Fifth grade boys and interpretative dance????

This is my first year in teaching theatre as a requirment. Oh, it has been a great year...fraught with delight and,other thoughts of you've got to be kidding floating in my head!

So, to end this school year and huge Sonnet-a-thon has been planned by my fourth graders. You know, community leaders coming in to the school to read sonnets (even our state representative), reception, and a very ceremonious literary day. I love days like that. This one is, like all others, student directed (by the fourth graders) with a little help from their teacher/director!! Of course, the reception is out of my hands...we may have cookies, but no napkins...punch and no cups or vice versa!!! Teaching them hand shaking is another gift lots of children are void of.....a whole class on hand shaking???

I thought how fun (&^%$$#) to involve the fifth grade students in interpretive dance to Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. By now, (you knew this was coming) I am about to re-evaluate all of my teaching and directing methods. I vetoed socks after yesterday's rehearsal as the boys (notice I said the boys) slid across the gym floor and bounced off the gym floors...allst the while the lovely young ladies are flitting and dancing and freezing on cue. "Stomping," I say is not dancing. "I do not want to hear body parts slapping the floor."

All right, there is still a week to go. How many sick days do I have left?????

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

Pearl Drops of Spring

Tonight sitting out on the old stoop of my lovely old house I was surrounded by a canopy of pale pink petals from my crabapple trees.

We had severe rain all day and tonight by dusk, the clouds parted and streams of sunlight lit up the tangled masses of damp grass. As the wind picked up the petals fell cascaded on my hair, on my shoulders...on my soul.

Aaron and Jonah stopped over on their nightly stroll for some "bubbles" as Jonah says. We pulled out the container and as I blew the bubbles mixed with the pearl drops of spring.

Ahh...joy and wonder.

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

Smell of chalk dust and fresh grass...

It is late afternoon in my classroom. My room is in disarray with costumes and props and scripts as varied as Little Red Riding Hood and Hamlet all tossed into the cacophony of the echoes of a day's work.

The night custodian is locking up other classrooms, tidying up hallsway and bathrooms. With my windows wide open on this April afternoon, I can smell the newly cut grass and it blends in with my chalk dust. I should go home, but I just sit here thinking.

Sometimes I wonder how it ends? Will my students attend the Philharmonic when they are grown...get library cards...study Degas's dancers...read to their own children with passion?

All a teacher can do is try...my Dad once said to me if I reach one child it will all be worth it....

Tonight I speak at a banquet to other teachers...telling them how wonderful they are...how important they are.

Yes, I believe it, we are important.

Sixth annual Diabetes walk...

Today our county walked for diabetes...and what a beautiful day for a five mile stroll (or the few that were running!) The high school was filled with vendors promoting the local newspaper, various booths giving out free information and pencils...and, of course, diabetes testing along with blood pressure.

By 10:15 we gathered out back of the high school, a prayer was said, the ribbon cut and we were on our way. The day was stunning...we walked five miles in the most scenic of areas..farm fields, ponds, small lakes...the sky was an amazing blue. It was so warm that no one even thought of taking jackets.

We were rewarded with the Lion's Club famous chicken and potato salad when we were finished.

Best of all, we raised a good bit of cash and brought diabetes awareness one step closer to our small town.

In case you are wondering, I finished in the top ten percent!!

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

All in a week....

Last night was one of those great neighborhood evenings in Angola. It was such a beautiful day and everyone was out milling around...biking...walking. Aaron and Jonah came over, and we all just sat out on the stoop for the longest time. Everyone stopped by to chat as we sat there...puppies, babies, old folks, young'uns (as Philip would say!). Jonah loved them all!

As we sat the full moon began to rise in the East..shrouded with bare treetops and wispy clouds, it was a stunning moment.

As darkness fell, the streets became quiet as we all attended our own households...supper on the table...homework to be done...stories to be read.

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

Steuben County Artists

Tonight the artists of Steuben County join forces to establish a long-awaited and long-needed artist guild. Several of us have been struggling with the Second Sunday Artists but have decided to put our ideas together.

Hopefully there will be a great turn out tonight at the library as we begin to see our purpose and place in Steuben County and set as our mission statement to be more visible.

In other news, Jonah and his parents have arrived home (but it was late last night!) so I haven't seen them yet. I understand from emails that Jonah has had a wonderful time the past couple of weeks of Florida...swimming, running on the beach, learning to march (from my Uncle Dean)...has been charming and full of his usual charisma. I'll stop by tonight on my way to the guild meeting to get an overdue "Nannie" hug.

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

Daffodils and paint choices...

Arriving home from school by 5:30, I was greeted with splendid sunshine and waving daffodils...neighbors were out walking dogs..riding bikes...painting basketball backboards.

I spent the last hour looking at paint samples for this old house of mine. There are so many choices...my house is white...just white...so I am thinking maybe I should jazz it up a bit...purple...brown..rose...anyone have any ideas for an old house?

I also got the bike out of the garage, wiped down the winter's dirt, and tonight I take it for a spin...

Ahhhh...spring.