A Christmas Tradition

Expressions on faces of children as they listen to a story.

Tierney with her new book, A Farm Country Christmas Eve.

If you look at the pictures, you will easily figure out why for eleven consecutive years I've made it a Christmas Tradition to perform my Christmas book for third graders at Big Woods Elementary, St. Michael, MN, and Otsego Elementary, Elk River, MN.  The response is a storyteller's dream.

This year we added Fieldstone Elementary, which is also at St. Michael. On Monday, December 20, we did two shows at Fieldstone in the morning and two shows at Otsego Elementary in the afternoon.
On Tuesday morning we did two shows at Big Woods Elementary School.

The weather may have been nasty, but everyone seemed to have fun. Check the pictures of kids on the following pages.

Lakeville Senior Center, December

Since my stories in my books are based on my experiences of growing up on a farm five miles west of Lakeville, Minnesota, I feel a special kinship to audience members when I am performing at Lakeville Senior Center. My Heritage is their Heritage.
Before Thanksgiving this year we did my story A Farm Country Thanksgiving at the Lakeville Senior Center, and on Friday, December 17, 2010, we did a 45-minute show which included my story A Farm Country Christmas Eve.  Since some students from Kenwood Trail Elementary School were in the audience, Santa stopped by or a visit after the show.

Santa with children.

Santa with Nancy and me.

Santa with Linda Walter and me.

Goldfinch Estates

This was to be our second visit to Goldfinch Retirement in Fairmont, Minnesota, so Nancy and I were especially pleased to be invited. We had performed for the residents in August of 2009 and after the show many of them stopped to chat with us and share stories. They were a fun bunch and we expected more of the same on our second visit, February 18, 2010.
We set up in a larger room this time because Marilyn Oelke, the activities director for the Goldfinch facility, had invited some 5th and 6th graders. I especially like it when the audience is mixed with senior folks and elementary school kids. As soon as the kids arrive Marilyn begins the introduction.

It's always a pleasure to be introduced by Marilyn because she is always full of energy and ready to tell some stories about her experiences growing up on the farm.  Just a little sidebar here: Nancy and I first met Marilyn while I was signing books at Barnes & Noble at Mankato, and she had us laughing in no time with her story about when she tried to help her mom clean eggs to prepare them for sale in town. It seems Marilyn had seen the terrific results her mom got with laundry by adding a Bluing agent to the whites. Always aiming to please her folks, young Marilyn thought she would help her mom out by putting eggs into water and adding the Bluing agent. Marilyn thought it a reasonable analogy that if it worked for laundry, it would work for eggs.
To her horror the eggs turned blue! Of course, the produce in town would only accept blue eggs if they paid a lower price.

As I perform, I love to see the mix of old and young in the audience because I witness first-hand that regardless of the gap in years, people of all ages share interests and laugh at some of the same things.

As I explain how to teach a newborn calf how to drink out of a pail, both the young and old chuckle, though, perhaps, for different reasons.

As usual, after the show we sell some books and listen to some stories as we pack up to leave. Once again we are sad to leave the friendly people who have welcomed us into their home. We hope to return again soon.

Photographs by Nancy A. Fredrickson

Make a Splash!

It's mid-afternoon, June 10,  as Nanc and I head to Frost, Minnesota, eager to meet the volunteers at the Library who invited us to help kick off their summer reading program entitled "Make a Splash!"
I explain to my wife that Charlene Lincoln, the lady who contacted me, has done quite a lot of publicity and has invited kids, parents and seniors to the event at the Viking Community Center.

"They'll be giving door prizes and serving snacks, too!" I mention to Nanc.

We set up early and as people start to shuffle in, I notice that their ages span from kids to teens to people who may even be much older than I am. "I like the age-span," I whisper to Nanc. "Be sure to get lots of pics." She nods in a way that tells me, "Of course, Dummy, this is why I have the camera in my hand."

Ruth Sonnek(white top and big smile), a member of the Faribault County Dairy Association, sits next to Lani Sohn, Faribault County Dairy Princess, in the picture above.  I look forward to chatting more with them after the show. I meet Gina, a budding author with experience in radio, and after she introduces me with a few kind words, I begin my show.

My introduction and Prologue use rhyme and meter to make nostalgic facts fun for all ages, and as I talk about the events on the farm from over 50 years ago, I feel the audience responding in a way that encourages me to add a few details and stories that I had intended to omit.

As I am in about the middle of A Farm Country Christmas Eve, the youngest audience member takes a closer look as I recite the page where Joey teaches a newborn calf how to drink out of a pail.

After the show, Charlene awards door prizes. I am delighted to win a pound of AMPI State Brand butter. Young Torin wins a copy of the book I just performed, A Farm Country Christmas Eve. He immediately asks me to autograph it for him and I gladly comply. I'm feeling pretty good about the fact that he had his choice of all the of the other toys, yet he picked my book. He seems to be a really intelligent and likable  lad.









In no hurry to leave, many folks stop to chat as they snack on the goodies. Frost folks are really friendly.

Children hold their door prizes as people snap pictures  and as I  pose with the young children and teens, who are, of course, the pride of Frost.  I feel privileged. to be part of the event.

We stay over an hour after the show, but since Nanc is busy selling books and talking to customers and I'm answering questions and listening to some fascinating local stories, we take no more pictures.

Before we leave,  we thank all the volunteers, especially Charlene and Ardell and Gina, who worked so hard to make the event a Splash!