September is here and that means that fall (and ghost story season!) is just around the corner.  Ogden and Salt Lake City Ghost Tours are excited and ready to entertain you at any time with the paranormal experiences and history of these two interesting cities. We have multiple tours in both locations, so check out the website. I also had the privilege of telling railroad stories at the Pioneer Village in Provo, Utah last month and the audience and I had a great time with the stories, the history and the tall tales that go along with that.  (Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!) What a pleasant way to spend a summer evening!  

Summertime is a great time to tell stories: around the campfire, during a walk in the woods, at a picnic or family reunion, at a festival or celebration.  Share your past with your children.  Share the folk tales of your culture (or another culture).  Add storytellers to your next celebratory activity.  Stories are what make us human, teach us how to interact with others and help the rising generation understand what is expected of them.  Don't let this time of year pass without sharing with those you love!

I can't believe that summer is winding down so quickly!  Where has the time gone?  As school schedules start taking over and events get planned, be sure to include storytellers in your activities.  Stories are the best way to learn literature, history and many other subjects.  Plan ahead for using stories in classes and other presentations.  If you are in the Utah area, check out the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival September 6-8, 2018.  National and international tellers will be on-stage sharing some of their best tales.  Enjoy this beautiful time of year.

If you live in the United States, do you know anything about your culture and history?  We have so many stories from the plethora of immigrant cultures, but we also have stories that are uniquely "American".  Discover your country and claim your heritage!  I have been researching stories of the "American Experience" the past few years and it is an amazing journey.  Find out where your ancestors are from and what they have to offer and then keep digging until you find the roots of American story.  There was a recent storytelling festival in Fillmore, UT that focused on stories from that region and helped those in central Utah feel more connected to their area.  Ask a storyteller or family member to help you do the same!

With the holiday season winding down, it's time to start thinking about....Stories!  Yes, winter is the perfect time to cuddle up to some good tales.  Earlier societies used the winter to pass along family tales, folk tales or stories that taught the children family and cultural values.  Get out of the electronics and spend some effort to let your children know about their roots.  Hire a storyteller for an event and find out the beauty and excitement of telling tales.  Any effort you put into this will be well worth it!  Clearfield, UT will hold a storytelling festival on January 27 at 7:00 at the Community Arts Center building 140 East Center in Clearfield, UT.  You could come and hear professional and community tellers share their favorite stories.  It's a free event and will warm up your winter evening!

What do you do in Utah when the weather stays around 95 degrees for several weeks....go camping!  And when you sit around the campfire at night what do you do.....you tell stories, of course!  It really doesn't matter whether you are spinning family tales, trying to scare the older kids with ghost stories of creatures that inhabit the woods, or just sharing your favorite folk tale, camping and stories go together.  Plan on sharing stories during family outings this summer, and as the summer winds down and school starts, don't forget to include storytelling in your back-to-school activities and carnivals.  Children always love to hear about all their parents' misdeeds and school horror stories.  Let's face it, so do adults.  Happy telling!

I just spent a wonderful evening telling American history stories (and one tall tale) to a group of nearly a dozen women.  With all the experiences they have had in life, they were enthralled to hear some parts of history that they never knew, and bits and pieces of stories they hadn't fully heard before.  It's important for us to know about our own culture and stories that make up the "American experience", and so much of that can get lost if we're not actively preserving it.  The stories also got them talking about tales from their own families--these also shouldn't be lost!  We need to tell and hear each other's stories....that's how we pass culture to the next generation.  Culture is best transmitted person to person, in the spirit of love and friendship.

March is here and it seems like spring is around the corner!  That's always good news after a long winter.  Crocus are blooming and their yellow blossoms seem to make everything brighter.  Why not brighten someone's day by telling a story?  Whether you tell a folktale, a family story, something historical, a ghost story, or a healing tale, you have made a connection with your audience (be it 1 or 100).  It's a connection that cannot be made with electronic media, as it's a truly human connection.  Whether we are the teller or the listener, stories help us become more human.  Try it today!

What better way to warm up a winter night than with story?  Cuddle up in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and your favorite book and life seems complete.  Of course, it's even better if you spend the evening with family or friends and share your own stories, or versions of stories you have heard.  Winter used to be the time for telling tales...that time when the farm work was less taxing and the evenings were long and dark.  Families had to make their own entertainment, and story and music were the ways to do just that!  Hey!  The evenings are still long, dark and cold, so try story as a way to warm things up this January.

I just attended a Storyswap with the Utah Storytelling Guild and it was great to see old friends, meet new ones and hear amazing stories.  I have spent the last month telling ghost stories to anyone who would listen and it was a great ride!  With all the talent around the area, if you are in northern Utah and haven't been to a storytelling presentation of some kind...you are just plain missing out!  I have the privilege of performing an hour long program of stories entitled--"From Sea to Shining Sea:  Stories on the Quest for Freedom" on November 11th for Veteran's Day.  I am excited to be able to share tales from our history and those who have given so much for the freedoms we enjoy.  As you gather with family later this month for the Thanksgiving holiday, be sure to share some stories with your children and grandchildren.  They'll remember that long after the leftovers have disappeared!

I started out this month with a wonderful 3 days at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival!  There's nothing better than sitting at the foot of our beautiful mountains and listening to storytellers from all over the country give us their best!  Now is the time of year when the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are starting to turn, and that means...time for ghost stories!  If you live in northern Utah, check out Ogden and Salt Lake City Ghost Tours and hear the history and ghostly encounters in these two haunted cities.  Wherever you are, enjoy the crisp autumn weather and the chill of those stories that always surprise and delight.

