Happy Sunday, Gang!

Happy Sunday, Gang!
We have more than 1200 confirmed members now. WOW!!!
Thank you everyone.

Today I bring you another lesson I've learned
from the birds we feed in our back yard.

If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to
your friends. I only ask that you leave the link
at the bottom for them to join us.

    NOTE: IF YOU WISH TO STOP RECEIVING MY STORIES, PLEASE USE THE
UNSUBSCRIBE LINK BELOW. PLEASE DO NOT MARK ME AS SPAM.
MY STORIES ARE ONLY SENT TO THOSE WHO SUBSCRIBE TO MY EZINE.
http://www.zinester.com/cgi/unsub.cgi?[%group_id%]&[%pid%]&[%phash%]

    Ginny and I took a walk in our local park yesterday.
We did a little bird watching and saw several birds we
haven't seen before.

    We got a wonderful surprise. On the cliffs over the
Hudson River, with Manhattan in the background, were
four Turkey Vultures. They sat on the cliff only 10 feet
from us. They are huge birds. I posted a few pictures of them
on Myspace. You can view two of them at this link:
http://collect.myspace.com/reloc.cfm?c=18&fuseaction=viewImage&imageID=5395629&friendID=155446816&id=

AND

http://collect.myspace.com/reloc.cfm?c=18&fuseaction=viewImage&imageID=5395634&friendID=155446816&id=

    A week ago I wrote about my favorite flower - The Mayflower.
A good friend of mine who lives in Nova Scotia was kind enough
to send me a picture of a cluster of these wonderful treasures
to me. You can see them at:
http://collect.myspace.com/reloc.cfm?c=18&fuseaction=viewImage&imageID=5396163&friendID=155446816&id=

Here's a nice link sent to me this morning:
http://freegraphics.immanuelministries.net/goodnews.html

    A good friend of mine has a new book out. You should check
this out. Carol's been through rough times. She tells it all
in her latest book.

New Book by Carol Roach:  - Angels Watching Over Me

Pick up the book at lulu.com: http://www.lulu.com/content/644485

Carissa Forbes, a young Black girl of seventeen, leaves her beloved
family in rural Nova Scotia to make a life for herself in the Montreal,
Quebec, Canada. Much befalls this young girl as she tries to adapt
to big city life. She meets and falls in love with a French Canadian
man and is faced with an awful truth at the end of their relationship
that changes her life forever.

Carissa has an extraordinary ability to communicate with angels.  In
all of this, Carissa maintains contact with the spirit world even
when she ignores the warnings.  Imaginary friends, dreams, fortune
tellers and special numbers all play an integral part of this woman's
life until the end of her journey.

Once her daughter marries and creates a life for herself, Carissa
is finally at peace.  Her angels have come through for her and she
is finally happy.

Carol Roach
M.Ed, B.A.
Publisher: Storytime Tapestry
Author: Angels Watching Over Me:http://www.lulu.com/content/644485

Now for today's story:

                       Feathered Trust

    Our home filled with the heavenly scent of fresh-baked
bread. Outside, snow covered the ground. Several birds gathered
in the bush behind our house for protection from the fidget wind.
I cut the first slice from the warm loaf, placed it on a plate, and
gathered the crumbs from the counter.

    I was about to throw the crumbs in the garbage, but remembered
the birds. I slid the patio door open and tossed the crumbs to the
base of the bush. As soon as I closed the door, the birds flew to
the ground and devoured the still warm bread.

    It became a habit - when I sliced bread, the birds got the
crumbs. More birds began to hang around. Ginny and I decided to get
a bird feeder. The day after we set it up, our backyard was filled
with more than a hundred sparrows, a few grackles, a pair of cardinals,
and a variety of other birds.

    We loved to stand by our patio doors and watch them feed. At
first they were shy. They'd fly from the bush to the feeder and back
again - afraid to be out in the open. If Ginny or I walked out on our
deck, they'd all fly away. A few weeks after we put the feeder out,
they learned to trust us, and only fly to the far side of the bush.
They'd wait for us to leave before returning to feed.

    It was the same when I filled the feeder. At first they flew
away. Now only a few fly away. The rest stay and watch me. I move
slowly and try not to startle them. Through patience and perseverance,
I've gained their trust.

