annemariedemyen

31 Weeks From Feeble to Fit!

September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, September 2002

It is hard to believe that I have been working out and getting in shape for THIRTY-ONE weeks.

It is even harder to believe how far I have come in only thirty-one weeks. In Mid-February I was exhausted, cold, sore, sickly, flabby, and feeble. My mind was sluggish and I just felt blah.

With spring coming up in two or three months, I decided I had to do something to regain some strength and improve my health. I started gradually, and have worked up to an hour of dancing/Zumba every day (except Sunday), daily walks, and working out with dumbbells each evening (except Sunday). I drink six ounces of beet juice a day and take cold showers on a regular basis. I have also joined an online Volley group for support and motivation. Nothing I do is much of a time commitment and the only cost has been in maintaining my Daily Walk companion Molly.

The difference in my health and fitness has been amazing! I feel good – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I look better than I have for years. I keep active all day and embrace new challenges!

This morning, Thirty-One Weeks from spending my days in my rocking chair in front of our electric fireplace, I strapped a harness on Molly (our now +/- 70 pound Pyrenees), set off for a walk, met up with a stranger in one of our neighbourhood parks and WE DID IT! Molly and I went to our first offleash dog park.

If anybody had told me seven months ago that I would be heading into an offleash park to hang with a group of strangers and a pack of BIG dogs, there is no way I would have believed it. But there, I was, hanging with the other dog owners, while watching our pups race around an open field, having the time of their lives. Occasionally, they would come back to check on their human, before racing off again tails flying and grinning eat to ear. It was just one of those moments that make it all so worth while!

It was just one moment of many, when I am so glad that I decided to make this health and fitness change. Every day, I have reason to appreciate the choice I made, reason to appreciate ALL of the people who have supported and encouraged me, and reason to marvel at all of those random moments that have brought me to this place – be it a random meeting, a chance advertisement on Kijiji for a perfect walking partner, or coming across the right article at the right time. That first step has led to so many more – and in only thirty-one weeks.

That is it for today. It’s time to go finish prepping the porch so I can get it painted this week. Just one more thing that I couldn’t have imagined doing back in February. 😊

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

More Photos From Genie

September 23, 2022September 23, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in September 2002

Genie sent me a few more photos from her time in London, Ontario.

She spent some time wandering art exhibits…

**I think this shot was taken in the Toronto airport.**

**Genie working a media event. The woman with her won a day at the ex (with her husband). Genie helped escort them around the midway – and had a good time doing it!**

**And she kicked things up a notch with a bowl of stew! (I love that bowl. 💞)**

Now that Genie is back home, she has agreed to help me get some shots and videos of Molly. Hopefully, we will even get out of town to the Wascana Trails before our weather gets too nasty.

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

Molly and More

September 22, 2022September 22, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in September 2002

Summer is officially over! Autumn has arrived and, as usual, it has arrived with a hint of the upcoming winter in the air. Really, who needs that – especially in Saskatchewan, where winter brings ice, snow, frigid temperatures, short days, and long nights? 🥺

Chilly as it is, Molly and I did get outdoors this morning. Since she destroyed yet another harness yesterday, her training harness no less, we had to revert to one of her older ones. That made our outing a bit more challenging. I did play ball with her for a while before we headed out, just to wear her down a little bit.

**Taking a break on the ball diamonds.**

Our walk didn’t go great, but we got home in one piece so that counts as a win. Time to find Molly a new harness!

We are temporarily Jeepless this week. It went in to the shop for a new oxygen sensor, which is proving to be problematic. The latest news is that there are none to be had in Regina. I am not sure why the dealership wouldn’t keep a few on hand. It’s not like Jeep Cherokees are rare around here. Black Jeep Cherokees are so ubiquitous that it looks like a funeral procession every time we drive down a street, through a drive through, or across a parking lot.

The girls made it home yesterday morning. They had a fairly good trip. Genie slept through the train ride from London to Toronto. I guess it wasn’t as exciting as she had anticipated. Their hotel room was adequate. I don’t know if either of them were particularly pumped about the flight. They just wanted to be back home!

Genie and her fiance Alec dropped by for a short visit and to drop off a few souvenirs that Genie picked up down east. They will be back for supper on Sunday, along with Brook, her boyfriend Kale, and her daughter (our great-granddaughter) Alaska. Genie just couldn’t wait that long to show off her newest tattoo…

Genie did send me a number of photos this morning but I will save them for another day. 🌞

I have a pot of chili on the stove that is ready to take the chill off the day. Time to whip up some garlic toast and supper is served.

