STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

Dec 7, 2005 

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

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

Restoring the Peace

   by Sharlett Hunt

  The storms that came through Central Florida last year wrecked havoc on the homes and properties of so many.  Almost a year later, you can still see the signs of the devastating winds and rains that tore through here in Lakeland where I live. 

   It was such a surprise to those of us who haven't seen a hurricane since 1960, when Hurricane Donna made an entrance into town, packing winds of over 100 mph.  I was ten years old at the time so it really wasn't a big deal to me.  I was in a foster home and the parents were such loving people.  They had three children of their own and kept about four foster kids at the time, my sister and I being two of them.  They fixed us all beds in the living room of this old house, away from the windows.  I remember a couple windows were broken out but not much else.

  The storms of 2004 were different in the fact that four major storms hit us, one right behind the other.  Many of our elderly people were confronted with not having a home anymore, after using their life savings to move down here to retire.  Our FEMA program did a fine job of helping them relocate and repairing their homes when possible.  I am very proud of the way our citizens stood together and helped their neighbors.  Many, including myself, are still suffering from psychological issues, having gone through the stress of all this devastation, some say similar to having been through a war.

  My yard was my biggest heartache.  The storms tore holes in my roof and it was leaking but my yard was more important.  I loved my flowers!  My patio was like a small sanctuary where I went to sit and enjoy all the greenery that God had helped me grow.  I had roses and ferns, herbs, all sorts of green, leafy hanging plants.  I marveled at the many shades of green in nature!  I had just bought a storage shed and took pictures of my lovely little corner of the world.  After the storms my patio cover was hanging on a tree and the shed was gone.  Most of my potted plants were overturned and ruined, also my roses. 

  I was sickened that this happened after all the work and hours God and I had put in making this little place so beautiful.  I just knew I could never do it again and when I went outside, I couldn't even look for months.  I just picked up the mess and decided that it wasn't worth the gamble to try again.

  Then one day I noticed my honeysuckle vine still strived and was blooming!  It was April, 2005, and the sun started shining for me again!  I decided I needed to get to work and plant plant some more flowers to enjoy.  God was taking care of the ones that were left because I wouldn't even water them.  They were growing and starting to bloom anyway!  I started to think that if I would help God by doing my part, I could have a beautiful yard again!

  I planted some sunflowers and zinnias in the yard.  My neighbor gave me some hanging plants.  I finally got my patio cover back up so my ferns could have some shade and some of the depression left me.  I wanted my environment to be pleasant again.  I knew this had everything to do with my mood and the way I look at life in general.  I love flowers so much and by refusing to grow them again, I was turning my back on love and hurting myself.

  Today my sunflowers smile at all the traffic that drives by my little trailer and the honeysuckle smells so sweet in the evening.  I can sit out on my patio and enjoy all the lovliness and talk to my savior.  Even though there are many cars going by, I can feel the peace that is there.  I am so grateful that God allowed me to rebuild and make something good out of a bad situation.  He restored my soul!

Right now I intend to continue the beautiful awakening in me of my creative juices that were nurtured with such loving care in January when I first took this course.

I intend to continue to explore my subconscious

I intent to continue to challenge my senses

I intent to continue to create beautiful words which pour from my soul.

 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.
.

~**~**~ 

Spare Things

 Sharon Bryant

I have always been the type that has believed in having a spare of things hanging around.  You know.....just in case you EVER need something.

I've got spare cans of air duster, spare ink cartridges, and even a spare keyboard.  We never know when we're going to have to replace our keyboards.  Of course, mine no longer has any printed letters on the keys.  I wore those off ages ago.  Hubby says, "How do you know what to hit to type?"  I say, "Well, we had to learn without looking at our keyboard back in high school.  I know the position of all the keys."

I am SO glad I had the spare keyboard tonight.  It's a little different than my old one, but it's got nice letters you can see and it's so clean.  My old one has ink smudges on it.  A couple paw prints, a few ashes here and there, you know, the standard.

Tonight I was printing out an article I wrote.  I had my  Diet Coke glass sitting on the desk next to my computer when the printer jammed.  The little sign came up saying 'PRINTER JAM, open back and release paper from there, front unload will do damage to your printer.'  I thought, WOW, now I don't need my printer going on the blitz here, do I?  So I pulled the printer out, and lo and behold, I can't FIND any opening in the back.  I see everything from the front.  I went to stand up after leaning over the printer and my coke glass toppled over.  Guess where it went?

It missed the floor.  It missed me.  But it didn't miss my keyboard.

Just about this time, some ad was on TV for a new cell phone.  I heard it beeping.  The phone ad went off and the TV was still beeping.  I thought, "What is that?" 

