Tag: saskatchewan

September 3rd – Off Leash Dog Parks

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

Today the ‘Piece of My Mind’ that I have decided to share, is the piece that holds my opinion on the proliferation of off-leash dog parks in our city.  Apparently this is a trend that has been spreading across North America for some time, but as usual we are running a few years behind.

For the record – I am against off-leash dog parks.  We certainly do not need seven (and counting) off-leash dog parks anywhere in Regina. We definitely do not need one in our neighborhood (which is currently in the works). There are as many dogs as people in our area. While we have many responsible dog owners, we also have those who can barely control their dogs on a leash, much less without one. When our neighbourhood off-leash dog park opens, I for one will not be taking Kat into that gong show.

But, we will be helping to foot the bill to build and maintain yet another off-leash dog park that this city does not need. As will everyone else in our neighbourhood – the petless, the cat people, the bird and reptile lovers. We will all foot the bill because some dog owners and city politicians have decided that dogs need their own parks so they can run free and socialize in urban areas. 🙄

Kat – Safe, staying out of of trouble, and happily out walking on her leash.

I realize there are a lot of dogs that are far larger and more active than our Kat. They may well require more intense exercise. In a small city like Regina, it is blocks to the rural area surrounding the city – with ample opportunities to run a larger animal. If that is not an option for anyone (anywhere), than maybe they should have made a more responsible choice when adopting a pet. Just saying!

Patricia Park – acres of on-leash walkways – a couple of blocks from the soon to operate off-leash dog park.

So, that is my ‘piece of mind’ for the day.

Have a great day! Take care and see you tomorrow.💞

August 25th – Time Flies!

by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021, Uncategorized

It seems like we were just cleaning the patios and planting the garden and here we are with autumn bearing down on us! The seasons seem to pass faster every year. 😳

Dan emptied the pool this morning 😥
Grandpa’s Bleeding Heart is done for the year. 😟
The wildflowers around the birdbath are looking rough.

I have never been a fan of autumn but there is still much to be grateful for. I am grateful for the fresh garden produce that we are enjoying every day, grateful that I have Dan to manage much of the heavy fall cleaning, grateful that I am not facing a winter of dark and icy drives to work (YAY), grateful for the end of mosquitoes and other bugs, and of course I am grateful that I am still here to enjoy each and every day!

Kat’s new food chock full of goodness and fresh garden vegetables and herbs.
At least the petunias are still blooming!

Wishing everyone a great day. Take care and see you tomorrow!

August 12th – Moments of Gratitude

by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

There were many years when Dan and I would barely see each other, except when we took holidays together.   When he was working shifts and I worked Monday to Friday 8-4:30,  we would have a couple of weekends a month that we were both home at the same time.  On the Saturdays, Dan would often golf and I would be out with my daughter – shopping, lunching , or doing something with the kids. 

Since I retired, it is much easier to spend random time with Dan.   On Wednesday morning,  we ran out to do a few errands.  We had to wait a few minutes for one shop to open, so we took a little drive down Pinkie Road on the outskirts of Regina.   

They aren’t the best, but I did snap a few photos to share.

Plants blowing in the wind. 🌬️
Goulet Golf Course
Goose poo is an issue on this course. 🙄
Open fields and blue sky.

We did not have time to go very far, or to linger very long, but I am always grateful for those little times that Dan and I get to spend together now.

I hope this is a good day for all!  Take care and I will see you tomorrow. 💞

“Enjoy the little things in life for one day you will look back and realize that they were the big things.“

– Anonymous

August 10th – It’s Raining Again 🎶

by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

After a hot dry spell, we had a beautiful, refreshing little rain last night. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Rain coming down!
This rain barrel is full and our big tank on the other side of the garage is looking good too!
I won’t have to water the garden today and rain is so much better for it than city water!
Everything looks cleaner and brighter – even the rocks around the pond.
We didn’t get the front lawn fertilized but Dan got it mowed before the rain.
It will be cool enough to get up and clean the playhouse today. That will be nice for Dom when I have him next week. 🤗

I do appreciate the nice, refreshing rain but that is not all we have to be grateful for today! Dan got approved for time off so we will be attending son Dan’s wedding reception! Three days to celebrate Dan & Amanda and their beautiful (official) family. 💞

Pandemic internet wedding December 31st, 2020. It wasn’t the in-person experience but beautiful all the same! (As lovely as their wedding was, the reception will not be held in their basement 😂)

That’s it for today and that is plenty to be grateful for! 🥳

Have a beautiful day and see you tomorrow. 💞

“It is not the joy that makes us grateful. It is the gratitude that makes us joyful. “

– David Steindl-Rast

August 2nd – Saskatchewan Day

by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021
Saskatchewan Legislative Building – Wascana Park, Regina, SK.

Today is ‘Saskatchewan Day’. It is a stat holiday for those who still work – and get stat holidays. (sorry Dear, not you🥺)

There is so much to be grateful for, for anyone fortunate enough to live in any province in Canada. Saskatchewan has its own special benefits. We have reasonably affordable single family housing, stable employment, short commute times, plus other benefits too numerous to mention.

