My wish has finally been granted. My fairy godmother has arrived at last and waved her magic wand in front of my pumpkin. Now, every second week, I close my eyes, make a wish on a bright star in the night sky and, hey presto! the next day my pumpkin of a house is sparkling clean.
After 33 years of maid-free marriage we have finally taken the plunge. Two angels come every second Thursday and transform our house from dismal to delightful in a few short hours. They get into corners and crevices where I would never think of going. When I am the cleaner, some of corners that I do see, I measure in terms of "will someone else see that?", "is it worth my energy?" or "will it really matter so much if I leave it for another week?" My specialty is cutting corners, whilst my fairy godmothers appear to head in for the tackle and spruce them up.
After each occasion, I have to say that walking into a sparkling clean house is like winning a prize: invigorating, refreshing, and energizing. I love the added touches: like artfully folded towels in the guest washroom, a cleaned out fridge, and even a bed replete with fresh linens. The nicest surprise of all - an occasional bunch of flowers on my table. What more could a woman want? It's better than ...chocolate.
Remembrance Day is particularly poignant when you work in the school system here in Canada. Children of all ages and in all grades tackle specific projects and assignments for weeks in advance of the special day. Their work culminates in imaginative and creative presentations, dramas, posters, artwork, and chorals on November 11. It makes your heart glad to see students as young as 6 and all the way up to the graduating class of Grade 12 immersing themselves enthusiastically in holding onto the memories of sacrifice and bravery of soldiers in all the wars past and present. 
At the school, ceremonies are held in the company of old warriors and young soldiers in uniforms bearing medals. It tugs at your heart strings when you watch them salute in honour of those who have fallen. It is truly remarkable to witness the respect given by the young who are largely untouched by the strife and mayhem of war. 
