Blue Skies, Nothin’ But Blue Skies, Comin’ my Way

Dear All, 

I just returned from the Fox Valley Folklife Festival in northern
Illinois. Our own Sue Black let me hang my head at her home. We had lots of
time to tell stories, play catch-up, consult and kibbitz. She was my angel for the weekend. She was always there hovering over my right shoulder
(angels only hover on the right...never the left) to take care of my every
whim.

I came early to attend Beth Horner's workshop. Whenever I've gone to the FV
workshop, I find a new story. Beth was able to put the pieces together for a
story I want to tell about my eighth grade nun, Sr. Mary Anthony. We also
did some creative exercises in the afternoon to try to give us a new outlook
on a WIP (that's a Work in Progress for any newbie). That evening we shared
pizza and drank (well, I drank) about a bottle of white Zin. We sat around
and told "out of school" tales and just about laughed ourselves silly. I
found out a whole new side of our prim and proper - Sue and Leanne! Saturday
was a beautiful day and the weatherman promised an even better Sun and Mon.

We woke up to the rain on Sun Morning. Not to fear - out of here by noon
(weather person). We all gathered at the story tent and blessed the much
needed rain. We became real cozy - got to know our neighbors as we sat side
by side huddled together. Coats, blankets, poncho's, umbrellas - we all
shared as we shared in the listening of the tales. Leanne Johnson introduced
us to her new harp and I introduced everyone to my little gorilla, Samantha.
I got to hear our very own Greg Liefel. As I was listening to a rather eerie
tale about a...highway billboard sign, Beth Horner looked over at me and
said, "He's good. Real good." And later "that is one well-crafted story." I
felt so proud. Like he was my son. "Yes, that's my boy!" Susan Black just
started telling stories a few years ago, but she is becoming one of my
favorite tellers. She's not afraid to tackle new material and to write her
own stories. I didn't do that for five years after I started!

She emceed the first event "Amazing Grace." She did an amazing job of
gracefully weaving the stories together. I told "The Gift of the
Hummingbird" and felt my mama's "presents" all weekend.

At noon I was running through the raindrops to hear the Irish piper piping
and the drummer drumming. Everywhere there was music! Beth Horner told a
beautiful story about her mother. She is a remarkable, accomplished person
who overcame major obstacles to fulfill her dreams. Dan Keding did a
masterful set full of story, song and music. My set was a potpourri of my
favorite tales. So  I told "Sleeping Ugly" "Whistling Tsonaquas" "Once a
Good Man" "How the Animals Were Formed."

I sloshed thru the rain to get a bite to eat around 1:30 and again for the
potluck. For the first time I got to hear the Story Weavers. It was the first
time I heard Lucinda Flodin and husband Dennis. Now, I know why they were
asked to go to Jonesborough. I can't wait to hear them again. Later during
the Thought Provoking tales I told "Middle Woman."

That night as we layered every blanket and huddled even closer, we heard
ghost stories - real ghost stories! How many times have you gone to hear
ghost stories and were disappointed? Not tonight. As the rain provided an
even beat we listened and shivered - a bit from the cold and a bit from the
tales! I got to tell "The Piasa." It's still new for me, but it was one of
my best tellings of it. My first line is "They say that the first thing you
could hear was the distant sound of thunder" all I could do was laugh,
because at that moment the train come thundering past! I was also
accompanied by blasts of fireworks from the hill to my back. When I came to
the wildest part of the story the blasts were fast and furious. Don't cha
just love it when the universe provides the sound effects?

Then, I fell in love. I've never met Mitch Capel before, but I'll never
forget him. He told a true tale about a haunted, lynching tree and coupled
it with a Paul Lawrence Dunbar poem. My heart went pitter-pat like the rain
(pitter-pat, pitter-pat) He does what he calls "storetry" a combination of
story and poems. He wraps his voice around each and every word. I was
literally transported to another place. I haven't bought books or tapes for
a long time - but I bought his!

That cup of hot cocoa was greatly appreciated that night back at Sue's, as
we listened to the weather person tell us that the rain would stop this
evening and expect a nice day for Labor Day. NOT!

I got to share the stage with Mitch on Sunday morning. (pitter-pat) He did a
poem and I told "Makin' Music" He told a poem and I told "Hold On!" I think
I died and went to heaven! When we got to the main stage we noticed that
everyone was in the tent while stage was hundreds of feet away with nothing
but rain between the stage and the audience.  But it was Linda Gorham to the
rescue. If the people couldn't move to the stage, she moved the stage to the
people! She rigged up a mic so we could tell in the tent. That's just the
kind of folks they are at Fox Valley.

Later at the Storyteller's tent we had a surprise visit from Michael
McCarty. During the tummy tales there was some extra time and he had us
holding our sides and our noses at his version of "The theft of Smell." I
can't tell it all - but just know that it had something to do with a goat
and lots of beans.

Later I told "The Blue Faience Hippopotamus." My childhood girlfriend who
used to live down the street from me came to hear me. I felt so blessed that
she was able to come. After that, I had to get home. We had company at home
and I wanted to at least share breakfast with them. So, I didn't stay for
the Truly Tasteless Tales, the Liar's Contest or the Scary Stories. As  I
left, I noticed the rain had stopped. And as I traveled west a line of blue
cut across the sky. Yes, I blessed the rain - lots of gifts in that rain.
One of them being the promise of blue skies.