This year, I am feeling particularly grateful for one of Saskatchewan’s most obvious benefits – our wide open spaces! From virtually any point in Saskatchewan we can see as far as we can see. In northern Saskatchewan we do have solid forests but they are broken up by many vast open lakes. In the heart of our cities, we have a few congested blocks but we can always look up! Mostly, our province is flat, free, and clear.

It seems strange for me to feel so grateful for such a thing as open space. People who ever knew me would find it quite bizarre.

I have never really been a ‘people person’. I find a lot of people to be demanding, overbearing, aggressive, or just a bit annoying. I find crowds of people to be emotionally overwhelming. (I don’t do parades or crowded stadiums well 😳). I have just always been more comfortable in my own space. As life has gone on, I have had to deal with more and more people – my schooling, my children’s schooling, my daughter’s children’s schooling and eventually a more and more demanding career. It got really difficult to avoid people.

I was constantly backing myself into smaller and smaller spaces to squeeze people out. Eventually, I found myself trapped behind my corner desk all day, and stuck in our little house every night. (Our yard was not even a reprieve as we went through a period of seriously sketchy neighbours. 🙄) With this ever shrinking life of mine and multiple respiratory issues, I felt like I was suffocating.

Then, I retired! (And the pandemic happened). I was free to open my mind to meditation, free to venture out into neighbourhood parks, free to enjoy our big beautiful yard. Free to head off on short adventures with Dan when he is off work. Freedom! 🤗

I am finally free to come out of the stifling little spaces that I backed myself into and appreciate the wide open spaces of this beautiful province that we live in. I can never get too much of the open skies, the endless fields, the beautiful lakes and rivers, the long and winding (or relatively straight) roads. We live in a big, beautiful, amazing province! For that, I am truly grateful – on Saskatchewan – and every Day. 🤗

Saskatchewan – Land of the Living Sky!

I hope everyone is having a good day and that you have the time to feel grateful for your province, state, or homeland.

Take care and see you tomorrow!💞

“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see” – Mary Davis

July 25th – Magic French Courtyards

by annemariedemyen, posted in Magical Moments - July 2021

When we went to Gravelbourg, my biggest disappointment was that the Mayfair restaurant was permanently closed.    The Mayfair was an icon in Gravelbourg and Sunday Brunch at the Mayfair was the stuff memories were made of.   A visit to see my mother always included taking her for at least one meal at the Mayfair.

That being said, amazingly the high point of our trip to Gravelbourg was our breakfast at Cafe Paris.   Not only was our meal perfection but we were able to dine in their very unique and secluded courtyard,  so that Kat could nap comfortably in the shade while we enjoyed our breakfast.

We have definitely discovered a great place to start making some new cherished memories.

One thing I did not get a good photo of was the ‘ceiling’ of the courtyard, which was a lacy combination of vines and patio lights. It was so pretty and I am sure it is gorgeous in the evening when the lights would be twinkling amidst the vines.

Our trips to Gravelbourg will not be as frequent as in years gone by, but I am fortunate to have my own little magic courtyard at home for when I meditate. Maybe next summer, we can get some vines and twinkling lights for my evening meditation. 💞

It is hard to get a photo that shows what an overall cool and pretty little space this is. 😌

Time to head out to my personal little French courtyard! Wishing all a nice Sunday. Take care and I will be back tomorrow!

July 23rd – Magical Lives

by annemariedemyen, posted in Magical Moments - July 2021

Our main priority for our recent trip to Gravelbourg was to visit the graves of my parents and grandparents. We had not been back since my Mother passed away eight years ago, but nothing felt more familiar than driving through the cemetery gates.

There is something so fascinating about graveyards – especially small country graveyards. The monuments are so unique and personal. It is easy to contemplate the lives of those who have been laid to rest in these graveyards. From the tiniest infants to the tots, the teenagers to those who passed away in their prime, to those who lived long full lives, did they feel loved? Were they excited to experience this life? Were they grateful that they lived in a country like ours, a land of peace and plenty? Were they amazed by the changes that took place in their lifetimes? Were they happy?

Growing up, I heard stories of many that now lay in this country graveyard. I heard heartbreaking stories, funny stories, life stories. I heard of their days at small country schools. I heard of horse and buggy trips to socials in neighbouring communities. I heard of their labour that went into the fields and the building of their community. I heard stories of these people struggling and surviving the great (and definitely not so great!) depression and two world wars. I heard of these people celebrating weddings and funerals, Christmas and Easter, and summer picnics at nearby Thompson Lake. I heard a lot of stories!

On summer visits to my grandparents, I met friends and relatives, that now lie in this graveyard. When I see my grandparents’ graves, I always notice the graves of their next door neighbours – in life and death – side by side!