    We live close to the Hudson River. A variety of hawks nest on
its steep cliffs. Unfortunately, my back-yard feeder has become a
feeding ground for them too. Hundreds of birds perch on the outer
branches of our bush. If one bird senses a hawk, it makes a noise,
and rushes to the center of the bush, where the hawk cannot reach
it. Heeding the warning, the rest of the flock follows. The flock
is a team with many eyes. Each member looks out for the others.

    Your family is a team. You're part of a team at work and in
sports. Towns, villages and cities are teams. Countries are bigger
teams. The earth is one huge team of humanity. If we apply ourselves
as the birds do, our teams will succeed in protecting its members.

    For this to happen, each member of your team has to trust the
others. It took time persistence and patience, but the birds learned
to trust me. It will take the same for your team to succeed. If it
works for the birds, it will work for all of us.

    Michael T. Smith

    I love your comments, Send them to msmith4 @ nj.rr.com.
REMOVE THE SPACES - I'll include some in every post. See below
for some great comments from last week.

    If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to your friends.
My only request is that you include the link for your friends to
join our family.

To join our family, go to:

http://subs. zinester.com/ 86758/

REMOVE THE SPACES TO GET TO THE SITE. SPAM BLOCKERS ARE

HURTING EZINES. DON'T LET THEM PREVENT YOU FROM READING

GREAT STORIES.

    As promised, here is a list of great inspirational sites.

I subscribe to all of them. You will love these sites.

Run by my friend Carol, Storytime Tapestry at:

http://archives.zinester.com/98907/

By my good friend Keith in Australia:
http://www.agiftofinspiration.com.au/

My friend Phil runs http://www.peoplestuff.com.au/
Phil's awesome and brutally honest

Zev, yes another friend, runs http://empoweringmessages.com/stories/

Heart Catchers is a wonderful site.  www.DianeDeanWhite.com

www.Heartwarmers.com and www.petwarmers.com are two

wonderful story sites.

http://hodu.com/

http://www.mydailyinsights.com/

www.ripplemaker.com

http://www.sermonillustrator.org

http://www.SkyWriting.Net

http://www.archive.zinester.com/9516

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WarmFuzzyStories/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WithInSight/

That's all I can think of right now. If I come up with

more, I'll add them.

Enjoy!!!

Comments my story "Hidden Treasure" from last week:

Dear Michael
What an absolutely delightful story.  I am so pleased that
you decided to rework it.  With the cobwebs wiped away you
have a sparkling new read ready for your eager readers.
Thank you for reminding me about the treasures that are
all around us.  It only takes a minute to sweep away those
'dry leaves' and we are truly blessed with our finds.
Have a wonderful week.
Take care and God Bless
 
Lesley S.
Loughborough, UK

************

Thank you for sharing the story with me ,
I love your site and I have passed it on to others.
Have a blessed day.
Sandi

************

What wonderful memories Mike, It brought back memories of
when I was a little girl and would pick these big bouquets
of Mayflowers and then try and sell them on the side of the
road.  We would get so excited if we sold some for a dime ,
A dime back then bought a lot of penny candy!
I can't wait to get out looking for some Mayflowers and
will have a huge sniff for you !
Hugs Alice

Alice is my friend who sent the photo of her bouquet of
Mayflowers in the in above.

************

Hi Mike.
I copied and sent the information about keeping the car
keys next to your bed or in your hand to ward of thieves
or muggers. It is a great safety tip. But I could not find
the link to your web site to include it. It should be
immediately following or prefacing  your story.

Thanks,
Nell
Bio: Nell Berry is a newly published author of Growing
Up In Missouri and Other Short Stories which may be purchased
from www.publishamerica.com, Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.
She is 74 years old and has four children, nine grandchildren
and two great granddaughters. Her husband of 55 years is a
woodworker and can build about anything out of wood. Nell's
activities include sewing, crocheting, cooking and of course
writing poems, song lyrics and short stories. She is a regular
attendee at her church and loves to sing the gospel songs.

************

Hi Mike!
LOVE your story about the mayflower, and appreciate the
link so I could view the picture.  Sure do wish I knew what
they smell like.  Can you describe the scent?  Is it very
sweet?  Similar to any other flowers? I hope Ginny knows what
nice things you write about her.  Your loving compliments
are a treasure to her, I'm certain.
Have a marvelous Monday and a week ahead filled with blessings.
Sandi in FL.

Note: Ginny does know about the things I write about her.
It makes her uncomfortable sometimes, but I want the world
to know how much I love her.

