June 5th – Weekly Health and Fitness Update

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, June 2023

I’m kicking off the week with some positive vibes here! I have three chronic lung conditions – asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis – all of which have kicked into high gear since I developed a lung infection a couple of weeks ago. Forest fire smoke will do that for me, as will excessive heat, and super high humidity. We have been dealing with the trifecta and my lungs are not dealing all that well.

So, it is fight or die AND we all know which direction I am going. 😁

That’s about it for my Health and Fitness Update this week, other than continuing to research yeast intolerances and finding substitutions for some of my favourite foods on the ‘yeasty’ list, like soya sauce, vinegar, anything containing soya sauce or vinegar, sauerkraut, wine, black pepper, breads, breadcrumbs, and the like. The good news is… digestion wise, I am feeling better than I have for YEARS.

The rest of my life is under control. Our garden is in. It isn’t photo ready yet as we have some cleanup to do. It is slow going as I am not a lot of help these days and Dan had to make it Molly proof as we go.

Our front lawn is coming along. Between our monsoon season and Dan’s diligence, it actually has a chance this year to beat out the weeds and bald spots.

My little flowers are just peaking out. This area of the lawn struggles on.
I love my stepping stones after a fresh mowing. This flower bed has a chance to make something of itself with the addition of Peonies from daughter Jen.

I hope to have the garden area and large patio photo ready within the week. Dan lost his Bleeding Heart over the winter but I replaced it with a super pretty plant that I am anxious to share.

I also got my June fridge inspiration sign up a couple of days ago. So far the inspiration is more mental than physical but that’s okay. It all starts with our mindset – and my mind is set to come back STRONGER!

Soon!

That is it for today. Take care and have a great day! 🌞💞

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June 1st Health & Fitness Update

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, June 2023

Anyone who knows me here would think that I haven’t been here because I am busy working out, basking in the sunshine and fresh air, walking my dog Molly, and just living the good life….

Molly – walking herself at the off leash dog park.

No, you would be wrong.  I am sick again.   Sucking in Alberta wildfire smoke for a week with chronic lung issues was just a bad idea. Now I deal with a full-blown lung infection. (Sorry Alberta – not your fault. Although, if they can add additives to cigarettes and fabrics to make them fireproof, you could probably spray down your trees with something similar. Just saying. 🧐)

So, I am sick and it’s another setback to add to my journey – which is starting to look like a Saskatchewan construction zone.

Not all is lost! First of all, I’m pretty sure I had a lingering infection from my pre-Christmas respiratory flu extravaganza, so getting worse to the point of getting it actually cleared up is probably a good thing. And, I have time to focus on my recent diet change. It has only taken me three years to figure out my bloating, heartburn, and other digestive issues. After tons of blood tests and scans for everything from celiac disease to fatty liver – eureka – I have figured out that (like my daughter) I am allergic to baker’s yeast. I don’t usually eat that much bread and such, but three years ago when I retired I started having a couple of toasts for breakfast every morning – in addition to any other foods containing baker’s yeast that I was eating. I cut that out of my diet and the results have been amazing. But, I am discovering there are a lot of foods that have baker’s yeast in them – like KFC chicken 😯, panko crumbs, English muffins, the list goes on and on! Now, we are working on finding yeast free alternatives. Fortunately, husband Dan is being super accommodating and helpful. It’s kind of rough – but all around really good. 🤗

Also, I got right in to see my respiratory specialist and got the antibiotics and oral steroids to get my lungs cleared up. Yea for the quick appointment and for the meds of course.

Been through the good, the bad, the great, the sad here. (sounding kind of Dr Zeusy) Now we get to the downright weird.

My specialist also gave me requisitions for blood tests and x-rays that I needed done. OK, that’s fair. I went to my regular medi-clinic to get the x-rays done today. It is a physician’s office with an x-ray department. I made an appointment and they got me right in. 👍

I get to the clinic and from the front door to the reception desk there are FIVE signs (each one bigger than the last) that read “DO NOT ENTER MEDICAL CLINIC IF YOU ARE SICK OR FEELING ILL”. Wtf is this latest improvement to healthcare? Do not go to a health clinic if you are sick? Where would you like me to go? (Never mind… ) 🤦

I had a mask on, I strutted (snuck maybe) in, like the rebel I am and made it through reception and x-ray without being taken down or tossed out. Phew! (I might be found out when someone looks at my x-rays.)

