There is a hint of fall in the air, the trees are starting to change colors, school has started--it must be September. Where DID the summer go? As you start to think about spiced cider and costumes, you might want to think about those stories that can give you a bit of a chill that has nothing to do with the weather. Ghost stories are appropriate any time of year, but they seem especially satisfying as the calendar turns toward autumn and October. Do you have any personal stories of unexplained events in your family? Well, we do in mine! Dust those off and share them with loved ones. You might also want to consider finding a teller who can share some with you. There are many story-listening opportunities available this time of year, so snuggle up with your cider and listen to some ghost stories!

August is upon us...the fireworks of July are past. Why not make "fireworks" of your own by telling some really funny or scary or interesting or informative stories? Here in the West it is the camping season and there is nothing better to do than sit around as the dusk begins to settle upon the mountains and tell stories. You could begin by sharing the family anecdotes that everyone enjoys hearing again and again. Then follow with a favorite regional tale ("The Windigo" comes to my mind) and then a folktale. Of course, you always want to end with something a little scary (or more scary if the littler ones have been persuaded to go to bed!). Consider storytelling as part of your late summer family reunion; hire a storyteller to liven up your next barbecue or party. There are so many reasons to tell a story: find someone and tell them a story today! Happy summer!

Happy 4th of July! The month of remembering and appreciating the freedoms we enjoy is upon us...and wherever you live this is a good time to reflect on your heritage and what is important to you. I teach children and have been asked (living in the USA)--"what is our culture?" as I try to teach the younger generation to respect and understand a little about others and their cultures. We have a great opportunity to "pass on" whatever culture we call our own through story. After all, this has been the way of oral tradition for thousands of years--telling stories that help define who we are and what we value. Since I live in the United States, I enjoy telling some tales that are from my cultural heritage. As we delve into our own culture, we very often find that it is not so different from others...we have much in common. Happy telling!

To quote a famous song--"June is bustin' out all over!" The weather here in Utah is glorious, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and my honeysuckle bushes are scenting the air. School has just gotten out for the summer and it is a wonderful time to read, tell and listen to stories. Many of you are probably planning family activities, camping trips, reunions and festivals of various types throughout these next three months of summertime. Don't forget to include storytelling on these occasions. Storytelling is a way to link the generations together, to pass on important information and traditions, to keep the culture of your family and area intact, to remember those who have passed on, and just to laugh and cry and enjoy each others company. If you want a different type of entertainment for young and old alike, hire a storyteller for your next barbecue or activity. It's good, old-fashioned fun at its best. Have a great summer!

May is fully here and with it the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer storytelling season! What better way to celebrate than planning outdoor activities and festivals with a storyteller as the featured event? This is also the time to think about those great family trips and the opportunities to gather your children and grandchildren around and tell them the stories that make them who they are. Children love to hear about those who went before and recognize similarities in talents, looks, and interests with others--it gives them the feeling of belonging, something that can be sorely lacking in today's fast-paced society. So...give yourself and your children (and others you care about) the gift of story. It will enrich you both. Happy telling!

April is here:  spring, daffodils, beautiful blue skies, and many more opportunities to tell (and listen to) stories.  A few weeks ago I was volunteering in a large building in Salt Lake City, Utah.  My job there is to greet people and make them feel welcome.  I was talking to a family and discovered that they were traveling from Iowa, and the exact town where I spent most of my elementary school days...long ago.  After we reminisced about various local landmarks and how the flooding several years ago has affected the area, I mentioned one of my fondest childhood memories.  When I was younger my parents took me to some children's theater productions at the local college.  That is probably the first time that I was introduced to the stage (a passion for me) and was able to see the actors up close and personal, as they came into the lobby and greeted the children as we left.  The "mascot" for this theater was a dancing ear of corn--not a real ear of corn, but someone in a costume!  This dancing corn would introduce each play with the "theme song" of the theater, which was called "Playtime Poppy".  (This really happened:  everything in Iowa is related to either pigs or corn.)  As I was sharing this story, the woman in the group told me that she was on the board of directors for that same "Playtime Poppy" theater, though they now travel and use the stages at local high schools.  They are still producing children's theater for yet another generation of kids.  Her husband said, "Well, you can go back and tell the board how that affected someone."  You see, I happened to be involved with a community theater production at the time we were having this conversation: that early exposure to the stage made me want to participate in it years later.  What a small world this is, and what a difference in someone's life we can make without even knowing who they are.  Those who acted in those plays so long ago didn't have any idea the effect they had on at least one child, who has now acted in over 30 theater productions!  What effect can telling stories have on your family?  your friends?  those you may not even know?  Try sharing a story today and see what it does for you and those you care about.  Consider having a professional teller come to an event you may be planning this spring.  What power there is in story, whether on the stage or in the living room.  Keep telling tales.

