February 4th – Day 34  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

It is TEN DAYS until I celebrate the Four Year anniversary of my Health & Fitness Journey. 

Over the past few days, I have been taking an online Tony Robbins seminar.  One of the main ideas that he was trying to impress on us was to become aware of the stories we tell ourselves.

One of the main stories that I have told myself throughout my life was that I was weak and sickly.   Everything and everyone validated that vision I had of myself.

I lived with that vision until I actually was so weak and sickly that I could not go on like that anymore.   I knew that I could be somewhat  healthier and stronger so I determined to find a way to make it happen.

First off, I determined my core issues – allergies and a collagen deficiency (which for the most part affect my respiratory system).

Through years of trial and error,  much support and encouragement from family and friends (especially WordPress friends) I persevered until I got to where I am today.

But I clung to my story that ‘I am  weak and sickly, doing everything in my power to deal with my health issues’.   And,  I was stuck there…

In the past few days, I have come to realize  (partly through attending this seminar and partly due to the latest tweak in my personal healthcare routine) that I am NOT destined to be weak and sickly.  In fact,  I am healing and my strength is increasing.

I know that I have work to do.  I will always have to maintain my healthcare routine from my prescription inhalers to my supplements, to my fitness workouts.

But, I also know that as long as I can and do take care of my body, I will be strong and healthy.

This is my new (health) story. 

Yesterday,  I did my regular workout and my thirty minutes on the treadmill. In the afternoon, I went outside with Molly and cleared the snow off of our front landing and steps and our front walks.

Starting today, our temperature is supposed to be plus 5C (41F) and higher in the days to come.  

On top of my regular workouts and treadmill time, I will be out clearing the ice from all of our walks and paths.  Since we had days of freezing rain before our recent deepfreeze there is an abundance of ICE to deal with.

With my past four years of healing and increasing strength, and some help from Mother Nature… I’ve got this!

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

February 3rd – Day 32 & 33  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Just when I thought we were moving on, Tony Robbins threw in a bonus three hour session yesterday.   I hemmed and hawed and decided that I had gotten enough out of the first three sessions  to invest another three hours to the cause.

Sitting in on the bonus session was well worth the time.  More about that in a future blog. 🙂

I still had ample time to do my aerobics yesterday morning, make a supper of spaghetti and meatsauce with a side order of broccolli and cauliflower, clean up the kitchen after supper and hit the treadmill for thirty minutes.

I even managed to read a few pages of a book that I got on Kobo lately after my sister-in- law recommended it.   It is interesting and surprisingly timely considering it was published decades ago!

I have never had any doubt that our thoughts, beliefs, and attitude affect the quality of our lives.  But, it is pretty amazing to see my beliefs validated by a book that was written and published a decade before I was born.

That’s about it for today.  Dan and I just had our afternoon tea so it is time to head outside for some fresh air before supper.  Take care and have a great rest of your day! 🤗💞

A little snow clearing might be in order!

February 1st – Day 27, 28, 29, 30, 31   of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

It is FEBRUARY! January is behind us and I am ready to move on and UP!

For the past three days I have been attending the 2026 Rise Up (online) seminar with Tony Robbins.  

I have been familiar with Tony Robbins forever! I have never been drawn to his program.  From the advertisements for his  seminars,  there seemed to be   a lot of noise, a lot of hype, a lot of jumping  around and hootin’ and hollerin’.  NOT  my comfort zone!  He struck me as being a snake oil salesman and his program rather cultish and goofy. 

(I am more comfortable with spiritual or metaphysical teachings.  I have never hooted or hollered in my life and jumping around has been  confined to aerobic workouts and that one time I stepped on a bumble bee.)

But, I was in a January funk and Tony Robbins has been successful for a LONG time, so I signed up.. TEN HOURS of Tony Robbins.

The seminar was free.  There was an upgrade available for a small price, but I did not feel it was necessary.  Committing to  TEN HOURS of anything is enough to ensure that I will give it my all.

My overall impression was that I like Tony Robbins.  He appears genuine and sincere. His wife Sage, who appeared for a few minutes on Day 2 seems to be very intelligent with an abudance of common sense. 

I appreciated that Tony Robbins provides a solid plan for participants to follow to overcome specific challenges and to create more control over their lives in general.  But, what I appreciated most was that he explains WHY each step of any such plan is important.