Do you know when you spill liquid on your keyboard, it beeps?  And it won't stop.  I mopped the coke up, I cleaned the keyboard with a rag, I used air duster to help dry whatever is beneath the keys and it STILL kept beeping.   It wouldn't type anything for me.  I hit the keys and nothing showed on the monitor.

Then I remembered I had the new keyboard.

Have you ever counted how many wires are behind your computer?  Mine has, let's see, I lost count at 78.  LOL

Hubby is the one who always hooks and unhooks things for me, but I didn't want him to know I'd spilled my diet coke on the keyboard so I decided to unhook the old one and put the new one on.

This is not a simple feat for a woman my age.  Not when this huge desk is only inches from the wall.  Way too heavy for me to pull out from the wall by myself.  So I decided I'd crawl under the desk and get my hand around the desk back and just replace the keyboard cord.  Nice thought.

I thought I'd follow the old cord, hold my finger in that area so I wouldn't lose the position. (It's dark behind my desk). That does not work.  Not when you're lying on your back, and you have this little tiny space to get your hand behind the computer. through a mass of cords of all sizes.  I decided I'd find a flashlight.  Hubby always has one of them hanging around.  I found that. 

Have you ever tried balancing a flashlight to beam on the area you want, plus hold your finger near the area you want to plug the new plug into?  It's not easy.  Not in 5 inches of space.  I pushed, I twisted, I twirled, I turned and suddenly the plug stuck! 

I remember when I wrote the story about Hans Brinker, who held his finger in the hole in the dyke to prevent the town from being flooded.  While I was trying to hook the new keyboard up, I started laughing.  Naturally the dogs heard me and had to come see what was going on in the computer room.  I'm ticklish and trying to hook this mess up with two dogs licking your feet and legs, is also not easy.  The more I yelled, "STOP," the more they kept tickling me.  And the more I laughed.

But you know the old saying.....where there's a will, there's a way.  And I finally got this new keyboard hooked up.  And that beeping stopped, so I'm a happy camper tonight as they say.  I may not feel that way in the morning after the angle my head was bent at, and my fingers going numb from trying to hold the space the old plug was at.

And from now on, I will NOT try and open my printer with my Coke glass sitting next to me.  I'm still trying to figure out if I short circuited the keyboard or what, and why it kept beeping.

Shhhhh, let's not say anything to hubby.   I'll see how long it takes him to notice there are now letters on the keyboard again!

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 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

Poetry Section

~**~**~

 Emptiness

Steve Johnston

Withdrawn from the world outside my window,

I watch through the cracks of the blinds.

Voices echo from below my window,

Thunder rattles my walls.

I am alone and feeling the weight of my company,

Seeing my own weaknesses in vivid color,

Fearing my own shortcomings,

Second-guessing my life.

Thoughts echo against the walls,

Bare emotions surface exposing flesh,

Vulnerable before my own eyes,

Digging at myself.

Worthlessness takes root,

Love and affection seem distant,

Tears well inside,

I am alone.

The weight of my depression pulls at my defenses,

Everything is wasted,

I hope you understand,

I am nothing.

There is a moment of light,

The wind blows,

Darkness takes hold,

A frozen picture in oblivion.

?© Steven Johnston

Stevenmjohnston@yahoo.com 

 ~**~**~

Vessel

Steve Johnston

Emotions passed,

like a breathe,

from your lips,

to my heart.

Seeds of inspiration,

planted within my mind,

fertile and strong,

incubating an idea.

Carried along,

within the tumbler,

worn and shaped,

weathered by the day.

Until that moment,

when a silent spark,

ignites within,

a flame of understanding.

And from my vessel,

comes pouring clear,

cool words,

and emotion.

Steve Johnston

Stevenmjohnston@yahoo.com 

 For more information and additional pieces visit Steve??™s blog at http://sparksofinspiration.blogspot.com/

Writers Feedback

I will think of the boy this year who is in the Home.   I think I'll make up a few pounds of fudge and take it to the Home.  I think it may lift some spirits and maybe help a 13-year old boy know that somebody cares.
Sharon Bryant
1946@Bellsouth

Sharon...
One day you will share a Crown with your Son in Heaven...  We don't know why things happen as they do, but were it not for you many a person would do without the loving kindness you offer so willingly. 
God Bless and thanks for the 'sharing of information last week',
Jo Ann S.  

 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; Hymes, Christina 

Jacobson, Gary; Kiser, Roger Dean; Kevin, Tim; 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

Weymouth, Barbara; Whirity, Kathy; White, Robert;

STORYTIME TAPESTRY STAFF

Publisher: Carol Roach-founder

Moderator: Thelma Hartselle-co founder

Moderator: Clara Westerfer

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