Early Morning Rain

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops

Let the rain sing you a lullaby

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night

And I love the rain. 

Langston Hughes

We owe much to Louisa Gale Hendry...

We owe much to Louisa Gale Hendry - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Mrs. Louisa Hendry spins a yard on a lovely Friday afternoon.
Photo courtesy of Carnegie Angola Library.

Friday afternoon was the culmination of weeks, or maybe months, of research and rehearsals. This project was a labor of love for me as I was able to delve more deeply into the life of Louisa Gale Hendry and the history of my town. 

It actually was my idea months ago to do this project. There were moments I thought to myself...what have I done? Especially as this show came back to back to back with The Baptist Girls' Guide and finals at Trine. But somehow two of the three have been accomplished.

When I was finished with the show I was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a rousing applause...more than once. Most of my audience followed out into the square for our evening Architectural Walk.  

Please enjoy this week's column about this project. Just click on the above link. As always, thank you for reading. 

Walking tour in Angola...

Photo by Lexie Bowen.

The library was full for the performance on Louisa Gale Hendry. Thank you all so much for coming. I loved coming down the staircase to the harp music! I also loved sharing her life and the history of the town I live in.

Following the performance an Architectural Tour was given by the Historic Preservation Commission. The tour began at 8:00, and I was delighted that we had over 50 folks show up. It was a spectacular night with a near full moon and lovely stories to tell.

Lexie Bowen was on the tour with her parents and sent me several photos. Here is one of my favorites. Sometimes everything is just right, and last night was one of those evenings.

Mrs. Louisa Hendry

Tonight at the Angola Carnegie Library I will be portraying Mrs. Louisa Hendry. The event is part of our 100th Anniversary and tonight's party will be eventful with the arrival of Mrs. Hendry.

The year is 1910. She is survived by her husband, Alanson Hendry, and she has gathered folks together to tell her stories about coming to early Angola. She witnessed many events in her life such as the coming of the railroad, the building of Tri-State Normal College (Trine University) and was instrumental in the shaping of my town.

The harp music begins at 5:00. Mrs. Hendry arrives at 6:00. Hope to see you there! Following the library event there will be an Architectural Tour of the square beginning at 8:00. The weather is perfect so come on out!

How to make a town your own...

How to make a town your own - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Here is the link to this week's column. Just click on the above link! As always, enjoy, and thank you for reading! Let me know what you do in your town to make it your own!

Tonight is the show!

The day is finally here for our CAVA fundraiser! I am so excited about sharing this piece with all of you! Thank you for all the support and donations to CAVA!! See you at the show!

Happy Earth Day

I took this photo in Marion's woods, just a short bike ride from my house.

Today is Earth Day...a day to celebrate our home.On this day we think about taking care of our world to keep it lovely and alive for the future generations. I love to visit beautiful places such as the woods above, but I also know the world is not beautiful for so many folks. It is more than picking up litter (which I do) or recycling (which I do), but so much more that usually appears out of my reach. 

There is legislation and laws that need to be dealt with along with standing up for what is right in this world. I try to take these baby steps but we all need to work together. How do we fight the Koch brothers? How do we make folks understand? If you have ideas or plans please share them with me.

If we let it all pass through our fingers we will become as the book title suggests, The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. This is a wonderful read in case you haven't read it.

So go do your good deed, but let's think globally as we move throughout this day. We can make a difference. We need to make a difference.

Sometimes my students are the teachers...

Sometimes my students are the teachers - KPCNews: Kpcnews

Here is the link to this week's column. Just click on the above site. As always, thank you for reading and enjoy!

This is Taylor Hall which houses the Humanities and Communication program.
It is a spectacular building including Wells Theatre. Come visit sometime!

Baptist Girl's Guide to Sex, Love, and the Happily Ever After...

(If you are not able to make it to our event, please check

with your local University or town to see what they have 

planned. This is an important event. Hope to see you tonight!)

 

Wednesday night is OUR night to
TAKE BACK The NIGHT
Please encourage your students to attend
as we all come together to TAKE a stand AGAINST Sexual Violence .

When:  Wednesday, April 15^th 2015 @ 6:30 p.m.

