7-9 Olio, Aldridge, Davis, Ferlatte, Hydock, Lepp, and McBride-Smith
This was my first time attending the festival.
I loved every minute and every story told.
I attended the workshop at UNA, the seminar at the Florence Library, and the storytelling event at both the Florence and Keller Libraries.
I wish I could perform and tell stories like the storytellers.
I spent the whole day at the Performance Center in the Guillot Building at UNA listening to great storytellers.
Barbara McBride-Smith didn't come to the festival because I wrote everything down. I think someone in her family was ill and she was unable to attend. The schedule above was changed.
The first storyteller was Walt Aldridge. He sang & played his guitar for several songs that he wrote, "I loved her first," "No getting over me," and "Modern day Bonnie and Clyde." He discussed songwriting and the process of getting his songs produced. He works at UNA in the Department of the Entertainment Industry. He brought along with him his mother and fiancée.
Bil Lepp told the story "I like my dentist"! Bil's first trip to the dentist was to have a tooth pulled, but the amusing part was when he returned to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned. The hygienist left the room and told Bil not to get out of his seat. She should have told him not to touch anything. I thought I would laugh my socks off as he told the story. Bil is an older version of Dennis the Menace.
Bill told a story about when he was just a small boy and how his dad was going to shoot Santa Claus's reindeer, Rudolph. One day, he asks his dad how he got the bald spot on the top of his head, and his dad replies, 'Rudolph shot over it, leaving me with this bald spot.' Dad is going to kill Rudolph! I thought this was going to be the worst Christmas ever! So many things happened that year, and just before Christmas morning, I decided to unwrap the presents under the tree. I re-wrapped presents, put them back under the Christmas tree, and went to bed. The next morning, Rudolph was not dead, and I rushed to open my presents, but to my surprise!!!! My presents were different; instead of a football, I got a rag wrapped up in a football. I hurried to open another present only to find a can of soup. Mom knew I had opened my presents and rewrapperewrappedhe was teaching me a lesson!!!!!!
Dolores Hydock brings to life the story of a 12-year-old girl named Sallie Independence Foster who has three brothers who fought in the Civil War.
Sallie's life after she marries, the birth of her children, the death of her mother, the death of her oldest daughter, the death of her husband, and then her own death.
These stories are from Sallie's journals and letters, as well as those written home by her brothers during the Civil War.
Bobby Horton softly played and beautifully sang supporting songs.
Diane Ferlatte a storyteller along with Eric Swinderman performed by singing and telling many stories. She told a story about a tiger who had all the food and would not share it with the other animals, and how he was outsmarted by Brer Rabbit. She told a true story about Fannie Lou Hamer and her famous quote: “All my life I've been sick and tired. Now I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Donald Davis's storyteller told the story about his mother, a schoolteacher, who did not want to learn to drive. Another story is about riding the octopus at the fair and how the two unfortunate and pitiful kittens came to be part of their family. Very funny, and I couldn't stop laughing.
Donald shared another story about his family, specifically about being a one-car family, and how his mother learned to drive. My dad was a banker, and my mother was a teacher. One day, my dad said to my mother You need to know how to drive, so I won't have to take you to work and the kids to school. Finally, she learned to drive, but when my dad said we needed two cars, that was where she drew the line. Therefore, for years, we were a one-car family, and Dad tried and tried to persuade Mom to get another car.
Finally, one day it worked! We drove by this car lot, and Dad told Mom, 'I just need half a car, just one that will get me to work and back.' Mom said, for Dad and me to get out of the car, we did, and then she slid over to the driver's seat and drove off.
The salesperson came outside and said Can I help you and my dad said I just need a car to get me back and forth to work. Therefore, he took us around to the back side of the car lot where the cars were parked on the gravel. He said Just Today, you can have any car back here for just $100, so my dad thought, I'm going to get the biggest one back here. My dad said How much for this one and the salesperson said Today, you could have it for $75.00. The salesperson said every time you fill up with gas, you fill up with oil, so my dad paid the salesman. We started home, and that new car sputtered and sputtered. I said, 'Dad, what is wrong with the car?' Dad kindly replied, 'The car has a mind of its own.' Our new car changed its mind over forty times on the way home. I said, 'Dad, what is that smell inside the car?' and Dad kindly replied, 'A new car smell.' But to me, it smelled like mothballs and urine.
