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| << February21, 2006 - Feb 21, 2006 - Storytime Tapestry - Valentines Contest |
February22, 2006 - Feb 22, 2006 - Special Treat - New Writer - Patricia Stallings >> |
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Storytime Tapestry Newsletter The newsletter devoted to
spreading love and cultural awareness around the world. ? Today??™s Contest Stories ~**~**~ Valentine Sweetheart By Nell Berry? ? ? ? 1946, I began the
school year as a seventh grade student at Clay Elementary School in St. Louis,
Missouri. Being very shy, I was having a difficult time trying to make
friends.? I was two years older than most
of my classmates but I somehow made friends with a few of them. Soon, I was
called to the Principals office and was told that my school records had been
received from my home town of After eighth grade graduation, I entered high school the
following year. I was so painfully shy and self conscious and did not have many
friends. I became friends with a girl who lived pretty close to my house. She
had beautiful red hair and was very attractive and very popular. Shirley had
many friends. I was eventually included in her circle of friends and this gave
me a feeling of acceptance. We went to movies together and just hung out with
her friends. I say her friends because they weren??™t really my friends. They
just more or less tolerated me because I was Shirley??™s friend. Many times we met at the library after dinner and just
hung out. We never opened a book, in fact, I don??™t actually remember going into
the library; just meeting out in front of it. One of the guys that frequented the library was a tall
thin young man with wavy blond hair and blue eyes. He was a clown, always
clowning around with the girls mostly. I guess he had his eye on me and I liked
him very much. I always liked guys who made me laugh. He made me laugh. His
name oddly enough, or nickname was Bunny. He walked me home from the library
that first night and we began dating. We were fifteen years old, he was a
sophomore in high school and I was a freshman. I asked him why he was nicknamed Bunny, ???Because when I
was a little kid,??? he said, ???I was a towhead, with white hair like a rabbit??™s
cotton tail, so they called me Bunny.??? From that day till this I call him Bunny and his mother
called him Bunny till she passed away. Bunny and I dated for a few months then we stopped dating.
On his birthday, a year or so later I happened to remember it was his birthday
and called him on the phone to wish him happy birthday. He had just bought his
first car, a 37 Chevy and he was so proud of it he wanted to come over and show
it to me. He paid $75.00 for it. He came over to show off his car and we began
dating again. This time it lasted. I remember once we had gone to a show in downtown Valentine??™s Day, 1950 on my 19th birthday he
gave me an engagement ring; June 24th of that same year we were
married. That was fifty five years ago and we are still married. We have four
children, two girls and two boys. Now we have nine grandchildren and two great
grandchildren.
Nell Berry lberry001@centurytel.net ? Bio: Nell Berry is a published author of one book,
Growing Up In ~**~**~ If I had my life to live over? Norma Liles ? If I had my life to live
over,? I would probably do the same things again.? If given the
chance, I would love more and live beyond the boundaries of life's career
choices.? I would treasure each moment that I spent with my Mother when as
a child I would be with her as she did her household chores.? I would stay
closer to my Dad when he was available to let this hard working man know that
this child was happy being a part of the very family that he and Mom had
created. ? I would be more kind to my
baby sister as I had to walk her to school, carry her books and stay outside
and wait for her when her class was held over.? I would spend more time
with my oldest sister who I lost too soon with cancer.? I would seek more
of the guidance of my second oldest sister who was so very close to me and left
this life before I was ready to let go.? ? I wish I had more time to
spend with my oldest brother who was so charming, such a tease whom I
classified as my hero.? I can look back at the memories that sister Ann
and I made when we would recall the things of days gone bye.? I? wish
that my sister who is a twin could see eye to eye with me but we all look at
life in a different manner ? My youngest brother although
older than I knows that I love him dearly as I make sure that I tell him so and
finally after years of quiet in that realm, he finally has found those words:
"Sis, I love you!" ? I know without a doubt that
my special needs sister and I have a bond that cannot be severed even when it
comes to the end of our lives.? It is set in stone as I enjoy a special
love that equals no other. ? As it stands now,? I can
say that my four remaining siblings and myself? have a close bond which
stems from the wonderful role models we had in our parents.? We have
honored our parents with a family reunion to commend them for all the things
that they taught us and finally we have paid our respects to their memory. ? I am happy that I have a
healthy relationship with my daughter and her family.? I am blessed with
the love of friends online and off.? I wish to convey my blessings to all
those who read these words as this is my Valentine message for 2006 as well as
the years that have gone and the ensuing ones. ? Although I mention this most
important love at the end of this message. I must give special precedence to
the One who made and makes it all possible; the Love of my life, Jesus Christ
who makes it all worth while.? ? Happy Valentine's day to you
and yours and make this a day of making memories. ? NormaLee Liles ?© NormaLee Liles ?© hoopla214@yahoo.com Norma Liles is a retired data entry clerk/supv who is 76, a native of and still resides there. She is very outgoing and loves to make new friends!? Her hobbies are: writing poetry
and stories, living for Jesus, reading, her computer.Her ambition is to add pleasure to those who read her writings as well as sharing her faith. She enjoys Southern Gospel Music and loves to sing. a senior writer for Storytime Tapestry. ~**~**~ A
SPECIAL KIND OF LOVE? Sharon Bryant? ? Love is known all around the
world.? There are many kinds of love.? Some people love their
pets.? Some love their spouses.? Some love their neighbors and
friends.? And some love the food they eat. I have many special loves.?