Where:  Trine University

Best Hall Lawn

What IS Take Back the Night?The first Take Back the Night event was in 1977 in England, and was a women-only protest against the violence and fear that women encountered while walking alone at night. In 1978, San Francisco followed suit and since then Take Back the Night events have spread across the country, particularly among college campuses.  Trine University has planned its annual Take Back the Night rally and march to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month on Wednesday April 15^th. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. on the north lawn of Best Hall. In the event of inclement weather, the event will take place in Best Hall room 229. Pizza, sandwiches, refreshments and games 

Charles Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire (1867-1821)

I don't know when I first fell in love with the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Perhaps it was in my French literature class in college or my travels to Paris or even in my research of Poe, but nonetheless, I did.

Baudelaire was born in Paris in 1821. His father was 34 years older than his mother and did not live to see him grow up. When his mother remarried he was sent to boarding school and then off to India to see if that would shake out his writing interests. It did not.

Baudelaire was known for his urban subject matter and often wrote of sensual and aesthetic pleasures. 

For a while he wrote politically about the Revolution of 1848 but soon found that type of writing was not for him. As with most writers, he found himself in poor health with pressing debts in the late 1850's. He died at the age of 46 in Paris.

Baudelaire is well known today for his complete translations of Edgar Allan Poe's poetry from English into French.

The following poem is one of my most beloved. I hope you love it as well as we continue on into poetry week. 

As always.

The Ragpickers' Wine

BY CHARLES BAUDELAIRE

TRANSLATED BY C. F. MACINTYRE

In the muddy maze of some old neighborhood,

Often, where the street lamp gleams like blood,

As the wind whips the flame, rattles the glass,

Where human beings ferment in a stormy mass,

One sees a ragpicker knocking against the walls,

Paying no heed to the spies of the cops, his thralls,

But stumbling like a poet lost in dreams;

He pours his heart out in stupendous schemes.

He takes great oaths and dictates sublime laws,

Casts down the wicked, aids the victims' cause;

Beneath the sky, like a vast canopy,

He is drunken of his splendid qualities.

Yes, these people, plagued by household cares,

Bruised by hard work, tormented by their years,

Each bent double by the junk he carries,

The jumbled vomit of enormous Paris,—

They come back, perfumed with the smell of stale

Wine-barrels, followed by old comrades, pale

From war, mustaches like limp flags, to march

With banners, flowers, through the triumphal arch

Erected for them, by some magic touch!

And in the dazzling, deafening debauch

Of bugles, sunlight, of huzzas and drum,

Bring glory to the love-drunk folks at home!

Even so, wine pours its gold to frivolous

Humanity, a shining Pactolus;

Then through man's throat of high exploits it sings

And by its gifts reigns like authentic kings.

To lull these wretches' sloth and drown the hate

Of all who mutely die, compassionate,

God has created sleep's oblivion;

Man added Wine, divine child of the Sun.

Hendry Park provides great theater opportunity...

Hendry Park provides great theater opportunity - KPCNews: Kpcnews

 Ali Baba as played by Jonah.

 Sinbad and his sailors!

Part of the cast of Aladdin!

Here is today's column on the Missoula Children's Theatre coming to Angola. We have had the best time this week and the culmination was the show last night. There is still one today at noon. You don't want to miss it!

To read the column, just click on the above link. As always, thank you for reading!

Lou Ann

Missoula Children's Theatre Descends on Angola once again!!

This was Jonah a few years ago when he was in the Tortoise and the Hare!

Hendry Park Elementary School once again has brought the Missoula Children's Theatre to our town. This is the 11th year for this wonderful adventure for our elementary students.

It is always my great honor to house and host the directors. This year the directors are Vicki Pace and C.J. Bonde. 

The show is "Aladdin" and it is full of singing, suspense and the hunt of Ali Baba. Jonah is playing the part of Ali Baba in this production.

If you are in the area, please come on out to the show. Showtimes are Friday night (tonight) at 7:00 and tomorrow at noon. Both shows are at the Angola High School (the new high school) and there is no charge so bring the whole family.

Who knows? Maybe next year you will have some kids of your own take part in this wonderful adventure.

See you at the show!