That’s my update for this week – no workouts or work for that matter. Just ailing and healing. Again! 😢

We did have a nice little shower one day. 😂. Not really funny – the city was flooded pretty bad.

Have a great happy, healthy, sunny, day! 🌞💞🤗.

Year Two – Week Thirteen & Fourteen

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, May 2023

I’m back! It has been a few days since I have been on here, but fortunately it is not because I fell off of my Health & Fitness journey. I have just been rather busy. 🙄

First off, it has been mostly beautiful weather here so I have been outside cleaning up the yard and getting ready for summer. Secondly, we took a short trip up north to visit son Dan and family – and to help them prepare for granddaughter Gabby’s graduation party I did a lot of baking (while Dan was out shopping for a lot of fresh fruit to serve with said baking.) Third, I have been working really diligently to stay on course with my health and fitness program.

Getting There…

Speaking of health and fitness… Physically things have been going well. I did faceplant on our cement patio (chasing Molly) a few days ago. My skin has mostly grown back but my glasses were a write off – hence the new look.

Mentally and emotionally, I am crushing it. I am reading “Be Your Future Self Now” by Dr. Benjamin Hardy. It is one of those works that is just brilliant. There is so much wisdom to be found in every chapter. One such example “We all have a future ahead of us. In 10 years, 20 years, we will become our future selves. The question is: Who will your future self be?

If I had stayed the course fifteen months ago, my future self would have been pretty pathetic. Right now, I would be pretty pathetic – and miserable to boot. I am so grateful that I began making better choices last February. I am reaping the rewards now and loving it! 💖

I have started a timeline for becoming my future self. I have already reached my first goal – to be calm and confident. There’s always room for improvement (and I intend to keep working on it) but I have to say, I crushed it this weekend. My next goal is to be healthy, strong, and fit by August 11th. I am working hard to get there! Every goal met is encouragement to set more and to improve further on the ones I reach. Exciting stuff!

That’s about where I am at these days. We were not at Dan and Amanda’s for long this weekend, but husband Dan did manage to get a few cute photos of grandson Lucas hanging out with Molly. Molly was amazing this weekend. She even spent a fair amount of time strolling around leashless which was pretty cool to see. She was SO happy loping around free and easy.

That’s it for today. I hope everyone is keeping well. Take care and have a great rest of the day! 🌞💞

Year Two – Week Twelve

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, May 2023

My new normal seems to be running a few days late with my health and fitness update.  🙄

This week our most entertaining workout was giving Miss Molly a bath down at PetValu.  They have a sweet setup and Molly loved it.    She didn’t even bark at the little dog in the next tub!   * It is only $12 per wash and more than worth it.  Molly was secure the entire time, we could easily reach her at all times,  they provide nice, big, absorbent towels to use,  a variety of shampoos, handheld shower, drier, and treats. 💞 And the entire setup is designed to be easily cleaned – unlike our bathroom and house if we had tried this at home.  😊

Last week, and so far this week, my workouts have been regular and going well. I have been getting my rhythm back with the Zumba workouts. My evening weights and strength training has been going well with the five pound weights.

I attempted Pushups and Burpees last Saturday. I have never in my life been capable of doing either and I am not there yet. But I did find an excellent video on YouTube for Pushups so I am working on them and when I nail that, I will revisit the Burpees.

It never fails to amaze me what you can learn on You Tube.

Anyway – it is supposed to start raining any time so I should hustle outside to see if there is anything I can get done before it starts. We have been spending a lot of time outside this week working on the yard and garden, but we have a long way to go.

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞⛈️

Year Two – Week Eleven

by annemariedemyen, posted in May 2023

It is May and it’s all good!  Our t-shirt and shorts weather has returned, as well as our furry and feathered friends.  Our back door is wide open, and Molly is loving the freedom of coming and going. 

