You’re probably aware that a whole bunch of people believe Judgment Day is Saturday.

Let me tell you what I’m looking at as I type these words.

This is shaping up to be one of those glorious weekends in which the Valley really is our oyster. The weather forecast calls for temps in the mid-80s, and there’s a glut of fun stuff going on to ensure you get out and enjoy yourself.

Thousands of arts lovers and more than 50 of the Valley’s arts groups — from opera companies to children’s theaters to dynamic modern dance troupes — flock every year to the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts for a full day of season sneak-peeks and an eclectic array of short performances.

Here’s how my actual Get Out notebook — the used, abused, doodle-covered notepad I throw on the floorboards, shove into six different purses a week and rifle through like a madwoman — actually reads:

Sometimes when you’re working on one story, another idea or bit of inspiration falls out of the sky.

On a hike the other day, I saw my first reminder of what spring in the desert is all about — besides sunny afternoons at the ballpark, that is. It was a flower, tiny and delicate, pushing up through the desert pavement.

The Arizona State University Art Museum’s Short Film and Video Festival takes place Saturday night, and it’s long been one of my favorite events of the year.

It’s Tony Bennett’s favorite museum in the world, and Carlos Santana says he’s inspired and overwhelmed by it.

Sound the trumpet fanfare. Get Out has launched a new page on Facebook.

The first time I accompanied my 2-year-old niece and her family to Arizona Science Center, I expected to be a little bored. I’d be the childless aunt, I figured, enthusiastically saying things like “Wow!” and “Good job, sweetie!” from the periphery as toddler and parents moved from one display to the next.

La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar

You’ve probably noticed that funny-looking, domed little building on a hill at Greenfield and Guadalupe Roads. You — or your child — may have even been there.

It’s still relatively quiet along the lower Salt River. An occasional trout or bass stirs up soft ripples on the water’s surface, and a stilt-legged bird steps gingerly in and out of tall grass growing at the river’s edge.

"Times are tough, and finding quality things to do for both you and your family, on a budget, is not easy.”

Art’s true power is revealed when a painting or a play goes beyond the aesthetically pleasing to bridge divides between people.

Each summer, I start strong, determined to make the most of the slower pace that arrives with higher temperatures.

When I was a kid and my mom shuttled us to activities, she often waited in the car, crocheting an afghan or reading a book.