Gerard Manley Hopkins and the beginning of the school year.

Photo by Ken Oguss

I have been reading Gerard Manley Hopkins this week. Perhaps I pulled out his book of poetry because of a few scarlet leaves popping out in the trees or perhaps because I have just finished reading the first round of essays from my college freshmen.

Gerard Manley Hopkins was born in England in 1884, the first of nine children. He won his first poetry prize in grammar school and went on to study theology in Northern Wales in 1874. While in Wales he learned to adapt the Welsh rhythm of poetry to his own work. He worked in the clergy for a short time and then took a position in Dublin as Professor of Greek and Latin at the University.

While grading exams (five or six a year, over 500 pages of grueling student essays), he found the writing of the students so poor, so discouraging, that he fell into a deep depression.

He died of typhoid fever in 1889 without ever having been published.

No, I am not in a deep depression over the essays. I believe I look at their work as a challenge to me as their professor and mentor to help them find the core of their own writing and possibly enjoy it as the semester unfolds.

I begin each class with a poem. It is so silent in the classroom when I read. Everyone needs poetry and stories...it is good there are those among us who provide that experience.

Until tomorrow.

Tonight's Harvest Moon Photo

September's Harvest Moon. Photo by Bill Eyster

This photo was taken this evening by my friend, Bill Eyster, here in Angola, Indiana. Bill is a wonderful photographer and captured the essence of the moon.

I celebrated, of course, with a full moon campfire and poetry reading. It was a spectacular evening watching the moon come up over the trees in my town.

I hope you had the opportunity to share in this lovely moment as well. So, sleep well, my friends and to my man in the moon, keep watch.

Until tomorrow.

Sage Advice

My garden sage.

~"Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden?"

   ~"He that would live for aye, Must eat sage in May"

                                                        (English Proverbs)

Working in my garden this past weekend has been such a delight. With the cool September air swirling in, I was able to wear my old sweatshirt and pull the wheelbarrow out of the shed. I mowed and trimmed and weeded and by day's end I built a fire under the almost full moon. It was a lovely way to spend a quiet Sunday. 

My garden sage is perfect this year. Growing garden sage is easy. You must give it a try next spring. Hopefully with a little mulching, this plant will survive our harsh winter and surprise me in the spring. I hope your weekend was full of gardening as well. 

Sage is said to bring tranquility and peace to your home...not a bad thing for a small plant!

Until tomorrow.

Orion helps usher in celebration of the harvest - KPCNews...

Orion helps usher in celebration of the harvest - KPCNews: Kpcnews\

Hello Everyone,

Here is the link to this week's column. As always thank you for reading!

Enjoy, and don't forget to check out the early morning sky.

Until Monday.

Orion, Mighty Hunter

As we head into the Autumn months my own heart takes quite a leap. It is my favorite season of the year, and it feels as if instead of decaying and dying, everything is alive...with scents and color and sounds like no other month.

I love getting up early and being greeted in the early dawn by the constellation Orion, Mighty Hunter. I love hearing our marching band practice just as the sun is coming up over the town. The gardens are lazy as are the evenings with crickets claiming territory through the darkness. Welcome Autumn.

Here is the Earth/Sky pattern of Orion. Enjoy your coffee on these stellar mornings.

Until tomorrow.

Northern Indiana Blue Grass Festival

Labor Day weekend came in to Northern Indiana with a bit of higher heat than normal and humidity. The skies threatened a few times, but there were so many activities that nothing could stop the festival goers.

For the car lovers there is the annual Cord Duesenberg Festival in Auburn, Indiana. It is a spectacular event and draws thousands of folks from around the globe. I love to go and enjoy the cars, the food, and people watch. Last year we took Jonah to the festival for his birthday.

This year (as in all years) I attended the Northern Indiana Blue Grass Festival on Sunday. This festival attracts a different crowd every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

This weekend my favorite group was the Stockdale Family from southern Ohio. The group consisted of a dad and his four sons...most of them are grown up. They were absolutely delightful and we were all on our foot before the last song was over! The fiddle player is the Ohio National Champion Fiddle Player!

During the break we walked around the grounds listening to music, sampling barbecue, and meeting folks. I met a great gypsy couple from California. They were touching up their gypsy wagon with paint when we arrived. They are bookmakers and travel the United States in their wagon making books and giving ukulele lessons. I only wished I would have had my new ukulele with me at the time.

It was a great day exploring more blue grass music.

Here are a couple photos from the gypsy wagon. Enjoy. Until tomorrow.

The inside was hand crafted with beds and as beautiful.

These lovely angels adorned each corner.

Rick Lee, a true musical talent, passes on - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Rick Lee, a true musical talent, passes on - KPCNews: Kpcnews

I met Rick Lee on Ocracoke Island at the Music and Storytelling Festival. He was always one of my favorite performers. He introduced me to the song, Follow the Heron Home, by Karine Polwart.

Every time I was at the festival Rick Lee would sing that song to me. I will miss him very much. I thought the least I could do was write a column about him and share him with all of you.

Please take a few moments to read the above column. I found this photo on Facebook and the piano piece is from Common Ground in Scotland. The piece is a bit long, so play it when you are writing a letter or just in need of meditation.

We all know when we share songs and stories we keep memories alive. Rick Lee, thank you for all your music. You will be missed by so many.