************

Hi, Mike--
 
As always, I enjoyed your latest story, Mike.
Thanks.
Your safety tip was really welcomed.  Am forwarding to
my wife and daughter.
Peace,
Ron Gold

To unsubscribe, go to:
http://www.zinester.com/cgi/unsub.cgi?[%group_id%]&[%pid%]&[%phash%]

Hi, Gang!

    I'm excited today. My story "The Tattered Bookmark"
won first prize for the month of April at Ourecho.com.
I won $100.00. You can read it again by clicking on
this link:
http://www.ourecho.com/story-1909-The-Tattered-Bookmark.shtml

    I've had an idea for a story for a some time now.
A few weeks ago, I read about a free writing contest.
I saw a chance tie my idea into it.

    Below is my entry.

    If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to
your friends. I only ask that you leave the link
at the bottom for them to join us.

    NOTE: IF YOU WISH TO STOP RECEIVING MY STORIES, PLEASE
USE THE UNSUBSCRIBE LINK BELOW. PLEASE DO NOT MARK ME AS SPAM.
MY STORIES ARE ONLY SENT TO THOSE WHO SUBSCRIBE TO MY EZINE.

I'd Love your comments.
Send them to: msmith4@nj.rr.com

If anyone is interested, here is the information to the
contest. I know many of you are writers. Here's a chance to
challenge yourselves.

Sure, anyone can write a 200,000-word novel, but a 500-word
story with a beginning, a middle and an ending? Now that
requires skill. No dawdling. Every word counts. Yep.
Every. Single. Word. So send those adjectives packing and
kick those adverbs to the curb. Oh, and while you're at it,
gaze upon the drawing for inspiration because at some
point in your short, short journey, you have to mention
a bridge.

"Word length may be up to 500. But not a word more.
Open to writers worldwide. Entries must be original and
unpublished.

Winner will be published in the June issue of The VERB.

"Winner grants ReadingWriters, publisher of The VERB
writing ezine, First Electronic Rights. Simply put,
this means you allow us to publish your short story
first on the Internet. After June 2007, the story will
move into The VERB archives and remain there until/unless
you ask us to remove it. You, the winning author, retain
ALL other rights to your short story, including the right
to sell it to print publications, to sell it as a reprint
to other websites, to publish it in foreign markets, etc."

PRIZES: $100 and more
ENTRY FEE: None
DEADLINE: May 31, 2007
URL: http://www.readingwriters.com/

Here's my entry:

               If Only I could Bridge Time

    John sat on his parent's covered porch and watched
the river flow by. The old house was his now. His mother
lay in a fresh grave beside his father. He regretted not
seeing her more. NASA kept him busy as cancer ate her life
away. He'd arrived in time to hold her warm hand one more
time.

    Laughter interrupted his grief. Upriver, a young boy
leaped from the bridge and splashed into the cool water.
Above the bridge, the first star of the night sparkled.

                ************************

    "John?" His mother looked at him. "What are you thinking?"
    They sat on the porch. John stared at the bridge. The
first star of the night shined above it. "Mom, I want to be
an astrophysicist."

    "A what?"

    "Mom, I want to study the stars. I want to find other
earths."

    "Oh, Johnny! Your head's always in the stars. Come on!
Time for bed, young man."

                ************************

    "John, NASA is pleased with your work on the shuttle
program." His boss sat behind his desk. "I have a new project
for you."

    "Yes, sir?"

    "NASA's joined with several countries to search for life on
other planets. We want you to lead NASA's involvement."

    "I'd be proud to, Sir." He shifted in his chair, giving
away his excitement.

                ************************

    Radio telescopes around the world focused on a likely
prospect for life, a region of space dense with stars and
possibly planets like our own. High powered transmitters
beamed signals at various frequencies and in different protocols
in hope other civilizations would receive and interpret them.
    "John," his partner looked at him. "We may not be alive if
we get a response. The closest star is twenty light years away."

    "Brad, we have to hope they're more advanced. They may be
able to warp time."

    They checked the computer connected to the receivers each
day. It remained blank.

                ************************

    The phone woke John from sleep. He rolled over. "Yes?" he
asked.

    "John, we blew a tube! The whole system is dead!" Brad said.

    John sat up. His graying hair stood on end. "Brad, don't
panic! I'll be right there."

    "What if we missed a response?"

    "Brad, if they send one message, they'll send more." John
crawled from bed. His aching joints made him groan.

                ************************

    John sat on the porch. Over the bridge, the star twinkled.
It sat in the middle of a region where they recently discovered
a new planet - the same region of space they targeted long ago.

