Interview from the top of the Castle!

Click here for my interview from on top of the castle!

I was invited to be in a movie which was filmed last Saturday at a lovely castle on a nearby lake. It was a really fun day and I loved, it even if my part was small. My editor from the Herald-Republican, Mike, came to watch and did a short interview with me from the top of the castle. It is actually on the Fort Wayne TV site as well as YouTube, but I can't find it, so this is the best I can do.

Take in mind it was very windy and it was just a bit of chatting, no script. This week's column will feature the story behind the filming. As always, thanks for reading/watching!

Ray Bradbury and "Dandelion Wine"

Dear Friends,

I have been thinking about the death of Rad Bradbury for a week now. He was such an amazing writer, thinker, and brought us all to a place we may not have gone.

Didn't we all read Fahrenheit 451 in college or even in high school?

I was not introduced to his book "Dandelion Wine" until I was a beginning storyteller. I attended the Hoosier Storytelling Festival, maybe 25 years ago?, and wanted to hear Carol Birch tells stories and speak on this wonderful new adventure that I thought might be mine someday. There were no seats left, but I bought a ticket anyway from Ellen Munds and sat on the floor at the feet of Carol.

She told pieces out of Bradybury's "Dandelion Wine" and I sat there weeping on the floor. The story was so rich, so unexpected.

Over the years I have owned many copies of the book, but ultimately gave them away to folks who do not own them. I wanted to take a photo of the book, but nonetheless, my bookshelves are void of this book, once again.

Word went out in my small town last week that I needed a bottle of homemade dandelion wine. A friend of mine rode up on his motorcycle on Saturday evening with his offering of homemade wine. Whereas it is not dandelion wine (it is actually a combination of pear, mango and apple), I was thrilled as you can imagine.

So, Ray, here's to you, a bottle of almost dandelion wine sitting in the summer sun on my front porch.

Enjoy the ride, wherever you are. We shall do the same.

Lou Ann

Art Out My Window..

Dear Friends,

Although this is not art out my own window...it is definitely art out the window of the spacecraft circling the  earth. The beauty is enhanced by the orange lights of cities and town, lightning storms, the Aurora Borealis as well as the coming of dawn which is every 90 seconds.

I think looking at a video like this puts us all in a place of not just awe, but in a place of reverence about the world we live in, the brief candle of our life, and the beauty that exceeds even our wildest imaginations.

Please watch from beginning to end and then just contemplate your own life for a few moments.

I believe our purpose is to give and receive joy in this life of ours. Do that today. As always, thanks for reading, receiving and sharing.

This is brought to us from the ISS (International Space Station.)

With much love,
Lou Ann

This week's column...enjoy!

Click here for this week's column!

This week's column is a circle of stories including the transit of Venus, the death of Ray Bradbury, and the Nookd story, of course.

As always, thank you for reading!

Tomorrow's blog will be a tribute to Ray Bradbury along with my own personal bottle of Dandelion Wine that was delivered by motorcycle to my door last evening!

Day lilies and Emily Dickinson

I took this photo early this morning in my garden, but the accompanying story is the reason for the photo.

Thomas Wentworth Higginson was a Renaissance man during Emily's lifetime. He was a minister, a women's rights activist and had a column in the Atlantic Monthly Journal.

Emily wrote to him periodically trying to get him to publish some of her poetry.   Finally he decided to meet with her in person. She greeted him wearing her traditional white dress with a blue shawl. She also carried two day lilies which she handed to Higginson saying, "These are my introduction."

Later that day Higginson wrote to his wife, "I never was with any one who drained my nerve power so much."

Quote taken directly from The Letters of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas H. Johnson printed by the Harvard University Press.

Have you been Nookd????

Have you been Nookd???

This appears to be the story of the day in newspapers all the country and with the techies involved in e-readers.

I gave Philip Howard a Nook for his birthday as he had been thinking it would be an easier way for him to read "War and Peace" by Tolstoy.

The Nooks were on sale so we bought one for each other. He was thrilled until he came across the word "kindled" in the story of "War and Peace". It had been replaced by the word Nookd.

Did someone have a great time doing this? Total mistake? Anyway, you can read his blog and check out the story on some news sites today and decide for yourself.

In the meantime, my Nook lives in the bottom drawer of my desk, I just can't make myself use it, I love real books just too much.

I think being Nookd is going to be in future dictionaries! It will also be featured today on NPR Marketplace.

Oh, I hear that the Nooks are now on sale? Could that all be due to Philip Howard?

Enjoy!

Art Out my Window...

This is the view out my kitchen window. I took it this morning as I set up my bread baking station before heading out on the road to do what I love most...oh, that is to tell stories! Everyone should have such a lovely view out their kitchen window! Maybe you could send me one of yours and I will post next Monday!

I collect all shapes of blue bottles for my windows and gardens, thanks to a southern custom made known to me by Kathryn Windham! Some of my neighbors have splashes of blue in their gardens as well!