So what did the Sassies, guest Sassy Shannon and their families think of The Timpanogos Midwinter Storytelling Festival? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Michelle: The festival staff were so kind and went out of their way to help us find our tickets. I was impressed with the level of service.
Jared (Michelle’s husband): The waiting area seemed like a sci fi con minus the props and booths. There were a surprising number of people of all ages there.
Jane (aka “Shannon”): My high school didn’t have a fancy auditorium like this!
Sally (Jane’s daughter): This is going to be cool.
Tom (Jane’s husband): I wonder who the other storyteller is.
Stephanie: I was so impressed with the storytellers. I didn’t expect to be so captivated.
Brian (Stephanie’s husband): I was a bit worried that my 2 sons (12 and 14yo) would not enjoy it. By the end of the evening, they seemed to be enjoying themselves even more than I did.
Josh (Stephanie’s son): I thought it was very interesting that the stage wasn’t set up like when you see plays or musicals.
Xander (Stephanie’s son): Should be some good classic stories. I think these people have had a fun past!

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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Michelle: I loved how through their stories they could take you from laughing to heartbreak at the turn of a hat. Their stories were so descriptive that you really felt like you were there with them. It was like they were creating a movie in my mind. I questioned whether I would enjoy the evening, but it was surprisingly fun!
Jared: I liked how their story would move toward the climax from multiple directions. The storyteller would approach the climax from one direction, but instead of just going straight to it, they would back up and move toward it again from another direction. It was like a three-dimensional story.
Jane: I loved everything. You have to be a bit patient with storytelling. It doesn’t start with a bang like most movies or TV. You have to trust the storyteller during the setup and the background, and then the story sneaks up and wallops you. Mary Gay Ducey’s story about her librarian mother and her father who would come get her anytime made me cry. Donald Davis had me rolling, as usual. Loved the story of his neighbor’s flashy new girlfriend, and how young Donald scared her away.
Sally: The guy, Donald Davis. His stories were funny; I laughed the most when he got the rocket car down the driver and it landed on The Smith’s doghouse.
Tom: Donald Davis. He’s a master storyteller. I don’t even know why his stories are that engaging—they just are. From start to finish I’m mesmerized.
Stephanie: The stories. They were so magical. It was amazing how they could take something as simple as a neighbor or a car ride and convey it in such a fascinating manner.
Brian: I like Donald’s stories the best. The way that he was able to paint a picture and lead you on a journey was very entertaining.
Josh: The stories were very funny.
Xander: The story about when the guy was experimenting with his chemicals and made gunpowder!

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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP:

Michelle: The seating was really squished. It was in a high school so you can’t expect much, but poor Jared was literally being leaned on by a rather husky fellow who could not fit in his own seat.
Jared: The seats. They were small and there was a very large man sitting next to me.
Jane: I didn’t want it to end. But somehow, it would be nice if you could lie on the couch while listening.
Sally: Nothing. I didn’t like nothing. {couldn’t have said it better myself}
Tom: Davis’ second story was a bit didactic. Stories should stand by themselves without squeezing a moral out of it.
Stephanie: That it ended. I wanted to hear Donald and MaryGay tell me stories all night.
Brian: I am tall. The seats in the high school auditorium were very small, but nothing they could have done about that.
Josh: The seats and how far it was from my house.
Xander: NOTHING!! It was awesome!

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QUESTION

Would you visit again?

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THE SCOOP:

Michelle: For sure! I would love to go to the summer festival and hear more. I loved how the storytellers took me on an emotionally charged trip through their childhood adventures!
Jared: Yes, I wish there was an email list so I could know the dates of the summer festival.
Jane: Thanks to Cherish Bound, we experienced the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival last summer for the first time, and I am a convert. I love it and will go back every chance I get. When I was asking Sally these questions, she first said “the washboard lady” was her favorite part, and I had to tell her to pick something from the mid-winter concert, not from this past summer. We still find ourselves, even Spot the three-year old, singing songs from the stories this summer.
Sally: Definitely. I loved it!
Tom: Most certainly.
Stephanie: YES! I am already planning on the summer event. Or maybe “anxiously awaiting” might be a better term.
Brian: Yes I would definitely go back again and bring some other people with me too.
Josh: Yes. I think my Mom said she is taking us this summer.
Xander: Yes!

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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP:

Michelle: Want to depart from the ordinary & enter the extraordinary for date night? Let your imagination soar at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival
Jared: Hey, I went and listened to these awesome stories. It was better than I expected. {I’m thinking Jared doesn’t quite get the concept of tweeting just yet.}
Jane: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival should be Utah’s sixth national park. It’s that awesome.
Sally: The stories are amazing and you should really go. The storytelling festival is the best festival I’ve had.
Tom: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is important (and fun) because stories are what give us meaning.
Stephanie: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival transports you into the amazing world of the storytellers.
Brian: I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival was. I’ll be back next year.
Josh: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival has funny and inspirational storytellers. Great for kids 12 and over.
Xander: Go to the Timpanogas Storytelling festival this Summer! It’s GREAT for family trips!
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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival’s Midwinter event.
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassy Shannon. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit her super sweet blog!…

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Shannon (aka “Jane”)

I blog (under the name Jane) at Seagull Fountain, where I recently vowed never to use the words “good” and “bad” in the same sentence as “mother” again. I’m married to Mr. Bennet (not his real name) and have three girls: Sally, Susan & Spot. I think most TV is highly overrated (esp. that Glee show and the new series Buffy the Vampire Slayer which I just discovered on hulu.com) but love House, Castle, Burn Notice, Bones, and The Office. I don’t have time to read. (Just kidding). Kinda. I think it was really awesome of the Sassies to let me tag along. I’m free most weeknights if you guys are ever reviewing, say, Thai Drift or Bombay House, or, you know, Chick-fil-A.

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday. You won’t want to miss our Follow-up Friday post! It’s always entertaining when the Sassies (and guest Sassies) get together!