STORYTIME TAPESTRY

The Newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world

Special Treat ??“ Violet Apted, For Canada Day

July 1, 2005

Established by statute and called ???Dominion Day??™

July the first became a holiday, in 1879

Becoming ???Canada Day on October 27^th 1982

God??™s Country

(O Canada, Our Home and Native land.)

My heart swells with pride for thee.

My love I??™ll never hide, you see,

No matter how far that I may roam

Canada will always be my home.

Your majestic beauty all around me lies.

Unfolding it??™s magic before my eyes.

O??™ Canada, one could ever take your place

Nor, the love for you, in my heart replace,

A priceless gem, is what you are

You outshine even the brightest star.

I am so proud, as everyone can see.

You are my life! My love! My God??™s country

?© Copyright Violet Apted

MY DREAM CAME TRUE

Violet Apted

When I stepped from the plane onto Canadian soil for the first time, I was so overcome with emotion I could have kissed the ground I walked on. It was the realization of a lifetime's dream. From as far back as I can remember I had wanted to visit Canada- now here I was! It had taken many years but my dream had come true.

When I was still in primary school, my Aunt Kate had married a Canadian soldier and went to live in Ontario. She was my favorite Aunt, and I missed her so much I vowed, that one-day I too would go to Canada. Like most plans though they never materialized. My life took a very different path when I married young, all my hopes of going to Canada were dashed, but deep inside my heart I still clung to my dream. Now here I was! My dream was unfolding before my eyes. The excitement was bubbling over. Taking every ounce of control to refrain from making a fool of myself I collected the luggage from the carousel, and hailed a taxi. Aunt Kate and Uncle John greeted me like their long lost child, and I felt that I had indeed 'come home'.

Of all the beautiful sights I saw as I toured Canada-and they are too numerous to mention-Niagara Falls has to be the most breathtaking, it will live in my memory forever. Not just the sight of the many rainbows that glisten above and through the waterfall, but the sound of the millions of gallons of water cascading down with a tremendous roar to the rocks below. I can still feel spray as it covered me like a sparkling cloak of mist. Rainbow colours dancing within the spray gives it a mystical multi-colour appearance. No words could describe such beauty, or convey the sounds, and feelings you experience, as you stand high above the falls absorbing the scene before your eyes.

Everyone who can-should visit this magical place, and see for themselves. Someone once dubbed Canada 'God's Country'! Now I know why, and I agree! It is beautiful, awe-inspiring, and magnificent.

Too soon it was time for me to leave, so I spent the last couple of hours in the town of Hamilton Ontario buying some gifts to take home. In the town center, a band playing traditional jazz had caused a crowd to gather, so I stopped to listen for a while. The musician playing a Saxophone was exceptionally good. I must have been staring at him, because, still playing he walked over to me and played to me, as if I was the only person standing there. It was a very moving experience as if ' Canada' was saying goodbye to me. Needless to say there were many tears and I feel as if I left a little piece of my heart in that beautiful country.

That was many years ago, yet even today as I sit in my armchair in the quiet of my home here in Australia I often close my eyes, and re-live the memories of my dream that came true...

Violet Apted
violet77 @optusnet.com.au

Work: Freelance writer and Tutor U3A
Creative writing

I am Originally from Sussex and Kent UK. Emigrated to Australia 27yrs ago and
now live in Queensland .

I can write in any genre and have many stories and poems published in
Magazines. I self published a book of my own poetry book, Titled `A POSY OF
VIOLETS and a book of poetry for my pupils.

I have completed my first novel a Murder abduction story and now writing my
second. I think my favourite writing would have to be children's stories.
(Pen name Violet Apted) http://www.powerup.com.au/~strummer/violet /Htmls/
MainFrame1.htm