One Little Cottage on Ocracoke

Philip's Cottage on Ocracoke

Salutations friends,

 

 

By now everyone knows about the snow on Ocracoke. It is always quite spectacular to have snow where it does not usually fall.

 

This is a photo of Philip's cottage on the island. His cousin, Dallie Turner, took this photo for me. I love how quiet and quaint it looks hidden away from the ocean's lashing tongue and winds howling off the water.

 

By the time Philip arrives back home it is sure to be melted and spring be on its way, but until then...

 

Lou Ann

 



Winter's Art

Salutations!

A few years ago I was attending one of my book club meetings. It was spring, and my good friend, Bert, was showing me her bowling ball garden. She had several balls on re-rod stacks holding up assorted bowling balls. I immediately loved the idea. I already had a blue bottle garden so why not add bowling balls?

I remembered that I had my own bowling bar in the attic of my house so I promptly found it and with some re-rod began my own garden. I, however, only have one work of art in my garden. I decorated it with lovely glitter and all kinds of art and glued all on with a hot glue gun.

This winter my bowling ball has been just as beautiful gleaming in the sunshine and letting the snow add a cap of art!

Hope you enjoy my winter's art. I would love to see what is "blooming" in your garden this winter!

Until tomorrow,

Lou Ann

Maurice McClue

Photo with permission by Sally Schenkel

Dear Friends,

Every once in while I like to pull Maurice McClue's journal off my shelf. It is a lovely hard cover book that I received as a gift from Aaron and Karen. It is a compilation of 38 years of bird watching and nature in Angola. Terri Gorney did the transcribing.

Maurice kept detailed notes of nature including poetry and thoughts of wisdom for almost forty years. I guess he would be the Aldo Leopold of northern Indiana.

In 1991 eighty acres of his land was dedicated as a State Dedicated Nature Preserve by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

This land is open for hiking, writing, dreaming, picture taking, or just wandering about. 

I would love to quote from his journal entry of February 4, 1936:

"This winter up to this time has been one of the most severe I have any memory of, and it would seem that the birds had a premonition it was coming in that very few could be seen during the last few months. Cardinals that have been in town every winter for several years are not here this winter. Food supply largely determines whether birds stay in a country through a winter or not. The winter of 1911 and 1912 was a very long cold winter with much zero weather and yet robins, cardinals and other birds were here all winter..."

I have noticed only a couple of cardinals at my feeders this winter as well, although the sparrows eat all day long. Woodpeckers have also charmed me this winter!

I know there is a copy of this journal at the Angola Carnegie Library as well as in my library. Stop by some day and I will be happy to share it with you.

Until tomorrow,

Lou Ann

The Beatles!!

When I found out my son, Adam, would be in New York this week end, I asked him to take a stroll over to CBS studios and take this photo for me.

During this 50 year anniversary week of The Beatles, CBS redid the marquee to look just like it did 50 years ago.

I was thrilled when Adam sent the photo! 

Some of us remember where we were when we first heard The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. I was with my family in our downstairs family room. We always watched the Ed Sullivan show on television!

How exciting it will be to watch them tonight as they redo the show on CBS.

So, where were you?

Til tomorrow,

Lou Ann

Ray and Rosa together again on Beech Mountain...

Here is a photo of my Mountain Dulcimer. I bought this from Stanley Hicks
when I spent the day at Ray and Rosa's.

Ray and Rosa together again on Beech Mountain...

 Dear Friends,

This week's column features a story on Ray and Rosa Hicks. It is my love story with them. I hope you enjoy it. Please click on the above link for the story first published in KPC today. 

As always, thank you for reading. 

Lou Ann

In the story I talk about Ray rolling his cigarettes on the porch
while we sat outside under his apple trees listening to his tales.
My friend, John Philips, sent me this photo this morning from his
mother's garden. Thanks John!

Mixed Vegetables and the Crescent Moon...

Compliments of EarthSky/Nasa

It is Friday afternoon, sunny and cold in Northern Indiana. On most Fridays I celebrate the weekend or I pack up to work at a festival or some wonderful event.

Today I sit with a bag of mixed frozen vegetables on my ankle while writing away with the sun dropping beams of sunlight upon my portable writing table. 

I still have four weeks to keep my ankle up and off my feet, and I must admit to a bit of fretting. And then...I find this lovely photo from Nasa. It puts things in perspective. 

Each day is like the next for me in this recuperating state. I am not sure of the day or even the month. I am most grateful for folks stopping by bringing conversation or dinner. But each day is different as well as the moon takes us back to full light and the sun will bring warmth in its pathway.

Until tomorrow,

Lou Ann

Looking at snow like a child...

This photo was taken by Catherine Pritchard.

Dear Friends,

I don't know how many days we are into Winter, I think I have lost count. I am not even sure how many inches of snow have fallen in northern Indiana, but I do know this is the winter we will never forget.

I must confess that if I must have a broken ankle (and I do), then this was the year to do so. 

Philip has been my constant companion taking care of house details and me. His daily chores include shoveling and filling the bird feeders which are right outside my south windows. 