Cimetier Notre Dame De L’assomption – Our Lady of the Assumption Cemetery
The headstone my father built for his brother. Uncle Herman died of leukemia when he was only 25 years old. He died in Regina, in my father’s arms. My father brought his body home by train, to be mourned by his family and buried in the Gravelbourg Cemetery. (Due to a communication misunderstanding, my grandparents thought that it was my father who had passed away and that he would be returning home with his surviving brother, Herman – making their shock and grief all the more devastating).
My father’s parents, Uncle Herman, (Kat), and my parents. (Kat seemed to instinctively know how my Dad and Uncle Herman would have enjoyed her company.)

Those were the best photos I had of the cemetery. I could have posted many more but each one holds so many stories, this blog would have run on indefinitely!

I hope you are having a nice day and anticipating a good weekend! See you tomorrow! 💞

July 22 – Magic on the Prairies

by annemariedemyen, posted in Magical Moments - July 2021

Back to our trip home a couple of weeks ago… On Highway 2 just south of Moose Jaw, there is a heritage museum that we pass on our way to Gravelbourg. If you find yourself passing through southern Saskatchewan, I think this is a stop worth making. 😊

The highlight of this museum (in southern  Saskatchewan, far from access to any  ocean port) is what was meant to be a seafaring steam ship. This ship was built by one determined Finnish immigrant, during the great depression, using a few handmade tools and brute strength. The complete and strangely fascinating  story of Tom Sukanen and the Sontiainen can be found here.

What began as a tribute to one of our more colorful settlers, has grown to a sizeable collection of historic buildings filled with relics from our past. One such building is a firehall filled with firefighting items from the early 1900’s. Plans are being made for a building to house and restore the fire trucks that have been collected over the years.

There is also a large display of farming equipment that would have been used by the early settlers to this area.

If you are interested in visiting the Sukanen museum, there is more information to be found on their official website.

I hope you found a little magic in this short tour. We did not have time to go inside the Sontiainen or any of the buildings, only a few of which I have shown here. Maybe next time! I will be sure to share the photos I am able to get at some point.

Have a great day and I hope to see you tomorrow! 💞

July 18th – The History of Gravelbourg

by annemariedemyen, posted in Magical Moments - July 2021

The town of Gravelbourg was founded in 1906 by French settlers led by Father Louis-Joseph Pierre Gravel. 

Recently, there has been much negative press regarding the Catholic Church and native residential schools in Canada.   This news has somewhat, and I am sure inadvertently, been misleading for many.

There were 139 native residential schools in Canada where native children were placed against their will and against the will of their parents.  Of these schools, 44 were operated by the Catholic Church.  There was widespread abuse throughout the entire 138 school system – verbal, mental, emotional, physical and sexual.   Many children died from disease and other unknown (and frequently nefarious) causes.

I only mention this because, this horrendous part of our Canadian history, has no connection to Gravelbourg or the other French Catholic settlements in  the southwest corner of Saskatchewan.  There were no such schools in that area and no means by which people in that area (or their particular Catholic clergy) would have been privy to any knowledge of these schools until relatively recent history.

The  basic truth is that the Catholic church was instrumental in founding several communities across Canada.  They built and maintained hospitals, schools, and churches and provided the opportunity for settlers to build ‘communities‘ by hosting religious services and social events.  The church provided safety and refuge to French settlers, especially in this area, as they were often targeted for attack by local member of the Ku Klux Klan. These French settlers were typically honest, industrious, caring people who took care of their own and supported others – all others – in their communities. Which is, to this day, typical of their descendants.

Louis-Joseph Pierre Gravel – the founder of Gravelbourg
The beautiful Gravelbourg Cathedral.  Built in the early 1900’s it would have taken the dedication of the entire congregation to make this building a reality (especially in rural Saskatchewan).   The inside is amazing.  The parish priest, Monseineur Charles Maillard devoted ten years of his life to  painting the interior walls and ceilings.   Nowadays this Cathedral is frequently used for hosting ecumenical celebrations.
The bishop’s residence
The parish hall is not nearly as grand as other church buildings – but it holds many fond memories for the parish and for our family.  I remember taking my teenagers there for a humble soup and bread luncheon one Sunday morning (from Regina) as the proceeds went to charity.  However as always, with the amazing cooks in Gravelbourg, the meal was a feast by any standards 😂  And as always, my Mother and her friends were there to welcome us with open arms. 💞
The elementary school is a part of the Catholic heritage buildings site.
Close up of the elementary school to show a sample of the detail on these buildings.
These last three photos are of the College Mathieu site (as you drive into Gravelbourg). This building is the pool and recreation centre which is college property but available to the public.
This building is the college residence. Many of the students are from outside the Gravelbourg area.
This would be the actual college building.

The Town of Gravelbourg has a rich and magical history, of which the Catholic Church played a major part. I hope you enjoyed this short tour of the buildings that continue to stand at the heart of this unique community. Did you notice how well the grounds of all these buildings are kept up? It is the same throughout Gravelbourg – their parks, their streets, their graveyard. Everything is so well maintained and I don’t think we saw a piece of litter anywhere. It is an amazingly neat and tidy community.👍

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful day. See you tomorrow 💕