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May24, 2006 - May 24, 2006 - Special Treat - Hartson Dowd >> |
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Storytime Tapestry Newsletter The newsletter devoted to
spreading love and cultural awareness around the world. Today’s announcements Hi everyone.. Well David just left, he's heading down to see Nikki
for the weekend... and I am in total wonderment at the news he gave me.. He
kept telling me not to get excited just yet, but I'm afraid I just can't do as
he asked.. Nikki's blood count is already on the rise.. Now,
anything under 500 is considered zero so she's technically still at zero.. but
she went from numbers like 40 to 250 in two days heading upwards. It was
figured by the doctors that she would be at 40-zero for at least a couple of
weeks, but instead her count is raising already. The doctor's said that
they are going to start changing all of her meds over to pills by the end of
the coming week and if all goes well, she will be in the residential unit by
the beginning of next week.. a full 3 weeks ahead of schedule for the normal
working routine of these procedures!! The reason that we are told not to
be too excited is because the count can bounce around at any time and go up and
down several times before becoming steady in the rising... only time will
tell.. She is beginning to lose the hair she had grown back again and has asked
David to bring up her clippers so she can just get rid of it all instead of
shedding like an animal..lol but other than that, she's still doing good.
What prayer can do!!!!!!! God bless everyone of you always.. Love,
Al, reyjaz@aol.com Now onto the good stuff! Today’s Mother’s Day Stories ~**~**~ Rescuing Mom By Mary-Ellen Grisham
Typically, parents are thought to rescue kids from the stuff of nightmares, and
they frequently do. As the children grow and mature, though, sometimes
they return the favor. Housework was fraught with dangers in the old
days, and I can remember coming to Mom's rescue more than once at our Mom kept
a daily and seasonal schedule of housework so that all chores got their due
time and close attention. Even such old-time duties as scrubbing
woodwork, stretching curtains, canning produce, and washing windows inside and
out were in the yearly schedule. I can
still remember hearing mom's voice urgently calling me from the upstairs, where
she was washing bedroom windows in our two-story brick house.
"Mary-Ellen, Mary-Ellen, come quickly! Hurry!"
Responding to her cries for help, I found her seated in the back bedroom window
with the top window pulled down to her waist so she could clean it. For
some reason, the window was stuck, and she could not push it back up.
There she sat, the equivalent of three stories up, no porch beneath and nothing
below but scraggly grass, dirt, and a rough concrete walk. I tried to
pull the window up, but it was evidently wedged just enough that my girlish
arms were not up to the task. Soon Mom
was free, Hazel returned home, and I begged Mom not to wash windows that way
anymore. She smiled at me and agreed that cleaning the inside was
probably enough on the second story windows. Dad heartily seconded the
decision! Another
time, I was outside playing, and I went in for a drink. "Thank
heavens!" Mom exclaimed, as she looked up at me from the large vent in the
dining room. She had removed the grate over the enormous vent in the
corner beside the stairs. The wide- mouthed opening, which funneled down
to a narrow opening over the furnace, must have been six feet long and
wide. While she was cleaning the vent and corners, she had slipped in,
feet-first. Because it was summer, there was no danger from heat, so we
both began laughing, as we tried to figure out what to do. I tried
pulling her up by hand, but the sides were slick enough that she would slip
back. I tried lying on the floor with a broom, which she grabbed, and
steadily scooting and pulling backward, but I just wasn't weighty enough to do
the job. I placed a sturdy chair near the edge, holding it firmly, so
that she could try to use it to get leverage to lift herself. No luck,
with that either! I heard
someone on the front porch and ran to the door to find a neighborhood
friend. Chuck and I tried to pull her up and almost succeeded.
Fortunately, his uncle was visiting, and a fast dash up the street brought the
help we needed, with the necessary rescue. The last
of these rescues that I remember involved the old wringer washer in the
basement. Doing the washing was usually an all-day-long job, and over and
over, my father warned us about the dangers. The round machine, in which
the washing was done, sat at the side of three tall rinse tubs; and the clothes
coming from the washer were fed through an electric ringer into the first
tub. Normally, all went well; the clothes were processed through three
rinses and were carried by basket to sturdy clothes lines outdoors for hanging
in the sun and air. One day,
though, mom was doing sheets and bedding. I was helping guide the clothes
through the ringer, and kept warning mom not to get her arm twisted in the
sheets. I don't know exactly what happened, but in spite of our care, the
bulk of a sheet and the focus on the wringer caused mom to get twisted in the
folds of one sheet. Her hand and arm were slowly moving toward the
wringer. With one hand, she tried to pop the top of the wringer up, thus
releasing her and the mass; but even though I added my push power, we just
couldn't move the top. Having
been briefed by Dad about what to do, I ran to get a small bench, took care to
stay out of water, and moved it under the light with its plug-in socket.
Quickly, I pulled the plug, and the sheet quit moving. We both sighed our
relief, and with the panic gone, we were able to disentangle the sheet and free
Mom. As my
mother aged, there were other times I "saved" her from harm.
