Sunday, November 11, 2007

Angels on Halloween

There are angels assigned to us as we pass this way. They come in all shapes and sizes when you need them most and expect them less.

Here is one of my angels' story:

It was Halloween night and I had just arrived at the bus stop
from the little church where I worked as a preschool teacher in the Village,
California. The last parent to pick up their child drove me to the bus stop
where I would catch the last bus of the evening to get back to my home in
Pacific Grove. As he left me off I realized I didn't have my purse. I had
left it in his car. I tried to wave him back but he didn't see me and soon was
out of sight.

I panicked.No purse -- no bus pass ..
Cel phones were not in use, and if they had been it would have been in
the purse. I didn't have the number of my director, nor the quarter to call her.
and I knew no one in the village. I couldn't call my daughter who lived in Pebble
Beach because she was out of town. No way to call or pay for a long taxi ride back to
my home in Pacific Grove. I was stranded .. on the scariest night of the year.
And there was no one around the bus stop to beg for bus fare.

When the bus drove up, my heart sunk even lower. The old bus driver who knew me
as a regular customer had been replaced by a different driver. I crossed my fingers, told
him of my problem and asked to be let on the bus, promising I would pay him when
I rode the bus again.

Yes he was my angel. He let me ride for free. When I got to the transit exchange in
Monterey where I had to change buses to get to Pacific Grove he put me on the
PG bus, paying the driver himself.

I still had a problem, my apartment key was in my purse .. But at least I could
sit on the porch near my door and hopefully be safe for the night.
But when I arrived at my door the parent was waiting for me. Realizing I had
left my purse in his car he had rushed back to the bus stop. Finding me gone
he had checked my ID in my purse, found my address, and driven all the way
 to Pacific Grove with my purse.

My angels were watching over me on that spooky Halloween night.

Sunny Sparkles

In my 40 years of teaching preschoolers I have writen many poems and put to music.
The following poems are a sample of these rhyme/songs.

There was a little caterpillar
As ugly as could be.
She hid among the leaves
In the mulberry tree.

She was long and skinny
And -- ugh -- her skin was GREEN!
She knew she was the ugliest
Insect that one had ever seen.

So she cried sticky tears
And slimmy stuff that weaves
Until she was covered up
and sticking to the leaves

Mr. Sun came by and found her
He needed a sparkling pad
So he shone down on the caterpillar
'Til she was no longer sad.

She felt herself a changing
into pretty -- can you believe?
This little caterpillar discovered
She had wings up her sleeves.

She broke away from her prison,
Now she soars in the deep blue skies.
The Sun caught her in his light.
Now she sparkles as she flies


C l995 taken from my book "Songs for Children"
by Marjorie Arnee ~ (Margaret Arvanitis)
All rights reserved.

The Bashful bee and the Dragonfly

Another of my rhyme/songs poems put to music.


The bashful bee was a sad insect.
His head hung down bending at his neck.
The fear he had of leaving the ground
Kept him from flying away - hey.
Kept him from flying away.

When the dragonfly saw the bashful bee
He said "My friend, just listen to me.
You can't fly when you're looking down'.
Listen to me and you'll fly away, hey.
Listen to me and you'll fly away.

If you lift your head and look up high
You will find that you can fly."
So the bashful bee looked up and found
That he could flay away, hey
And he flew away today, hey.


C l995 taken from my book "Songs for Children"
by Marjorie Arnee ~ (Margaret Arvanitis)
All rights reserved.