    John was connected to a network of computers now. His phone
vibrated, interrupting his thoughts. A text message came in.
"Hi, Earth! I'm Amber. Visit Mispace at misp://love.wow.com..

    A second message followed. "Why are you repeating the
same message over and over, Earth?"

    A third came in, "We're sorry. Your message has been
blocked as intergalactic spam."

 John stared at his phone. Reality sank in. His dream
 came true. "Amber," he whispered. "If only we could bridge
 time."

    Michael T. Smith
   
   

    I love your comments, Send them to msmith4 @ nj.rr.com.
REMOVE THE SPACES - I'll include some in every post. See below
for some great comments from last week.

    If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to your friends.
My only request is that you include the link for your friends to
join our family.

To join our family, go to:

http://subs. zinester.com/ 86758/

REMOVE THE SPACES TO GET TO THE SITE. SPAM BLOCKERS ARE

HURTING EZINES. DON'T LET THEM PREVENT YOU FROM READING

GREAT STORIES.

    As promised, here is a list of great inspirational sites.

I subscribe to all of them. You will love these sites.

Run by my friend Carol, Storytime Tapestry at:

http://archives.zinester.com/98907/

By my good friend Keith in Australia:
http://www.agiftofinspiration.com.au/

My friend Phil runs http://www.peoplestuff.com.au/
Phil's awesome and brutally honest

Zev, yes another friend, runs http://empoweringmessages.com/stories/

Heart Catchers is a wonderful site.  www.DianeDeanWhite.com

www.Heartwarmers.com and www.petwarmers.com are two

wonderful story sites.

http://hodu.com/

http://www.mydailyinsights.com/

www.ripplemaker.com

http://www.sermonillustrator.org

http://www.SkyWriting.Net

http://www.archive.zinester.com/9516

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WarmFuzzyStories/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WithInSight/

That's all I can think of right now. If I come up with

more, I'll add them.

Enjoy!!!

Comments my story "Feathered Trust" from last week:

Actually, I didn't get any last week

    Hi, Gang! A warm welcome goes out to all our new "Heartsandhumor"
family members. I'll hope you'll make this your family of choice.

    Ginny and I are having a lazy day. We did grocery shop, but
for the most part, we've just enjoyed each other's company. Outside,
rain falls steadily. The grass is loving it, as are the firefighters,
who battled major forest fires in the pine barrens in southern New Jersey.
It took them serval days and a good rain to get the blaze under control.
If you have a monet,say a prayer for those who lost their homes and
for those who suffered damage houses and property.

    I'm now posting my stories on "Ourecho.com." If you
wish to read my stories there, go to:
http://ourecho.com/index.php?page=search&keyword=Michael+T.Smith&search=Search
Take a moment to leave a comment. If the owner likes what he hears
about a story, he awards a monthly prize to the author - me I hope.

    If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to
your friends. I only ask that you leave the link
at the bottom for them to join us.

    NOTE: IF YOU WISH TO STOP RECEIVING MY STORIES, PLEASE
USE THE UNSUBSCRIBE LINK BELOW. PLEASE DO NOT MARK ME AS SPAM.
MY STORIES ARE ONLY SENT TO THOSE WHO SUBSCRIBE TO MY EZINE.

I'd Love your comments. I received a lot of them last week.
Sadly, I can only post a few, but rest assured, I loved them all
and always reply.
Send your comments to: msmith4@nj.rr.com

    A good friend of mine has a new book out. You should check
this out. Carol's been through rough times. She tells it all
in her latest book.

Carol Roach
M.Ed, B.A.
Publisher: Storytime Tapestry
Author: Angels Watching Over Me:http://www.lulu.com/content/644485
Picking up the Pieces: A Woman's Journey: www.publishamerica.com

    If anyone is interested in greeting cards, Ginny
belongs to a group of artists. They've teamed together
to market their products. Check them out at:
http://www.etsygreetings.blogspot.com

    Ginny's cards and other crafts are at:
http://www.ginginsgoodies.etsy.com

    Be sure to check out my collection of inspirational
   
sites at the end. There's something for everyone.

    Now for today's story.

    American Idol is drawing to a close. This week
we'll know America's favorite new star. I'm addicted to the
show. I'll be sad when it's over. Today's story is an
older one, I thought was fitting for this week.