Incidents with stepping off curbs, night driving, and keeping her from burning
down her condominium come to mind; but nothing ever haunted my dreams the way
the childhood rescues did. In retrospect, we laughed about those dangers,
but our humor was always tinged with grateful thanksgiving for having escaped
the worst. (c)2006 Mary-Ellen Grisham Author's note: While this
story may not have the sentiment of some mother-daughter tales, I think a
careful reader can discern that my mother and I had a good rapport and a loving
relationship. I hope you enjoy this sojourn down my memory lane! ~**~**~ Mothers Day Bob Shaw
With Mothers Day right around the corner, I was having trouble finding just the
right gift. I knew Ronni wasn’t big on perfume, bath soaps, or any of the
typical everyday things. Besides, I wanted to get something really special that
year. As
I wandered through Sears, looking at all the Specials, I happened to see one of
the new Microwave Ovens. Then I saw the price tag. I believe I invented the
term “sticker shock”. It starts with a slight tremble of the hands and the eyes
rolling back into the head. Evidently, the salesman had seen it before. He just
smiled and told me it was only so much per month on the monthly easy pay card.
Then he showed me how it worked. Cool. This would make the best gift ever. As
long as I didn’t show her how much it cost until she tried it. I
got the thing home and managed to hide it until the next morning, and brought
it out announcing that I would fix Breakfast. That brought mixed reactions from
everyone. It was well known that when I get close to anything that cooks, I’m
usually the first thing to get burned. Heck, I can’t even boil water without
burning it. So
there I was, trying to remember everything the guy said. Those early Microwaves
were a bit more complicated than those of today, but with a little luck, I
finally made Breakfast. At least it was edible. And I didn’t get burned. It was
a first.
Ronni and the girls were thrilled with the new kitchen toy, and couldn’t wait
to start making things with it. They didn’t read about not using anything metal
with it. Had an early Thunder Storm that morning, Lightning and all, but it
didn’t harm anything.
The first thing Ronni wanted to fix was a baked potato. She forgot to read the
time table. Thirty three minutes later, the potato had turned into a blackened
rock, with a good amount of smoke throughout the house. When she got her
courage up again, and read some more of the book, she decided to fix a hard
boiled egg.
When she got the mess cleaned up, she decided to stick with boiling water. We
had the most expensive coffee warmer in the County.
She was determined not to let this thing beat her. With some practice, and more
reading, and several notes stuck to the kitchen cabinet, she started getting the
hang if it. Those days were fun, but I knew not to make fun of her about it.
She’s little, but she can run faster than I can. Bob Shaw CapeRabbit@semo.net Bob
and wife Ronni live in the Cape Girardeau, ~**~**~ "Many Unexpected Blessings..." (God
works in mysterious Ways!) by
Paula Booher "Paula you've Got to Come NOW!" were the words
of my brothers' insistant voice as I answered the phone. He
continued with phrases like, "The doctors say it won't be long"...and
"They don't think she'll last another week" and ..."How
Soon can you get here" ..."Do you need any money or can you make the
trip on your own?" My head was spinning as I tried to get my mind around
what he was saying. It was early October 1999. I remember it
was around the time of both my mother and my own birthday; hers' was
October 24th and mine is October 29th. Mother had been ill with so many problems for so
many years. Her suffering was a heavy burden. She was on oxygen
24/7, yet that was not her major complaint. She was in pain
from rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and diabetes. She
had a benign brain tumor, (for at least 20 years), she had survived
uterine cancer in her 20's, (with many female complications since
then), and she was in the last stages of emphysema. Every time she
was put in the hospital for anything, she contracted pneumonia. We always
hesitated when the doctors recommended a stay in house in any
hospital. She was happiest when she lived in my sister and
brother-in-laws home for many years. It was Home to her. I hung up the phone with my brother and proceeded to tell
my husband Roger that I had to go to Strasburg to be with my Mom. I was
frantically making plans without any thought for anyone else. We only had
one vehicle at the time, 1986 Isuzu PUP truck. I had no idea if
it would make the trip or not and I didn't care. It was all we
had and it was going to make it. I had no money to speak of. I started
scrambling for all the ideas people could think of and anything I could pawn or
sell to scrape up enough gas money to get me out there. I didn't care
about getting home. I just had to get to her. Then reality hit! I couldn't travel alone. I
was ill myself. I had a seizure condition that could be potentially
dangerous. The truck could break down and I'm no mechanic. Roger
couldn't go with me at that time and we couldn't all fit in the truck
and travel with a baby anyway. Brooke was around a year and half
old. Once again my mind went into overdrive for answers. My friend
Lisa popped into my thoughts. I asked her if she would like to go and she
said "Yes!" She loved my Mom almost as much as I did. It
was a Go...we packed up and left. Lisa and I hit Upon our arrival I collapsed from being absolutely
drained. Three hours later I was awakened by ambulance attendants loading
Lisa into the ambulance and my brother-in-law telling me he had to take me in
his car and follow them. Lisa had become critical and they had no choice
but to call for help. We got to the hospital just after she did
and soon after we were told that one of her lungs had collapsed. A
weekend trip to see Mother was going to become whatever time it took to make
sure my friend Lisa was well enough to travel. Mom was back at home from
her brief stay in the hospital and she was doing better. It seemed the
doctors had miscalculated her death once again. Now the focus was on Lisa. The hospital personnel
couldn't have treated her better. She was in very good hands. She
was in the hospital for two weeks in total before they could get her lung
to stay up. In that two weeks I spent time with my Mom that I Didn't
expect to have. Lisa got the treatment from a topnotch hospital that she
may or may not have gotten in We didn't have any money to return home on. The
Chaplin heard of our plight so he gathered $200.00 for us to return home
on. Somewhere on the returning trip I lost some of the money.
