By Alan Hovhaness. Stunning.

I have been meaning to do this for several days, but was just reminded that I needed to actually, ya know, do it.  Several people have taken time from their own writing lately to stop by and post comments here. I'm grateful for that. (Because it's not all about me; really, it's not).  Among the commenters on my post "Slaughtering Locally" were: Melanie Rehanek, who blogs at Eating For Beginners and is the author of the terrific Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her. She's working on a new book title "Eating for Beginners," which is due out next year. (Full disclosure: Melanie and I have the same editor.) Samuel Fromartz, who blogs at Chewswise and is the author of the also terrific Organic, Inc., the only substantive history of the 20th-century organic food movement. If you're interested in contemporary American food, it's a must-read. (Full disclosure: Organic, Inc. was published by the same press as Ambitious Brew.) Alexi Koltowicz (aka Lex) is a contributor at Scholars & Rogues, one of my favorite sites. And Zachary Adam Cohen stopped by to comment on another post (also on the issue of local slaughtering). He blogs at Farm to Table. As always, I appreciate the contributions.

"Forward." (On vinyl, not CD.)

On a day of tragedy, a powerful expression of the human spirit.

A seriously fabulous way to wind down a hard day.

. . . "O Domina Nostra." From this collection, which also includes some work by Satie. And I don't even like organ music! (And in case you're wondering, no, I don't only listen to this high-brow stuff. Am serious fan of Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell, George Jones, and Frank Sinatra. Plus other, less well-known stuff.)

Georges Bizet. Act One. Extraordinary. Have never seen it live, but would so love to do so.

Recording of a 1994  performance in St. Petersburg at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration. Enough to make even me a believer.

. . . by John Williams. Tracks 2-7 (not the Olympics piece, but the one titled "American Journey.) May we all enjoy our American journeys.

By John Corigliano; narrated by Ian McKellen.

Violin Concerto. Big fan of John Adams. Loved Nixon in China, which I've seen several times. (Yes, am geeky opera fan.)

Itaipu.

Jigging about the house, listening to Piper's Day, a cd we got in Scotland a couple of years ago. If you're even a wee bit Irish/Scottish (and I'm more than a wee bit), bagpipes are bliss. Not quite as much as accordians, but . . .

Listening to, while repairing dead urls in new website, Powers of Heaven. Dead link repair moving forward. Not as far as heaven (heaven in this case being when I finish the job), but making progress.

While repairing dead links in new blog: Rutter's Requiem. Listen and try not to weep.

Samuel Barber's "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra." (First three tracks on this cd.) Big fan of Barber's music, am I.

. . . Planet Earth. If you've not seen it, please do. Fabulous and amazing. And the so is the soundtrack. Equally amazing: Blue Planet, which aired on American television in -- 2000? 2001? -- anyway, prior to "Planet Earth." It's now available on dvd.

. . . to me. One of my all-time favorites: Musique de la Grece Antique.

. . . "Three Journeys to a Holy Mountain." As always, tear-inducing. (As a rule, I don't mention this kind of stuff unless it is.)

. . . . John Williams' "American Journey." (*1) Next up: Dvorak's "New World Symphony."

At our house, we're celebrating. My glib earlier comments aside, right now (7:00 p.m. central time), I'm overwhelmed, and overjoyed, by today's events.

This is the 4th best day of my life. (The third best was November 4, 2008.)

As a historian, I explore what it means to be an "American," trying to figure out who and what we are. Today, as a citizen, I saw, and knew, and experienced the best of who we are. For me, a typical American -- someone who lives and dies by hope and optimism -- it doesn't get better than this. If there is a "god," then please, I hope she/he/it blesses President Obama. His family. The Bidens. All of us.

Let us embrace courage, hope, and optimism.

Let us be Americans.

__________

*1: I'm a total sap when it comes to John Williams. And Yo-Yo Ma. And Itzahk Perlman. I relished every note they played today. As I relished hearing Aretha's magnificent voice remind of us of who we are.