STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

? 

? 

Nov 7, 2005? 

Today??™s Announcements:

? 

? 

? 

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

? 

? 

? 

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

? 

? 

I met Bobby Langley, Vance Hunt, & Gene Snow? yesterday evening.

? 

Also, take a look at page 20 of (Sept. 05) ? Hot Rod Magazine for a photo & note by me that made "Letter of the Month"

? 

Bobby Langley / Scorpions

Mark Crider

? 

In 1954 Bobby and his brother went to a drag race at Caddo Mills Texas. Bobby liked what he saw and decided to go racing. His brother was not as impressed and did not do the same.?  Bobby had a 38 Lincoln coupe as a family car. He started working on the Lincoln to get it ready to drag race.?  Bob said that he didn??™t know that drag cars should be light. He used a lot of lead to do the bodywork and the car was very heavy.

?  Next Bobby decided to build a dragster, Bob was about 25 years old at this time. He used all his talents as a tool and die maker at Convair Aircraft (now General Dynamics) he set about to build a dragster. He started with a wing tip fuel tank from a now unknown origin. Bobby built a frame out of 40 Olds drive shafts with plates welded to the ends to bolt to the 41 Ford rear end. The roll bar and cross members were made of one and one half-inch pipe and the bracing was made of the same pipe. Here again Bob wasn??™t trying to build a light car.

?  As a side note, Wayne Calvert of Denton Texas was quizzed by Bobby about chassis material and Wayne suggested drive shaft tubing, the same as he was using on his roadster project

? 

Mark Crider

Mark@cccoating.com

Mark Crider, existential philosopher, raconteur and dean of dirty words? ? 

? 

? 

~**~**~? 

? IT WAS A PERFECT NIGHT

(AUG 21, 2005)

Gregory Hernandez

The night was the perfect balance, a metaphor for the changing
seasons.?  The moon hung full and bright in the sky above Newton Lake.?  So bright that when it peeped thru the trees outside my
window I thought it was an airplane at first.?  As it did not move
with the speed that an airplane would on its course from the airport
to their unknown destinations, I soon realized that it was in fact
the moon.?  It was so full, so beautiful, that I needed to go outside
to observe it.?  First I stood outside my window and saw the moon
framed between trees.?  There were some people around and so I
decided to move.?  That's a good thing about the moon, it can be seen
from many angles.?  So I decided to walk along the lake.?  The royal
blue sky held the moon like a jewel in a perfect setting.?  The night
was humid.?  It was about 11 o'clock, so the humidity wasn't
oppresive.?  The day held the memory of the day's heat, but the cool
breezes spoke of the declining days of Summer and autumn to come.? 
The moon in its night sky, the balance of the weather, made me think
of the turbulent seasons I've been going thru in my life.?  There
have been arguments and sadness, and more, there have been the
lessons I've begun to take from these recent experiences.?  The night
seemed like the perfect metaphor: the fulcrum upon which seasons
were balanced.?  The beauty of God's handiwork observed and present
in my life.?  The lessons He is teaching me, the life of wonder I am
trying to keep myself open to, and the love and kindness of family
and friends that I can bask in; these support me, like the moon is
supported in its royal blue sky.

Have a blessed day

gregory499@yahoo.com

? 

Gregory Hernandez (gregory499@yahoo.com) has been a published writer, a model, and a singer in a rock n roll band. He currently plays drums and sings in a Christian band in New Jersey.?  He wishes you well.

? ? ~**~**~

Growing Up: A Piece About Me:

Christina Hymes

Growing up in the 90's is hard. Fashion changed, MTV sky-rocketed, sex started to sell, and looks became far more important than intelligence (or so it seemed). I was in elementary school and was teased for looking like a rat, being a cry baby, and twin sister follower. Things, or rather words got to me. Year after year I was teased and teased. It led me to be self-conscious, depressed, and much more. My family didn't help much either. My older sister would watch MTV and go out every night and I wanted to be just like her, but she hated me and I never knew why until later.

I was trying to find my self and followed my twin around like a shadow. My little sister got on my nerves. I was the youngest, well technically I was and then poof she comes along getting all the attention. Growing pains are heck. It really is painful. Down to the nitty-gritty details. I hated my self. Every one had there own way of getting attention and my way was being myself.
I didn't like boastful jokes like my twin, or getting in trouble like my older sister, or being the center of attention like my younger sister. I was shy and I would hide from people if I wanted to. Especially in high school, when looks really meant something and boy searching became a daily hobby (at least for some people). I became anxious about everything. "What if they're staring at me? What if they're talking about me? I became so paranoid about even the smallest mistake or bad grade that I'd cut my self on certain occasions. I hated being yelled at or doing something wrong. I became so bad I had to find a way out of my sadness. So I began to write.

Now as a college student, happier and healthier, I have moved on. Bullies growing up are just going through growing pains too, and bullying is their outlet. Mine just so happened to be different. But one things for sure, through all that pain, I have found my self. Though I still struggle everyday, I know that I have to live. It is my goal. The one I know I don't have to perfect, because no one is perfect.

