STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

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Nov 16, 2005? 

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Today's Queue Stories
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? Thank You

Sharon Bryant

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A woman came into my shop today and said, "Are you Sharon?"?  I told her yes.?  She said, "Can I hug you?"?  I looked at her and she began laughing and said, "My husband is in Iraq.?  You shipped boxes to his camp and made him and a lot of soldiers very happy.?  My husband told me to locate you and thank you in person from him.?  He even told me not to send him any boxes from home for a while, that you covered so much of things he and his fellow soldiers need."

Then she looked around and said, "Boy, if he knew you were a chocolate maker, he would flip!"? 

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She then told me the "girl soldier" boxes I sent to her husband's camp made all the female soldiers very happy.? ? Her husband told her that ? I'd sent little bottles of shampoo, scented soaps, things I thought the girls would like.?  She told me her husband thought it was great that someone thought of the female troops also.

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When someone emails me that has received boxes......when someone writes me a letter who has benefitted from the boxes, and when someone walks into my shop and says what this woman did today, then I know in some way, it's helping the troops.

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I told her about the phone card drive and greeting cards I'm doing now and she told me the phone cards will be something all troops can benefit from.?  She said others have sent phone cards and they were not able to use them.? 

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I don't know the person who sent me? money that arrived Saturday for $100.00 but that $100 is going to get phone cards for 10 soldiers.

This is what it's all about.?  Just before I ship the phone cards over in November, I am taking all of them and laying them out on the deck of my shop and taking photos so folks can see how many I receive.?  It is my hopes I have many to photograph.

I'll keep you all posted.

God Bless,

Sharon Bryant

1946 @bellsouth.net

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About Me:

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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 26,
Amy, and a second son, Randy, age 24.

My main goal in life is to help those who
have lost a child. My website is: www.angelsremembered.tk

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~**~**~? 

Signs?

Dianna Doles Petry

He stood there in the kitchen this morning watching me, silently at first. He was dressed in one of his tee shirts with details from a movie filmed in another era, tight blue jeans and his shiny black engineer boots. For some reason, the boots held my attention this morning. He polished them frequently and there was no indication that he wore those same boots to explore the mountains and run through mud holes while he was four wheeling. He had become so neat about his appearance.

I was thinking that he seemed too meticulous for a young man just shy of his sixteenth birthday. He seemed to be far more mature than a sixteen-year-old should be. His features have become so defined that I can no longer see the little boy in him. He has become a man and I didn??™t see the signs that it was happening, or maybe I did see them and chose to ignore them.

"Mom?" He said this in a tone that made it sound as though he wasn??™t sure I was his mother this morning. Maybe he has watched one too many alien movies. After a pause of a few seconds he added, "Are you okay?"

I nodded "yes" to him and grabbed the coffee pot and rinsed it out to get my morning caffeine jolt ready. Now I tried not to look at him. I didn??™t want him to see the tears in my eyes. I didn??™t want him to leave for school without seeing me smile or being irritated with me for still being upset this morning when I??™d had all night to get my emotions under control.

"Mom," he said, this time in a much firmer voice. "It wasn??™t your fault. Spud jumped the fence because he was a dog and that is what dogs do. We loved him but we can??™t bring him back and you always told us that everything has a time to die. Yesterday was his time."

I looked at him and for a split second he looked more like a company commander or the president of a corporation than he did a teenager. I noticed that his hands were clenched into fists at his side and his face looked stern.

"Son, I loved that dog. He trusted me to take care of him and to keep him safe. I let him down. It??™s that simple. He was thirteen years old and he should have died in my arms, not in the highway." I stopped there. My voice was so shaky that I knew even one more word would cause the tears to flow freely.

I had gone out to feed spud the evening before. He had thrown his head back for me to take his chain off as I did frequently to let him have full run of the yard. I hated it that he had to be chained at all but he had refused to stay in the yard from the time he was a puppy. I put up a chain link fence, a stockade fence and even a chain link with an extra fence at the top that curled over but still he would climb it and head for the hills. When I let him loose this time, he didn??™t head for the hills, he ran straight to the front fence line and climbed up and over and ran right into traffic.

"Okay, do you remember all the times you have had reasons to believe that something was going to happen to someone, to something or for some reason? You have always told us to pay attention to those nagging feelings that we need to see someone or talk to them. You tell us to be aware of our surroundings and our thoughts. Well, you had those nagging feelings. The signs were there. Think about it."

He stopped and stood there silently again. His hands were open now instead of clenched, a sign to me that he knew he was in control of his actions and his words. It??™s funny how many little things we notice about the people in our lives. He clenches his hands into fists when he feels angry or if he can??™t find the words to say what he feels. He clenches them when he??™s worried or frightened and I always know when he needs his cool down time if we??™re discussing something he wants to do or feels obligated to do.

