Galt Little Theatre, Unknown Bird,

Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Well, it wasn't what I expected, it was a series of vignettes, but of a very different character to the vignettes I saw in August. These were some funny, some poignant, some just sad and several that made you think and think real hard. I can't honestly say I enjoyed the music, basically not my thing at all except when they played an excerpt from Beethoven's Ninth. The idea of Beethoven's life and music helping you rise from depression was quite fantastic. Another funny/sad little story was of a man with memory loss who, every once in a while thinks its Christmas Eve. His family celebrates with him. At his request his wife tells him about his Christmases as a child, telling him about getting a bicycle and similar stories, all of which are lies because he had a rotten childhood, but he is so happy when she describes these gifts and Christmases because he doesn't remember how they really were. It brings tears to my eyes just telling you about it. There were several ideas presented in a totally different way. Certainly thinking outside the box. The main theme of the show was how we lose spontaneity as we grow older. Ain't that the truth. I thought it was beautifully acted and the cast did a really good job of a very difficult show with continuously changing rolls. There was nothing amateurish about them at all. Something that stood out to me, the one male actor, was an Englishman with a strong Lancashire accent (he came from Manchester) which I would think would be difficult for most Canadians to understand. I asked my friend and she agreed that she did have some difficulty with it. I also learnt, a producer in the UK is someone who shows the actors what he wants, it is a director who does that over here. Amazing I hadn't heard of that difference in all the 30 some years I have been here. It is an excellent little theatre - not a very big seating capacity, nor an overlarge stage. I have forgotten what their next production is, but the one after is The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. I offered to play the part of the aunt!!! Yesterday, on Good Morning America, Dianne Sawyer was talking about a bird which flies from the Americas to New Zealand. I cannot remember what she said the bird was called, nor can I find anything about it on their website. The thing which really hit me, this little bird eats itself silly all the time it is here, then flies for about a week or a little over to get to New Zealand for the winter. They breed there and then fly back again in the spring, another 8 day trip. They have lost half their size by the time their flight is ended. You realise there is nowhere for them to land on this trip so it is just continuous flying. Nothing to eat or drink. Apparently one half of its brain can shut down and rest and then the other half takes a turn. I just don't know what the name of the bird is. Very frustrating. It has just occurred to me to ask Glenda Larke (Tropic Temper) she will probably know. I was right, she did, it is the Godwit. Thank you so much Glenda. Apparently there are two kinds the black tailed or the bar tailed, in this picture from Wikipedia, the black tailed is in front, the bar tailed behind. The bar tailed holds the record for non stop flight from Alaska to New Zealand, this is 7,242 miles non stop. Apparently curlews also do similar long flights. Isn't Nature incredible? I discovered that at one time these birds were eaten, in Britain anyway. OK how about another recipe from the Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny White and Joanna Farrow. Moroccan Date, Orange and Carrot Salad Take exotic fresh dates and marry them with everyday ingredients, such as carrots and oranges, to make this deliciously different salad. The salad looks really pretty arranged on a base of sweet Little Gem (Bibb) lettuce leaves. This fruity salad is excellent served with chargrilled lamb steaks or with skewered lamb. Serves 4 3 carrots 3 oranges 4 oz fresh dates, stoned (pitted) and cut lengthways into eighths 1/4 C toasted whole almonds, chopped From the store cupboard Salt and ground black pepper Grate the carrots and place in a mound in a serving dish, or on four individual plates. Pleel and segment two of the oranges and arrange the segments around the carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Pile the dates on top then sprinkle with chopped, toasted almonds. Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange and sprinkle it over the salad. Chill in the refridgerator for an hour before serving. Have a great day.