The NEOS Ballet performs their own Dracula and the weekend with Miss Maya....

On Friday night I volunteered for a very creative interpretation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The multimedia production included some fantastic photographic effects along with contemporary music to enhance the intriguing theatrical production! The dancers were totally mesmerizing in their intimate development of each characters. My YES friends arrived for many of their first experiences with contemporary dance productions. To quote my friend Jackson..."This totally rocks!!!" About 35 students and their chaperones were given special passes to see this production in the "green velvet seats" live in The Midland Theater. After the performance the local Girl Scouts met with the dance director and one of the dancers...a real treat for them to be up close with the actual performers. The special effects... a horseless carriage...a simply mystical floating coffin across the stage... several lighting effects that made the audience jump in anticipation of what was going to be happening next!

On Saturday I delivered a small bookcase to the studio so I can place updated resources and materials for the next couple of weeks getting ready for the Holidays. Hopefully tomorrow I will begin to paint my rather large wooden Santa ...to be used for Holiday photo opportunities as we enter the next couple of weeks of community and family preparations. To be honest...I am looking forward to getting this man that we all love to love on the road to his little children and their special requests. I have completed some research so I have my work cut out for me...I will keep you posted.

I went to pick up Miss Maya for her overnight stay with Grandpa and myself...she received a special fudge preparation lesson...she created her first batch of homemade fudge! By golly, Miss Molly Maya hit the ball out of the ballpark...this was a creamy chocolate delight. I think she enjoyed making this special recipe with her grandfather...one on one! We had a shower and put on our pajamas to settle in for a quiet night ...well we were going to wrap up a few Christmas presents for the younger grandchildren but instead we settled down into my big chairs and watched a little bit of TV and I shared some older photos of my girls when they were tiny and we had just moved into the cabin. Maya snuggled down in her mother's old bedroom and watched "Hildago" as she slipped off to sleep. Breakfast was her dream breakfast ...with homemade banana pancakes, orange juice, bacon and milk. Yum Yum! She then used hr last hour with us...she wanted to work on a large work inspired by squiggles and color color color! When she finished I took out my Art Book and shared the works by Basquait....we did not have any time to really go into detail but just playing with colors and rubbing textures and just plain fun. I will treasure my special time with my grand daughter in my heart forever! Have a spectacular week in your studios. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart