2018 Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival

I spent the last three days attending different functions of the Storytelling Festival.
May 17,18,19, 2018

On Thursday, I attended a free concert at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame featuring Kate Campbell. 

Kate played guitar, sang, and told stories. (3:00–4:30 P.M.)

One of the stories/songs was about Tomatoes and Jesus Coming Soon. 

The special guest was Spooner Oldham. Kate has made many recordings with Spooner. 

Later that day at Florence Library,  I enjoyed listening to Josh Goforth tell stories about his tobacco-chewing PawPaw. 

Josh played the banjo, Fiddle, and guitar. He can play as many as ten instruments. Very talented young man. (5–6 P.M.)

Josh Goforth playing the banjo 

On Friday, I was joined by three friends at the storytelling festival held at the Shoals Theater from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. 

The Movie Projector at Shoals Theater is displayed in the lobby

We enjoyed lunch at Legends, which is located across the street from the theater.
We listened to Bil Lepp tell funny stories. 

Josh Goforth sings, tells stories, and plays the banjo, guitar, and Fiddle. 

Tim Lowry's long program featured him dressed as a Southern gentleman from South Carolina. 

After lunch, we listened to Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bill Lepp, and Josh Goforth. 

There was a dinner break, and we all went home. 

Saturday, I was joined by one friend, and we listened to Tim Lowry tell a story about attending an AME church in a Confederate Soldier Uniform. 

We listened to Donald Davis, Kate Campbell, & Josh Goforth.

Delores Hydock's long program was about a woman who worked for Loveman's Department Store, "In her own fashion." 

Bobby Horton played guitar while Dolores told the story of Ninette Griffith & Loveman's Department store. 

My friend and I enjoyed a meal at City Hardware. I ordered a red, white, and blue salad with chicken. 

Red, White, and Blue Chicken Salad 

At 5 P.M., the storytelling stopped for a dinner break.
My friend and I both went home. I would have loved to have stayed until 9 P.M. for the rest of the show, but I was just too tired.

I was between Dolores Hydock and Tim Lowery at intermission. 

2016 Saturday, June 25, Helen Keller Festival Actives

The Helen Keller Festival honors a woman, Helen Keller, who not only overcame being blind and deaf but also became a great ambassador for America. 

Helen Keller was born to Arthur Keller and Catherine Adams Keller on June 27,1880, and died on June 1, 1968.

Helen learned to read and write with the help of Anne Sullivan, and she graduated from Radcliffe College with honors in 1904. Helen also wrote several books and was an advocate for several causes. Helen Adams Keller is buried in the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. 

My first stop was the Car and Truck Show, held on Main Street in Tuscumbia and sponsored by the Shoals Car and Truck Club.

The streets were crowded with people walking around, looking at the vehicles on display. There were vehicles like the Scoobie Doo Volkswagen, to the newest Corvette.

I tried to find a place to park my van, which would be about midway through everything I wanted to do.

I walked down the street to Cold Water Book Store, where the Tuscumbia Walking Tour people were to meet.

I was a little early, so I walked inside to cool off, and there were several more people there. There were several vendors set up inside, so I went by each one and stopped to talk to them.

I talked to a man selling books on how to start a business. I said I was retired, had no interest in starting a business, and liked history. He said that some of my family would like to start a business. I said I have a family member who already owns a company. He laughed and said I guess you are not going to buy a book from me and I said Not unless it is about history. We both laughed. 

Next, I met a woman selling jewelry. She said that she lived in Atlanta but was originally from Tuscumbia, and she came every year for the Helen Keller Festival. 

I stopped at the following table where a man, his wife, and his son were sitting. He was selling a series of books about UFOs. He told me he made the bust statue of Werner von Braun at NASA and that he had worked for Disney.

There was a display of beautiful pictures depicting the early '50s & '60s, and whoever painted these pictures sure did a great job. The woman standing next to me said they were hers. 

She said growing up in the 50s was just like the Happy Days show.

It was getting close to the start of the walking tour, so I walked outside to wait for it to begin.

Three people shared information about how Tuscumbia got started and how it came to be called Tuscumbia. The Old Stage Coach Building was pointed out to us, and we were told that we could tour it on our own later. We walked up Main Street, stopping to listen to the women talk about the train depot where Anne Sullivan was picked up by one of the Kellers' carriages and taken to Ivy Green. A carriage owned by the Kellers is on display at the Tuscumbia Depot. 

We also listened to the women talk about the newspaper building where Mr. Keller worked. 

The streets were still very crowded as we made our way up. 

We stopped just outside the Abernathy House, and one of the women asked if the group could tour the house. 

We were invited inside, and some of the group walked upstairs while others toured the tunnel underneath the house. The tunnel was once used to bring food from the kitchen to the dining room, which was located downstairs.

