First Grade to the Planetarium

The warm spring has turned into a misted land of soft moss green. It was the perfect day for taking children on a field trip.

Now this just wasn't any field trip...but a well-planned and thought out field trip. My first graders (I introduce the humanities to all ages at school) spent the winter writing in their moon journals. We made them at school, decorated them with stars and stickers and I sent them home with a note about this being a family project. Each night before bed, they were to go outside with a parent and draw, sketch, paint or write about the moon. We studied the phases of the moon, the planets and constellations.

Meanwhile we did a family history study using recipes. We collected these from grandparents, even great-grandparents and turned them into books to sell to earn money for the planetarium. Thus this field trip was born.

We went to Prairie Heights for our field trip, sat in the beautiful planetarium and let the stories of mythology and moon cycles carry us away for an hour. The kids were delighted, and it was evident in their occasional sigh or 'wow.'

We stopped for ice cream on the way home, and that was just as exciting for them.

It is always good when a plan comes together.

Lou Ann

The Week Ends and the Beginning of Earth Week

Dear Friends,

So the week comes to an end...whew...it has been a busy one with school (photography, murder mysteries, play practice!), shows on the road including a great gypsy tea party at the Fremont Library. (Pictures will soon be on the web site!)

I also participated in the annual Earth Day celebration at Wing Haven. It is one of many nature conservancies in Indiana. Wing Haven is just a stones throw away from my house at White Picket Gardens and I attend every year.

It is fun in a small town where you know everyone and spend way too much time talking and visiting, but we love it anyway. I came home with two Pawpaw trees. (They advised two!) I hope to be planting them today even with the rain. Here are some lovely photos from the day.

Also last evening was the production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Those photos and story are on my other blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.com.

Hope you week end has been as fun as mine!

Lou Ann

Too fabulous to miss!!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=79631933161&h=njFl6&u=zKrBl&ref=nf

Let me know what you think!! I just wept when it was over.

Lou Ann

Easter Morning Sunrise

It is such a lovely day in Northern Indiana. Spring is slow in coming, but I like seeing it spread inch by inch. It was the perfect morning to go to Pokagon State Park for an early morning Easter walk. It was still chilly enough for a scarf and warm jacket, but I left the gloves at home! With Fred Wooley's binoculars (he led the hike) and my camera, I was more than ready for the early hike. We saw over 30 species of birds and most were singing away in the morning shadows.

For an hour and a half we enjoyed the holiness of nature on this Holiday. If you haven't been to Pokagon for a while, you need to get a pass and spend some great quality time there.

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

My hometown at dusk.

On Wednesday evening I participated in Take Back the Night, a nationwide event against sexual violence. (See this week's column in the Herald!!) The moon was so beautiful rising over the Herald Republican, and I had forgotten to take my camera. So, Kathy and I went walking at 8 last night to wait for the full time to rise for a photo shoot. We walked around the square so many times I thought the police would pull me over for questioning, except I know all of them and they know me, so alas.

I took this photo while waiting for the moon to rise. I think it is a spectacular picture of my hometown at dusk. It was good I took the photo as the sky grew cloudy and covered the beautiful full moon. I never did get that picture, but then again photography is often about surprises!

A little trivia from The Farmer's Almanac. The April Moon is also known as the Pink Moon referring to the wild ground phlox cover that is the first of the wild flowers to bloom. It is also known as Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon and Fish Moon.

Whatever you call it, I hope you were able to see it from your little spot in the world!

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

Ping Pong Tournament

It was a great way to end the week end! After performances and events and script writing, it was great to have dinner (pot luck) at Lee's and pair off for the weekly ping pong tournament.

Lee moved out his dining room table this winter thus paving the way for the neighborhood tournaments. There is much laughter and camaraderie as we pass that little ball back and forth. Who knew we were all so competitive??? (laughter here!)

Dinner was great, conversation always stimulating at these pot lucks and the cheering section brought life to this event. A little like Wimbledon??

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

Too wonderful not to pass on.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6b9bMBXpg

Truly a great piece for the human spirit and soul!!

International Night at Trine

Last night was International Night at Trine University. It is the 41st annual event. The hallway of the student union building was full of displays, traditional foods and demonstrations.

I was able to take one of my sixth grade students from school to help out at the Japanese booth doing origami. We spent time with Japanese culture this year in one of my classes and she was a star who rose to the top actually teaching me about origami.

It was a family event as well as Lee drew caricatures, his girls roamed around, Mengting showed folks (and let them do experiment as well) their names. I took photos most of the time waiting for someone to come to storytelling, but it wasn't exactly the most quiet venue for that art form!

