Bee Important

Bee Important

The Bee is an important character in our daily lives as well as in folklore and storytelling.  A serious demise to the honey bee population has entomologists and purveyors of local honey scrambling to save the colonies of honey bees, a critical link in the pollination process and key to 1/3 of the foods we eat.  The… Continue Reading

Anna Deveare Smith’s  Treasure Found

Anna Deveare Smith’s Treasure Found

     A treasure chest  holds something of value and some unexpected jewels and glittering remembrances. A treasure chest inspires deep searching, and a cultivation of a hard work ethic to obtain the treasure within. Every bit of this comparative to a Johhny Depp scene in his Pirates film is true of a 2006 production of… Continue Reading

A CT. Maritime Story from Geneology

A CT. Maritime Story from Geneology

Digging through the reams of family tree material for a perfect story could be a needle in a haystack, but is more like a diamond in the rough.  From the start I had an idea that Uncle George would have a story to tell. He was eccentric – maybe, artistic – for certain, and lived… Continue Reading

Longears in Connecticut – Donkey News

Longears in Connecticut – Donkey News

Friday, May 4, 2012 The Day – Timely respect for the longears | News from southeastern Connecticut The Day – Timely respect for the longears | News from southeastern Connecticutwritten by: Suzanne Thompson The link takes you to a article in The Donkey and Mule Show Saturday at Bishop’s Orchard in Guilford, CT. I’ll be… Continue Reading

Days 2 and 3 Middle School Student Storytelling

Days 2 and 3 Middle School Student Storytelling

I began the Vacation Arts Experience 2012 offered by EastConn  www.eastconn.org with the distribution of stories to the middle school age students. They had 3 minutes to  scan a story and move to the next, until they found one they wanted to read  through. By the end of their first class in storytelling they had read the story… Continue Reading

Teach Storytelling to Middle School Students- YES!

Teach Storytelling to Middle School Students- YES!

Saying yes to teaching a spring vacation storytelling class was a “no brainer”, as the kids say. I love helping kids discover their voice and the power of story….. Day One  Four rotations will come to me over the course of the day. Each group will have a high school aged guide. They will stay… Continue Reading

Nautical Storytelling and Sea Chantey Music

Sea Chantey Demonstration at Mystic Seaport     I have immersed myself in nautical research for a forth coming nautical epic storytelling. I willingly signed on to Mystic Seaport’s Sea Chantey class. www.mysticseaport.org  Four weeks of singing sea chanteys and learning about the music of the sea and the work it was created to support. It is… Continue Reading

Chasing a Story Up Hill and Out to Sea

Chasing a Story Up Hill and Out to Sea

     I never have quite enough time between work hours to chase all the stories that tempt me. It may be a photo, a headline or a book that entices me and tells me, read more there is a story here to tell. In chasing a story you become the investigator, looking for clues to… Continue Reading

Impressed at Garner Storytelling Festival

Impressed at Garner Storytelling Festival

      I was visiting North Carolina and did a couple of mornings of storytelling at my granddaughters pre-school. It is entirely my pleasure to bring storytelling to these little listeners many hearing live storytelling for the very first time. It marked the beginning of a new story…                                                         I posted the picture on my Facebook… Continue Reading

Duke University; Garden Magic in the Making pt. 1

Duke University; Garden Magic in the Making pt. 1

A spring day of warm sun, gentle breeze, scent of flowers and bird song was perfected by a visit to Sarah P.. Duke Gardens in Durham  NC. Join my photo tour of our magical couple of hours and celebrate spring!                                                                   WELCOME! The water cascading from this fountain was captivating. The flowers in the center… Continue Reading

Museum of Life and Science Durham NC

Museum of Life and Science Durham NC

Today I visited the Museum of Life and Science  at 433 W. Murray Ave. Durham, NC 27704 What a great day we had!  www.lifeandscience.org Toddlers, Moms and Grandmas all found things to truly enjoy. My breath was taken away by the magic of the butterfly house. The girls had so much fun on the Dinosaur Trail.… Continue Reading

