Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Want To Hear A Halloween Tale?
Several weeks ago, Polly, the boys, and I gathered with some friends for a good, old fashioned family time. As everyone arrived, the adults talked while the children, excited to see each other in a setting other than school, ran back and forth from the living room to the playroom to Austin and Adam’s bedroom. Before too long, we all settled down in the living room on the couch or the rug. From the kitchen, we brought in several more chairs until we were all seated.
We wanted to read to the kids.
What would it be like to spend an evening the way families did long before television or video games or even radio. Years ago, groups of people would get together and read aloud for entertainment.
Could this be done today? Was it possible to slow today’s child down enough to experience an evening without a television or a telephone? Would they even listen? We wanted to find out.
I was the designated “reader” and chose a couple of stories from my newest book, Return To Sawyerton Springs. Amazingly, those two stories turned into three, then four, then five—until the moms overruled the cry for more and called bedtime. Saying goodnight, we began to realize that the group ranged in ages over far broader a spectrum than one might expect to see anywhere else doing the same thing together. From seven to well over seventy, we were children, parents, and grandparents—and we had a blast!
Since Halloween is right around the corner, I thought you might want to listen in. So join us in our living room. I am sitting in the blue chair that Polly usually reserves for company, my back is to the fireplace, and I believe we begin on page 81. Are you comfortable? Okay, here we go. “Whoooooo stole my golden arm….?”
22 Comments
1. Maureen Stroup:
October 28, 2009 @ 12:14 PM
"Thanks for the great Halloween Story !"
2. Marianne Miller:
October 28, 2009 @ 12:29 PM
"Always a pleasure! Thanks Andy."
3. Dorothy Lilly:
October 28, 2009 @ 12:34 PM
"Thanks for spreading the news about family time together and sharing of stories. This seems to be a thing of the past with busy lives but also the menace of the TV.
Why not initiate in all our families the concept of weekly Family Home Evening? It is time with out external interferences including TV to talk, laugh, read, teach correct family principles, play games together and pray together as families.
These are the things that children will remember as they grow and start families of their own.
God bless you for spreading good christian principles and good wholesome fun into the family!!!"
4. Ron Courtney:
October 28, 2009 @ 2:16 PM
"Andy,
I enjoyed the Halloween store. My family and I have spent many hours in front of our fireplace laughing and crying as we read about Bubba and all the rest of the wonderful characters who live in that special
place called Sawyerton Springs.
My wife Jody and I were in Dallas on the 10th of Oct. If you ask any of our friends who were there what the highlight of the week end was. It was your message. Thank You for
saying Yes to Bo's invatation!"
5. Larry Kramer:
October 28, 2009 @ 2:41 PM
"Egggggcellent!!"
6. Donna Belk:
October 28, 2009 @ 3:05 PM
"What a great story -- and a great idea! Being read a story is a treat. I remember "story time" throughout elementary school -- it was always a favorite! I'll bet adults(and kids too) don't even realize how much they miss hearing a great story told well. Thanks for re-introducing a wonderful tradition."
7. Bonnie Bartel Latino:
October 28, 2009 @ 4:07 PM
"Andy,
I continue to be amazed at the generosity of a NYT Best Selling author to take time to read to his kids and to those of his neighbors...Loved the story, LOVE Sawyerton Springs, and don't tell Polly or Tom, but I love me some Andy Andrews ;-)
I'm blessed to have you in my life.
Bonnie Bartel Latino"
8. Barbara Barrett:
October 28, 2009 @ 4:15 PM
"Hearing Andy ready his own story was better than the time I read it to myself. Andy, keep on writing and reading for us. You are the BEST!!!
Happy Halloween!"
9. Peni Yeoman:
October 28, 2009 @ 6:17 PM
"I have to agree with the others who have already told you they love listening to you read your own stories. You bring them to life and it is such a joy to hear. The baseball story is my favorite....but that's not my fart!!!"
10. Tony Stokley:
October 28, 2009 @ 7:30 PM
"AWESOME story, Andy! Thanks for sharing!"
