Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween


Happy Halloween!

I woke up this morning with gray fog covering the outside of my windows. It looked as if someone had painted the world with an airbrush. I tried wiping off the fog and or rubbing my eyes (it was early), but alas only time would change the atmosphere.

From a balmy 60 yesterday with torrential rain and wind, today is cold and leaves fill every cavity of the earth in this part of the country.

Perfect for ghost stories! Last night I took this photo at the Fremont Public Library. I was situated at the fireplace surrounded by pumpkins and orange lights. If the kids were scared, I can tell you I was!!

Tonight is my last Halloween show. I will be sharing the stage with good friend and colleague, Steve Etheridge. The performance will be our annual ghost stories at Pokagon State Park; kids show at 6:30, adults at 8:00. We will be performing in the old pavilion with pumpkins and again another huge roaring fire. Steve and I have shared this stage for, oh say...20 years!

Dress warmly tonight and don't look behind you!!

A happy, happy birthday to my Mom...lucky her with a birthday on Halloween!!

Lou Ann

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Swirling Autumn Leaves...

Everything swirls for me in October..spell bowl in the early morning...theatre rehearsals after school and storytelling in most of the time in between.

We had a great book club this month in which I brought the author, Katherine Howe, into our lives through Skype. We all loved the book, The Physick of Deliverance Dane, a perfect book for the Halloween season.

My columns and photos are appearing regularly in the paper, Jonah and Matthew come and tumble in the leaves, Adam and Aaron just returned home from 3 weeks in the Idaho mountains.

Swirling leaves with a canopy of stories fill my days including reading The Raven by Poe to all my classes at school, including Kindergarten. They can't wait every day to hear the story of the great black bird.

My house is decked out for the Halloween season with lights and all kinds of things that glow in the dark. Life is good, sweet and full of chocolate at this point.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Photo at Sunset




I happened to be strolling around my town at sunset with my camera in my bag and caught this shot. It was a lovely quiet night with no one around so I could just stand in the middle of the street and take the shot. A nice way to end a beautiful Autumn day in Northern Indiana.
By the way, never leave home without your camera!

Today at 1:00...Pokagon is featured!

Indiana State Parks: Treasures in Your Own Backyard

Sunday, October 18, 2009 01:00:00PM
Station: PBS39: Fort Wayne Public Television
Feed Common Name: PBS39/39-1, Fort Wayne
Channel Number: 39.1

Friday, October 16, 2009

Autumn in Indiana


Photo by Tonya on Monday

Snow and ghost stories swirl around as swiftly as do the falling leaves. Yes, the snow did fall yesterday and the temperatures will be in the 20's tonight. This cold weather has definitely ended the garden although I have a few items to tend to. There is rosemary to bring in, tulips and daffodils to plant. There is still the furnace and cellar to clean and the garage to prepare for winter.

I am, however, in love with Autumn. Candles burning. Tea kettle humming. Stories brewing.

Here is a verse from one of my favorite poems I always recited to my children:

October

The summer is over,
The trees are all bare,
There is mist in the garden
And frost in the air.
The meadows are empty
And gathered the sheaves--
But isn't it lovely
Kicking up leaves.

Rose Fyleman



Saturday, October 10, 2009

Scary Stories Week-End!

In the pouring rain, I drove down to Indianapolis late Friday afternoon to the History Center on the Canal. The show had been moved inside due to the weather and Lily Hall was festive for the evening. There were a line up of four storytellers: Bob Sander, Celestine Bloomfield, Cynthia Changaris and myself.

The room was full of adults and children and we all had a wonderful time. The stories were not too creepy or scary as they were geared for children.

After the show we went to Bob and Nancy's for vegetarian chili and fresh baked bread. Bob and Nancy brought out their guitars and played after the late night supper. It was a wonderful evening.

It was in the wee hours of the morning when we arrived back at Ellen's and I took to my scullery room up under the eaves.

Tonight's show will be outside as the rain has cleared even though the temperature has dropped!

Come on out, 7:30 on the Canal, but dress warmly!

Lou Ann

Friday, October 09, 2009

Bewitching Garden


My Scarecrow

OK, so a couple of topics here in rain-sodden northern Indiana. My daughter-in-law, Tonya, flew in last night from St. Petersburg. She left 95 degree temperatures and landed in this rainy, almost frozen tundra. Alright, I am exaggerating.

To all of your dismay, I do like this weather. Oh, not for gardening or biking or driving for that matter...but I think artists love the forlornness of cold and rain...sitting by a fire, writing a story, reading a tale or two.

I did hike out to the garden to find the witches hat which blew off in the night. I really should tack it up, but for now I just hunt for the hat every morning. Maybe it is in search of what else I might find in my bewitching garden.

Enough prattle, I am off to Indianapolis to tell ghost stories on the canal. I believe we shall be inside tonight, but tomorrow night I am sure we will bundle up for the adult stories.

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Beginning of Autumn

A display in Jonesborough, Tennessee

Ellen and I made the mecca to Jonesborough for the annual Storytelling Festival in the mountains. It was a wonderful five day adventure for us and I wrote it all up on her blog this time. To log on and read about the journey, go to: jhttp://cs01.gzo.com/~storytel/blog/ourney.

I have moved my writing desk indoors as the cold has been driven down from the north country and there has definitely been frost on the pumpkins.

James Whitcomb Riley was born on this day in 1849. He was born and raised in Greenfield, Indiana and is known as our Hoosier poet.

Jame Whitcomb Riley is best known for poems such as Little Orphant Annie, When the Frost is on the Pumpkins, and The Raggedy Man. It was my Dad who introduced those poems to me when I was little and I have never forgotten them. I was hoping to have a celebration for JWR, but as it is, I will just drink a nice hot cider and go off to bed!!

Happy Autumn!


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...