It Never Trains But It Pours at WTF!

Hi all,

 

Well... there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that our next WTF! night on June 28th will feature the delightfully charming Pixie Currie and Kate Dunlay guest hosting their chosen theme of TRAIN songs and stories. Yayayay!!!! The bad news is that this will be the last WTF! night until September.  Awwwwwww!

 

So... for those of you who have been so generous with your praise for my weird little stories and have been begging for more... here is another... my gift to tide you over until we meet again. Names have not been changed to protect the innocent :)

 

                           IT NEVER TRAINS BUT IT POORS

 

Kate wiped her fevered brow and breathed a sigh of relief. Classes were finally over, marks had been handed out and she was free, free, free of all that academic bullspit for the summer. "I think I'll SHUFFLE OFF TO BUFFALO or maybe THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. The CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO sounds like a plan too. I LIKE TRAINS. It really doesn't matter where I go. All I know is that I'M MOVIN' ON. CHOO CHOO CH' BOOGIE!!!"

 

As Kate was pondering her vacation, Pixie was reporting for work. She'd been on mandatory hiatus for a while after the WRECK OF THE OLD 97. "I don't know why I had to take the heat for that one", she grumbled. "I'VE BEEN WORKIN' ON THE RAILROAD since JOHN HENRY was a tadpole. I'd like to have seen him keep the beast on the track while tryin' to avoid BILL GROGAN'S GOAT. And I was only ONE TOKE OVER THE LINE too!!"

 

Kate, totally oblivious to the potential hazards of riding the rails, headed for the station. Unfortunately... in her haste to escape SMU, she forgot her purse. "Yikes! How will I get aTICKET TO RIDE now? "

 

So there she stood... forlornly... WAITING FOR A TRAIN as the conductor yelled GET ON BOARD, LITTLE CHILDREN. THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY. It's THE LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE today. Next one by will be THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL."

 

Kate wasn't planning to wait around all day for the MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA or worse... all night for a MORNINGTOWN RIDE. Yet... without her purse, she was penniless. "Ah ha!" she exclaimed in a lightbulb moment, " I'll hop that FREIGHT TRAIN belching over there."

 

And so she did.

 

Little did she know though that the ever reliable CASEY JONES had been replaced for this run by the newly re-instated Pixie who was none too pleased with the demotion. "Geez! I know I said I would TAKE THE "A" TRAIN but I didn't mean the A-hole train! What are ME AND BOBBY MCGEE gonna do now? There's gonna be one mean MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW in PETTICOAT JUNCTION tonight."

 

Yes... Pixie was pissed! She'd planned to be ROLLIN' IN her SWEET BABY'S ARMS in a few hours and now it looked like it could be days. Just then she got the ALL ABOARD sign from the stationmaster. "PEOPLE GET READY!" she snarled as the train pulled out onto THE ATCHESON, TOPEKA AND THE SANTA FE line. "This ain't no PEACE TRAIN!"

 

Kate, blissfully unaware of the potential for impending disaster, opened up her fiddle case and smiled. "Well at least I didn't forget the most important thing. If worse comes to worst, I can always play a tune or sing for my supper. Just HEAR THAT LONESOME WHISTLE BLOW. Music to my ears. Reminds me of that melancholy set of slow airs I heard in Mabou last summer. I think I'll play them here and now to pass the time away."

 

And so she did.

 

But... the walls were thin so the fiddle sound carried and in the car ahead... Pixie was not amused. "Don't tell me we've got STRANGERS ON THE TRAIN again. Probably ONLY A HOBO but that ain't no HOBO'S LULLABYE. I'm not goin' one more mile listenin' to that infernal racket let alone 500 MILES!"

 

Kate was so well ensconced into her SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY that she didn't hear Pixie furiously shrieking GO TO SLEEP YOU WEARY HOBO. But she was soon roused out of her reverie by the sudden screeching of metal on metal as Pixie slammed on the brakes. In a matter of seconds, the boxcar door flew open and Pixie stormed in.

 

With eyes flashing and tongue lashing, Pixie, the TULSA QUEEN, exploded. "That were no ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL, my dear. Where I comes from, they hang folks for less crimes than that! I haven't heard the likes since THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN to the scrapyard. Even a cat being run over by a WAGON WHEEL would be more musical! And with that... Pixie tossed Kate unceremoniously off the train.

