Happy New Year to all loyal old and potential new readers in 2011.

We began the year on a farm near Creemore with the whole program of cows, chicken, cats, dogs and a horse-drawn sleigh ride. There truly isn't a better way to make a three and a half year old happy.

At the COC we're in full preparation for our winter season now. Both productions, The Magic Flute and Nixon in China, are in rehearsals and if I include our tour of The Nightingale and Other Short Fables to New York there won't be a calm moment for most people in the company between now and early March. This will be followed almost immediately by our spring season with three different operas, La Cenerentola, Ariadne auf Naxos and Orfeo, so before we can take a good breath almost half of 2011 will be over already. And since we are just about to finish the calendar for our proposed 2014/15 season I start getting an idea of what I will be doing on my forty-first birthday. A slightly frightening thought, but for those of you who didn't suspect it already there really isn't anything like working in the performing arts. It should rather be called a life with (or sometimes despite) the performing arts. But then, looking at all the potential joys and satisfactions down the road, I am quite happy with that.

On another subject: If anybody could tell me where to find the best Galette des Rois here in Toronto that would really make my weekend. Have a good one.