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!

The ghostly season is here and Ogden and Salt Lake City Ghost Tours are up and running!  It's so exciting to meet with people and tell them the history and paranormal activity of these two cities.  Check out the website at www.storytours.com and enjoy a family-friendly but spooky Halloween activity.  This month I will also be storytelling at the Morgan Library on October 21st and at Bonneville Elementary School on October 28th. Check out the upcoming events page for more information. October is the best time to tell tales, so get with your family, turn down the lights, put on the hot chocolate and enjoy some chilling time together.

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!  

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.

The Weber State Storytelling Festival was this past week and I was able to tell stories in Ogden's Egyptian Theater--that is always a pleasure!  There is so much ambiance in that location and yes, it also has resident ghosts!  I enjoy asking the people who work backstage about Allison, a girl ghost who died in an accident while the theater was being built and whose antics seem to touch anyone who works there for any length of time.  The theater also boasts a great stage and twinkling lights like stars in the ceiling for an all round fantastic experience.  The artist in me was fully fed.

This is a glorious time of year for storytelling....who doesn't love a good ghost story?  Stories that have a bit of chill to match the weather, tales with just a hint of a twist, adventures that excite and make us wonder are all part of the fun of autumn.  I have been working with Storytours and Ogden Ghost Tours for over a dozen years, and it seems we never run out of paranormal happenings to retell on our tours.  Even young children love the stories of this time of year--they just don't need as much "scare" factor.  Be sure to include tales in your October and fall celebrations.  They stir up the imagination and help us appreciate the warmth of our homes and firesides.  

School days are upon us again and the air is getting (a little) cooler, so fall must be on the way!  One of the best things about fall (besides pumpkins!) are the stories and storytelling opportunities.  I love to tell stories with surprise endings and a little bit of chill, and ghost stories and other seasonal treats seem to provide that in abundance.  Don't miss out on the chance to hear, or even tell, a slightly spooky story this season.  As you make plans for harvest activities and family events, include stories in the plan.  After the heat of summer, it's time to cool off with a ghostly story!

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!

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.

It's the winter holiday season again and whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or Dewali, there are stories to share with others.  This is the time of year for sitting in front of a fire (or in another warm location) and telling stories of your family and holiday traditions.  This is what binds us to each other and to those who have gone before.  And don't forget, when you plan your celebrations and parties, include storytelling.  It makes the time unforgettable!  And remember, in Victorian times, this was the season for ghost stories...try it out!

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!

The air is becoming cooler, leaves are vibrant shades of crimson and gold, the mountains are topped with a dusting of snow...it must be time for ghost stories!!  Almost everyone likes a good ghost tale--one that gives just the right amount of chill, and especially one with a surprise ending, so...get your cup of hot chocolate and doughnuts or popcorn or caramel apples and sit back and enjoy the season and the stories.  Ogden and Salt Lake City (Utah) Ghost Tours offers ghost stories every Friday and Saturday this month, plus on Halloween night.  These are re-tellings of actual experiences people have had in these haunted cities.  Some tours are walking, some are bus tours. Check out the website at www.storytours.com for more information.  If you're having a Halloween party, make storytelling a part of it.  There are great stories for all:  from the little ones who don't need a scare to bigger people who may enjoy it!  Happy Fall!

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.

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?"