That is about it for today. Between Molly and waiting for calls from the shop, my day is a bit backwards today. I got my walk and weights done but haven’t done my dancing, meditation, or had my beet juice yet. I know I have said it before but…. I can’t imagine how I ever had time to work before I retired! 😂

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Heading Home

September 20, 2022September 20, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in September 2002

Genie and her sister Brook have begun making their way back home! They were both working for North American Midway this summer, but seldom had time to spend together as Genie worked in Guest Services and was usually in KiddieLand, while Brook was selling tickets on the adult Midway.

Having been sisters since Genie was three and Brook was five, it is nice that they are getting to spend this time together. Their trip began this morning with an Uber ride to the train depot in London, Ontario where they were taking the train to Toronto. They are spending the night at the airport hotel and will be on the plane at 8A.M. tomorrow for their flight home. Just one more adventure for our (not so little anymore) girls.

***Genie & Brook – sleepover at Grandma & Grandpa D’s.***

***Brook & Genie – another one of many sleepovers.***

***Genie & Brook – Saturday lunch. (A lot of those too!)***

Tomorrow morning, they are back in their real worlds. ☺️

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

Week 31 – Fitness Update

September 19, 2022September 19, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, September 2002

It has been thirty-one weeks since I started working on improving my health and getting fit. It is not so much a goal anymore, as a new lifestyle that I have embarked on.

When I started on this mission, I was sixty-six years old, exhausted, miserable, weak, cold, and overweight. I was struggling to breathe. My blood pressure was high and my pulse was faster than it should have been. Now, at sixty-seven years old, other than still having a few pounds to lose and some muscle toning to work on, I am doing pretty darn good. I am looking better, my numbers are better, and most important – I am feeling way BETTER.

There are only a couple of things to note this week – is that I have days when I really struggle! Mentally, physically, and/or emotionally, there are days when I am not up to the challenge. But… I have come SO far in seven months! There is NO turning back. I know there are amazing benefits to be had by pushing through and going forward and I know there will be negative consequences for slacking off – so forward it is. Even on the hard days. I have never regretted pushing through.

First – I have days when I really struggle! Mentally, physically, and/or emotionally, there are days when I am not up to the challenge. But… I have come SO far in seven months! There is NO turning back. I know there are amazing benefits to be had by pushing through and going forward and I know there will be negative consequences for slacking off – so forward it is. Even on the hard days.

Second – I have overcome most, if not all, of the excuses that kept me from doing this sooner. My biggest excuses were I did not feel well – that ended when I realized I was never going to feel better if I did not get pro-active and start working on getting ‘better’. I did not have enough room to work out – that ended when I started dancing and following Zumba lessons on You Tube. Activities that didn’t take much room! Finally, I overcame my Exercise doesn’t work excuse and developed an attitude of ‘find the exercise that does work for me AND do it… AND keep doing it!’

So thirty-one weeks down, and the rest of my life to go, and I am still on track! Yay me – especially the me that started this mission in mid February. The first step is the hardest, but the weak, sickly, flabby, cold, exhausted me took that step. Now, I am stepping out every morning with my Molly dog, doing my dance workout when we get home, and lifting (light) weights every evening. (Except on my rest day Sunday, when I just walk Molly) How cool is that? 😊

**On the path to health and wellbeing. 💞**

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

Miss Molly – 7 Months Old

September 16, 2022September 16, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in September 2002

Molly is seven months old today! 🎂 This month has flown by so quickly and with little of the big dog drama that I was expecting. From much of what I have read, the day a Pyrenees turns six months old, they turn into a puppy owner’s nightmare. Molly has her moments but she is far from being a nightmare and is getting better by the day.

Molly is walking much better now and has a growing fanclub of regulars that we meet on our daily walks. There are a LOT of big dogs in this neighborhood, so it surprises me how many people make a fuss over her. Last week a paratransit bus pulled over to the curb so the driver could tell me what a beauty she was and this week a carload of young guys passing by slowed right down so they could serenade her. “Love your big dog, gotta get me a big dog, just like your dog!”. Molly was oblivious, but I found it hysterical.

