Sunday, May 29, 2016

Veterans sacrifice so we might live free...

Veterans sacrifice so we might live free: The rake and hoe and packets of seeds fill my Jeep, and I head out to the community gardens to begin summer planting. It is my first visit, and I am excited to find my patch. I park the Jeep and head down the rows and find I am at the very end. I laugh out loud thinking I have been put down at the end because my pumpkin patch always spills onto other gardens.


Crosses on the mound in my hometown.


Here is the link to this week's column. I hope you enjoy it. Just click on the title or the first line and it will take you to the site. As always, thank you for reading, and don't forget to remember on Memorial Day.

Lou Ann

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

‘Lock your doors, Nannie’ ends with wonderful adventure

‘Lock your doors, Nannie’ ends with wonderful adventure: I pull down the red blinds, put “The Phantom of the Opera” on the CD player, and look at the letters and the newspaper clippings one at a time. (I always did like a flair for the dramatic!) In past days, Jonah and I scoured these letters even visiting the police station and the United States Post Office. “We think these are real,” they both said. Jonah (who also has a flair for the dramatic) says, “Lock your doors, Nannie.”

Letters, cards and the wooden box from the mysterious story!!

Here is the link to this week's column. I hope you enjoy it! It has been a marvelous adventure thanks to one of my theatre students, Brandy Shaw!! I do love a good mystery. Please just click on the above link and the story is yours!



Thursday, May 19, 2016

RiverRoots LineUp 2016


I love music and folk festivals, and the season has just begun. Ellen and I are off to southern Indiana to Madison on the river for this spectacular festival. The weather is going to be perfect for the weekend and my old Jeep is packed up with everything I need for a great weekend. I have my ukulele, of course, for all the jamming sessions. I will check in now and then especially with the moonlight on the river for the full moon on Saturday night. As for you, my friends, go outside and play!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Visiting Lou Ann's Airbnb...


"Another lovely stay! LouAnn is such a fantastic host. This was a return visit for us having also stayed back in November. She even went above and beyond to save an extra copy of the local paper for us since it contained information about Trine University's Commencement exercises, which was the purpose of our visit. And my husband felt right at home since he was able to read the paper and drink his coffee in his sweatpants. We highly recommend The House at White Picket Fences for your next Angola stay!"

Last summer's morning glories on my fence.

 Send all you friends my way for a terrific stay this summer. I do have two weeks blocked off as the little granddaughters are coming for a visit, but other than that...open for business.

I have a five star review with all my guests. The one at the top is the most recent. The folks came for the Trine graduation.

Lou Ann

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

May I have this dance?

Two nights ago I was outside at my son's house. We were looking at the garden in the deep heavy dusk with the light of the moon. The children were running around in the moonlight and he and Rachel were asking about all the plants in the new gardens in their new house.

Their yard is big with lots and lots of perennials. I knew most of them and gave advice (in a nice motherly way) about what were weeds and what were plants. 

They have one entire bed of Moon Flowers of which I am so envious. I think that was why they bought the house, and Aaron really can't stop bragging about the Moon Flowers. 

Jonah was so excited, "I know, I know...they only bloom in the moonlight."

Sometimes life is so hard and so tough that I think the only time left to bloom is indeed in the moonlight with the day behind us and the darkness prevailing.

I looked up, directly at the moon, and there was Jupiter dancing away with the moon. We all just sat in wonder starring and watching. It was the most enchanting night. Later, as they all went inside to make milkshakes before bedtime, I biked on home by the light of the moon and her partner, Jupiter.

I couldn't help but think how fickle that man in the moon is...later he will be dancing with mars and Venus, well the list goes on and yet Jupiter and Mars and Saturn and Venus all move on and continue their brightness. And, yes, I was crying by the time I got home.

I closed the garden gate and poured a glass of wine, built a late night campfire and sat outside alone in my garden just thinking. Those are hard moments. Those are important moments.

I was singing before long...and here you go...one of the songs I was singing.




And for all you lovely ladies out there...pour the wine, build a campfire, and sing a song. Love to all.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Hurry over, folks! There’s a Rumplestiltskin show today!

Hurry over, folks! There’s a Rumplestiltskin show today!: It happens once a year. I open my curtains and see the big red truck pulling into my driveway. Two young folks jump out and come up to my doorstep. The front door is open before they have a chance to ring the bell or even look around at their surroundings.


I really don't know what happened to this page and the photo, but just click on the above site, and thanks for reading!




Thursday, May 12, 2016

Meet the Artist!


If you missed the premiere of T.C. Steele, you can get caught up with this
 interview with the Daily Journal. Just click on the title...Meet the Artist.
The next show is June 4th at 12:00 at the T.C. Steele cabin. Here is the 
information! I would love to see you there! There will be a reception following
 and you can spend your day exploring the lovely grounds.



