Take Me Out To The Ball Game

                                                                                                
Do you remember the movie “A League of Their Own” starring Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna and Gena Davis? The movie was based on the true story of an American women’s professional ball league organized because major league baseball was postponed during World War II. The league was started by Chicago Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley.  I did not know that one of those players was a young woman from Regina.  Her name was Mary Baker, although she was more widely known as Bonnie Baker.  She was internationally renowned as an outstanding catcher, batter and base runner. She was also known for her beauty, having been a model prior to playing ball, and the media at that time often referred to her as “Pretty Bonnie Baker”.   Being beautiful didn’t stop her from being a great ball player – in 1946 she stole 94 bases and batted .286.  Although all the characters in  “A League of Their Own” were fictional, it is believed that Gena Davis’ character was based on Baker’s life.

Baker played in the league for nine seasons, taking one year off to have her only child. In 1950 she was traded to the Kalamazoo Lassies and became the first-ever player/manager. She was the only player to ever hold that position. After the 1950 season, the league passed a rule outlawing female managers.  In 1954, Baker returned to Regina and led Regina’s softball team to provincial, Western Canadian and World Ladies Softball championships. Baker broke into another male dominated career when she became the first female sports broadcaster in Canada in 1964.

I really didn’t know much about Mary Baker until I accidently came across her name on a web site about Saskatchewan women.  Thankfully someone has decided it is important that we remember Saskatchewan women who were not afraid to live their dreams and who made a difference.   I googled her name and found a clip of Baker’s appearance on the television program “What’s My Line” from the early 1950’s.  It’s an interesting clip in that it is obvious that no one quite knew how to interact with such a successful woman.  The bridge between dependent woman and independent career woman had not yet been crossed by many in the 1950’s. 

Baker did receive a great deal of recognition over the years. She was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the American Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mary “Bonnie” Baker died in 2003. At her funeral, her career was celebrated and acknowledged by mourners who sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”.   Learning about and celebrating the lives of woman who paved the way for the rest of us . . .  it's a good thing!

Best Fashion Show Ever

A very unique event once again took place this year in our city. Wesmor Community High School hosted its second annual fashion show last week. While fashion shows are not unique, this one is part of a wonderful program started by two teachers three years ago as a way to help their graduating students enjoy their special day.

Many of the girls who graduate from Wesmor Community High School cannot afford to buy new dresses for their graduation.  The two Wesmor teachers decided that the graduates should enjoy their day. The students have worked hard to achieve this milestone, many having to deal with other issues at home and in the community.  These wonderful educators decided the graduating girls should not have to worry about money to buy a graduation dress. They knew that for some of their students, there simply was no money for dresses and those students would likely miss their graduation day.  Well, that was not going to be the case any longer in this community school.

The teachers began a dress-sharing program, not sure how it would be received by those they were asking for donations from or by the girls themselves.  The call was put out for gently-used dresses.   The response was nothing short of incredible.  Used dresses were donated by people throughout the city. Local dress shops donated new dresses. The used dresses were cleaned by local drycleaners at no cost.  The community came together and many people went out of their way to ensure that graduates would have a day to remember. 

The graduates can purchase the dresses for $25. The program now has many dresses for students to access. This wonderful arrangement allows students to become excited about graduating and helps them strive to work hard at school. They can look forward to their graduation without worrying about finances.

Last year, a fashion show was organized, with Wesmor students serving as models.  The show was a huge hit and so it was held again this year.

Last week, the soon-to-be graduates took part in a fashion show in which they showed off the beautiful dresses in the dress-sharing program. Two young men escorted the models and were given the suits they modeled for their graduation day.

The students glowed with pride as they modeled the dresses. Each model was beautiful and their pride and confidence was very evident.  What a wonderful program these dedicated and creative teachers have come up with! The graduates can truly enjoy their day and their beautiful dresses, knowing they can afford to have the perfect graduation day every young woman dreams of.

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It is amazing what people can do when they decide to help one another.  I love that this story happened right here in our city and that two people came up with an idea that is making life a little better for so many young people.  In order for this plan to become a reality, many people had to participate and be willing to give – but it started with only two people and a little idea they had.  It is easy to be overwhelmed by the things that are out of our control and the issues they cause, however this proves once again that we can find unique solutions to everyday problems by working together and sometimes, by leading the way in trying something new.  We don’t have to change the world, but we can make our part of the world better.

Well done, Wesmor Community High School.  Seeing a need and making a plan . . . it's a good thing!

