A Good Time for Storytelling!

Storytelling has been very good to me of late. Today, I had the pleasure of performing two shows at a beautiful art gallery, Artworks, in the historic city of New Bedford for Summerfest, an annual event with delicious food, including homemade ice cream, fabulous music and kiosks filled with handmade wares of every shape and size.

Artworks offered crafts for the children to make and take, a new installation of art for the adults and storytelling for everyone. The children were grand and we had lots of fun traveling the world with story.

This past Thursday I completed a two week program at our local Summer Cafe. Each year the school district offers, each in two week intervals, for children to take and of course, learn. They offer cooking, tennis, math, art, etc., and for the first time this year, storytelling. My group, ranging in ages from 7 - 10. met for eight days, two hours a day, to learn the art of storytelling, choose their stories, practice, practice and practice some more. Each day they clamored for a story so I got to practice as well. On Thursday they performed for two small groups of children who are taking other classes.

We went to the library early, where they would perform, to rehearse one more time, I did some relaxation breathing with them and then one of my boys, suggested we meditate. He is eight! Evidently, his mother's friend is a drummer and before he performs he mediates. I asked him to explain it and show how to do for the other children and he did! We all sat cross-legged on the floor, closed our eyes, turned our arms and hands out and he began, "Om..." I couldn't help peeking and all of the children were actually doing it!

It seemed to work! One young boy, the youngest of the group, was moving so much when he practiced he actually tripped himself a few times. He had a bit of trouble story each time he practiced and I wasn't sure what would happen in performance. I was so surprised when began to tell today. He was so at ease, so comfortable, having tons of fun, and with a gleam in his eye he told his Irish tale. He completely surprised me! I was overjoyed for him.

The other first time tellers were grand as well and were so very proud of
themselves. They all received their story stones and Applause Awards and asked me to start a story troupe at their middle school in September.

From local storytelling to the world wide web! Last month I was lucky enough to be a guest on Eric Wolf's program, The Art of Storytelling With Children. Every Tuesday Eric interviews storytellers and educators from around the country on a variety of issues pertaining to storytelling. You may call in and listen, then at the end ask questions, or visit his site later and listen in. Each guest also shares a blog post, offering more insight and information. My interview was posted on the web this week and if you have some time you can stop by for a listen. Just click and go: Karen Chace. If you are interested in the free resources I offer at the end of the podcast, I will be happy to share them with you as well. Contact me at storybug@aol.com and I will email them to you right away.

A good time for storytelling indeed!

Go West Young Man...or in this case "girl".

A few weeks ago I traveled to Washington State and Vancouver, British Columbia. One stop at the end of my vacation was a delightful Art Fair in Edmonds, WA. There were lots of kiosks with all types of wares: flowers, pottery, fresh honey, jewelry, gorgeous handmade quilts and art work of every shape in size.

One particularly creative artist I met was Judy Meddaugh, a botanical collage artist who fashions jewelry, cards, ceramics and pictures out of plants and flowers. You can view some of her amazing work by clicking on her name above I purchased two of her jewelry items for gifts and coveted much of her art work. Many pieces were reasonably priced, while some were out of my reach. However, since I was traveling, the thought of carrying a framed piece of work onto a plane didn't appeal to me. The next best thing was to buy some of her cards, which I will frame and display.

Of course, the storyteller in me had to buy one card that shared a story on the back. Here is the Native American legend from the Samish Tribe.


The Maiden of Deception Pass

Ko-kwal-alwoot was a beautiful Samish Indian girl living in a village in Deception Pass. She was gathering seafood one day when a young man from beneath the sea saw her and fell in love. But when the man of the sea asked her father for her hand in marriage, he refused, for fear she would drown.

The young man warned her father that the seafood would disappear unless she married him. When his warning proved to be true, her father granted permission for the marriage. The beautiful woman waded in to the sea to join her new husband. Once again the seafood returned and was plentiful.