These past couple of months have been a feast for storytelling in northern Utah:  three festivals, a conference with national presenters, and numerous opportunities to do what I like best--tell stories to appreciative audiences.  I have heard a plethora of folk tales during these events, as well as reading some to expand my repertoire, and I have been thinking about that genre of story.  What is it that makes folk tales appear in various locations, almost unchanged in basic plot, and makes them told and re-told throughout the years?  Why is it that movie makers keep discovering and re-discovering these stories?  I think the answer is that they always have a kernal of truth that speaks to our very souls.  We want the hero to win because we want to come out "on top" ourselves.  They seem to empower us and give us "permission" to be human, have faults, and still overcome.  Also, they are just good stories!  They have been handed down from generation to generation because we like to hear and tell them.  So...find a storyteller for your next event and experience the magic of folktale.  Or...tell a story to someone else--it will brighten both your days.

Do we LOVE storytelling, or what.?  This is the perfect month to share a story with someone you love--family member, friend or sweetheart.  Nothing brings people closer together than story.  Our recent 5th Annual Clearfield Storytelling  Festival was a huge success.  We moved to a larger venue this year and still filled the room.  Everyone felt the warmth and magic of story on a cold winter evening.  The audience was mesmerized by the tellers, who ranged in age from 10 years to....well... older.  Even the youngest audience members were enthralled with the presentations and at the end we were well filled with story, memories and things to contemplate for later.  We had a great mix of stories--cowboy poetry  to folktale to personal story to historical tale.  If you want to experience to totally new type of entertainment--one for the whole family and even the ADULTS--look up a storytelling event in your area.  Caution:  story-listening is addictive.  You will begin to want more and more of it.  Happy February!

If you're wondering what to do to "warm" those cold winter nights...why not try storytelling?  Years ago, when many people lived in agricultural settings, winter was the time when chores slowed down and evenings were spent telling tales.  Culture was passed down at times like these, and many children learned about values and family from these shared experiences in front of the fire on a frosty winter night.  So...pop some corn, turn on the gas log, and try some old-fashioned entertainment with your family this January.  You'll all wonder why you didn't think of turning off the TV long ago!  Check into activities in your local area:  storytelling may be offered in various venues and can spark your own (and your children's) creativity.  It's a cozy way to spend time in the winter.

'Tis the season when many of us think about the birth of Christ, meet with family and friends, and tell STORIES.  Ssince this time of year brings back so many memories, why not share those with the ones you love?  Children, and even adults, enjoy stories from the family's past, or just items that have happened to you in the day's events.  Turn off the TV and other electronic media, sit down by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy sharing with each other.  Of course, if you have a more structured event, hiring a storyteller is always a way to provide enjoyable and slightly unique entertainment...for ALL ages.  Whatever you do and whatever you celebrate at this season, have a good time with those close to you...wishing all a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

Where did October go?  Well, ready or not, it's November and Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner.  With all the family times ahead, it's time to think about all the stories and traditions your family has.  Be prepared to share those with your children and grandchildren at this festive time of year.  Children (and adults, too) love to hear stories about the past, and especially about their families' past.  What a great way to help others to be grateful this Thanksgiving...give them a sense of where they have come from and where they are going.  Share some fun stories that you enjoy.  Share some memories of times past.  And, if you're planning a holiday get-together, don't forget to include storytelling as part of the fun!

October is nearly here with all its beautiful blue skies, multi-colored leaves and just the hint of "spook" in the autumn air.  Whether or not you believe in ghostly activity, almost everyone loves a good ghost story.  This time of year is just brimming with the harvest of fruits, vegetables and stories to cause a chill up your spine.  Don't miss out on the wonderful opportunities to enjoy these tales.  Storytelling venues abound this month, from those that the littlest children can enjoy, to ones that can cause a bit of thrill to the adults.  Check into what's available and don't let this time of year find you without a good tale to repeat around the winter fire later.