His words touched my heart. Two days ago I had been in my office humming to myself and answering cheerful emails. I had been drinking a cup of coffee and listening to a CD of 1970's music that made me feel like dancing. Suddenly, I had needed to see Spud, my escape artist Terrier that lived outside and guarded our home with his very life.

I had gone through the house and looked out at his pen with a feeling of panic in my heart. I opened the door and whistled for him and when he didn??™t come into my view immediately, I went outside to make sure that he was there and safe. Chris, my son, had come outside behind me that day thinking that something was terribly wrong. I had assured him that all was well and he went back inside while I stayed with Spud and talked to him for a while. I had let him loose that day too, only on that day, he ran a few circles around the house and returned to me with his tag wagging and his tongue eager to lick my hand.

I had been given a sign but was it a sign to guard him closer or a sign to spend as much time with him as I could, that having him to talk to would not last forever?

Now the tears were rolling down my cheeks freely. My son, quickly losing the staunch, stern looks he had worn only seconds before, moved closer to me and scooped me into his arms. He hugged me tightly and for a brief moment, I had my little boy back. This was the little boy who has never been able to see his mother hurting or upset. The same little guy who has always felt the need to protect me and keep me safe.

"Mom?" He said questioningly as he gently pulled away from me, "It??™s time to leave for school, are you ready to drive us?"

I looked at my son. He turned and left the kitchen, returning soon afterwards with the keys to the Jeep in his hands. "I??™ll drive this morning." He stated firmly.

The signs are there. He is preparing to find his own way in the world. He is becoming the man I always dreamed he would be. He is more adult than child and he can take care of himself. The most important sign for me to see is that he still needs me and has that need to be sure that I??™m okay.

I??™m going to pay much closer attention to the signs that come my way.

?©Dianna Doles Petry

9/7/2005

For Diana Doles Petry

diannawv@hotmail.com

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? Proud founder of: Women With A Unique Soulwww.womenwithauniquesoul.com

Proud member of: Nuttin But Sunshine www.nuttinbutsunshine.org Webmaster of Short Stories

http://pages.ivillage.com/dianna40 Webmaster of Poetry From Life www.geocities.com/diannawv/poetrypage.html

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? ? ~**~**~

2025

Monika Pant

The year is 2025. I have come a long way. It is my birthday. Today, my little grandchild came to wish me a happy birthday. 

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Remember how you became pensive on every birthday? Marking off another day, ???nothing to celebrate,??? you said. You always waited for someone to wish you. Yes, it is a joyful feeling, a feeling that you are loved and cared for. 

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I see my friends who sit alone on their birthday, for in their youth they have been too busy to keep in touch with their friends. 

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Now no one remembers them, it??™s no use lamenting now. Remember that each time you feel hurt by a word your loved ones may say to you, may not have been intended to hurt you. In this life there is too little time to hold grudges, too little time to keep your hurt stored inside you like a hard kernel. It??™s better to let go??¦ to hold back is, not to let your natural buoyant spirit take over and show you a new horizon. 

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? Go, say what you feel alright, but tread softly, lest your child??™s

dreams be crushed. A child is another individual already; you are not

making her into one. Remember, that if you do not listen carefully, she

will never reveal her darkest secrets to you. For she musters up enough

courage to say a word to you, but, if she gets one little word of

censure, she will never open out her heart again. Listen to her with

just the right amount of concern and indulgence. Too much of either will clam her up.?  Do not be in a hurry to give your child the best, for you may forget to give her the best she wants from you??¦ you, your time, your understanding.

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Then again, that gentleman, your husband, whom you take for granted, whom you can nag without fear, who is so conveniently
within your reach for you to use as a sounding board, needs you to tell him time and again how much you appreciate his thoughtfulness. 

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When he takes the car out of the garage on a day you are late for work, give him a smile before you rush off. When he gets up earlier than you, to get your toddler ready for school, hug him. When you are down with fever and he rubs your back after a tiring day at his office, squeeze his hand. When he
forgets to get you a rose on your birthday but looks sheepishly at the clock, run your fingers through his hair. Let time stand still, sometimes, while you catch up with those undone things, say the words that you have in your heart and are always

waiting for the right occasion to express.?  

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Monika Pant

Senior

teacher at La Martiniere Girls'

College,

Lucknow,

India

mpant65@sify.com

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Poetry Section

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Joyce C. Lock

There's no place like forgiveness,
Down deep within your heart.
There's no place like cleanliness,
Where sin first got its start.

There's no place like some laughter,
Where sadness once contained.
There's no place like having joy,
Where contentment remains.

There's no place like fulfillment,
Where emptiness once lived.
There's no place like in living,
Once you've learned how to give.

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?© by Joyce C. Lock
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

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? ~**~**~

Those Who Will Not See

Violet Apted

Close your eyes and close your mind
There is so much you will not see.
The smile that lights up a baby??™s face,

or the tears of joy that can be shed.
You will miss the glory of flowers in May
The happiness, of the sunshine??™s caress

Close your eyes and close your mind
The loss is yours! You will never see
The beauty, that surrounds you every day.

