Last night our Friday night coffee group, despite the wind and snow, attended "The Broadway Musical Bash" at the Refinery. It featured members of Saskatoon Summer Players performing (in costume and sometimes with choreography) songs from various musicals. I enjoyed the whole show, but my favourite part was the spirited rendition of "Cell Block Tango" from the movie "Chicago". For those of you who've seen the movie, which I highly recommend, it's the song where several women who murdered their husbands explain why "he had it coming". The director of the "bash" was Ron Knoll, a very talented member of our coffee group.

An audience member came up to me after the show and said that he had really enjoyed my Fringe production this past summer, which was in the same venue. It's always nice to feel appreciated!

"War is the unfolding of miscalculations." - Barbara Tuchman

Things are starting to improve at work (Saskatoon Open Door Society). I'm glad that our interim executive director is Eleanor Cardoza, who is a member of the board and used to work at Open Door.

"Any idiot can face a crisis; it is this day-to-day living that wears you out." - Anton Chekhov

(I wonder if he wrote that during a Russian winter!)

The French writer Colette (Sidonie Gabrielle Colette) was born on this day in 1873. After she left her controlling husband in 1906, Colette became a Parisian music hall performer who was famous for baring one breast while dancing. At the Moulin Rouge, she caused even more controversy when she took a woman into a passionate embrace. The show caused a riot. (And Madonna thought she was "cutting edge" with her pointy bra several years ago and--more recently--by locking lips with Britney Spears on TV!) Colette's most famous book is "Gigi", which was later adapted as a play and a movie.

"Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it." - Colette

"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner." - Colette

Here's something that I teach my English as a Second Language (ESL) students to help them when they're making small talk with Canadians: "Is it cold enough for you?" That seems especially appropriate today because it's -38 in Saskatoon, without the windchill.

Pope John Paul II (an old man in a dress who many people, including a lot of Roman Catholics, believe is NOT infallible), recently said that the media was not doing enough to promote traditional family life:

"Infidelity, sexual activity outside of marriage, and the absence of moral and spiritual vision of the marriage covenant are depicted uncritically, while positive support is at times given to divorce, contraception, abortion and homosexuality. Such portrayals, by promoting causes inimical to marriage and the family, are detrimental to the common good of society."

He forgot to add that women should stop being so uppity and should go back to their God-given role of being barefoot and in the kitchen (probably cooking pasta). IS THERE SOME SORT OF TIME WARP IN THE VATICAN????

Last night David and I had dinner at Chianti with Todd, Daryl and Darren. Then we went to the Jann Arden concert at the Centennial Auditorium. It was a wonderful evening. This is the second time that David and I have seen Jann live. She's one of the few singers I know of who actually sounds better live than in recordings, which is a testament to her talent. I have five of her CDs. We were very pleased when she sang my favourite Jann song ("Unloved"), followed by David's favourite ("Good Mother"). Of course, there was lots of her trademark irreverant humor in the concert, including when she did impressions of her mother (ex. referring to removing cat turds from kitty litter as "picking out the Sweet Maries"). WE LOVE YOU, JANN!

Happy Robbie (Robert) Burns Day! He was born on this day in 1759.
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"On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points."
- Virginia Woolf (born on this day in 1882)