A funeral takes a look into my own past.

This week's column...a good read for a winter's day. (Click here)

Today is a cold winter's day here in the Midwest. We call each other to see what we can do today...movies? In my small town our two theaters (each built in 1932) are showing Lincoln, Les Mis, and Life of Pi. All three are academy award nominees and films I want to see. Today, I think it will be Lincoln. We, my friends and I, will wear our warmest clothes and walk down to the circle to spend the afternoon.

Days and nights like this bring out all the quilts for the beds. All the beds in my house are covered with quilts from my great-grandmother Chloe.

The one in the photo is one of my favorites. I love this quilt along with the others. (There is another one of her quilts on the chair by the curtains.)

So, let's tie together this week's column and the photo.

As always, thanks for reading.

Lou Ann

Chloe's Quilt

Bristling Old Man

Dear Friends,

A few weeks before Christmas I was notified that I had placed first runner up after the first three runner ups for a poem I submitted to the Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs. (?)

I had to read the letter a couple of times, and even though it actually meant I was fourth runner up, I got a nice letter from the society.

I love writing poetry and have an entire portfolio entitled "Knocking on a Glass Table." Maybe someday I will actually have them put into book form.

As for now I may just sprinkle them into my writing here and there.

So for this cold, snowy Monday in the Midwest here is my fourth runner up poem!

 

Bristling Old Man

 



Bristling old man

Caressing your newspaper

Like a lover

Sensually turning pages as if they were

Locks of hair.

 

Green is your color, old man

For when you put her down,

Someone else will pick her up

And she won't even remember you,

Bristling Old Man.

 

Lou Ann Homan

 

 

Upon watching a homeless man in a hotel in Indianapolis, sitting alone day after day.

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme....

Rosemary in my parlor

 

 

The weather in Indiana has been unusual this week. I arrived home to fields of snow and slippery streets. However, within a week all changed. The fishermen brought in their buckets and poles, the skaters hung up the skates, and the sleds are strewn in front yards and in mud rooms.

 

Yesterday was  the "January thaw" day that we often get in mid-winter. Everyone was outside...some in tank tops (well, it wasn't that warm), others on bikes, some strolling the neighborhood, and others perusing the gardens.

 

I am a gardener by nature, and by my grandmother Luella. Wearing my old rubber boots, jeans, and a ragged sweatshirt I was able to gain access to all the muddy gardens. I took note of things needing to be done. The raspberry cains need pruning as to the apple trees and my crab apple trees. My "white picket garden" fencing looked a bit forlorn as well, needing Tom Sawyer's hand at painting.

 

Needless to say, it is too early for all of that. When I strolled over to the herb beds I was rewarded with fresh parsley, thyme, sage and beautiful rosemary. Usually by now it is all dead and covered with snow. The ground was not frozen around the rosemary so I was able to actually dig up part of the plant and repot.

 

Rosemary is a great scent in the house and nicely replaces the pine which I finally took outside as well. My old Christmas tree is nestled by my bird feeders, gardens closed up once again as winter will return tonight. Welcome back Winter...we really need you!

 



This week's column...saying farewell to our holiday trip...

Philip and I at my mom's wedding!

 

 

Click here for this week's column...saying farewell to the Holiday trip....


Dear Friends,

This month has been wonderful, hasn't it? Traveling to Eastern
Europe and England with Philip has been a dream for me. Actually Philip and I talked about going to Prague on our first date 11 years ago.
It was raining that night and Philip arrived at the rental cottage with umbrella in hand, and we walked through the village on our date.

We had dinner at the Back Porch with Amy as our server. I was, as you can imagine, a bit nervous. Well, all girls are nervous on first dates especially when the daughter is the server.

After dinner we sat up and talked in the tree house behind the Village Craftsmen. I had told him I always wanted to go to Prague. With the rain pouring down, Philip leaned over and said, "Now let's go to Prague."

It took us a few years to get there, but time is fluid.

Thank you for following our trip, listening to our tales, watching the videos. (I still have so many to post!!)

I guess it is time to move on to poetry and storytelling and teaching for me.

I appreciate your readership, stay tuned, life is interesting.

As for now, farewell to this wonderful holiday. Enjoy the column. It is a bit serendipitous.

Lou Ann

The Dancing Man in Prague...

Dear Friends,

The streets and bridges of Prague and Budapest are full of folks singing or dancing or even selling cotton bras! I dropped many a coins into coffers in the shapes of guitar cases, tin cans and even a McDonald's cup.

On our last night in Prague we were just walking the streets feeling a bit sad as we would be leaving that wonderful city in the morning. All of a sudden we came across a man dancing in the streets. (Please notice the cobblestone!) We watched for a while and then, as he kept dancing, I decided to take out the camera. It was delightful and sent us on our way to Hungary!

There was no can, guitar case, or a McDonald's cup for coins, he was dancing for the sheer joy.

Can we find this man?