The landscape continues to be white, yet it is different every day. It is different the way the wind blows the small drifts around to other locations. The birds bring new friends each day and the deep blue shadows are beginning to find their way toward spring.

I sleep downstairs by the windows now; where the wind is stronger. I love lifting the deep red blind to check on the night from this viewpoint as well.

Rick Bass (author of "Winter) once wrote, "But if you remember to look at the snow like a child, or a Texan-gazing up, trying to see where it originates-then the slowness into which it falls, the paralysis of its journey, will drop you immediately into a lower, slower state, one where your're sure to live twice as long, and see twice as many things, and be two times as happy at the end. Snow's more wonderful than rain, than anything."

Today's photo is shared with permission by Catherine Pritchard. Catherine is a writer and a photographer. I loved this view of frost on the windowpane.

Until tomorrow,

Lou Ann

The scent of a book is amazingly delicious...

Just a few books from my studio.

This week's column does not focus on Phil or on the Superbowl, but on books. It does take us to the Fort Wayne library with my dad; to Dublin, Ireland with Ellen; and to the Remnant Trust at Trine University. Just click on the link below!

As always, thank you for reading! Enjoy.

Until tomorrow, 

Lou Ann

P.S. And go Broncos!

The scent of a book is amazingly delicious - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year Celebration in Amsterdam

Today is Chinese New Year and is the celebration of the year of the horse.

I found this photo of the dragon on the web in celebration in Amsterdam.

I started celebrating Chinese New Year when I became a host family for Mengting. We were together for four years before she moved on to Notre Dame. Mengting became a part of our family in every way. We taught her our American customs, and she her Chinese heritage.

This year is no exception to the celebration. We will all wear red, share each other's cooking, play Chinese New Year games and send off a small lantern into the night to end the celebration. Karen is hosting the party this year, all I have to do is figure out a way to get there!

So. wear a little red on this day, and perhaps give a salutation to your friends, "Happy Chinese New Year!" 

Until tomorrow,

Lou Ann

And so January continues...

Photo courtesy of the Angola Sheriff's Department

My winter photos have become common place now. They also have become common place with you as well. I love this one in particular as it really shows how vulnerable we are to weather, especially winter this year.

I have also, of course, been watching winter slide across America through photos on Facebook and the news. We complain. We groan. We wish for Spring, but in our heart of hearts do we love what we cannot control?

We are in charge of so many things in our life. I have always enjoyed the fact that weather still happens and we must live in the middle of it.

If you have a photo you would like for me to share this January, please send it on to my email address: Locketoftime@aol.com

Since I am not out and about I would love to share your photos this winter.

Until tomorrow,

Lou Ann

A Storyteller Remembers Pete Seeger

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

I have been wondering today how we live without Pete Seeger in our lives? He was the inspiration for our hippie days, our homesteading days and our current lives in the face of politics and art. He knew how to bring community to all who gathered at his feet or around the record player.

 

A few years ago I had the privilege of hearing him perform at the National Storytelling Conference in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He was to do the gospel sing on Sunday morning under one of the largest tents. Ellen Munds and I got up extra early to make sure we had good seats. It was a cold morning with frost on the ground, but a lovely sunrise.

 

And there he was...Pete Seeger. I think I began to cry at the beginning of his show. He sang all of our favorites and everyone sang as well. At the end we sang acapella, Amazing Grace. By then everyone was standing and weeping all at the same time.

 

I will never forget that experience.

 

Thank you Pete Seeger for all you gave us. I can't help but weep now as I write.

 

Good night to Pete and farewell to one of America's greatest musicians, activists and human beings.

Until tomorrow,

Lou Ann

Icy mishap leads to quite the lifestyle change -

Icy mishap leads to quite the lifestyle change - KPCNews: Kpcnews



Dear Friends,



Just click the above link for this week's column! As always, thank you for reading.



Lou Ann

Eridanus the River

Eridanus the River from "EarthSky"

A week passes and the blog goes untouched.

The story: Last Thursday afternoon I slid on a patch of ice. This slide resulted in the breaking of three bones in my ankle and a trip to the surgery department at Lutheran Hospital on Friday morning. Needless to say, the world again goes into topsy turvy mode and everything changes. 

My cast is the size of a watermelon, but not quite so colorful. Each day that passes brings folks to my house with gifts and stories. Could this be like the Magi?

Today's blog is a view of the constellation Eridanus the River. This can be followed from Orion. This constellation is not able to be viewed from the city or even the suburbs. It is visible in the darkest of nights. I chose this because possibly our best work, our best person is visible in the darkest of nights as well.

I have had these dark feelings for a week while beginning the recuperation process, depending on others, and watching the world from my small perspective. It is during these times we can see Eridanus the River.

The next few weeks my blog will be filled of stories from those who visit, poetry from friends, and photos from other cameras. I might even lift interesting tidbits from past blogs.

Until tomorrow, try to find the darkest of skies to view Eridanus,

Lou Ann