How can it be over?  This was the Spokane’s third annual LTYM show.  With every passing year more details become fixed; more items are checked off the to-do list as soon as they are written.  We have a fantastic venue and rehearsal space.  We have an impressively hip and accommodating bar which hosts the reception.  We no longer worry that no one will audition, or that no one will come to the show.  All of this means that we have fewer and fewer things to worry about, and an exponentially increasing number of things to sit back, relax, and enjoy.

And enjoy we did.  This year’s cast was comprised of 13 of the most enjoyable, intelligent, open, and beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know.

Becky Ammerman opened the show with a story that had us laughing, holding our breath, and laughing again as she recounted her disdain for all things baby related.  That is, until she realized that she herself wanted a baby.

“I spent most of my 20s avoiding baby showers the way most people avoid a nasty stomach virus.”  -Becky Ammerman

Mery Smith took the stage next  and captured the audience’s hearts and admiration as she told the story of the birth of her second son and his delivery room diagnosis of Downs Syndrome.

“Meeting Hobbs was like meeting the dream I never dreamed.  Not because it wasn’t a good dream or a beautiful dream, I just didn’t know it was possible that I could live this dream.”  -Mery Smith

Karlene Arguinchona followed Mery with the story of her adult daughter’s life threatening illness, and how it has reshaped her family and her outlook on life.

“Her illness and all its ramifications became the story of our lives.  There were so many hard parts that I found myself at times longing to pay attention to something else.  But that’s just asking to be someone else.”  - Karlene Arguinchona

After Karlene, we all needed a little levity and Caroline Fowler was the perfect person to provide it with her hilarious and heartfelt tale of transformation from a stressed out first-time mom to a relaxed mom of three who rejoices in her children and laughs at her own mistakes.

“Do NOT accidentally leave your baby in the car twice just because he is so quiet that you forgot about him until you got to the diaper aisle.  Do spend less time trying to make your kids who you think they ought to be and more time enjoying them.”  -Caroline Fowler

Gretchen Cleveland told us about her struggle with infertility.  We cried with her through the tale, rejoicing at the end as she announced that she was expecting a baby in the fall.

“As I lay in recovery post egg retrieval, I remember crying and feeling relieved that I finally “did good”… After years of feeling like I was failing, I cheered that my body finally did what it was supposed to do.”  -Gretchen Cleveland

Jennifer Knickerbocker shared a harrowing story about a horrific car crash and how her mother’s arrival at the Emergency Room quite literally saved her life.

“The night comes.  My babies cry out for me and I cry out for my mother.  It never stops being important.  But it is more than that.  Sometimes if feels like life and death and mothers help us choose life.”  -Jennifer Knickerbocker

As we let out a collective sigh, Rebecca Mack took the stage with grace and humor to regale us with the story of her birth, and how its telling provided a space for forgiveness and understanding between mother and daughter.  

“Tall dark handsome Doctor Danforth caught my slick head in his clean and capable hands when I careened out of the little red tunnel in a torrent.  The composition of that great gush mortified my mother in a way that shaped us.”  - Rebecca Mack

Kathryn Bonnett’s story about her beautiful son Seth was next.  Seth was born with a heart defect and passed away before his first birthday.  Kathryn’s reading reflected her struggle and her strength, and her love for her family.

“The hardest thing?  By far the hardest thing is learning to live without him.  Facing Thanksgiving and Christmas, hearing our big boys cry for their little brother.”  – Kathryn Bonnett

Terra Price’s journey to motherhood through the foster system was the next story of the night.

“What is family?  Her parents were taking so long between visits that they didn’t even know her.  Meanwhile I was there every day trying so hard not to fall in love..” – Terra Price

Terra left us thinking about all the different ways that families are built.  Rose Weagent followed Terra with a hilarious story about realizing  that her tween was becoming a women in the feminine care aisle of the grocery store.

“When I went through the change my mother said: “Just be thankful you don’t have to use a belt.”  This ranks among the all-time top three creepiest things my mother has ever said to me.”  – Rose Weagent

Becky Nappi’s beautifully written tale of being auntie to many, mother to none, and a blesser of babies  took the stage next.

“Now when I’m asked if I have children I say: “No, I couldn’t.”  Long seconds of awkward silence sometimes follow for the asker of the question, but no longer for me.”

The penultimate speaker of the evening was Jennifer Savage.  Jennifer talked about her hopes, fears and her love for a daughter who moves between gender lines.

