A Ball of Fire

I've had a long break from storytelling--since the end of December in fact. It's been nice in some ways. Having time to do little things that get put off, time to enjoy being home, time to work on furniture again and organize my booths better, time to cook and read and clean. I have to admit that a ball of fire I have NOT been even though I have been busy.

But I have missed storytelling. There is something about sharing stories with others that just makes my heart sing. The history, the folklore, the humor and magic of stories bring people together in a way no other art can do.

I have not been slacking altogether. I've been planning my summer program for libraries and mailing out publicity, organizing my ghost stories at last into a book that I may publish this year, reordering CDs and reading, reading, reading to develop new stories.

But today I was back out telling tales and talking about ghost stories with college students in a class at the University of Charleston. It felt so good! It also made me realize again that when I do this presentation, as I have been twice a year for the past 5 years, I am trying to compress a whole semester's work into one hour. How to crowd in the background of storytelling in our region, the heritage and beliefs that lead to a belief in spirits, the process and research of developing an anecdote into a full story, the sources, and then actually telling a few stories and singing a few ballads? Somehow it gets done, and I come away feeling satisfied and yet wishing I could have more time to really get into the process and the tales.

One of the stories we explored today had to do with a ball of fire. I have heard from multiple people who say they have seen a random ball of fire just roll down a creek or across a field, with no apparent reason or source of the fire.

In several of these stories, the ball of fire was an omen of impending death. Superstitions about balls of fire (some say this is ball lightning) abound in cultures around the world but it was new information to these students.

The picture above was a door prize at the WV Folk Festival's 60th anniversary festival, and I was the lucky winner. It's true folk art, made by a man who knew the story, its location and the book in which a version of the tale was published. I treasure this thing! The class I spoke with is studying Dr. Ruth Ann Musick's book, so the picture and the story fit right in to today's presentation.

The illustration in the Tell-Tale Lilac Bush that inspired the woodburned version.

I also brought with me a first-edition copy of the Telltale Lilac Bush that I recently bought online. I had not seen the original with its lilac-purple cover, and it was pretty cool to bring these two pieces together.

This story, along with another I told, led to a discussion of peddlers and their role in the early days of settlement in the mountains--which led to talking about the development of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and its role in the California Gold Rush and then on to another story of a haunted railroad tunnel. That's how it is with stories as one flows and overlaps into another.

I came home to emails and phone calls for possible future storytelling events, and I can see that this time of rest is a good thing as the summer and fall are already looking busy. I will continue to enjoy my time home, but my eye is on the calendar as the days fall away one at a time and the real storytelling work begins again. I can't wait.
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Talkin' About Jack

Preparing for this summer's library programs reminded me of the fun I had last year, telling Jack tales to children at libraries across West Virginia. These old tales find new fans of all ages regularly, and it’s no wonder. There is something for every listener in a well-crafted story and Jack tales, with their long history of being passed down from generation to generation, are a fine example of the importance of oral tradition.

Almost everyone knows Jack and the Beanstalk, of course but listeners are often surprised to find that this boy had many other adventures, from tricking robbers to trapping mountain lions to outwitting ogres and kings, and even winning the hand of a princess or two. These stories traveled with the early settlers to our mountains and found a comfortable home here, losing some of the British characteristics and adding mountain humor, vocabulary and craftiness to Jack’s personality.

Jack’s Hunting Trip is a good example of these tales. Jack got his trusty gun, his powder and shot and his gamebag, and off he went a–huntin’. Had a fine day, filled his gamebag full before lunch. Then he sat down to eat on his favorite rock. Had a bag of peaches, ate them all, throwing the pits on the ground. Looked up and saw the biggest buck deer he’d ever clapped eyes on. 

Went to shoot it, but had no more shot, just powder was all. Picked up some peach pits and used them in place of the shot, rammed ‘em down his barrel, took aim and fired. Peach pits bounced all over the deer but he just shook his head and run off. Jack went home told everyone about that big buck but didn’t no one believe him, because Jack was always making up stories like that. 

Went back the next year, sat on his favorite rock to eat and saw a tree just full of peaches right in front of him. Jack disremembered any such tree being there but he loved peaches so he was right glad to see it. Climbed up in its branches and commenced to picking peaches and putting them in his gamebag. All of a sudden that tree stood up! 

