Thoughts on Monday...

Hi folks,

It looks like I took a couple of days off (OK, I actually did take a couple of days off), but I was working in Indianapolis.

I have been researching and writing the story of the Charley Creek Inn for several months now and the premiere show was Saturday evening at Indiana Landmarks in Indianapolis. I was thrilled and honored to be the host and storyteller for this event which was sponsored by Indiana Landmarks and Storytelling Arts of Indiana.

I love the history, the research and the crafting of the piece as well. If you were there, thank you so much. It was so good to see familiar faces in the audience with you wishing me well.

The truth is, I love performing and telling stories. It is what makes my blood flow, my brain clear and my imagination come alive. It is good to be passionate about one's work. As I wrote a few weeks ago, I do believe that doing good work in all that we do can save the world. It doesn't matter how we choose to save the world, just do it.

Yesterday I spent with Ellen catching up on the stories of our lives. Today was spent at Smokey Row Elementary School with 700 children! We had a great day.

Tomorrow, I have poetry passage for you and back on schedule.

As always, thank you for celebrating art, poetry, music, storytelling and for being a friend, a reader, and a listener to me!

Lou Ann

March Madness!

I am interested in basketball, somewhat, at least during the March Madness. (Oh, I am of course hoping for I.U. I mean, I am a Hoosier and Adam graduated from I.U.) I also watch the Superbowl and love the World Series. Maybe one of these days I will actually get a REAL team and follow them through!!

However, my March Madness is my show the Charley Creek Inn, Window over Wabash. I eat, breath, think 1920!

I would love to see you in the audience on Saturday night at the Cook Theatre in Indianapolis!

This show is a commissioned piece by Indiana Landmarks, Storytelling Arts of Indiana, The Historical Society and the Charley Creek Inn Foundation!

Here are a few photos of my own March Madness!!

Comment note..

Good Morning! Just a note that many comments are not showing up on the blog. I apologize for this and I am not sure how to fix it. I want you to know that I love your comments, thank you for them. It is always good to know that words and photos are not just lost up in cyberspace. Thank you for picking them up out of the air and bringing them into your thoughts.
Lou Ann

Poetry Passage: Daffodils by William Wordsworth and a few other tidbits!

Today's Poetry Passage features the lovely poem, Daffodils, by William Wordsworth. Wordsworth was one of my Dad's favorite poets as well as mine.

I was out picking daffodils from the community garden this afternoon and making bouquets for friends. Using old vases and with copies of the poem in hand, I spent the afternoon sharing these lovely flowers leaving them on kitchen tables, doorsteps, teachers work stations...it was a nice way to spend a beautiful day.

The gardens in Angola are spear-headed by Bob Caywood who is a master gardener. I thank him for all his work and love of the earth. Enjoy the photos and the poem at the end.  Happy Spring!

Daffodils

By William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,-

A host of golden daffodils

Beside the lake, beneath the trees

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I, at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

Happy First Day of Spring!

Art Out My Window...

I have a guest photographer this week! I saw this wonderful artistic photograph on Facebook last week and asked permission to share for my Monday blog.

The photo was taken during the full moon last weekend by Ken Oguss. Ken is a storyteller, writer, photographer, recording artist and a great cook as well!

Thanks for the use of your wonderful photo!

Looking closely at the photo, you can almost see the man in the moon. This reminds me of a wonderful Irish riddle that I read in a book, "Moon Penny," which was collected by Bill Meek.

Maybe you would like to share with your children at bedtime tonight, or even trying to bring them indoors to think about going to bed! I know they children in my neighborhood stay outside until the first stars of twilight!

The Man in the Moon

The man in the moon

Looked out of the moon,

Looked out of the moon and said:

'It's time for all children

That live down below

To think about going to bed!'

The Turtle Garden

Every once in a while the thought of returning to a small farm is enough to put the house up for sale! I realize that working a small family farm is probably too much for just one person so I put away the idea. So, I often think of how to turn my small yard into that farm that I so miss?

This year I have a few new ideas to keep me from searching the list of farms for sale. I am thinking of a new herb garden, adding asparagus and rhubarb to the garden mainstays and how about a few raised beds? Without sufficient building knowledge I looked around my yard to see what I already had.

Hmmm....the turtle sandbox caught my eye. I bought this when Matthew and Jonah were small. They have spent lots of hours with neighborhood children playing in this tiny sandbox. Holly and Brianna only visit in the winter, so they never even enjoyed it!

On Saturday we took a neighborhood vote...can we get rid of the sandbox for a raised bed?? It was unanimous to turn it into a giant tossed salad!

With the help of the kids I transformed the small play area into a great big turtle garden! We took out the sand, cut holes in the bottom for drainage, filled it up with good manure and top soil, and planted lettuce and spinach.

We were just in time as the soft gentle spring rain came this morning.

In the weeks to come, I will keep you posted on this interesting success.

Maybe you have an old kid's swimming pool you could convert as well. I say we grow as much food as we can this summer and save a few $$$$ at the grocery store. Of course, supporting our local farmer's market is the next best way!

Here are a few photos of our project!

This week's column...Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Click here for my St. Paddy's Day column! Enjoy!

Piper Mark Gropp and me!

Jonah learning the pipes!

Matthew helping out with the concertina!