This world does not expect us to be different but here we are, nonetheless, tender, human, one not like the other.”  - Jennifer Savage

Sara Smith ended the evening and left the audience laughing and sighing with the comedy and truth that her mother and grandmother passed down to her.

“Those words of my mother and grandmother, I know now, were about worth.  That’s what mothers do with their words – they remind you of your worth.”  – Sara Smith

It was a spectacular show.  Sitting backstage, Stacey and I could see each reader’s  silhouette as they read, laughed, cried, and connected with the audience.  We were so proud of each of them, and so acutely aware and appreciative of the power of story telling.

The night would not have been possible without our Local and National Sponsors.  A zillion thank yous to Blog Her, One2One Network, Mamalode Magazine, Hotel Ruby and Sapphire Lounge, The Institute for Extended Learning at Spokane Community College, Body by Michelle Personal Training, Plum Tree School, ILF Media, Little Nutmeg Productions.  Thanks also to the Women and Children’s Free Restaurant and Community Kitchen of Spokane for their dedication to improving the lives of women and children by serving nutritious meals in a safe environment, and for being our local charity for the second year running.

We owe a huge debt of thanks and appreciation to our volunteers who managed the house while we managed the show: Christy Goodell, Renee Schafer, Amy Dawley, Jeni Steeber, Amy Schmidt, Jeremy Graham, Jennifer Holm, Brittany Holm, and Lynn Caruso.  It would also not have been possible,and certainly wouldn’t have looked as good, without Phaedra Jarrett stage managing and Kristina Mattson and Nick Follger documenting the evening with their beautiful photos, including everything you see here.

Finally, thank you Ann Imig.  Thank you.

See you next year!

With love and appreciation, Stacey Conner and Elise Raimi

Co-Directors and Producers, Listen To Your Mother Spokane

The Spokane Listen To Your Mother show is just three weeks away.  Across the country, shows begin this weekend and continue through the end of May.  Our posters came on Friday, a moment that always makes show day seem real and very imminent.

They are beautiful, just like the event they advertise.

The dress rehearsal is next Monday and we’ll post pictures, but you’ll have to get your tickets and come to the show to experience the magic of shared storytelling that is LTYM.  Here we go!

Mamalode, a magazine and blog for mothers based just a few hours away in Missoula, Montana, and LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER Spokane are a match made in heaven.  We have the common goal of bringing mothering stories, beautifully told, into the spotlight.  We are so thrilled to be partnering with Mamalode this year!

LTYM Spokane made a cameo appearance in Mamalode’s Spring 2013 issue entitled Space alongside former cast member Katie Scanlon’s beautiful essay “This House,” about finding her emotional and physical space after the painful end to her marriage.  Another former Spokane cast member’s touching words will run soon on their website!

Subscribers throughout the United States and all over the world receive Mamalode’s quarterly print magazine (click here to subscribe), and poignant, beautiful prose is offered daily on their website.

Pop over and lose yourself in delicious mothering stories. It will prepare you for the amazing show we have in store on May 12 (7:00 p.m. at the Bing Crosby Theater in case you forgot).

LTYM Spokane tickets are on sale now through ticketswest.com

2013 marks the second year that the Hotel Ruby and Sapphire Lounge has been a sponsor of Listen To Your Mother Spokane.  The hotel and bar, on the corner of First and Lincoln in the heart of downtown, is a great base camp from which to enjoy Spokane.  If you’re looking for a hip place to grab a few drinks, The Sapphire Lounge is the perfect choice; flatbread pizzaz and a delectable dessert menu compliment the full bar perfectly, and on Mondays happy hour never ends!  To stay up to date on all their specials, live music and other exciting happenings you can connect via Facebook here.

Please join us after this year’s LTYM show at the Sapphire Lounge for a no-host reception so you can see for yourself what a fantastic place it is, and thank you to the Hotel Ruby and Sapphire Lounge for your enduring support of Listen To Your Mother Spokane!

Tickets for the 2013 Listen To Your Mother show are now on sale, get them here and we will see you there!

Tickets for the 3rd annual Listen To Your Mother Spokane are on sale.

 Please join us at the Bing Crosby Theater on Sunday, May 12 (Mother’s Day!) at 7:00pm.

 The show will be followed by a no-host reception around the corner at the Sapphire Lounge, which will be open only to LTYM cast and audience after the show.

Tickets can be purchased in advance through Tickets West  or at the door for $15, cash only please.

Spend Mother’s Day with your loved ones and then spend the evening with us, we can’t wait to see you there!

