I went to the rehearsal for Mid Winter’s Tales yesterday.  I feel very honored to a part of this group of storytellers.  It will be a remarkable, thoughtful and warming experience.  Ken, Julie and Foster are all wonderful tellers.  There’s a wide range of stories, most leaning toward the contemplative rather than the whimsical, although we have a bit of humor, too.

Julie is going to tell an original poem called the Apple Tree Man and a wonderful adventure story called Katya and the Magic Nesting Dolls.  I will tell the Northwest Native American tale Moon, Otter, and Little Ugly Green Frog.  I’ll also be debuting an original tale called The Blunder Chair, which tells how the Lelooska Northwest Indian masks helped me deal with my mobility issues.  Foster, a Greek myth expert, will tell the story of Demeter and Kore.  Ken will tell a tale of saving spring called Heart of Winter, and a lovely tale of rebirth called The River.

It promises to be an enchanting event.

I wore my storyteller’s hat for the rehearsal, but Julie’s sister Eileen showed me appreciation for my story by giving me one of her hand crocheted hats.  It was pretty cool because I wore earrings that had been given to me by a crafter in appreciation of one of my Chronically Inspired workshops.  When I got home, I realized how much a hat can change your looks — and how the way you wear a had can change you, too.

I still like my storyteller’s hat best.

I got this hat about 15 years ago at the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History.  They were doing a West African exhibit and these hats were for sale in the gift shop.  Anansi is a trickster and storyteller in West African culture.  When I tried it on, my former husband said, “Girl that hat is you!”  It’s been my favorite ever since.  I find I can tell a story better when I have a story image on my garments.  I wear animal and moon shaped jewelry.  I try to have tokens of the spirits of the stories with me to help me step into the magic.  Plus, it honors the story to dress up a little for it.

Julie Strozyk made a story vest for her Magic Nesting Doll story.  Wow!

What we wear becomes us, in some way.  I love how we wear garments on the outside but stories on the inside.  They are the way we dress our hearts and souls.

I hope you dress your heart well and warm, with stories that make you happy.

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Come hear me, Ken Iverson, Foster Nuffer, and Julie Strozyk tell stories at the Portland Storyteller’s Guild
MID-WINTER’S TALES: STORIES OF RENEWAL AND WARMTH
January 8, 2011, 7 p.m.
McMenamin’s Kennedy School – Community Room
5736 NE 33rd
Portland 97211
Doors open at 6:30, No reserved seating, early arrival recommended
Suggested Donations: Adult-$5, Child-$4, and $10 for the entire family!