The Maple Leaf Forever

I love our Canadian symbol of the maple leaf.  It’s magnificent!
There is a song called “The Maple Leaf Forever”, and we really don’t hear it much.  Sometime in my past I must have heard it, but the only part I remember was the title line at the end of the chorus.  So I did what anybody would do these days:  I googled it!
You can google it too if you want more info, but this is the chorus of the original version of the song (which was never our National Anthem, but was often played as if it was):
The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,

The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our Queen and heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!

And here is the chorus of the more recent version, which was actually sung by Michael Bublé at the 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremonies:
Long may it wave, and grace our own,

Blue skies and stormy weather,
Within my heart, above my home,
The Maple Leaf forever!

Anyway . . . about ten years ago I made a quilted Maple Leaf wall hanging at a little quilting class in town.
I didn’t do too badly here in my first attempt at quilting anything, but don’t look too closely!
It’s thirteen squares across and down.  I love the non-traditional flag colours.
It was easily quilted to look like veins in the leaf.
I even found little maple leaf buttons for the corners.
Long may it wave, and grace our own,
Blue skies and stormy weather,
Within my heart, above my home,
The Maple Leaf forever!
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Canada Day

Happy Canada Day!!!
July 1, 1867 – Canada got its start.
Sir John A. MacDonald played a major part!
So if we do the math, today is Canada’s 144th Birthday!!!
One thing I admire about our neighbours to the south is how patriotic they are.  They LOVE the Fourth of July and go all out in decorating and partying to celebrate their Independence Day.  I don’t think we do half as much celebrating as they do.
I have a few Canadian decorations like this garden stake that sits in the garden all summer.
And I have this wooden flag on my porch.  The other side of the board is a little house with the words Simple Life on it.  I usually have that side showing all summer and then rotate it to the flag side for the holidays.
My porch animals keep moving – they’re alive!!!
But one of my favourite sights on Canada Day is this . . .
. . . our Flag!
The youth in each ward in town have an annual fundraiser.  We pay $40 and they will put a flag up in our yard for every holiday from Victoria Day in May to Thanksgiving in October.
I love to see all the flags flying around the neighbourhood on all the holidays, but they look especially grand today, on Canada’s Birthday.
“God keep our land glorious and free,
O Canada we stand on guard for thee,
O Canada we stand on guard for thee.”

I LOVE YOU CANADA!