Molly has loved her little wading pool this summer. It has made the hotter days much easier on her and it is still her go to spot, the moment we get home from a walk – even if Dan has just drained it to give it a good cleaning.

She has found her voice and does occasionally use it to extremes – but not that often and not for terribly long. A few barks and she has made her point. She also has a few bizarre sounds in her vocabulary – she does a perfect gas lawn mower and yesterday, I think she was trying to howl, but she sounded just like a train whistle. 🙄

The biggest problem with Molly, other than her latest obsession with pulling the stuffing out of anything that she can pull the stuffing out of, is that she cannot grasp how big she is. She still thinks she can sit on our laps… or worse jump onto them.

Last weekend, Dan was off golfing for a few days. The first night he was gone, I was sitting in my little rocking chair in the livingroom when Molly came bounding in. She threw her front paws up on either side of my head as she went to jump onto my lap. The chair flipped over backwards. I wasn’t hurt, but I was momentarily trapped with my head against the wall, my arms on either side of me, flat on my back, with my feet up in the air. I was ready to panic, but as Molly strolled over to the couch to watch me deal with my predicament, I found the incentive to push the chair out from under myself and get upright. 🤨

She also likes to squeeze in between Dan on the couch and the coffee table (an area where she doesn’t actually fit), sit in front of the bathroom door, or lay in the middle of the kitchen when we are cooking. For me, to sit on the floor or crouch down to do anything isn’t much of an option, as she takes that as an invitation to lick my ears, wrap her front paws around my neck, or just climb all over me.

Taking on a puppy that grows by leaps and bounds is not for the faint of heart, but it is definitely a challenge worth taking on if one has the strength and patience for it. Ours wears a bit thin with Molly some days but I think the worst is behind us and amazingly she hasn’t caused any major or permanent damage – so far. The Cedars around our yard have taken a hit and we are down a couple of pillows, one blanket, and one stuffed elephant. I could have re-stuffed the elephant but half the head and one ear were not coming back. 😯

That’s it for today, one more month down and only seventeen more to go before Molly is officially an adult dog. We’ve got this!

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

London, Ontario

September 15, 2022September 15, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in September 2002

These weeks are just flying by! This whole year has gone so fast, I can’t believe we are in September. I am not done my spring cleaning and here I am chipping away at my fall cleaning.

Likewise, our Genie was just packing to leave for her summer adventure, and in five short days she will be heading home.

She is still making the most of every day of her travels across Canada. Today I am sharing photos that she took a few days ago, while checking out London, Ontario.

I didn’t crop or adjust any of these photo to correct the angle. I don’t know if the streets in Ontario tend to run at a slant or if Genie has a tendency to lean when she is taking photos, but I will just go with what she sent. Either way, with her artistic bent, I can see why Genie would have enjoyed visiting this area and taking photos of these beautiful buildings.

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

Week 30 Fitness Update

September 12, 2022September 12, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, September 2002

It has been thirty weeks since I decided that I needed to get more active and serious about my health. I would never have believed that this fitness journey of mine would become such a priority in my life.

It is sad that those of us over a certain age, whatever age that is to us personally, often buy into the idea that fitness is for the young and that our health issues are irreversible and due to a natural aging process.

Some of my personal health issues are chronic and irreversible – a genetic collagen issue I was born with, asthma, COPD, and Bronchiectasis. But, the problems relative to these conditions have been mitigated immensely since I have been working out. And, there are countless other issues which I was led to believe we’re due to aging, that are no longer the issue that they were seven months ago. My heartrate and blood pressure are good, I have less fat and more muscle, my circulation is much better, my balance is better, my flexibility has improved, my mind is clearer, and my mood and attitude are far more positive. That is not to say that I will or want to live forever. But I have a better chance of dying with my boots on than languishing in a nursing home bed for decades so that’s good!

There are two things that I found super positive this week. First… I added one more set of lifts to my dumbbell exercises and I crushed it! I felt the muscles work, in the right way, but I pushed through every night without feeling that I was having to push past a safe and reasonable level. Second.. I started eating a serving of baked oatmeal every morning before walking Molly, and while my version wasn’t great, I ate it and it did wonders for my digestive health, bloating and the like. So yay! I did get a new recipes for Baked Apple Oatmeal from a WordPress friend and I have a Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal recipe to try, so for sure I will keep this as part of my routine.

