VoiceMail Open Mic in Mansfield General Store

VoiceMail is on the move...
 to a new venue, for a quiet listening space with good food and country charm. VoiceMail is an open mic for storytelling ( adult venue)  held the last Monday of each month.  ( find and "Like" VoiceMail on Facebook please, and if you can help spread the word, thanks!)

                                                      Say Hello to our new home!!

You can tell  this is a well known landmark in Mansfield Center. It has been  a store serving the community for a very long time. What makes this such a special place?

 It is inviting; drawing in a wide variety of travellers off the main road through town and the Uconn campus. There are always a few cars out front!

It's the kind of place that makes you want to pull up a chair and relax a bit!

It is the place to see little girls in pigtails sitting on the front steps licking ice cream cones on a summer day.

It is the place to have your picnic ready by 12 so you can listen to the carillon play in the steeple of First Church of Christ across the street.

VoiceMail open mic for storytelling packed up and moved to the Mansfield General Store. ( find them on FaceBook) Our opening night there will be Jan. 30, 2012 at 7 p.m. The feature teller will be local favorite Gail Zeiba. There will be 5-6 open mic slots for other storytellers to take a turn sharing a tale. The soup will be on, the pastries sweet and the stories memorable. There are antiques, penny candy, cold local made soda and fresh Mountain Dairy milk products.

                                                                        
As before the donations collected during VoiceMail are split with half going to support the good works of the Connecticut Storytelling Center and the other half going to  the feature teller. Won't you come out and support us at our new venue.  Kelly and Lisa who run the store are opening special just for us! Please support their time and effort and  come for the soup bar and desserts. If this is the year of the buy local movement this is the place to see that in action!
                                                                     

other blogs of similar content:
www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/07mansfield-general-store-whats-story.html

www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/07/signs-im-not-in-downtown-mansfield.html

Happy New Year! Top 10 Favorites of 2011

My blog that was most read  was about the fun game Rory's Story Cubes!

www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/09/education-in-cubes-not-just-childs-play.html

Favorite Photo of 2011:

because I was riding in the Hot Air balloon when I took this! At Fort Hill Farms  www.forthillfarms.com

Thompson, CT.

Favorite Video of the year that I made:

Blue Hill's Jassper using the 1800's treadmill to demonstrate corn chopping! I adore Jassper! Thanks John and Mellissa Lavoie of Sew on and Sew  & Blue Hill Donkeys Franklin CT. for bringing Jassper out! ( find them on Facebook)

                       Big Day in 2011

My Son Tim graduated High School  Congratulations! 

Sweetest Moment 2011

At my Grandsons Baptism

Most Beautiful Venue for my storytelling:

I was there Dec. 23  with my epic tale Christmas Spirits www.oceanhouseri.com

Most beautiful venue for my announcing:

                     
Tunbridge, VT. The Lippitt Show  www.lippittclub.net  Preserving the old style foundation Morgan Horse

Big Projects 2011 there is a tie between  VoiceMail  an open mic for Storytelling ( we're on Facebook)

and Campus Slammer a project I worked on for  Connecticut Storytelling Center www.connstorycenter.org

                            Making this clip was lots of fun too! Thanks to friend Kelly!

Most Excitement Announcing

                                 Cowboy Mounted Shooting - The Northeast Regionals in NH
                             the host clubs:    www.ctrenegades.com   www.masixshooters.com   

You Write Story Needs an Ending

So it appears that no one wants to commit to finish the spooky story, are you so scared of the flea eater or the talking gargoyle door knocker? Maybe you ate to much candy and needed a day off from things.
I told what we have last night at VoiceMail but as I had a lot on my mind left out one of the best parts so rather than air the err, I am asking for some input to finish the  spooky tale so we can do it up right and then I will tape it with some practice.

As a suggestion you can use the photos in this blog as ideas for the storyline. You can read the whole thing in the post from Oct 29  ( blogger having an issue with the link sorry, just go to October listings in the right sidebar and click on October it is the post on 10/29)


This is such a fun project and I never could have predicted the  way the story has grown. Hope you have some more fun with  it.                                  

Local Haunts and Creepy Costumes

It is almost here the creepiest day of the year.  After the costumed kiddies retreat to bed with  bellies full of candy. After the teens on the prowl have settled to tell of all the bravado they showed that night. Late when only the brave dare visit the streets then do the spirits of past Halloween's cruise the streets of town and the hallways of some of our scare inducing landmarks! Welcome to Halloween 2011, where will you hide?

                                        The Ghostly Tavern and Fiddlers, Coventry (CT) Historical Society
                                                   Haunted Tours Open again Friday Oct 29

                                                                                 
If you make it out of the woods stop by the fireside for Storytelling with Carolyn Stearns Storyteller. www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com  I grew up in Coventry and live nearby, I know what haunts the forest there, do you?

