WOMEN OVER 60 WITH TALENT, consider spicing up your life by competing for the title of Ms. Missouri Senior America Pageant 2011. Former competition winner, Barbara Malta, says the pageant opens up a whole new life for seniors. Any woman over the age of 60 who has a competitive talent – singing, comedy, instrumental, piano, and dancing of all kinds should contact one of the pageant’s co-state directors by calling Malta at 636-230-7377 or Denise Lafferre at 314-838-4381. They will explain all the details. Auditions are to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at Covenant House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and lunch will be served. There is plenty of time to practice your specialty before you need to compete.  Do any of you remember when dancer Marcene Tockman was crowned Ms. Missouri Senior America and we were all so proud of having a Jewish pageant winner?  Go for it, girls, and let’s add another one.

DANIEL LEE, Principal Cello of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, will play a recital at the Sheldon Concert Hall at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, accompanied by pianist Nina Ferrigno Andrews.  His program includes works by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Schubert, Morricone and Kol Nidre by Max Bruch.   Lee will also be the soloist with the SLSO at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12 at Powell Symphony Hall where he will perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme. Lee was recently named one of the 2011’s “40 under 40” notable people by the St. Louis Business Journal. Imagine! Says SLSO Music Director David Robertson, “I’ll ask (Lee) ‘Can you do this?’ and he’ll say ‘Oh, yeah, I can try that’ and then he does something that Yo-Yo Ma would be proud of.”  High praise from the boss. Tickets for the Sheldon concert cost $15; for more about the Powell Hall shows, go to www.slso.org.

“DRUM ROLL PLEASE” – that’s the word from New Jewish Theatre artistic director Kathleen Sitzer whose daughter Sara has been selected to perform in March with the You Tube Symphony in Sidney, Australia conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. This is a huge honor as Sara was selected as a finalist from the thousands who auditioned.  Although the final selection was decided by a committee of professional musicians, many of you helped her achieve this international experience by voting for her online.

HOT, SWEET AND FIERY. That briefly describes the open House on Saturday, Feb. 18 at Third Degree Glass Factory, 5200 Delmar Boulevard.  There will be a free chocolate tasting by Kakao Chocolates, French cabaret music by Poor People of Paris, belly dancing and Arabian silk dancing performed by Aalim Dance Academy and of course glass blowing demonstrations. East Gallery will exhibit Sacred Moment: Jeane Vogel and Sculptural Narratives. This is a free family event where everyone can have fun from 6 to 10 p.m.

AS A HEART ATTACK SURVIVOR, I am constantly crusading for women to take care of themselves and recognize that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. At the risk of boring and alienating my friends and whoever will listen to me, I campaign for a heart-healthy diet – low fat, low salt and very little flavor but I guarantee you will get used to it.  As for exercise, I used to think that walking the dogs and pushing myself away from the table three times a day was sufficient. Wrong! Exercise for heart health means working out at last three times a week both on treadmill and a bicycle.  Now the American Heart Association is promoting this very theme with “Go Red for Women,” a national wear red day on Friday, Feb. 4.  Go For Red is the AHA’s nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion and power women have to band together and wipe out heart disease. So mark Feb. 4 on your calendar to wear red, to tell others about the risk of heart disease and to find out how you can help yourself and others. Get all the info you need by calling the Heart Association at 800-242-8721 or on line at www.heart.org.

GRAZIOSO, a musical term that means “grace,” is Circus Harmony’s new show.  The story is set in an art gallery where paintings balance, etchings fly and statutes come to life.  It opens Saturday, Jan. 22 and continues on the 23rd, the 29th and the 30th at the City Museum where the cost of the ticket includes admission to the museum. For more information and tickets call 314-436-7646 or visit www.circusharmony.org.