Tui xin một cái topic nhé....

THE ANGEL THING?
by Roger Dean Kiser
I was not feeling very well when I got out of bed. I sat down in
front of the television and I began watching the morning news. After
finishing my coffee I walked into the bedroom and I put on my cut-off jeans
and a polo shirt -- jeans that my wife had threatened to throw away because
the legs had strings hanging down almost to my knees. I put on my baseball
cap, walked out to my truck, and I headed to the local book store.
"I''m looking for Chicken Soup for the Caregiver''s Soul and Chicken
Soup for the Friend''s Soul. Can you tell me if they have they been
released yet?" I asked the clerk at Books-A-Million.
"August and September are the release dates. That is what it shows
here on the computer," he told me.
I thanked the gentleman and then I walked over to see if I could find
any hard-cover e***ions of the Chicken Soup books which I already had
stories in.
As I approached the Chicken Soup section, there stood several young
girls reading a story from one of the books.
"That has to be the saddest story that I have ever read," she told her
friend.
I looked at the front of the book and noticed that it was Chicken Soup
for the Horse Lover''s Soul. I picked up a book and I began to look through
the pages.
As the two young women walked in front of me, I could see that the
story they were discussing was one that I had written. I wanted to tell
them that I had written the story but for some strange reason I just
couldn''t. For some reason I felt completely embarrassed.
I placed my book back onto the shelf and I walked over to the Joe
Muggs counter to get a cup of coffee. After ordering a coffee, I made my
way out to the terrace. Several minutes later, the two girls came out onto
the terrace, with an older woman, who I presumed was their mother. They
sat down at one of the tables and the young girl began to read my story to
the woman. When she finished reading, the three of them sat there
silently, for about a minute.
"I wish I could write stories like that," said the young girl, as she
wiped her eyes with a napkin.
"Katy, just put your mind to it and you can do anything that you
want," the woman told her.
"You gotta be real smart to write like that," said the girl, as she
closed the book.
I smiled when I heard those words, knowing all along I was not a very
smart person. I had only finished the sixth grade before being sent off to
the reform school by the orphanage.
I got up from my seat and I walked back into the bookstore to get
another cup of coffee. While I was at the counter, the three ladies walked
back into the store and asked the clerk for directions to the restroom. As
they were about to enter the bathroom the young girl rested the book on one
of the tables.
I walked over and I opened the book and I wrote: "COWBOY HEART by
Roger Dean Kiser. Katy, you can do anything that you want if you put your
mind to it." And then I signed it, "Your friend, Roger 6-17-04."
When they came out of the bathroom the young girl picked up the book
and the three of them proceeded to the checkout counter. The mother paid
for the book and they left the store.
I''m not sure how the girl will react when she reads what I had written
inside the front cover.
Will she look upon this as one of those strange miracles? Was this my
chance to do an "angel" thing?
-- Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. <trampolineone @ webtv.net>

LADY LIVER''S TEA
by Debra Gray Walter
She awoke earlier than usual.
The sun wasn''t even up, but that didn''t stop her cheery disposition.
She was smiling with anticipation of what this day would bring. Everywhere
she looked, the past few days reminded her of the celebration that was soon
to come.
Today, her plans would finally come to pass, and she couldn''t wait.
First, she gobbled down breakfast -- Cocoa Puffs, her favorite as long
as she could remember. Next, she practically skipped to the garage where
her project stood awaiting her patriotic attention. The box she needed was
just out of reach. She shoved a stool with her foot in just the right
place to enable her to retrieve the box with wobbly determination.
Finally, holding this precious package she set to work, hoping to finish by
9am.
She wound a trio of streamers in and out and all around until not a
bare spot was seen. There were bells to hang and balloons to tie, but the
best part was the crown she had made. It looked just like the crown of
Lady Liver''s Tea.
She wanted to look just like her -- standing tall and proud.
With her foil-covered flashlight in hand, she was finally ready and
just in time, for she could faintly hear the marching music beginning down
the street. She hurriedly joined the crowd that had gathered and realized
that this was her moment to shine.
She smiled proudly as the others praised her work of art. She admired
their decorations as well, and quickly lined up as she was told.
Suddenly, the music stopped and everyone was quiet. Not understanding
the reverence, she looked up to see all eyes on a beautiful flag -- an
American flag.
Everyone spoke at once with hand over heart:
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands,
One Nation, under God, "in dives a bull",
With "liver tea" and "just teeth" for all.
There wasn''t a prouder moment in Rebekah''s five years.
It was the 4th of July and she was about to take part in her first
bicycle parade.
-- Debra Gray Walter <debiwalter @ bellsouth.net>

