#44 - Visit The Great Sandhills in Saskatchewan

Visiting the Great Sandhills has been on my list of things to see for a number of years, so even though it hasn't been on my '40 Things & More' list very long, it has been a long time in coming. It was a recent visit from my sister that spurred us on to cross this item off my list next.

The morning began early; we had a long drive ahead of us. It would be 4 hours plus to reach a little place called Sceptre, Saskatchewan - the gateway to the Great Sandhills. We had a pleasant and uneventful drive, arriving in Sceptre right around 12:30 p.m.

Our stop in Sceptre was at the Great Sandhills Museum where we planned to get a map and eat our packed picnic lunch before heading to our destination.

We were impressed by what we could see just inside the museum and paid our admissions to do a quick tour. The museum was very well done, spectacularly well thought out and organized, and truly a pleasure to look through. We walked back in time on boardwalks in front of the train station mural and set, and explored everything from a classroom to a hospital room to a barn with horse stalls - all inside the museum. Really, it is a must-see and well worth your time to go.

After our museum visit we wolfed down our sandwiches in my car instead of the lovely picnic area because it had gotten cool and very windy (read: not nice). And then, map in hand, we headed off to find the sand dunes.

The map was accurate in mileage, although not to scale. We managed though and found it very encouraging to see a sign saying "Sand Dunes" and pointing that-a-way at our last grid road turn. Soon the gravel roads turned to sand and we knew we were close.

Ta-da! We've made it! Now to climb that first hill and start exploring...

We got to the top, stuck our toes in the sand and were hooked! We had to see and experience more and a short hike rewarded us with this fun and this view.

After some fun poses and picture-taking, I pointed out to my sister that there were other people 'way over there' exploring even more and bigger dunes. "We have to go over there," I said. "We've driven so far to see this!" My sister wasn't so sure, so I pointed to a midpoint and said, "Let's go to that spot, see how long it takes us, and decide from there." That worked and off we went.

Once at that point we realized it really hadn't taken us all that long, so we decided to press on, follow the sandy trail and reach our goal - those big dunes in the distance!

It was worth it! We ooh-ed and aah-ed and climbed and climbed and climbed those dunes!

All we needed was a beach umbrella and the sound of lapping waves and we would have thought we were at the beach with all that sand. Alternatively, we also only needed a camel and could have been on the set of Lawrence of Arabia!

A certain someone (my sister) really enjoyed herself and might have thought she was on a beach vacation for a short time. She didn't want to leave...

The views were fabulous and although it was windy and cool (and rain was approaching), we were thankful for the cloud cover while on the dunes. And we did come away with slight tans... See, we must have been at a beach!

We are so glad that we went, explored, and enjoyed the Great Sandhills. We had a wonderful time!

It's My Annual Un-birthday Post!

Happy May 28th! I'm 41 and 1/2 today!

You may wonder where this 'un-birthday' thing came from... Well, I read about it in a book. I no longer remember what book, but I know it really struck me as a great idea when I came across it. Maybe it was the fact that it would be possible to have something to celebrate in a much warmer month of the year than my birthday month of November - in Canada. Yep, that was probably it. :)

I wish I could tell you that I've crossed off a number of things on my '40 Things & More' list since the last time I posted, but I cannot because I have not. Not yet. Stay tuned though. Summer's coming and I plan on crossing off some more items real soon!

1st Quarter Update

With the turning of the calendar from March to April it seems a good time to provide an update on the progress of my '40 Things & More' list. It seems spring is here (hopefully to stay!) and I look forward to getting outside and crossing a few more items off my list. :)

The '40 Things & More' List!

1. Go snowshoeing.
2. Serve a meal in a soup kitchen.
3. Eat something I've never tried before.
4. Visit a town in Saskatchewan that I've never been to before.
5. Plan my dream 40th birthday trip.
6. Start running again.
7. Visit a US state I haven't been to before.
8. Read a classic novel.
9. Create and complete a scrapbook for one of the trips I've taken in my 30s.
10. Do up a will.
11. Complete one of my cross-stitch projects.
12. Go kayaking.
13. Get my website business off the ground.
14. Take a self-defense class/course.
15. Go horseback riding.
16. Visit a museum or historic site in Saskatchewan that I haven't been to before.
17. Give blood regularly.
18. Attend a Victorian Tea.
19. Ride my bike in the city.
20. Stop and smell the flowers at a garden I haven't been to before.
21. Try an activity that's new to me.
22. Walk a portion of the Trans Canada Trail that I haven't been on before.
23. Learn more about my family history.
24. Visit a park in Regina I haven't been to before.
25. Participate in a fundraiser that involves a physical activity.
26. Simplify some area of my life that needs simplifying.
27. Learn how to change a tire on a vehicle.
28. Explore Regina's backyard - see what's just outside the city limits.
29. Learn more about Canadian history.
30. Visit a natural site in Saskatchewan I haven't been to before.
31. Learn to play the guitar.
32. Visit a Canadian National Park I haven't been to before.
33. Climb Wascana Hill in Douglas Park and watch a sunset.
34. Visit the observatory at the Science Centre.
35. Attend Mosaic - a multicultural festival held annually.
36. Play my first solo concert on the bells.
37. Attend an outdoor movie event.
38. Go fly a kite!
39. Play a mini golf course I haven't been on before.
40. Go on dream 40th birthday trip!
41. Attend a Regina Red Sox baseball game.
42. Visit Saskatchewan's only lighthouse.
43. Run a 5K.
44. Visit the Great Sandhills in Saskatchewan.
45. Visit a Canadian province or territory I haven't been to before.
46. Attend the annual kite festival in Swift Current.
47. Visit a major US city I haven't been to before.
48. Watch a sunrise.
49. Try another activity that's new to me.
50. It's a surprise (even to me!) - I'll know it when the opportunity presents itself.
51. Take a ballroom dancing class.
52. Watch an old black & white movie I haven't seen before.
53. Experience a WARM birthday!
54. Experience a WARM Christmas! (not necessarily in the same year as the previous item)
55. Attend the annual Dickens' Village Festival in Carlyle.
56. See the polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba.
57. Visit the east coast of Canada.
58. Jump out of an airplane! (in tandem, of course!)
59. Experience a 4th of July in the United States.
60. Visit a US National Park I haven't been to before. 

