Tuesday, April 28, 2015

How to make a town your own...


Here is the link to this week's column. Just click on the above link! As always, enjoy, and thank you for reading! Let me know what you do in your town to make it your own!


Saturday, April 25, 2015

Tonight is the show!

The day is finally here for our CAVA fundraiser! I am so excited about sharing this piece with all of you! Thank you for all the support and donations to CAVA!! See you at the show!


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Happy Earth Day

I took this photo in Marion's woods, just a short bike ride from my house.

Today is Earth Day...a day to celebrate our home.On this day we think about taking care of our world to keep it lovely and alive for the future generations. I love to visit beautiful places such as the woods above, but I also know the world is not beautiful for so many folks. It is more than picking up litter (which I do) or recycling (which I do), but so much more that usually appears out of my reach. 

There is legislation and laws that need to be dealt with along with standing up for what is right in this world. I try to take these baby steps but we all need to work together. How do we fight the Koch brothers? How do we make folks understand? If you have ideas or plans please share them with me.

If we let it all pass through our fingers we will become as the book title suggests, The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. This is a wonderful read in case you haven't read it.

So go do your good deed, but let's think globally as we move throughout this day. We can make a difference. We need to make a difference.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Sometimes my students are the teachers...

Sometimes my students are the teachers - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Here is the link to this week's column. Just click on the above site. As always, thank you for reading and enjoy!

This is Taylor Hall which houses the Humanities and Communication program.
It is a spectacular building including Wells Theatre. Come visit sometime!







Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Baptist Girl's Guide to Sex, Love, and the Happily Ever After...


(If you are not able to make it to our event, please check
with your local University or town to see what they have 
planned. This is an important event. Hope to see you tonight!)
 

Wednesday night is OUR night to
TAKE BACK The NIGHT
Please encourage your students to attend
as we all come together to TAKE a stand AGAINST Sexual Violence .
When:  Wednesday, April 15th 2015 @ 6:30 p.m.
Where:  Trine University
Best Hall Lawn

What IS Take Back the Night?The first Take Back the Night event was in 1977 in England, and was a women-only protest against the violence and fear that women encountered while walking alone at night. In 1978, San Francisco followed suit and since then Take Back the Night events have spread across the country, particularly among college campuses.  Trine University has planned its annual Take Back the Night rally and march to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month on Wednesday April 15th. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. on the north lawn of Best Hall. In the event of inclement weather, the event will take place in Best Hall room 229. Pizza, sandwiches, refreshments and games 

Monday, April 13, 2015

Charles Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire (1867-1821)

I don't know when I first fell in love with the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Perhaps it was in my French literature class in college or my travels to Paris or even in my research of Poe, but nonetheless, I did.

Baudelaire was born in Paris in 1821. His father was 34 years older than his mother and did not live to see him grow up. When his mother remarried he was sent to boarding school and then off to India to see if that would shake out his writing interests. It did not.

Baudelaire was known for his urban subject matter and often wrote of sensual and aesthetic pleasures. 

For a while he wrote politically about the Revolution of 1848 but soon found that type of writing was not for him. As with most writers, he found himself in poor health with pressing debts in the late 1850's. He died at the age of 46 in Paris.

Baudelaire is well known today for his complete translations of Edgar Allan Poe's poetry from English into French.

The following poem is one of my most beloved. I hope you love it as well as we continue on into poetry week. 

As always.

The Ragpickers' Wine
TRANSLATED BY C. F. MACINTYRE
In the muddy maze of some old neighborhood,
Often, where the street lamp gleams like blood,
As the wind whips the flame, rattles the glass,
Where human beings ferment in a stormy mass,

One sees a ragpicker knocking against the walls,
Paying no heed to the spies of the cops, his thralls,
But stumbling like a poet lost in dreams;
He pours his heart out in stupendous schemes.

He takes great oaths and dictates sublime laws,
Casts down the wicked, aids the victims' cause;
Beneath the sky, like a vast canopy,
He is drunken of his splendid qualities.

Yes, these people, plagued by household cares,
Bruised by hard work, tormented by their years,
Each bent double by the junk he carries,
The jumbled vomit of enormous Paris,—

They come back, perfumed with the smell of stale
Wine-barrels, followed by old comrades, pale
From war, mustaches like limp flags, to march
With banners, flowers, through the triumphal arch

Erected for them, by some magic touch!
And in the dazzling, deafening debauch
Of bugles, sunlight, of huzzas and drum,
Bring glory to the love-drunk folks at home!