Please give a very warm welcome to local Spokane sponsor Body by Michelle.  Michelle Lobdell owns and runs this personal training studio located at 7 South Howard in downtown Spokane.  Michelle not only provides personal training services in a warm, non-intimidating environment, and group fitness classes, she also runs a free Bloomsday Training Clinic.

Personal training ranges from $25 to $40 per session. No minimum sessions or contracts are required to get started.   Group classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.  The cost is $45 per month 2 days a week or $25 per month 1 day a week. The first class is always FREE.

Bloomsday – that other early May phenomenon in Spokane (besides Listen To Your Mother) – is just around the corner.  Have you always wanted to do it, but seven miles and Doomsday Hill stand in your way?  Michelle’s free weekly Bloomsday training clinics sponsored by Providence Health Care and Group Health are held Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. in the Spokane Falls Community College gymnasium.  (Register here.)

What’s stopping you? Email Michelle for more information: mnlobdell@gmail.com and like Body by Michelle on Facebook to stay up with studio news.

 ”Vulnerability is the birthplace for connection, love, and change.” – Brene Brown

We’ve never done the first read through at either of our houses and as Stacey and I set up we hoped that people would be willing to forgo a little space and comfort (and put up with my seven year old’s thundering footsteps and occasional yelps above our heads) in exchange for an intimate setting where there was no rush, and no one else to hear us talk and laugh and cry.

Before we were halfway around the circle of introductions I knew we had made the right choice.

People cozied in on the couch, sipped wine or soda or coffee, and shared who they were, a recent joy and a recent sorrow.  Stacey shared Brene Brown’s quote and talked about allowing ourselves to be vulnerable in order to create meaningful connections both between ourselves and with our future audience.  We

took a break to refill plates and glasses and then regrouped and moved on to the read through.

This is our third year producing a LTYM show and I still get the same, tingly giddy feeling at the read through that I did the very first time.  As the group gathered and learned about each other you could see on people’s faces that no one was really sure what to expect from the night.  Many of them had never been to a LTYM show and, even for those who had, it is hard to envision everything coming together until.  Until you hear the first story and you think to yourself “wow, wow, ok, that was really good…”  and then the second person begins to read and you think “man, two in a row…” and, as the stories continue and you laugh and cry and look at each person with fresh understanding and respect there is this moment when you realize:  ”I am a part of something pretty damn amazing”.  I saw that on people’s faces last night.  I saw that and I felt elated and like I never wanted the night to end and like I wanted to make sure I had time to pull each person aside and tell them how amazing they were, how well they did and how appreciative we are of their willingness to put themselves out there for the show.

And then, of course, the night was over and I didn’t get to say it to everyone.  But I think, I hope, they knew that both as individuals and a whole they are an awe inspiring group of women.

Watch out Spokane, LTYM 2013 is going to blow you away!

LTYM Spokane would simply not be possible without our community partners and we are so thrilled to have the Community Colleges of Spokane Institute for Extended Learning as a local sponsor this year. IEL offers a wide range of affordable, fun classes to the community at very low cost, including cooking, sports and fitness, music, and language classes.  See the current schedule for spring offerings and registration.  IEL also offers classes specifically for seniors in their Act 2 program.

Dearest to our hearts is their Parent Education and Parent Cooperative Preschool Program.

All six children of Spokane producers Elise and Stacey spent their early learning years in an IEL cooperative preschool. These play-based, educator facilitated programs are run by a parent board, making them an amazing experience in community and cooperative learning for parents and kids. We can’t recommend the program highly enough. Look up your local co-op preschool below and join the fun next fall! Enrollment is going on right now.

Manito Cooperative Preschool

Mead Parent Child Cooperative Preschool

Northwest Parent Cooperative Preschool

Southside Cooperative Preschool

South Spokane Co-op Preschool

Spokane Valley Parent Cooperative Preschool

West Valley Co-op Preschool

Countryside Parent Co-op

Lake Spokane Co-op Preschool

Newport Co-op Preschool

Thank you to the Institute of Extended Learning for all they do to support the Spokane community, local parents, and now, through LTYM, the voices of motherhood!

We are unbelievably thrilled to announce the 2013 LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER Spokane cast:

Becky Ammerman

Karlene Arguinchona

Kathryn Bonnett

Gretchen Cleveland

Caroline Fowler

Jennifer Knickerbocker

Rebecca Mack

Becky Nappi

Terra Price

Jennifer Savage

Mery Smith

Sara Smith

Rose Weagant

Don’t miss it this year.  It’s going to be amazing.