Jack realized what had happened was one of them peach pits he’d fired at the buck last year had lodged between the deer’s antlers and took root and was growing right there. That buck realized something was wrong and shook his head, hard. Jack went flying off down the side of the mountain but he never dropped a one of those peaches in his gamebag. Took ‘em on home, and that night his mama made peach cobbler for dinner. Last I heard, Jack and his mama were still doin’ right well.

In a longer tale called Jack and Old Fire Dragaman, Jack and his brothers Will and Tom build a log cabin. In telling this story, I have been able to introduce children to tools that might have been used for cabin- building:  two-man saw, drawknife, broadaxe, froe, hatchet, cant hook, froe and so on. There is also the vocabulary: a puncheon floor, daubing up a chimney, etc. While the stories are entertaining to listen to (or read) there is an education in old-time ways and language contained in their pages. Next time you visit your library, ask for a book of Jack tales. They are part of our Appalachian heritage and as good as anything you’ll read this year. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Back to School, Sort Of

A beautiful morning to you! 

I'm off today to talk about Appalachian storytelling with a college class. I've been to this class--telling ghost stories, talking about Dr. Ruth Ann Musick and her books, and singing ballads--each semester for the past 3 or 4 years. One of my favorite repeat gigs :)

I'm taking a coupe of things with me this time. I won the carved picture in a drawing at the West Virginia Folk Festival. I think it's a pretty cool piece of folk art, even if a picture of a headless man might be an odd thing to have hanging in the living room.

Also taking this fellow. Do you recognize him/her/it?

I usually hear a few stories from students during my presentation. These students come from all over the country (and sometimes from other countries as well), and often have little or no knowledge of our state's cultural heritage--even those born and raised here. They're always great listeners, and it's a pleasure to be with them, even for this little bit of time.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Quilt Shelf

The top shelf of my closet is where the quilts live.

I am not from a quilting family. My father's mother would make us comforters, as she called them, material patchworked together and then tied with many knotted strings rather than quilted. Often we would recognize material from a dress she'd made for us. She always made the same style, a drop-waisted short-sleeved dress with an inverted pleat in the front and a zipper in the back, in colorful cotton prints. I have to admit I did not like those dresses; the fit was usually not quite right and the style certainly wasn't "in". I can't remember how many of these dresses she made, but it wasn't many and they were passed down from me to my sisters as we grew. I can't remember how many comforters she made either, but those seemed to arrive pretty much every year.

Grandma didn't make this comfort, but it's a favoriteof mine,
found for $5.00 in someone's basement sale.

Those comforters were the extent of quilting in our family, as far as I know. I tried it once myself with woefully sad results because I didn't take the time or patience needed to do it right. Recently when I found myself saying that I wished I had learned to quilt, I had a new thought: one person cannot do everything and do it right. There are things I can do and do a pretty good job; there are other things that I should just leave to others to do, and admire and support their efforts.

So all of my quilts are ones I have found along the way at antique shops and yard sales and so on. I love each and every one of them, even the ones with worn edges and faded patches. I often think about the hands that made them, what kind of house it might have been and what the women would have looked like. Their work survives and continues to keep us warm.

These old quilts are a lot like the stories I tell. Most of the are old and worn, passed down from someone else, sometimes a stranger and sometimes a family member. Some are ancient traditional tales rubbed smooth from many tellings over many years. All of them are well-loved, and all of them are valuable for the warmth, laughter, history, and love they carry.

When I tell stories, I often cover a table with one of my old quilts. Most often it's the yellow double wedding ring one because to me that pattern is also much like stories--interlocking, weaving a pattern, one story leading to another.









Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Here Comes Summer: Jack and Appalachian Programs and Travel, Oh My!

It starts tomorrow!

 My first program of the summer reading season is today at 1:00pm at the Williamstown Library in Williamstown, WV. It will also be the first time I've performed at this library. Nervous? A little--a new show always has me worried until I roll it out. Even with practice and planning, I just fret and try to see every detail in advance.

This year my program for the libraries "superheroes" theme is Jack: the Appalachian Superhero! Jack is my man when it comes to stories--I love the mischief, the cleverness and the imagery of the Jack tales. So much fun to tell! The trick is to be sure I have versions for all ages, right down to preschoolers. I work through the stories, finding ways to adapt them and have a variety on hand so that I can adjust according to who is seated in front of me. In most libraries, the audiences tend to be all ages, from the babies to the grandparents and that calls for creative thinking and performance on the part of the storyteller.

