Oh, Canada!

What a weekend it was for us Canadians! It was a tremendous finale to a glorious two weeks of competition and achievement at the 2010 Olympics. A record breaking collection of gold medals, a nail biting finish to the hockey game, a fabulous Closing Ceremonies filled with humour, music, giant beavers and floating moose - who could ask for anything more? Not to mention a display of homegrown talent such as Alannis, Avril, Michael B. and Michael J., Neil, Catherine and of course, Bill Shatner. Luckily, he didn't sing but he did speak of his beloved homeland Canada as the final frontier. Too funny. But the piece de resistance was the opening sequence, with the mime raising up that final arm of the cauldron, the one that malfunctioned two weeks ago in the Opening Ceremonies. Hilarious.

I was so excited and proud, I decided I would wear red and white to work today and that I needed a necklace to go with it. So while I was watching the festivities, I put this concoction together with some ceramic beads I had made last year at the Bead and Button show and some red and white rings I had been meaning to do something with.

It has been a wonderful two weeks. I could not have been prouder to be a Canadian during this time and I know that feeling is shared by many of my fellow citizens today. Not just because we won the big hockey game (although for some, that's the only thing that really matters), but because it was a chance to see our country shine in a way that we don't often experience. To come in third in total number of medals, to break the record for total number of gold medals earned in the winter Games, to have our female athletes earn more than half of the total medals - we're not really used to achieving this sort of accolade on the world stage.

The theme of the Games was "with glowing hearts" and we certainly felt that glow from coast to coast the entire time and never stronger than yesterday. The CN Tower here in Toronto was lit up with gold light last night and it was a fitting image. People partied in the streets here in Toronto, exchanging hugs and high fives and honking horns, most of them wearing Team Canada jerseys and red mittens. Hard to believe the real festivities were taking place over 2,000 miles/3,500 km away. Because we all felt a part of it, a part of a community, bound together by our pride and sense of accomplishment. It's a good feeling.