I don't know about you, but I have been traveling and seeing some beautiful sights in nature this summer.  The western part of the United States has interesting and unique scenery and it's here for all to enjoy!  It makes me think about the sacrifices so many have made when this country was new, and the pioneering efforts of so many to give us the ease and beauty we take for granted.  These stories need to be told, and I am researching stories that are begging for audiences!  We all need to be more aware of our history so that we can pass the culture down to our children and grandchildren, so that we are informed citizens (wherever we live) and so that we have a sense of where we have come from and where we are headed.  Share stories...hire storytellers who know more stories...share more stories...it's a great way to learn and feel and enjoy life more!

I had a great time telling a program of freedom stories and folk tales at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City last month.  The audience was just wandering around, but the sound system was great and I could see the occasional person stopping in their busy day to listen to a story...we should do that more often!  I have been researching American history stories so that I can tell more of our nation's amazing stories.  Too many don't know anything about the history here, as evidenced by some random Facebook posts that present fictionalized accounts as truth.  The real stories are too good to ignore!  Make sure, whatever culture you hail from, that you acquaint your children and others with the tales that make up your background.  Children need to know where they come from to have a firm idea of where they are going!  So...spread culture and stories this summer!

It's May and time to start thinking of summer and vacation plans.  If you are planning a festival or carnival, consider hiring a storyteller to round out the activities and remember...storytelling is not just for children.  EVERYONE loves a good story that is well told!  Stories are the way we share culture, language, ideas and values, so make sure to include it in your summer plans.  If you are traveling with family, there is no better way to keep everyone happy than to share family tales.  The miles will go by much more quickly and there will be less of the question, "Are we there yet?"

April is a beautiful month in Utah--trees are in bloom and flowers spring up everywhere.  It truly seems like a new beginning, and what better way to celebrate a newness of life than to hear and tell stories!  Folk tales from around the world help us connect with other cultures and discover the differences and also the qualities and yearnings we all share.  Family stories unite us with our own backgrounds and traditions, and stories of our cultural and historical heritage help us to know who we are and give us roots.  Try storytelling as a way to bring us all together in a positive manner; it's also a very rewarding way to celebrate this season of beginning.

March is here and spring is in the air!  Why don't you celebrate the change of seasons by hiring a storyteller for your next fair/carnival/ party or activity?  From Irish stories for St. Patrick's Day to celebratory stories for the new life of spring, something will take you into the magical realm of imagination and bring you new ideas and vitality.  If you don't want to hire a teller, do your own telling and share tales of your family or culture.  Stories are how we become more human and share our ideas with others....so share stories this spring and feel the magic of telling!

January 23rd we had an amazing storytelling festival in Clearfield, Utah.  There were eleven tellers and we had everything from cowboy poetry to folktales to puppets to juggling to tender family stories presented on the stage.  The tellers ranged from 9 years old to...well, somewhat older than that.  It was a diverse and great evening for tellers and audience alike.  Here in northern Utah we are looking forward to the Weber State University Storytelling Festival on February 22nd through the 24th.  National and local tellers will take the stage and provide excellent (and free) entertainment!  If you haven't heard storytelling, you're missing out on a great experience.  Stories speak straight to your soul and you can leave feeling refreshed, invigorated, emotionally cleansed, and just plain happy.  Check into storytelling events in  your local area and feel the magic!

Happy New Year and may you have health and happiness in 2016!  Start the year with story.  If you are in the northern Utah area, the 10th Annual Clearfield Storytelling Festival is a great way to do that.  It is held on January 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Community Arts Center 140 East Center Street in Clearfield, UT. and is free of charge.  Performers will be professional and novice tellers from the area and you will be well-entertained.  Let the stories warm your heart and soul at this frosty time of year!  Those who attend are always glad they did.  Farmington, UT also has a Storytelling Festival on January 16 from noon to 3:00 p.m. Cost is minimal and includes crafts for kids.  If these activities don't fit into your schedule, take some time to spin some tales with your family and friends.  Years ago, winter was the best storytelling time, as the work wound down and people spent more time indoors around the fire.  Those people seemed to sense that story would warm them...inside and out.  When the winter starts getting you down, try story, it's a great pick-me-up and helps chase away the dark.

It's summer, and here in Utah it's HOT!  Things are sizzling and that's a good time to share stories.  Sit in the shade, pour an ice-cold drink of lemonade, and just listen!  You can travel anywhere and forget the heat as you put yourself in the story.  In honor of Independence Day here in the United States, I presented at a lunchtime concert at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City and told folk songs and stories of America.  Many know the songs, but most don't know the stories behind them, and that's where the interest lies.  Some stories are inspirational, some silly, some a bit touching, and one was even about an unsolved murder mystery case in the nineteenth century!  Check out storytelling in your community, and be sure to include it in your family activities this summer.  It's what your children and grandchildren will remember.

Spring is a great time of year to share stories with your classroom, your family, random children, adults you meet in your life...stories should be shared everywhere.  We relate to each other as humans by story; stories help us connect with others in a way that nothing else does.  So....what are you waiting for?  Share a story today. I teach at an elementary school and am amazed at how many folk tales children don't know. Many of them have never heard of Brer Rabbit, for instance. Historical tales can help us get in touch with those who have gone before and their sacrifices. We need to share some basic tales to keep our culture alive. That goes for whatever your particular culture is. If you need help, contact a storyteller and they will be glad to help you get started on the adventure of storytelling.