Cloud  Story Garden

Cloud Story Garden

     I was flying south this week and marveled at the incredible cloud formations . Leaving a snow and ice filled Connecticut I flew to Detroit over an ocean of  rolling sea like clouds. Great furrows and ripples small, decorated the  sky below our wing. Some clouds were of cotton candy consistency and others looked… Continue Reading

James Henry: media darling; Learning at 98

Too Old To Learn? NEVER! James Henry: media darling featured in People, on CNN – The Westerly Sun: Metertest: MYSTIC — James Arruda Henry’s rapid rise from humble lobster-boat captain to literary star has been tiring, said his granddaughter Marlisa McL… If this 98 year old lobster fisherman can learn to read and write in… Continue Reading

A Lobster Will  Help Promote a Program

A Lobster Will Help Promote a Program

Is a picture worth a thousand words? It is when I can make my photography hobby works to promote my storytelling programs!  1  lobster + 1000 words photo value +  25 words script = Super way to  let people know about an event. This is a pre-conference seminar I’m leading at Sharing the Fire Northeast Storytellers Conference in Albany,… Continue Reading

Malloy Cutting More Than $11M In  CT. Arts Funding

Malloy Cutting More Than $11M In CT. Arts Funding

Connecticut Arts designated for huge slashes to funding – read more in todays Hartford Courant link below. Malloy Cutting More Than $11M In Arts Funding Start an uproar the ARTS  are under a hatchet!!!! Contact your representatives tell them to save the arts!                               Continue Reading

Season for Campus Slammer

Season for Campus Slammer

Spring Semester and time for Campus Slammer! The inter-collegiate story slam series pitting one Connecticut College against the others in a battle of wit and word. Each college holds a preliminary slam on a theme and send their top two on to the Connecticut Storytelling Festival to  participate in the finals!   www.connstorycenter.org It is not… Continue Reading

Pinterst How To

Pinterst How To

“> = Use Pinterest  to promote an event, a venue, a hobby, a profession, a place or the eclectic you! Like having all the school bulletin boards to yourself! Scrapbooking online, collect and pin up what you like!There  is no limit to the fun things you can share and find via Pinterst. Technology can be… Continue Reading

How to Skype Part 2

 Here we go, hope you are having fun with Skype!  Using Skype can expand your ability to reach audience, family, classes, and more. How about teaching someone a craft via Skype?  I have a new Skype project coming out soon on the blog I write for www.lanesctrep.blogspot.com  If you missed part one of the Skype… Continue Reading

How To Skype

How to use Skype for live image conversation, meetings and  how to workshops.You could be practicing a story with a friend far away! This video is great but it starts a little to far in the experience for a very new user. First be sure your computer has a built in web cam or purchase one… Continue Reading

Why Will Facebook Timeline Help You

Why Will Facebook Timeline Help You

Tick Tick Tick, yes the clock is ticking  to  Feb. 10 when everyone will be changed over to  Facebook’s new Timeline style page.  I can hear the cries of NOOOOO! already.                                    Wait, just stop a minute, is it really that hard to figure out a new way of doing things? Was it hard to… Continue Reading

laughter is the best medicine

laughter is the best medicine

 I thought we could use a dose of good medicine today Out of body experience? “and a little round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly”                                                              Adjust Your Privacy Settings…….? Tractor with Catalytic Converter FEEL BETTER? I’m a storyteller, I like words to describe things, but I also love… Continue Reading

School Day  and Story Night

School Day and Story Night

A great school day looks like this:                                                                                     For a storyteller a great school day is getting to share stories with eager listeners. Recently I was  fortunate to share my day with the students and staff at my neighborhood school, Annie Vinton Elementary School in Mansfield, CT.   http://www.mansfieldct.gov/content/11140/default.aspx         Pre-K through 4th grade came… Continue Reading

