A great nation cannot be made, cannot be discovered and then coldly laid together, like pieces in a picture puzzle. No! Canada is a theme. It is a tune, and it must be sung together.~Emily Murphy It’s July 1, 2006 and the weather forecast says there is a possibility of rain, but my husband, two kids and I are determined to spend the afternoon and evening in downtown Ottawa. It’s not a quest f...

Happiness, not in another place but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.~Walt Whitman The waiter carefully placed two gold-rimmed plates, filled with linguine and panko-crusted chicken, on the table. “Enjoy your meal. Let me know if you need anything,” he said with a courteous smile as he scurried off to serve the other guests in the restaurant. Raul lifted his fork to begin eatin...

To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak.~Hopi Indian Saying I love my husband. I also love dancing. Over the years we learned from experience, however, beginning with our wedding more than forty years ago, that the two were not compatible. We just didn’t dance well together. We seemed to have an abundance of left feet. So when our son announced that he was getting married, I knew someth...

Some people have cats and go on to lead normal lives.~Author Unknown After five years of dating, including four years of sharing a flat and the affections of a little cat called Figuero, it was time for us to make it official! Neal’s proposal came over an ice cream cone, simple and sweet. Smiling so wide I could only nod my acceptance, I became his fiancée and was soon wearing the engagement ...

If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.~Buddhist Saying “Slow down before we reach the intersection.” I clutched the steering wheel with sweaty hands as I followed the instructor’s direction. The car lurched toward the side of the highway, the front tires perilously close to the edge of the pavement, where a six-inch drop-off threatened to flip us over. ...