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Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com

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By Dee Ann E. L. Horvath 

It hadn't rained in what seemed like weeks that summer. It was hot and no matter how many fans we had on we couldn't seem to cool off. As nine and ten year olds, my sister and I had run out of ideas to keep us busy and to keep us cool. We lived on a creek that some said was linked under ground to Lake Superior. There had been reported sightings of odd fish and reptiles in the creek. My father mentioned that Lake Superior had been known to have unusual, almost prehistoric fish and reptiles in it. The creek was low and we decided to go exploring. My mother thought it would be a good idea if she came along with us. We all put on old shoes to wade in the water and took big sticks to test the creek bottom before we stepped to check for quicksand and holes.
  
It was early afternoon and the cows were in the pasture across the creek although the farm was far away. The cows seemed to like the flavor of our grass more and had ventured forth many times to gaze in our windows, graze on our lawn, and play havoc with my mother's clothes lines. We waded down the creek as far as we could until we came to a deep spot. The water got very cold and my mother said it was coming from a spring deep in the earth. Climbing out to shore, we walked through the herd of Guernsey, which totally ignored us. My sister and I decided to check out the cow flops with our sticks much to my mother's dismay. We hiked on the banks till the creek became shallow again then we plunged back into the crick. We tramped along for what seemed to be for miles. After a while my sister and I could tell by the vegetation if the creek bottom was silt or rock. Noticing birds and frogs even a turtle or two, the expedition continued on keeping a wary eye out for snakes and of course, prehistoric monsters.
  
The terrain had become hilly and the sun was sinking in the west. Perched on a rocky foothill we spied a large old building. It looked abandoned and seemed a good place to investigate and take a break before heading home. The name on the old weather-beaten sign read Welter's Poultry. A hot breeze hit us in our faces as we reached the top of the rise. Most of the window glass had been broken, shutters and doors creaked in the wind. There were feathers everywhere and hundreds of hooks hanging from the ceiling. Chains and pulleys swung in the air. Mom explained to us what this eerie place was. It was a poultry packing plant obviously closed for many years. We asked what all the apparatus were for and she told us step by step what happened in that place. It was hard for us to perceive what it must have been like hearing all those chickens dying and hanging on all those hooks. She warned us to never go there alone. We were so spooked by the images we now had embedded in our minds that we assured her she would never have to worry about it.
  
All of a sudden my sister and I couldn't wait to get home, so we all trekked back though the creek as fast as we could. By the time we made it through our back door, saw our two happy dachshunds, and our familiar surroundings, we knew we were safe. We all found cozy spots and dozed for a while. I will never forget that day and our adventure. Those boring last days of summer suddenly seemed acceptable now. We never found any prehistoric monsters but we found home.

By Dee Ann E. L. Horvath 
Ambereye3@aol.com

Send Dee Ann an email and let her know what you thought of her story!

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I am married 25 yrs to my high school sweetheart and have three girls. We reside in Illinois.I have always been a creative and artistic individual who loves to write.  I love life and meeting people. To me every person is a novel waiting to be read, some are better than others are but there is always something to be learned. In the last year or so I have taken up poetry. It helps me to sort out my thoughts. I find it is an excellent outlet for stress and best of all it leaves a lasting impression. Now I have started writing short stories about things that made me who I am today.

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Wanted to share another link with everyone!  Click below to read a wonderful poem written by Andi Puntoriero:

For My Son
http://www.themestream.com/gspd_browse/browse/view_article.gsp?c_id=152626

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Thought For The Day:

"Patience serves as protection against wrongs as cloths do against cold.  For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you.  So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will be powerless to vex you."
(Leonardo da Vinci)

 

Verse for the Day:

"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
James 1:4

 

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"No matter what people tell you, February is the longest month."

 

Parent's Thought For The Day

An effective guilt tactic is suddenly to yell out, 'I see you!' when your children are in a different room.
(Bill Dodds)

 

Coach's Thought For The Day

"We never understand a thing so well, and make it for our own, as when we have discovered it for ourselves."

 

Deep Thought For The Day:

"Sometimes a majority only means that all the fools are on the
same side."

 

  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    THUNDER27@aol.com  
/_/  \    "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \   Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body I live for the Son
   \_\/   of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  Galatians 2:20 

Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business.)

"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video we gave them. They loved it, to say the least!  Within thirty seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too.  They said it was the best Christmas gift we could have given them!!  You did such a beautiful job!  They were so surprised and so touched---they really, really, really loved it.  Thanks for helping to make it so special to us all.  My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for the video too!  Thanks again!"
        
Kelli  (RKaGe@aol.com)    College Station, TX

Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies!
Check out the web page for Michael's video production business!
 Video Imagery
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html

Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?
 The Four Spiritual Laws
http://www.ccci.org/laws/index.html

Writer's guidelines for Straight From the Heart can be found here:

Writer's Guidelines
http://storiesfrommyheart.com/writer_s_guidelines/

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