Enjoy and smile away your morning as you watch The Dancing Man in Prague!!

Lou Ann

Ode to English writers...

Last summer my mom emailed me a photo of the above pub. I knew that I had to see it in person, so last week Dick drove all of us to the site. It was a rainy morning and I jumped out of the car (along with Philip who took the photo) so that I could definitely have this picture!

I love poetry and quote it often, but being in England was so spectacular for my literary sense. I began to feel kin to EB Browning, Dickens, The Bronte Sisters, Hopkins, and well, yes, Shakespeare!

My mom had asked me to read a poem for her wedding, and at the reception I read Sonnet number XII from "Sonnets From the Portuguese" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. (If you go find it you may understand why I read it at her wedding.)

A few days later in an old bookstore, Philip found a book of Browning's poetry. This book was titled "Mrs. Browning," which was very unusual. He bought this as a gift to me.

I love this book. Maybe it is what will get me through this Indiana winter while we are apart.

So, another part of our trip, poetry in England.

The Wedding!

Click here for the wedding story in England! Enjoy!

Dear Friends,

So here is the most romantic story of 2012, at least I think so. Read the above article and enjoy!

As always, thanks for following our Holiday trip...more of poets tomorrow!

Lou Ann

The day before the wedding...such fun!

A bird's eye view of England....

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

 

Here we are in England staying with my Mom and Dick. We have been busy every day so not much time to write, although lots of photos.

 

We are staying in the small village of Tupton and traveling each day with a rental car as Dick's vehicle is too small for the six of us.

 

My brother and his wife Grace arrived Saturday evening as did we.

 

So here you go with a lovely view of England. As always, thanks for watching and reading.

 

Tonight I hope to write about my reflections of British poets and authors, until then, we are on the road again.

 

Lou Ann

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Christmas Evening in Budapest with the Gipsy Band!

Dear Friends,

Again we keep traveling on our journey. Today's column has just come out in the paper so please click on at the bottom for the column. It has been great fun writing back and forth with my editor about my trip.

Here is a video of our Christmas Evening in Budapest with the Gipsy Band! The column will explain it all!

We are off to London this a.m. for a week in England with my mum! It will be a wonderful week and another adventure!

Lou Ann

 

The Gipsy Band at the Black Raven Restaurant on Christmas Day.

 

 Click here for this week's column...Christmas in Budpest and visiting the Hungarian cousins!

 

The Blue Danube River

Dear Friends,

When I was a little girl my dad and I would play the song, The Blue Danube. It is a wonderful waltz tune. I have been on the Danube before when I was in college and traveling in Europe, the way it should be done...no money and one train ticket!

Yesterday Philip and I climbed up (no, we did not take the bus) Gellert Hill where Bishop Gellert (years past) was rolled down that hill into the Danube for trying to bring Christianity to Budapest. He was dead upon his arrival into the river.

Here is a photo of the Danube River from part way up Gellert Hill.

So, we are now packing, having our last breakfast in Budapest in our little flat and flying off to England for yet another adventure! Stay tuned!

Lou Ann

The Blue Danube River

Sorry for all this space below....couldn't get rid of it!






















































Lou

Photos from Prague and Budapest

Dear Friends,

I have taken hundreds of photos and have memories and stories for a lifetime. It is difficult to find time to post while enjoying everything, but I do like you coming along with us. Here are just a few photos and a fun video from the trip. I imagine I will be posting about this trip for another month! As always, thanks for following us. I hope your Christmas was joyful!

Lou Ann



I took this photo on Christmas Day evening. It was foggy all day so all my photos are gray. But in the evening we were walking at dusk back to St. Matyas Church, and I thought it was so stunning. It almost doesn't look real! This was in Budapest.

Everywhere we go there is hot wine...on street corners, in shops, outside of restaurants (help yourself kind of deal), so we always stop. Here we are on Christmas Day at the Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest trying to get warm!

This is the top of of another church! I didn't have to convert to black and white, that is the color of the sky! Budapest.

Philip took this photo of me at the entrance of the Charles Bridge in Prague. I have noticed that all the photos of us look like we have gained the 10 pounts of Eastern Europe travel. I think it is due to layers of clothing and pastport/money bags hanging around our necks under our winter coats!

 

This is a church in Mor in Hungary. This has been the ONLY morning that we have seen blue skies for the entire time. Ah, the sun does shine in Easter Europe.

 

Musicans on The Charles Bridge in Prague.

 

Christmas Eve in Budapest

Click here for this mid-week column!

There was an extra column this week for my newspapers back home. This one is the story of Christmas Eve in Budapest.

So much more to write about and add photos, but as for now we are heading off to the village of Pustavam for a day or two.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

When we return I will add photos and the story of Christmas here, but to give you a hint, it involves gypsy musicians!

As always, thanks for reading.
Lou Ann

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone from Lou Ann and Philip in Eastern Europe. We wish you many stories and memories this Christmas.

Christmas tree in the Old Town Square in Prague