Jewels of Autumn
Swirling, cascading, spiraling
Soft, brittle, broken, whole
Scarlet, Butterscotch, Tangerine
Earth's necklace.

I have become woven into the spell of Autumn. I wake early with the coldness around me as I am determined to wait until October 31st to put on the heat..and yet I sleep with the doors open.

I hear them leaving in the predawn hours...the geese...wild and high and seeking shelter in a climate with sun on their wings. I rise with them. This morning it was early dawn and I quickly dressed and followed the sunrise. The earth is so spectacular when you feel alone in it. There is an urgency now.
Winter has sent a whisper so feel Autumn in all of your sinew...look up and look hard into the multicolored rainbow of Autumn.

It grows so dark early now. I am tucked into the house at White Picket Gardens with my Irish sweater, my jeans and my hiking socks. It is quiet as Philip has gone back home to his beloved Island, and I miss him. Time becomes so fluid when he is here, I forget that he will leave again. Our time was spent in so many activities...having dinner with friends, square dancing...movies, wine under the maple tree. He was here for the CD release party in Indianapolis.
It was a magical, golden night. There were four Indiana storytellers that were commissioned to do a CD celebrating Indiana. The party was under the stars with music and friends and our stories, of course. A special thanks to my wonderful friend, Ellen for all of her work and Mark at the Historical Society in Indianapolis.

One night we traveled to Toledo, Ohio to have dinner with long time friends Wayne and Jane. Their house is an old house full of character...old oak woodwork, burning candles, quiet dinner and much conversation. We stayed late and enjoyed each other's company, it had been ten years....but time is fluid with old friends.

We ventured out to the County Fair one night...a typical County Fair in Indiana...rides and vendors and stuffed animals and corn dogs and cotton candy...we sat under the canopy in the rain and ate hot dogs and barbecued pork...it was cozy..it was lovely. It brought back so many memories of all the years in 4-H with the boys...I think Philip has heard them all by now.

As I bid him farewell, I had to turn back to the House at White Picket Gardens, close the gate and again focus on work. My artists neighbors and I have started a Second Sunday Artist group. Today was our first meeting. There were just three of us, but we have huge plans...writing our mission statement, getting programs together, just sharing as artists.
We even hope to plan a community event or two along the way. It is good to share our art and our ideas.

Family is, of course, scattered. My brother in Afghanistan felt the jar of the earthquake this week end....others are traveling, living their lives.
Jonah is walking all over the place, calls me "Nannie."

This next week end is the Hoosier Storytelling Festival in Indianapolis at the Historical Museum. If you an Indiana reader, come on over...it will be great fun...there will be tellers from all over the country!

Also, my blog site is back up and running, sorry for the long delay. Just go to my website: www.louannhoman.com and click on the journal.
This week also was the birthday of James Whitcomb Riley, our Indiana poet laureate, and the frost is sure to be on the pumpkins soon.

It is still early enough for my evening stroll. My neighborhood is quite festive for Halloween...lots of scarecrows and pumpkins...a web here and there...a backyard campfire with laughter and the scent of marshmallows.
Oh, I wish you were here for a fire, a song and a story....until next time, drench yourself in Autumn...she visits for such a short while. Go now...look up into the Autumn sky, it is so clean and clear...wrap up in your woolen sweater and breathe a wish for mankind.

Love,
Lou Ann