MY BEST FRIEND
by Heather Howley
It''s funny how human beings whom you call friends come in and out of
your life all the time, but your true best friends are your animals.
I have two cats, Marley and Bonnie. I once submitted a story to
Petwarmers about Bonnie, so this one I would like to dedicate to my best
friend in life, Marley.
She came into my life at the perfect time. I was in high school and,
other than having goldfish, I was always told that I would never be able to
have an animal because they are too much work.
Well, much to my surprise, I came home from school one day and my mom
told me I had company. I looked around and didn''t see anybody, but I saw
some dishes on the floor, and became quite confused as to what was going
on.
She told me that she had a co-worker that needed to find a home for
her mother''s cats, and they arranged for a meeting. My mother fell in love
with Marley right away.
I looked around and found this beautiful Maine Coon cat hiding behind
the couch. I called her name and she came right out, cuddled up right to
my leg and started purring. That was in 1994.
My father was ill with cancer and I was going through all the drama of
being a teenager and dealing with my own issues, when Marley came into my
life. She has been by my side ever since.
I am now 28 and living on my own, and Marley is about 13 years old.
We have definitely have had our ups and downs, and at one point, I almost
had to give her up. That was the most dramatic time in my life.
I thank God that it didn''t happen. I seriously believe that it was my
father helping me from above and making sure that she didn''t have to leave
me. She is my true best friend in life. I am very fortunate to have her
-- she is my child, sister, and friend all-in-one.
I love to come home to her everyday and she is always waiting to be
held or petted. She is the biggest mush you will ever meet. She loves to
be pampered. She follows me wherever I go, and she is always right there
when I need her.
She was my support system when I lost my father, always right there
when I got home from school or work, sat with me and purred all the times
that I cried.
I know a day will come when God will want to take her back and just
thinking about it makes me tear up. There could never be another Marley in
my life. She is truly my best friend in the whole world.
I wanted to share my story with all of you. I hope everyone is
fortunate enough to have a best friend like mine.
-- Heather Howley <HHowley @ fragomen.com>

gio_mua_dong có thể làm list cho topic này được không? Tôi cũng đã đăng kí trong chicken soup và khoảng 1 tuần 1 lần họ gửi bài cho mình. Tôi sẽ post các bài đó lên nhé.

Làm list cho nó à . Hic tui chịu thôi vì phải phân loại nó ra nữa . Hic tui thì đọc không hiểu nhiều lắm . Trình độ có hạn . Bạn cứ cho lên đâu có sao . hì
Hay bạn làm được thì cứ làm . Hì cảm ơn trước .

Ý tôi là bạn làm cái mục lục thôi. Dào này không thấy chicken soup gửi bài cho tôi gì cả. Nhưng tôi cũng phải đọc kỹ kỹ trước đã, nhỡ post bài vớ vẩn thì không được rồi. Tại bài trong chicken soup không phải bài nào cũng hay. Bác có ý tưởng lập topic này hay thật.

sao ko thấy gió_múa_đông post tiếp bài thế

Không phải là không post tiếp tại tui lười quà mà . Hì cho lên nhé .