Weather Vanes Story Resources Part 6

Weather Vanes Story Resources Part 6

Seraph: a six winged celestial being in the heirarchy of AngelsThere is a great deal of histocial/religious writing and depiction of the Seraph ( singular of Seraphim) To learn more about them try:www.seraphim.com    or   www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph For a present day reference this clip from “Sister Act” with the song Salve Regina speaks of both the Seraphim… Continue Reading

Health and Weight-Loss a Story of my Personal Challenge

Health and Weight-Loss a Story of my Personal Challenge

 Advice tip for weight loss and lifestyle change: Tell Someone!  I’m telling you all! My goal is to bring half of me to next  years events!  To keep myself motivated  and empowered I’m using  my favorite tools ( no, not a pitchfork – although that helps [see more later]) THE INTERNET, technology and inspiration my tools of… Continue Reading

My Web Presence is Dead

My Web Presence is Dead

And Other Fear Factors                                                                              This is your chance to  get over those technology fears and begin to build web presence for marketing through my workshop. Announcing the  4 hour in-depth version to be given in March. It is being offered to anyone, as a pre-conference  at Sharing the Fire the Northeast Storytelling Conference sponsored by Lanes www.lanes.org  March… Continue Reading

VoiceMail Open Mic in Mansfield General Store

VoiceMail Open Mic in Mansfield General Store

VoiceMail is on the move… to a new venue, for a quiet listening space with good food and country charm. VoiceMail is an open mic for storytelling ( adult venue)  held the last Monday of each month.  ( find and “Like” VoiceMail on Facebook please, and if you can help spread the word, thanks!)                                                       Say Hello to our… Continue Reading

Weather Vanes; Story Resources Part 5

Weather Vanes; Story Resources Part 5

The Flag Weather Vane Barbara Fritchie  “shoot if you must this old gray head…but spare your countries flag she said…” In the Revolutionary War famous naval battle with Capt. John Paul Jones his capture of the British ship Serapsis marked by the flag raised, a historic flag we don’t see often today. John Paul Jones Bio and important battle descriptions… Continue Reading

Happy New Year!  Top 10  Favorites of 2011

Happy New Year! Top 10 Favorites of 2011

My blog that was most read  was about the fun game Rory’s Story Cubes! www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/09/education-in-cubes-not-just-childs-play.html Favorite Photo of 2011: because I was riding in the Hot Air balloon when I took this! At Fort Hill Farms  www.forthillfarms.com Thompson, CT. Favorite Video of the year that I made: Blue Hill’s Jassper using the 1800’s treadmill to… Continue Reading

Sharing The Fire State of Mind – Albany

Sharing The Fire State of Mind – Albany

Come to Albany New York  join storytellers from all over the Northeast in getting into a New York State of Mind! Sharing the Fire Storytelling Conference March 16,17,18, 2012 info: www.lanes.org Ride Share Info on the Lanes website www.lanes.org League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling and YOU! I’ll be sharing a pre-conference workshop… Continue Reading

Young Voices; Narrative to Grow With

Young Voices; Narrative to Grow With

Young Voices Young voices have stories Young voices engaging issues with story We need to bring more young people to the power of storytelling and the ways in which it will transform their world to a narrative they can share, learn from and grow with! see what wikipedia says about Narrative: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative In Connecticut it is… Continue Reading

Thanks to Some of My 2011 Venues

Thanks to Some of My 2011 Venues

The community in Hampton CT. on Memorial Day                  The Orr Family at Fort Hill Farms, Thompson , CT.  www.forthillfarms.com                                                                                                                    The Northeast Regional Cowboy Mounted Shooting Competition                                     www.masixshooters.com   www.ctrenegades.com               The Guilford Fair Donkey and Mule Show  (CT) www.guilfordfair.org The Lippitt Show – Tunbridge, VT.  Lippitt Morgan Horses www.lippittclub.net    Karen Swanburg and  Mint… Continue Reading