Well, we drove that car for about three years. I reached the age of sixteen and began sharing driving duties with my dad in the old car. One day, I borrowed the car to pick up my friends because we were going to the bowling alley, and they replied, 'Can this car go faster? We could get there quicker if we walked.' Therefore, I gunned it! It went from twenty-five to fifty-five when we heard this awful sound. It just stopped, and we just laughed, not thinking we would have to walk back home. I called my dad and told him that he got our neighbor to bring a rope and pull the old car home. Dad had told our neighbor, who was the principal of the school where Mom worked, not to say anything to her about the car.
Mom was not home, so my dad parked the car in its regular spot and hung the keys where he always turned them. At supper that night, I waited for Dad to tell Mom about the vehicle, but he never did. He just said Maw, tomorrow I will need your car to go across town, and you can drive the old one. That was the end of that!
The next day, my mom, my brother, and I loaded into the old car, and my mom tried to crank it. It made an awful sound, and I said Mom, you flooded it! Therefore, she tried again, and it still would not crank. Mom said to go next door and get our neighbor, so I did. He came over to the car and said to Mom, " I think you have broken it. He took us to school that morning and brought us home that evening. Mom sat down to make the best supper ever for Dad. We sat down to supper that night, and not a word was said about the old car except that Mom said, I have talked to your uncle about getting a new car. " My daddy was happy, but he did not let on to Mom. Therefore, the next day we drove over to my uncle's car lot and bought a new car, and that is how we became a two-car family.
Day 3: Saturday, May 17, 2014
The first storyteller was Dolores Hydock – she told a story about her niece getting prepared for college, taking her shopping in the malls of Birmingham, and spending quite a bit of time with her on the sofa, talking. She told the story about her very independent mom who came to live with her.
The white independent cat knocked on her door. Could this be her dead mother?
Could this independent white cat be her mother reincarnated?
Dolores can bring even the dullest stories to life. She is funny, inspiring, innovative, creative, and a great storyteller.
Bil Lepp shared a story about hiking in a California state park and his encounter with a mountain lion. He baptized the mountain lion nine times because cats are believed to have nine lives. Bill has a fantastic imitation and is a great storyteller. On both days, he brought his wife, two children, mother, and father-in-law to support him. Bil reminded me of Jeff Foxworthy.
Donald Davis told the story of how his father became known as cripple Joe. Donald said if my dad had not been a cripple, his life would have been so different. He said my dad always said to make the most of what life deals you.
Donald is funny, intelligent, and very down-to-earth. I could listen to him all day.
Diane Ferlatte, accompanied by Eric Swinderman, sang and shared stories about her mother's life growing up in Louisiana, her marriage, and her move to California, as well as her experiences traveling by airplane, living with her and her grandchildren, and her eventual death. She sang several spiritual songs. Diane puts her soul into songs and storytelling.
Walt Aldridge told stories about songwriting. His first song was "Holding her & Loving you," recorded by Earl Thomas Conley. Walt sang a song about a spiritual prayer of a child, and somehow that prayer filtered through into heaven to be answered by GOD! Walt is funny, witty, wise, a great storyteller, and a very down-to-earth person.
Dolores brought to life the true stories of strong women who settled in the West. Thankfully, I did not live in the good old days of the Wild West, where people traveled up to five months to reach California. It was recounted that it was difficult for women to make a living during the 1800s, and men, n well n women, could be bold and willing to take risks to be different.
Day 1: I spent the day at UNA in a workshop with Dolores Hydock and several other women who were given new names.
Day 2: I spent the day at the Florence Library, where I listened to Dolores share her story about Chandler Mountain. Then, I traveled to the Keller Library in Tuscumbia to hear Dolores tell the story of Norman Rockwell. Drove home only to come back to Tuscumbia to see the Wild West Rodeo Stampede Parade and hear the Pine Hill Hiank's sing.
Day 3: I spent the entire day at the UNA Storytelling Festival sitting beside my friend Wanda, listening to Walt Aldridge, Bil Lepp, Donald Davis, Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman, Dolores Hydock, and Bobby Horton
Day 4: I spent the entire day at the UNA Storytelling Festival sitting beside my friend Wanda, listening to Walt Aldridge, Bil Lepp, Donald Davis, Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman, Dolores Hydock, and Bobby Horton
I had the best time ever, and I hope to repeat it again next year, on Friday, May 15, & Saturday, May 16, 2015.