On day one, Tony touched on what it takes to succeed in any endeavor before we even begin to work towards a goal..

There are only three steps and each must be taken in turn..

1) State.. Before anything else one must get into a proper state – excitement, enthusiasm, joy!   This is where the jumping around, hootin’ and hollerin’ comes in.  The energy kicks things off strong, but the emotion locks it in.

This rang true for me.  I know it works!  I have tried all of my life to build up strength and stamina, and I have failed over and over! But, four years ago when I began my Health and Fitness Journey, that is exactly what I did.  I didn’t think about it, I knew I had to do something so I got off my butt and I danced to Buddy Holly. 

TWO MINUTES and I was dying.. but I was pumped up, ready to go, and LOCKED IN!

2) Story.. See where you are coming from, take an honest look at where you are, and decide where you want to go.

It took me months to set any kind of goal and I keep moving the goal post further out as I go.  As I become more, I want more (health and fitness). 

3) STRATEGY.. It doesn’t matter what you want or how badly you want it, you need to have a plan. 

That has also been something that is constantly changing for me.  I am changing, I am learning, the plan has to change with my changing needs.  But I always have a plan to proceed.

If I had gotten nothing more than this out of the entire seminar, it would have  been worth it.   But there is more that I will touch on in blogs to come.

That is enough for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🤗

Update on my crochet project…

January 27th – Day 24, 25th  & 26th  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Our frigid weather has finally started to ease off a bit!  It is hard to believe we are already (finally) seeing the end of another January.  By the weekend we are supposed to be seeing temperatures near the thawing point! 👏

I haven’t been doing anything too exciting for the past few days – my aerobics and yesterday I went outside with Molly for half an hour.  The effort it takes to get dressed to go out is as bad as being outside in the weather we have been having.

I did find a little ray of sunshine!  It might be a few weeks until my plants start sprouting.

These last few days have not been great.  I have been super congested and coughing ALL of the time.   I have been drinking a lot of water, tea, and broth to help clear it up.    Yesterday,  Dan went to our health food store to pick up some Mullein tea and tincture.  I have only had a couple of doses so far, but it seems to be helping A LOT! 🤞

Last night, I made roast beef for supper.  I forgot to make yorkshire pudding, but everything we had was amazing.  The horseradish we have is The Keg brand.  It is awesome! We are having leftover beef  for tomorrow night, so I get another shot at  making the yorkshire puddings. 

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

I came across this picture this morning.  Molly was so little!  I would be on the floor if she jumped up on me like that now. 😁

January 24th – Day 22 & 23  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, 2026

We are still in our deepfreeze here  in Saskatchewan.  I haven’t been outside for DAYS.  I haven’t been further than our front yard in weeks. 😟

On February 14th, I will close the door on Year Four of my Health and Wellness Journey and I will begin Year Five.

Every single year since Year ONE, I have approached this date with excitement and anticipation.   Every single year, I have crashed and burned as the date approaches.

Yes, Molly… wrapping up Year One and well into my plans for Year Two, you broke my arm.   It was an accident – but still!

Every single year, January has thrown me a curve ball!  It is like the universe is hellbent on dragging a deeper commitment out of me before allowing me to move forward. 

This year is no different, but…

Yesterday, I happened upon a free Tony Robbins online seminar.  Three days –  three hours per day.  January 29th, 30th, and 31st.

I know three things about Tony Robbins.  He is a motivational speaker, he has been around forever, and my sister-in-law attended one of his retreats in Bali a lifetime ago. 

I decided to sign up for it.  What do I have to lose?

Part of the sign up procedure involved an invitation to  join a Tony Robbins 2026 Tour Facebook page.

I avoid most social media.  Not ALL, but most…

Anyway, I accepted the invitation to join the Tony Robbins Facebook page. 

Then!! I was invited to post a photo of myself, a bit of an introduction, with  a few words about why I was attending this seminar and what I hoped to get out of it.

I went with this photo, a few words about my Heath & Fitness Journey, and that I was looking for the motivation to kickstart it for another year and to reach my 2026 goal.

I completed my registration, marked it on my calendar,  and moved on.  I thought that would be it until the seminar began.

This morning, I picked up my phone and  opened Facebook to find countless posts from people around the globe who had signed up for this seminar. 

