Gather ye rosebuds...

In the 17th Century, the poet Robert Herrick penned these words:

Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may

Old time is still a flying.

And this same flower that smiles today

Tomorrow will be dying.

Ah, yes, the poem to the virgins to make the most of the day. So, once in a while something magnificent comes along to help Herrick along the way.

On Monday, June 20, we will be celebrating the Summer Solstice and the full moon in June (also known as the Strawberry Moon). Most of the folks who know me recognize the fact that I love the celebration of the Solstice whether it be summer or winter. I usually have a gathering or a campfire, and this year I am celebrating with both.

On Monday evening I will be having a solstice fire in my back yard. The event starts at 8:30 and runs until...well, until the faeries come out to play. Everyone is welcome as my garden gate swings wide.

Please bring a poem or a song or bring friendship. (It would also be handy to bring a chair as my supply is quite limited.) If you have rose petals, well, all the better! See you Monday evening at the House of the White Picket Gardens.

My campfire this past week!

Indiana artist T.C. Steele comes to life

Indiana artist T.C. Steele comes to life: The call came a year ago. “Hello, Lou Ann?”

And thus began a year long love affair for me. Here is the link to this week's column. I hope you enjoy it. Just click on the above first line or the title of the blog and it will take you right to the site!

This was the artist studio of T.C. Steele built in 1916.
My performance was in this space.

Here are a few photos from that great weekend...enjoy and, as always, thank you for reading!

Here are the four of us checking out the casita!

The afternoon also showcased the music of Amanda Biggs and Krista Detor

It was a beautiful day for a show.

Here I am locking up the casita after spending the night!

I took this photo on my Sunday morning walk around the property.

Open our eyes, hearts: today is the day...

Open our eyes, hearts: today is the day: It is graduation season. My mailboxes (both tangible and electronic) are full each day with invitations to parties and ceremonies. Each one, in turn, makes me think of my own graduating days.

Here is my great-nephew, Jake, at his graduation party!

My friend, Neriman, went for the both of us to Hailee's party!

Here is Brooklyn right after the awards program.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the link to this week's column. I think it is my commencement address. Enjoy, and thank you for reading! Just click on the above link.

Lou Ann

T.C. Steele

The Studio Centennial Party Is Tomorrow!

Saturday, June 4, 2016, 12:00-4:00pm

Rain or shine! Come celebrate the 100th birthday of Steele's Dream Studio! All programs will take place INSIDE the Large Studio. Regular tours of the House and Studio included in admission price but available on a special schedule: 9:15am, 10:15am, 11:15am, and 4:15pm.

Free to Friends of T.C. Steele State Historic Site and members of Indiana State Museum. All programs included with regular site admission for the general public.

Here's the schedule for the day:

12-1 pm, Storyteller Lou Ann Homan from Storytelling Arts of Indiana, sponsored by Indiana Historical Society, will share an original story about Steele, appropriate for all ages

1-2 pm, Cake and ice cream will be served

2-2:45 pm, Rachel Berenson Perry reads from and discusses her new introduction to The House of the Singing Winds

2:45-3:30 pm, Book signing and light reception for Rachel

3:30-4:00 pm, Amanda Biggs and Krista Detor perform songs from “The Breeze Bends the Grass,” sponsored by the Brown County Playhouse, the Duke Energy Foundation, and the Indiana Arts Commission and Brown County Community Foundation.

Veterans sacrifice so we might live free...

Veterans sacrifice so we might live free: The rake and hoe and packets of seeds fill my Jeep, and I head out to the community gardens to begin summer planting. It is my first visit, and I am excited to find my patch. I park the Jeep and head down the rows and find I am at the very end. I laugh out loud thinking I have been put down at the end because my pumpkin patch always spills onto other gardens.

Crosses on the mound in my hometown.

Here is the link to this week's column. I hope you enjoy it. Just click on the title or the first line and it will take you to the site. As always, thank you for reading, and don't forget to remember on Memorial Day.

Lou Ann

‘Lock your doors, Nannie’ ends with wonderful adventure

‘Lock your doors, Nannie’ ends with wonderful adventure: I pull down the red blinds, put “The Phantom of the Opera” on the CD player, and look at the letters and the newspaper clippings one at a time. (I always did like a flair for the dramatic!) In past days, Jonah and I scoured these letters even visiting the police station and the United States Post Office. “We think these are real,” they both said. Jonah (who also has a flair for the dramatic) says, “Lock your doors, Nannie.”

Letters, cards and the wooden box from the mysterious story!!

Here is the link to this week's column. I hope you enjoy it! It has been a marvelous adventure thanks to one of my theatre students, Brandy Shaw!! I do love a good mystery. Please just click on the above link and the story is yours!

Full moon on the Ohio River...