Sunday marks the 234th birthday of our nation. I can't imagine being around for that long. But in the history of the world, 234 years really isn't long at all - in fact, we are still in the infant stage compared to many countries in this world - countries that have been around for centuries and centuries.
In my house, we also think about July 1 - which is Canada Day. Sorry to my Canadian readers that I didn't mention it yesterday.
There is something very nice about blending two cultures: you can get the best of both worlds. My husband has been in the US for many years, but there are still some things that we do that are exclusively Canadian. Tea at our house is always hot - not iced - and you don't dunk a teabag - you brew the tea in a teapot. And the only tea we use is Red Rose - which we have to bring back from Canada. The gauze bags (versus paper bags down here) make all the difference.
Another Canadian thing we do is leave the butter out on the counter. It stays soft, and spreadable, and I guarantee that we use it up long before it has a chance to go rancid.
But no matter where we are from, or where we live, one common bond is celebrating with food. Whether it is a patriotic holiday where we celebrate with a cookout - or Christmas where we celebrate with a turkey dinner and all the fixings...holidays are almost always associated with food. My trick is learning how to celebrate WITHOUT making food the focal point. Sometimes, I must admit, the temptation is strong to do what everyone around me is doing - filling their plates with all kinds of goodies. But I made a vow when I started this journey that I would no longer do what I have done in the past. It is not always easy, but when I can say that I've lost 135 pounds - or 74.5 inches - or gotten down to a new size - it makes it worthwhile.
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