But I've always had and always will have a special kind of love from someone
and for someone. My love began many years
ago.? Perhaps it began when my eyes opened and I saw another set of eyes
looking back at me. Perhaps it began when I began to
talk and walk.? Nevertheless, it's always been there. My love? is my father. ? Many women have told me through the
years how they were abused by their fathers.? Some have told me they were
beaten, raped and forced into unthinkable conditions.? I can only imagine
a life like that.? And I thank God I never had to live with memories as
such. ? After my father's death, I and my
two siblings found out exactly what a wonderful man he was.? For we found
his secrets in paperwork we had to go through.? We found the photos he had
carried back from a war.? We realized then just how much family meant to
him.? We never had a doubt in our minds how much our own family
meant.? We loved him.? It was that simple.? And he loved us. ? I remember years ago when one of
my friends mom and dad were getting a divorce.? He saw how my friend
suffered, torn between her parents.? I remember what dad told me that
day.? He said if he and my mom ever had to go through that, he would have
left quietly and never played the pull and tug game with us.? He said
children were the ones who paid in a divorce and he would never do anything to
destroy our love for our mom or for him.? I've often remembered that
conversation that day, and as I grew into an adult, married and had my own
family and faced divorce, I realized what me meant. ? I thank God that I have a pretty
good memory and can recall dad walking fast along side me when I was trying to
ride a bike without training wheels.? I can still hear him laughing and
saying, "Pedal, straighten up you can do it!" I remember when I would lose at a
game and he would say, "It's not the winning that's important, it's the
fact you had nerve enough to try." ? He taught me honesty.? He
taught me to be fair in all things in life.? He taught me business at a
young age and at age 16, I was doing his books for him.? I remember the
night of my 8th grade graduation and he presented me with a brand new
Remington, manual typewriter.? I thought I was the richest girl in the
world to have my own typewriter.? He knew the stories I? wrote and how
long it took me to handwrite them out. ? He taught me how to ice
skate.? He taught me how to pitch a baseball and have the best curve in my
toss that a girl could have. He taught me how to paint and
draw.? He took me to movies.? He gave me chores to do and if I was
really good at getting them all done before Saturday was over, I was treated to
a Sunday afternoon out to any place I wanted to go.? Dad and I sat in ice
cream parlors sipping root beer floats more times that I can recall. ? He taught me to pay attention to
the news.? "It's always important to know what's going on around the
world," he used to say.? And he taught me how to maneuver a boat at a
young age.? And fishing, I remember how tickled I'd get when I would catch
a bigger fish than he did. ? Mom used to say she didn't know
what dad would do without me.? She always said, "You are your
father's buddy."? While most little girls were playing with teapots
and dolls, I preferred to help dad paint the boat or mow the lawn or put up new
poles for a new clothes line for mom.? "You're a tomboy," mom
used to say.? She'd laugh and I knew it was a good thing. ? When I lost my son, had it not
been for dad, I would have given up totally.? He drove 55 miles one way
seven days a week to check up on me.? He would pull a chair up and look at
me in the foggy world my mind became and he would tell me how much he and mom
loved me.? He would tell me how strong I've always been and though he
didn't know why this happened, he wanted to help me.? I told him no one
could help me.? He always said, "I'm here for you, I always will be.?