Nuts for nuts.  I’m having a hard time keeping the peanut feeder full.
Molly enjoying a little alfresco snack.

Moving on to my health and fitness report for the week – it is all good. Better than good! I have been doing my Zumba six days a week. Yesterday, I did one that had an exercise routine where both of my arms were behind my neck. I crushed it without even thinking about it. I was so excited. A week ago I did not have the ROM to do that with my left arm (the one I broke mid-January). Yet here I am – doing it!

I have also been doing my weights six nights a week. This week I am alternating nights for upper and lower body, so each has a day to recover between workouts. I am using five pound weights to do seven sets of seven reps of seven exercises. I thought I would struggle advancing to the five pound weights, but here I am – doing it. 💪

In the afternoons, Dan and I have been out working in the yard. Yesterday, we cleaned the patios, the sidewalk, the patio furniture, and Molly’s pool. Dan did all the heavy lifting and scraped all the edges of the patios of winter debris. I power washed EVERYTHING! I had spaghetti arms when I got done but I still did my evening weights – AND it was an upper body workout. 😁

The only other health/fitness thing we have been doing this week is having a full breakfast every morning and a very light supper every evening. That has actually been going really well. We have also been having fresh fruit every day – raspberries, pineapple, and kiwi and Dan bought some blueberries this morning to add to the mix. I’m not a fruit eater but so far so good.

That is about all for my health and fitness update for this week. I am beyond excited by how far I have come in the past fifteen months (despite the setbacks). I can’t wait to see how far I can go. It just amazes me what our bodies can do if we get on the right track and put a little effort into caring for them.

Take care and have a good day! 💞🌞

Year Two – Week Ten

by annemariedemyen, posted in April 2023, Health and Fitness

It is one year and ten weeks since I decided to get healthier and more active. I am still committed as ever despite the setbacks I have encountered. It’s definitely the lifestyle I embrace these days.

Since I was deemed healed from my broken arm, I have been working my way back up in my workout intensity. I am doing full-on two armed Zumba. (Which is way easier, graceful, and less confusing than trying to do Zumba with one arm).

I have been out walking with Molly as much as possible – which is when Dan or daughter Jen are available to hold her leash. I would love to walk her more but I can’t trust her if I am holding her leash. She was doing well last fall, until I was down with the flu followed by the broken arm. Now, not so much.

A few days ago, Dan and I were taking Molly somewhere in the Jeep. Dan went out to get ready, while I leashed her up and walked her out. She was fine. We got to the sidewalk and Dan opened the back hatch of the Jeep. We were ten feet away from it. Molly got so excited she jumped right in. The leash I was holding her by was six feet long. 🤦

She looks so innocent!
At least our streets and sidewalks are finally free of snow and ice. Still unsightly, but nice for walking…

The good news is that I am crushing my evening workouts. This week I am back to using my five pound weights. Yay! I am not struggling with the heavier dumbbells. I have cut back on reps and sets, and I have switched things up to doing arm and back exercise one night, hips and legs the next, so I am not doing the same muscles on consecutive nights. 💪🌟🦵

We are also still working on improving our diet by consistently planning ahead. Dan is really helping out with that. He seems to find it easier to come up with one weekly meal plan on Sunday night, than he does offering up a suggestion for one meal that can be prepared and served in half an hour – five or six consecutive nights of the week. Go figure!

That’s my health and fitness update for this week. Take care and have a great sunny rest of the day! 💞🌞

Can’t wait to see some green grass and flowers. 😊

Molly – Furever Home One Year In

by annemariedemyen, posted in April 2023

It’s been one year since Molly moved into our home. She’s grown by leaps and bounds and she hasn’t always been the easiest addition to the family to deal with. She has a thing for destroying plant pots and toilet plungers. Her enthusiasm can be boundless and a little overwhelming at times. She leaves a trail of dog hair, sand, mud, and shredded trees. But, she is loving and affectionate and has the biggest and best doggy smile EVER.

