School days have started again, the air is getting (a little) cooler and we are headed toward Fall.  Now that the kids are back in school, it's time to think about reading and literacy and perhaps harvest celebrations and carnivals.  All of these activities could readily include storytelling!  Stories are a great way to promote reading, and as the days are getting shorter and people are starting to spend a bit more time indoors, storytelling is a good way to make that time valuable.  Why not hire a professional teller for your next harvest event or back-to-school carnival?  You'll be glad you did.

Well, summer is winding down and those busy days of school will soon be here.  As we all head for the mountains or the beach or the park to have our last "summer fling", don't forget to load up on cold drinks, ice cream, hot dogs and STORIES.  Yes, stories will make the event something truly memorable.  You know you have them, share them with your family and friends and anyone who will listen!  It's always appropriate to share stories around the campfire, in the car, or while hiking.  Consider inviting a professional storyteller along when you are planning that reunion or community celebration.  Everything goes better with a story.  Happy August!

Summertime is storytime

Happy Fourth of July (also Independence Day for those of you in the USA)!  I just finished a performance of "freedom stories" at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City, UT and it was interesting to me how many tales from around the world are essentially about freedom.  We all want to be able to find our own way in life, and it's important to transmit that longing and culture to our children.  Tell stories about your youth, your values and your traditions.  Make new traditions by listening to professional tellers and their performances and enjoying the stories that make us human.  Whether around the campfire, at the family reunion, at your summer barbecue or just around the dinner table, tell stories!  And when you plan that special summer event, invite a storyteller to add something different and amazing!

Summer is here, and for those of us who work in the education field, it is the time to re-think, re-group, and re-create what we are doing in our lives and careers.  While I am relaxing and enjoying the sun and family time, I also like to come up with creative ideas for stories and also for my music teaching in the elementary school.  I always hope to end this precious season invigorated and refreshed with new thoughts and stories.  While you are enjoying whatever makes it "summertime" for you, whether that be camping, the beach, extra time to spend with family and friends, or whatever...be sure to tell your stories to all those around you.  My five-year-old granddaughter has decided that storytelling isn't just for grandma anymore.  She enjoys recounting stories she has heard about her parents and has even started "grouping" them--telling a couple that go together (by subject matter) in her mind.  If the pre-kindergartener can do it--you can, too.  There's no time like the present to share with those you love.  Don't forget when planning those fun summer activities to include some time for stories.  You even might want to contact a professional storyteller and get a feel for the power of story.  It truly speaks to all ages.  Happy June!

It's the beautiful month of May again and I am looking forward to the summer season of storytelling.  This is the time to take your stories "on the road"--to camp, on vacation, up the mountains, to the seashore, or just to the back lawn while watching the stars...anyplace is the place for story.  If you are planning a summer event or festival, it would always be better with storytelling.  Invite a professional teller to help you integrate story into your activity, or take the leap and try it yourself.  Make sure your family knows your story.  Telling stories on those long car trips is especially helpful.  Check out storytelling events and reading incentives at your local library.  The possibilities are endless...and so much fun!

The daffodils are blooming, the trees are getting their new green leaves, spring is here, and I am ready to tell stories.  Recently, I have realized how important it is to tell our stories and to tell stories from our culture (and other cultures, as well).  We must preserve our identity and pass our values and traditions on to our children, and that is best done with story.  Stories are what bind us together and make us more human:  it's hard to carry bad feelings for someone once you have heard their story.  So...share with others what is unique about YOU.  And don't forget to plan your upcoming end-of-school-year activities with story in mind.  Hire a professional teller today and get a view of what story can do for children, teens and adults, too.  It's a great way to promote literacy and preserve culture.

The Weber State University Storytelling Festival has just ended after another successful year of youth tellers, local professional tellers and 4 fantastic out-of-state tellers spinning their yarns for three full days.  If you missed the fun, plan on coming next year.  Save the date--February 24-26, 2014.  Events are free and you'll be glad you came!

This has been a LONG winter and everyone in Utah is excited to see the sun and the hopes of spring in the air.  While you are feeling somewhat rejuvenated by that thought, why not start your spring and summer storytelling planning?  There are numerous family, school and community events where the magic of story would be appreciated.  Contact a storyteller today for some added sparkle in your event.  And while you're at it, tell a story to someone you love. 

Well, February is here at last...the month of love, and I just LOVE stories.  The winter in Utah has been especially cold and it's always nice to feel the warmth of story.  So, whether you're visiting with friends or taking the grandchildren on an outing, include storytelling in whatever you're doing.  At a recent storytelling festival held in Clearfield, Utah, more than a third of the tellers were youth.  They ranged in age from 7 to 14 and did a great job presenting their stories to an audience of nearly 100 people.  It's great to see the "next generation" picking up on the importance of storytelling.  Don't YOU miss out on the fun.  Share a story with someone you love today.

Winter is upon us and it feels like the time to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.  Why not consider storytelling as an occasional alternative to reading?  Check out your local storytelling guild or group and hire a professional teller for a special event, or take the time to tell (not necessarily READ) stories to family and friends.  My four-year-old granddaughter is one of my best story-listeners.  Whenever we get together, she asks for a story.  Now, she can tell many of the stories to me and to her friends.  What a great way to encourage critical thinking, creativity, and pre-reading skills!  And...she's getting pretty good at the telling.  Her stories follow the linear pattern in the plot and are quite entertaining.  Stories are a great gift you can give to yourself and to those you love, so keep telling tales.

Deck the halls with storytelling!  Fa la la la la la la la la!  What a wonderful season to connect with family and friends and renew old acquaintances (lest they be forgot).  While you are doing all this "connecting", don't forget to tell stories to each other...we do that, anyway.  Make sure your children and grandchildren know about holiday traditions in your family's past and make new traditions that you will all cherish in the future.  This is the season of remembering the greatest of Gifts that was ever given, and also remembering those who may be less fortunate by giving our time, talents and even finances to help. Have a Merry Christmas; Happy Holidays; Happy New Year.  And remember to include storytelling (and storytellers) in your plans.

The holiday season is fast approaching. Are your stories ready? I don't mean stories specific to any celebration, but stories that need to be shared with family and friends. Recently we had a family party where some stories of "grandpa", now deceased, were shared. Everyone who had a memory of him shared something, and the younger audience, who hadn't known him, was mezmerized as they learned more and "grandpa" became a real person to them. We all have memories that would bless others as we share the stories. Of course, if you're looking for entertainment for a holiday party or occasion, try hiring a storyteller to add a different dimension to your activity. Stories bond people together in ways that nothing else can. They are reflections of who we are as a culture and who we are as human beings. As we turn our thoughts to the things for which we are grateful this month, let's count our families and our cherised memories as among the most important.

It's my favorite storytelling season of the year. As soon as the pumpkins and scarecrows start appearing I begin thinking about ghost stories...those stories that give you just a bit of chill to go with the cooler weather. Ogden and Salt Lake City Ghost Tours is a great way to celebrate the "season" and hear some of the actual experiences that people are having in haunted old buildings and cemeteries (and even on the street). Check out the website at www.storytours.com and add something different to your October. Don't forget to share some of your favorite autumn tales with your family and friends. Sit by the fire, pop some corn and enjoy the company of loved ones and stories. If you're planning an event, consider hiring a professional teller to "spook it up". Storytellers can tell everything from non-scary fare for little ones to tales that will keep older people lying awake at night. Have a haunting October!

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.