthetic. Well the

combination of the nasal spray, ear drops heating pad, ice packs, antibiotics and

hot showers, halls and prayers I am doing a lot better now. The swelling in my gland

under my right ear has gone down, sore throat has eased off a lot and the ear is still

throbbing but I am getting used to the pain.

 My doctor says I have a bipolar disorder, Jackie says it??™s a piss off hungry polar

bear with a bum throat ear and gland, and PMS.

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

~**~**~

~**~**~

<p>Poetry Section</p>

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

I wrote this one last year in one of Julie Jordan Scott's writer's groups. I wanted to play with words, to just have some fun with them. This is what emerged.

Maria Doherty

Life??™s River

Softly flows the river of my heart,
Time to time jumping as I fly
Over jagged edged rocks.
Sun kissed, dappled love,
lingering on my surface skin,
I soar and glide to heaven's reaches
As I dance and prance in rivulets
Of fun filled twirls and bubbly ripples,
Skipping fantastically through water hollowed channels,
Slithering and sliding like a sensuous sybaritic snake,
Swaying gracefully as I play chase
A sleekly swimming otter, cavorting joyfully
with fickle frogs who blink and stare,
frowning as they hop from lily pad to lily pad,
hearing the snap and crackle of long tongues,
stretching lightning out to kiss the floating insects
in fatal collision, a final hug of termination.
Observing all I amble on lazily drifting,
Stumbling through the tricky spinning eddies,
Swinging once again away from shore,
To stride on webbed wings through sparkling waters.
Paddling down life's river, a saunter of the soul.

Maria Doherty

mariadoherty@blueyonder.co.uk

~**~**~

Hardwired

Maria Doherty

A thousand sparks of memory,
Ignited by your voice,
Flash fire through my mind.

Consigned to the past,
I thought you ashes,
Scattered in time.

Your words burn me,
Delusion melting to reveal,
A heart hardwired to mine.

Maria Doherty

mariadoherty@blueyonder.co.uk

~**~**~

Playing the Game

Sue Walsh

Paths cross constantly

Doors open and close

Nothing happens by chance

It??™s all part of the great design

Don??™t put up a fuss you may as well resign

The outcome will end the same

It may just take a little longer

Depending on how you play the game

When you live with integrity

Goodness has to come in the end

Because goodness is the only thing that God can send

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

   Wow

That is scary
Glad everything worked out OK
You jogged my memory. I had a neighboring house burn once.
It is something I can write about.
I might even try my hand at writing about light. Good exercise

Michael Smith
Fort Lee, NJ
Read my Stories at [ http://heartsandhumor.com/blog/
]http://heartsandhumor.com/blog/
 

Carol - this is so beautiful! Parts of your story reminded me of parts of my story. This is a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing.....

Helloooooo Carol, - The Happiest Day of My life - This was very special and thank you for sending. You know I wish you all the luck in the world with your writing.

Thankssssss My Dear.

Love   Hugsssssss

Mary Ann
Would you mind if I added it to my list of articles on my site?

Carol, a very touching account of the birth of your child. Lovely piece! Gabrielle.

Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson,

Welcome to Storytime. I loved your magpie story. We feed the magpies here where I live and I hope to meet a "Joey Magpie" like you have written about. Lovely story!

Gabrielle Morgan.

Carol,

That was a great story. I think we all need light more than we know. We need those electrical lights to function in this modern

world, but we also need the light within ourselves to really live. I hope that you are always bathed in light my friend: both light around you and light within you. Wishing you every joy, Joe

WOW! Amazing story Carol!  What insight.... How quickly things can
change in a flash..... As I was reading your story I felt like I was
right there with you and your family.  And I felt the relief of "seeing
the light" that everything was going to be ok.

Great story!  thanks for sharing, Karin

Good Monday morning Gang,

Well folks, the family reunion is behind us but I am happy to report that it was a total success!  Although it was hot, we were within a shelterhouse which was shaded but there were shade trees on the outside where there were additional tables and chairs.  We had a great turnout and the food and all was fantastic. I am still on a high so bear with me while I try to get back to whatever is normal for me.

Thanks for your prayer and good wishes. Love, NormaLee

Prayer Requests and Updates

 Dear Prayer Warriors

Please pray for my cousin's son, Sean

He is in need of our Savior's healing touch...

He is just seven years old and has been diagnosed with

Hodgkin's lymphoma (praise God it is 90% curable).  He is in good spirits and has a good appetite.  There are many treatments, hospitalizations, and decisions to be made.  Please keep Sean and his family in your prayers,  They are all in need of our Savior's healing and strengthening touch!

Also please keep my cousin, Margaret in your prayers, as she begins her cancer treatment today!  She is in need of our Savior's healing touch!

Please join me in agreement for a complete healing for Sean and Margaret and strength for their families.  I claim these healings in Jesus' most precious name,

Amen and Amen.  We're all pulling for you Sean and Margaret, rest well in our Savior's healing hands!

Love,

Barbara

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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