 

"But... but... we're in the middle of nowhere. And it's dark. You can't just leave me here."

 

"I can and I will," sneered Pixie. " But just so's you know... I'm not completely heartless. See them lights over  there? That there's the Big Apple. They got lots of folks like you livin' in the underground and makin' what they call (Pixie makes a most unbecoming face) music. I suggest you skeedaddle over there with your own kind."

 

And with that... Pixie stomped off, mounted the engine and in a belching cloud of soot chugged away laughing uproariously while singing TOOT TOOT TOOTSIE GOO' BYE in (almost) perfect time to the horn blasts. "DON'T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY darlin'. You never know what might come a-creepycrawlin' late at night." Pixie's mood had brightened considerably.

 

The last thing Kate heard as the old train thundered into the distance was Pixie in full throttle... belting out KING OF THE ROAD at the top of her lungs. Kate, in a moment of absolutely unbiased academic reflection declared "Sheesh! And she said my music was nasty :)"

 

                                                 THE END

                                 (in more ways than one I fear :)

 

 

Happy summer guys & dolls and remember... if you choose to stay away from trains you'll never get the BOXCAR BLUES. Too late for Pixie and Kate I'm afraid. By now ... they're likely wishing they'd chosen a theme with a little less... ammunition :)

 

Xo Margo

 

 

WTF! is an artistic outreach program of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society. We meet every second and fourth Friday of the month at CHEBUCTO COFFEE, 6430 Chebucto Road, corner of Chebucto & Kline in Halifax where Mike's extraordinary culinary fare is approaching legendary status. Come early for a bite and stay for the entertainment
which starts around 6:30 and goes until 9:00ish. As always... admission is by free-will donation towards the Society's work.

 

Usual (or unusual) WTF Hosts: Cindy Campbell Stone and Margo Carruthers

  

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Storytellers Circle of Halifax June Gathering - Thursday June 13, 2013

Dr. Seuss says  "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

 

Maybe you'll get there.  Maybe you won't.

Maybe you'll end up “Somewhere Else”

Either way, there are bound to be stories - 

followed by an Open Mic

 

Thursday June 13,   2013

 

Stories  start @ 7:00 pm 

Come early for soup!   

Stay for Stories in a relaxed setting

6340 Chebucto Road , Corner Chebucto and Kline

More info : Elinor Benjamin 469-8572

 

WTF: It's War!

The War of 1812 was a difficult test for the United States, still wobbly on the world stage nearly two decades after formal independence. That Americans received a passing grade was due in no small part to the exceptional performance of the U.S. Navy which humiliated the legendary British Navy time and time again.

 

That is... until June 1813, off Cape Ann, north of Massachusetts Bay, when a brief but bloody encounter occured between His Britannic Majesty's frigate SHANNON, commanded by Captain Philip Broke, the best captain in the British North American Squadron, and handsome Captain James Lawrence in command of the United States frigate CHESAPEAKE.

 

2012 marked the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 yet the war's legacy for Nova Scotia began in 1813 with the capture of the USS Chesapeake by the HMS Shannon and culminating in the jaw dropping triumphant arrival of the Shannon in Halifax Harbour with the prized Chesapeake in tow.

 

Next Friday, June 14th... throughout the evening... guest hosts Jon Stone and Jay Perry will share stories and songs, both poignant and humourous, from their research into this pivitol event.

 

The overall theme for the evening will be WAR so bring your own relevant songs and stories to share. I have it on good authority that the Americans within our midst... GASP!... yes... some indeed have managed to evade the clutches of the Canada Border Services Agency... your tax dollars not at work yet again... and they plan to remount the War of 1812 next Friday and rewrite history with their own versions of the  the battle between the Shannon and the Chesapeake. We'll see about that! Yankee Doodle Dandy indeed :)

 

Xo Margo

 

WTF! is an artistic outreach program of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society. We meet every second and fourth Friday of the month at CHEBUCTO COFFEE, 6430 Chebucto Road, corner of Chebucto & Kline in Halifax where Mike's extraordinary culinary fare is approaching legendary status. Come early for a bite and stay for the entertainment which starts around 6:30 and goes until 9:00ish. As always... admission is by free-will donation towards the Society's work.

