Dark haunting violin : Ghost Song by Max Ablitzer

I found this amazing artist while searching for theme songs to accomodate a ghost story reading. Haunting, yet eerily comforting as well. I have found myself playing it over and over.

Come Down

Come Down
This song is incredible, I can't find a you tube version. Sadie Jemmett

Charleston Stage Presents Nevermore | Charlestongrit.com | Bold. Smart. Local. Now. | Charleston, SC

Charleston Stage Presents Nevermore | Charlestongrit.com | Bold. Smart. Local. Now. | Charleston, SC

Charleston Stage Presents Nevermore, Edgar Allan Poe, The Final Mystery

A gentle breeze wafted the succulent aromas down East Bay Street and straight into Don's flaring nose. He had one thing on his mind at the time. Oysters. We were soon seated at the Community Table at Pearlz Oyster Bar for a few Ales and Oysters. Shells cracked, bottles clanked and conversation cranked. The Community Table as it’s title suggest, soon becomes affably just that as Desiree, a traveling nurse from West Virginia visiting Charleston, shared her coned and newspaper lined home cooked fries with us. Soon it was time to hobble the cobble down Queen and Church Street to our destination, the Dock Street Theatre. I have been so excited about this event. Opening night of Playwright Julian Wiles ~Nevermore, Edgar Allen Poe, The Final Mystery.~ I mean really, Charleston, Halloween and Poe go together like Plough mud, Hermit Crabs and lost flip flops. The theatre candelabra lighting was wrapped in webs. The curtains hung silent without noticeable movement as we read our brochures. My anticipation climbed as the lights dimmed. A curtain between two worlds, givers and takers if you will. The view from Poe's world on the other side of the curtains, summed up with his own words. “And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain, Thrilled me -- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before” Very little is known about Poe's stay on Sullivan's Island, records amount to fragmented paragraph’s. Perhaps it was the fear of producing a stage play of this enormity from those few paragraphs that caused Playwright Julian Wiles to hit the proverbial wall, writer's block to the point of almost canceling the production. In desperation Julian Wiles tapped out a scene about writer's block. This scene dissolved the clot of the pen to the stylus and provided the path that webbed together the story of Edgar Allen Poe's triumphs and tragedies‘. Stage sets and costumery were incredible. I was so enthralled with a particular magical appearance scene that it left me whispering to Don as we do when we watch David Blaine. "Did you see the switch off?" he shook his head no. New York Guest Equity Actor, Andrew Gorell's performance as Edgar Allan Poe was stellar, leaving me both as charged as the Energizer Bunny and as low as Davy Jones locker. He boarded us early onto the wings of the Raven, weaving the tumultuous ride of Poe's highs and lows brilliantly. Without mentioning the entire cast. I note that in addition to Gorell, Scott Gibbs as Captain Jeremiah Reynolds, Harrison Grant and Cathy Ardrey in their respective roles were standouts. The entire unmentioned ensemble performed well, albeit a few opening night jitters. We were on the last Scene of the play, Scene #7. Knowing a’forehand that the ending of Edgar Allan Poe's life was mysterious, dark and daunting, I had resigned myself to the dark horse finale. Julian Wiles, Cast and ensemble led us expectantly to the edge of Poe's pit. The veneer that lies between witnessing the very moment that a brilliant light dims and crosses over to the other side. Surprisingly at the point where you think you should start feeling around your seat and the floor for your purse and jacket, Julian Wiles erased the darkness that would have trailed with us out onto the gas lantern lit Charleston streets. The play ~Nevermore~ runs October 19 -November 4, 2012. Photo: Courtesy of Charleston Stage. Photo credits are as follows: Left to Right: New York Guest Equity Actor Andrew Gorell as Edgar Allan Poe and Charleston Stage Resident Actor Josh Harris as Captain Amos Nimrod.

Carving Out Memories, Boos, & Ghouls | Charlestongrit.com | Bold. Smart. Local. Now. | Charleston, SC

Carving Out Memories, Boos, & Ghouls | Charlestongrit.com | Bold. Smart. Local. Now. | Charleston, SC