                                            Not Scared Yet? Want More Fun?
Halloween Night the Willimantic Brewing Company is  host  to VoiceMail a special edition of the monthly storytelling open mic. This month, on Halloween night at 7 p.m. Spooky Stories all open mic!  www.willibrew.com  Come early for dinner stay for the stories. 967 Main St. Willimantic, CT. Your host for the evening Carolyn Stearns Storyteller.

                                                            Carolyn Stearns Storyteller

 Don't think you are safe when the calendar changes to November for there are places that will always be thought of as haunted. Here are a few  if you dare look farther down the page!

                  Does the spirit of Nathan Hale still wander the family homestead in search of his hunting buddy and best friend Asa? Will the patriot who was hung by the British as a spy find peace in the forest that is his namesake?    Come to Coventry Connecticut to find out more.  Parking for the Historical Society Haunted Lantern Tours is here.

                                                                                                                                   
       Eastern Connecticut's Rail Trail through several remote areas and forests ( no rails and ties there it is a hiking trail) is home to a haunting by the Ghost Train. Listen for its whistle!

                                                                            
  Yes indeed this state forest is inhabited by a ghost of Mary E. Ask me about her visits when you come to  VoiceMail at WilliBrew on Halloween!

                                                                 
                          This is the second time I have captured a photo of her orb in the forest there!

Lastly a event coming up this winter inspired a day of video at the Old Tolland Jail Museum on Tolland (CT) Green. What fun creating these videos to promote out winter Campus Slammer.

                                                                            and another view

                                                                               
                               Wishing you all a Happy Halloween filled with fun and great stories!
for a previous blog on VoiceMail see: www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/07/willimantic-brewing-company-and.html

Willimantic Brewing Company and VoiceMail

Welcome to the Willimantic Brewing Company, Housed in Willimantic CT. 's former Post Office  building. www.willibrew.com

                                                                             
Do you want a tempting appetizer?

A full dinner?  Want to try the in house brew?

Would you like a story with your dinner?    Let Me Recommend; 

                                          VOICEMAIL!
You can catch VoiceMail once a month at Willi Brew. A  special night for the open mic for storytelling. Each time we will have a featured teller  and several slots in the open mic time. Come at 6 p.m. for dinner,( I suggest a call ahead for reservations  860-423-6777 tell them for VoiceMail). At 7 the stories begin with the feature taking the mic at 7:30. We will collect a donation by "pass the hat" the proceeds of which will be split 50/50 between the nights feature teller and the CT. Storytelling Center www.connstorycenter.org

                              The first date is AUGUST 29, 2011 
  Our feature teller will be Carol Birch     www.carolbirchstoryteller.com

                      Check out her website to see her connection to Lou Gehrig!         

Come back Sept. 26, and again on  Oct 31,  for spooky stories               
Did you See Willimantic Brewing Co.  during the July 4th  Boom Box Parade?

                                                                 

If you plan to be sampling the award winning brews we ask you to bring a designated driver!

Boom Box Parade

            What does a town do when they can't get a band to march in their parade?

        Resort to good old fashioned Yankee Ingenuity! Kathy Clark did that 26 years ago in coming up with an outrageously simple solution. Everyone carry a boom box radio and the get the main St. radio station WILI  www.wili.com to play parade march music. That is the way it has been ever since.  It is a very eclectic bring whatever, all are welcome parade ever since and it draws thousands of viewers to a Main St decked out in 4th of July finery and a willing host to  the essential American experience.

            Ten deep at the sidewalks that fall back on open space the families of the region and beyond set up their space early in the morning to await the announcement it is about to begin. The parade has attracted National press coverage and unique local coverage as well. 2011 saw 4 newspapers print stories and pictures and three televison crews were on hand to film. It was a perfect July 4 with warm but comfortable sunny skies and a slight breeze, the crowds came out in droves. They were awaiting the annual appearance of regulars like the Fishheads and the Haggerosa Fire Co a family with an antique fire apparatus and more. They line up to cheer for little league players and Karate schools, kids on bikes and social programs. There a plenty of classic and antique autos including Mountain Dairy, our family farm. www.mountaindairy.com

.

This year a new entry was the Connecticut Storytelling Center.  www.connstorycenter.org  I have been planning increased visibility for storytelling in my hometown and vicinity.  In adding a parade entry I knew 10,000 people would see the name and get a quick intro. I have been on the local radio a couple times, this is good follow up. This past winter both neighboring colleges, Uconn and Eastern CT. State University participated in Campus Slammer story slams. We are growing our own following person by person.

                                                                           
The video introduces my next  local piece. "VoiceMail" a open mic for storytelling held once a month will be hosted by this well known Main Street pub The Willimantic Brewing Company. You will see the camera pan the location in the old Post Office building.  With several awards for their specialty brews and delicious food  we are sure to have a good crowd for dinner and  stories in the Postmasters office will follow.  www.willibrew.com  Soon I'll be announcing the dates and getting all the social media publicity going and the local papers and of course radio. In the mean time we sure had fun with the Willimantic, CT. Boom Box Parade.  P.S. the parade puppy is a Wheaten Terrier named Lily, everyone loves a parade!