Life does not get much better. The weather is warmish and the sky is clear and the crowds with multiple generations gather on the courthouse square to celebrate the beginning of our Holiday season with carols and choirs and of course the lighting of the courthouse as Santa arrives on top of the fire truck to walk up the stairs and make the night magic. I will have to borrow a photo because I was headed into the Midland for this 2011 presentation of the Nutcracker. Little girls come in in festive dresses and glow with glee as they anxiously await the beginning of the show. The Central Ohio Youth Ballet celebrated their seventh production in our beloved Midland Theater and this year I felt as if this was a more physical dance performance. The gallery area was full of fresh flowers for the ballerinas and an amazing number of unique Nutcrackers.... shall I say the glitter was really in style this season :0)! The costumes were splendid and created and sewn by Suzanne Aschenbeck, Melissa Stein and Eunice Hayes and definitely made with care and from the heart. Robert Cole and his assistant Erika Twining have a nurturing demeanor and have a gift for developing each young person's strengths to enhance the group's performance. Herr Drosselmeyer is a local favorite actor and performer....Mr. Dennis Kohler and tonight he did not disappoint his fans. There was more applause interaction and it seemed to energize the youngest and the most experienced dancers. I am so grateful to have a live performance of this classic so that the children in our community can experience real live theater.
I had a busy day in the studio and made my special cards for special Holiday birthdays . Tony and Kathy came down and we ended up sharing lunch and holiday stories. All in all we agree that our lives may not be perfect but they are pretty darn great! I have had several children visit with their grandparents after they had lunch at The Grill Deli! The joys were simple...sharing the process...sharing the materials...sharing the excitement that children naturally experience when they explore themselves through the Arts. I then made a drastic change of opinion ...I headed to 79 South to Michaels to but two rolling carts...regularly $60.00 each on sale for $20.00!!! Then I bought a Cricut machine regularly $200.00 on sale for $70.00. Whoa is me and I still was home and resting by 5:00 PM! I am done and excited to put more design elements into an organized storage unit and new play tools for collages and possible book illustrations for a children's book idea. Yahoo! Now I have to get ready and pack a bag and gifts for special siblings! have a great weekend! Peace blessings, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