=====​

THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY
The forecast was rain for the Fourth of July. On July 3 Debbi was
discussing going to the fireworks with her daughters. The girls were
worrried because they thought the rain might cancel them. Their father
assured them that the professionals knew how to set off fireworks in the
rain. "What do they do," asked Anna, 10, "put little umbrellas on them?"
-- Debbi Armstrong of Orlando, Florida
Zach, 6, was being cared for by a neighbor. One day while she was
letting them swim Zach kept asking her to get in and shoot water at them.
She did for a while, and then had enough. After a few minutes Zach started
in again. She looked at him and said, "Quit badgering me or you''ll have to
go in and take a nap." He said, "I don''t know what that means, so I guess
I don''t have to take a nap." -- Kimberly Kinyon (mother of Zach) of South
Bend, Indiana
Kessa, 6, and her mom were talking about state capitols. Her mom
asked her so what is the capital of the United States and she said, "That
one is easy, Mom, it''s U!" - Angela McBride (mother of Kessa) of Portland,
Oregon
Sally and her granddaughter Danyelle were shopping. "I wear size 4
''cause I''m 4," Danyelle said. After a few purchases, Danyelle asked,
"Mema, how old are you?" When Sally said she was 53, Danyelle said, "Let''s
go find 53!" She thought everyone wore the same size as their age! --
Sally Morris of Wellington, Florida
Samantha''s daughter turned 3 at the end of May. When Samantha and her
husband asked her what she wanted as a birthday gift, she said, "Ketchup!"
-- Samantha Walters of Gainesville, Florida
Cheryl''s brother was making paper airplans for Cheryl''s two littlest
brothers, Mark and Luke. They call their paper plans "loop to loop." Luke
got his plane first. Then they asked, "Mark, do you want a loop to loop?"
Mark looked up with big brown eyes and said, "No, I want a Mark to Mark."
-- Cheryl A. Compton of Tieton, Washington
Emmanuelle, 6, came to his mother and gave her a hug and a kiss. He
said, "I love you," and walked away. His mother said, "I love you, too."
Emmanuelle said, "I love you more." His mother said, "That''s not
possible." After one more go round, he said, "Stop lying to yourself!"
And he shut the door behind him. -- Melissa (mother of Emmanuelle) of
Lynnwood, Washington
Dianne, the busy mother of four, was taking the kids to swimming
lessons. She was going too fast and a policaman pulled her over. He gave
her a warning and sternly told her to watch her speed. Dianne commented,
"I will never hear the end of this from my kids." One of her children
piped up, "Mom, you were driving faster than a race car!" -- Dianne of
Indiana
One day Kathy was riding down the road with her grandson, Alex, 4, and
her niece, Katie, 3. They were listening to a song that said, "A baby is a
gift from above," and they kept arguing. Kathy asked them what was going
on and Alex said Katie was singing the song wrong. She was singing, "A
baby is a gift from a bug!" and it was making Alex mad. -- Kathy Blackwell
of Marshall, North Carolina
Barb works at the front counter of a post office. One day an adorable
little girl came in with her aunt. She was about 3 and she started telling
Barb about her brand-new 4-day-old sister. She told Barb her sister''s name
and Barb asked her what her name was. She said, "My name is Jessica."
"What a beautiful name that is," Barb said. "What is your middle name?"
Jessica looked at Barb and said proudly, "Peanut Butter!" Barb started
laughing so hard she couldn''t breathe. Jessica''s aunt explained that her
mom calls her "Peanut Butter." Barb adds, "I was having one of THE worst
days until this little angel came in.... Thanks, Jessica!" -- Barb Stern of
Warrington, Pennsylvania

GO TWINS
by Karin A. Lovold
Many of my husband''s friends call him lucky.
Why? Not because I''m the most perfect wife, or look like a model, or
treat him like a king -- but, because I love sports.
Am I the only woman out there who thoroughly enjoys sports?
When I talk to my girlfriends about how the Minnesota Twins won their
game the night before, they raise their eyebrows and look at me with blank
stares in their eyes. When I talk about how excited I am that football
training is soon to begin, they raise their eyebrows even further up. Why
is that?
The funny thing is, I''m more into sports than my husband. Oh, he
tries to know what''s going on in the "sports world" but, ultimately, he has
to ask me, "What''s the score?" or "Who are we playing?" or "Who''s in first
place?"
Yes, I watch, or listen, to practically every single Twins game
throughout the entire season. My husband watches too but I''m the one doing
the cheering, the roaring, the jumping up and down and clapping.
Is it odd that every morning I read the sports section in the
newspaper to read the latest articles on the Twins? Or that I know the
names of every single player on the team? Come on, there''s got to be other
women out there, like me, who enjoy sports, maybe even more than their
husbands!
I absolutely love summer. I have three daughters, and I love having
them home for summer vacation. I love taking them to the park, or for
walks, or bike rides, or to the beach. But I especially like summer
because I can follow the Twins. Yet, as much as I enjoy watching those
Twins, I can hardly wait for fall to arrive, because then it''s time for the
Vikings!
Fall is my favorite season and football''s my favorite sport. I look
forward to it all summer long.
To me, Sunday is the best day of the week. Why? Because it''s the day
we go to church and worship the Lord, and in the fall, we come home from
church and watch football. What is better than that?
Naturally, my daughters are familiar with baseball and football. They
watch the games with me. I take my time and teach them about the game, so
they can follow along and enjoy and watch the games with me. Ultimately,
though, they wander off and do their own thing. They''d rather play dolls,
or color, or put sparkly make-up on, or something like that.
But, I was just like them when I was a little girl. I wasn''t "into"
sports when I was a kid. I never much cared for them and didn''t know
anything about them. It wasn''t until I was a married woman that the sports
world grabbed a hold of me.
When I hear my husband share with his friends, "My wife is more into
sports than I am. She''d watch baseball and football every day if she
could," I know what follows that comment.
"You are one lucky man!"
Oh well. That''s the way I am. My oldest daughter is nine-and-a-half.
None of my daughters have played any sports, so you can imagine how
thrilled I was when my oldest daughter announced that she wanted to play
softball this summer. Softball!
So, while I enjoy the Twins this summer, I''m also enjoying watching my
daughter''s softball games twice a week -- clapping for my daughter out
there nailing that ball and scoring runs! Their games are downright
comical and she''s having fun. She''s learning about sports and
sportsmanship and that''s all that matters.
Still, what''s the first thing I do when her game is over and we get
back in the car to head home? I turn that radio on and catch the score of
the Minnesota Twins!
-- Karin A. Lovold <kal3860 @ chartermi.net>

GRIEVOUS INJUSTICES
by Kathy Whirity
They don''t call it the graveyard shift for nothing.
For some workers at the City Pound, working the night shift means
being surrounded by death.
I read with interest a story about the amount of strays that walk
through the doors of the Pound. The story focused on the unfortunate ones
who never leave. So many dogs are put to sleep.
There are different reasons, of course, like the countless canines
that have been so horribly mistreated they''d never successfully fit into a
family setting -- put to death because of abusive owners with demented
intentions. Others are sickly or just too old to deal with the stress of
starting over with new families.
The plight of these pathetic pooches caught my attention. The officer
at the front desk of the Pound and I became acquainted on a first name
basis because everyday, my husband Bill and I, would take our hour long
ride down to see if our Hannah happened to be there.
We learned the hard way that this could be a lost dog''s destination
after our older dog Holly was picked up and taken there awhile back. At
the time, we scoured every last cage at our local Animal Welfare League.
We were assured that if she got picked up that''s definitely where she''d be.
Lucky for us, on the fifth day of her disappearance, my harried
husband had a hunch. He decided to run down to the Pound on the off chance
that maybe, just maybe, she was there.
To our surprise and utter relief there she was. We found out that she
had been at the Pound since the afternoon she wandered out of our backyard.
Hurricane Hannah, as we like to call her, is a runner that takes off
in a hurry. Leave a door ajar or a gate slightly open and she''s off in a
flash.
On a bright and sunny Saturday morning, a few weeks ago, we noticed
the back gate open and no Hannah in sight. It was the last we saw her for
a week. We''d go to the Pound and carefully inspect each and every cage.
We knew the routine well.
First we''d go through the doors of Pavillion A then B, and by the time
we reached Pavillion C, I''d be saying a prayer that we''d find our Hannah.
Thankfully, we found her! Not at the Pound, but in the safety of a
loving family who took good care of her for the week she was away from
home. For us, it was a happy ending.
However, that''s not the case for the rows and rows of cages that
confine man''s best friend at the Pound. My heart went out to the well
cared for pups that you could tell belonged to loving homes. Those were the
ones who would just glance up at you as if to say, "I know you''re not my
owner but would you please tell them I''m here?"
Then there were the scruffy ones that even a mother would have a hard
time loving. They''d almost stand at attention, trying to give their best
pose, paws poking through the bars of the cage, just hoping for a pat on
the head or a soothing praise of "good dog".
From the looks of the packed Pound it was obvious that many of their
owners must wrongly assume that their faithful Fido couldn''t possibly be
there. Night after night, there are innocent animals being put down
because the Pound cannot keep up with the plethora of pets that come
through the doors.
What a hopeless shame for loving owners to lose a pet because they
didn''t think to look at the Pound. What a grievous injustice to our
4-legged companions whom, for one reason or another, find themselves
separated from their human family. So many dogs, so many needless deaths.
For some employees, this is life on the graveyard shift at the City Pound.
-- Kathy Whirity <kathywhirity @ yahoo.com>