Lisa and I prayed that whomever found the money would have need of it. We
stopped at a gas station to fill up with our little money left and the
Holy Spirit told me to buy a specific lottery ticket. I did so. I
went into the bathroom and scratched it off. It was a $5.00 winner.
I thought that was nice. I continued scratching...it was a $10.00 winner...nice
again. I continued scratching and before I was finished I had won
$50.00 on that one ticket. We were already well across Oh yes, the story doesn't end there. Mother did go
home to be with Jesus and her suffering did come to an end. This Mother's
Day is Very special. Here is how it happened. On After a few minutes of calming him down, he explained
that an ambulance had been called that Friday morning to the house by our niece
Casey. Mother was attended to by the paramedics, loaded up in the
ambulance, and she just went to sleep. They could not revive her on
the way to the hospital. I had just spoken to Mother the Thursday morning before
for a couple of hours. There was a spark in her voice that I had not
heard in many years when I told her she could be healed from
the top of her head to the souls of her feet...In Jesus Name Amen. Her response was, "Do You Really Think
So?" As usual I said, "ABOSOLUTELY MOM!" Little
did I know she was going to meet Him face to face the very next
morning. Her pain was finally lain down. This weekend our niece Casey is graduating with honors
from My mother, Gertrude Alice (Shull) Roe Pendleton dreamed
of being a school teacher since second grade. She finally made that dream
come true at the age of 46 after raising three children. She went back
for her GED, her undergraduate degree, her college degree, then two more years
for her special education certificate with a minor in library sciences. I know in my heart that God will honor my dream of
building a library in her honor one day very soon so that no one will forget
her legacy of sacrifice, hard work, and dedication to children
everywhere. She believed that all children have the right to a fair
education no matter their family’s social status or income level. That's MY MOM! Trudie.
Copyright Paula Deann (Roe) Honeycutt Booher - mother of
Jami (Honeycutt) Loftin, Jakob Honeycutt, Brooke Booher, stepmom to
Jordan & Travis Booher. I am the very proud daughter of a Great Lady and the even
prouder granddaughter of Neoma Gertrude Caroline (Hartman) Shull Wahlers,
Mother of "Trudie". Pauline (Roe) Sherman - mother of Casey Sherman Casey ( THIS IS DEDICATED TO MOMS EVERYWHERE! KEEP UP THE
GREAT WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY LOVING THOSE IN YOUR CARE... ~**~**~ She
Had to Leave It was Time Norma Liles She had to leave, it was time. As my sister, Ann and I, stood by our Mother's bedside
with heavy hearts, we chatted with Mother as she went in and out of
conciseness; trying our best to appear calm while our insides were falling
apart. I had never been with anyone who was dying before and this
was traumatic as it was my dear Mom, the one who has always been there for me
and for my siblings, no matter what. I see the color leave her forehead and I wanted to scream
but I held on with the stamina that I had been taught by the lady who lay there
without anymore fight left in her dear body. My mind went back to all the times we had heard her play
the piano and sing alone or with one or two of us. In a more lucid
moment, she said: "We are going to have a party!" My sister said:
"Mom, if we are going to have a party, we have to have a song."
Dear Mom in her weakened state started singing softly; 'That old black
magic.' Of all songs that was not the greatest one to hear but that was
so typical of this fine lady who had music in her very bones. She had fought the good fight and before she left to go
home with Jesus, she instructed my oldest brother that we, her off springs,
should stay together and not to worry and to always remember that 'Life is for
the living.' When Mother's day comes along, I try to remember that she
was and is the 'Queen of my heart,' and I feel privileged to have had her in my
life for forty-seven years of my life. NormaLee Liles © Prayer Requests and Updates Ginger: sending warm and loving thoughts your way. hope for whatever is best for your dad
love and hugs, vona Senior Writers Chief writer: Sharon Bryant Chief
researcher/historian: Hartson Dowd 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; Marlor, Janice Bumbalough; 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; Wainland, David; Westerfer,
Clara; White Robert; Storytime Tapestry Staff Carol Roach -
Founder/publisher Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder,
Moderator Clara Westerfer – moderator Bob Johnson - moderator
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| << May24, 2006 - May 24, 2006 - Special Treat - New Writer - Magdalena James |
May24, 2006 - May 24, 2006 - Special Treat - Hartson Dowd >> |
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