Friday, November 22, 2013

Sharing the holidays together - simple ideas

Just prior to Thanksgiving (November 21, 2013) I wrote a Library Link that appeared in our local paper (The Colby Free Press).  I write a column each week, but this one I wanted to share with you because you may be a friend from out of the area.  The article was about helping others in our community have easy creative ways to share their memories and joys about the holidays.  Here is what I wrote and appeared on November 21, 2013:
This is our last Library Link until after Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are always a holiday time for sharing.  We at the library have been helping others to create stories with their families or for others lately. This week we hosted Jo Ho the Storyteller. She enthralled the middle school students during the day, and then we had her tell stories to families in the evening.  Many of our attendees were student who dragged their parents to the evening program! Then on Tuesday we had a large number of librarians in from the area to take part in a workshop on storytelling and reading to children or others.  The creative juices just flowed.  On Wednesday, we decorated a table for the Diplomats Luncheon to help inspire ways to incorporate stories during the holidays. 
One such suggestion was to take time and place ribbons on your Christmas tree that had descriptions or questions that each person attending dinner or family time had to answer.  We also suggested placing ornaments in a basket and having others tell their memory from the ornament.
Another way to get the story juices flying and the dramatic individuals in your midst to share is to build a story.  Have someone start a story by telling two or three short sentences, then each person adds to the sentence till you reach the last person who of course gracefully ends it.
Jo Ho the story teller gave us an idea that she calls, “Built Up Story.” You think up a short story that you know. Tell it. Then the 2nd person adds adjectives to the story for emphasis. The third person adds the sounds. The fourth person does the story in silly voices, and the fifth person tells it and adds actions.  I bet that by the end of this, your kids will be rolling on the floor with you laughing because not only were they silly but the adults were too.  You’ll also get to see once again where the brain trust is, the actors are, the shy but impressive thinkers are, and the gentle souls!
We are also encouraging others to think about giving of themselves.  What if you decided to give a gift of a story or tradition to your children or parents. Can you write something down to create a memory as a gift.  It does not take much.  Paper, pen or pencil, computer, you decide.  Can you draw with the story.  Does it have a great or proverbial ending. Like “always wear clean underwear,” or as Sandy & I always say, that was “an adventure.” For Sandy & I, “an adventure is discomfort recollected in tranquility.” And we have had lots of them! How about you. Do you have lessons, adventures, warm remembrances that you can share?
A family can also check out picture books of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or family themes that would be fun to read aloud. For the older kids, is there a chapter book during the Christmas holiday you read after dinner each night? Trade off who reads and enjoy the time.  Some of my most memorable times growing up was when I was read to or our family read a book together. I can still tell you many of the books I was read to as a child. I can tell you where I was, who did the reading, the smells, the day, temperatures, the food we ate, the event.  Your kids may never remember the copious TV programs you watch with them, but they will remember the times of reading.
If you are a digital person and love your tablet or computer and you think you can’t read (which I doubt), you can share others telling stories using the website Storyline supported by the Sage Foundation (http://www.storylineonline.net). This website has famous people sharing their voices while the story is shared on the computer/tablet screen
If you get tired of being indoors, the library with the cooperation of local downtown businesses has put up what we call the StoryWalk®.  The goal of StoryWalk® is to help build children’s interest in reading while encouraging healthy outdoor activity for both adults and children. The walk begins at the Sunflower Bank where flyer's will be available with a map and additional information.  You are also asked to sign the “trail” book if you participate. Following the map, you will find the direction you need to take to read the book, If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff, as you stroll.  If you cover the route 3 times, you will log in nearly ½ mile.  You can return to the bank and write any comments you may have about the project in the “trail” book at the conclusion of your walk.  We have great cooking, crafts and other activities that you can do with your children once you have taken the walk. Simply go to our website, colbylibrary.com and click on the picture book cover of “If You Give A Moose a Muffin.” This will then take you to the link with all the activities (http://www.colbylibrary.com/storywalk.html). 

Our fall hours remain: Monday-Thursday 9:00 am. - 8:00 pm; Friday 9:00 – 5:00 pm.; Saturday 10:00 – 4:00 pm; Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Come get information on your new eBook and digital audio-book service. See you at your library! 

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