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True patriot love
I woke up this morning to birds chirping. My dog and I had a peaceful walk in the neighbouring orchard and then my husband and I had a leisurely breakfast on the deck, eating the cherries we picked from our tree and enjoying the panoramic views of farm fields and Okanagan Lake in the distance.
I putzed in my gardens today; first the vegetable garden, where we have tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, various lettuces and some herbs. Then I did some tidying in the edible flower garden out back, listening to the hum of the bees and the trickle of water into our little pond. All summer long we will have edible things growing on our little property.
We are conscious of our water consumption, living in an arid climate, but even when restrictions are in effect we can still water plants and drink from the tap.
Hubbie and I stopped for an ice cream cone this afternoon. We could easily afford two scoops each and we chose from over 2 dozen flavours. Like many other decisions here, I could pick whichever one I wanted, without judgement. It didn’t matter that hubbie and I chose differently, and next time I could pick something else. I don’t need to defend my choice, or changing it.
Being a Canadian doesn’t mean I have to shout my patriotism from the rooftop – it is true that many of us are more reserved, less demonstrative than folks of the neighbouring United States. But that doesn’t mean we are any less proud of our nation.
I am so very pleased that I was born and live in a place where life can be good for so many people, and there are so many beautiful corners to enjoy everything from wilderness to urban jungle. I am proud we have farmers and fishers from coast to coast who work to provide us with so much bounty. We celebrate them every day, honouring the land and the sea that surrounds us.
I hope as we move forward that our country can be a good example of how to work towards sustainability. How great would it be for Canadians to not only be polite and kind but also good stewards of our planet?
Happy Canada Day!
Navel gazing and other patriotic activities for Canada Day
Today is the day we celebrate being Canadians. For 146 years we have existed as our own country, having come into our own from our British roots as a colony. We love to gather with friends and loved ones and enjoy the bounty we are privileged to have. We have BBQ’s and beach parties, we attend parades and fireworks shows and we might even wave a flag, in a polite manner, being Canadian.
As Canadians we enjoy a New World identity – we are a first world country with many rights and freedoms. But we don’t like to stand out or seem in any way aggressive; we are known more for apologizing than speaking out. Blowing our own horn is not something we do and so a day that is all about doing just that can be a bit awkward at times.
The good thing is that Canada Day encourages us to get just a little more
enthusiastic about flag waving and horn blowing. We deserve it; our forefathers earned us that right. We can navel gaze the rest of the year.
So, get out here and cheer for your country. Sing the anthem, wave your flag and applaud the fireworks and the parade. If you don’t know where to go to so these things, visit the ever-so polite website that has such info.
Happy CANADA Day!!