Ko-kwal-awoot returned to her people once a year for four years. Barnacles had grown upon her hands and arms, and her long raven hair turned to kelp. Chill winds followed wherever she walked, and she seemed to be unhappy out of the sea. Seeing this, her people told her she did not need to return to them. Since that day, she has been the Samish Tribe's guiding spirit, and through her protection there has always been plenty of seafood and pure, sweet spring water.

I discovered a bit longer version of the tale on the Internet, which explains a little more about the statue itself. Carved out of red cedar it has two sides, one side depicts a beautiful maiden, the other tells the tale of her fate.

There are many more stories to share about my trip but that will have to wait for another day. The sunshine is calling!

A Father's Day Story

Father's Day is fast approaching and naturally my thoughts turn to my own father who passed away in July of 2005. He was on many levels a complicated man and some things I will never understand, just quietly accept, but I do remember some of the good times we shared.

One of those good times took place when I was just a young girl. To fully appreciate what happened this day you should know that my father always took great pride in his appearance. His clothes were always neatly pressed and starched, thanks to my mother since I never saw him iron anything. During the 1960's many men still wore a shirt and tie when out with their families, even for something as mundane as an afternoon stroll at the local zoo.

I remember it was a warm, sunny day, most likely a Sunday afternoon as I was dressed in my "going to church" clothes and wearing my favorite black patent leather shoes. (Obviously, my shoe fetish began at an early age.) I was about five years old, still young enough for my mother to keep a firm grip on my tiny hand as we wound our way down the serpentine paths, stopping at each animal cage, I am sure. Yet, I only recall seeing the llamas, and with good reason!

We stopped at the enclosure holding those mysterious, exotic looking creatures; my older sister and I stood dutifully on either side of our mother. My father approached the metal chain link fence, the modern barrier between man and beast, and one llama slowly ambled over. Delighted, my sister and I began to pull up some of the grass growing between the cement walkway and the fence, carefully poking the blades through the fence, giggling as it gently nibbled it from our chubby, child-like fingers. As the llama ate, his great, puffy lips pursed comically as it chewed carefully and deliberately.

My father was also a great jokester and so he placed his face as close as he could up to the fence, directly in line with the llama, and slowly began to mimic its munching motions. Now remember, I mention my father was a snappy dresser and today was no exception, which made the scene even more ridiculous. Here was this handsome, wavy red-haired man, smartly dressed in a white starched shirt, perfectly knotted tie and sharply creased pants acting the part of a llama sloppily chewing his treat. Encouraged by our giggling his facial contortions became more and more exaggerated. He was having such a grand time entertaining us he didn't notice the llama moving closer to the fence until they were finally almost nose to nose.

To this day I swear I saw the llama steal a glance over to my sister and I before he deliberately turned once more to my father, opened his mouth and forcefully, and very indelicately, spewed all its contents into his face. That split second scene sent my mother, sister, and me into an immediate wave of belly laughter, that is until we realized dad wasn't laughing at all! My mother did her best to quiet us down while simultaneously digging into her purse to find something to wipe his face.

I don't remember anything else from that comical trip to the zoo, but I do remember that time does heal a broken ego. In later years we were all able to recount that day with my father and laugh about it together. Those llamas are long gone but the universe does have a wicked sense of humor. My sister moved a few years ago and one of her new neighbors raises those feisty animals. Every time I drive by, I am reminded of the llama that put my father in his place!

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2008 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Leaving On A Jet Plane...

Soon I will be heading off into the sunset; this is my last day on the extraordinary Garden Island of Kauai. I can certainly understand why people return again and again. During a conversation with our waiter last night he told me he and his family had just moved here from California. They came for a visit, went back home, sold almost everything, packed what was left and relocated here. Certainly a bold move but one he does not regret. I certainly hope to return one day. The experience has been filled not only with grand opportunities to see the island by land and air but with the warmth of the Hawaiian people.