Moonlight reflecting on the gentle waves
As they lovingly caress the shore.
Close your eyes and close your mind

Not seeing the beauty of the countryside,
or the magnificent glory of the trees.
The Flora and Fauna, will fail to impress,

Because, you simply do not want to see.
You do not care enough my friend.
What will the future generations will find

If you close your eyes and close your Mind.

c Copyright ? Violet Apted

violet77 @optusnet.com.au

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Work: Freelance writer and Tutor U3A
Creative writing

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I am Originally from SussexKent, UK

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And emigrated to Australia, Queensland .

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I can write in any genre and have many stories and poems published in
Magazines. I self published a book of my own poetry book, Titled `A POSY OF
VIOLETS and a book of poetry for my pupils.

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I have completed my first novel a Murder abduction story and now writing my
second. I think my favourite writing would have to be children's stories.
(Pen name Violet Apted) http://www.powerup.com.au/~strummer/violet /Htmls/
MainFrame1.htm

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Writers Feedback

Carol:?  Your snow poem is luscious in image!?  I am not reading all the newsletters as I am way behind in my projects and things that must be done to set me on a safe path as my husband declines.?  I will check in from time to time!

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Hugs vona

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Dear Carol,

Loved this .?  Interesting and challenging to me.?  I may try it.?  (smile).?  Hugs, Leona

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Carol,

? ?  I didn't know about that type of poetry. Isn't it amazing the wonderful variety of ways there are to share beauty in this world?

Keep sharing yours.?  Wishing you every joy, Joe

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If you are interested in acrostic poems, check out Lewis Carrol's books -- they're chock full of them (and any number of other bits of linguistic whimsy).?  If I remember correctly, he even managed to write powems where the first letter and the LAST letter spelt something ...talk about setting a high degree of difficulty! Gregory Hernandez

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Carol, acrostic poetry, would be a very good way to practice writing poetry -? choose a word and work within that parameter.?  You did well with this.?  Thanks,?  Gabrielle. ? 

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The Eviction by Carol Roach: Beautiful story.?  Eviction seem to be the same all over the world. Georgewaters Ojeigbe ??“ Lagos, Nigeria

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I loved George' s story?  hope to see a lot more of him on here.? ? Thanks Carol for giving him the desire to write and share.? ?  hugs to you also?  Leona

Prayer Requests and Updates

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UPDATE ON MY BACK PROBLEMS & URGENT NEED FOR YOUR
PRAYERS

After spending 5 days in an area hospital in Sept.
due to a bout with severe back pain,
I was then seen by a neurologist who referred me a
neurosurgeon.

I went for my initial visit with the neurosurgeon
this past Tuesday.?  He said that my
back was very weak and ordered physical therapy 3
times a week at a nearby health facility.
I will follow through with this for one month for
strengthening?  prior to surgery.
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I am going to have Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery
along with another type of surgery to relieve the
severe spinal stenosis.
One of the surgeries preformed will be to fuse
together 3 vertebras in my lower back?  due to
instability there.? ?  I will undergo both
types of surgery at the same time and will wear a
back brace for some time.? 

While in the neurosurgeon's office,?  the
neurosurgeon showed the MRI to my husband and I.? ?  The
physician seemed
very concerned about a very dark area in my lower
lumbar spine that looked suspicious,?  like cancer.? 
You can imagine
how that made me feel!!!?  It took me totally
offguard. The neurosurgeon is?  ordering a bone scan
before even considering?  an type of surgery.? 

I am not afraid of dying.?  It is something we must
all do at some point in our lives
and although I am very grounded in my faith,?  I am
not ready to leave my loved ones behind just yet.? 
I want to
see my son graduate from college.?  He will receive
his Bachelor's degree next year and plans to
continue school until he obtains his Master's
Degree.?  I would like to live until old age and to
continue writing many more
poems to uplift and inspire others.

Through the power of God,?  I believe that God can
heal me if healing needs done.? ? ?  By His stripes
weare healed.?  I stand in belief that the dark area
may be nothing more than that "a dark area"
that appeared on the MRI due to developing
problems.? 

I am not sure when the back surgery will take place
but from my understanding,?  it will be around
Christmas or the New Year so lots of prayer needed.? ? 
It's always been said, "where two or more are
gathered in His name,?  there He shall be also.? 

Please note that due to the large volume of mail I
receive, I will not be able to personally respond
to everyone who writes to me, but rest assured that
your notes have been read!? ?  I will try and keep
you posted as to progress made in future newsletters.? 

In His Light & Love,
Marilyn Ferguson

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Example of her poetry?  click the following link

November Winds
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=114264

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? SENIOR WRITERS

Chief Writer: Sharon Bryant

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? 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;

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STORYTIME TAPESTRY STAFF

Publisher: Carol Roach-founder

Moderator: Thelma Hartselle-co founder

Moderator: Clara Westerfer

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