I think we're going to have a good time. Jack will be getting into all sorts of situations but I know him--he'll come out of all of them smelling like a rose.

I follow up this first summer reading presentation with two days of Appalachian stories and ballads, first at the West Virginia State Folk Festival and the following evening at Blackwater Falls State Park. A day of rest Sunday to celebrate both my birthday and Father's Day, and then next week a full week of Jack and travel. So I've spent the last few days getting things ready at home--the house clean, laundry done, rugs washed, jam made, peas put up, some food prepared in advance, groceries stocked up, bills paid, paperwork caught up. I also I finalized my stories, finalized my display and packed up my puppets. No booth work this week, but I have them all in pretty good shape, knowing there would be little time to care for them for the next few weeks.

I'm wishing my van was back. Another promise that it should be ready, but I'm not feeling too certain of that. I'm very disappointed in Lee Myles Transmission of Parkersburg--17 days is truly unacceptable and this long wait has only added anxiety to my life that I don't think was entirely necessary. It is, however, one of those things I can't change so all I can do is accept it and move on. A rental car may be in my future this weekend and that just means more expense for this already costly breakdown.

But let it go, right? I have good things to look forward to--lots of attentive faces, lots of smiles and lots of laughter. Life is good.

So come on summer! I think I'm ready. I hope.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Story Trail: Kentucky and Fairmont

It's been a storied month for this old lady. Typically I have a few events in November but this year really piled them on and it's been a fun ride.

The Kentucky Storytelling Conference was outstanding as always. Part of my commitment to storytelling is to connect with storytellers in the states in my region, either online or face-to-face when possible. I much prefer face-to-face, of course, and conferences are one way to see and hear other tellers and maintain relationships that otherwise must rely on computer communications.

Jo Ann Dadisman and I traveled together and we had a great time. She was presenting this year, while I was simply going to get new ideas, hear great stories, and see friends. It's rare for me to go to a conference at which I don't have any responsibilities, and it was fun to just sit back and do what I wanted for a change. The workshop on using all five senses in a story echoed what I have taught myself but as always there were new ideas and things to be learned. I also attended Jo Ann's session on developing stories from family history; I have been telling more family stories in recent years and Jo Ann was right on target with her suggestions for breathing life into the people of the past. I actually sat out one session, taking a break to do a little writing and take a short nap. I was definitely into making this a leisurely experience!

The story swaps at the Kentucky conference are some of the best I've ever attended and I was a happy listener, preferring for once not to tell myself. One of the most intriguing things about storytelling is how unique each teller is in their method of presentation--how they use their voice, gestures, body language, eye contact, and words to shape what they want the audience to see (both actually and mentally) and remember. Young, old, fat, skinny, tall, short are all unimportant in storytelling--how a teller makes his/her story compelling and involving is key. So an evening of storytelling is constantly stimulating and surprising because the audience usually does not know just what the next teller will do.

On our way home, Jo Ann and I hammered out the details for the workshop and concert we were hosting the next weekend. It was a good thing we had that car time because we had a lot of loose ends to tie up!

It all came together in the end though. We had a fantastic concert, one where the performances dovetailed so neatly together that it seemed as if we'd all rehearsed together, which of course we did not (storytellers rarely do that). I MC'd the evening concert that featured our workshop presenter Susan Gordon, poet Kirk Judd, Jo Ann and me. We had lots of volunteer help to handle refreshments and book/CD sales, and the Folklife Center at Fairmont State University was a perfect venue. Dr. Judy Byers made us at home in her facility and did everything she could to make things go well. I was thrilled to see old friends Bob McWhorter and Betty Bea Cox, who were the moving forces behind the first West Virginia storytelling festivals, and who got many storytellers, myself included, started on the right path.

The workshop was fascinating. Susan Gordon led us through exercises that led us deep into the heart of the stories we brought to the class. I was startled to find new insights into a story I have loved since childhood but never told. There were several in the class who were new to storytelling and that was exciting. We were very happy that we had full registration for this workshop and it makes me want to plan another in the future. Success breeds energy, doesn't it?

I returned home Saturday evening tired but very satisfied, with a new story that will soon be added to my repertoire. The best part of all was having time with other storytellers. It is, after all, the people in our lives who make it all worthwhile, and I soaked up their creativity and excitement as fuel for my own storytelling fire.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Come Tell Stories with Me August 3-8 at Augusta!

