2014 May 14-May 17 Storytellers visit the Shoals and UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival

UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival 

Thursday, May 15, 2014 

Storytellers visit Shoals 

2014, May 14, 8:30-11:30 AM

Free Storytelling Workshop UNA front porch storytelling festival with Dolores Hydock

UNA George Lindsey Theater

2014, May 14,12:30-3:30 PM Florence Library Bill Huddleston

Using Storytelling for Adults Storytelling anywhere for anyone

2014 May 15,11:30-12:30PM Florence Library Dolores Hydock 

Footprints on the sky Memories of Chandler Mountain 

2014 May 15,1:30-2:30PM Keller Library Dolores Hydock 

Norman Rockwell every picture tells a story 

Friday, May 16, 2014

9:00-9:50AM Walt Aldridge talked about his writing 

10:00-10:50AM BIL LEPP talked about I love my dentist

11:00-11:50AM Dolores Hydock-told story about Sallie Independence Foster

12noon 2:00PM Lunch

2:00-2:50PM Donal Davis-

3:00-3:50PM Diane Ferlatte-told story about Burr Rabbit

4:00-4:50PM Barbara McBride-Smith

7:00-9:00PM Olio, Aldridge, Davis, Ferlatte, Hydock, Lepp, and McBride-Smith (I did not attend the evening performances)

Saturday, May 17, 2014

9:00-9:50AM Barbara McBride-Smith 

10:00-10:50AM Donald Davis-cripple Joe

11:00-11:50AM Diane Ferlatte-Talked about her mother

12noon-2:00PM lunch

2:00-2:50PM Dolores Hydock-Talked about her mom & her cat and women of the west

3:00-3:50PM Bil Lepp-Talked mountain lions

4:00-4:50PM Walt Aldridge-Talked his music

5-7 dinner

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 workshop at Florence Library, and the storytelling at Florence and Keller Libraries.  
I wish I could perform and tell stories like the storytellers. 

I spent the whole day at Performance Center in the Guillot building at UNA listening to GREAT Storytellers.

I don't think that Barbara McBride-Smith came to the festival because I wrote everything down. I think someone in her family was sick and she could not 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 talked about songwriting and getting his songs produced. I think he works at UNA in the Department of 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 get a tooth pulled but the funny part was when he went back 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 Clause’s reindeer, Rudolph. One day he asks his dad how he got the bald spot on the top of his head and he replied, Rudolph, shot over it leaving me with this bald spot. Dad is going to kill Rudolph! I thought this is going to be the worst Christmas ever! So many things happened that year and just before Christmas morning I decided to unwrap, my presents under that were the tree. I re-wrapped my 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 rewrapped them, she was teaching me a lesson!!!!!!

Dolores Hydock brings to life the story of a 12 years girl named Sallie Independence Foster who has three brothers that 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 written home from 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 kittens unfortunate and pitiful came to be part of their family. Very funny and I could not stop laughing. 

Donald told another story about his family as a one-car family and how his mother learned how to drive. My dad was a banker and my mother was a teacher one day my dad said to my mother you need to learn 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 need two cars that were where she drawled the line. Therefore, for years we were a one-car family, dad tried and tried to talk mom into getting another car. 

Finally, one day it worked! We drove by this car lot and dad told mom, I need just 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 backside 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 am 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 shared driving the old car with my dad. 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 faster if we walked. Therefore, I gunned it! It went 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, 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 tell her anything about the car.

Mom was not home so my dad parked the car in its regular spot and hung the keys where he always hung them. At supper that night, I waited for dad to tell mom about the car 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 mom, my brother, and I loaded into the old car and 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 overlooked at 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 set into making the best supper ever for dad. We sat down to supper that night and not a word was said about the old car except mom said, I have talked to your uncle about getting a new carboy was my daddy 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 just spending quite a 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 to life even the dullest stories. She is funny, inspiring, smart, creative, and a great storyteller.

