STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

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Dec 22, 2005? 

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Today's Christmas Stories
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? Christmas Wish Shopping? 

Sharon Bryant

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I cannot help but remember Christmas from years ago.?  Life is so different now.?  Even though I'm no longer a child, I yearn for some to know how Christmas used to be when we older ones were children.

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Growing up in the cold northern part of the country, there was always snow for Christmas.?  Even in the old days, some houses were decorated.?  In those days, our Christmas tree lights were bigger bulbs than today, and mom and gram were always worrying that the heat from them would catch the tree on fire.?  Funny how those thoughts stay with you through the years.?  I still, when I decorate a tree, keep the lights clear from touching any branches.

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The week before Christmas was a special time for my brother and I.?  We waited for that week each year, knowing how the day and evening would be spent.?  It was what we called, "Our Christmas Wish Shopping with Dad."?  Dad would take us out early in the day and we would be gone until after supper time.?  We went to every store Dad knew of I think.?  The odd thing was we never went inside any of the stores.?  What dad would have us do is look through the windows, at window displays, peeking past the displays and try and see as much as we could.?  We did this store after store.?  Naturally, my brother and I loved the stores that had toys in their display windows.?  Dad would tell us to make a wish, and wish for something we saw that we wished Santa would bring us.

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I can remember walking what seemed miles on that day.?  Our coats and hats would be layered with snow.?  Our fingers stayed warm inside our mittens.? ?  We loved to go wish shopping!?  When we got in front of windows that we really wanted to stand longer and just stare at some things, dad would say, "Do you see something in there that you wish Santa would bring you?"?  Of course we did.?  I saw dolls, little teapot sets, little tables and chairs, and many things.?  But that Christmas I saw something I prayed Santa would bring me.?  It was a dress,?  checkered red, black and white and it had a beautiful can-can beneath it, making the full skirt on the dress look so beautiful.

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I was a square dancer.?  Mom and dad had someone teach me and I appeared in some shows at schools and some clubs around town.?  But I didn't have a real square dancing dress.?  That Christmas when my eyes set on that dress, I knew, that's what I wanted Santa to bring me.? 

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On Christmas Eve that year, ? when we opened our presents late at? night, I remember a bride doll I got.?  I remember the bike I got.?  But what I remember most of all was that there was no square dance dress under the tree.? 

When we opened the last gift, dad stood up from the chair he was sitting in and said, "What's that?"?  We all looked and watched as he picked up an envelope from the floor behind the tree.?  "It has your name on it," he said as he handed me the envelope.?  I looked at him and he said, "Go on, open it, see what it says."

I opened the envelope and it said, "Go to your room."?  I looked at dad, he smiled and asked, "What does it say?"?  I told him it said to go to my room.?  He said, "Well, what are you waiting for?"?  I flew up the stairs to my bedroom.?  I ran into the room, grabbed the cord to turn on the light, and there on my bed was that beautiful dress with the can-can.

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Mom said you could hear me squeal two blocks down the street.?  I ran back downstairs with the dress and spinning and hopping around, I yelled out, "My wish came true.?  Santa REALLY found a dress just like the one I saw on my wish shopping trip."

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I wore that dress at all my shows that winter and spring.?  When I outgrew it, dad made sure I had another one just like it that fit me.?  If I close my eyes real tight, I can still see myself as a little girl that Christmas.?  When wishes came true and Santa brought me the one thing I wished so hard for.

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Dad and I went on our wish shopping trips every year until I got into my teens.?  I treasure those years he and my brother and I went wish shopping.?  It was something I carried on with my own son when he was old enough to understand why we were standing outside in frigid temperatures looking through glass windows wishing for something we saw.

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? Sharon Bryant

1946 @bellsouth.net

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~**~**~? 

? Christmas By The Manger

Sharon Bryant

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I can't remember how many there were of us that year in our Sunday school class.?  I can't even remember the names of the other kids except one.?  His name was Frankie.?  I was nine that year and Frankie was six.

Frankie always was horsing around in class.?  He'd get the other kids laughing but boy, would he ever get our teacher mad.

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It was Christmas time in 1955.?  We were having a Christmas program and we practiced every chance we got to sing perfectly, all the words to "Silent Night."?  I had all my words down pat, and so did all the other kids.....except Frankie.

I really don't know what it was about Frankie.?  He was a cute little boy, but he just didn't want to do what the teacher told him to do.?  He wouldn't participate the way the rest of us did, but still, we were in one class and every child was going to be singing for our Christmas program.

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Our big night arrived.?  I remember mom bought me a new dress.?  I felt so grown up with my white gloves, white dress trimmed in red, and my new shoes.?  Frankie had on new clothes too I saw.

We arrived at church a good hour before the program began.?  Our teacher wanted us to go over the song one more time, just in case someone had forgotten their words.?  We practiced and everyone, even Frankie, sang very well.