Before I go back to my room to finish packing I will leave you with some more virtual sightseeing and finish when I return home. Early in the week, as I was driving around the island I heard a promo for one of the libraries on the island. They were having a book sale! Books to a storyteller are like honey to bees so when I came back to the hotel I googled all of the libraries, since I couldn’t remember the name and without too much trouble located the one I needed. The next day I drove over and introduced myself to Mark, who was very happy to know I had heard the advertisement. I asked his help on finding stories of the Menehune (he was very pleased that I pronounced it correctly) and was very helpful in locating some lore and legend of the islands for me. I gave him my card and asked if he would pass it on to the director when he had a moment. I found a comfortable couch in the back of the room and curled up to read some of the tales. To my surprise the director appeared to say hello. We chatted briefly and then she excused herself to get things ready for the book sale, which was to begin the next day. I returned on Saturday to find a 1947 book by Isak Dinesen, Winter Tales, a bargain at only one dollar!

Saturday morning was the fantastic helicopter ride I mentioned earlier. If you come to Kauai don’t miss the chance to take one as there are parts of the island you can access that are not available to the human eye any other way. The helicopter was new, spacious, and I felt very safe.

Saturday and Sunday ran together so I am not sure now what was seen on what day but does it really matter? One day we took a drive around the island to see the Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. If you have ever seen the Grand Canyon in AZ think of this as a more diminutive version, but incredibly impressive nonetheless. We stopped at various lookout points, some being a bit more majestic than others, but each offering its own unique view and beauty. We continued all the way to the top for what is hailed as “the best view in the Pacific.” Just as we exited the car raindrops began to fall. Undaunted we trekked our way up the incline to the lookout only to find ourselves enveloped in the clouds, which was pretty cool all on its own, but then the rain became more intense. Unable to catch any of the view we reluctantly headed back to the car; at least we tried!

Next stop, the Kilauea Lighthouse, a postcard perfect landmark, perched on a bluff that represents the northernmost part of the main Hawaiian Islands.
Built in 1913 it had the largest clamshell lens in existence until it was replaced by a beacon in the 1970’s. There is a bird sanctuary nearby as well and you can take a self-guided tour. Next time.

Later we drove to Ha'Ena Beach, said to be one of the ten best beaches on Hawaii.If you look in the background of the picture below you will see the "Bali Hai" mountain seen in the movie musical "South Pacific."
We took a relaxing walk along the shore but the waves were a bit angry to attempt a swim. As we strolled the beach two young men, about 12 or 13 approached us with leis to sell; I noticed them in the parking area when we arrived stringing the leis together. They were so earnest I selected fragrant creamy white and pink lei. They assured me they were using the money for school.


Today I decided to try and find the Menehune’s Fish Pond. The Menehune’s are (some say) mythical Hawaiian creatures, the size of Irish Leprechauns. They are also tricksters, speak with a low growl much like a dog and any feat they undertake must be finished in one day or leave it forever. Many Hawaiians say that the unfinished rock walls around the island are from their unfinished tasks. So today, armed with my GPS I set out to find the Menehune (Alekoko) Fishpond. According to legend, it was built in one night as a gift for a princess and her brother. Some say it is 1,000 years old.

I typed in the name of the road and off I went. I drove and drove, then drove some more, and finally decided to stop for lunch. I couldn’t imagine that it was much further. When I got back into the car I realized that the GPS (or was it the Menehunes?) had taken me in the opposite direction. Hmmmm I laughed to myself out loud and promised the Menehunes that I would be respectful if they allowed me to locate the pond and off I went. This time I was successful. Coincidence? You decide. The fishpond was truly impressive, with the jagged volcanic mountains jutting up all around. I took many pictures then headed out to find a secluded waterfall off the beaten path, Kipu Falls. Initially I passed right by the dirt road opening, there are no markers as the falls is on private land, but after crossing the one lane bridge I realized my mistake and turned around. Although it is private property local community activists contend that access has occurred for so long, a “prescriptive easement” exists.

