Hosted by Anne Forester - celebrating Harvest Thanksgiving, Women's History and Halloween themes, the evening's stories encompassed the unexpected, the thoroughly spooky, and a variety of unusual love affairs.
Jennifer led off with a tale of a spunky young woman with a kind heart in B.C.'s boisterous gold rush days, one Joanna McGuire, followed by
Janna's version of Hans Andersen's "The Princess and the Pea". A tale that gave our audience the opportunity to hold in their hands a dried pea that was at least in part responsible for the continuity and popularity of the Danish Monarchy to the present day !
Faye's gruesome story from the Scolt people of northern Finland told of the "The Death of a Mother-in-Law" and sent shivers down our collective spines!
Lee told Anna Wahlenberg's tale "The Magician's Cape" in which a wicked magician is thwarted by a single strand of golden hair, which was used to mend his magic black cape and glowed so brightly when he did evil that he had to change his ways."
Nejama's horror story :Kahola de Darne" came from Southern Africa. In her words: "It has something lost and something found, as well as fear, kindness and courage. There is a hideous creature and a monster, mystery and natural consequence."
Another scary one, Sandra's choice was: "Marie Jolie" a Louisiana Cajun tale from J.J.Reneaux told of Elvida, a determined young woman who would decide for herself just whom she would marry but became disenchanted when her choice turned out to be the devil !!
Al titled his story:"Faithful unto death" and took us to the naval base at Cornwallis, Nova Scotia where, in the 1880's, a husband so busy trying to please his wife by building her the perfect home lost his wife to the coachman!!
Sheila recalled childhood Halloweens in Scotland when simple fun like apple bobbing and scones hung from the ceiling were part of the traditional celebration and with the tale of a disfigured nun who is still said to haunt a former priory that later became a school.
Shoshana's "short poem story" introduced the writer to the poet David Whyte whose work it is my intent to read more of. Thanks, Shoshana, and thanks too to Anne who led us in a thanksgiving chant to end the evening.
Submitted by Janna
