Tracie's World

I appreciated this article I saw on the Deseret News website. It was written by a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, and is about her family's experience and disagreements over religion. Both sides of my family consist of those who are LDS, and those who are not, and at times there has been tension as a result of different beliefs and value systems. Like the article points out, it does come down to individual choice, and we can either choose to be divided, or we can appreciate everyone's efforts and be united. That doesn't mean we need to agree with each other all the time, but that we can still be respectful and loving towards each other. A link to the article can be found at http://mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/mormon_experience/?id=3731 You can also check out the full text of the article at http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-mormon-jewssep21,0,1284438.story

Had a great time at the Oktoberfest celebration at Snowbird this past weekend. It was indeed a celebration of all things German (at least as American's envision it). We took a tram ride to the top of the mountain, and had breathtaking views over to Park City. We also enjoyed bratwurst, sauerkraut, and apple strudel. And there was plenty of German polka music. It was a truly wonderful time. I was reminded again how much I enjoy all of that, and how much I enjoy the German language. I do have some German ancestry. I also have some Welsh ancestry. I'm sure both of those account for my love of singing and sing-alongs. And I lived in Iowa, which explains my love of bratwurst. There were of course lots of references to Austria, and the "Sound of Music", and all the bands wore leiderhosen. Bratwurst and a "Valderee, Valderah" sing-along - Really, it doesn't get any better than that!

Sadness in Mudville this weekend. Butch Cassidy (a.k.a Henry Gondorf, Fast Eddie Felson, Cool Hand Luke, Doc Hudson, etc.) is gone. 'Nuff said. R.I.P.

My boys in blue began this morning with a magic number of "1" - meaning only one game needed, to clinch the national League West division. Thanks to the late season slide by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and their nasty loss to St. Louis this afternoon, the Bums have now clinched their first division title in 4 years. God bless Manny Ramirez!

I was able to attend the "O.C. Tanner Gift of Music" concert this weekend. It was held at the Conference Center and featured the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Utah Symphony, Maestro Erich Kunzel, Denyce Graves, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Only one word to say - FABULOUS! it was just what a girl wants to hear - old love songs and show tunes from the 30's, 40's and 50's. The music of the Gershiwins, Cole Porter, Rodgers, Hammerstein, Jerome Kern, etc. There were also classic patriotic tunes, and an armed forces salute that left me all choked up, especially after seeing the active-duty Marine standing at attention in his dress uniform for the Marine service anthem. Hoo-Rah. Brian Stokes Mitchell called it "Heaven on a Stick", and it truly was. Really, I would go just about anywhere to see any of those artists perform, and when I get to heaven, they all better be there too.

So I was having a conversation with a friend last night, who really does not enjoy country music. I of course was rhapsodizing about it and how great country music is. The conversation then turned to Opera, of which she is a big fan. I've never been able to really gain an appreciation for opera. I can appreciate the music and the skill involved, but that's about it. So I proceeded to mention how opera is all about infidelity, unrequited love, loose women, suicide and drinking. To which she replied "sounds like a country song." I had to chuckle, because she was right. It's all the same subject matter, just a different delivery method. Other than perhaps targeting different audiences, it's really comparing apples to apples. Both take a certain skill level and both dwell on the same (not necessarily uplifting) themes. "You say po-tay-to and I say po-tah-to".

1. Driving in my car today and listening to the classic country station, I first heard "Stand By Your Man", by Tammy Wynette. That was followed by "The Grand Tour" by George Jones. Is it only me that noticed that the station played both members of the Classic Country "IT" Couple one right after the other? (Answer: Probably So) 2. News of the Weird: An artist from Ottumwa has created a reproduction of the Mona Lisa entirely from Sticky Notes. I guess every artist has to have their medium, but Sticky Notes? 3. A couple of athletes have won multiple gold medals and set world records at the Paralympics. Why is it that once the regular Olympics are over, no one seems to pay attention to the Paralympics? It seems to me that the athletic feats in those games are even more incredible, considering that they're accomplished by people missing various limbs and/or senses. Somehow they seem more able-bodied than us so-called "normal" folks. 4. have you ev...