Even so, wine pours its gold to frivolous
Humanity, a shining Pactolus;
Then through man's throat of high exploits it sings
And by its gifts reigns like authentic kings.

To lull these wretches' sloth and drown the hate
Of all who mutely die, compassionate,
God has created sleep's oblivion;

Man added Wine, divine child of the Sun.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Hendry Park provides great theater opportunity...


 Ali Baba as played by Jonah.

 Sinbad and his sailors!

Part of the cast of Aladdin!

Here is today's column on the Missoula Children's Theatre coming to Angola. We have had the best time this week and the culmination was the show last night. There is still one today at noon. You don't want to miss it!

To read the column, just click on the above link. As always, thank you for reading!

Lou Ann


Friday, April 10, 2015

Missoula Children's Theatre Descends on Angola once again!!

This was Jonah a few years ago when he was in the Tortoise and the Hare!

Hendry Park Elementary School once again has brought the Missoula Children's Theatre to our town. This is the 11th year for this wonderful adventure for our elementary students.

It is always my great honor to house and host the directors. This year the directors are Vicki Pace and C.J. Bonde. 

The show is "Aladdin" and it is full of singing, suspense and the hunt of Ali Baba. Jonah is playing the part of Ali Baba in this production.

If you are in the area, please come on out to the show. Showtimes are Friday night (tonight) at 7:00 and tomorrow at noon. Both shows are at the Angola High School (the new high school) and there is no charge so bring the whole family.

Who knows? Maybe next year you will have some kids of your own take part in this wonderful adventure.

See you at the show!

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Local couple taking lights, camera and action to save historic buildings in Angola -- and here, too - News-Sentinel.com


We are so honored and delighted to have this historic restoration happening in our town. Last night the Angola Historic Preservation Commission gave the OK to begin the restoration of the facade to the original 1931 look. I don't have an opening date yet, but I will certainly announce it when I do. You can also follow the restoration on Facebook: Brokaw 1 & 2 Theatre. The Facebook page is full of videos and photos and objects found in the dark of night. The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne did a wonderful story as well. Please just click on the above link for the full story!

I have always been proud to live in my town, but I am especially happy for this lovely piece of history coming back to life.



Saturday, April 04, 2015

Easter is about rebirth and forgiveness...


This week's column is about so much that you will just have to read it for yourself! Just click on the above link.  I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and a Happy Easter to all of you. This photo is from my dear friend's garden. Jake and Steve Wahlig have one of the most beautiful gardens in town. You can actually see it from the library and often their flowers grace the check out areas. Thank you to Jake and Steve for making a town just a little more beautiful!  Lou Ann


Friday, April 03, 2015

"In The Quiet" by Rhon Van Erman


I would like to share this piece of music with you. It was written and performed by my neighbor and friend, Rhon Van Erman. He is a very talented musician as you will see.

Rhon wrote this piece for Good Friday so I used it today in lieu of a church service. There are many more selections on his youtube channel. 

Thank you, Rhon, for such a beautiful piece.

Thursday, April 02, 2015

The First Spring Rain...


Rainstorm in Union Square by Childe Hassam, 1890

This morning was the first rain storm of Spring. I heard it begin to rumble in the West and within minutes rain was pouring down on this old house of mine. It was such a lovely sound with the pelting rain and the thunder. I used this poem last night at the Cherry Blossom Festival so I wanted to share it with you tonight as well. Enjoy. 

Spring Rain by Sara Teasdale

I thought I had forgotten, 
But it all came back again 
To-night with the first spring thunder 
In a rush of rain.

I remembered a darkened doorway 
Where we stood while the storm swept by, 
Thunder gripping the earth 
And lightning scrawled on the sky.

The passing motor busses swayed, 
For the street was a river of rain, 
Lashed into little golden waves 
In the lamp light's stain.

With the wild spring rain and thunder 
My heart was wild and gay; 
Your eyes said more to me that night 
Than your lips would ever say. . . .

I thought I had forgotten, 
But it all came back again 
To-night with the first spring thunder 
In a rush of rain. 

Congratulations Trine!!

  My first glimpse of our monument decked in Trine blue took my breath away. I was coming home from the Thursday night game with Aaron and R...