Saturday, May 31, 2008

The U.S. Embassy to the Rescue

So, the saga began on early Thursday morning when the first to-be hurricane of the season was named Alma and headed for the Nicaraguan Coast. Of course, my children are in the heart of Nicaragua on a butterfly/moth hunt! I realize it is not every one's idea of the perfect vacation, but they are adventuresome boys.

The news reports were alarming with mud slides, 75 inches of rain, and life threatening conditions. As you can imagine, the girls and I were on panic mode. Finally Karen called the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua who dutifully went on a search. They called her back numerous time as well as the Embassy in Belize! It seems as if all were on the hunt for these three American young men. On Friday they located them and took Aaron to the Embassy to call home to Karen. All is well. "What is all the fuss about?" he asked. So, all is well, we slept well last night and they will be home on Sunday with stories that will be told for years!

Lou Ann

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Where in the world in Marguerite??

So, the tea cups are ready and the boys are watching expectantly out the window..but no Marguerite. I finally put out tea party away and we went on with our day. Later on she called and said that she could not find my house and did not dial my cell phone number properly. She even stopped in at the Herald/Republican. Alas, alas...she will come on Sunday. I am excited to hear this story, write it and make my millions...or at least my $25 per story. Tune in later. In the meantime, it is a gorgeous day after two nights of light frost. The sun and sky are gorgeous...a great day for gardening!

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana and spends her summers on the wind swept island of Ocracoke. You can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

A Visit With Marguerite??

Today is my Nannie day with Matthew and Jonah (Kristin, please bring little Miss Holly to Indiana...she is missing all our fun!!) I met them sleepy eyed and cold (frost last night), they got dressed and I brought them home to hot oatmeal with brown sugar and butter. As my grandmother used to say, "They licked the platter clean." We have done our 'morning' work and are waiting for a visit from Marguerite. She is an elderly woman who called me last week and told me she had a story to tell and that I must hear it! I have never met her, nor do I know her last name, but curiosity always gets the best of me. So with tea brewing and a fresh pad of paper, I wait for a new story!! Lou Ann

Tonya, sorry about the repeat!!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Memorial Week End





Today I rose early (before the sun was out) to bike down to the mound to photograph the monument as the sun was rising. It was chilly, but beautiful and so quiet! A few folks I knew waved as they circled, but, for the most part, on this quiet Sunday I had it all to myself. Here are a few of the photos.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

My Hometown

First published in the H/R. Enjoy!

It is dusk. The time reserved for poets and writers and singers of the world. The gray of early nighttime mingles with the last of the rain. In the path of the rain stands my crabapple trees adorning the front of my house. Their petals cascade with the rain…like pink snow. Two girls walk by with umbrellas. They are telling stories and giggling as they twirl their colorful umbrellas. I smile at them through my windows on my porch. The spring leaves have come out so much this week that my writing area is half covered in bushes gone wild. I should trim them, but I haven’t the heart to take the hedge trimmer to their beauty.

I bought this house in the spring from Randy and Shannon five years ago. It was a day like this with flowers and trees blooming all over town and in their garden. They had placed a small flag in the yard along with a homemade For Sale sign. I had a realtor who just could not understand what I wanted as she helped me find The Perfect House. Finally, one day, she asked, Lou Ann, what do you want? Sometimes it is hard to put in words all that I was looking and hoping for. I simply said, A house that says welcome home when I open the door. We spent a lot of time that winter just opening doors and putting my head inside listening. When I stumbled upon this one, Randy opened the door for me…and it whispered from every corner, Welcome Home.

Before I moved in, they hosted an ice cream social in my house-to-be so that I could meet all of the neighbors. I remember shyly walking through this house that would soon be mine and wondering what name I would give it. I was already in love with it. I imagined all of my ‘things’ spread out in all the rooms. The neighbors came visiting through all the small gates in the White Picket Fence, just as they do now. It was on that moment that I named this lovely old house.

Home is where we put our shoes, our hat, our teacups, our dreams. Here is a short story of home. A few years ago I met Edith. I was helping out with some hearing testing for wellness day when she showed up to have me test her hearing. She would not take off her headscarf as her hair was in pincurls. We began chatting and she invited me to visit her on Sunday, which was Mother’s Day. She told me her house was on a hill inside the outlet mall. I found her house without any trouble, but was so ashamed that I had never noticed her house. I am supposed to notice these kinds of things. She greeted me at the door with swooping red earrings and red high heeled shoes. Her gray hair was twisted up and around her head like a crown. I brought her a carnation which she put in the house and then closed the door as we walked around her small place. There was an old rusty station wagon, dogs on chains, bones strewn around, and her pride and joy….a cardboard box of baby chickens and ducks. She handled each one with so much sweetness and love that it was as if they were her children. I looked around at all of the traffic surrounding us…no one really noticing, and I looked back at Edith. I asked her why she stayed there with all the cars bustling about her tiny farm…she answered me perfectly. Where would I go? This is my home. She told me that she and her husband had built this space together. She was right, She didn’t see the rusted station wagon or the bones. I learned two things from Edith that day. First of all, to be more observant in my life and secondly, home is where we are…where our friends meet, where we go at the end of the day…and what we fall in love with.

It is late, darkness has descended and the day is over. I close up the lap top, turn off the frayed scarlet lamp, time to close the doors and pull down the old sashes on the windows. I walk in and notice my red shoe collection…in windows, on steps, by the guitar and the piano, next to guest beds and doll collections…for there is indeed no place like home.

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana and spends her summers on the wind swept island of Ocracoke. You can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mother's Day

It is a cool rainy day in my hometown. It was a good morning to wake up to work on crossword puzzles, read my book club book, The Sun Also Rises, by Hemmingway and bake bread. It is also the day I like to just look out the window and watch the rain drip off the crabapple trees in my yard. Maybe later I will put on my pink boots and take a stroll to town dodging the puddles as I walk.

For those of you Moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Lou Ann
Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana and spends her summers on the wind swept island of Ocracoke. You can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Exciting Elections...

OK, I am really into this election. My yard sports the Obama sign...I wear a button, Women for Obama. I suppose you all knew which way I would vote anyway. When we were kids growing up, it appeared to be a secret, like how much money someone makes. Maybe the secrets aren't the right way to be anymore, just as they probably weren't then. I like to be vocal about who I am and how I believe. Now, my kids are not Obama fans, but that is what makes America so successful!

I voted at 6 in the morning and spent the next hour at Rachael's coffee shop doing my own exit polls. My friend, Kathy, joined me and we had great fun. Of course, I was up until 1 in the morning to await the results.

So, my button stays, my views are stronger and let's all just wait and see what happens next!

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana and spends her summers on the wind swept island of Ocracoke. You can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories.

Spring break in St. Pete...

  Adam and his pups! The late-night flight is full. Everyone is heading out for spring break. Students and teachers, moms and dads, kids and...