The evening culminated with a wonderful program with students from 19 countries sharing music, dance, and well done film pieces. The last piece of the program was a performance of the Chinese lion dance. It was absolutely fascinating and represents good luck in Chinese culture. I spent time talking with the men after the performances as they shared the history of this dance and their day time jobs as well...teacher, principal, architect, etc.

The evening didn't close until midnight as several of us sat around sharing stories of the evening and emptying a bottle or two of wine.

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

With a do-si-do...

It was the first day back after Spring Break and the first day to teach dance to the fifty some little first graders. They knew it was coming. We talked about it all year, yet when the today arrived, they were all a little squeamish. I mean, the thought of touching a girl (or a boy) is really too much.

My colleague and friend in crime/dance, Roy, and I sat them down on the gym floor. We talked about respect. I mean what if I pulled my sleeve down over my hand so I wouldn't really have to touch a boy? We talked about the proper way to ask a boy/girl to dance with one hand extended and a little bowing added in. (Are we teaching chivalry here?)

With the speech finally over, we had a group of 8 pave the way by demonstrating for the first grade what we wanted. They made the first square, bowed to their partners, their corners and learned how to circle up and do-si-do.

We had the whole first grade do-si-doing before the period was up. We never did get to music...that will come next week. Now we shall just wait and see how many will be absent next Monday?

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.com.

Earth Hour and The Game of Love and Chance...

Saturday night
Earth Hour

By 7:00 in the evening, I shut off all the lights in my cozy house including the small little window lights and gently soften the midnight hour. I wanted to participate in this event right along with the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge!

The only problem awaiting was the fact that I was leaving during the appropriate time. After shutting down the electricity, I picked up my umbrella and walked to Trine for the spring drama of The Game of Love and Chance. The event was held in the small Wells Theatre seating a hundred of so.

I took a seat in the front row leaving the duo seats for couples. (Does everyone come in couples these days??)

The show was wonderful including the open windows that boasted the oncoming storm and rattled the old windows.

I was so close that my knees were actually touching the stage! After giving my congratulations to the cast and crew, I took to the darkened streets.

I arrived home to a very dark house. I lit a few candles, took a photo or two and decided that the hour was past (well, it was almost ten) and turned on the lights. The evening gave way to heavy storms during the night which did, indeed, blink those lights a few times, but sleep finally gave way.

Today the snow covers my crocuses, but alas, tomorrow the sun will shine.

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.com.

Mama Mia!

On everyone's last night here in Texas we pulled out the movie, Mama Mia. It was a great way to end the week with singing and carrying on. Even Dad was energized by the film.

It has been a great week, one that we will remember for years to come. Above is my niece, Claire, on the left, and my sister, Lee. Of course, my Dad is the guy jiving in the middle.

Family visits are so much fun.

Lou Ann

Houston Family Events

So, I got up at 1:30 to leave Angola by 2:30 to catch a flight in Indy by 7:00. I cleaned house on Thursday evening with clean lavender sheets and decided to just sleep on the couch instead of getting the sheets dirty. It was just two hours anyway! Ahhh, to come home to clean sheets!

Not all of the family is here...we are spread out from coast to coast and Iraq, but how wonderful to see my sister, Lee, from Colorado and her family.

We have stayed up late telling stories, playing Scrabble, spending long hours over morning coffee and newspapers. I decided that on this Monday morning, though, I needed some office time to catch up with writing and contracts!

The weather is warm and balmy, although I didn't prepare for it as I just brought jeans and tee-shirts.

It is wonderful to be here to share these stories and have family sounds around me as I work.

Lou Ann

A Day in the Life of a Small Town and the Girl Who Lives Here

Yesterday was definitely a small town day. I took Karen, the boys and Mengting to lunch at the Deli. We had a great time sitting in the sunny window, visiting with friends, having a wonderful lunch together. It was such a lovely day that we just walked around the square, visitng the small shops, chatting with the shop keepers. We then hopped into the Jeep to go to Rural King, our favorite store! Farm boots were on clearance, and so I just couldn't help myself as I got a pair of great striped rubber boots for gardening. We also filled the cart with bird food and seeds for our garden. Jonah held and cuddled the baby chicks as Karen and I wished for a coop to put them in! Later on we visited the rummage sale to benefit WIT, Women in Transition. We picked up some long playing records, even though neither of us have a record player!!

By evening we picked up Kathy and made our way to the Angola Band Booster carnival to share hot dogs and pizza and watch the boys play games. I also got into the act as I tried my hand at the fish pond and won two fuzzy, purple hair ties! How did she know that was what I was looking for!

The girls came back and we watched Nights in Rodanthe, of which no one really liked. It was great fun, though, having girls night, again!

Today Mengting and I are off to Indianapolis for museums and storytelling. It is a lovely day for the trip! She has never been there so it will be fun for her!

Lou Ann