Magical Garden

I recently had the opportunity to visit an amazing garden hidden behind a quiet residential street right here in Prince Albert. Joni Hladun has created a truly whimsical and magical world of plants, colourful flowers and unique decorations and ornaments. As a result, she has a little bit of paradise right at her doorstep.

 Since visiting Joni’s garden, I have been told there was a time when Prince Albert had a garden tour and that this garden was a favorite stop. Several others have told me they have visited her garden many times over the years. It would appear that I was one of the very few who were not aware of this beautiful yard.

 The magic begins as soon as you park your vehicle and walk onto the driveway. Plants, planters, decorations, stones and even a door transformed into a plant holder greet you as you walk toward the house. One hardly knows where to look first, there is so much beauty to take in. And that is only the beginning.

 When Joni opens the gate to the back yard, the scene is breath taking. Again you do not know where to look first. I found that when walking through the yard several times, something different caught my eye each time. You can find everything from angels to antique farm implements, mirrors to bird houses, ornaments of every kind, wonderful little hide-a-ways to sit and relax in and, oh yes, hundreds of plants. The greenery throughout the landscape represents every type of plant, shade-loving or sun-kissed depending on their location. Delightful flowers of every colour seem to smile up at you.

 This creative woman has taken every day objects and turned them into planters and unusual decorations. She has hung mirrors and paintings throughout her yard. The paintings are bright and cheerful images of flowers, which blend perfectly into the rest of the yard. There is a hammock under her one-hundred-and-twelve-year old tree. She has one-of-a-kind, commissioned iron-work birds resting among one of her flower beds. As well, there are fountains of bubbling water which add to the peaceful atmoshphere.

 This is a quiet and serene home. The garden is a peaceful and wonderful place. It feels like it is a world away from the busy street only half a block away. Joni has used her imagination to create a wonderful and unusual green space.

 I can only imagine how many hours and years have gone into the creation and upkeep of this yard and how much work it has taken, but for those of us who get to enjoy its beauty, we are very grateful.  Discovering a magical, whimsical garden . . .  it’s a good thing!

 

Forgiveness

Last week, we heard the sad story of the fifteen-year-old driver who collided with a train near Broadview.  The collision resulted in the death of his seven-year-old brother and eleven-year-old sister, as well as two friends, girls aged ten years and eighteen years. Such a tragic event and a sad loss of young lives.  One can only imagine the emotions the young driver is experiencing and the guilt and sadness he is surely feeling.

 My faith in human kindness and compassion has once again been validated upon hearing the father of the deceased ten-year-old speak words of comfort to the driver through the media.  How incredible that in his sorrow and heartache, this man who has just lost a young daughter, would find it in his heart to be concerned about the feelings and well-being of the driver.  Both parents spoke out to reassure this young man that they did not hold him responsible.  They said their daughter had died having fun with her best friends and that she had been having a wonderful summer holiday.  These wonderful people reached out to the driver with the message that  “with everything he’s going through with the collison, they wanted him to know they carry no hard feelings”. 

I wonder how many of us would be so compassionate after the loss of a child?  I think perhaps we would be too consumed with grief and bitterness to worry about the feelings of the driver. Would we want to lash out at the driver and blame him for killing our child?  Or would we be like these parents and consider that there is enough pain and sorrow and do what we could to ease the pain of a young man who will likely never totally overcome the guilt?  I think it is amazing these parents acted so quickly to reassure the driver of their faith in him and to tell him they did not hold him responsible.  To be so completely forgiving and concerned immediately after a personal tragedy is incredible.  I have no doubt this couple will work their way through their sorrow much quicker because of the love they have for others and because of their charitable act.  They will not have bitterness and blame getting in the way of their recovery. 

I think that out of this terrible event emerges the story we need to remember:  how one grieving couple reached out to offer words of comfort and support to a young man, and how they put their own grief on hold in order to give out that comfort and support.  I hope, as they do, that their words and actions will help a fifteen-year-old driver overcome his guilt and remorse,  and that he will be able to build a life for himself. Building a better world by caring for those around us . . .  it's a good thing!