These posts are incredible! They are filled with grief and pain and joy and hope and humanity! People living their lives and focusing on becoming people who make the most of their own lives by learning and growing, accepting gratefully, and giving generously.  

I have no idea how this nine hour seminar will go.  I have no idea what to expect.  But,  I do know that I have already gotten more out of this experience than I honestly expected to.

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 🤗💞

January 22nd – Day 21  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, 2026

Since I began my Health and Fitness Journey four years ago, I have focussed on Body, Mind, and Soul – physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Today, I am focussed on all three, not just for myself,  but for those around me.

When I got up this morning it felt like -44 ° celcius (-47.6 ° fahrenheit) with the windchill.  It wasn’t much better without it!  🥶

That is brutal for anyone who must venture out.  We are fortunate that we have the option to stay in our home, snug and warm and comfortable in our retirement.   But, I feel for those who have to deal with this weather – as would any normal human being with an ounce of empathy.

But empathy be damned.  Our city planners, managers, mayor, councillors, and any and all overpaid city hierarchy who have a voice in such decisions – decided this was a good day to unleash the city graders on our residential streets.

This is our street.  The photo does not do the situation justice.  The grader operator (under order from those higher up on the chain of command no doubt) passed up and down our street – scraping off the solid pack of ice and snow (which was not causing any issue) and pushed it up against the sidewalks.

It is hard to tell, but this is not a lttle ridge of snow.  It is higher and  wider than it looks.  It is a solid,  impenetrable barrier of ice and snow.   The city will not be back to clear it away.  (This is not a one and done – this is an annual event in recent years.)

Our neighbours who do not have the luxury of offstreet parking, will return  from work  unable to park in front of their homes.  They will park as close as they can, and risk exiting their vehicle in traffic –  then struggle to climb over this city built obstacle – carrying tots from daycare, groceries, and whatever else they need, to go about their daily lives.

Delivery drivers will risk life and limb to climb over these icy ridges, as will seniors accessing their vehicles,  as will  people –  especially those with mobility issues, struggling to access public transit. 

For most people in our city, life at minus 44 degrees is more than an inconvenience.  That our city would do anything as unconcienable, dangerous, and stupid to make things harder is beyond comprehehension.

It is not a matter of finances. Our city has no issue raising taxes, or spending outrageous sums on vanity projects, or paying obscene severance packages to incompetent city managers who should never have been hired in the first place. They have no problem buying electric buses – in Saskatchewan 🤦‍♀️, questionable artwork,  and so much more.

It is beyond  stupid and irresponsible.  It is  a danger to our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing and that of our friends, neighbours, and family. 

Ready for signs of spring. 🥲

January 21st – Day 20  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

This morning, I woke up anticipating the blog I would post today. 

I was excited to share the news that,  not only had I done my aerobics and treadmill yesterday, but I got outside and shoveled snow!  The walks were not bad, but our front steps and landing had a solid layer of snow to clear.  And, I cleared it!

But, Mother Nature made a mockery of my efforts.   We awoke to a  thick layer of fresh snow.

The front steps and landing were buried (as well as that back steps and landing 🤦‍♀️).  After a walk that was cut short by an overexcited Molly dog, Dan returned and got out the snowblower.

Our walks, as well as our neighbours’, have been cleared.  As well as the snow behind our garage (and the neighbours).  And our landings and steps have been cleared.

I do plan to venture outside for more fresh air today.  It is doubtful that I will find more snow to clear, but who knows.  Mother Nature may just have a fresh load to dump on us.

At least, we do not live in Russia!

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/video/sTQEBYIl?playlist=oLRZ3mum

I cannot imagine getting snow like that!  I doubt that Dan could even make a dent in it – with or without our new snowblower.

Anyway, that is all that is newsworthy in my world today.

Take care and have a great day!

January 20th – Day 18 & 19  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Our temperature has climbed a few degrees and the wind has dropped considerably.   And the sun is shining! This could be the day for an outting. 

I am not talking any grand adventure to Walmart or Vic Square Mall.  But, I am planning to bundle up, head outside, and breathe some fresh air.  🌞

Yesterday was another uneventful day as we were still in the deepfreeze.  I did my aerobics and treadmill, as well as my regular respiratory care routine.

