Introducing – Aunt Shirley
- storyteller and published freelance writer -
who is stepping out in faith to follow God’s calling to be an encourager.

Mission Statement
To encourage and teach through the power of stories with the hope everyone will see who they truly are in God's eyes and His plans for them.

Stories are written for ages 8 to senior citizens.

Aunt Shirley has been a quest speaker at ladies' retreats, women's ministries, seniors' ministries, retirement/nursing homes, mentally challenged adult groups, children's ministries, and churches in Ontario and Mexico.

To God be the glory

Shirley S. Tye
Writer/Speaker/Storyteller       

Aunt Shirley's Biography

Shirley was born in 1952 to a Finnish immigrant couple in the Nickel Capital of the world, Sudbury, Ontario. She married an electrician, John, in 1976 and thought she would always live in her beloved town. But in 1982 they were forced to seek work elsewhere after a massive mine layoff. They settled in a peaceful farming village in the Kawartha Lakes area (Ontario) where the landscape is dotted with cottages and abandoned century old churches. In the late fall of 2010, Shirley and John returned to Sudbury to be near family again and enjoy semi-retirement..
Shirley’s restless nature keeps her on the move – perhaps an inherited trait from her Laplander grandfather. She enjoys learning, traveling, and writing. The desire to write emerged in 1986 when she took a correspondence writing course. Since then she has taken numerous courses and workshops to hone her God-given talent.
Shirley looks at the world with the curiosity and enthusiasm of a child. She is often asking her favourite questions – with a slight Finnish accent although she calls it a speech impediment – “What’s that?” “Why?” and “Why not?” Believing in negatives without ever trying is true failure according to Shirley. But if one has tried and failed – that’s a lesson learned. She has fought through difficult times with what the Finns call “sisu” (perseverance) and hung unto God’s promises. He has always proved to be a very present help and continually encourages her. Now she is stepping out in faith as the flamboyant character “Aunt Shirley” to follow God’s calling to be an encourager through the power of stories teaching truth.

THE BUCKET RUN
by Shirley S. Tye

As the fall storm clouds gathered, I recalled my episodes with the sump pump earlier that year. On the first day of spring, the gentle April showers had quickly turned into a heavy downpour. I remember feeling secure with the knowledge that the roof and windows weren’t leaking, and that power was flowing through the electrical wires. Everything had been working as designed. Everything was working fine except the sump pump. It had seized during the night leaving us with two-inches of water on the basement floor. My husband raced home from work to my rescue with a new pump. Ah, nothing spells love in the county better than a new sump pump with a red bow on it. After the mess was cleaned up and the new pump installed, I felt confident that our water problems were solved. A few weeks later another rain storm hit. In my confidence, I sat and mocked the weather – that is until the storm knocked out the hydro. Then in the dark, I bailed for three hours, puffing and panting as I lumbered up and down the basement stairs keeping just ahead of the water pouring into the sump well. My darling husband again came to my rescue – this time with a sump pump alarm beautifully gift wrapped. He’s such a romantic.

Nervously I watched the dark clouds gather into a thick angry mass and felt the cold wind pick up speed. I wondered about the batteries in the new sump pump alarm. Were they fresh? The answer came a few minutes later when the heavy clouds burst open and sheets of rain were pushed by strong winds that knocked out the hydro. Yes, they were working just fine I thought as I watched our miniature poodle scramble under the bed to hide from the high pitched squeal of the alarm.

For the third time that year, I exercised with the water buckets. It was a breathless race to keep up with the flowing water. I bailed two buckets at a time from the sump, trudged up the basement stairs in my rubber boots slouching water as I pushed my way out the front door. I stumbled unto the front lawn letting the screen door bang shut behind me. I heaved the first bucket, lost my balance and slid face first into the slippery grass. Quickly I hopped to my feet and glanced around. Did the neighbors see that? I thought I saw the blinds sway in the house across the road. After a few runs up and down the basement stairs with the buckets, I got the swing motion down to rhythmic dance. Things were going pretty well. I was keeping up with the little Niagara that was pouring into the sump well. Then the wind increased speed.

As I was tossing the water from the second bucket, I heard a clunking banging sound. I looked up to see the plastic bucket that I had just emptied bouncing down the driveway. Beside it ran Kayla, our frightened miniature poodle. Apparently the door hadn’t shut tight. I dashed after the two runaways. My feet slipped inside the rubber boots. The next thing I knew, I was running in my stocking feet down the muddy driveway commanding the dog and the bucket to come back. Neither one obeyed. I ran faster. Little stones began sticking to the bottom of my socks like tire studs giving me traction. The chase continued along the road for a few minutes before I managed to retrieve the two runaways. After that episode, I kept one foot in the empty bucket while pouring the water out of the other bucket, and I made sure the screen door closed tightly behind me.

After an hour of running back and forth with the buckets, I realized that my out-of-shape body wouldn’t hold out much longer. I made a phone call to my husband at work and breathlessly said that I needed him to come home immediately. He was excited. After he retrieved the fallen telephone, I explained that I wanted him to bring home a generator and a for sale sign. He must have misunderstood because instead of coming home with the items I had requested, he brought home a battery operated sump pump. I suppose I should be grateful because it’ll save me the hassle of bailing. Hydro goes out often in this neighborhood which means I’ll have plenty of opportunity to test it. But, of course it only works when installed. Now here I sit, six months later, with buckets at the ready.

~ © Shirley Tye
(The Bucket Run was first published in Cottage Country Connection - August 2004)

Publishing Credits

Connecting with Long-term Members regular column / May 2004 - present FellowScript, (InScribe newsletter, published in Edmonton, AB)

Devotionals (on-line) PCCWeb Daily

Numerous Articles - Kawartha Life, Bobcaygeon, ON

The Bucket Run vignette - August/04 - Cottage Country Connections, Bobcaygeon, ON

Hometown Mission Field article - current - Calvary Pentecostal Website

A Ministry of Rags article - March/04 -Testimony, Mississauga, ON

Celebrating Jesus’ Love article - January/04 -Testimony, Mississauga, ON

Reaching Out and Growing article - March-April/03 - BG Club Connections, Mississauga, ON

All Is Not As It Seems short story - Fall/02 -Signatures, Oshawa, ON

Woman makes difference at Tanzanian Orphanage article - May 28/01- Lindsay Daily Post, Lindsay, ON

Awesome VBS news item - June/01 - Testimony, Mississauga, ON

"Lobster Lunch" - vignette - Kawartha Life, Bobcaygeon, Ont. July 2006

Group Recycles Medical Supplies to Poorer Countries - article November 2007 Faith Today

Certificates & Memberships

Writing for Children & Teenagers from The Institute of Children’s Literature, Redding Ridge, CT

Sunday School Teacher’s certificate from Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), Mississauga, ON

Lay Pastoral Counselor from The Evangelical Order of Certified Pastoral Counselors of America (EOCPC), Toronto, ON

Member of InScribe Christian Writers' Fellowship

Member of The Word Guild (Professional Member)

Member of Canadian Church Press (Associate Member)

Sudbury Writers' Guild

Member of Writers' Circle of Durham Region (WCDR)

Arts Council - Haliburton, ON

Bookings

Stories are written for ages 8 to senior citizens.
Call or email for pricing.