I think I'm going to give my baby her first food on Thanksgiving make her some organic sweet potato. I'm very excited! It's going to be a big day and my husband is in charge of the turkey - he's the chef of the family!

I like to go to parties where I know everyone. How are you going to have fun with people you don't know?

I am going to take something I learned over in Israel. Their Independence Day is preceded the 24 hours before with Memorial Day so it gives them a chance to serve and reflect and then celebrate. I am going to try to start that tradition here in America.

No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a hard Christmas.

I'm not going to put out a Christmas CD until it's coming out of me naturally.

When I was eight years old I got a dummy for Christmas and started teaching myself. I got books and records and sat in front of the bathroom mirror practising. I did my first show in the third grade and just kept going there was no reason to quit.

I'm going to take the kids away over Christmas but I don't I've written 14 musicals now I don't want to rush into doing something just for the sake of doing it. I want to do it when I find a story.

One Christmas build-up tradition however has totally bypassed me - that of going up to town and 'doing a show.'

The people that make this country work the people who pay on their mortgages the people getting up and going to work striving in this recession to not participate in it they're not the enemy. They're the people that hire you. They're the people that are going to give you a job.

I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to work hard at it. Whether you're a musician a writer an athlete or a businessman there is no getting around it. If you do you'll win - if you don't you won't.