That is about all I have for this week! Life is good. Time to get outside and put some of this improved health and fitness to work cleaning up the yard and picking some tomatoes and peppers.

*I was actually able to take one photo while I was out walking Molly yesterday. I don’t know what happened to this tree (it looked like beavers got it?) but the leaves were a beautiful cream color*.

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

Last Stop – London

September 11, 2022September 11, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in September 2002

Our Genie has left Toronto behind and moved on to London, Ontario. This being her last stop with North American Midway, she will soon be heading home with countless memories and souvenirs from her summer adventure.

Our chat was relatively inconsequential this morning, mostly “I am so so excited to be coming home!” And “We are so excited that you are coming home!”.

I did however score a new set of photos to share. I so appreciate Genie keeping me in fresh photos this summer. Taking pictures while walking Molly is not as easy (or generally possible) as it was with Kat. And – it is so much fun seeing Genie’s weekly adventures through her own eyes (or camera lens).

***A visit to the horticultural competition.***

***This one would have crushed the competition.***

**And a cat… Probably a good thing the eaves trough drain was a wall away from the cat. I can see Genie climbing up for a visit.** 😯

**Such a sad little face in the mirror. I felt sorry for her being so homesick but apparently she was just frustrated by a delay at work. 👍**

She sent me a number of photos of a photogenic neighbourhood in London, but I will save those for another day.

Take care and have a beautiful rest of the day! 💞🌞

Ours is lovely, but the flies have replaced the mosquitoes and they are making me BUGGY!

Body, Mind, Soul, & Heart

September 10, 2022September 10, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in September 2002

Most people have their own particular outstanding strength – be it physical, mental, spiritual, or a genuinely kind, caring, and affectionate personality. Then there is son Dan, who turned forty-three years young today.

Dan was an infant for about three months. Even then, he never stopped. In his sleep, he was moving fingers and toes, tumbling around, and practicing his grins and gurgles. By seven months, he had mastered forks and spoons and fed himself Easter dinner at Grandma’s house. By three years old, he had mastered his first set of real tools and was swinging a hammer like a pro.

In elementary school, Dan was the A student, the class clown, the solo singer in the annual Christmas concert, the teacher’s pet, and the chick (every little girl) magnet. At home he was helping me bake, helping his father build a garage – followed by our new house – followed by laying an acre of sod with the next door neighbour and I.

When he turned ten, Dan was ready to join the workforce. He took on a paper route in our area and was saving up to buy his own big screen tv.

By fourteen, he was ready for a real job so he joined the production crew at the millwork company where I was employed. Throughout high school, he worked fifty to fifty-five hours a week, graduated with honors, bought his first vehicle, and installed a new motor in it (himself). In his spare time – he hung out with his friends Dave and Scott and, along with his brother and sister, helped me to maintain our household, since I was now divorced and working eighty hours a week to support us.

After graduation, Dan headed north to work for my brother-in-law’s/sister’s oilfield fabrication and service company. Despite injury and illness, he completed his four year journeyman pipefitter course in three years, graduating at the top of his class. Soon he was on his way to managing large oilfield projects in northern Alberta, despite being the youngest man on the site (for a number of years). By this time he had purchased his first house, traded up to a new truck, married his first wife – and was soon to become a father.

Following a difficult marriage and a painful divorce process, Dan married the love of his life – the wonderful (and equally energetic, caring, intelligent, and fun loving) AMANDA. Due to a last minute Covid lockdown, their formal wedding ceremony was a very intimate affair for them, which we watched over a streaming website.

Fortunately, we were able to attend their less formal wedding reception the following summer. ( In 2021)

***Hers, his, and theirs – Lucas, Gabby, and Cason***. (**They couldn’t even keep it together for their photo session. )** 🥰

Dan and Amanda have a beautiful home always filled with kids, dogs, friends, family, great food, love, and happiness. Dan is working closer to home these days – still long hours, but at least closer to home which enables him to be at home every night. Amanda runs her own company – as well as their busy home. Gabby is in Grade 12 and working at a store and ice cream shop in a small town close to their acreage, Lucas is in Grade 2, and Cason just started pre-school.

**And in his spare time, Dan just finished building the last section of their massive** ***deck.***

Happy Birthday, Dan. We are so proud of you and your beautiful amazing family. (And so happy that you found someone with the energy and inclination to keep up with you 😉)

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