11. Sharon Thiel:
October 29, 2009 @ 12:19 AM
"What a great story, Andy! I can see why the kids of ALL ages were sitting on the edge of their seats instead of getting edgy :-) Thanks for reminding those of us fortunate enough to have lived when such evenings were pretty normative that we CAN make a difference by showing a new generation the value of "live" interactive entertainment:-) God bless you!"
12. Ed Faddoul:
October 29, 2009 @ 4:47 AM
"It is well past midnight, Andy, a perfect time to enjoy your voice coming into my bedroom. You are, indeed, a superb story-teller. Your boys and the neighbors will have life-long memories of the tales you tell. How fortunate for them - and us!
My mind was drawn back more than 50 years to a time when I made up horror stories and told them to my brother and the friends of our neighborhood. That was, as you say, a time when family time was every meal, eaten in the company of a radio playing soap operas at lunch and drama productions at suppertime. Those became the inspiration for the tales I spun.
God bless you and your family. May you have many happy years togethe.
Ed Faddoul"
13. Matt:
October 29, 2009 @ 11:23 AM
"That was a great story, thanks for sharing that with us!
Matt Lee"
14. Bill Olsen:
October 30, 2009 @ 12:28 PM
"Thanks, Andy...It's great to know your family, too, enjoys a great read. When my daughter gave me Sawyertown Springs last summer, I could hardly put it down. So I started over. What a treasure! We have a tradition of reading "Injun Summer", originally published in the Chicago Tribune, up on the roof each Autumn. The communication of reading is such a blessing! God bless you & your family, Bill"
15. Nancy Smithmyer:
October 30, 2009 @ 12:44 PM
"I'm a retired children's librarian and began a program to go to the two elementary schools and two day care centers in out school district and just read stories to the kids. It was just as much fun for me as it was for my kids. Just last week, while at the high school football game, a group of students came up and said, "You're the lady who used to read to us...we miss you." I miss them, too but the point is everyone loves having a story read to them!!"
16. Penny Dearman:
October 30, 2009 @ 2:07 PM
"I let my 8th grade students listen to this story as a "Halloween Treat" on Friday afternoon. They loved it! Thanks for sharing it with us!"
17. Jean R. Skipper:
October 31, 2009 @ 3:44 PM
"What fun! Thank you for sharing, and Happy Halloween!"
18. Dee:
October 31, 2009 @ 4:58 PM
"Great story. I turned up the volume and let my 29 year old daughter listen...had to try to convince her to quit laughing so she could listen to some of the best parts of the story. This a great way to spend Halloween."
19. Danny:
November 1, 2009 @ 10:30 PM
"Wonderful! As a teacher, Andy, I know the value of reading to children. My Jr. High students love it when I read to them, just as I did last year with "The Traveler's Gift." Enjoyed the Halloween treat!"
20. TONI SCHUMACHER:
November 3, 2009 @ 8:45 AM
"AS ALWAYS ANDY YOU MAKE ME LAUGH & LIFT MY SPIRITS. MY AUNT WILLA & GRANDMOTHER USE TO DO THE SAME THINGS TO US WHEN WE WERE LITTLE. ALWAYS TRYING TO SCARE US & TEACH US A LESSON AT THE SAME TIME. CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE 2 BOOKS OF YOURS I HAVE THAT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN READ YET & GET THIS ONE- SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER LAUGH OUT LOUD FUN BOOK. THANKS"
21. Christine:
November 5, 2009 @ 11:31 AM
"Andy, I love the fact that every generation was able to be in the same room, engaged in the same activity and none it involved electronic equipment. Beautiful message and wonderful story.
Christine
www.YourVoiceInc.com"
22. David Singhiser:
November 9, 2009 @ 9:05 AM
"Loved hearing the children laugh. Maybe if more teachers read stories read like you, they would be able to read to their classes.
I recently posted a quote by Jerry Seinfeld: "There's no such thing as 'Fun for the whole family."
I'm glad you proved him wrong."