 

WTF! Springs into action!

Hi gang,

Finally... and not a moment too soon... SPRING arrives on Tuesday
so... on Friday, March 22nd, WTF! will welcome spring in all it's many
incarnations. Bring whatever song, tune or tale that springs to mind.
Spring it on us! We love surprises!!

                    *********************************************

                    According to the OED...
          the word SPRING has many variations.
                            Among them...

1. the place of rising or issuing from the ground; the source or head
of a well, stream or river; the supply of water forming such a source.

2. the action or time of rising or springing into being or existence;
the appearing or coming on, the first sign, of day, morning, etc; the
dawn. Also, the beginning of a season.

3. a young growth on a tree, plant or root; a shoot, sprout or sucker;
a small branch, sprig or twig; the rudimentary shoot of a seed.

4. rise, beginning or birth (of something)

5. an elastic contrivance or mechanical device, usually consisting of
a strip or plate of steel (or a number of these) suitably shaped or
adjusted, which when compressed, bent, coiled or otherwise forced out
of its normal shape, possesses the property of returning to it.

6. some kind of dance; a tune upon the bagpipes or other musical
instrument; especially a quick and lively tune; a dance tune.

7. a snare or noose.

8. to change place or position by sudden and rapid movement without
contact; to move with a sudden jerk or bound; to dart or fly.

                    *********************************************

So... as you can see there are many ways to look at SPRING. It's not
all mud and slush and thawing doggy doo although... it would be wise
to put a spring in your step as you bound over what's springing up
under your feet. But should you make contact, you can always clean up
at the spring and put your feet up on your bed springs to dry.

Xo Margo


WTF! is an artistic outreach program of the Helen Creighton Folklore
Society. We meet every second and fourth Friday of the month at
CHEBUCTO COFFEE, 6430 Chebucto Road, corner of Chebucto & Kline in
Halifax where Mike's extraordinary culinary fare is approaching
legendary status. Come early for a bite and stay for the entertainment
which starts around 6:30 and goes until 9:00ish. As always...
admission is by free-will donation towards the Society's work.

Tales of Fortune and Fate for World Storytelling Day

Tales of Fortune and Fate

Round and Round and Round it goes! Where will fortune’s wheel take you? Will fate decide?

Celebrate World Storytelling Day 2013! with the Storytellers of Halifax.

Come for soup. Stay for stories.

Friday, March 15, 7pm – 9pm.

Chebucto Coffee, 6430 Chebucto Rd, Halifax

For further information, contact Elinor Benjami: elinorbenjamin@gmail.com

WFT: K(n)ight of the Living Trad, with Sir Bill Plaskett

Next Friday, March 8th... WTF! goes Trad!

Bring songs, tunes and stories either from traditional sources or inspired by the traditional. This will be a night to surpass all nights as our gregarious guest host Mr. Bill Plaskett is a Knight to surpass all Knights. Please see the photo of the illustrious Sir Gadabout Galahat if you have the slightest doubt.

"Let the projectiles come!" commands Sir Knight, "Tally Ho and WTF! Verily I am prepared." Although his fashion sense is without peer, he will not require this suit of armour regardless of the rumours as we will be strictly enforcing our new ban regarding the throwing of projectiles at guest hosts.
So... dust off your melancholy lute... saddle up your milk white steed... and come to where the lusty Lords and Ladies love to meet. You dare not miss "The (K)night of the Living Trad" with Bill Plaskett as the Knight in question or perhaps... the questionable knight??? Come to think of it... the whole night might be in question but it sure will be fun!

WTF! is an artistic outreach program of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society. We meet every second and fourth Friday of the month at CHEBUCTO COFFEE, 6430 Chebucto Road, corner of Chebucto & Kline in Halifax where Mike's extraordinary culinary fare is approaching legendary status. Come early for a bite and stay for the entertainment which starts around 6:30 and goes until 9:00ish. As always...admission is by free-will donation towards the Society's work.