Once upon a time in the mountains, a family gathered by the fire and shared stories carried from one generation to another, perhaps even tales that crossed the ocean with their ancestors. Be part of the tradition of “passing it down” this week as we explore the Appalachian folklore, superstitions, and culture that weave together to create stories and a storytelling tradition that continues to be a lively part of life in the mountains we call home.

The class will be highly interactive with storytelling and lecture interspersed with class discussion. 

The Icehouse,  a unique pub on campus and site of much music.

We will view videos and listen to recordings of a variety of Appalachian region storytellers, take a nature walk to see native plants and learn about their uses and lore, 

Messages written by Civil War soldiers on the walls of the former
hospital are scattered throughout the building

take a field trip to historic Beverly to visit the house that was once used as a Civil War hospital and tour the Beverly museum. Students will be expected to work on one story per day for performance in class; this is not expected to be polished work but rather a beginning to putting flesh on a story’s bones. Class members will be expected to offer coaching and feedback as requested to help each other to a better understanding of their stories and to improve performance.

Cloggers competing during Old-Time Week.

The Appalachian region is a fascinating place. Expect to have fun, laugh much, talk much and listen, listen, listen as we immerse ourselves in the legends and lore of the mountains!

Hallihurst, one of two mansions on the Davis & Elkins College campus.

For more information about this week-long class and registration forms, visit the Augusta Heritage Old-Time Week page.

See you there!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Fizz! Boom! Fun!

It's Summer Reading time! Last week I presented my program Folktale Science for the first time, and what fun we had.

My program is a mixture of stories and experiments. The experiments pick up on some aspect of the story--blowing up balloons with baking soda, optical illusions, and everything in between. Good crowds came out at the small-town libraries in Sistersville and Paden City, WV; almost every chair was full in Sistersville and in Paden City the staff scrambled to get out more chairs as people piled in.

  My display table before the program began--lots of kitchen items, the puppets, the fiber optic lights (for demonstrating why we can't see stars during the day), and paper towels for potential cleanup.

One of the most popular experiments is making a rainbow in a jar. The experiment demonstrates density of liquids, and the children (and adults) were fascinated. The story I told for this experiment was how the rainbow came to be, a perfect fit. Sunday school teachers in the audience took note of this one for use in their classrooms.

And here you can see most of the rainbow after my volunteers added the liquids to the cup.

We played with cabbage too-well, with the liquid that remains when red cabbage is cooked. I modified the story of the Giant Turnip to be a giant cabbage instead, and my volunteers worked hard to pull the cabbage out. All were fascinated by the way the cabbage liquid changed color with the addition of bases and acids.

Bear, one of the first puppets I bought when I began storytelling, belonged to my youngest son Tommy for several years before before being allowed to go storytelling with me. He's still one of my favorite puppets. Tommy is 28 now, so you can see Bear has been around a long time. Here we are telling the story
Sody Saleratus. It is an old mountain story and gave me the opportunity for more audience participation and to try another experiment, blowing up a balloon with the soda/vinegar interaction.

 Yes, it works! You have to be careful though or the balloon will blow up. Fortunately it stayed intact during both demonstrations.

Then it was on to Paden City; waiting for the crowd to come in and wondering who would be there and how many would come. Display set up varies depending on the tables available and I always carry extra table covers just in case I make a mess or need more.

Story selection and presentation varies too, depending on the age of the audience and their reactions. A storyteller is always reading the audience for clues and stories can shift and change, be longer or shorter, based on those readings.

I always include some form of audience participation in my stories for children. This young lady was really into her part!

Telling the story of how the elephant got his long trunk with a group of eager volunteers. This story leads into optical illusion experiments.

I will be back on the road this week, presenting this program for Shady Spring Library in Raleigh County, WV. I will also be telling Appalachian tales for a church camp near Huntington, WV and spending a couple days at the West Virginia Folk Festival at Glenville, WV as coordinator and presenter for the Oral Traditions Tent. I hope to see you somewhere along the way.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

I'm Going to Meet Tipper! And You Can Come Too!

I started this blog in 2007, and very soon after I ran across Tipper. Or maybe she found me, my mind is fuzzy on who commented on whose blog first. Since we both write about living in Appalachia we found common ground and continued to read and comment on each other's writings.

And now I will finally get to meet this blog friend and her family! And you're invited too!

Next Saturday, May 3, I will be joining Tipper and her gang at the Martin's Creek Community Center for an evening of stories, songs, more stories, more songs, dancing, food and fun. It would be awesome if other blog friends could join us for a real meetup in the hills.

