Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

July 8, 2006

Today’s Queue Stories

~**~**~

BEECAREFUL

 Sharon Bryant

When I was little and I would go outside to play, my mom always said "be careful."  I passed those words on to my children years later when I became a parent and my kids would go off alone to a friend's, to a movie, school function, etc.

Now years later, I am telling myself beecareful.

A few months back, I wrote about carpenter bees.  I have no idea what states they are in, but they definitely are in the state of Alabama.  They love wood.  Anything with wood and they prefer newer wood than older wood.  They set up housekeeping, and they return over and over to their new "home" no matter what you do to prevent them from coming around your home or business where there is wood.

When we purchased two new wooden rocking chairs for our porch, that's when I found out how they set up their housekeeping.

From day one that we sat the rockers on the porch, it was like a signal, "Hey, there's some new wood on these folks porch."

And here they came.

They are as large as a bumblebee.  They are as noisy as one.  I'm told they have no stinger and cannot sting us, but I haven't been proven that as of yet.  So I'm trying to beecareful.

When we first got our rockers, they drilled a hole overnight into the back of one of the rockers.  I would get up mornings and see fresh sawdust on my porch.  I knew the little suckers were working when I was not looking or when I was at work.

The other night we were having supper on the porch and two bees came buzzing around my husband who was sitting in this rocking chair.  At first I thought the bees were confused and "thought" I had some new wood on the porch.  Actually, everything on our porch is made of wood, from the rockers to the lounge chairs, picnic table and picnic benches.  But the one rocker is the only item they have chosen to make their home in.  So far.

I decided I'd outsmart these fat furry creatures that I am not fond of.  After supper, I stood in the doorway and watched as one crawled into the hole they drilled.  Then another entered the entrance.  I knew then, as large as the bees are, that they have drilled deep into the length of the back of the chair.  I have this super strong bug killer that I bought from a food supplier.  "Guaranteed" it said to kill ALL insects.  Well, bees are an insect, right?  But guaranteed?

I grabbed my can of spray and waited for both bees to crawl into the hole, then I was ready for my attack.  I held the nozzle of the can right at the hole and I let her go.  Four good squirts I gave it.  Enough to knock their socks off so to speak.  I waited a minute, no sign of any bees.  I figured I'd killed them in their "home."  Wrong.  I started to walk back into my house when something told me to turn around, which I did.  Two black fat bulgy eyes were crawling out of the hole.  Like nothing had happened.  I grabbed my can of spray and let him have it.  He kept crawling out.  I let him have it again.  He was looking at me with those ugly eyes when I gave the nozzle one last spray and the bee fell off the back of the chair onto the porch.  I squashed him.  Suddenly, here comes the other one, same ugly black eyes and he was buzzing.  I was ready.  "Come on, you sucker," I said.  Those black eyes came out of the hole and I let him have it.  He was buzzing really loud at this point.  I was bound and determined to end this wood drilling business at my house.  I sprayed him again.  He flew out and I jumped back behind the door as he was coming at me. 

You ever try and spray a big bee while it's buzzing loudly, and doing 360 degree moves in front of you?  In one second he was above my head, I sprayed.  In another second, he was in front of my nose.  Spray again.  I ran into the house and grabbed the fly swatter.

Trying to swat one of those bees with a swatter is like trying to hit a baseball at 95 MPH and you'd never hit a baseball before.

Back and forth we went, me with spray can in one hand, spraying, swatting at him with the other hand.  Finally he flew up over the roof. 

I decided I had to DO something.  So I got some aluminum foil and tore off a pretty good size sheet from the container.  I cone shaped the foil and stuck it in the hole.  It just kept feeding into the hole.  I had to go get more foil.  Three times I went for foil to fill the hole.   Hubby saw me and said, "They'll only chew the foil and spit it out."  I said, "No way, the bee won't bite into the aluminum foil."

I was wrong again.

I went inside the doorway and stood watching.  Here came the bee from up on the rooftop.  He checked out the chair really well before he tried to enter his drilled out doorway.  One second he was above the chair, another second he was at the back side, then the front.  He was moving so fast, I wondered if it could be registered as to how many MPH they DO fly.