Welcome Home, Molly! 🫶

Thinking of You

by annemariedemyen, posted in April 2023
Mom and I

It has been ten years today since my mother passed away.  It could have been last week.   I don’t have to close my eyes to imagine my mother just as she was – at the end of her, or at any point in my, life.

I can see my mother bringing the frozen laundry in from the line, smell the fresh air, and feel the icy cold that she brought with it.

I can see my mother playing badminton with my sister Lorraine, sitting at the card table working on a jigsaw puzzle, or at the kitchen table playing Scrabble with us and our children.

I can see my mother at church – weekdays and Sundays, attending funerals of friends and neighbors, serving up food at Parrish suppers and get togethers.

I can see my mother knitting and crocheting sweaters and dresses, mittens and scarves for her grandchildren. I can see her at the kitchen table sewing dresses for my sisters and I.

I can see my mother cooking everyday meals, Sunday dinners, and holiday feasts – as well as baking an endless supply of fresh bread, buns, cakes, desert squares, and pies.

I can see my mother cleaning, painting, and decorating our home – throughout the seasons, over the years.

Mom with my kids – Mark, Jen, & Dan

I can see my mother arriving at my home – bearing baked goods and gifts for myself and my family. Making herself at home by doing laundry, washing dishes, making meals, and poisoning the dog (the last one may have been an accident but you don’t put chocolate under the Christmas tree when there’s a dog in the house 🫣)

I can see my mother in the nursing home, her final home on earth, visiting with her grandbabies’ babies – pushing them up and down the hallway on her walker, introducing them to nurses and residents, and proudly accompanying them to Sunday brunch at the Mayfair.

I can see my mother doing a million everyday, ordinary things that mothers do. It could have been decades ago or it could have been last week.

I hope that where my mother is now, she can see that we noticed and appreciated all that she did – and that it has not, and never will be, forgotten.

Rip Mom

Sprinter in Saskatchewan

by annemariedemyen, posted in April 2023

This past weekend, I put on a sweatshirt and went out to sweep our back deck. I couldn’t believe that spring had finally sprung and our snow was gone. This morning winter sprang back. 🤦

The howling wind woke Molly up at five o’clock. She went to the living room window to check out the commotion and was beyond excited that winter had returned. Naturally, she had to go outside to check it out, so I was up at five to let her out, let her in, and towel dry her off, before returning to bed for a couple of hours. Lucky for me, Dan got up with her at six when she decided it was breakfast time.

You can’t see it in a still shot, but the neighbour’s Spruce trees are dancing like mad in this wind.
Hopefully the grass will be green when this snow melts – maybe? 🌞
I think she just goes in and out because she loves to be towel dried.

We are actually lucky that we are not getting the worst of it. Southeast of us, the highways are closed and conditions are much worse. And… The snow should be gone as fast as it came.

Take care out there and have a great day! 💞🌞❄️

Year Two – Week Nine

by annemariedemyen, posted in April 2023, Health and Fitness

Another week of healing, health and fitness has passed and I’m still committed to the program. 💪

This past week I did my morning Zumba workout every day, did strength training almost every night (missed one night), and got outside for some fresh air. Molly and I went walking a couple of times – once with Dan and once with Jen and her daughter Prim. The walk with Jen and Prim was a long one on Saturday – around Wascana Lake.

Wascana Park – photo from my archives.

Wascana Park is in the heart of Regina. With the warmer weather that we have been experiencing, it was a good day for the park. The pathways were busy with people, strollers, and DOGS. Fortunately, Jen and Prim walked Molly and she was pretty happy just to truck along with them and stay out of trouble.

Molly did manage to come home dirty and tired.

I also spent a bit of time outside putzing around our yard yesterday. I put out some peanuts for our neighbourhood squirrel(s) and swept some of Molly’s destruction off the back patio.

It is too early to start planting outside but our cactus bloomed and Jen brought me a new ivy and spider plant to nurture.

This week will be business as usual with my fitness plan. My biggest push is to get my evening strength training back on track. My plan is for six exercises – ten sets of ten reps with three pound weights plus 10 sets of ten reps for wall pushups Monday thru Saturday. If all goes well, I will be moving back up to five pound weights next week. Yay!

That’s all I have for this week. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