Christina Hymes
CDRC Marketing Assistant
hymc0001@unf.edu

Christina Hymes was born in Bethesda, Maryland on March 4th, 1986. She grew up
with her older sister, twin, and younger sister. In 2002, the family moved to Jacksonville Florida where upon she finished high school in 2004, eight in her
class.
She now attends the University of North Florida and will be majoring in
Nursing and minoring in English. Christina writes on her free time. Her work
is a collaboration of poems that deal with her life and the events around her.

? 

? ~**~**~

? 

For Life or Breath

?  by Sharlett F. Hunt

? 

?  My youngest son rushed in after school, handed me some papers he had done and made this announcement, "For life or breath, stop smoking, Mom."?  His class was having an anti smoking campaign and that was the chilling slogan.

? 

?  I wish I had heeded the warning back then, about twenty five years or so ago, but I didn't.?  My eight year old son knew more than me.?  He already understood that I smoked cigarettes and it would eventually affect my health.

? 

?  When I finally learned to inhale in 1961 at age 11, I had already been trying to smoke for a few years.?  My younger sister and I would manage to find a few butts that were smokable and light them up, thinking it was so cool and grownup. If I had only what a habit it would become.

? 

?  I stopped once a couple years back and managed to stay stopped for six months.?  One day I just lit a cigarette and it was all over.?  How soon I forgot that I couldn't breathe as a result of so many years of that poisonous smoke going inside my lungs.

? 

?  I had developed COPD which I don't think is altogether caused by smoking but it tends to aggravate it.?  I realize that I can stop smoking and feel better? but emphysema is a progressive disease that? will get worse as time goes on in spite of what I do.?  The bouts with chronic bronchitis probably will not be as often or severe.? 

? 

?  Thing is, I can't breathe and must use an inhaler three times a day and my doctor says it's just a matter of time before I will have to carry around an oxygen tank everywhere I go.?  Since I ride the bus, that would further limit me.? 

? 

?  Today, I made the decision to quit smoking.?  I asked God to give me strength and made the date to give them up two? days ago.?  So far it hasn't been too hard but I have only been into it since about 7:30 AM.?  That's only 6 1/2 hours without a cigarette but it's a long time for someone who was smoking a pack and a half a day.? 

? 

?  I try to never forget it is not me but God in charge of this thing.?  When that old urge hits I only have to ask Him to remove it and? He does.?  I have hope that I can stay stopped this time.? 

? 

Sharlette863 @aol.com


About Me:

I was born in Alabama, the middle of seven children. At about age four we moved to Central Florida and I have lived here most of my life. I am a Viet Nam Era 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.*************

? 

? 

Writers Feedback

? This is a wonderful story of courage. Sharlett is giving herself and her family a gift. Due to my Father developing Asbestosis while working in the wartime shipyards, our family struggled to provide our daily needs

didn't include College for me or my sister. Later after marriage, I completed Cosmetology School and a successful? Instructor Career. I Still longed for? a higher? Education. My children were going through College,so I joined in at the local Community College.(My youngest son pretended not to know me).I completed my AA Nursing Degree and began a wonderful career as an RN. I continued at the nearby University for a BA in Education,began teaching and got my? BSN through? Testing? and Independent studies? in my fifties. Age should not keep you from learning. One of my Nursing students was 75 years old, and she graduated it the top of the class. I consider it a privilege to have been the Instructor for every student I have had. The education is out there? .Check in with the nearest Library or School.You can study at home and get that recognized Degree. Oh yes, my sister? She? completed LPN?  school in her late fifties and is a valued Nursing Supervisor: still working in the field? she loves.? 

Blessings? ,? ?  Helen Amole RN BA BSN MEd

? 

To Joseph Mazzella, "A Single Leaf" is a lovely inspiring piece.?  The change of a season enlivens the senses to the wonder of creation and engenders much spiritual thought.?  Thanks Joe, I? appreciate your words.? ?  Gabrielle Morgan. ? 

? 

Amen, unknown author - This is wonderful.?  It hits right at the judge not
level.?  Thank you for publishing it.

God bless you,
Marjorie Tomko

? 

? 

? SENIOR WRITERS

Chief Writer: Sharon Bryant

? 

? Agee, Vance;? Apted, Violet;? Baker, Kathy; Batt, Al;?  Berry, Nell; Blaine, Pamela

Boda, Ginger;? ? Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.;?  Cavalera, Robyn; Crider, Mark;? 

Deming, Barb; Doherty, Maria; Goodier, Steve; Halley, Ellie Braun;

Harris, Kathy Anne;? Hunt, Sharlette;? 

Jacobson, Gary;? Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Jenkins, Pamela;

Liles, Norma; Lilly, Jodi Flesberg; Lock, Joyce; Mazzella, Joe;? Morris, Deepak; Ojeigbe, Georgewaters;

?  Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan;?  Shiveley, Debra; Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Streidel, Saskia; Swarner, Ken; Vaknin, Sam; Verhoeff, Jan

Walker, Bill; Walker, Joe;? Warner, Gorden K; Walsh, Sue

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:

?