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The stage was all set in the church.?  A little manger scene had been placed on the stage and that's where we were supposed to sing our song.?  Someone had put a cute little lamb near the Baby Jesus.?  There was also a little pig and a rabbit by Baby Jesus.

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There were a couple other songs sang by others before it was our turn to sing.?  We were all behind the makeshift curtain on the state when our teacher motioned for all of us to enter.?  We were supposed to stand surrounding Baby Jesus as we sang Silent Night.

The church was filled with people.?  The music began.?  Our music began and we all joined in together singing........."Silent Night."

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I think, now that I am older and understand more, what happened next happened because of the animals that was placed around Baby Jesus.?  As we stood in a circle to sing, we were halfway through the song when Frankie belted out with, "Oh McDonald had a far, EIEIO."?  Horrified, our teacher motioned from the side of the stage, shaking her head violently, NO, but Frankie kept belting out Old McDonald.?  Everyone began to laugh.

I thought they LIKED it.?  Frankie thought so too because he began to dance while singing.

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Needless to say, we never got to finish our song the way it was supposed to be sung.?  People were wiping their eyes from laughter, and my mom and dad sat in the front row looking like they could not believe what they were seeing.

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Frankie didn't attend church the next Sunday.?  Mom made him stay home.

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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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Poetry Section

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A Christmas Prayer

Author: N. Berry? ? ? ? 

12/16/01

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Lord we came through 9-11 and as Christmas draws near,

we??™re keenly aware of Satan??™s schemes,

destroying things we hold dear.

We??™re stunned at this tragedy, in a state of disbelief,

we realize how blessed we??™ve been,

to come through this time of such grief.

We??™re grateful and we understand,

but for Your tender mercies, and Your protective hand,

this nation might have been destroyed.

There is so much sadness, and so many fragmented lives,

?  many people unemployed.

Father, we know we??™ve been spared for a reason,

and not just because it??™s the Christmas season,

to accomplish Your will on earth. We celebrate the miraculous birth

of Jesus our Lord, and Savior of mankind.

We exhalt His holy name. He is forever the same.

Praise Him, Praise Him, His name be magnified forever,

forever our King He reigns.

Nell Berry

nmberry@mcmsys.com

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Bio: Nell Berry is a published author of one book, Growing Up In Missouri and Other Short Stories which is available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and publishamerica.com. She has written numerous poems, as yet unpublished. She lives at Mark Twain Lake, in Missouri with her husband of 55 years. He was 75 on Halloween and Nell will be 75 her birthday, Valentine??™s Day, 2006. They have four children, nine grandchildren and two great granddaughters.

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? ~**~**~

? Star So Bright? 

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Twinkle, twinkle, star so bright,
Leading with its guiding light,
Shining down for all to see,
A child is born in Galilee.

An angel told the shepherds there,
About the child, the clothes He'd wear,
Though He is King, it is the Law,
You'll find Him in a bed of straw!

The people all began to shout
And find this child they'd heard about,
They saw the star up in the sky,
And knew they'd find Him by and by.

The three Wise Men had traveled far,
To see this child, under the star,
The gifts they gave of wealth untold,
The Love they found, more precious than gold.

For God loves each and every one,
And so He sent His precious son,
To live and die on Calvary,
He gave His life for you and me.

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.

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My Christmas Wish? 

Norma Liles

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I wish I were a fiberoptic angel

A sittin' on your tree so daintily

With a great big smile of attention

Flashing lights at every girl & boy.

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If I were brightly shining on your tree

You'd hate to place me back into storage

I add so much to all your decorations

In the place of honor, topping the tree.

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I'd outshine the mistletoe beside me

Creating a stir for everyone to see

Just sitting here, minding my own business

When I'd like to be right there with you!

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So what say you put me in a place

A place where? folks could see me

All year long, all year long

Instead of in that little bitty box!

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Norma Liles ?©

(to the tune of: I'd like to be an Oscar Myer weiner)

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NormaLee Liles ?©

hoopla214@yahoo.com

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About Me:

Norma Liles is a retired data entryclerk/supervisor who lives in Ohio. Her hobbies
are: writing poetry and stories, reading, her family, living for Jesus and her use of her computer. Her ambition is to add pleasure to those who read her writings as well as sharing her faith.

My writings have been published on Starfish, Driftwood, Sandollar, Morning Spirit Lift,
www.poetry.com, PrayerofGod, Jan Karon's newsletter, American Poetry Writer's league,
Lucy's Inspiration, Faithful Hope reading room, Poetry of Today publishing, Hope in Him,
Bonnie's Place, America will remember and News Moose. Finally, she is a senior writer for Storytime Tapestry.

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Writers Feedback

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Prayer Requests and Updates

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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; Gilbert, Robert Jr; Goodier, Steve; Halley, Ellie Braun;

Harris, Kathy Anne;? Hunt, Sharlette;? Hymes, Christina

Jacobson, Gary;? Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Kevin, Tim 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;

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