Finally he landed right at the hole.  The foil was packed tight, (I think) and his body couldn't get into the hole.  I stood there thinking, "Ah Ha!  I finally outsmarted one," when suddenly I see him getting inside the hole.  I ran outside on the porch and that sucker was chewing the foil dropping the little pieces on the porch.  I still had my swatter in my one hand and the spray in the other.  Knowing how much spray the bee had consumed and STILL didn't die, I knew I better think of the swatter only.  I got behind him.  All I heard was the buzzing as his rear end was slowly going inside the hole.  But enough of his body was sticking out of the hole so I let him have it.  I got him.  He fell to the floor of the porch and was buzzing rather wildly and very loudly.  I brought that fly swatter down on him and all he did was roll over.  So I stepped on him.  My two dogs were barking wildly during all of this, and my border collie was trying to help me catch the bee as I kept yelling at her, "No Ladybug, don't touch that!"

I have to beecareful in these parts.  and if anyone knows of what I can pack into that hole on my rocker that will keep anymore bees from going inside the hole, I'm open for all suggestions.  I'm afraid one day I'm going to sit down on my rocker and the whole back is going to fall off from the drill team.

Sharon Bryant

1946@bellsouth.net

~**~**~

So, just incase you didn't get it the first time ...

$ Financial Freedom $

http://www.holyisthelamb.com/testimony6.html

Or, you didn't get it the second time ...

Leaving Your Financial Wilderness

http://www.holyisthelamb.com/viewnugget.php?id=82

And, especially, if you didn't get it the third time ...

Are You Tired, Yet?
http://www.holyisthelamb.com/viewnugget.php?id=118

This one's for you ... 

$ Financial InSecurity $

Joyce C. Lock 

Owe no man any thing ...

Romans 13:8
 1.) Borrowing is to do your banking with the devil.

2.) Every time you go in debt unnecessarily, you set yourself up for defeat by opening the door to financial bondage.

3.) Borrowing is to rob God of the opportunity to bless you.

4.) Borrowing (beyond for house and auto), even for need reasons, is a lack of faith that God is capable of providing or a matter of doubting that He will.  And, believing anything less than that God loves you enough to be there for you is to side with Satan in calling God a liar.  Though, God is capable of providing houses and cars, too.

5.) Borrowing for non-need reasons is like saying that God's provision for you isn't good enough.

6.) Going to the devil for your needs and wants, instead of bringing them to God, is not wise money management.  Neither can it be blessed.

7.) God enjoys blessing us, as any loving father would.  But, He also loves us enough to say, "No."  Thus, when funds are not provided, God had something better in mind.


    Trust God to do the most loving thing possible, knowing (while God does not always answer when, or even how, we think He should) He always answers in time.  Being such, it is good to learn the value of patience (not only because waiting is for such a short time compared to the bondage that will otherwise occur, but) because victory comes from the Lord.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,

and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Trials are opportunities for getting to know God.

Welcome the lessons.

© 2005 by Joyce C. Lock

http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

If you want to know how to be a successful writer,

by the world's methods and standards, I have absolutely no idea.
However, if you have a passion to use writing as a tool

to reach people for the Lord, have I got Good News for you!

Poetry Section

~**~**~

WHAT IS A HERO?

Barbara Williams

BarbaraB345@aol.com

You asked a question of me today.
You asked a question which is hard to say.
You asked what a hero means to me?
I guess I best answer you this way.

A hero is a mother who loves you so.
Or it could be a father who helps you grow.
Or maybe a brother who is always there.
Or how about a sister who will always care.

There are so many things a hero could be,
So you see this is not so easy for me.
It could be a person I hardly know.
A one time thing that just happened to go.

I guess a hero could be all of these things.
One without the other just won't ring.
I've answered the question the best I can.
So if you don't approve ask another man.

Written by: Barbara J. Williams

~**~**~

LOVE NOISE!

Barbara Williams

The children are home can’t you hear?

Just listen to the noise my dear!

Harold is fighting with Joel over the             TV!

Leonard is screaming, “Mom Kat’s picking on me!”

The dog is barking his head off outside!

You cheat Kathleen it’s my turn to hide!

“I’m going to knock your head off is you don’t stop that!

“Hey, who said you could wear my favorite hat?”

If you don’t shut up I’m going to spank you son!

You kids don’t have to yell to have some fun!

Why is it always so noisy around here?