Until tomorrow.

Rick Lee

Mary Poppins appeared fifty years ago today.

Mary Poppins

By the time Mary Poppins appeared on the big screen I was in grade school! There were four children then, and I was the oldest. (Two more children would join us shortly!) It must have been a big event for parents as the premiere was actually in the middle of a school day.

I remember the office calling down to my classroom to tell me my mom was there to pick me up for an appointment. I didn't even know about this appointment and had the fear of God that it was the dentist!

My mom signed me and my siblings out of school and put her index to her lips to signal shhhing! We didn't have any idea was was going to happen until she put us in the car and told us we were meeting our dad at the movies.

Absolutely unheard of! Talk about supercalifragilisticexpealidocious (there did I spell it correctly?) It was the best school day of my life.

Needless to say we (the Saylor children and all children of the world) learned all the songs. We had a small theatre room in our house so we could rehearse and sing all the shows and we presented Mary Poppins over and over again.

I do not remember math or science or much else, but I remember getting out of school and going to the theatre with my family to see Mary Poppins.

Happy fifty years to America's sweetheart.

October campfire in August???

Campfire in Indianapolis!

The Fringe ends, and I cannot get enough of it. My last show was yesterday at 3:00 with a lovely audience. I had a late lunch with a friend to discuss the possibility of another new show, and then I attended one more. Without counting, I know I attended over 25 shows besides doing my own and spending time with friends in the pub until the wee hours of the morning.

 

Still I could not go home. By 9:00 last evening five storytellers gathered to participate in the filming of a documentary featuring ghost stories. I was thrilled to be invited, but last night in Indiana was not the night for a campfire. It was exceedingly warm (hot!!) and we were dressed in Autumn clothing such as boots, jackets, scarves, etc. One of the film makers kept us supplied in paper towels to absorb the huge amounts of sweat while Ellen kept us supplied in cold beer.

 

We finished a little after 11:00 and were glad to reduce the clothing and get into air-conditioned cars. Luckily I was with Ellen as my car has no air-conditioning.

 

This morning was packing up and coming home. What a lovely drive it was and how nice to pull into my drive way. I was greeted by a blooming garden with sunglowers smiling everywhere. Ahhh...home.

 

Until tomorrow.

Fringe is fun, but my hometown is calling - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Fringe is fun, but my hometown is calling - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Good Morning! Today is my last post from the IndyFringe. I have two shows left and am filling in for one of the characters on "Jacked!" which should be quite fun as we have had no rehearsals.

The Fringe has been great fun, and it has also been the hottest week of the summer! Thank you for taking this journey with me. 

Just click on the above site for my weekly column. I thank all of you who joined me in Indy whether in the audience or in your thoughts. The above is the stage door...you know the old saying...six steps and a door and you are there.

Until Monday.

The Monuments Men

http://harvardmag.com/media/monuments_map.html

My days have been pretty low key while in Indianapolis. The Fringe shows do not start until six in the evening so I spend my days in my make-shift studio at Ellen's. 

Most of the time, I answer emails or work on proposals for storytelling. Some of my time is spent getting ready for my classes which begin next week at Trine University.

This year the composition classes are reading "The Monuments Men." This is also our county read, and my book club read for September.

The book is fascinating. Perhaps you have read the book or seen the movie with the same name. There is another movie that is wonderful, "Rape of Europa." I would like to suggest you see that one as well.

I must plead some of my ignorance when i say I did not know of these men and women until the book was brought to my attention. It is an amazing story of their grit and determination to save and bring home the art work of Europe. Some of it is still missing.

I have copied off the interactive map at the top, we shall see if that works or not. 

Please take it on my recommendation to read this book. Let me know what you think.

"The Monuments Men" written by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter

"Hoosier Roots" receives a four star rating!! Yippee!!

2014 IndyFringe Festival Review Guide

I must say I am a little giddy this morning after the reviews have come out. I am so happy that my show received four stars in the Nuvo review. I know I shouldn't be that much into reviews, but we, the artists, must be. To read the review of my show and others, please click on the above festival review guide.

Nervously, nervously (sounds so like Poe, doesn't it?), we wait and wait for the reviews to come out. They seriously can make or break a show.

I have had several other reviews as well so I am happy with the overall ratings of my show. My audience attendance has not been high so that has me a bit worried, but my show times have been quite strange. Hopefully the attendance will pick up this weekend as I have three more shows yet to go. My show times are listed on the side of this post.

If you come to Indy or are in the area, please come see my show. See the other shows as well. There are so many great ones.

OK, now on to the happy dance!

The Quiet Within Us...

I loved spending a day at home. It was quiet and reflective and the kind of day I needed before heading back to the IndyFringe.

My gardens called to me, and I went outside. I practiced all my homesteading skills...watered my garden using the water from the rain barrel, checked my compost heap, picked tomatoes and zinnias, hung out laundry, and built a campfire under the stars. What more could a person really want?

Well, apparently, I do want more as I am now loading the car and heading to Indy. I hope you get a chance to catch my show. The review from Nuvo will be out this morning, and I am, in fact nervous. But here is another review that just came out that I love:

 http://www.indyfringetalk.org/2014/08/back-land-hoosier-roots/

Until tomorrow.