So armed with camera and cell phone (just in case I was lost n the wilderness…hey it has happened to me before) I set off on the 10 minute hike down the dirt path. I was immediately surrounded by tall stalks of green sugar cane; after a few minutes I began to wonder if I was headed in the right direction but just then a couple passed by going the opposite way and assured me I was on the right path. Wouldn't it be nice if we could meet up with folks like that along the way in life? :)I began to hear the sound of the rushing water as I hiked closer and closer. When I arrived I had to scramble down lots of lava rocks leading to the waterfall and pool below. Unfortunately, I hadn’t packed my sneakers since this was a last minute diversion, and made the best of flip flops, alternating between hopping between the rocks and sliding down the red clay-like dirt.


It was we worth the effort, the area is serene, cool and lush, a perfect place to spend time and commune a bit with nature, the air was fresh, and filled with the scent of tropical flowers. Ahhhhh...The scent of the flowers on the island is so strong they actually use them as natural fragrances in public bathrooms.I found my way back without any trouble, satisfied and happy that I had taken the time to stop and smell the roses,or in this case, the hibiscus!

Before going to dinner last night a long walk on the beach was called for. The waves were high, rushing in quickly, making the white caps dance as they made their way to shore. A local woman was slowly dragging a net into the water and we stopped to ask her what she was trying to catch. She showed us some tiny sand turtles; their entire body is white and looks somewhat crablike although they don’t bite. I held one for a bit and shared how we catch clams in New England the old fashioned way, digging the sand with our toes until we strike a hard shell. We said our good-byes and went our separate ways.

Time for me to finish packing for the long flight home; Aloha for now!

Paradise Found!

It is getting close to ending my time on this gorgeous island so I will make this post brief so I can get out and enjoy the day!

While riding around enjoying the scenery on Friday I saw a sign that said, Opaeka'a Falls two miles" and said, "Why not!" I found it without any trouble but as I hopped out of the car the heaven's opened. I stood in the rain taking in the the lush greenery and gorgeous waterfall, oblivious to just how drenched I was becoming with each passing second. It was too lovely to leave but I soon relented and headed back to the hotel to get ready for the luau.

The luau was held at a lush and lovely botanical garden. Unfortunately, it was still raining so we were unable to walk around but the we treated to a leisurely riding tour instead, complete with narration by our driver. We ended the tour at the dinner location, walking past covered imu's roasting the pigs the traditional way, which would be part of our meal. When they were ready to uncover the pits they announced the occasion by summoning us via blowing into a conch shell. Dinner was delicious and I even tried poi for the first time. It is definitely not something I would make a point of having on my dinner table but I did give it a go. It is best eaten as a sort of dipping sauce so I tried it with with some of the fresh salmon and it was palatable. Give it a go if you every have the chance and then you can at least say you tried it!

During dinner we were treated to some island music and the hula. It is truly an elegant dance and after it was performed the dancer did it again, this time with one of the musicians narrating the movements. Every movement and chant tells the story; it is story and dance as one, simply lovely. A century ago the north shore of Kauai was home to one of the most prestigious halau (hula) schools in the world. For some interesting background information on this delicate dance visit http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/hacul/hula.htm

After dinner we were treated to a feast for the eyes, a two hour show of dances from the various cultures that inhabit the islands of Hawaii; China, New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines and the Maori of Australia. More on this later.


The next morning found us back at the airport, awaiting my first helicopter ride. We were given a safety briefing and then up, up and away! If you want to tour Kauai this is the way to go! We were able to view areas that would be impossible to reach any other way. At one point in the trip we were actually flown into an inactive (she says happily :) volcano crater. Waterfalls surrounded ups and the images were almost too surreal. Our pilot Toby took us down the Napoli coastline for a stunning view. Pictures do not do the site justice, the scope and grandeur of this rugged coastline truly do make it too beautiful for words. It was as if all of the sites we were seeing from the air were too much for our eyes to take in all at once.

