150 Years Young, Canada!

IT'S CANADA DAY eve and the red leaf flutters over clear and cloudy skies.

Hooray to Canada for being such a wonderfully diverse and peaceful place in which to live. Not only is it "strong and free" it includes stunning views, interesting people from around the globe as well as geographical challenges for people who love to be physically inspired. Climate and terrain vary across ten provinces and three territories that span some 4,000 miles from sea to sea. Celebrating 150 years of Confederation, Canada is a giant-sized toddler gaining strength along the way while holding true to its values. There is room for improvement, of course, but among nations Canada is poised to do the right things not only for itself but for the world.

I was pleased most recently with Canada's involvement in the Paris Accord and also its welcoming stance on immigration from war torn Syria.

My parents immigrated to Canada before I was born. Learning a new language in unfamiliar circumstances wasn't easy and life was harsh but my mother said becoming a Canadian citizen was one of the proudest happiest moments of her life.

Mom didn't live long enough to meet my daughter but I know she'd be especially proud to hear her sing "O Canada" a cappella with school friends years ago. I listen the song each Canada Day. Enjoy!

See more skies from around the globe at SKYWATCH.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

A Little Flag Waving In My World

WITH HALLOWEEN leftover treats still to eat, I was surprised to find all the goblins and pumpkins at the mall had vanished to be replaced by Christmas decorations and, of course, poppies. Remembrance Day is near and it is time for a little flag waving. I hope you enjoy "O Canada", the national anthem of Canada sung a cappella by my daughter and her friends who were in a barbershop quartet several years ago.

The words “we stand on guard for thee” bring to mind two soldiers recently killed on Canadian soil ... one literally standing on guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. This has resulted in a heightened awareness of the dangers the military face … even at home.

Donations to the Royal Canadian Legion are sure to be sky high this year, especially when poppies are being offered by refreshingly polite and brightly smiling youth in uniform.

Fear and fanaticism have a way of intruding on societies yet to eradicate war.

Although seemingly out of reach, perhaps John Lennon's vision "imagine there's no countries ... nothing to kill or die for" will one day be realized and flags from around the globe will wave peacefully in a harmonious world.



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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

The Darker The Night, The Brighter The Light

EARLY MORNING Wednesday there was a serious windstorm in my world. I did not get a wink of sleep in the dark predawn hours.

Wind chimes played wildly like a dysfunctional symphony let loose by its conductor.

The noisy rattling, whistling and swooshing sounds outside the bedroom walls were intimidating and made it clear that life is unpredictable. I was relieved when calm came with the morning light.

During my walk I saw a house (pictured above), that adds considerable charm to the area, had been hit by a broken tree.

Sadly, it was not only broken branches and some trees that fell. A different storm was brewing across the country in the heart of Canada. I watched it unfold on the news.

Everyone knows by now that in the capital city of Ottawa a dashing young man with a beautiful big smile was shot to death.

Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was a soldier proudly guarding the National War Memorial. His whole bright life lay ahead of him when suddenly he was struck down. A picture truly is worth a thousand words when you see an inspired depiction of the tragedy by a cartoonist HERE.

There was no calm but mass confusion after this storm. It left in its wake broken hearts that likely have yet to comprehend the full significance of what happened. Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, killed a few days earlier in Quebec, inadvertently became the symbols of which monuments are made.

Attacks on the Canadian psyche, for whatever motivation, do not weaken but strengthen resolve. Heroes emerge and reassessment and rebuilding takes place on national as well as personal levels after terrible storms.

We have all heard it said, and hope it is true, that the darker the moment the brighter the light that will shine through.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

A Song To Remember

I DISLIKE the glamorization of war. Yet good people die … mostly young people with apprehension and brave hearts wanting to do the right thing for their country.

There is no gratitude great enough that we on the sidelines can give to the families who put at risk or have sacrificed their children. Here is a link to contemplate their service. It is a song inspired when someone in a supermarket didn’t have the compassion or courtesy to respect a request for two minutes of silence.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Graffiti Combats Conflict

SOMEONE PAINTED a Stop War sign on the sidewalk that I happened to step on one day. I took its picture because it was a rare piece of graffiti that I could appreciate. Perhaps they left their mark (however small) to combat apathy over chronic global conditions of war.

On Remembrance Day we respect and appreciate anew the military and their families who sacrificed and still sacrifice for those who do not take such risks. However, may we also remember not to glamorize war or ever forget its destructive consequences, particularly to children of both friend and foe.

The Stop War statement is a minor resistance movement against the tragic fact that mankind has not yet learned how to solve its most vexing conflicts peacefully. The graffiti on the sidewalk was a reminder that had lasting impact on me, even though the West Coast rain soon washed the sign away leaving no trace it had ever existed.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Gone Too Soon Into The Military

Another 21-year-old soldier died in Afghanistan recently. They say he loved his family, his dog, playing sports and going on road trips. He was a caring brother and a thoughtful son. He was at the cusp of his potential in life.

It makes me wonder if allowing young men and women fresh out of high school into the military, to possibly be killed, is society’s most rationalized misuse and abuse of our youth.

As brave, idealistic and productive as these young people are, they are still shy of being fully mature adults. Their opinions have not yet been formed. And if you could talk to them ten or even five years down the road, they would likely be more mindful of the consequences of their choices. They are the heroes whose loss will forever be felt by loved ones they left behind. They have the gratitude of the nation. Yet, in the dead of night questions must linger. Do we as a nation take advantage of their youth and inexperience, their need for jobs and education, their sense of idealism distorted by the marketing of war?

At this writing, in Canada, 18-year-olds can join the military and 16-year-olds can join the reserves or the Military College. Volunteers can join the regular forces at age 17 with parental consent.

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Let’s increase the age worldwide of when people can enlist to take what might be the final journey of their lives to places where inevitably casualties tragically are other youth caught in the middle of conflicts.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms