The moon was high. One of the most amazing female vocalists was in town. And the excitement in the audience at this cinema treasure was palpable. It was Rickie Lee Jones performing at the Fitzgerald, St. Paul’s oldest surviving theater, famously home to Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. My dad was my date; he’s the one who introduced me to RLJ’s beautiful-eccentric pop-jazz-folk style.

Parents can teach us so much about what to place value in. Here, Ricky Lee Jones performing a lullaby her dad wrote for her called the Moon Is Made of Gold.

The scene on stage: A snowy day on a city street. The theme: Nature’s magical effect on an urban setting. The entertainment: An ensemble of young actors in colorful street clothes, dancing, singing, and playing in the snow. The audience: Row after row of rapt little kids + their parental companions.

We were at the Stages Theatre Company production of the children’s literary classic The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, and it was delightful. The show suits all ages, is a nice 45 minutes short, and tickets are only $15 a piece.

There’s a point every year when I need to see some green and feel the sun’s warmth on my skin. While flying away to a far-flung beach isn’t an option right now, I get my substitute slice of summer at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at St. Paul’s Como Zoo. Built back in 1915, this beautiful glass-domed horticultural treasure is home to more than 10,000 plants, and has several rooms to soak in the splendor, from the Sunken Garden to the Palm Dome. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and you are in a warm, verdant jungle…in January.

That itty-bitty crooner you see under the lights is “curbside prophet” Jason Mraz performing at the Xcel Energy Center last week. The folk-pop singer put on such a good show that I was out of my seat the entire time, even participating in a 10,000 person wave at one point. Another reason to cheer? The new solar system powering the avocado farm he calls home.

The Uptown Art Fair renewed my interest in an old hobby: painting. So I headed to Art Materials in the Lyn-Lake area. Passing through row after row of creative treasures—including my new obsession, Moon Sand, which captured me for a solid 10 minutes—I can see why local artists and wannabes like me crave coming here to get their creative juices flowing.