Carving out memories Boo's & Ghouls

Charleston, what a wonderfully eerie city for Halloween.  Moss hangs like phantom apparitions from creeping old oaks, bones of twisted hurricane ravaged trees line secluded beaches. Concrete angels guard centuries old graveyards. Marshes are aglow with glowing red eyes, bats flutter hurriedly to chimney and steeple alcoves at dusk. Gas lanterns glow yellow on cobblestone streets. Porches with blue ceilings guard against haints and evil spirits. Pirate's bones rattle in the marsh. Holy and Evil dwell together veiled by the thin curtain of daylight. Yes, Charleston is a Mecca for the thrill seeker.
October first, the adrenaline rush is on for me. The first tree void of it's leaves becomes a haint at dusk. A fist full of candy corn and I am conjuring visions of witches on broomsticks, sheets hanging from tree's and masked men revving chainsaw motors. Although I have had my share of supernatural experiences (I don't mean colon cleanses or juicing) I am the biggest fraidy cat in the world. I can't hardly watch a scary movie with Don during the rest of the year. But mention Halloween and I'm ready to stick knives in pumpkins, play creepy music and scare the bejesus out of people. I know, it's shamefully pagan, but I can't help myself. It's make believe, the one time of the year that it's acceptable for me to be totally ridiculous. And that I do.
So make believe it is. Let Grandaddy be a bad ass unicorn if he wants.  My daddy is 74 years old. He lives out in the country amidst corn, cotton, soy beans  and pines. The only cars that go by his house on a daily basis are the mail lady and the neighbors at the end of the road. On Halloween he will scare the kids with a Halloween mask and then hook up the trailer to the tractor and take everyone for a ride down the country road. At Christmas he suits up in a Santa Suit, full regalia giving the kids rides on a golf cart or Gator. Once he bush hogged his field in his Santa suit.
I've followed suit, no pun intended. Even if there's not a soul coming over. October 1st through the 31st, the house is decorated for Halloween. Before moving here from NC, we didn't have a single trick or treater for five years, but I was in full costume. My ya ya's came to visit for Halloween once and we had so much fun, just the four of us, out in the boonies. That year I was a nun, with a few bad habits, hidden in my habit.
Now, my hubby Don loves a prank as much as I do and knowing the girls were coming, he concocted this escaped monkey Halloween drama from a evening news story about an escaped research monkey from Wake Forest Primate Center. http://www.wakehealth.edu/Research/WFUPC/Primates-at-WFUPC.htm?LangType=1033
 For weeks he worked on the prank. Rehearsing the timing, recording the grunts and screams of the primate.  He had the emphasis on the story telling down to a science. The night they arrived, it was already dark outside. He had everything in place. He told the story about the escaped monkey like he was reciting it from a scrolling news bar off of the TV screen.  The girls shuddered a little at the thought of encountering that monkey and then moved on to other topics. As rehearsed, I took the gals to my bedroom to show them some paintings while Don set up the personally recorded tape of monkey grunts and screams. He projected it like it was coming from the woodpile at end of house.
I cued him to our departure outside by flipping a light switch. We climbed the steps down to the outside patio to enjoy a glass of wine and some pumpkin lit atmosphere at the table. As we climbed down the stair into the darkness, the tape started we trained our ears to the direction of the distressed monkey sounds.  The gals were on alert.  While concentrating on the noises coming from the woods, the big Monkey (aka Don) rushed them from behind, crouching and grunting in full black attire and a realistic monkey mask. They took off up the steps to the house. Watching their escape and noticing there was no hand holding on the way out, I concluded this was everyman for his own. My sister did a frightful jig with a glass of wine before running but spilt nary a drop.
This year will be a doozie for sure. Do you remember your first Halloween outfit?  Mine was Yogi Bear and my brother was Casper and my sister was a baby lamb. I have characters floating around in my head for years out. Let's see... Pocahontas, Amelia Earhart, Linda Blair, Carrie, Grown up Toddler Tiara. I have realized of late that there is a time optimization for being some of these if they need to correspond with my physical attributes, other than my demise. Some costume era's have sadly passed, like nurse Goodbody. The one constant with my costumes would be luxurious tresses (a wig.) You see, as a fine haired friend expressed to me "I was supposed to have hair."  
You just have to love a holiday that doesn't require a trip to Hallmark, gift buying or re-gifting!  Happy Halloween!

Christmas Floorcloth's ~ Order Now~

A new twist to centuries old serviceable art. Floorcloths are quality hand-painted canvas rugs. They originated by early bricoeurs (people who make things out of otherwise useless objects, one description) The first floorcloths originated by these creative souls cutting the sails of ship's that were no longer usable. They primed and painted them and sealed them to use as floor cloths for hard wood or bare dirt floors in the early settlements. Some of these early pieces still exist today in museums and old homes. I believe the earliest one I saw in a magazine was in the home of John and Abigail Adams. Today's floorcloths are not as serviceable as these, but are just as valued and loved as their counterparts as art for their home. These last for decades. I have floorcloths that I created 8 years ago that are in just as good condition today as when they were made. Don't be afraid to walk on them. They are extremely durable. Each of my floorcloths starts with high quality canvas that I prime heavily (at least 5 coats) with quality primers. I then hand-paint the customers requested design onto the floorcloth and prime with 6 coats of quality Sherwin Williams polycrylic. The edged are both glued, sealed and corners mitered. The piece cures for several days and then it is ready to be shipped and enjoyed. Customer's care for floorcloth. Unroll when received. It may take a few days for it to fully unfurl and will become a part of your floor decor shortly after! You may speed it up a bit by placing books on the floorcloth to flatten. It is very easily maintained. Just wipe with a damp cloth to remove spills etc. If it is placed in a high traffic area, you may want to coat it with a polyurethane again in about 5 or 6 years. Otherwise, just enjoy for decades..or more. The creative process, You give me a idea or a design and I am sure I can duplicate it onto canvas. All of the floorcloths photo's in my albums are the end result of someone's design wishes. To view all of my floorcloths on my facebook page, go to https://www.facebook.com/floorcloths