Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Blue Moon

It is late and dark here on my quiet, lonely street. I have just finished my article for the paper and just couldn't help but writing a few words about it.



Tonight (at midnight) we usher in the Blue Moon, the second full moon of the month. I have been waiting quite a while for this Blue Moon and I believe (really I do)...that my third grandchild will be born tonight. Abe and his wife live in Portland and this is their first baby. I have thought all along it would be a Blue Moon baby although they have scoffed at the idea. But now...well, even Abe talked to the midwife about it yesterday.


It is late after midnight as I sit with my candles as I usher in this unique, beautiful moon.

A glass of wine and a toast to the new baby and the Blue Moon.
Lou Ann


Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana. When she is home at the White Picket Gardens you can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Memorial Day and Dawdling Children

It is early and I am on my small porch enjoying early coffee and the beginning of the day.


Memorial Day in my small town was of typical proportion. I attended a pot lunch picnic at noon with family...well, extended family I should add, although Aaron and Karen and the boys were there!! They (the boys) swam, we cooked out and shared stories. There was a WWll war veteran there, a friend of mine, and his wife. It was good to see them and hear what he has to say. Their son also served in Vietnam.


In the afternoon it was the typical sounds of Memorial Day here...mowers, tillers, children. I myself was caught up in the frezy, mowing and cleaning. I had ordered 2000 sunflower seeds, now I just don't know where to put them!? I passed them out to neighbors. We will become a Tuscany Village here!


By late afternoon we all seemed to meander at my neighbor's house...folks began appearing, then bringing chairs, then bringing food. Lee then built a campfire and we roasted hot dogs and ate what was leftover in everyone's refrigerator. It was a great spontaneous evening. We told old neighborhood stories. The children played and ran and ate hot dogs on the grass. It was lovely and charming, a perfect Memorial Day. No one went home until dark.


This morning early I received an email from my Uncle Dean who served in WWll. He wrote a long narrative about the wars, past and present. I would love to share it with anyone who drops me a line. Thank you Uncle Dean.


As for this morning, I am watching the school children go off to school. The twins next door (in first grade) are dawdling....picking up sticks, rocks, kicking something (the sidewalk??)...the last week of school for this small town. Oh, how they don't want to me there! (And I am talking about the teachers!!)


Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana. When she is home at the White Picket Gardens you can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Bats in the Belfry

Once a year he returns...THE BAT...

I was awakened at 4:30 in the a.m. by a swishing, twishing (?) sound...alas, alas I found myself eye to eye, face to face with a swoopin' poopin' bat in my bedroom. I immediately tore the sheet off my bed to cover the whole of me (minus the eyes) and watched his activities. I was soon brave enough to get up (still holding the sheet) and flipping on all of the light switches in the house. He was already put to bed hiding as the dawn was breaking. All day I thought of the bat..and it was a busy day with the ending of the school year, two celebration parties and then back home to the bat. I decided to organize a posse' of the neighborhood. Lee came with his golf club, the boys next door with brooms, Karen with her butterfly net, and I? My sheet. We tore the house apart looking for HIM. He did not show up until all had left and the last light went out for sleep. At 11:30 he began his swoopin' poopin' excersizes in my room again. Under the sheet I called Karen. She bounded over with her net and caught the little devil. I must admit he was mean looking and had sharp teeth. But all is well, she let him go, I went back to sleep, and the world is a little safer with Karen in charge.

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana. When she is home at the White Picket Gardens you can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

One Candies...

I was in Border's the other night buying graduation gifts and cards and drooling (well, not quite) over all the books I should read and own.) I did resist the temptation and just bought for those on my list. As I was checking out, I happen chanced on a chocolate truffle. I bought one, even though it was three for one dollar. The clerk, in an grammatically incorrect voice, replied, ahh, yes, one candies. We both laughed. I thought about what she said. One Candies. A great novel title or a poem or as in rating the day....She told me I could have the title to do with what I wanted. All I can think to do at this point is write this blog.



We are deep into the heat in Indiana...the last week of school...sports events...cleaning our rooms..and trying to survive this last week. Tomorrow the kids leave and we send them off on their farewell with our squirt guns as we line up in the drive up. Lovely thoughts for a small, lovely school.

So, could that be One Candies left???

Lou Ann



Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Early morning sun and moon...

It was early this morning that I toured my garden...fresh and green and cool. It was early dawn. I looked up to the sky to the waning moon. As I did so the first streaks of early morning cast it's rays upon the edge of the moon and it shone in silver. I stood starring at this beautiful phenomena until it passed.

"Will there really be a morning?
Is there such a thing as day?
Could we see it from the mountains
If I were as tall as they?"
Emily Dickinson
Lou Ann
Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana. When she is home at the White Picket Gardens you can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

May Day

Today is May Day and I am reflective on celebrating it as a child. I remember dancing around the May Pole at my elementary school and making cones and filling them with candy for folks in my neighborhood. For most of us the day comes and passes without a second thought, although the kindergarden teacher just came to me and asked about the day. "I think it is special, but I don't know why." I love sharing my thoughts and my knowledge about things long lost...so next year I imagine there will be a may pole in her classroom.

As for me? Tonight Jonah and Matthew and I will make cones, fill them with candy and deliver them to neighbors!

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola, Indiana which is nestled in the hills of Northern Indiana. When she is home at the White Picket Gardens you can find her gardening or writing late into the night under the light of her frayed scarlet lamp. She is a storyteller, a teacher, a writer, an actress and a collector of front porch stories

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