Insane Mother of Three: So it must have went okay today, the building is still standing and you didn't call me today ... you have my cell number right?

Leader 1: Yeah it went good today.  They all had a lot of fun.

Leader 2:  Oh, (Insane Mother of Three) could I get you to sign (Wee Blonde Child)'s incident report?

IMoT: Alright.  What did she do?

L2: (handing me said report) Oh (WBC) is good, she hurt her arm somehow and wanted a Band Aid.

IMoT: (reading report starts laughing)  Can I get a copy of this?

L1: Uhm I'm sure I can get you a copy .... why?

IMoT: It says, "When (WBC) came to me crying and saying she wanted a Band Aid, she was too cute and I couldn't say No."

L2: She used those big blue eyes on me! How could I say NO?!

Canada Day

On June 20, 1868, a proclamation signed by the Governor General, Lord Monck, called upon all Her Majesty's loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada on July 1^st.

The July 1 holiday was established by statute in 1879, under the name Dominion Day.

There is no record of organized ceremonies after this first anniversary, except for the 50^th anniversary of Confederation in 1917, at which time the new Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, under construction, was dedicated as a memorial to the Fathers of Confederation and to the valour of Canadians fighting in the First World War in Europe.

The next celebration was held in 1927 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. It was highlighted by the laying of the cornerstone by the Governor General of the Confederation Building on Wellington Street and the inauguration of the Carillon in the Peace Tower.

Since 1958, the government has arranged for an annual observance of Canada's national day with the Secretary of State of Canada in charge of the coordination. The format provided for a Trooping the Colours ceremony on the lawn of Parliament Hill in the afternoon, a sunset ceremony in the evening followed by a mass band concert and fireworks display.

Another highlight was Canada's Centennial in 1967 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the celebrations with Parliament Hill again being the backdrop for a large scale official ceremony.

The format changed in 1968 with the addition of multicultural and professional concerts held on Parliament Hill including a nationally televised show. Up until 1975, the focus of the celebrations, under the name "Festival Canada", was held in the National Capital Region during the whole month of July and involved numerous cultural, artistic and sport activities, as well as municipalities and voluntary organizations. The celebration was cancelled in 1976 but was reactivated in 1977.

A new formula was developed in 1980 whereby the National Committee (the federal government organization charged with planning Canada's Birthday celebrations) stressed and sponsored the development of local celebrations all across Canada. "Seed money" was distributed to promote popular and amateur activities organized by volunteer groups in hundreds of local communities. The same approach was also followed for the 1981 celebrations with the addition of fireworks displays in 15 major cities across the nation.

On October 27, 1982, July 1^st which was known as "Dominion Day" became "Canada Day".

Since 1985, Canada Day Committees are established in each province and territory to plan, organize and coordinate the Canada Day celebrations locally. Grants are provided by the Department to those committees.

copy taken from here: http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/jfa-ha/canada-eng.cfm

'coz I gotta tell ya its exhausting!

No really, its a lot of work trying to be beautiful!  You have to eat the right things, drink the right liquids and at weird intervals during the day, you have to primp and preen and rub weird lotions and potions into your skin.  Under your clothes you have to wear the most weird and all too often constricting underwears and contraptions that zap your saggy bits.  And at night ... how can you look all sexy in bed after you've just exfoliated and put on night cream on your face, under eye lightener on those dark bags growing under your eyes, Botox in a bottle on your frown lines, crows feet eraser on those lines that jut out from the sides of your eyes that apparently look like a fowls foot, rubbed body contouring treatment on all your saggy bits, slathered your hands and feet in goopy gloppy stuff that smells like you've just crawled out of a mud pit and then put on special footies and gloves to keep it there.  I gotta tell ya, that some kinda sexy!  Come here Honey, gimme a smooch.

Yes I have to agree about the drinking water, but does it have to have added stuff?  And eating a properly balanced diet should just be a given regardless your age or level of health.  But really when it comes down to it, what is beauty?  According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia beauty is defined below:

(For beauty as a characteristic of a person's appearance, see Physical attractiveness. For other uses, see Beauty (disambiguation).)

Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture. As a cultural creation, beauty has been extremely commercialized. An "ideal beauty" is an entity which is admired, or possesses features widely attributed to beauty in a particular culture.

The experience of "beauty" often involves the interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being. Because this is a subjective experience, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."^[1] In its most profound sense, beauty may engender a salient experience of positive reflection about the meaning of one's own existence. A subject of beauty is anything that resonates with personal meaning.

The classical Greek adjective beautiful was καλλός. The Koine Greek word for beautiful was "ὡραῖος",^[2] an adjective etymologically coming from the word "ὥρα" meaning hour. In Koine Greek, beauty was thus associated with "being of one's hour". A ripe fruit (of its time) was considered beautiful, whereas a young woman trying to appear older or an older woman trying to appear younger would not be considered beautiful. ὡραῖος in Attic Greek had many meanings, including youthful and ripe old age.^[3]

^{Then there is that adage, "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder".  The Good Book says, Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30 (NIV).}

^{The makers of all the lotions, potions, smelly sprays and anti-everything creams would tell you it is one definition, but what is the right definition?}

One would think that with the last week of school it would be all about slowing down.  Yeah ~NO!  During this last week of school, there is a luncheon for the teachers and Sports Day/Last Day.  Like could they put more in to a week?  And my children aren't in to organized sports yet!  I felt somewhat guilty when the notice came home asking for volunteers, donations of door prizes and/or $3 to help with costs, and/or a donation toward the meal itself, and me not having given back tot he school all year long.  Well as it happens, I didn't hand in a vetting form to be cleared to volunteer at the school, because you know I didn't want the school finding out that I had actually stolen my children from the land of nod when we lived out of the country for so many years. Hmmm I wonder if the "real" parents want them back ... can I give them back? I wonder if they were even missed .....

okay about this time last year I posted about how big the sky is here and how it feels like it goes on forever.  It really does feel that way until you get into the mountains and then you feel ... hugged.  Not claustrophobic, but welcome and wrapped up in a blanket if whispering pines, well okay more like shouting pines the wind can be so loud at times its almost deafening.  But there is a stillness there that is a welcoming calm like you've just arrived at granny's house in the country.  But I am digressing again!

The Alberta Prairies, not to be confused with the Saskatchewan or Manitoba Prairies, are a whole other experience.  It really is endless to the East and seriously brings new meaing to "Home on the Range".  I realise I am Canadian, The Husband reminds me of this almost everyday, but this is not like either of the areas I lived for any length of time duringmy life that I have great memories of (apparently we went to Saskatchewan a lot when I was little, but I don't really remember that other than my Auntie's cat scratching my eyes so bad I couldn't see for a few days... but  thats another post altogether!) those visits about how open the space felt, in fact I don't really remember them at all.

However I must say while it is weirdly calming to drive out in the open spaces and be able to see for great distances, its kinda creepy in a way too!  It is almost awkwardly calm .... but then again I think I read too many horror books when I was younger.  I keep expecting some ghoule to pop out of the end of the drives that we sail past!