New Christmas Cards by Tam Fleetwood Moody

Hope you will drop by my Greeting Card Shop today!

A Story Worth Passing On

Robby's Night True Story Worth Reading !!!

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines , Iowa . I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability.. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students. However I've also had my share of what I call 'musically challenged' pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel but he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn. Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, 'My mom's going to hear me play someday.' But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in. Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else..... I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching! Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital.. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing 'Miss Hondorf, I've just got to play!' he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'curtain closer.' Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed, then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. 'Why didn't he dress up like the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?'Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo. From allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause. Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? ' Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Hondorf, Remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning and well. .. She was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special.' There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy . . Of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil for it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why. Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995.

Plumbing Services Available

You know- at the most invconvenient time we can all need a plumber & finding a good one in your area can be a real pain. But we had to call one this morning and if you live anywhere in Southeast Missouri such as West Plains,Willow Springs, Mountain Grove, Cabool, Mansfield, Hartville, Licking, Houston, Dora, Drury, Ava, Lebanon, or anwhere in between - have I got a plummer for you!
These guys came in and took care of our bathtub drain in 40 minutes and my bathtub drain works perfectly! And it hasn't worked since we moved into this house. We've had three or four other plumbers in who all wanted to cut holes in our downstairs ceiling and charge us big bucks for the job- but these guys got the job done and they never cut anything. They even cleaned my tub and the whole area where they worked! Very wonderful 3 man crew- polite, affordable, clean cut, I would highly reccomend them to anyone- even my own Mom & Dad!!!
Their service is called:
Benjamin Franklin "The Punctual Plumbers"
owner: Joshua Deatherage
address: RR3 Box 724 A Cabool, Mo. 65689

Telephone Numbers:

1-866-867-5309

417-948-2012

fax-417-948-1207

Give them a call today & tell them that Mrs. Moody sent you!

I need your help!

I need your help to win! I have entered a contest on Taltopia.com & I need your votes to help me win! You can vote once or many times! Thanks for all of your support and let me know if I can return the favor!
Thanks again!
T Moody

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Congratulations Susan Alison!!!

I am continually amazed at the creativity of all of our DAWG members, so this week it is no surprise that I wish a hearty congratulations to our own Susan Alison on the publishing of her first book,

"White Lies & Custard Creams"

I hope you will all join me in congratulating Susan on this wonderful and monumental accomplishment! She has warmed our hearts with her whimsical Border Collie paintings for years, so it especially endearing to see her branching out in other creative areas of the arts as well!

I have read Susan's work in the past and enjoyed it tremendously, so I cannot wait to begin reading this one too!

I hope you will take this opportunity to order a paperback or buy one of her ebooks today!

Buy "White Lies & Custard Creams" today by clicking on the title!

PayPal is also accepted at the site- which just thrilled me! Yeah!

But stop by and get your own unique copy today!

New Christmas Cards!

Hello All!

I have been making new Christmas Cards for the holidays!

I hope you will drop by my Greeting Card Shop and check them out!

Breast Cancer Awareness

I received this email from one of my friends in Ohio recently. I don't normally sway from art postings, but this email bothered me just enough to pass it along to all of you! This issue shouldn't even be a question!

From a nurse:
I'll never forget the look in my patients' eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the Doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the insurance companies. So there I sat with my patients, giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank You' they muttered. A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a Mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are
trying t o make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important. Please take the time and do it! Please Copy & paste this link or post & send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times.

If you're receiving this, it's because I think you will take the 30 seconds to vote on this issue and send it
on to others you know who will do the same. There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through' Mastectomy where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their Web page with a petition drive to show support. Last year over half the House signed on. PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name, state, email address and zip code.

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

Please again- this only takes about 2 seconds of your time- so please speak up- could be your Mom, Sister, Aunt, Wife, Daughter, Granddaughter, or possibly you. This issue is so emotionally traumatic anyhow- but to have to be sent home immediately following such a devastating surgery is horrific. Please go and sign this petition and spread the word!