Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has had a fabulous start to the new year of 2007.

Lance and I have had a wonderful day. We slept in, made breakfast, watched a movie and then went to “Salute to Vienna” which is a New Years Day Concert held across the world between December 29 – January 5 of each and every year. For more information about Salute to Vienna, please click here: http://www.salutetovienna.com/index.php

At the concert we enjoyed classical Austrian symphony played by the Strauss Symphony of Canada conducted by Gerhard Track, as well as performances by the Vienna International Ballet and Austrian Operetta’s sung by a female soprano and a male tenor. You can see the personal information on each of them here: http://www.salutetovienna.com/stv_edmonton.php

If you are curious about what kind of music was played today, please click the MP3 player at the top of this blog entry. I have uploaded a few composures that were featured in the concert today.

We sang Edelweiss and Auld Lang Syne arm in arm with the 10,000+ sold out crowd. We clapped until our arms were numb and clapped some more. The conductor was one of the classiest gentlemen I have ever had the pleasure of being near. He was cultured and dignified, yet he was not pretentious, he made the audience laugh all afternoon with his stories. The Symphony was powerful and soft all at the same time. The Soprano brought tears to my eyes and the raw amazing power of the tenor was breathtaking. The ballet company was the epitome of grace and loveliness. It was a magical afternoon.

After the concert we went out for dinner and relaxed with a bottle of wine and some really good Italian food. We laughed and talked and laughed some more.

Thank you, Lance, for taking me to see this amazing concert again this year. I am so glad we are forming our own traditions. I cannot wait until January 1, 2008 when we get to go “back to Vienna” and experience this again. I love you baby.

Today was a beautiful & wondrous way to start 2007. I hope this finds you all smiling and finding wonder in the beauty of life.