The Soapbox family had a wonderful Canada Day and we hope you did too.
We had a celebratory dinner with family and friends. We started with drinks and snacks on our sunny, windy patio then moved back inside for Mr Soapbox’s famous jambalaya and my neighbour’s delightful Canada Day Rice Krispie cake. The Canadian flag was represented in white icing, raspberries, red licorice, and Swedish berry jujubes (it went surprisingly well with Cointreau).
We spent the evening talking about everything but politics.
It was marvelous.
We dedicated July 1 to remembering how lucky we are to live in this amazing country, knowing that tomorrow and the next day and the day after that we’d focus on making it even better.
Happy 156th birthday Canada!
Susan on the Soapbox 
Happy Canada Day, Westerners! That cake sounds delicious!
And a Happy Canada Day to you Easterners as well! Yes the cake, an interesting melange of things, was the perfect way to end the day.
It sounds like a fabulous Canada Day. And I can’t imagine a more fitting sentiment that we love this country and will work hard to make improvements. 🇨🇦
Thanks Dawn, and in that vein I’d like to share a link to the article you sent me earlier which expresses this sentiment very well.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2023/07/01/canada-has-achieved-something-remarkable-but-forces-threaten-to-tear-us-apart.html
Very Good article – thank you Dawn.
I am very much concerned that we are being infected with this Trump virus. Our Conservative party with Pierre Poilievre at the helm , looks a lot like a well decorated cake of extreme right wing noise.
Sounds delightful! Happy Canada to all who belong to this wonderful land!
Linda, the dinner came together in a haphazard fashion but we all had a great time. Sometimes the best things in life are like that, you bump along and because you’re all trying to do a good thing it all works out in the end. Happy Canada Day!
Happy Canada Day!!!! Remember …Ca-na-da, one little two little three Canadians, we love thee!
Sharon, I remember that song and have another one to offer.
Here’s I Am Canadian. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=i+am+canadian+molson+ad#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:df918943,vid:BRI-A3vakVg
Yes, it’s a Molson’s commercial. I still love it.
And while we’re at it:
Gee, I feel like Dwayne!!!!
Thanks Sharon. Canada Day is special. We should all get a chance to feel like Dwayne! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what he’s picked for us today!
Sharon: Thanks for sharing the great song, from Gordon Lightfoot. I did see him live, and I also met him. He is in my music collection too. Hope your Canada Day was great.
Happy Canada Day! Thank you for all the great posts/blogs! Grateful for this beautiful life and country and province!
Bettylyn, you’re very welcome! Like you I am so grateful to have the good fortune to be born in this amazing country and this beautiful province. My parents immigrated here from Europe after the war. They never took the privilege of living here for granted.
Happy Canada Day everyone
Carlos: Thanks! I did share some amazing music once again, including some live music. Music is a positive force for good, given these times we are in.
Yes music is an amazing means of connection.
In a previous post, I asked but it was a very lively one and you missed it.
Do you work in the music industry or this is just a hobby for you?
Happy Canada Day Carlos! I’m scrolling down to see what Dwayne has on tap for us. 🙂
Susan: Thanks for sharing another great blog. It looks like you and your family had a wonderful Canada Day. I’ll play some more fitting music. This is Big Sugar’s version of O Canada, and it is from 2001. I did see Gordie Johnson live with Big Sugar, and with one of his other bands, Sit Down Servant. It was 5 times seeing him live. I also met him. Big Sugar and Sit Down Servant are in my music collection.
Holy cow Dwayne! I’ve never ever heard a rendition of O Canada like that one! Amazing!!!
WOW I had never heard that – beautiful
Carlos: Music is just something I enjoy. I’m not employed in it.
Susan: Since it’s July 4 tomorrow, I’ll play another fitting song. This is from The Steve Miller Band, and the song is Living In The USA. Steve Miller wrote this song. It was released in 1968. I saw The Steve Miller Band twice live, and I also saw Boz Scaggs once live. Boz Scaggs used to be in The Steve Miller Band, and he is on this album. I have The Steve Miller Band and Boz Scaggs in my music collection too.
July 4th is actually on Tuesday. Sorry about that mistake.
No problem Dwayne!
“Doot do do do do doot doot.” The beat to this one was fantastic. Thanks Dwayne. You must have spent your youth traveling far and wide, seeing as many of these legends as possible. Well done!
Susan: I think I’ll cover 3 countries here. I’ve shared tracks from a Canadian and an American band, so, I’ll share something from a world famous Mexican guitarist, Carlos Santana. This is Carnival/Let The Children Play, live on July 2, 1977. It is from A Day On The Green Music Festival in San Francisco. I saw Carlos Santana 5 times live, and he is also in my music collection. A great performance here.
Dwayne, Carlos Santana is one of my favourites. What a great one to end on. Thanks.
PS I love the fact the keyboard player is wearing an Eric Clapton tee shirt.
Carlos playing some samba. The best Samba I ever heard was in the streets of Rio De Janeiro during Carnaval. Groups of people played it everywhere and they were amazing. People would gather and everyone joined dancing and playing.
Happy Canada Day.
Best to you and your family; if we want to retain and improve the quality of life in this great country, we have to actively counter the destructive effects of populism.
David, I agree with you 100%. And that’s exactly what we’ll do.
From what I’ve been reading lately about groups like TBA, it’s beginning to look like whatever brought them together may also be driving them apart.
Loyalty among thieves!
Well said David – I cannot wait to see them having a major self implosion. We have had enough of this disgrace.
It is a real Mafia
They’ve all been granted their lengths of rope…
We are grateful for such on this Canada Day weekend. The tornado missed us by a whisker but we are grieving for neighbours who lost everything. It will be a day to remember – July 1.
Oh my goodness, Survivor! I’m relieved to hear your family escaped unscathed, but sorry to hear about your neighbours. I saw the photos online and in the Globe & Mail. That looked like one mother of a tornado. Take care.
Happy Canada Day to you & yours as well, Susan. We are truly blessed to live here & what we have is worth ‘Standing on Guard’ for:)
Linda, what a sweet comment, I loved how you referenced the national anthem. 🙂
Happy Canada Day! We aren’t perfect but we’re working on it.
Donna, that’s exactly right…well said!
I had a bit of a thoughtful discussion on Canada Day with someone about national pride and a sense of togetherness as a country, which seems to have diminished somewhat in recent years.
If Canada is so broken, as some politicians recently seem to go on and on about, why do so many people (actually an increasing number it seems) still want to come here?
No doubt we have problems, but compared to most of the world we remain a great place. I think sometimes we take that for granted and Canada Day is a good time to remember overall our country is a wonderful and fortunate one.
I love Canada