Our pilot offered a wonderful narration of what we were viewing; the hour flew by! (no pun intended). There is so much more to share about this flight and the weekend but my time is running short on the island so I better get out and make the most of it! More virtual travel to come, stay tuned!

MAHALO!

That means "Thank you" in Hawaiian and I do thank all of you for your kind comments and good wishes for a fun-filled trip in Paradise. Here on the island of Kauai life seems to drift along in slow motion, everyone is filled with smiles and Aloha greetings. People actually look you in the eye when they speak to you and let you go first at an intersection! Simply amazing.

Yesterday I spent some time getting the lay of the land after the hotel shuttle took me to the airport to pick up my car rental. It's a Subaru Forester, a smaller type SUV and it's RED!!! I have always wanted a red car and this one is so fun to drive. Even though I am vertically challenged, i.e. short, the car is just the right size for me. I ran some errands around town and met a great gal who works at one of the restaurants near the resort town of Po'ipu. She invited me down on Saturday when she will be working so I plan to meet up with Trish after my helicopter ride around Kauai. Later in the evening we went to dinner at a lovely open air restaurant. The coconut crusted chicken was delicious! Jet lag hit me last night so under the covers I slipped at a fairly early hour.

Yesterday I was up and out the door fairly early with my trusty guidebook and GPS in tow. Actually, the island is pretty easy to navigate. It is one big loop with the town moving towards the center so it isn't too difficult to find your way. I decided to find the beautiful and Wailua Falls for my first stop. The picture at the top of my first Hawaii post is of the falls so I won't insert another here but you can read all about it now! Up, up, up I went, seemingly into the clouds, passing a beautiful cemetery on the way. Yes, beautiful. Each plot was raised, ringed with stones and adorned with exquisite, tropical flowers; I said a silent prayer as I passed.

Kauai is the wettest place on earth with 472 inches of precipitation each year and Mt. Waialeale on Kauai is the rainiest and wettest spot on the planet. As I reached the overlook for the falls large raindrops began to fall but no worries, the showers pass quickly here.

I spent some time taking snapshots of the falls then noticed some flowered leis, some fresh, others long past their prime, and strands of shell necklaces adorning a chain link fence. I walked over and read a heartbreaking piece of poetry and photos encased in plastic to protect it from the elements penned by the family of a young woman who was lost at the falls a few years ago. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to this beautiful young lady, gone too soon, and said another silent prayer.

My next stop was a beautiful, natural phenomenon called the Spouting Horn. It is so interesting I couldn't resist walking further out onto the rocks to take more photos. I also ventured, very gingerly, over to another rock formation, but this time it went down, instead of up, like a huge sink hole.The ocean would rush in, filling it up withing seconds, then recede, only to do it again and again. I stopped to pick up a rock, which appeared to be hardened lava,
but my storytelling friend Mary Garrett, warned me today via email that if I take any rocks from the island I will anger Pele. Back it goes, I don't need the Hawaiian Goddess of the volcano angry at me!

Afterwards I decided to forgo listening to my GPS and explore. I wound my way through the serpentine roads, taking a left here, a right there, until I found myself at a small roadside stand that sold shave ice (no 'd' on the shave). My friend and fellow storyteller Batsy Bybell told me "not to miss it" so I quickly pulled into the parking lot.It is not he same as the snow cones on the mainland. The ice is actually shaved off a big block right in front of you into a fine powder so it's easy to eat. Then it's topped with any one of countless exotic tropical fruit flavors. I chose tropical fruit and mango. The server asked if I wanted a topping and rattled off a number of them. One sounded interesting even though I couldn't pronounce it but when in Rome... Batsy was right, it is delicious! I can't wait to have another.