Bil Lepp told the story about hiking in a state park in California and his encounter with a mountain lion. How he baptized the mountain lion nine times because cats have nine lives. Bill has a great imitation and is a great storyteller. On both days he brought with him his wife, his two children, his mother, and his 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, smart, and very down-to-earth. I could listen to him all day.

Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman sang and told stories about her mother growing up in Louisiana, marrying, and moving to California, traveling on an airplane, living with her, and her grandchildren, and her 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, smart, 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. Thank God, I did not live in the good old days of the Wild, Wild West where they traveled up to five months to reach California. She told how hard it was for a woman to make a living during the 1800s and how women even then could be bold, and willing to take a risk 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 listing to Dolores telling her story about Chandler Mountain and then I traveled to Keller Library in Tuscumbia to listen to 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 day entire at the UNA Storytelling Festival sitting beside my friend Wanda listing to Walt Aldridge, Bil Lepp, Donald Davis, Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman, Dolores Hydock, and Bobby Horton

Day 4: I spent the day entire at the UNA Storytelling Festival sitting beside my friend Wanda listing to Walt Aldridge, Bil Lepp, Donald Davis, Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman, Dolores Hydock, and Bobby Horton

I had the best time ever and next year 2015 Friday, May 15, & Saturday, May 16 I hope to repeat it again.

🍀🍀🍀We were lucky growing up!!!

We were very lucky growing up when it came to visiting grandparents because both our grandparent's maternal & paternal lived within blocks of each other. 

Neither were rich in material things but both were loaded in love. 

Our maternal grandmother was a great cook and one of my favorite sweets was her Sweet Potato Kisses.

Years later, when I had a home of my own, I ask her for the Sweet Potato receipt.

You take a small potato boil it with the jacket on and cook until done.

Peel the potato mash it up and roll it out. 

Add powder sugar and peanut butter to the center. 

Take all ingredients and roll them into a ball and slice them into pieces.

Our maternal grandmother was also handy with a needle and thread.

Money was always tight at my maternal grandparents so, she made do with what she had.

She made everything she gave us for Christmas and birthdays. I remember one Christmas she made us sock monkeys and rag dolls.  

My memories of the tree she decorated at Christmas still bring a smile to my face. 

Her Christmas tree would light up any room with her bubbling lights, angel hair, icicles, stringed popcorn, and tiny trinkets.

Our maternal grandfather loved to smoke Prince Albert Tobacco.

We would watch as he took out those white papers and pour Prince Albert Tobacco inside and then he would roll them tightly, licking to seal the tobacco inside.

We would gladly walk to the store to buy him a can of  Prince Albert Tobacco because he always gave us a nickel for candy. 

On a hot day, we might use that nickel to buy a coke, a popsicle, or even a candy bar. 

Our maternal grandparent's yard was covered with white clover, weeds, and buttercups(in the spring).

We very seldom wore shoes when we were out of school. 

I remember one summer stomping around in the grass and having a good time when I stomped right onto a bee. 

I started to cry holding my foot when my grandfather came outside to see what was wrong.

He went back inside grabbed his tobacco, and a glass of water, and came back outside.

He placed me in his lap and began to make a cake with his Prince Albert tobacco which he placed on my foot. 

One of our maternal grandfather's pet peeves was the grandkids climbing up in his trees. 

He kept the limbs trimmed so, we could not reach them. 

Our maternal grandfather loves to tell scary stories about Bloody Bones. 

He would have you set on the edge of your seat, and all of a sudden he would say, "GOT YOU"!!

Our maternal grandfather grew a variety of fruit trees which we enjoyed eating. 

He would say, if you swallow any seeds, you would grow into a tree. 

We spit out every seed. 

Our maternal grandparents never had any indoor plumbing. There was an outhouse and the water came from an outside faucet. 
They never owned an automobile so they never learned to drive. 

My Maternal Grandmother rode to church with Mr. Ulman and I attended church with her many times. 

At Church, we sang old hymns while someone played the piano and someone else played an accord.

In our Sunday School Class we learned about Daniel being put in the Lion's Den for praying, Noah’s Ark, Jonah, the whale, and Jonah's disobedience to God. 

