small town. BIG HEART.

How much do I love small towns!? There is something about a tiny rural community that has been in existence for 100’s of years and is home to a handful of families, most of them with the same surname. The people may not have all the amenities available in a big city, but when given an opportunity to celebrate an event, they have a collective spirit that is unrivalled. It’s as if the entire community wraps its heart in a huge bow and hands it over to you. That’s what it was like this past weekend when the Olympic torch went through Almonte, a small village near Ottawa where my husband’s family grew up in and still lives. Steve, Jordan and I (armed with my Nikon!) headed out to be a part of the festivities. They served up hot chocolate and a free lunch at city hall, carollers sang Christmas songs and puppets from Puppets Up! which is another really cool event Almonte hosts waved Canadian flags with all the excitement of a child at an amusement park. The falling snowflakes were so big they seemed to take up your entire palm but that only seemed to heighten the enthusiasm. Peter Trus, the young hockey player & torchbearer could hardly hold back the tears when the crowd broke out in “Oh Canada” as he tilted his torch to the awaiting Elizabeth Manley. I was so happy my daughter could experience this historic event “small town style”.