The Life of Mrs. Miles

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O CANADA!

O Canada! Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,

The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,O Canada,

we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Happy Canada Day, Folks ('course for July 1st!) Since we will be celebrating I won't be blogging - so just thought to get all the greeting done early. We are extra fortunate to live here, just minutes from the Canadian/USA border because we not only get to see our own spectacular July 1st fireworks - we can just peer across the border (or drive over) to see your July 4th show too!

JULY 2005 Canada Day Layout

I made this layout in 2005 - using a kit from Sonya Johnston (now with Kissed Studio) - bet she would resurrect it for you if you sent her a request? They're having a super sale coming up for July 4th by the way.

Miles took the spectacular fireworks photo you see in the bottom corner of the layout. There are all sorts of other activities that go along with the celebration - including a parade. Should be a fun weekend, unless it rains. Which it's doing right now. Hopefully what we get now will be it.

SOME WELCOME GUESTS!

Canada. Patriotism. Well - this is what I've observed - my own musings on Canada and being a Canadian. We are patriotic, but not AS patriotic as USA. We travel most summers and its blaringly obvious to us when we are in the USA - seems fully 1/2 places we see have some sort of patriotic display of flag etc. People seem to talk about it a lot more. It's getting better, but in the past on some Canada Days its almost seemed people are slightly shy or apologetic about 'wearing our colours' or being vocal. When we have a parade nobody claps anymore. Oh, there's smatters here and there, but once folks hands get tired it merely peters off. Truly, I've seen the tail end of parades here where its like a silence toward the end - you know when some of the 'boring' stuff goes by - the dignitaries etc. Come ON people - these folks took the effort to get into the parade, warm your hands a little! When the National Anthem is played in the States, people swipe their hats off of their heads, and clutch them to their breast, singing passionately. Here, nothing. Zip. Truly, before our fireworks only 1/2 people are actually singing along with the Anthem. Oh SURE, when there's a hockey game people appear to participate... sometimes I think people are passionate BECAUSE its hockey... Just for once, I would love to see someone get really really REALLY exctied about being Canadian.

I think we ARE deeply patriotic, but perhaps our Canadian-ness is just what holds us back. We see ourselves as a bit more 'dignified' or 'reserved'. Except, of course, when advertising for Beer. Then we are ridiculous. The lack of outward display comes, perhaps, from our ties to our Queen, and the whole English aspect of our existance. Its 'below' us to make a display. Seems to me that people either love the idea of our British Royalty ties - or are insulted by it all. I think the recent Queen movie has revived a bit of interest. Miles and I tried to watch it - fell asleep after 1/2 hour. My stepmother was VERY British - so I think its kind of cool, personally.

We have Tim Hortons - your equivalent to say a Crispy Creme? We love poutine. We take Buckleys for coughs. We say eh - even though we try not to. There are so many small things which make us Canadian - things I stumble across while 'chatting' to my foreign friends. What do YOU think makes us Canadian? Come on, give us the good, the bad and the ugly!

SOME FUNNY AND UNUSUAL NAMES OF CANADIAN TOWN NAMES

Belly River, Bragg Creek, Carrot Creek, Castor, Cereal, Chin, Community Punch Bowl, Dead Man's Flats, Driftpile, Entrance, Ma-Me-O Beach, Manyberries, Medicine Hat, Monitor, Onion Lake, Pocahontas, Seven Persons, Skiff, Stand Off - and of course, our own Osoyoos!

FUNNY AND UNUSUAL *NAMES* FROM OUR OWN B.C.

mountains, towns, rivers etc...