Contact me or Tipper at Blind Pig and the Acorn for more information. It's free! I hope to see you there!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

A-Caroling We Went

The past week flew by, filled with baking, booth work and getting ready for our weekend trip. Now I am home again and settling back into something like normal. Like most of you, I still have some shopping to do, packages to mail and so on to be ready for Christmas.

But the weekend was glorious! We left Friday morning to begin the round of three presentations of our program, Here We Come A-Caroling! Songs and Stories of the Season.  The weather predictions for the weekend in the region around Washington, DC didn't sound promising, but that's where our bookings were and no snow was going to stop us. Jeff met us in Ripley; we loaded his gear into our van and we were off.

Our first presentation was in beautiful Berkeley Springs, WV, in a historic Presbyterian church. Stained glass windows, white walls and rich wood surroundings, accented with the red of poinsettias and lights on a tree, provided the perfect backdrop. We even had an opening act: four young men who play old-time music came to perform a medley of carols and fiddle tunes.

They were led by fiddler Robbie Mann, who is a bluegrass music major at Glenville State University and son of the lady who coordinated the event. I loved the rendition of Grumbling Old Man and Growling Old Woman the guys played! If you're curious, you can hear Robbie playing the tune on YouTube four years ago. He was great then, even better now.

We spent that evening at the home of the library director, whose art-filled rooms were a delight to see. Conversation flowed well into the night; we slept soundly and woke to 2 inches of new snow (on top of the remains of the previous week's snow). I was worried about my van; we've not driven it in bad weather yet and we were on a road with a very steep hill. It's all-wheel-drive, but still I worried. So after excellent coffee and banana bread we said our goodbyes and ventured forth.

I needn't have worried; the van did great, never slipped, slid, or spun. But our day was a bit of a puzzle; we had been scheduled for our next event that evening in Frederick, Maryland but our host decided to reschedule for Sunday evening. It was a wise call as the snow continued to fall heavily and rain and ice were predicted to follow it. The day soon fell into place: we went to Jeff's daughters' home and he put a tune-up kit in the car of his oldest girl, then we went to lunch at a delightful English pub in Shepherdstown. Fish and chips and a pot of Earl Grey tea! What a fine meal.

Next stop was Leesburg, VA. My granddaughter Cassidy Ford, who is a songwriter in Nashville now, was in Leesburg for the annual Jingle Jam, a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes. We met my daughter-in-law just in time for the show at the newly refurbished Tally Ho theater in old-town Leesburg. It was one of the best concerts I've ever attended, and I was so happy to get to hear Cassidy sing again. Her songs continue to be played on various TV shows but seeing her in person was really great.

Jeff had managed to contact on old school friend who lived in Leesburg; his friend came to the show and afterwards he and Jeff caught up over tea at his friend's home while Larry and I went to visit Jon's grave in Union Cemetery.

It is never easy, and yet so necessary; tears and sadness inevitably surround these visits, but I wish I could do them more often even so. He would have been so proud of his girl that day.

I had no flowers or wreath to leave; I had not expected to be in Leesburg so I wasn't prepared. Just stopping for a few minutes is enough to reconnect once again with this beloved son.

Our final stop of the day was at my sister Theresa's house. There is nothing that restores the spirit or soothes the heart like an excited welcome from four little great nieces and nephews! They were all at the door to greet us, and we had a fine evening of singing, stories and talking. After the little ones were in bed, I joined my sister and her daughter-in-law in the kitchen to help make goodies for the following day, when Jeff and I would be presenting our second concert of our trip.

I love house concerts! The homey surroundings, casual setting and ability to talk with the guests while enjoying good food, and being able to share our songs and stories in that intimate setting is truly a joy. Theresa and her daughter-in-law Susan fed us a veritable feast for breakfast and we all pitched in to set up the family room for storytelling and singing. We had a good crowd and a wonderful time, then packed up and headed off for our last stop: the rescheduled show in Frederick, MD.

This performance was also a house concert, at the home of storyteller Susan Gordon, in the gently rolling hills just outside Frederick. We arrived with just enough time to set up, drink a bit of hot mulled cider before beginning our show. Again, warm, art-filled space, two loving dogs, good food, and a great audience combined to make the best possible environment for performing. Afterwards we enjoyed conversation with Susan and her guests. Storyteller Adam Booth had made the trip to hear us, as had Jeff's two daughters. It was a perfect evening, with snow on the ground, an almost-full moon gliding in and out of the clouds, and a warm wood stove and much laughter inside.

