 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Take Note: Take a little time out just for yourself
By MIM ANNE HOUK November promises to be a busier month than usual, with an important election and breaking news to keep up with, as well as figuring out how to get 20 people around the table for Thanksgiving. For a real act of Thanksgiving, make that 21 people and invite someone who might not otherwise have a family celebration. In addition to all those activities, plenty is going on to keep you entertained. At 8 p.m. on Nov. 11, in the Heye Great Room at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Nelson Morrow and Bob Challender will continue their splendid tradition of sponsoring a musical chamber evening. Titled "From Russia with Love," the program features a Prokofiev Quintet, a Stravinsky Octet and a Tchaikovsky sextet. These evenings are an unforgettable musical experience. Call the Florida Orchestra box office at toll-free 1-800-662-7286 for tickets and reservations. Complimentary refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. * * * The Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center at 324 Pine St. has scheduled two different, but intriguing, musical events. At 8 p.m. on Nov. 15, Roger McGuinn, co-founder of the Byrds, performs folk music; at 8 p.m. on Nov. 16, the Strauss-Warschaur Duo will perform Yiddish songs and klezmer music. Come prepared for toe-tapping rhythms and lots of spirited entertainment. Reserved seats for both events is advised. Call (727) 942-5605. * * * Nan Colton, the performing artist-in-residence at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, has written a new script, Red Grooms -- It's Happening! to enhance your enjoyment of the popular Red Grooms show (on exhibit through Jan. 5). Colton's interactive presentation will be 3 p.m. Nov. 10, 17, 24 and Dec. 1. Call ahead to confirm dates at (727) 896-2667. While you are there, don't miss the "Famous Faces: Celebrity Portraits in Photography." * * * The 18th annual Festival of Trees takes place Nov. 21-24 at the Harborview Convention Center in downtown Clearwater. This charity event has raised $1-million for children's charities in Pinellas County. For $5 ($4 for seniors) admission, you can buy decorated Christmas trees and shop for special handcrafted items, including decorated wreaths and table decorations. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon on opening day for folks from assisted living facilities and nursing homes; and for the public noon to 10 p.m on opening day. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Call (727) 446-2858 for more information. * * * The bookstores and libraries are full of good books. If you are a mystery fan, you might welcome Martha Grimes' latest, The Grave Maurice, with the title taken from an English pub featured in the plot. The central plot involves mistreatment of a group of pregnant mares being used to produce the estrogen-replacement drug Premarin and features, as usual, Richard Jury and Melrose Plant. Molto Agitato: The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera by Johanne Fiedler will be much cherished by opera fans. A social history of the Metropolitan Opera with the focus on the grandiose egos and personalities who have been so linked to this venerable institution. The author is the daughter of Arthur Fiedler of Boston Pop fame, and she certainly knows her musical cast of characters. Entertaining as well as enlightening. If you have wondered about how the Nasdaq bubble got started and what really caused its deflation, read Dot.Con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold by John Cassidy. As a former finance and economics columnist for the New Yorker, Cassidy brings a thorough knowledge of his subject as well as a clear and understandable writing style to this very important financial story. Recommended Web sites:WWW.ARRANGEONLINE.COM: The site for the National Obituary Archive offers browsers an opportunity to check on obits in almost any city or country from different time spans. WWW.ANDANTE.COM: A link to almost anything you might want to know about classical music, from composers to performers to historical essays to what's playing where and when. Great fun. WWW.IMDB.COM: The Internet Movie Data Base really does have everything you might want to know about movies, from the silent era to the name of that guy in the movie you saw 10 years ago. This could settle a lot of arguments that friends and family get into about the who, what, when of movies. Happy November!
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times Seniority pages |
