Sounds of the season

Chroissma, the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus professional level ensemble, will perform a family holiday concert of familiar carols mixed with contemporary compositions by Willcocks, Debussy and more at the Napa Valley Opera House on Sunday at 2 p.m.

This holiday season a new form of storytelling will be brought to life by St. Helena puppeteer Emily Giugni and local artist sisters Melissa and Mercedes Baker when the Super Dupers perform "Once Upon a Wishbone -- A Christmas Story" at the Dreamweaver's theater in Napa.

When the award-winning Napa Valley Repertory Theatre presents its adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," they are hoping to establish a local theatrical holiday tradition.

Legendary musician Phil Guy brings a bit of Chicago and Louisiana-style blues in his only performance in the wine country at DG's, Saturday night at 9 p.m.

Long before any of us had dreamed of cell phones, would be super spy Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) had his talking shoe, which more often than not, let him down.

Artist Marjorie Shachnow intricately crafts precious metal twigs, leaves and vines into exquisite jewelry. Add a sprinkle of tiny diamonds and the jewelry dazzles in its simplicity.

NEW YORK -- Henry Hill, the former mobster immortalized in "Goodfellas," says his current jail term saved his life.

BALTIMORE -- Former Creed lead singer Scott Stapp and members of the band 311 were involved in a fight on Thanksgiving in the lounge of a luxury hotel, according to hotel security staff and 311 members.

LOS ANGELES -- Long after the terrorist attacks on America, TV and film producers only tiptoed around certain hot-button issues, avoiding anything close to realism.

LOS ANGELES -- The third weekend was still a charm for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which remained the top movie with $20.45 million.

Surprises at

17

A VOENA CHRISTMAS -- VOENA, Voices of Eve 'N Angels, is the internationally acclaimed, multi-ethnic children's choir that combines inventive a cappella vocal arrangements with percussion, dance and theatrical elements. A joy for the eyes, ears and heart, and one you won't want to miss. Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. at Copia. $25 general/$22.50 member. Info, 259-1600.

From a young age, Patty Saldivar McClain knew she wanted to work in viticulture. "I grew up on Spring Mountain, where my father managed York Creek vineyard," said Saldivar McClain, director of vineyard operations for Hall Wines. "I knew in high school this is what I wanted. I even took my father, who was self-taught, to a seminar on phylloxera."

The huge-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" has given Mary Magdalene more fame lately than any biblical personality except Jesus. There's even a "Complete Idiot's Guide" to Mary and a forthcoming film version of the "Magdalene" comic books' woman warrior.

The fashion world loves petite things, skinny things, colorful things -- except when it comes to its books.

Eighth grade 4.0

During the 42 years since his death, the prolific C.S. Lewis has never failed to lure hordes of fans through his writings -- nor has the Oxford and Cambridge literature scholar ceased to rouse antipathy from religious skeptics.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Evangelist Rod Parsley wants to gather voters as he wins souls, a mixture that's causing a stir in the state that put President Bush back in the White House.

Education

The words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt were, "a day that will live in infamy". Infamy resonates in a haunting way: something criminal, brutal and shocking as it is defined. This thread weaves through the memories of many Americans as on December 7, 1941, Sunday morning, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Admiral Yamamoto led the Japanese Combined Fleet and delivered the U.S. Navy its greatest defeat. The attack was to immobilize the Pacific Fleet and prevent American interference as the Japanese expansion into Asia and the western Pacific moved forward.

The word soup as used in the name of this recipe -- Coconut Shrimp Soup -- translates as a substance that makes a satisfying main-course dish. Nor is this 30-minute wonder the kind of soup that has to simmer for hours before it's ready to pour into steaming bowls.

During cold and flu season, mothers often combat aches and sniffles with a steaming bowl of soup.

Pho Bo

With crab season finally open, Steve Scarabosio, executive chef of the venerable Scoma's seafood restaurant in San Francisco, sent over two simple and quick recipes along with the following tips for enjoying fresh, local Dungeness crab.

You may just happen to have some cooked turkey around, and be looking for an easy way to give it a new identity. Try this one: a low-fat recipe that gives a tasty new twist to the classic Spanish paella, with chorizo, saffron and smoked paprika for authentic flavor and color.

Some soups make a meal, and this one certainly qualifies. You may substitute shrimp for the chicken in the soup if you want to try something different, but it's still a substantial dish.

Here are a few tidbits of holiday savvy that we hope will save you loads of heartache as you shop for this year's freshly cut tree. Keep in mind that we like freshly cut trees, but we also suggest that you consider a live tree and a synthetic one as well.

Santa Claus may need a bigger sleigh if he hopes to deliver this year to the growing number of American families buying real Christmas trees via the Internet or by mail order.

This year's 17th Napa County Landmarks annual Holiday CandleLight Tour will feature seven homes and an historic bed & breakfast inn in Napa's St. John's Historic District on Dec. 10.

Building on the hills of Napa presents a special set of challenges for a contractor, but what with the scarcity of building sites in Napa County, ingenuity can turn what might have been an impossibility into a feasible and attractive project.

Holiday home tour

Napa County Landmarks Candle Light Tour takes place Dec. 10, between 3 and 8 p.m.

Johnson-McEnery

Cavalli-Capponi

Dake-Stephens

St. Helena Hospital

AGUIRRE-ABUNDES MEZA -- Antonio Lopez Aguirre, 32, Monroe Street, Napa, to Macaria Abundes Meza, 27, Monroe Street, Napa.

BEAMAN -- Byron Beaman vs. Susan Beaman, Nov. 23, 2005