Saturday, March 25, 2006

Signing off for a few days...

Just a note for my faithful blog readers...I will be traveling to Portland, Oregon to spend time with Abe and Kristin. Philip also will be joining us on Monday evening...so I'll close out the blog for a bit. Lots new stories when I return!

Thursday, March 23, 2006

The Week in Review

I vow to write everyday...I vow to work out every day...and here it is Thursday.

The night after do-si-do..it was donning the grass skirt and fake flowers in my hair for the Student Council Hawaiian Luau. This is our first year for a student council. It has, needless to say, been interesting. We go day by day figuring it out...the kids are excited about projects and ideas and my good friend and colleague, Erin, and I just raise our eyebrows. But the luau was a great idea..we earned lots of money, gave the kids a great social experience. The gym was transformed into seashells and beach balls and music by the Beach Boys (they wanted Destiny's Child, but who is THAT?)

The fact is, I love teaching and spending time with the kids...yes I get home late every day, check messages, plan for the next day and slip under the covers for eight hours (yea, right) and start all over.

Today's schedule? Auditions for Romeo and Juliet (they are fifth graders, no kissing please, they asked!)...a full day of classes, an after school Cinema Film Festival and then on the road for stories of another kind to another audience tomorrow.

So, I'll grab my overnight bag, turn off the heat, smile knowing I have the best job in the world.

Lou Ann

Monday, March 20, 2006

Cowboy hats and a do-si-do!

It seems as if I wear a number of hats (it is a good thing this is a metaphoric term as my house would not hold them all)...

Tonight is no exception as I have become the square dance and line dance caller for our mother/son hoe down...OK, I have taught a few dances, so I guess I was a natural to ask...or is it because I always stay late anyway...or because I never say no. I would like to hope that I have been asked because who else calls all of these dances in these here parts!!

So, with jeans and flannel shirt...bandanna in hair...I have the beginnings of a new career..or maybe just an entertaining way to spend a Monday night.

Whatever the case...grab your favorite honey and promenade her all the way home!!


Lou Ann Homan is a writer, teacher, and storyteller who lives in Angola, Indiana. She is available for writing seminars, storytelling, and speaking engagements. She can be contacted at locketoftime@aol.com. You can read more at www.louannhoman.com

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Dracula on a winter's night...

The wind howled through the late dark winter trees as wispy shadows crossed the remnants of the full moon as we sat around a roaring fire discussing Dracula.

We spent the first part of the evening having dinner at the Potawattami Inn at Pokagon State Park, a new venue for us. The dining room was quiet except for the eight of our voices often speaking at the same time...gossip, authors...other books. (We were forbidden to speak of THE BOOK until we finished coffee and were cozily sitting around the fire). Finally we could wait no longer and retreated to the foyer. With dim lights we curled up into large leather chairs which we had pulled close to the fire and opened up our dog-eared copies of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

The premise of the book is the hunt for Dracula and his grave. Of course believing in Vampires and things that go bump in the night would help the imagination of this tale. The story is woven between time periods and different lives....from the time of Dracula to the present time. In between the story line was a great deal of culture and history of Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria. While discussing this book in the darkness of night in front of a roaring fire, it was difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction. But then again, maybe there is no difference. The book was fascinating although there were a few places (about two-thirds through) that you just wanted it to be over, find and kill Dracula and move on!!

I'll not give away the ending in case you will be reading it yourself...but let's say, we all saw the ending in a new light and we left looking over our shoulders. Events actually happened on the drive home to several of our members. You read the book for yourself! We ended up giving the book four stars out of five (quite a disagreement over that one as well!!)

Our next read is the controversial, A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey. OK, so it didn't all happen to him, but what a great imagination. Why not read along with us?

Until next time,
This is Maggie Mae from the Page Turners


Lou Ann Homan is a writer, teacher, and storyteller who lives in Angola, Indiana. She is available for writing seminars, storytelling, and speaking engagements. She can be contacted at locketoftime@aol.com. You can read more at www.louannhoman.com

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Haiku for a late winter's day...

falling, pelting rain
match the beating of my heart
dripping small droplets

cloudbursts of glitter
drifts into the tallest treees
I so want to fly

I come and I go
from deepest winter to spring
Metamorphosis


Lou Ann Homan is a writer, teacher, and storyteller who lives in Angola, Indiana. She is available for writing seminars, storytelling, and speaking engagements. She can be contacted at locketoftime@aol.com. You can read more at www.louannhoman.com

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Of Beads and Thread and Things that are Nice...

This afternoon I sauntered down to the small, tucked in-out-of-the-way "hippie shop." (Or so I call it!)

I love visiting this shop...it is full of hemp dresses...patchouli soaps....lavender incense...bumper stickers...sandals...and beads...hundreds of kinds of beads. If you were to walk into Sticks and Stones, you would know the owner, Sandy, right away. She blends into the shop with her long dresses, jewelry, hair pulled back with a silk band and her knowledge.

On Sunday afternoons she gives lessons on making jewelry with her beads. Today was the day that I decided to give it a try. Alright, I chose an easy project. I wanted to replace the wrap around bracelet that I have worn for six years ago. It was given to me by a gentleman. He bought it in Brazil and left it in a velvet pouch on my doorknob. I fell in love with the bracelet right away and have never taken it off! I have to admit though that wearing something for six years on your wrist does tend to get a little ratty! So, today I made a wonderful new bracelet with lots of colorful glass beads.

There were six of us in the class all working diligently on our own projects...braclets, necklaces, earrings...coffee brewed and was served in china cups and saucers (hippie girls DO NOT use styrofoam!) We were of all ages getting to know one another and by the time my bracelet was done, I felt I had new friends! I had to cut off the old bracelet and I asked for a toast and a drumroll (I mean, I did wear it for six years!!!) and ceremoniously I cut it off and wove the new shiny one around my wrist. We all applauded my efforts.

I paid for my beads, gave a farewell to my new friends and walked home just as the sun was setting. I took off my gloves a few times just to let the light catch the color fo the beads.

New beads. New friends. How much nicer can a day get?

Lou Ann Homan is a writer, teacher, and storyteller who lives in Angola, Indiana. She is available for writing seminars, storytelling, and speaking engagements. She can be contacted at locketoftime@aol.com. You can read more at www.louannhoman.com

Congratulations Trine!!

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