100 Mile House, Anarchist Mountain, Austerity Mountain, Baldy Hughes, Blubber Bay, Brilliant, Bugaboos, Buick, Cheekye, Craigellachie, Fanny Bay, Fascination Mountain, Flathead, Gang Ranch, Good Hope Mountain, Grand Forks, Halfmoon Bay, Hooker Mountain, Hope, Horsefly, Horseshoe Bay, Likely, Lulu Island, Needles, Ogre Mountain, Oyster Bay, Parsnip River, Pavilion, Poopoo Creek, Pouce Coupe, Procter, Prophet River, Radium Hot Springs, Resplendent Mountain, Salmon Arm, Sandspit, Skookumchuck, Smugglers Cove, Spuzzum, Stupendous Mountain, Ta Ta Creek, Teepee Mountain , Tornado Mountain, Wasa, Yahk, Ymir, Youbou, Zero Lake, Zeus Glacier, Zexwzaxw Glacier, Zippermouth Lake

BEAUTIFUL (U.S.A) LIGHTHOUSE

Speaking of being patriotic... and fully appreciating we live in a beautiful, georgeous and FREE country, where I can say whatever I want on this blog without fear of being censored... It calls to mind for me, of the Military. Our own and the USA. It all comes at a cost. I believe we are coming a long ways in appreciating our troops - who lay down their lives daily so we can live without fear. I often make myself 'live' in a war-torn country in my mind so that I don't take what we have for granted. Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up every single day afraid for your life? To not know, if you go out for a walk you may never come home again?

Recently, my friend Shirley featured a video on her blog and it blew me away. You talk about being patriotic? Well the lady featured in this video is a VERY talented artist who uses her gift to express her patriotism - and give back at the same time. Could we all be half the example she is! You MUST SEE this video to appreciate it. Just click HERE.

I appreciate and celebrate this woman's realness. To visit her personal website, click HERE

CANADIAN BEE ON CANADIAN FLOWER (ha!)

Won't you take some time out this weekend to pray for our beautiful country? Pray our Lord will protect and keep us - that we can claim our country for HIM. If you need guidance how to pray - you may want to check out the following page from this Canada In Prayer page by clicking HERE. They've posted this scripture as a very fitting guideline to direct your prayer!

“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Psalms 72:8

Today in History:

1613 - The original Globe Theater in London burned down during the first performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII.

1767 - The British Parliament approved the Townsend Revenue Acts, which imposed import duties on such things as glass, lead, paint, paper and tea shipped to America. Colonists bitterly protested the Acts, which were repealed in 1770.

1855 - The Daily Telegraph was first published in London.

1860 - At Minot's Ledge, Massachusetts, the first iron-pile lighthouse was completed.

1868 - The British news agency the Press Association was founded.

1880 - The Pacific island of Otaheite, now better known as Tahiti, was formally annexed by France, having been a French protectorate since 1842.

1901 - A paper for the newspaper industry, the first edition of "Editor & Publisher" was issued.

1916 - Irish nationalist Sir Roger Casement was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death for conspiracy with Germany.

1925 - Marvin Pipkind filed for a patent on frosted electric light bulbs. Frosting inside the light bulb created less glare by diffusing the light emitted, and spreading it over a larger area, giving off a much softer glow.

1949 - The government of South Africa enacted a ban against racially-mixed marriages.

1953 - The interstate highway system was born. The Federal Highway Act gave authorization to construct 42,500 miles of freeway from coast to coast in the United States.

1955 - With "Rock Around the Clock," Billy Haley and His Comets reached the top of the pop music charts, keeping the spot for 8 straight weeks. The song was featured in the movie, "Blackboard Jungle," and is thought by many to be the first rock ’n’ roll single.

1956 - Charles Dumas cleared a high jump, set at 7 feet 1/2 inches, at the Los Angeles Coliseum, becoming the first athlete to break the seven-foot barrier.

1957 - After Jacqueline Pung was disqualified for handing in an inaccurate scorecard, Betsy Rawls won the United States Golf Association women’s tourney.

1972 - The United States Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was contrary to the constitution.

1974 - Isabel Peron was sworn in as president of Argentina, taking over from her husband Juan Peron who became ill.

1987 - At an auction in London, Vincent Van Gogh’s "Le Pont de Trinquetaille" brought in $20.4 million. The winning bidder, an anonymous European collector, has never been discovered.

BARB'S HANDY TIP #290

Learn Great Art!

In case the story of Kaziah inspired you and you are dying to crack out your own talent - you would be well advised to check out the following website of another gifted artist .... step by step photos show you how he builds his amazing paintings!

THE ARTISTS STUDIO