Everyone walked outside and across the parking lot. Our next stop was in the blazing sun, so I looked for a shady spot while the women talked about the two nearby churches.

Finally, we arrived at the First Presbyterian Church, where we were invited to the Helen Keller Mini Concert. 

Dinie Stone played one song, Jesus Loves Me on the harpsichord.

Brian Beck played a couple of songs on the Organ.

Dinie Stone played a selection of  hymns and classics on the piano 

Dinie played songs about water, about communion, and when Dinie began to play America, everyone stood and joined in the singing. 

In the end, everyone was invited to stay for light refreshments. 

Once I knew only darkness and stillness...
My life was without past or future, but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living. 

Helen Keller Mini-Concert

The letter was written by Helen Keller.

Everyone was given a copy of the letter Helen Keller wrote to Reverend WF Trump. 

I enjoyed two glasses of fresh lemonade and two cookies while I sat and talked with several women. 

It was around 12:30 P.M., and I still had to walk back to my car. 

I was going to the Keller Library to hear Keller Thompson talk about the life of her great-great-aunt, Helen Keller.

I arrived at the Keller Library, but the door was still locked. It was bout fifteen until one. Many other people were waiting. I walked back to my van and cranked it because it was too hot to stand outside. Right after I cranked the van, the door opened. So I got out of my van and walked inside.

I enjoyed listening to Mrs. Thompson's talk and slide show about Helen Keller. 

There were also light refreshments after the talk. I got a bottle of water and a cookie.

It had been a great morning, even though the heat index was over 100 degrees.

2015 ~ Saturday, June 27, Helen Keller Festival Tuscumbia, Alabama

Today I went to the Car Show in Tuscumbia, where on display were a variety of antique cars, 
White & black Rally Sport Camaro, black Belair trimmed in white, several MGBs, Corvettes, trucks, and some motorcycles. There were Mustangs, Camaros, Chevrolets, & Fords. 

Car Show Mustangs 

Driving down Main St to park.

Volkswagen

The New Ford V8 Coupe Utility 

I took the hour-long walking tour, and our guide talked about Tuscumbia's founding. He spoke about the founding of the Railroad, the many hotels in Tuscumbia because of it, and the rivalry between Colbert County and Lauderdale County.

The Colbert County Reporter 

The Train Depot and Museum 

Why would people from Tuscumbia travel by train to Decatur to the bank and shop instead of going to Florence?
John Coffee a surveyor laid out the founding of Tuscumbia in a Commons. Tuscumbia was sold to the US Government by the Indians.
Our guide talked about the different churches on Dickson Street that started out on Main Street.

St John's Episcopal Church on Dickson Street 

Walking group 

House behind St John's Episcopal Church on Dickson Street 

Touring Bus 

Walking group

The street where the Cold Water Book Store is now was once Grain Row, and Main Street was once Mechanical Row.
This was the main shopping area of Tuscumbia in the early days.
He said the water flowing in Spring Park comes from an underground spring, and the area was once the hunting grounds for the Indians.

Met this adorable dog, and his owner had him sit and pose for me. So cute and lovable

Our tour ended at First Presbyterian Church in Tuscumbia, where everyone was invited inside to listen to a Helen Keller Festival Mini Concert featuring Dinie Stone, pianist, Blair Reinlie, oboist, & the great, great, great-nieces and nephews of Helen Keller. 

First Presbyterian Church in Tuscumbia 

First Presbyterian Church in Tuscumbia 1824-1904

Dinie Stone, pianist, Blair Reinlie, oboist, & the great, great, great-nieces and nephews of Helen Keller. 

Guitar player

The great, great, great-nieces of Helen Keller did a solo accompanied by a guitar.

Blair Reinlie oboist

Helen Keller, born June 27, 1880, died June 1, 1968. "Happy Birthday, Helen".
"Once I knew only darkness and stillness... my life was without past or future... but a little word from the finger of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living."
Helen Keller
Songs 
Over the rainbow, Etude, To a wild Rose, We gather, We praise, The Lord is in His Holy Temple, Surely The Presence of the Lord is in this place  In your arms Lord Jesus Christ, Children of the Heavenly Father, Down at the River we shall gather, Let us break bread together and remember you, Behold the lamb, Amazing Grace, I dream a dream, You raise me up, God Bless the USA, God Bless America.
Everyone joined in singing God Bless America.
After the concert, everyone was invited to light refreshments.

I stopped at the Tuscumbia Art Museum to view art by disabled students from Alabama and watercolor paintings from all over the USA. There were some exciting pieces on display. 
One of the volunteers came into the museum with a notebook about the art, and we discussed several pieces. 
Ate lunch at Ruby Tuesday with two new friends I met at the Art Museum. I was telling my husband about my day. He laughed and said, "Nothing you do surprises me."