Easter Memories

I hope you are having a wonderful Easter week-end and enjoying time with family and friends. I always enjoy the opportunity to get together with loved ones for special occasions.
When my boys were little, our tradition was to decorate Easter eggs on Good Friday. Every year, cousins and friends would gather at our house, we would mix different colours of dye in many cups and everyone could decorate as many eggs as they wanted. It seemed that each year, something new was available for sale to create even better and brighter eggs: shrink wraps, hot colours, sparkles, special crayons – the list was never ending. Many tiny hands created wonderful master pieces which were proudly used for decorations throughout the house when we gathered for our Easter dinner. As I look back through photo albums, I have pictures of so many relatives and friends who took part in our Easter egg decorating day over the years. The eggs never went to waste. After Easter, the eggs were pickled and a week or so later, the adults (mostly the male adults) would enjoy pickled eggs.
One of my favorite Easter memories is of the year my husband’s sister and brother-in-law were at our house with their two children. Their son was around six years old and was starting to question the existence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. We tried to convince him there was indeed an Easter Bunny, but he went to bed still wondering – although he did leave his Easter basket out, just in case. We lived in the country at the time and that spring there were a lot of rabbits going through our yard. On Easter morning, he awoke to find his basket filled. Shortly after breakfast, his uncle took him out for a walk and, sure enough, they found rabbit tracks! He ran into the house and excitedly took his Mom that there was truly an Easter bunny because he had just seen his tracks! It would be a couple more years before he figured out the truth, but it gave him two more Easters to enjoy the magic of the Easter bunny.
Easter at our house was a little like Christmas. The Easter baskets were filled with a few candies and chocolates, but the majority of the treats were toys and, later on, video games and movies. The boys would wake up in the morning excited to see what treasures awaited them once they found their basket.
Of course, the highlight of Easter has always been our family gathering on Easter Sunday. When I was younger, it was at my grand-parents, then at Mom and Dad’s and now we have our own Easter meal with our children. The generations come and go, things change, life goes on, but the one constant is the joy of getting together as a family to celebrate special occasions.
Enjoying special times with special people . . . it’s a good thing!

Winning Women

Last night, on International Women’s Day, the Prince Albert Council of Women hosted its annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.  As it is every year, the event was successful and celebrated the success and spirit of women in our community.  The successful inductee is nominated by the public and then selected by the Council’s executive.  After the induction ceremony, a portrait of the inductee is presented to the mayor and it is then placed on the Woman’s Hall of Fame wall on the second floor at City Hall.

In previous years, one woman has been honoured.  This year, the national theme for International Women’s Day is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures”.  As such, the Council decided to honour a young woman in addition to the usual inductee.  The Council also made the decision to honour a posthumous nominee, having received a nomination for a recently deceased woman who had done so much for Prince Albert.  So it was that Christine Taylor was inducted as the Adult Mentor/Community Volunteer, Melissa Menzies as the Youth Role Model/Community and School Volunteer and Marge Nainaar, the Memorial Award.  The Council could not have chosen a more deserving or finer trio to honour.

Christine Taylor has long been involved in our community, especially with the Girl Guide Movement.  In fact, several of her girl guides were present to watch Christine being presented with this award.

I have known Melissa Menzies and her family for many years.  Melissa is a truly amazing young woman.  She is beautiful not only on the outside, but on the inside as well.  She is a kind and caring person who gives of herself at every opportunity.  She volunteers at the hospital, where she is a favorite among the seniors she visits.  She took part in the Miss Saskatchewan Teen pageant last summer and went on to compete in Toronto, representing Miss Teen Central Saskatchewan.  She volunteers at many events in our community.  Melissa is a wonderful role model and one that we can proud of to have represent our city. She was the perfect choice to be the face of this year’s theme. 

Anyone who has lived in Prince Albert will have known Marge Nainaar.  She came to Canada and fell in love with our country and later, with our city.  She was the driving force behind the Prince Albert Multicultural Council.  Many people in our city, especially newcomers to Canada, benefitted from her help, advice and friendship.  Not many events took place here where Marge wasn’t in some way involved.  I hope Marge was watching last Thursday and saw her family and friends acknowledge her work and dedication.  

Honouring local women each year on International Women’s Day is a good tradition started by the Council of Women.  Look around your work place, service club or other places where people volunteer.  Is there a woman you think deserves special recognition?  Does someone you know go above and beyond the call of duty?  Remember to nominate her,  Honouring special women in our community . . . it's a good thing!

