Today, more than ever, we need storytelling.  Many of us are somewhat confined to our homes with less to do than usual.  Now that summer is here and the kids are more free, they are also looking for activities that keep their interest.  Rather than binge watching a screen, why not spend some time sharing stories?  Reading books together is wonderful and so is sharing tales of your childhood with your children.  I have found that nothing keeps the grandchildren gathered around the adults during conversation time than telling incidents from my own or my children's past.  Sometimes, they even try to be quiet so we won't "know" they're listening!  It's such a great way to pass on family traits, culture and knowledge.  In this day we need to draw closer to each other in meaningful ways.  Try story!

Due to the Coronavirus all live storytelling performances are cancelled or will be done digitally.  So, while you're at home and "sheltering in place", consider using storytelling with your family.  Share stories with your children and help them learn more about their heritage. There are also great tellers who have put their stories on YouTube during this interesting time.  Check out my website at stories-by-laurie.com to see a couple of my recorded offerings of story.  Happy Spring!

The Clearfield Storytelling Festival was held last Saturday (the first day of the Chinese New Year) and it was a lucky experience for all who attended.  We had 14 great storytellers who presented everything from mountain man experiences to puppets to personal stories with pizzazz!  Annie and Dan Eastmond (called Harvest Home) played music to all who entered the building and set the mood beautifully for the evening.  A big thanks to all who attended, told and helped in any way to make the event a success for the 14th year in a row!  Now, go home and tell your own stories.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2020!  During this cold and dark time of year, why not cuddle up to the fireside with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book?  or a good story?  You might even consider telling that story yourself to family and friends.  Storytelling has always been an important part of the winter season, as families tended to remain indoors more and find sedentary means of entertainment.  Don't let the TV and the internet tell all of your stories:  take an active part in that yourself!  Your family and friends will be glad you did--and so will you.

'Tis the holiday season and whatever holiday you celebrate, there are stories to help that celebration really ring!  Storytelling has been around since man has been and the tales of your culture are essential to pass on to the next generation.  Parties are more festive when a bit of story is involved; children learn about their families and traditions with story; important information about your faith and beliefs can be passed along with story.  Don't be afraid to discuss your important tales with others.  Hire a professional teller to help your celebration to be more festive!  Include things that need to be passed along the generations.  And don't forget, this chilly time of year was when ghost stories were traditionally told. Sit down by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa and a story.   Happy holidays!

The "ghostly season" is officially over, but I enjoy telling (and hearing) ghost stories year round.  Maybe some of you do, too.  I enjoyed sharing the tales and history of haunted Ogden, Utah last month and also telling Halloween stories to a couple of family-friendly groups at schools and libraries.  There is something about the chill and surprise endings of so many ghost tales that really appeals to me.  Now is the season of Thanksgiving and this is the perfect time to share family tales around the dinner table or at any family gathering.  One year I had all my children and grandchildren share their favorite family tale after the big meal on Thanksgiving Day and it was fun to hear what they enjoyed and especially fun for them to hear stories they may not have already known about their parents as children.  That is one of my best memories of the day.  Try sharing these stories and see how many memories you can make this holiday season.  Happy Thanksgiving!

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!

Summer is here and with it a fantastic season for storytelling!  Camping trips, picnics in the park, fairs and festivals, road trips....wherever you are and whatever you're doing, stories can make it better!  I have just finished telling for the Story Crossroads Festival in Salt Lake City and am looking forward to performances at the Gallivan Center and Pioneer Park in Provo, Utah during the summer months.  Ghost Tours are going year-round and there are many opportunities to tell, and listen, to stories.  Watch for opportunities to catch a professional teller at an outdoor festival and make sure you share family stories with those you love.  Make memories this summer with stories.

The holiday season is upon us again, and whatever celebrations you have at this time of year, remember that storytelling is part of every culture!  Share family tales, religious stories, traditional tales or whatever makes you feel warm and friendly with others.  In Victorian times, it was the tradition to tell ghost stories at this time of year.  Why not?  Sharing with those you love is always appropriate and especially during a season that tends to focus on loving and giving.  So give of yourself to others and make some good connections to lighten the dark days of winter.

