Hickory, Dickery, Docket

'Hickery, Dickery, Docket,
The mouse ran up the rocket,
He climbed through a hole
As the rocket took off
And hid in the austronaut's pocket.'

There I did it. I've been meaning to use 'Hickory, Dickory, Dock' as the start of a story for ages and never quite managed it. This week Wilston-Grange Kindergarten had indicated that their children were interested in, among other things, space and rockets and planets. It was clear they were to. There was a neat solar system mobile hanging from their ceiling.

I had fun creating a new story about a mouse that went to the Space Station and helped install a space telescope and I've added another nursery rhyme story to my repertoire.

Oral Histories & a neat animation

I've been hearing lots of oral history stories over the last week as I record and edit stories from environmental and conservation activists in Queensland. Environmental successes, struggles, strange and unexpected happenings but most especially just hearing about deep caring. It's a very neat project that is going to culminate in the Qld Conservation Council 40th Birthday Celebrations in July.

Here's a really nice story like music video animation that FaceBook friend Bronwyn Davies pointed me to on YouTube.

Oh, yes, if you're coming to GreenFest in the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens on this weekend, 6th and 7th June, came and say hullo, I'll be in the BCC WaterSmart display with cartoonist Brian Doyle.

The Sorcerers Apprentice on 10" 78RPM

Hey, Baby Boomer storytellers, want some childhood nostalgia? Go to http://www.kiddierecords.com and there you will find downloadable copies of those records parents used to buy their kids. I've noticed quite a few I recognise so I must have scored with Christmas or birthday presents a number of times.

'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' was published and sold as a 10" 78RPM album with Milton Cross as the narrator. I remember loving and hating it as a kid in front of the beautiful old radiogram. It could be a bit scary if you were listening on your own in the half dark.

Paul Gallico's 'Snow Goose' was another I recognise. The sound quality is very familiar although I'm sure ours got progressively scratchier with time.

Could make a quite interesting retro-audio resource for teaching etc.

Under 8's Week Storytelling & the red peg

Under 8's Week is not as big as it used to be but I am busy telling stories however. Had some wonderful sessions this week. One of my centres warned me that the audience would be mainly boys and they were. We had heaps of fun. It was fascinating watching them struggle with male conditioning to be 'boofy' and at the same time letting themselves enjoy story and fantasy and fun.

One of the stories I regularly tell is 'Grandpa Chris' about 3 grandpas and their mateship on the one hand and their volunteering for community on the other. The boys loved it when Grandpas Chris (who catches fish to give to all his friends) goes zooming along in his tinnie. I could see them wanting to resist singing the different grandpas songs but joining in just the same. The story and the fun kept them there.

After the story session while I was packing up, one of the boys came back in and said, 'I found this in the garden. You can take it home if you like.' I said, 'Oh thank you. I'll put it in my treasure chest.'

It was a small piece of broken red plastic clothes peg.

He went out with a big smile on his face.

Tomato Stories

Brisbane Ideas Festival

Just loved the animation on the Brisbane Ideas Festival. It's flash so it not be viewable for everyone. Anyone want to do a storytelling one with me?

Harbin to South Brisbane

Sat in one of our neighbours loungeroom today and shot an interview. What a life story unfolded as 91 year old Nadia told us her life story of growing up in the Russian enclave Chinese city of Harbin, surviving floods and wars, epidemics and poverty and eventually emigrating to Australia. I'm really looking forward to recording more of her stories and putting them together as oral history recordings and digital stories.

Curlews and neighbours

Karen and I went for a walk this afternoon to see if we could spot a curlew or two. Not that I was very confident, we hadn't heard their spooky night calls for a few weeks at least.

We had a look at the excavation site. It looked like any big hole in the ground and then walked around into Graham Street to see what had happened to the houses there. We'd been told they were being resumed.

Well Karen knocked on the door of one - she's good at that - and this time there was someone home - a really interesting someone with lots of stories to tell. Well I hope so anyway, Nadia is 91 years old and has lived there in Graham Street for many years.

She has many stories to tell - from China, from her Russian community, of being involved in the local 'Gabba community and of not wanting to leave her house.

With a bit of luck we'll be able to record some of her stories for her and maybe create a digital story or two.

Oh yes, she's upset about not hearing the Bush Curlews for sometime either.

Stories at Parties

Really enjoyed one of those end of year catch up parties yesterday at Getano and Rae's house. It had everything you could ask for really - old friends, new acquaintances, barbque, bocce in the backyard, music, singing and drumming. A good time was had by all, well, almost.

There was a three and a half year old boy there, the only boy and the only one of his age. You could tell that being with adults really wasn't as good as it could be.

I was impressed by the way he joined in with various percussion instruments as we jammed and sang but he really came alive when Getano suggested I tell a story. I told my 'Little Blue Train and the Ghost Story' and the transformation in Rohan was immediate and joyful. Now the shakers could be used for train noises - yes! Now he join in with the story and the smile on his face was so infectious.

Whereas previously I had been a friendly stranger, now I was the provider of a story just for him.

It was a good reminder of how important it is to be really inclusive. So thank you Getano and Rae for the party and thank you Rohan for the reminder.