Written by Margo, Posted by Cindy (your usual or normal...err, almost normal... WTF co-hosts)

Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story by Beau Dixon

Hi gang, Next week's WTF! will be somewhat of a departure from our usual format. While we will still be featuring open mike slots before and after... on Friday, February 22nd, as part of Black History Month, we have engaged acclaimed Toronto playwright, musician and actor BEAU DIXON to perform his one-man show - Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story. Chebucto Coffee Friday,February 22 6:30-9pm free will donation ************************** HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: On October 23, 1958, a massive "bump"—similar to a small earthquake—collapsed No. 2 colliery of the Cumberland mines in Springhill, Nova Scotia, trapping 174 men 3900 metres (over 2 miles!) underground. Rescuers acted immediately, with little hope there would be many survivors. Slowly they extracted men, alive and dead, from the ground. On the ninth day, they reached the last 7 to be found alive. Among them was Maurice Ruddick, a 46-year-old African Canadian, a slim man with a thin moustache who always pomaded his hair. When the miners finished a shift, it took an hour to ride to the surface in the trolleys. Ruddick would sing during the trip, blues, jazz or popular songs of the day. Some of the miners joined him to sing "Dem Bones" or "Don't Be Cruel" or "Bye Bye Love." As they ascended from the pit, their baritones rumbled up ahead of them, audible to the company men who worked on the surface. After the mineshaft caved in on them, the 7 men struggled to survive. Ruddick, despite a broken leg, helped his companions keep their spirits up by singing and leading them in song and prayer. Ruddick and the other "miracle miners" enjoyed public attention briefly after the disaster. For Ruddick, the only Black in the group, racism dimmed his moment in the spotlight. The 1958 mine collapse killed 74 men and ended Springhill's tenure as a large-scale mining town. The mines were sealed shortly after the Big Bump. Maurice Ruddick died in 1988, all but forgotten for his role during those 9 long days. ************************** BENEATH SPRINGHILL: THE MAURICE RUDDICK STORY This forty-five minute musical chronicles the life of Maurice Ruddick, "the singing miner", an African Canadian who survived the historic mining disaster in Springhill, Nova Scotia in 1958 and was awarded “Citizen of the Year” for saving the lives of his fellow workers. It recalls the events of seven miners trapped over two miles beneath a small mining town; the effect it had on their rural Canadian community; and the racial tension that surfaced as a result. BEAU DIXON'S tour here is supported by the playwrights guild and sponsored by the Government of Canada. For more information on Beau please see www.beaudixon.com or www.firebrandtheatre.com We are thrilled to be able to present this educational and entertaining story filled with tragedy, drama and comical - yet conflicting - moments of hope and bravery. This is a "MUST SEE" performance so to ensure seating... please arrive early. Xo Margo WTF! is an artistic outreach program of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society. We meet every second and fourth Friday of the month at CHEBUCTO COFFEE, 6430 Chebucto Road, corner of Chebucto & Kline in Halifax where Mike's extraordinary culinary fare is approaching legendary status. Come early for a bite and stay for the entertainment which starts around 6:30 and goes until 9:00ish. As always... admission is by free-will donation towards the Society's work.

WTF: What the Folk Celebrates 1 year at Mike's!

You heard it right! We have been the benificiaries of Mike's legendary hospitality at CHEBUCTO COFFEE for one full year! You'd think he would have clued in to us by now and sent us packing but thankfully... he's a very good sport!!! So... in honour of this momentous occasion... WTF! proposes that those of you who write songs, stories or poetry... write something in honour of Mike. You could be reverent with praise... OR... my personal favourite... you could slam dunk the doughnuts with completely over-the-top humour. But... if composing an ode, musical or otherwise, is not your thing... how about bringing something from the pantheon of pre-existing songs and stories that would fit the occasion from your point of view? Maybe something that mentions coffee? Or a song or story with a wildly memorable character? After all... Mike's sense of humour is legendary so... short of a full out "roast"... we must show our appreciation in a Mike-minded manner Margo and Cindy Cone join us: Friday, February 8th 6:30pm Chebucto Coffee, Halifax WTF! is an artistic outreach program of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society. We meet every second and fourth Friday of the month at CHEBUCTO COFFEE, 6430 Chebucto Road, corner of Chebucto & Kline in Halifax where Mike's extraordinary culinary fare is approaching legendary status. Come early for a bite and stay for the entertainment which starts around 6:30 and goes until 9:00ish. As always... admission is by free-will donation towards the Society's work.