   Well, the haunting season has passed and it was great fun telling the ghost stories of Ogden, Utah the entire month of October.  One of our more haunted buildings was quite active...I guess the ghosts like to "show off" for their guests this season.  Haunted Salt Lake City, a new book that I recently co-authored, is in stores.  Read 13 stories about some of the haunted buildings in our state's capital. All four authors were involved with book signings this past month and we enjoyed meeting with people and sharing ghostly discussions.
   Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that is a family time that is made so much more meaningful with story.  My grandchildren are fascinated with stories of their grandparents, their parents when they were younger, and even ancestors they have never met.  It's important for children to have roots, so tell the stories that make them laugh, cry and think.  Have a happy holiday season!

This past weekend was an amazing storytelling feast as I attended the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Lehi, Utah.  I heard tales that were funny, poignant, serious and spooky and they raised every emotion by the end!  Stories do that:  they take us out of our everyday lives and transport us to places we have never seen, places that don't even exist and put us in historical events we have not experienced.  It makes me excited to try to expand my own story repertoire and share the stories that are important to me.  Stories are powerful.  Share yours with others.

We are now in the depths of summer and what a wonderful time of year that is!  I enjoy the freedom from the strict schedules many of us have to keep up with the rest of the year and the feeling of "more time" that it sometimes gives me.  But don't just lounge away the summer.....spend some moments making great memories and turn those memories into stories!  Look for storytelling festivals in your area, or events that sponsor storytelling.  If you are planning a carnival or celebration, hire a professional storyteller and make the event even more memorable.  And remember, ice cream and lemonade always make the season better!

Keep the stories rolling!  Summer and a break from school has arrived and what better way to spend it than with family?  And while you are at the beach, on the road trip or visiting relatives, be sure to share those favorite (or lesser known) family tales.  It's the best way to keep kids entertained and away from the constant stream of technology.  You might actually have conversations together!  If your summer plans include festivals and parties, make sure that storytelling (professional or otherwise) is included.  Children who are exposed to story become more excited about reading, and summer is a super time to get the books out.  Visit your local library and stock up with books, lemonade and your favorite people.  It's a great way to make memories.

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!

What a wonderful storytelling festival we had in Clearfield, Utah last Saturday!  It was exciting to see tellers, old and new, perform and feel the audience reactions.  Intertwined within the stories were music, juggling, and puppets.  We heard true tales, tall tales, flights of fancy and "should be true" tales.  There was poetry and laughter, silliness and some more serious reflection.  Storytelling has it all!  Now to the end of February (26-28) when the Weber State University Storytelling Festival (in Ogden, Utah) will be in full swing.  Three days filled with national, regional and local performers and it's all free.  Come and see what storytelling is really all about.

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!

The storytelling in October was glorious, and now it's time to settle down for family and holiday stories.  With Thanksgiving approaching (in the United States), consider telling stories around the dinner table.  We did that a couple of years ago with my grandchildren, and they absolutely loved hearing about the past, what their parents did as children, and sharing their own memories of times they have enjoyed.  Children need roots AND wings, and we give them roots by sharing our stories, our beliefs, our traditions and our culture.  Have a happy Thanksgiving!

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!

This summer seems to be going way too fast!  I just finished a performance called "Sing Me a Story--Ballads, Songs and Stories from the American Tradition" for an appreciative group of "empty nesters" and will be on stage at the Gallivan Center (239 South Main) in Salt Lake City on July 10th at noon for the Lunch Bunch Concert Series.  I will be performing stories and songs with an American theme, as it just seems like the thing to do in July.  It's important to remember our heritage and reconnect with what has made our country free.  Remember to share your family stories with your children and grandchildren as you travel, camp, hike or whatever you do to celebrate the beautiful days of summer.

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.