             You Don't Have To Be Original

    I sat on my deck and enjoyed the evening. Birds chirped
and fluttered around the birdfeeder in the backyard. Finches
clung to a bag of thistle hanging on a tree branch, only ten
feet from me. They'd grown used to my presence and no longer
flew away when I stepped out for fresh air. I sat and watched
them pull the thistle through the tiny openings in the fabric.
Their feathers - red, purple and yellow - were beautiful.

    From a distant tree, I heard the song of a cardinal - purdy,
purdy, purdy. The song changed. It was a starling. Next, it was
a version of the robin's evening song. A little later it was
a song I couldn't identify.

    It was a mocking bird. For more than thirty minutes, he
sang through his repertoire of songs. He was loud; his singing
perfect. He didn't have a song of his own. He mocked the songs
of other birds, pieced them together, and created a concert
for my enjoyment.

    I was reminded of "American Idol©," a show my stepdaughter,
Heather, has me addicted to. Hopeful singers sang the songs of
others and were judged by a panel of three. The top contestants
went to Hollywood, where they competed against other successful
singers. Each week they faced new challenges and one-by-one
they were eliminated, until a winner was chosen.

    The mocking bird continued to sing, ignoring the hammering
from down the street, where a carpenter was building a house.
He used skills, learned as a young man, to construct a basic
house. Over time, the carpenter learned more.  He added his
personal touch to his work. He took the basics he learned
from those before him and made it a creation of his own.

     The mocking bird, the winner of "American Idol©," and
the carpenter have a common link. They took the ideas of
others, copied and learned from them. They added to what
they learned and created their own works of art.

    We don't have to be original. We start with the building
blocks placed in our path by those before us. We have a
choice: we can continue to copy or we can add our own blocks
for the next to follow and learn from.

    I have to run. I hear my mocking bird outside. I want
to hear what he has created for my enjoyment today.

Michael T. Smith

    If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to your friends.
   
My only request is that you include the link for your friends to

join our family.

To join our family at Heartsandhumor, go to:

http://subs. zinester.com/ 86758/

REMOVE THE SPACES TO GET TO THE SITE. SPAM BLOCKERS ARE

HURTING EZINES. DON'T LET THEM PREVENT YOU FROM READING

GREAT STORIES.

    As promised, here is a list of great inspirational sites.

I subscribe to all of them. You will love these sites.

Run by my friend Carol, Storytime Tapestry at:

http://archives.zinester.com/98907/

By my good friend Keith in Australia:
http://www.agiftofinspiration.com.au/

My friend Phil runs http://www.peoplestuff.com.au/
Phil's awesome and brutally honest

Zev, yes another friend, runs http://empoweringmessages.com/stories/

Heart Catchers is a wonderful site.  www.DianeDeanWhite.com

www.Heartwarmers.com and www.petwarmers.com are two

wonderful story sites.

http://hodu.com/

http://www.mydailyinsights.com/

www.ripplemaker.com

http://www.sermonillustrator.org

http://www.SkyWriting.Net

Here's a newly discovered one I like:

http://www.archive.zinester.com/9516

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WarmFuzzyStories/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WithInSight/

That's all I can think of right now. If I come up with

more, I'll add them.

Enjoy!!!

I love your comments, Send them to msmith4@nj.rr.com.

I'll include some in every post.

Dear Michael
 
You've done it again!  I really enjoyed If Only I Could
Bridge Time.  It is remarkable that you could capture
the essence of John's life in 500 words.  Take a bow
and KEEP WRITING.

Take Care and God Bless
Lesley S.
Loughborough UK

*****************************

I loved reading "Two Mothers."  What a special story for Mother's Day.
Thank you.

Linda
Cedar Falls, Iowa

*****************************

Beautiful story. It made me teary and melancholic, so I ran to
my mother's bedroom and hugged her tightly. Thank you for reminding
me that I should not take things for granted.

Jessica

*****************************

This is from my good friend and faithful reader Sandi. Sandi
was honest with me about my contest entry. I appreciated it.

Okay now, Mike, you know I like your writings, but this one about
bridging time is not my favorite.  Maybe it's because you were limited
to the number of words and thus didn't use many descriptive adjectives
or much detail.  I actually prefer your true stories a lot more. 
You asked for feedback from your readers, so that is my two cents' worth!
But thanks as ever for sharing, and a huge, sincere thank-you for
the list of inspirational websites we can click on since you have
highlighted them and added a tidbit or two about them.   What a nice
gesture on your part.   You think of everything. . . even serving Ginny
breakfast in bed on Mother's Day!  What a nice surprise gift!