Weather Vanes Story Resources part 4

Weather Vanes Story Resources part 4

Here is a collection of resources on Deer  etc: How Lizard Beat Big Deer  from storyteller Mike Lockett:www.mikelockett.com/stories.php?actionview&id=7 Deer Hunters Share their stories – how legends are made!www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/multimedia/radio/deer-stories/ From The native American Cultures A Sampling:Deer Woman:www.ghouli.org/GHOSTSTORY/DeerWoman.htm www.angelfire.com/ct/deerwhorns/stories.html  Seems to be some strong natural connection between storytellers and Moose, see below; A whole herd lives up… Continue Reading

Reveiw: CD Prarie Child with Bert Marshall

Reveiw: CD Prarie Child with Bert Marshall

Prairie Child CD  Bert Marshall   available on CD Baby www.cdbaby.com Not the sound I was expecting, the word prairie evoked soft windswept to me, but here the prairie is alive with a beat of a full bodied rich composition. Each song a story in itself the  music is vibrant and draws the listener in. The opening piece “Road… Continue Reading

5 Unusual Gifts

5 Unusual Gifts

I don’t want to give what everyone else is giving, but where do we find the unusual gift?In our imaginations!5th place in my list of unusual gifts to give:  A tire and a rope for hours of fun! ( rocker not included; some assembly required!) 4th Place The Wheelbarrow Fill this gift with fertilizer, trowel,… Continue Reading

Weather Vanes; Story Resources Part 3

Weather Vanes; Story Resources Part 3

More Weather Vanes with accompanying resources for stories, written or oral. egg laying contest Uconn There was a time when the world made tracks to Storrs CT.  bringing their best hens for a prestigious competition in egg laying to find the world’s best producers. One of these coops remains as a historic marker to that… Continue Reading

Review- Tom  Callinan ; Commemorations and I’ll Take New England Any Day

Review- Tom Callinan ; Commemorations and I’ll Take New England Any Day

Tom Callinan Introduces us to two new CD’s of his  legendary music! Commemorations    and   I’ll Take New England Any Day Commemorations is a collection of local legends and National treasures put to music. The characters of a time past and gone are given the breath of life in their story told. The music is warm, engaging… Continue Reading

World’s Best Writing Prompt

World’s Best Writing Prompt

Even the student who never wore out a pencil is encouraged to write a full page for this writing prompt!                                                                                        Have a story about a letter you wrote or read? Leave it in the comments. another blog with a prompt: www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/10/autumn-colors-assignment.html Continue Reading

Fairy Think-ets Game Review

Fairy Think-ets Game Review

                   Fairy Think-ets by Think-a-lot Toys Review www.think-a-lot.com Once Upon A Time…. It can begin that way but where the tale turns to from there is any ones guess. With the Think-a-lot Fairy set of trinkets imagination is the key to a classic or not so classic fairy tale. With cues from the  selection of  a tiny item… Continue Reading

Think-Ets Game Review

Think-Ets Game Review

Review of Think-ets by Think-a-lot Toys  www.think-a-lot.com Not going out to face the bustle of Black Friday Shopping? You won’t find me out there either! I want to stay home and play a family game, I might even do some online shopping. I will be looking at my list of naughty and nice and deciding… Continue Reading

Thanksgiving  A List of Giving Thanks!

Thanksgiving A List of Giving Thanks!

My family – as always I am thankful for my family and this year in particular for my Brother, Steve Marshall. We took a long journey through our parents illness and passing together and I am so grateful to have had him at my side! Thank- You Steve!                                                                                      Here Steve is at work on the… Continue Reading

5 Tips to  Make Your Presentation a Story to Remember

5 Tips to Make Your Presentation a Story to Remember

Dedicated to the students at the E.O.Smith High School  Depot Campus a Big Picture School.  Good Luck on your exhibitions! 1. Dress For Success 2. Speak to be heard and understood, don’t just talk- tell the story 3. When using photos – make them high quality ( they are speaking for you)                                         Above a… Continue Reading