Life's Circle

Last week, my family encountered the highs and lows of life’s circle as we experienced the sadness of death and the joy of birth. One day we honoured and remembered the life of my husband’s brother-in-law; two days later we welcomed a new baby boy as my niece delivered the newest member of our family. It is bittersweet how one life ended as another began. It brought an awareness that no matter what happens, life goes on, events overlap and the world is continuously unfolding. Somehow it seemed right that one life replaced the other, and that a life well-lived to the fullest was interchanged with a new life about to start on its journey. The heartache of the funeral blended almost seamlessly into the thrill of a new life. It is surreal that two people so important in our lives missed sharing this world by two days.
Standing by the coffin to say our final good-byes to someone who has been a part of my life for almost as long as I have known my husband, I thought about the life he had led. The hours spent at the hospital by his family spoke to the love his wife, children, grandchildren and extended family had for him. They ensured the memorial service was exactly how he would have wanted it. As I watched the slideshow presentation made up of pictures his relatives had gathered together, it was obvious that he had lived a full life and enjoyed being with his family – his children, his grand-children, his brothers and sisters and his in-laws. And in the end, it was that love which he took with him and which he left behind at the same time.
Mere days after purchasing flowers for the funeral, I was buying clothes and other items for our new baby. As this precious bundle was showered with presents to welcome him, I realized that the best gift we give him is the love of his family to give him the strength and confidence he will need as he grows up and takes his place in the world. Our love is unconditional and will, hopefully, set the pattern for his life. I trust that each step he takes in life’s voyage will be softened and made easier by the devotion and love of those around him. In the beginning and at the end of life, love is the one thing we have and can hold on to. It is also the one thing we leave behind which everyone can share.
As I learned this week, it is not quite true that we enter this world with nothing and we leave it with nothing. If we are very fortunate, we have the love of family and friends and we feel cherished from the time we are born until the day we die.

Loving and being loved . . . it's a good thing!

Family Day

This week, we are enjoying a long week-end due to a provincial holiday – Family Day. It was created in 2007 to encourage families to spend the day enjoying activities together. While it is important to share this day with our children, I think it is also important to remember our extended family. Brothers and sisters are a huge part of who we are and too often we taken them for granted, and we forget to tell them what they mean to us.
Sometimes life goes along without incident and we tend to take our good fortune for granted. We are six siblings in my family and we have been fortunate in that we still have each other, and have not yet had to deal with the death of a brother or sister. I realize now that I have taken this for granted and trusted that we would all be together for a long time to come.
That changed last year while I was away on holidays. I received a text that my oldest brother had been hospitalized and was being scheduled for emergency quadruple by-pass surgery. It finally struck me, all those thousands of miles away, that there won’t always be the six of us. And while we keep in contact and visit back and forth, I have rarely told my siblings the important things I want them to know. Do they know how much they are loved? Do my older brothers and sister know how I looked up to them when I was growing up? I have never told any of my siblings what an impact they have had on my life or how much I enjoy being with them.
My husband also comes from a family of six siblings. We spent last week-end at his brother-in-law’s hospital bedside as he battles cancer. As relatives came in and out to visit, all of us knowing it could be our last conversation with him, I realized that we have neglected to make sure my husband’s extended family knows how important they are to us. As his sister introduced my husband to visitors as her “baby brother”, I was reminded of how each of his siblings helped him through-out his childhood. Each of them contributed a great deal into making him the man he turned out to be. Their love and concern for him was shown many times. I wonder if they know how appreciated their actions were and how cherished they are?
I’ve come to realize how important it is to tell loved ones how you feel. I am fortunate to have people in my life who I love. I am blessed that I still have the opportunity to tell them. I will no longer take that for granted.
This Family Day, enjoy time with your loved ones. Ensuring that loved ones know how you feel... it's a good thing!

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is always bittersweet for me. While I enjoy the flowers, candy and the other expressions of love, February 14th was also my Dad’s birthday. He has been gone now for over twenty years, yet the void is ever present on his special day. Valentine’s Day is the “day of love”, but for me it is also the day when I think of Dad the most out of any other day of the year.
When I and my siblings were growing up, Valentine’s Day was always a special day at our house. Mom planned Dad’s favourite meal and we bought or made him the “perfect” gift. He was always in a good mood on that day. We couldn’t wait for him to open our presents and have him praise us for giving him such wonderful gifts. Praise wasn’t something Dad gave out very often, but we could always count on getting some on this day. I recall one year in particular when we just knew that we had found the absolutely perfect present for Dad. Dad raised Hereford cattle and we had found a ceramic figure of a Hereford. Just as we knew he would, he loved it. He placed on a shelf in the living room and it stayed there for years. When he and Mom moved into town, he found a spot for it in their new house. After he passed away, Mom gave me that ceramic Hereford. I still have it and I can’t help but smile every time I look at it.
As we grew up and began to leave home, we always seemed to find our way back around February 14th. That day was as important to us as adults, as it had been in our childhood. Mom still made a huge meal and we still all tried to find the perfect gift. No matter what challenges we faced as a family or individually, we all endeavored to make it home for “Dad’s birthday”.
As he grew older, his birthday became a reason for the family to gather. Children, grand-children, nieces and nephews – the party seemed to grow each year. Dad always enjoyed celebrations, especially his own birthday, and loved being the life of the party. As guitars came out and piano playing began, he was the first one up on his feet and dancing. This was when he was his happiest. His joy produced some wonderful memories to look back on each year on Valentine’s Day.
Enjoying Valentine's Day - no matter what the reasons . . . it's a good thing!