#13 - Get my website business off the ground

This item sounds so easy and yet took me way longer than I ever thought it would. I've had this idea to do websites as a business for years, and it wasn't until last September that I began to make some significant progress on it.

Some of the more meaningful steps over the last 6-7 months include the following:

September 2014 - I became a member of Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan and signed up for their business planning course which was offered over eight weeks from September to November.

October 2014 - I quit my job at Wascana Centre Authority and created a Facebook Page for my business.

November 2014 - I registered my business name - Prairie Girl Websites & More - and registered for PST. My business cards arrived too!

December 2014 - I revamped and revised my website.

January 2015 - I submitted an application for a City of Regina Business Licence, registered for a GST number and set up a business bank account.

March 2015 - I received my 2015 City of Regina Business Licence. Ta-da!

#25 - Participate in a fundraiser that involves a physical activity

Well, I never dreamt this would be the next item completed on my list... After all, it's the middle of winter!

You just never know what will happen and maybe, just maybe you (and especially I) should say yes to new and interesting opportunities before we over-think them too much. That's what I did with only a week's notice for a fundraiser called The Coldest Night of the Year (https://coldestnightoftheyear.org/home).

A friend from a walking group I occasionally attend invited me to participate and I jumped in with both feet. Each participant could choose to pay a small entrance fee or commit to raising $150 each. I chose to fund raise and committed to raising $200. With less than a week left prior to the event I thought it might be a long shot to raise any money, but I reached the $200 mark in just a few days. The fundraising continued right up until the walk, and I was surprised to not only get more donations the day of the race but even had one come through after I had returned home. My total raised through online efforts was $400!

It was a bitterly cold day! In fact, out of 80 locations across Canada, we were the coldest - not that that's something to brag about though. Some precautions were taken to ensure everyone would be safe, but the walk went off without a hitch. We had a halfway stop at Souls Harbour Rescue Mission for coffee/tea and cookies and then a yummy chili supper was waiting for us when we returned.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed the entire experience and although I do not look forward to the cold, I am already anticipating next year's Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk in support of the homeless in our city.

On perseverance...

I have an addendum to my year in review. In the last couple of weeks I have been inspired by not one, but two amazing examples of perseverance.

The first comes in the form of an orphan girl from Africa - someone who was despised, rejected and unwanted. At the age of three, this little girl found a magazine with a picture of a ballerina on it and somehow that picture gave her hope that life could be good. Against all odds this girl was adopted and grew up in America with a supportive family who helped her achieve her dream of becoming a ballet dancer.

To learn more about Michaela DePrince's story, I encourage you to watch a documentary entitled First Position which follows the stories of four young dancers vying for coveted scholarships in the ballet world. You can also read Michaela's new book Taking Flight which was co-written with her adoptive mom Elaine DePrince. (Click on the video clip below to view a trailer for the book.)

The second example of perseverance comes from the life of a 13-year-old girl named Bethany Hamilton who also beat incredible odds after a shark attack left her with one arm. Itching to get back to the water after her attack, she didn't let anything stop her from her dream of becoming a pro surfer. (Bethany's story is chronicled in the movie Soul Surfer.)

Now over ten years later, not only has Bethany achieved her dream, she has inspired young and old worldwide to follow their passions and not give up on their dreams. I had heard of Bethany's story, but not until I saw her and her new husband compete on The Amazing Race did I really begin to learn more about her story. Bethany has allowed God to use her story to bless and encourage countless others. She is a true inspiration!

If you are needing encouragement to keep going in your journey or if you simply would like to be inspired, I highly recommend the stories of both of these young women!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are a couple of quotes from Michaela...

"If you have a passion for something, go for it! Never let anybody tell you that you can't do something." -- Michaela DePrince

"Never be afraid to be a poppy in a field of daffodils because that is the only way you can make it." -- Michaela DePrince

And I also have to share Bethany's favourite Bible verse. Considering Bethany's life, the promise of this verse is absolutely amazing!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

2015: The Year of Delight!

It's a new year and it's time for a new word - my theme for the year 2015 is delight!

Having grown up in a Christian home, a verse that always comes to mind when I hear the word delight is Psalm 37:4 which says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" - and I believe this will be my verse to focus on this year.

As I look ahead to the coming weeks and months, I have a picture of what I think delight will mean to me - travel, fun, enjoyment, little to no stress, less pressure... But this is just my view. God sees all, knows all and is in all, and I've noticed that most of the time He does things quite differently than how I would.

Just like my year of joy was full of enjoyment and my year of perseverance was full of pushing through to grasp what was ahead, I look forward to seeing, watching and delighting in this coming year. Stay tuned for delightful updates the whole year through!