Story Play Cards; Game Review

Story Play Cards; Game Review

Five Stars for the StoryPlay Cards  by Think-a-lot Toys!!    www.think-a-lot.com   (while you are visiting their site sign up for the  free newsletter you might win a Think-ets game.                                                                                I opened the box with such anticipation for the fun it held inside. I was not to be disappointed. I took out the double deck of… Continue Reading

Weather Vane Series;  Story Resources Part 2

Weather Vane Series; Story Resources Part 2

Another Weather Vane Depicting a Morgan Horse Ethan Allen famed son of Black Hawk (Weather Vanes Pt.1 Highlighted the Black Hawk weather vane) another blog highlights that bloodline of these horses today: www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com.2010/08/what-is-lippitt-morgan-horse.html See them in action the direct descendants of Ethan Allen and Black Hawk The Canada Goose Migration, Nesting and Everything to know about… Continue Reading

Weather Vanes Series; Point to Stories  Part 1

Weather Vanes Series; Point to Stories Part 1

       I love weather vanes. They show you a little about the place or people that live and work below their direction. They  are steady and withstand storms and always helping show the way of the wind. They are whimsical and historical and creative and simple all in one.                                                                         My favorite weather vane adorns… Continue Reading

The Gospel of Mark Alive: Storyteller Rev. Bert Marshall

The Gospel of Mark Alive: Storyteller Rev. Bert Marshall

Stop right now and check November 27, 2011 on your calendar! Sure hope you are free at 2:00 p.m. for this very impressive performance of:  “The Gospel of Mark Alive”  a storytelling performance by Reverend Bert Marshall at First Church of Christ Mansfield Center, CT.                                                                                   Suggested Donation $5.00 per person $15.00 per family. We… Continue Reading

Mike Lockett :Tales and Fables East Meets West

Mike Lockett :Tales and Fables East Meets West

  Another incredible collection of stories from Mike Lockett. Plenty  of time to down load this from CD Baby ( www.cdbaby.com ) for a gift for the holidays or for the long car ride over the river and through the woods. Dr. Mike Lockett of Normal, Illinois is the Normal Storyteller Find info on where to see him… Continue Reading

Apple Apple Who’s Got Apples

Apple Apple Who’s Got Apples

It is apple season the crunchiest, crisp, red, green and yellow celebration of fall. Today we are making pie, Apple Pie first was a trip to the store for supplies We have apples all washed and  ready to peel                                            Making the pie crust comes next                                                                          Pies baking in the oven smell great Company… Continue Reading

You Finish the  Spooky Story

You Finish the Spooky Story

                                                                                        This is in the spirit of the season. Just leave your piece of the story in the comment section and let the next person pick up the tale from there and continue it. I only remind you that my blog is read by young people, please keep that in mind as you write. You… Continue Reading

Local Haunts and Creepy Costumes

Local Haunts and Creepy Costumes

It is almost here the creepiest day of the year.  After the costumed kiddies retreat to bed with  bellies full of candy. After the teens on the prowl have settled to tell of all the bravado they showed that night. Late when only the brave dare visit the streets then do the spirits of past… Continue Reading

Connecticut Harvest a Corn Story

Connecticut Harvest a Corn Story

Corn Harvest in Connecticut is  a story of 2011 rain and mud. For every day spent out trying to chop corn into much needed corn silage there is three days of rain. In the spring we had so much rain we couldn’t plant all the fields some had standing water in them.                                         Ruts in the… Continue Reading

Autumn Colors Assignment

Autumn Colors Assignment

Autumn  Colors Time to Practice Storytelling Technique with Prompts 2011 will be a year to remember the lack of color by. The winds of Irene ( Hurricane downgraded to Tropical Storm) wrecked havoc with new England’s quintessential  fall tourism drive.  There are some stunning tress out there but the hills a less aglow and the … Continue Reading

The Bosun’s Pipe A Calling

The Bosun’s Pipe A Calling

It was not so long ago when I was playing with a slide whistle that I remembered a great whistle. It was a shiny Bosun’s Whistle that had been in the family. I was not sure who it belonged to , but I do remember that I was entranced by it as a child. The… Continue Reading

