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Brenda ByersStorywyse Oral Tradition Storytelling June 05 ReminderThis Sunday, the 7th is the Craft and Fun Day at Pride Stables in Kitchener. We'd love to see you there!
Coming soon: New stories and songs on the website. Also, a CD! Stay tuned, haha.
Sunny days ahead!
Fare you well, Brenda May 19 All New StuffWELCOME!
You have found the new "Events" page for Storywyse. Here you will find out about my performances and activities. I'll also let you know how it all turned out.
There are lots of other events in the area (southern Ontario) you will want to know about. Storytelling circles present concerts and festivals around the year for adults and children. And most of them host a monthly meeting for tellers and listeners.
You may notice my website has undergone some changes. I once again bow to my webmistress, Liz Skorski (www.skorskiwebdesign.com) in gratitude for her excellent talents and imagination. Check out her website and take a look at some of the others she has designed.
Here are my upcoming performances:
June 7: Pride Stables in Kitchener is hosting their annual Craft Sale and Fun Day from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., come rain or come shine. There are lots of activites going on besides the craft tables. Bakes sales, pony rides, games and more, so be sure not to miss the fun. Everyone is welcome.
My performance times are 10:30, 12:30 and 2:00. I'd love to see you!
The Central Ontario Developmental Riding Program (C.O.D.R.P.)/Pride Stables offers therapeutic horseback riding lessons to people with disabilities. www.pridestables.com
July 11: Storybook Gardens in London. The theme is Folklore and Fairytales. My performance times throughout the day are 1:00, 2:30 and 3:30. I'll be asking for help getting rid of a dragon. The website is: www.storybooklondon.ca. On the "Plan Your Visit" page you will find a list of fantastic storytellers and the dates they are performing. It promises to be a wonderful summer experience of telling!
July (date to be determined): Brant Taletellers Cabaret at the Sherwood Restaurant in Brantford. More information will be added as the date becomes closer.
The Guelph Guild of Storytelling presents "Incredily Edible Stories." The details can be found on their website, www.guelpharts.ca.
The Hamilton Storytelling Circle, hosted by Barry Rosen, meets monthly at Temple Anshe Sholom in Hamilton. Our last meeting before the summer begins is June 25th at 7:30. We welcome tellers and listeners! For more information, contact Barry at barry_storyteller@yahoo.com.
The Story Barn in Baden was founded by Mary-Eileen McClear. STORIES ALOUD is held the first Friday of the month from 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. September to June. Donations are accepted at the door with $4 the suggested donation. www.thestorybarn.ca
Email me (brenda@storywyse.com) if you want more information about events, to book me for your event, or to let me know where you've been and the tales you've heard.
So, there you have it!
 World Storytelling Day, March 22, 2009 Brenda Marina Lloyd, Brenda Byers, John Wesselson, Barry Rosen
June 04 Sprites Abound!I'm building a two door, five shelf cabinet. So far, the bottom shelf is upside down (not easily corrected) and the door handles are on the wrong sides (more easily corrected). However, I've flipped over the tray with what remained of the screws and plugs and they are nowhere to be found. They are not on the floor, inside any of the baskets lying around the floor, on the fouton, not anywhere.
Do you know the story of Twytti Glyn Hec? Perhaps not, it's a Welsh version of Rumpelstiltskin. The young Widow Mary, in the story, is confused and frightened because her money, cows and chickens have all gone missing. Where could they be? And who would do such a thing as take them all from a poor young widow with a wee babe to care for? Turns out, the wicked sprites of Glyn ___ have taken them for a trick. And the only way she can recoup her loss is to give the strange visitor (tall, thin woman with a golden-lined red cloak and pointy hat) some wee thing from her cottage in payment for a bag of gold! Now, who wouldn't take advantage of that offer? Trouble is, the wee thing the woman demands is....the wee babe! Treacherous thing. But, there is a loophole. She cannot take the babe for a full 24 hours and in that time, if the widow guesses her name, she gets to keep the gold and the babe. Well, suffice to say, Mary does find out the witch's name (you already guessed she's a witch, didn't you?) and the witch, the sprites and the bad luck are all gone from that place. Mary is rich and she and her babe will live happily ever after.
Know what I like about that story? Through no fault of her own, Mary met with a drastic change in her circumstance. She wasn't lazy, indeed she worked very hard caring for her croft and animals and selling vegetables from her garden at market. Suddenly, everything is gone. And while she makes a huge error in judgement by accepting what is too good to be true, she goes off to seek help and finds out for herself the true identity of the witch, thus saving her child and their home. In the end, she didn't meet a man who saved her. She saved herself.
While not abandoning our favourites, we need to seek out stories where the heroes/heroines are self-sufficient. Where they overcome obstacles by their own wit and wisdom, as well as fortitude and persistence. They never give up. Often, it takes wit and persistence to find such tales.
Children need to hear them. Step beyond the familiar and enrich your folk and wonder tales with those not often told. You will be the richer for it.
Now, if only I could find the sprites that tipped my tray and stole my screws and plugs! Alas, I believe the witch's name is Impatience!
May 09 Birds of a FeatherWe always look forward to the mourning doves nesting in the hanging basket in the spring. We believe it is the same couple year after year. They are a devoted pair and view our comings and goings as just another part of the nature that surrounds them. The hanging basket is situated at the back porch, right out the door.
Surprisingly, this year, there is a robin's nest as well, just across from the mourning doves. It is a carefully woven work of art which perches perilously on the top of a post at the entranceway to the porch.
The robins aren't so keen on sharing their space with people. It is their nature to fly away each time we come out the door or up the stairs, to distract us from the nest. We are startled upon occasion, just as they are. The sound of flapping wings is reminiscent, to me at least, of the movie, "The Birds," directed by Alfred Hitchcock and loosely adapted from a story by Daphne du Maurier. Eerie, shudder.
However, the birds are living together quite neighbourly. In fact, they hardly seem to notice one another. The blackbird, on the other hand, is watching them carefully, just waiting for his chance to nibble on some delicious eggs. We're keeping an eye on him. But then, so are the robins, ever vigilant in protecting their young.
In a few short weeks we have been privy to plenty of intrigue and danger, births, children growing up, learning to fly and manage on their own and leaving the nest to seek their fortunes. Our own lives played out in the Readers' Digest version.
I must go now and clean my nest! April 17 Blogs in OrderOh my - the blogs are out of order. Please scroll down to read the most recent. Then click on "View more entries" to see the rest. They are not in the archives because I have transferred them from Blogger.com.
Another thing I learned....
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