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!)Brook and Genie – Toronto
Tomorrow morning, they are back in their real worlds. ☺️
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞
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! 💞🌞
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 – 7 Months Old
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.
Early JulyEarly September
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.
JulySeptember
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.
My chair
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!
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! 💞🌞
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! 💞🌞
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).
This week’s bug photo. 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!
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.
Dan with his Oldsmobile Cutlass
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! 🌞💞
Our girl Genie has moved on from Toronto to her last stop in London, Ontario. Eleven more days and she will be back home. 🥰
Genie was supposed to engage in one more special adventure this week – taking a train from Toronto to London. That is not an opportunity that presents itself in Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, being one of the exhibition employees who took a first aid course earlier in the season, she was called up for duty this week. Part of being the First Responder on duty meant staying around until the exhibition tear down was complete and travelling with the other employees in the company buses. I keep forgetting to ask her who would take care of her if she was injured while she is tasked with being the First Responder. That is probably one of those things I don’t really need or want to know. 😯
Genie did manage to send me a few more photos to share while waiting for the buses to arrive….
I am not positive but I think the woman beside Genie worked GuestServices in KiddieLand with her in Toronto. She loved working with her because she was so nicethat she reminded herof Grandma.Awww…💞Just a pigeon passing by…And a little moth stopping for a rest. That ladybug from last week must have given Genie a good review. 🙂There was a big airshow going on above the exhibition the last few days that they were in Toronto.Genie said she was bothered by the loud, low flying jets. Since this was the best photo she could get, we will just have to take her word on this one. 😂😂😂
That is it for today. Hopefully I will have more news on how London is going when Genie files her regular Sunday report.
I am not into astrology but I am a serious believer in the power of a full moon. From the goings on around here, I would say we are on track for a fullsome one this week.
First off, this spring when Molly was a pup she had a thing about small rocks. I had dumped a pile of them beside the house one day and they were her rocks. I picked them up and put them into a small flower pot on the back landing, but she was having nothing to do with that. Every time I went out, the rocks were on the steps and the pot was knocked over or tossed right off the landing. I finally gave up and moved the rocks back beside the house and put the pot in the shed. And forgot all about it AND Molly’s obsession with it. So, last week I grabbed said pot and planted a small Basil plant in it and set it on the landing. Yesterday, Molly grabbed the pot and dumped it all over the landing and the walkway that runs to the back steps. Dan cleaned everything up, I replanted the Basil, and forgot all about it. Molly did not. This morning she went out, got the pot, brought it into our kitchen, pulled out the Basil and dumped the dirt all over the floor. I cleaned up the mess, tossed the Basil in the garbage, and took the pot back out to the shed.
Are you happy now?
Next, there was a commotion across the street at the Native Gathering Place. I think it was a basic case of road rage. One person had stopped in the middle of our very narrow street to drop someone off. The impatient driver behind him was yelling at him to move it. A woman exited the vehicle and made it across the street, the first driver started to move ahead and the impatient driver booted it, swerved around the right side of him, swerved to the right of a truck parked in the right-hand parking lane and booted it down the sidewalk. Four or five guys, standing in the parking lot of the Gathering Place, jumped into their halfton trucks and chased after the impatient guy. Meanwhile, a couple of more vehicles came booting by. A few minutes late, the halfton guys came back and went into the Gathering Place. Finally, impatient driver returned and cruised by going really slow. Normally, none of this would bother me. But… On Sunday there were multiple targeted and random stabbings at a Native reserve north of here. It was one of the largest mass murders ever in Canada. Ten victim fatalities plus one of the two attackers and several injuries – with some still in critical condition. And one of the attackers is still at large and there have been credible sightings of him in Regina. People are on edge. Molly was in the house, so I closed and locked our doors.
Squealed his tires going between that truck and the fence. 🤦
Moving on, I went downstairs to change the laundry. Coming up the stairs, I noticed an electronic mousetrap – with a mouse tail hanging out of it. Not happening – the doors are staying locked.
Forgetting that I still hadn’t cleaned the burnt cheese out of the oven, I decided to try making Baked Oatmeal. I have been looking for a quick hardy breakfast that I could have before walking Molly in the morning. I do not like the consistency of Oatmeal Porridge but I like the taste of oatmeal so I thought this would be worth a try.
It is softer than I had anticipated – sort of like an oatmeal muffin. I am hoping the Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal will be better. (Dan just got home and he seems to like it. 👍)
Anyway… The baked apple oatmeal could be better in my opinion. Grating an apple is more difficult than I thought it would be. And… Our house was full of smoke from the burnt cheese.
THEN! The doorbell rang. Yay! I forgot the water heater guy was coming. I dragged Molly to the bathroom, closed the door on her, and ran to let him in to our house… which was in total lockdown in the middle of the day, filled with smoke, and the awkward sounds of Molly lapping up toilet water.
That is it for today. I am going to go get the last of the laundry up and folded, do my weights, and probably have myself a Caesar before supper.
Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞
Note: The lone suspect that was at large following the James Smith Cree First Nation has been apprehended. Thoughts and prayers for all who were affected by this weekend’s horrific events. May people of this province sleep easier tonight, thanks to the RCMP – particularly those directly involved in this operation.
I am comfortably into the second half of my first year as a dedicated health conscious, working out, active senior. 🎉
Right now I am focusing on walking, dancing, and weights – with a once a week You Tube Zumba class and Sunday as a dedicated day of rest (except for walking).
I have been seeing encouraging results from all of my efforts, but I have to say, I am particularly impressed by the walking lately. Not because of my accomplishments, but because Molly is doing SO well. I also have to say that the most surprising thing about walking Molly has been the neighbourhood support. It is unreal. She has a regular fan club going and we meet new members every day. 😂
I am just BEAUTIFUL – and so well behaved. People can’t keep their hands off me. 🤗
My dancing was a struggle today. I didn’t notice Molly run outside with Dan’s favorite pillow but I did see her run back in with just the pillow case.
Yesterday’s score.
Fearing the worst, I paused my dancing to run outside and ask Dan if he had seen his pillow run by. He called Molly, who turned around and followed me back into the house. I un-paused my music and resumed dancing until Molly started chasing me around the house nipping at my butt. Dan came to get her off me, she panicked and ran between my legs. For the record, Molly is now taller than my legs are long. She managed to get through without toppling both of us, and Dan hustled her out the door. Unfortunately, they left three wasps behind in their wake. So, I am dancing around the house, swinging a fly swat at the wasps. I missed them several times but did manage to get them mighty worked up in the process. Final toll – 2 dead wasps and 1 still lurking around here. 👀
I finished my dance set and went out to water the garden. There are onions to pick for supper, lots of tomatoes and peppers to pick, and I picked a carrot and a strawberry for Dan while I was out there.
The only thing I have left to do to complete my fitness schedule for today is my weights after supper. And I am adding an extra set tonight. 💪
That is it for today. Take care and have a great day💞🌞
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 