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I have always been a wand'rer, over land and sea.

Yet a moonbeam on the water, casts a spell o'er me.

A vision fair I see, again I seem to be.

Back Home again in Indiana

And it seems that I can see

The gleaming candlelight still shining bright

Thro' the sycamores for me

The new mown hay sends all its fragrance

From the fields I used to roam

When I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash

Then I long for my Indiana home.

Fancy paints on mem'ry's canvas,

Scenes that we hold dear

We recall them in days after,

Clearly they appear.

And often times I see, a scene that's dear to me.

Back Home again in Indiana

And it seems that I can see

The gleaming candlelight still shining bright

Thro' the sycamores for me

The new mown hay sends all its fragrance

From the fields I used to roam

When I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash

Then I long for my Indiana home

I was going through a ?thing? a couple of weeks ago when I was really missing Indiana. Although I know we are called to ministry and we love Arkansas, Indiana will always be home.

May is a great time in Indiana. School gets out for the summer, there are blooms on all the trees and all the flowers are popping out. There is the Indianapolis mini-marathon and the Greatest Spectacle in Racing: the Indianapolis 500, which will be this weekend. I had been to the qualifications or time trials many times but never to the race. That is something I always wanted to do but never did.

This got me to thinking about other things that I love about Indiana and Columbus and the things I miss or just bring warm memories.

I love springtime. Washington Street is beautiful with all the white blooms lining both sides of the streets. When the wind blows it showers white petals from the trees. Also on Washington St is the Commons Mall. The playground in that place has been around since I was a kid but it is so stinkin dangerous. Any parent who has been there will know what I am talking about. Ah, the Chaos and its metal ?bowling balls.? Do you know if I close my eyes, I can see and hear the cycle of that thing? It was always fun to throw pennies into the water around it. I enjoyed it as have Luke and Elizabeth. It was always fun to see kids fall in that thing, my kids included!

Washington Street is also the town?s parade route, whether it be Ethnic Expo or the Christmas parade. Where else in America can you see the city?s newest trash and/or recycling truck in the parade?..oh yeah, don?t forget every Girl Scout/ Boy Scout troop in the county!

Zaharako?s, also on Washington Street, is an excellent place to get a cinnamon coke. They are AWESOME!!

Incidently, Washington Street is shown in the movie, Madison. The men go to steal a jet engine from an old military plane. That plane sits right outside the Columbus Courthouse. Also, the bank that is in that movie is across the street from the Commons Mall.

Indiana is also home of some famous people: David Letterman, John Cougar Mellancamp, Jane Pauley, Sandy Patti, Larry Bird (Indiana State University alum (woohoo!), and Tony Stewart. If I sat here long enough I could think of a lot more. Oh, this is the part where Mike would chime in???He would say ?Karen almost married Tony Stewart.? Completely false, of course. My junior year of high school, Tony was a senior. No one had asked me to the prom so I asked him if he wanted to go. He said he would like to but had a race the same night. I went ahead and asked another friend instead. The next day Tony came to school and said his car was in the shop and wouldn?t be finished in time. He asked if I still wanted to go to the prom. I was too much of a nice person to cancel with the other person.

At this point it is just easier to list all the great things that I miss and love:

Knowing exactly where someplace is without needing directions or street names, the Crump theatre, Bartholomew County 4-H Fair (where else can you see someone you haven?t seen in years?) watching airplanes take off at Bakalar while eating in The Hanger restaurant. The farmhouse and the many memories made for my kiddos there, 2941 18th Street and boy and girl neighbor & Katie dog, 460th 25th Street (the first house I ever lived in/ Mike and I moved in right after our first anniversary), 2018 Fremont Drive (my mobile home address for 24 years).

Aldi grocery store (dirt cheap and you can actually stay UNDER budget), stopping by Grandpa?s classroom to watch robots and/or cars, seeing people I know almost everywhere I go, not fearing for my life every time I drive!, fresh watermelon, tomatoes, corn on the cob, and ?Fireworks Display (you fill in the year)? at Grandpa Riley?s. We miss Donner Park with the shuffle board court and public swimming pool, the Hospice concerts at Mill Race Park and the fun Kiddie shows at Donner in the summer, First Christian Church Preschool and Moms at Heart, CNHS fall football games, Hoosier Hysteria, Colts, Pacers, Indianapolis at Christmas (especially Monument Circle), Mexico Viejo,

There is also a ?country? smell of the surrounding corn fields, driving on the back roads at dusk, Hardin?s Christmas Tree Farm, Youth Camp, Grouse Ridge, going by Garland Brook to put flowers on Emma?s and my mom?s grave, taking walks down Franklin Street, Popfest, softball games at Lincoln Park, Bulldog Lanes (bowling alley), Columbus Skateland (Celebration?long live Kool and the Gang!), Lucas Brothers, having donuts with the kiddos at The Olympia, going to Brown County in the fall, Beckers (which will always be A&W to me), cow tipping, Homemade Ice cream and lemon shakeups, Oktoberfest, ISU, family gatherings at CERAland and Dad?s house, Community Church of Columbus, my family and friends.

I am looking forward to the 4th of July as I will be back home again, in Indiana!

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