Monday morning saw us on our way home after another great breakfast, prepared by Susan--bacon, eggs, cranberry bread, excellent coffee, thin-thin anise-laced pizzelles...yum. We did of course make a few stops at junk shops on the way home (photos in the next blog!) and to visit my nephew Eamon. Then lunch at beautiful Casselman Inn Restaurant in Grantsville, MD, and finally, finally home.

Good times, good memories, good people, good audiences, and good food. What more could a storyteller ask?

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

First Snowy Day Photos, and Stories and Storytelling

I was lucky enough to be on the road on Tuesday when we had our first snowfall, so I got to see it for my entire drive. The ridge always looks lovely dresses in demure white.

 This log cabin will not be with us for long, I'm afraid. It has been used as hay storage for years.

I was on my way to the University of Charleston to speak to a class about storytelling and Appalachian folklore. I wondered what they might want to know. My approach is usually to ask if the students have any burning questions or something they've always wondered about and then go from there. My group on this morning was unusually quiet--perhaps that was because they were, for the most part, freshmen, and were not yet used to speaking out in class. 

Once we started a few began to talk; one told a story of things that happened after the death of a beloved grandparent, another of some old sayings she'd heard in her family. I told several stories and sang a couple ballads and talked a bit about Ruth Ann Musick who was one of the primary gatherers of West Virginia lore and stories from the 1940's until her death in the 1970's. 

I enjoy speaking to groups like this. For many, it might be their first exposure to a storyteller; for others it is a revival of family memories or of stories they've heard in their neighborhoods. For all it is a trip to another time and place when stories and the storyteller were the primary bringers of news and entertainment and all gathered around to listen and share. 

Tomorrow I'll be making new stories as I bake fruitcakes with my sisters in Virginia. We are creating our own family legend of the eight sisters who would gather every year to make the recipe their mother used to make, a cake packed with fruit and nuts and goodness and laughter. I hope that our children and grandchildren will carry on the tradition when we are gone, so that this story will be one written over many, many years and not confined to the memory of only the few who took part. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

A Little Catch-Up Time

I've been posting about our trip for the past month, but there's been a lot going on while I've been writing about England and Ireland. Here's a few of the more recent happenings.

October 19th: Home--the leaves have been breathtaking this year--as they are most years, actually. This was taken about two weeks ago.

October 20th: Beechnuts! I have never, ever seen or tasted them before. But we saw some along the roadside a couple weeks back and stopped to pick them up and taste them. Larry says that the squirrels get them fast and no wonder. They're absolutely delicious.

 October 26th:The Ohio River, early morning as I traveled to Ohio to present a storytelling workshop.

 It was a frosty morning on the river; the little houses along its banks looked snug and cozy despite the cold.

 October 27th: We drove back to Boone County, WV to visit my husband's family cemetery again.

October 30th: Then later in the week, we drove to central West Virginia for a storytelling day at a school in Richwood, WV. It was a day of ghost stories, and the mist rising from the hollows certainly played to the theme.

 October 31: The following day I was in Roane County at an elementary school, again telling ghost stories. I took the back way home and came through Duncan, WV. The old general store is still standing but just barely. I remember when it was still in operation, back when I was a rural mail carrier on the route close to this store.

October 30: While I told stories in Richwood, Larry visited Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park. This is the park's museum. There are many ghost stories connected with this location--sightings of soldiers, sounds of battle and much more, reported over the past century or so by many people who have no connection or contact with each other.

 The tower at the park. Larry climbed it, and said it was quite an experience.

October 20: Two weekends ago, we went to my son's house for our annual cider-making.

 We made 16 gallons in less than two hours, had a fine cookout and lots of good conversation.

 October 21: I took part in a performer's showcase for the Pennsylvania Library Association near Washington, PA. The countryside was simply beautiful--high, gently rolling mountain ridgeland.

October 21: the sun setting over the Monongahela River near Morgantown, WV as we drove home from the PA showcase.

 November 3: the beechnut trees on Joe's Run, as I returned from my trip to Kentucky, for the Keentucky Storytelling Association'conference.

 Homeward bound on Joe's Run.

That's just a few of the places I traveled last month. It was a busy month, full of beauty, people, performing and learning.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.