Can’t you keep those kids quite dear?

You wanted quiet will listen to this.

Can’t you hear it, what do you miss?

The noise is gone forevermore.

It left quite slowly as each child walked out the door.

You wanted quiet will now it’s ours.

Yes, we’ve too much quiet for too many hours.

This place is so lonely without all that noise.

I wish there was someone here to fight, oh, I’ll call the boys!

Hey look dear at who just drove up!

You better hurry dear and put up the china cup!

Thank you Lord for bringing it back home!

Yes, thanks Lord for the LOVE NOISE that’s ours alone!

Written in Morrow, Arkansas on June 1979 by Barbara J. Williams as my children left home one by one.

~**~**~

THE STORM

Barbara Williams

The storm is all around us the thunders roaring so.
The rains coming down in torrents you can't see which way to go.
The weather man says there's a tornado warning for this county were in.
It's scaring the little children also the women and the young men.

The old folks say for us not to worry and we shouldn't be afraid.
We have a warm dry cellar to go to that's got lots of can goods and marmalade.
Grandpa said don't worry he's got everything in full control.
The lamps they all got oil and grandmas got the cookie jar in toll.

Daddy’s got the blankets and all our warm sleeping bags.
And mommies got little Leonard and Joel's got our dog Tag.
So we're all off to the cellar to get away from this real bad storm.
Grandpa says not to worry cause it'll all be over before morn.

Written by: Barbara J. Williams

BarbaraB345@aol.com

~**~**~

WE THANK YOU

Barbara Williams

BarbaraB345@aol.com

You work so hard I don't know how you do it.
You keep your smile all the way through it.
Your love of life shows as you do your thing.
You answer each call as the patients ring.

You're always there when you hear someone cry.
You always have an answer when they ask why.
When a loved one's lost you seem to feel our grief.
Thank you for the love you have in your eyes.

Yes, we thank God for letting you be what you are.
Because we know without Him you wouldn’t get very far.
I know a nurse’s profession is not an easy one.
So I thank my precious Jesus because you're a special person.

This was written for the nurses at Washington Regional
Hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas by Barbara J. Williams

~**~**~

 THANK YOU FOR THE BOYS LORD

Barbara Williams

BarbaraB345@aol.com

You've sent us many boys Lord.
To watch over and to love.
Each one is an individual Lord.
You've created in your tender love.

You've given each one a personality Lord.
To be totally all his own.
Help us to understand him Lord.
And prepare him for his new home.

Please let him know we love him Lord.
And we want only the best for him.
Help us Lord to show him how
To love you and stay away from sin.

Oh, I know there'll be many times
When we'll probably want to say
"This boy just isn't going to make it."
"But please Lord don't let it be that way!"

Because each boy belongs to you Lord.
As do each one of us here.
So please Lord bless each one of the boys.
And let them know that we do care.

To the boys of the Kings Ranch in Morrow Arkansas.
Written by: Barbara J. Williams

May God keep you in His loving arms and I pray Jesus walks beside you as you walk the path way God has placed you on today. And I pray the Holy Ghost fill you with the Wisdom and the Knowledge to complete all God has placed on your plate each day.
Barb's Christian Home
http://www.geocities.com/barbwill.geo/index.html
God's Lessons
http://www.geocities.com/barbara_williams_72901/index.html
Barb's Christian Home
http://www.geocities.com/barbwill.geo/index.html
Gods Home
http://www.geocities.com/godshome_2000/GH-openingpage/GH.html
God's Children
http://www.geocities.com/bama242/index.html
Click to join Gods manna
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/GODSMANNA/join

Readers Feedback

Carol,
   Thanks for running this one today my friend.  I would have all my dogs
send you a big kiss with this letter, but computers and dog drool don't mix
well. :-)   I am keeping you in my prayers.  Wishing you every joy, Joe

Prayer Requests and Updates

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; Booher, Paula; Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.; Cavalera, Robyn; Crider, Mark; Deming, Barb; Doherty, Maria;

Dowd, Hartson; Dowd, Helen; Gilbert, Robert, Jr.; Gold, Ron; Goodier, Steve; Braun-Haley, Ellie; Harris, Kathy Anne; Henry, Linda Ann; 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

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Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder, Moderator

Clara Westerfer – moderator

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