12:00 pm
Where:
T.C. Steele State Historic Site
4220 T C Steele Rd
Nashville, IN 47448
USA
Cost:
$7/Adults, $5/Seniors, $2/Children 3 - 12
Contact:
Cate Whetzel
812-988-2785




Hope to see you there!
 
 
 
 




Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Where do stories go when they are finished?

Where do stories go when they are finished?: Stories come and go in my life as they do yours. We live them, we tell them, we dream them, we think about them.


Mama robin in her nest on my back porch! Shhh....



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


 
I have been watching a sweet little sparrow make her next on my white picket fence!

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

We’re making the most of this sweet, short life

We’re making the most of this sweet, short life: Some days the rain pours down and emotions run as deep as streams or as wide open as the Indiana prairie. On these days my thoughts are scattered and sprinkled with the here and now as well as the bygone and future...


Here are the lovely 7th grade students after they planted my new cherry tree!!     


Here is the link to this week's column. I hope you enjoy it as it is definitely full of heart and soul. As always, thank you for reading.

Lou Ann

The polls...

Working the polls is certainly an eye-opener in the American system. It also is a great way to connect with friends and neighbors.

Yesterday we were all at the polls by 5:00 to begin our duties. (Our inspectors were there earlier.)

I am not sure you have worked the polls before, but here is a little synopsis of jobs before the polls open!!

There are forms to sign...at least a dozen of them. We have to initial the back of all ballots...the initials of a Democrat and a Republican. (The poll clerks work in teams of a Democrat and a Republican.) Did you ever look on the back of a ballot and see these initials?

We have to all inspect the machines and turn them on as a team. Signs must be hung, books checked over, sheets to be gathered for tally marks.

Each team (there were four teams at the Catholic church) must take the oath given by the inspector. At 6:00 on the dot, the person in charge of our entire area (head inspector?) opens the doors and declares the polls open with the words, "Hear ye, hear ye...". I love that moment.

Yesterday there were lines waiting for us. As a poll clerk we must find each person, have each one sign and choose the ballot they would prefer, Democrat or Republican, for the primary.

There are always those folks who do not understand how primaries work and want to split their ticket, or don't know who to vote for.

There are, of course, spoiled ballots, discrepancies, and all kinds of problems that are hard to even imagine.

We work from 6-6 taking a few breaks for food which is always provided for by the ladies of the Eastern Star. Even though we sit most of the day, we are very hungry!!

At 6:00 in the evening, again the doors are closed with the words, "Hear ye, hear ye...". Then the work begins.

We must count all ballots, signatures, spoiled ballots, etc., and everything must balance. We had a discrepancy of 100 which kept us there until 7:30 in the evening until Lee (my friend, colleague, and judge in my area) found an easy arithmetic error. Again, we signed all the papers, took down signs, and wearily closed the lights. The ballots had to be escorted to the court house by our inspector and a judge, one from each political party. 

The fun began later in the evening as we all met at Monuments Pizza for pints of beer, pizza, stories, and to watch the numbers come in on the mounted television.

By the time I got home I just crawled into bed.

It was a good day, and one that I will again repeat in November.

We had a record number of voters...good job, Indiana, for voting. 

Lou Ann

Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Go vote, Indiana!!

Early morning rising as I am working the polls. I am just heading out the door at 4:45 to do my civic duty and be a poll clerk for this day.

Please go vote, Indiana. How exciting that we count this year, and your vote does count.

Now off I go....

Sunday, May 01, 2016

Farewell, Shakespeare!

Here I am getting ready to read Sonnet #154 of Shakespeare!


It started as just an idea, maybe not even an idea, maybe a fleeting thought. My great friend, Carolyn Powers, sent me a note from Atlanta that she met the Bardess of Atlanta who was reading all the sonnets of Shakespeare on the beltway on Saturdays. I loved the idea, and even though it was just February, I decided I could do this in April.

I had to get permission from the city (to keep the crowds at bay!), and I discussed it with our lovely Brokaw Movie Director. They agreed to showcase a Shakespeare film every week in the theatre.

I posted on Facebook, I talked it over with friends, with my book club, well, with anyone who would listen, and the month began. I was the Bardess of Angola.

The idea was to read all the sonnets of Shakespeare on the Square at 4:00 every day, and we did. I was there for 26 out of the 30. Four days I was on the road with storytelling and passed over my lovely Shakespeare book to friends who carried on without me. 

I used my Dad's Shakespeare book making notations as we went on. Someday someone is going to wonder what that was all about!!

There were days the crowds were few and twice I read to myself out loud flinging my arms in the air, but it didn't matter.

Yesterday a few folks braved the weather...rain, wind, and a winter's gale were upon us, but we finished the sonnets.

Cheers to a small town for letting me do what I love and cheer to all who came to listen, who read, and who supported this crazy idea.

As for me...April has been a whirlwind and so I say...welcome May!

Farewell, Shakespeare!


After our final reading on April 30th. Thank you everyone!








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...