And I baked some Date Bran Muffins…

They were a nice change from all the rich Christmas baking and decadent chocolates.

I have been letting my crochet project slide for a few evenings now – but I have not abandoned it.   I have just been busy enjoying the ability to lean back and relax in my recliner, wrapped in Dan’s big cozy Leaf’s blanket.

Molly prefers to curl up like a giant kidney bean given the opportunity.

The BIG thing for me is that I CAN lean back and BREATHE without struggling. 

I have been on my Health & Wellness Journey for almost four years now, in an effort to get my health back on track.

My daily routine is one that I have created for myself – based on what works  for me.  It has been a hit and miss effort built on advice from medical professionals, family,  and friends, books, articles, and You Tube videos.

It has a long, dull, frustrating, painful,  and promising journey… but that I can feel significant improvement to my breathing – that I can comfortably recline and breathe easily is incredible.  

Not only am I happy with what I have accomplished healthwise, I am excited about what I can and will do moving forward!

In these words, David Goggins was talking about ultra races – races longer than typical marathons, races from fifty to hundreds of miles long.

“These races aren’t about winning or losing or even finishing.  It’s exploring oneself and the human potential that lies within all of us.” – David Goggins

As much as I have zero inclination to take up ultra marathon races,  I can relate.  For me, LIFE isn’t about winning or losing or living indefinitely.  It is about exploring myself and the potential I possess.

But … when I do get a win, I appreciate it,  I celebrate it, and sometimes I just lean back for a while and I enjoy it. 😁

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day!

January 18th – Day 15, 16 & 17  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

I am back! It has been a few days since  I last posted.  I haven’t been overly busy or out of commission.    I have just been plugging along.  Not much to see here!

Our winter weather has returned with a vengeance.   I did not meet my weekly goal for executing an outting.  With ice, snow, frigid temps and winds blowing from 75 to 100 kmh at times – most times – outtings were not on the agenda.

I have been doing my aerobics, treadmill time, sinus and lung clearing… the usual.  It is far from from fascinating to write (or read) about.  But, it is the dull, persistent, consistent efforts that ultimately pay off – regardless of what one’s  goals are.

Yesterday, Dan and I  made a pot of chicken noodle soup for supper. That warmed us up. The cheese baking powder biscuits rounded off the meal nicely.

This morning, I had a bath, did my hair, and put on a dress that my niece Brigette sent up before Christmas.

It felt good to dress up for a change!  Also, this dress is so warm and comfortable I could live in it. 😁

It was a timely decision, as shortly thereafter granddaughter Genie showed up.  She returned some containers from Christmas baking. 👍 We had tea and a nice long chat. 

Her Jeep Cherokee is in need of a major differential repair so her and Grandpa bonded over some vehicle talk.

Molly was beside herself, as is usual when her favourite human drops by.

That’s it for today.   Tomorrow, I hope to get outside to clear some snow  off of  our walks and to get some fresh air in the process. 

Take care and have a great day! 🤗💞

January 15th – Day 14 of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

Today is Thursday and I am still on target for my respiratory care goals for this week.  I have been struggling a bit, but I have been completing my aerobic and treadmill workouts and I have been getting outside for a bit of fresh air.

This afternoon, I spent the better part of an hour outside with Molly.   Our temperature is around the thawing point, which is nice enough for January in Saskatchewan, but the wind was rough.

The ice on the sidewalk is from the past few days of freeze/thaw temperatures.
The front and back patios are packed snow.

My mission outside today was to test the traction cleats that Dan bought for my boots a few weeks ago. I want to get back to walks with Dan and Molly but our streets and walks are daunting without some help.

These things are amazing!  I did not slip at all on the solid ice and on the packed snow they were just as  great.  I always had concerns that the cleats would bite into the ice and snow and I would faceplant then and there.  It’s not like that at all.  It is just like walking on a rough surface.

I walked around different areas in our yard – stepping up to the backyard and down to the sideyard.  I went out the gate to our front walk that slopes down to the city sidewalk and along the sidewalk.  Even with the strong wind hitting me, I felt solid, safe and confident.

My only regret is that I was not open to trying them a lot sooner.  🤦‍♀️

I can’t wait to go hiking some of the city parks.  We have several beautiful parks in the city, but they have been difficult to enjoy when I was always concerned about staying upright.

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great rest of your day! 😁💞