School has started and the feeling of fall is in the air.  Warm days and somewhat cooler nights are upon us and tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables are ripening.  It's an exciting time of year when hopes and goals for learning are bright and each day promises a new adventure.  To me, it means that it's time to start thinking about booking a storyteller into your school for a classroom presentation or an assembly.  It also means that it's time to start thinking about the season of ghost tales and spooky stories. Don't wait to get the magic of storytelling into your life, and enjoy the beautiful days ahead. 

August brings camping trips, family reunions, picnics, and of course, back-to-school activities and the inevitable END OF SUMMER!  (Has it gone as quickly for you as it has for me?)  Well, as you are having last family outings, don't forget to include storytelling with your children and grandchildren in the program.  Our family had a camping trip last week, and as we prepared to leave, one of my granddaughters asked if I was going to tell more stories.  Personal stories, family stories, folk tales, ANY story...it doesn't matter so much WHAT you tell, just as long as you DO!  As you are preparing for that back-to-school time and programs for the children during the year, why not invite a storyteller to your school and introduce your kids to the magic of story.  It's such good food for the brain and the imagination.  We need those interpersonal connections more and more as the world gets increasingly "high tech".  So...start telling,  Laurie

July is the month when we think about our country, patriotism and the freedoms for which we are all grateful.  It's also a great time to think about our history--whether that's the history of our nation, our family, our community or our culture.  What better time to get together and let your children know a little more about their heritage--they love those stories that can be told around the campfire, the barbecue grill, the picnic table or the patio.  Spend some of these long summer twilight evenings exchanging anecdotes and reminiscing about your family.  If you are planning a reunion or a larger "event", remember to add storytelling to the agenda.  There are family members just waiting to tell their tales, or hire a professional storyteller to "liven up" that occasion.  Remember--everything goes better with story, so keep telling tales, Laurie.

Summertime; and the telling is easy!  What a great time of year:  school is out (for most), flowers are blooming, sun is shining, and ice cream is available everywhere.  While you sit in the shade and cool off with a cone of your favorite flavor, why not share a story or memory with someone?  It's a valuable way to cement a friendship, teach a grandchild, or just enjoy the company of another traveler on the planet.  If you are planning a summer get-together, add stories to your plans, whether told by members of your group or by a professional teller that may be available in your area.  It's a "different" type of entertainment that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.  Many festivals in the park now include storytelling in their offerings--hey, that's a good idea!  Keep telling tales, Laurie

It's May!  It's May!  This is the time when the flowers bloom in abundance and children are looking forward to the freedom of summer.  Why not celebrate this joyous time of year with story?  Spend some time with someone you care about and share an important story from your life, or just enjoy a funny or touching story together. As you begin plans for the summer, include stories and storytelling.  Share with each other, attend a storytelling festival (there are many from which to choose), or invite a teller to come along and bask in the entertainment.  You are sure to create your own stories this summer, so prepare to tell them to others, and enjoy the season!

The tulips in my yard are several inches high, the daffodils are blooming, the crocus are "past their prime", so it looks like spring...despite the somewhat cool weather and occasional snowstorm!  This is a time of awakening--for nature and for the rest of us, too.  It's a great time to "awake" to the stories we all have inside ourselves.  Have you shared a story with someone you love recently?  There's no better way to bring you closer to others than to "open up" with a story.  If you don't have enough of your own, bring a storyteller into your party, event or activity and let someone else fill the spring air with the sound of story.  (Then you can re-tell those stories to others!)  A good story bears repetition.  Have a great spring and keep telling tales, Laurie

March is fully here and with it the promise of spring!  Some of us who have weathered the long winter are looking forward to the chance to "get out" a bit and enjoy nature.  While we are looking toward the warmer weather, there are also many opportunities to share the "warmth" and reawakening that stories provide.  I was able to spend last weekend with two of my grandchildren, two of my little "story listeners".  It is always a treat to be able to tell stories to them and watch their eyes light up as they enter that magical world with me.  If you haven't told a story to someone recently, what better time is there to share a bit of yourself?  And what better time to invite a storyteller to your next event to share that magic with others?