I continued to drive here and there. One road took me through a tunnel of trees aptly named, The Tree Tunnel. As I passed through I felt encased and serenely safe as the sun streaked through the branches, making a surreal zig zag pattern of light. Later I found out from a local that they were eucalyptus trees. In the early 1900's a cattle rancher was landscaping his home and had 500 trees left over. He donated them to locals who planted them. The swamp mahogany, as the tree is known, formed a beautiful "tree corridor". Although it is still lovely hurricanes have damaged the tops so they no longer completely intertwineas they once did. It is said that in ancient times if you came up a road lined in such a way it meant that the road led to royalty.

As I explored throughout the day I marveled at the beautiful jagged mountains everywhere I turned, some wrapped in soft clouds of white, others crystal clear, softly drapped in gowns of lush green against a breathtaking azur sky. It was grand to people watch as well. Older, weathered face men sold their wares of fresh ahi and shrimp from their makeshift roadside stores or from the back of their trucks, young men speed by on motorcycles with longboards (surfboards) strapped on the the side with bungee cords, and mothers played with their children in the surf. All in all a grand way to spend a day!

Aloha for now. Time to begin "just another day in paradise!"

Aloha!

Life is an adventure! My day began at 4:00 a.m. as I quickly dressed to head into Boston and catch the first leg of my Hawaiian adventure! I made sure I had a window seat for the entire duration so I could enjoy the scenery as I winged my way from one coast to the next. Most of the time we were high above the clouds but once in a while they would part and offer a glimpse of the varying topography that makes our country so unique. Along the way I saw the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, jagged and still snow capped, then just as quickly, as if there were an invisible curtain between them, the mountains turned to a lush, soft moss green.

As we began to descend to land in San Francisco, the land below appeared segmented and multicolored as if an artist had purposely drawn kohl lines then painted each section individually, offering an appealing mélange of rust, orange, green and yellow. I wish I knew what I was looking at but the pilot offered no description.

On the last leg of my journey, from San Francisco to Honolulu my seat mate was a lovely young woman from Denmark, now living in California. She works for the consulate and was transferred to the USA where she would live for the next four years. She was enamored with the beauty of our country and came equipped with a long list of things to see. I suggested she add the Grand Canyon to it but she was way ahead of me. We talked of the different places to visit in the world, so much to see, and she encouraged me to visit Rome, a city that has found a way to marry the ancient with the modern, with wonders waiting around every corner.

As we began our descent to Honolulu I could see Mount Kilauea in the distance sending hot plumes of volcanic steam into the air. Just beyond was another island, sparsely populated, which offered up the remnants of another ancient volcano, its side scooped out, like a colossal quart of soft ice cream. It no longer held red hot lava but was now filled with bright green vegetation.

The layover in Honolulu was a bit over three hours. The gentleman who ferried me over to Honolulu airlines gently and comically admonished all of us on the shuttle not to rush saying, “In Hawaii we hang loose. I checked this morning and the islands are still there!” As an East Coast gal, naturally prone to hurrying, I will remember to repeat this mantra during my stay. The last leg of my journey ended in Kauai, ending my 17 hour journey and depositing me amid the soft, warm breezes of the Pacific.

By the time I slipped beneath the welcoming covers of my bed I had been awake for 24 hours; I slept in my first morning attempting to overcome my jet lag.
When I finally decided to greet the day I rolled back the charming, white washed wooden slats of my patio doors and was greeted by abundant sunshine, lovely, tiny birds flitting about and velvety red orange tropical hibiscus flowers, dotting the landscape. Off in the distance I could hear the gentle rolling of the waves on the beach I would explore later in the day.

Since my trip was very spur of the moment I decided to spend my first afternoon by the pool, reading up on the delightful excursions available on the island. I already have a luau booked for Friday and I know for certain that sometime this week I will take a sightseeing helicopter tour of Kauai, or the Garden Island as it known.

Right now I am sitting in the hotel lounge, waiting for my dinner partners to appear. A wonderful duo of musicians play and sing for all of us, one strumming the guitar, the other lovingly caressing the bongo drums. The tiki torches are filling the early evening air with their flickering glow, the Pacific roars in the distance and the veggie sushi is to die for! Life is good. Wish all of you were here! Aloha!