Mom and I love you and it hurts us to see you in this shape." ? When I began dating, I always
tried to find someone like dad.? The day came that I realized there is no
one like him.? I believe now the day he was born, God did throw away the
mold. ? Our marriage is supposed to be
one of the happiest days of our lives.? Twice my father walked me down the
aisle but just minutes before that walk began, he told me, "You don't have
to go through with this."? In my heart, I knew he didn't approve of
the guys I had chosen.? I wish now he had told me why, had given me a
warning instead of telling me I didn't have to go through with it.? He
knew something that I didn't, and yet out of his love for me, he gave me the
choice of making my own decisions. ? I remember in 1964 when I had
saved money for years and had enough to buy a new car with, I went out alone
car shopping.? I found a '64 Corvair ? On January 16th this year, he and
I sat down with the album I made him for his 80th birthday.? We sat
together on the couch.? He kept pointing at photos and saying, "Look
how little you were in this one."? Or, "Look at that new bike
you got that year." He then came to the memorial page
I had made in memory of my son, my mom and my brother.? This was when the
knife-like pain? stabbed my chest so bad I could barely breathe. "Who is this?" Dad
asked.? He pointed at my son.? I said, "Your grandson dad, your
first grandchild, named after you."? He looked at me and said,
"I don't remember him.? What did he die of?"? I had to tell
him a tree fell on him.? He looked at me and said,
"Yours?"? It was all I could do to speak at that moment.? I
nodded my head.? Seconds later, he sort of slapped the side of his head
and said, "What's wrong with me, I know who Andy is."? I can't describe
the pain that conversation left me with. ? Alzheimer's does that.? It
robs you in a split second of your past.? It robs you of your
future.? And it robs those who love you of something you prayed you would
never have to deal with.? The day before I left, dad told me he never wanted
to go into a home, no matter what.? Then he said, "My dear girl, I
can't live forever.? But I never want to be put in a
home."? ? ? He said he prayed when it was his time to go, it
would be quick because he never wanted to be a burden on me or my
siblings.? I looked at him wondering why he would ever think he could be a
burden on us.? I would have given my own life for him. ? I thank God that something told
me to go to I thank God I had my camera with
me and took photos.? They are my lifeline right now.? They are what
keeps me going. ? I wasn't going to write anything
for Valentine's Day this year.? But since the topic is love, I decided I'd
try.? To me, love is the greatest thing any of us can have.? There is
no price tag on love.? There is no time limit. The love I have for my father has
been the greatest love I can ever imagine.? Without him in my life and all
that he taught me, I would not be the person I am today. If I had my life to live over
again, I would want the same dad.? I wouldn't change anything.? I
am? proud to be his daughter. ? Sharon Bryant 1946 @bellsouth.net About Me: I am Sharon Bryant,? 59 years old and reside in ~**~**~ Poetry Contest Section ~**~**~ ?©My Love and I...? Barbara J. Ervin-Weymouth ? ? Dancing and
swirling under the moonlight with my love??¦ as? the gentle
breezes caress our skin and gently ripple? through our hair. ? My love and I swing
and sway as one... gliding across the great abyss ? I smile with
delight as the moonlight bounces off of his dark hair and olive skin... My heart skips a
beat as I gaze into his eyes and? my
heart? fills with warmth and delight. ? All the while
dancing and yet never missing a step, never missing a beat. He gazes fondly
into my green eyes and they speak? of his love? for me without speaking an
audible? word... ? I can see my
reflection in his beautiful eyes; eyes as dark as the night with a sparkling
glint of moonlight dancing there. ? I can see the
moonlight dancing off my fair skin and my flowing
flaxen hair??¦ ? as his lips are gently reaching down to caress
mine. ? This dance, this
wonderful dance filled with wonder and delight will be forever in
our hearts and never far from sight... Eternally etched
deeply in our souls and in our minds! ? Oh, how I love thee
my beloved one...? I long to feel your touch. Where are you my
darling, I have been waiting for so long! ? ? ?©Copyright, Barbara J.
Ervin-Weymouth, ?®All Rights Reserved? ~**~**~ ?©Ode to
Richard and
Barbara
J. Ervin-Weymouth
? ?
When I think of my friends Richard and I think of love never ending as a circle,
which has no beginning and has no end??¦ It is hard to tell where Begins??¦?
And so the same with Richard where do you end and where does I find it hard to speak of one without the
other??¦ They truly are as one.? It is as breathing out and breathing in; love that truly has no
beginning and has no end. And the part that truly warms my heart is
their devotion to our Lord.? Again it is like breathing out and breathing in their deep devotion to
our Lord it has no beginning and it has no end. May their marriage to our God and their
marriage to each other??¦? flourish as evergreen branches on the eternal tree of life. ?©Copyright, Barbara J. Ervin-Weymouth, ?®All
Rights Reserved ABOUT ME: My name is Barbara J. Ervin-Weymouth; I was
born and raised and still reside in the Sacramento daughter-in-law Dawn, together they have
given me two beautiful gifts from God, I call my grandchildren. I have one very spoiled Staffordshire
Terrier, Rosie, who doesn't know she's a dog, shhh!? I have worked in public education for 27
years.? After 22 of them I decided to become an Adult Education Teacher.? It has been the realization
of a life long dream. I have been Substitute Teaching for the past five years.?
I??™m still praying for a classroom and students of my own. Well, it seems the Lord had another plan, I
am now working as Office Administrator for Placer Email Address: Weymouth@cwnet.com ~**~**~ Readers Feedback Carol ??“ Fun with food - This is fabulous!? I know a couple of dietitians and I will forward this to them.? What fun!? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Louise ? ? 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; Gilbert, Robert, Jr.; Goodier, Steve; Braun-Haley, Ellie; Harris, Kathy
Anne; Hunt, Sharlett; Hymes, Christina; Jacobson, Gary; Kiser, Roger Dean;
Kerens, Claudia; Kevin, Tim; Jenkins, Pamela; Liles, Norma; Lily Jodi Flesberg;
Lock, Joyce; Mazzella, Joe; Morris, Deepak; Ojeibge, 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, Gordon, K; Walsh, Sue; Weymouth, Barbara J.; Whirity,
Kathy; White Robert; Storytime Tapestry Staff Carol Roach -
Founder/publisher Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder,
Moderator Clara Westerfer ??“ moderator Bob Johnston - moderator ? |
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| << February21, 2006 - Feb 21, 2006 - Storytime Tapestry - Valentines Contest |
February22, 2006 - Feb 22, 2006 - Special Treat - New Writer - Patricia Stallings >> |
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