One Sunday night after services as we were riding home, the passenger door flew open, and out onto the pavement flew my cousin. 

We both had fallen asleep on the ride home and were leaning on the door. 

Our Aunt Willie lived on Penny Lane in Huntsville. 

She worked at Red Stone Arsenal.

Our dad would take the entire family to spend the day at Willies. 

Our maternal great-grandparents lived in Town Creek. 

Our maternal grandparents would take the train from Sheffield to Town Creek to visit her family.

Our dad took them several times.

Our great grandparents lived in an Old Military Dining Car.

On one end of the trailer was a large round table, encircled with bench seating. Many soldiers had dined at this table. 

A sofa, fold-out bed, a chair, and a coal heater stood in the middle of the trailer. 

Food was cooked in the kitchen area which was located at the opposite end of the trailer. 
They got their water from a well and they use an outhouse.

Since their home was so small we were sent outside to play, sometime grand-paw would come outside to play with us.

He said I can show you how to catch a worm that he called a Chicken Choker. 

He said, get a straw, poke the straw into a small hole, and wiggle the straw into a worm the worm will catch hold and you can pull him out of the ground.

It Worked!!!

I looked up the meaning of Chicken Choker. 

It is a long yellowish color worm with humps on it back 6 legs a hard head, brown with two-inch pinchers that would catch hold of the straw.

Chicken Chokers are larvae of tiger beetles that ambush predators of other insects, lying in wait in their burrows with their heads flush with the surface of the soil.  

It is said that chickens do more harm to the larvae(Chicken Chokers) than the grubs.

🎄🎄🎄🎄2014 ~ Dec 22, Christmas with Kids and Grandkids

Monday night was our big Christmas Party.
We ordered six pizza's
1. Two Cheese Pizza's
2. Two ham and Pineapple Pizza's
3. Two Pepperoni Pizza's
4. Two Chocolate Cookie Pizza's
Hannah made cheese dip, another dip with chips
Jake and Lindsey brought hot wings and fries
Ronald brought drinks
I brought drinks, paper plates, Cups, and Cocktail weiners.

Ron, Andy, Nevada, Montana, Sierra, Hubby Mike, Hannah, Jake, Lindsey and I were at the party.
Dakota had to work late, and his girlfriend did not come and Charity was sick.
Madison, Marcus, and Meadow did not come.
Hannah's boyfriend was sick with flu and he did not come.
So, you see we had several family members missing because of sickness.

We swapped gifts.
Hubby and I received two gift cards from Places to eat, some Mary Kay, and hair products.
We had a great time reminiscent.
Jake took out the project book he had done in the fifth grade on his grandmother.

Mike and Ron talked about growing up and their many mishaps.
Mike told the story about his grandfather trying to drive up a steep hill in his old red truck.
How the truck struggled to get up the hill, how it would get about halfway up, only to roll back down.
How his grandfather finally put the peddle to the metal to reach the top.

He told the story about his grandfather working on a project at Mr. Stewart's.
How his grandfather got frustrated started cussing and left for the day.
His grandfather returns the next day to finish the job after he has cooled off.
Women were visiting the Stewarts home that day, and I am sure they heard the angry words of his grandfather.

Mike told many mishaps that happened at work.
I think Mike could write a book on the funny mishaps that happened to him.
Jake told the story about the time he broke one of the windows in the front door at his great-grandfather's house.
He said my great-grandfather got in his old Buick and came after me.
He said that my great-grandfather had one of his grandsons catch me.
He said my great-grandfather whipped me and left the mark of AD on my backside.

Both of my sons were cutting grass by the age of five. Ron said I can remember not being tall enough to reach the handle.
He told how their grandfather worked on the lawnmowers before they could cut grass which sometimes could take hours.

The boys said that we always dreaded coming home from school because if Paw was in the garden we knew we would have to work.
They said we just wanted to stay on the school bus.
The boys talked about how their summer vacations were spent in the garden working.
Ron talked about his dog Patmae. He said once she got snake bit and another time she got into a fight with another dog and was in juried and how he took care of her.

I could listen to the boys go on for hours.