Tellabration Morgantown

Here's a quick recap of the weekend. It's been a whirlwind:

At WVU's Family Fun Day at Mountaineer Week we saw:

Crafters: One of them was Ingrid Hailer of Sugar Grove, West Virginia. I bought two soft silk scarves, hand-dyed with vegetable dyes, from her. I can't wait to wear them. Her work was so lovely. I was sorely tempted by a dyed robe of browns and rose that was too pretty and perfect for a storyteller, but managed to come home without it. Beautiful, beautiful work.

Storytellers: Tellin' tales at Tellabration!

Dancing: Folk dancers take the stage in the food court at MountainLair at WVU.
Family: Daughter-in-law Jaime and grandchildren Michaela and James were on hand for stories. Notice the egg cartons in front of her? The glut of eggs is slowly dissipating at our house!

This has been a busy, busy weekend. And a really, really good time.

We started early Saturday morning for Morgantown and the annual WV Storytelling Guild Tellabration. The storytelling wasn't until 5:30pm, but we wanted to be there in time for the 11:30am showing of the film Coal Country, which is a new documentary about the problems associated with the mining practice of mountaintop removal. The film and discussion were excellent.

The Tellabration is just one activity during a weeklong homecoming at WVU called Mountaineer Week. Saturday also included the annual craft show and sale, and quilt show. We browsed, shopped, ate and met friends all afternoon. It was a great time.

The guild members participating in the storytelling event assembled about 4:30pm for mic checks and last minute instructions. Donna Wilson, Paige Tighe, Cat Pleska, Adam Booth and I were the tellers, with Jo Ann Dadisman, June Riffle, and Jason Burns serving as organizers and hosts.

I decided to do a "Granny Goes to the Devil" set: I sang The Old Woman and the Devil, then told Wicked Jack and the Devil and finished with the ballad "The Devil's Nine Questions." (links are to similar stories and ballads, not exactly the way I do them but close enough). What fun to put these comic pieces together in one session! I would love to add a couple more stories and ballads to the set and make it a full hour. There is plenty of material to choose from, certainly.

Today was clean-up and put-away day, as well as grocery shopping and laundry day. We managed to find time to plant a late lettuce bed and some radish and garlic seeds in a new cold frame (pics later this week, I hope) to see if we can grow some winter veggies.

Then this evening was company for dinner and time by the firepit, under the starry starry night skies. It was a great weekend, with little time to be online and less to write. I'll have to catch up a bit later this week!