Happy Birthday, Vicky!

Today is Victoria Day in Canada. Most of us see this as the first long weekend of the summer. People come out of their houses and work in their yards to make everything pretty for our brief warm spell. I don't really think about Queen Victoria, who is honoured on this day. Mostly, we've started calling this May Long Weekend as if that were reason enough to stay home an extra day, work in the yard and eat grilled meats.





History Lesson (Skip to the end if you're not really interested or know this already.)





Victoria Day is celebrated on the last Monday on or before May 24 in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday as well as that of the reigning sovereign.





Old Vicky was the longest reigning British monarch, lasting 63 years and 7 months on the throne. Let's just say she did a lot in that time. Highlights include surviving 7 attempts on her life, establishing the modern constitutional monarchy, and establishing the postage stamp and the railway in Britain. And she did a ton of other stuff, like having 9 children and living to tell the story, as well as being the first known carrier of the hemophilia in the royal line. At the time of ther death, the "sun never set on the British Empire."





The story I like best is her love for and devotion to her husband, Albert. Sure he was her first cousin, but royalty is usually inbred so that's not entirely unexpected. I appreciate that he was her most trusted advisor and that they lived a long and happy life together. I like that as the monarch, she had to propose to him and that when he died, she was devastated. She was a woman who loved her husband very much and made him a priority in her busy life. I like that, too.





Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming





So take it easy this long weekend. Play in the dirt. Sleep in (if you can).





And put your feet up. Preferably in some freshly finished homemade socks.





Thanks, Vicky!