Happy Canada Day

…to all my Canadian friends, I hope you had a great day! I baked my very favourite dessert, an angel food cake complete with whipped cream and strawberries, which felt very red-and-white festive. Then I drank some red wine, which is of course always festive.

Other than my dessert and wine, the day was somewhat low-key. I spent time in the mall – and I hate the mall – but I had to (HAD TO) purchase cowboy hats for the boys and for myself as it is now Stampede season and we had a pancake breakfast to attend today. For those of you who do not live in Calgary, or have not visited in early July, Stampede is somewhat of a religion here. A strange religion that causes business professionals to come to work in extremely inappropriate Western wear and then leave the office to get drunk during the day. It used to be quite surprising to me when I was working that persons who seemed perfectly normal would show up to work in skin-tight jeans and brightly coloured shirts emblazoned with eagles, howling wolves, and the like. Let it be known that yesterday’s hat was my first ever, except perhaps a childhood relic with a whistle. Also I do not own cowboy boots which is viewed as somewhat of a travesty around these parts.

However, that is not to say I have not enjoyed Stampede in the past. When I was a teenager, the thing to do was to go to the “Sundowner” where you would pay one price to go on all the rides. Sigh. A longtime friend just reminded me of the creepy carnies, and their line “Do ya wanna go FASTER?” and it really made me laugh. What I remember most about the carnies is how they would cop a feel while they strapped the safety belts on you. Good times.

Anyway, I wanted to mention a few of my favourite Canadian things, and no, the Stampede is not actually one of them.

The flag, which I think is the world’s prettiest.

Moraine Lake.

Okanagan wineries.

Jim Cuddy. I (and yes, this is bragging) actually met him! Hubba hubba. That story is the subject of a whole other post, but let us just say that he wins the Hottest Canadian Contest (other than my husband, of course, who is very sexy and handsome and also very confident, and so can handle my schoolgirl crush on Jim Cuddy).

Comments

  1. Moraine Lake is UNBELIEVEABLY pretty. And our flag IS lovely, isn’t it?
    Sounds like a nice day.

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