O Canada

“We wish nothing more, but we will accept nothing less. Masters in our own house we must be, but our house is the whole of Canada.”
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau

It is a glorious Canada Day. The sun is shining on the trees outside my window. The morning air is warm. I love this time of year. In a little while I will get dressed. For the first time in twenty years, I don't have a new shirt to wear for Canada Day. In years past, our household has been garbed in new Canada shirts every July 1. I didn't get around to buying them this year. I will, instead, retrieve an old one from my wardrobe. No problem. I have a lot to choose from.

This afternoon Merv, Jacob and I will head to Belmont Lake to spend the weekend with Cath and Stan. Nan, Brian and Geraldine and Marg and Bob will join us tomorrow. Like last year, I will celebrate my birthday at the lake. Tomorrow will mark the second anniversary of this blog. I still enjoy writing it. I hope you still enjoy reading it. When we were in the U.K. for what seemed like a very long time away from my family and friends, I felt like writing my blog was a way of connecting to home every day. I liked that I received notes from people to tell me they were following my travels. While I love to explore the world, home is still where my heart is. This blog has been a good vehicle for me to stay connected to home.

Today I am reflecting on my profound gratitude for being a citizen of this nation. I have seen many beautiful places but none I would rather call home than Canada. I know with certainty that no matter where I travel in this fascinating world, the music of Canada will always call me home.