Little Lebanon Llama

I was driving through the town of Lebanon CT. a place so steeped in colonial American history, but on this day it wasn’t the classic colonials, the mile long green or the  huge church spire that caught my eye. My attention was grabbed by a tiny creature just over the fence from the road. I stopped the… Continue Reading

Education In Cubes – Not Just Child’s Play

Education In Cubes – Not Just Child’s Play

The nine dice rolled across the table top and the students clustered to look at the outcome.  Excited voices called out the images that landed face up on the special dice of the game Rory’s Story Cubes www.storycubes.com   Laughter and groans ensued as each player recognized their challenge of incorporating the image into a group story.… Continue Reading

making a commercial break

making a commercial break

I’m having fun making my own commercials. I use my Flip camera for video and a regular digital camera for still shots. Looking for something fun and catchy and connecting it into one of my projects is the quest. Going viral is the dream! I don’t have viral quality material yet, I think it will be like… Continue Reading

Journey of a Thousand Goodbyes

Journey of a Thousand Goodbyes

          My father passed away last week. He was a captive of Dementia or Alzheimer’s for several years and in passing over that journey has ended and another begun. Herman F. Marshall was born July 19, 1929 in Manchester, New Hampshire. His story is our family memory now and I’m reading the things he wrote… Continue Reading

Keith Munslow NO Token NO Milk

Keith Munslow NO Token NO Milk

It was a perfect summer day,sunshine, blue sky, breeze and  a Library Summer Reading Program  sponsored by Richmond Library and held in Marlborough Senior Center, Marlborough Connecticut.Just down the road a little way is the turn we have taken so many times for the 4-H Horse camp at Marlborough, I know the way like I was… Continue Reading

1 Author, 3 Horses, Thoroughbreds,Lippitt Morgans and Me

1 Author, 3 Horses, Thoroughbreds,Lippitt Morgans and Me

Tonight I was watching the Saratoga Yearling Sales Streaming Live from www.fasigtipton.com  I have, since childhood wanted to see the sales at Saratoga. Those days I wore a thin path through the commercial carpet in the school library to the shelves that held the collection of books by C.W.Anderson. Weekly I walked over to carefully select… Continue Reading

Secret 6 of Boston Supply Guns to Raid

Secret 6 of Boston Supply Guns to Raid

Guns in cases labeled Bibles or Books      That was how guns were shipped from Boston to Kansas in support of the abolitionist movement before the Civil War began.  Six men of the greater Boston area bankrolled the movement to make Kansas a free state ( slave free)  and to provide leader John Brown with… Continue Reading

Village Smithy

Village Smithy

                                                                            anvil Blacksmith Stories Link: www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/stories www.story-lovers.com/listsblacksmithstories.html Terminology of the Blacksmith: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksmith                                                   coal fire  and red hot     Functional work of the smithy- today most blacksmiths do  not shoe horses, farriers trim horses feet and shape and put on their shoes. ( This big draft horse is sporting toe clips to hold the shoe on in… Continue Reading

Willimantic Brewing Company and VoiceMail

Willimantic Brewing Company and VoiceMail

Welcome to the Willimantic Brewing Company, Housed in Willimantic CT. ‘s former Post Office  building. www.willibrew.com                                                                               Do you want a tempting appetizer? A full dinner?  Want to try the in house brew? Would you like a story with your dinner?    Let Me Recommend;                                            VOICEMAIL!You can catch VoiceMail once a month at Willi Brew.… Continue Reading

Whale of a Tail, or is it Tale?

Whale of a Tail, or is it Tale?

The Whale Tail Fountain in New London, CT. New London was first a colonial port city with the river and harbor deep and safe from storms. The fishing in the area was abundant and the forest provided wood for an early shipbuilding  business. Later in New London history came the whaling industry the  third largest fleet… Continue Reading