Tuesday, April 28, 2009

First Grade to the Planetarium

The warm spring has turned into a misted land of soft moss green. It was the perfect day for taking children on a field trip.

Now this just wasn't any field trip...but a well-planned and thought out field trip. My first graders (I introduce the humanities to all ages at school) spent the winter writing in their moon journals. We made them at school, decorated them with stars and stickers and I sent them home with a note about this being a family project. Each night before bed, they were to go outside with a parent and draw, sketch, paint or write about the moon. We studied the phases of the moon, the planets and constellations.

Meanwhile we did a family history study using recipes. We collected these from grandparents, even great-grandparents and turned them into books to sell to earn money for the planetarium. Thus this field trip was born.

We went to Prairie Heights for our field trip, sat in the beautiful planetarium and let the stories of mythology and moon cycles carry us away for an hour. The kids were delighted, and it was evident in their occasional sigh or 'wow.'

We stopped for ice cream on the way home, and that was just as exciting for them.

It is always good when a plan comes together.

Lou Ann

Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Week Ends and the Beginning of Earth Week









Dear Friends,
So the week comes to an end...whew...it has been a busy one with school (photography, murder mysteries, play practice!), shows on the road including a great gypsy tea party at the Fremont Library. (Pictures will soon be on the web site!)

I also participated in the annual Earth Day celebration at Wing Haven. It is one of many nature conservancies in Indiana. Wing Haven is just a stones throw away from my house at White Picket Gardens and I attend every year.

It is fun in a small town where you know everyone and spend way too much time talking and visiting, but we love it anyway. I came home with two Pawpaw trees. (They advised two!) I hope to be planting them today even with the rain. Here are some lovely photos from the day.

Also last evening was the production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Those photos and story are on my other blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.com.
Hope you week end has been as fun as mine!

Lou Ann

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Too fabulous to miss!!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=79631933161&h=njFl6&u=zKrBl&ref=nf

Let me know what you think!! I just wept when it was over.

Lou Ann

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter Morning Sunrise





It is such a lovely day in Northern Indiana. Spring is slow in coming, but I like seeing it spread inch by inch. It was the perfect morning to go to Pokagon State Park for an early morning Easter walk. It was still chilly enough for a scarf and warm jacket, but I left the gloves at home! With Fred Wooley's binoculars (he led the hike) and my camera, I was more than ready for the early hike. We saw over 30 species of birds and most were singing away in the morning shadows.

For an hour and a half we enjoyed the holiness of nature on this Holiday. If you haven't been to Pokagon for a while, you need to get a pass and spend some great quality time there.

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

Friday, April 10, 2009

My hometown at dusk.

On Wednesday evening I participated in Take Back the Night, a nationwide event against sexual violence. (See this week's column in the Herald!!) The moon was so beautiful rising over the Herald Republican, and I had forgotten to take my camera. So, Kathy and I went walking at 8 last night to wait for the full time to rise for a photo shoot. We walked around the square so many times I thought the police would pull me over for questioning, except I know all of them and they know me, so alas.

I took this photo while waiting for the moon to rise. I think it is a spectacular picture of my hometown at dusk. It was good I took the photo as the sky grew cloudy and covered the beautiful full moon. I never did get that picture, but then again photography is often about surprises!

A little trivia from The Farmer's Almanac. The April Moon is also known as the Pink Moon referring to the wild ground phlox cover that is the first of the wild flowers to bloom. It is also known as Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon and Fish Moon.

Whatever you call it, I hope you were able to see it from your little spot in the world!

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Ping Pong Tournament

It was a great way to end the week end! After performances and events and script writing, it was great to have dinner (pot luck) at Lee's and pair off for the weekly ping pong tournament.

Lee moved out his dining room table this winter thus paving the way for the neighborhood tournaments. There is much laughter and camaraderie as we pass that little ball back and forth. Who knew we were all so competitive??? (laughter here!)

Dinner was great, conversation always stimulating at these pot lucks and the cheering section brought life to this event. A little like Wimbledon??

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Too wonderful not to pass on.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6b9bMBXpg

Truly a great piece for the human spirit and soul!!

International Night at Trine



Last night was International Night at Trine University. It is the 41st annual event. The hallway of the student union building was full of displays, traditional foods and demonstrations.

I was able to take one of my sixth grade students from school to help out at the Japanese booth doing origami. We spent time with Japanese culture this year in one of my classes and she was a star who rose to the top actually teaching me about origami.

It was a family event as well as Lee drew caricatures, his girls roamed around, Mengting showed folks (and let them do experiment as well) their names. I took photos most of the time waiting for someone to come to storytelling, but it wasn't exactly the most quiet venue for that art form!

The evening culminated with a wonderful program with students from 19 countries sharing music, dance, and well done film pieces. The last piece of the program was a performance of the Chinese lion dance. It was absolutely fascinating and represents good luck in Chinese culture. I spent time talking with the men after the performances as they shared the history of this dance and their day time jobs as well...teacher, principal, architect, etc.

The evening didn't close until midnight as several of us sat around sharing stories of the evening and emptying a bottle or two of wine.

Lou Ann

Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.

Spring break in St. Pete...

  Adam and his pups! The late-night flight is full. Everyone is heading out for spring break. Students and teachers, moms and dads, kids and...