My
husband and I spent a recent weekend in the North Carolina Mountains,
at Brevard. We were there for the Brevard
Storytelling Festival and
were a part of the volunteer team. Angela Lloyd and Bobby
Norfolk were the featured tellers. Our three regional tellers were
Alan Hoal, Dorothy Kirk and Donna Marie Todd who represented the NC
Storytelling Guild. NC storyteller Gwenda LedBetter served as
MC. What a grand festival!
Angela, left Bobby, above
The
Transylvania County Library hosted the festival and served as
co-sponsor. For the seventh year, the NC Storytelling Guild teamed
up to co-sponsor with them. It’s a joy for our organization to
work with their Friends of the Library and library staff. 
There
was an eclectic mixture of stories from the five storytellers. I
traveled back into history with comic, Bobby Norfolk and visited
mystical places as Angela Lloyd wove her whimsical
stories.
Donna Marie Todd held me in stitches as I learned ‘how not’ to
prepare food in a concession stand during a high school football
game. I identified with Dorothy Kirk as she told how she discovered
her true voice. Closing out the final session, Alan Hoal carried me
back to my teen movie-going days with his hilarious and sometimes
frightening experience at a triple feature horror movie.
Donna Marie, above Dorothy, above
We
are like family and rarely see one another, other than at
storytelling gatherings. As is the usual custom, Guild members and
storytellers spent the weekend at a local hotel. This was an
opportunity to have a “reunion of sorts,” to visit, have fun,
strengthen our friendships, and to catch up and learn from one
another. 
After
many goodbye’s Sunday morning, my husband and I spent time with two
good friends. We had lunch near the hotel, followed by a leisurely
walk around town on a beautiful sunny day. Colorful leaves twirled
past as we wandered from shop to shop. By late afternoon a cool wind
set our teeth to chattering which sent us in search of hot coffee and
dessert. This tasty treat turned out to be our dinner, filled with
laughter and fellowship. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!
Alan, above Donna Marie, Sylvia and Lona, above
Hope
to see you next year at the Brevard Festival.