My New Obsession

Most of my life, I have not been much of a fan of spectator sports.  Maybe I watched a little hockey, especially the play-offs, but I did not plan my activities around a NHL schedule like some people I know do.  I never really paid much attention to the Olympics, Major League Ball or even the Riders (gasp). 

Suddenly, a couple of years ago, that all changed.  I went from having no understanding of the game of football (or even wanting to understand it) to having Rider season tickets this year.  I now cheer every success and agonize over every loss.  Just like the majority of Saskatchewan people, I armchair coach.  Out of the blue, I get it!  I now know why people love football.  I wonder why it took me so long to find this out?

I began to suspect that perhaps I loved watching all sports when I found I could not stop watching the tennis championship at Wimblington a few weeks ago.  As I watched Serena Williams win, I realized that possibly I was doomed to spend future hours watching sports I had once found boring.

I actually began to suspect this addiction two years ago when I became drawn into the Olympics.  I thought maybe it was because it was held in Canada or maybe because our Canadian  athletes did so well.  Then I decided I enjoyed it because I liked the winter Olympics, not the summer Olympics and I had just not realized that before.  Well, these past two weeks I discovered I love both the winter and summer Olympics, as I could not pull myself away from television, no matter which event was on.  I never thought I would find bicycle racing, swimming or beach volleyball so much fun to watch; or that I could be so excited to watch a Canadian win gold on the trampoline.  Who even knew that trampoline was a sport?  I was amazed at the level of excitement when Canada and USA played off in the women’s soccer semi-finals.  Each morning during the Olympics, I would turn on the television “just to see what was going on” and I would end up sitting on the edge of my chair through-out most of the day.  I think it really sank in how hooked I had become when I actually contemplated getting up a 3:00 a.m. to watch a live game.  All right, maybe not totally hooked because I did not get up in the middle of the night, but just the fact that I thought about it scared me a little. 

I could go on about other sports I once shunned and now love, but women’s water polo is about to start and I can’t miss a minute of it.

Finding out you love spectator sports after all these years . . . it’s a good thing!

           

           

Saskatchewan Day

I hope you are enjoying your Saskatchewan Day long week-end.  Most of us enjoy the extra day off at the beginning of August without really thinking about what it means to live in Saskatchewan and how fortunate we are.

While this summer has been tumultuous with sudden and heavy rainfall and an unprecedented number of tornadoes, we should remember how privileged we are that this is the exception and not our usual weather.  Our neighbors to the south face tornadoes every year.  We see them only a few times in our lifetime.   They are terrifying, to say the least, and I am very happy that we do not have to count on suffering the destruction and terror of these violent storms each and every year.

Along with summer, we have four very distinct seasons.  Most of us take these changes for granted.  There is a beauty in each season which people in non-changing climates never get to experience.  We have the opportunity to enjoy all types of sports and activities which change with each season.  I know of a woman who was born and raised in Hawaii and now lives here.  She absolutely refuses to visit her family during the winter because she loves the snow and doesn’t want to miss a minute of it.  She is always telling people we don’t realize how wonderful it is to have the different seasons.   Having grown up where the temperature is constant all year, she savours each change she experiences here as the seasons change.

Many of us who live here are descendents of people who have been in this province for generations, and we know how hard they worked to give us the life we now enjoy.  Many families around Prince Albert have received one-hundred year recognition for their family farms.  Farming has changed a great deal, but in this province, many farms stay in the same family generation after generation.
This summer, we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of medicare.  Many of us grew up under this plan and tend to take it for granted.  This year, there has been much attention on the struggles of T. C. Douglas and those who believed, fifty years ago, that everyone should have access to medical help without financial hardship.  It is hard to believe that anyone could ever have been against this ideal.  Today, Canadians demand its protection and consider it one of Canada’s greatest accomplishments.  The fact that medicare started right here in Saskatchewan is a testament to the sense of community and sharing that has made this province so great. 

Our winters may be too cold, our summers to short, and we may not be as sophisticated as some might wish us to be, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!  Happy Saskatchewan Day.  Taking time to remember what it is about Saskatchewan we love the most . . . it’s a good thing!