Author: annemariedemyen

Wife, mother, grandmother dogmother - lover of nature, peace and tranquility. RETIRED. Life is good!

Sixteen Weeks – The Struggle is Real!

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, June 2022

It has been sixteen weeks since my fight to get fit began. So far it has been going well and I have no intention or concerns about allowing myself to drift back to where I was when I started this adventure.

There have been positive results – surprisingly so, since getting in shape was never a winning proposition for me, unless you count ROUND as a shape – which was not what I was going for. This time there has definitely been improvements – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Unfortunately, there are some issues that seem to defy my efforts. While my lung capacity and function has improved, I still get winded going up and down our basement stairs. Since our washer and dryer are in the basement, that mean several trips up and down those stairs on laundry day. It isn’t undoable, but it triggers that voice in my head that mocks me with a snickering “You are old and fat – and you cannot even breathe right!” 😋). That voice is so mean, trying to undermine all of the progress that I have made. 😧

Then there is the weight. Not just the weight, but the stubborn FAT that clings to my upper arms, waist, and thighs. I know from countless past experiences that cutting calories is not the way to go for me. I cut calories, feel like a dishrag, cut all unnecessary activity, and then snarf down a box of Smarties so I have the energy to change my socks. I have improved my diet – eliminating virtually all empty calories but replacing them with foods that provide the nutrients my body needs. But, cutting calories? No way! I am not a heavy eater, I eat healthy foods, I am gradually upping my activity level until the weight and fat eventually drops.

Despite the frustrating struggles, I am happy with the progress I have made so far. I know it has only been sixteen weeks since I started this journey. That is less that four months – and the first month was very tentative. So in three months – My strength, stamina, flexibility, and breathing have all improved. My muscles have toned up, so my clothes wear better and overall I am looking better and feeling better about how I look. Mentally and emotionally, I am noticeably healthier than I was. It is good, I am impressed and ready to journey on.

It is a nice day to sit back and enjoy the sunshine.

Here’s the link to a new You Tube video I tried yesterday. It is a bit longer than the last couple I shared but I enjoyed it and made it through to the end. 😉

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

Day Off!

by annemariedemyen, posted in June 2022

It is hard to book a day off when one is so comfortably retired, but I think I earned one today. I drove Dan and his friend across the city this morning to catch a bus tour to Dan’s company golf tournament at a small town golf course a couple of hours out of the city. Now Molly and I are free until they get back some time this evening.

It is hard to believe that three and a half months ago, I was feeling so feeble and miserable that I was spending the bulk of my time sitting in my rocking chair, wrapped in a blanket – with a shawl across my shoulders. LOL! 😂 Then, I started wondering how I was ever going to be fit enough to deal with all of the spring work that would come with the change of seasons!

Now here I am! Our garden is in, I paid one last trip to a greenhouse yesterday to get a few more flowers and herbs, the flower beds are planted, and the patios and patio furniture are cleaned off and ready to enjoy. I even mowed the lawn one time. Dan dealt with it this week (as he usually does). Molly has been taught to fetch, been kept reasonably well groomed, and most days are accident free – even when I go out for a bit and leave her locked in the house for a couple of hours.

I am so glad I decided to take action back in February to get myself in shape. 💃

A few photos that I took in the couple of days.

I love the colour of these Petunias that I picked up at Unique Garden Centre yesterday.
And the pretty little Pansies I got there as well!
Dan planted this strawberry plant in the hanging basket he fixed up for it.
Molly guarding some of the tomato plants that I started in early March.
A few of the peppers I also started in March.
Genie (and her friend Alex) dropped in yesterday to say goodbye before she heads off on her summer adventure today. Molly made sure she got her share of the attention.

So that is about it! We still have a fair amount of work to deal with – maintaining the garden, painting the porch, raking the lawn and dealing with the dandelions, painting planters, and setting up the pool (if we decide to put it up this year). Whatever we decide to do, I know I won’t struggle to do my part. I am good to go and getting fitter every day! 💪😊

Take care and have a great day! 💞

Instant Gratification

by annemariedemyen, posted in June 2022

We often think of ‘Instant Gratification‘ as being a bad thing, but it does not have to be. If we get our ‘Instant Gratification’ from following Sean Patrick Flanery’s advice, it can be a powerful motivator!

“Do Something Today That Your Future Self Will Thank You For.” – Sean Patrick Flanery

There are countless things that we can do every day to invest in a better life for our future selves – and we can enjoying doing them NOW.

Yesterday, I went shopping for a few more bedding plants and came home to plant flowers and herbs around our yard. I know that in a few weeks I will be so glad that I made the effort. That thought made me happy as I shopped, dug out pots, worked up the soil, and planted my feeble little seedlings. Instant Gratification.

Molly seems to be enjoying the flowers already. 💞

What else have I done this week that made me feel good, knowing it was an investment in the future? There were too many things to mention but… I did my work out every day and drank my beet juice. I worked with Molly – training her to grow up one day to be a well behaved dog. I walked right past the potato chips and cake displays at the supermarket – that always makes me feel good. I made garlic toast for supper last night to serve with our Chicken Caesar Salad. I wanted cheese toast, but Dan wanted garlic toast, so I made garlic toast because it feels good making him happy now – as an investment in OUR future. I resisted the temptation to make some impulse purchases because it felt better to add a bit of money in our savings account.

Noticing what I do today, to invest in a better future, has become a habit lately and one that I really enjoy. It helps me to feel good and to make better decisions as I go about my day. It provides me with ‘Instant Gratification’. 🤗

Molly and I, anticipating all those fresh tomatoes to come. 🥰

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

Fifteen Weeks

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, May 2022

It has been fifteen weeks plus a couple of days since I decided to GET FIT! Do or die! (That may be a bit overly dramatic, but my quality of life was drifting downward and I wasn’t going down without a fight).

Three and a half months later, now into daily Zumba, spring yard work, and raising Molly (our Pyrenees pup), I am still seeing positive results – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Yay!

One issue that I have struggled with lately has been my blood pressure. It has been running high and last week when we went to spend a few days up north with son Dan and family it was way too high. When we came home, I started reading up on controlling blood pressure and read that beet juice was particularly helpful. I decided it was worth a try. 🤷

Dan bought me the liquid beet juice. After more reading (and seeing the price of the liquid), I decided to try the crystals.

I have been drinking six ounces of beet juice a day for six days. After the first day, I started adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to each glass. (Pure beetroot juice is VERY sweet). In the matter of a few days my blood pressure has dropped to normal, healthy levels. Not only is my blood pressure better but my lungs and sinuses are better than they have been in ages. Because I am breathing so much easier, I am sleeping much better (which is no doubt helping my blood pressure). At this point, I have no idea if any of this is due to the beetroot juice or coincidence but I am going to try using it for a while and see how it goes!

Molly – Fifteen and a half weeks – 36 lbs.

Meanwhile, I was back to the vets with Molly yesterday for her first Parvo booster. She checked out great, was exceptionally well behaved, and won the hearts of every vet, vet tech, and receptionist who fussed over her and her fluffy white fur coat. One more booster in three weeks and a week for it to take and YAY we can start daily public walks.

At home, Molly is less than exceptionally well behaved on a regular basis. This week she is in a battle with a clay flower pot that keeps stealing her collection of small rocks. It is too funny and worth the trouble of collecting the rocks and moving the pot each day to keep the battle going. Usually, Molly dumps the pot and carries the rocks into the porch. Last night, she came zooming through the house carrying the pot. 😂

Other than that, the biggest excitement we have had this week was having a Finch fly into the house yesterday. I tried catching it with a butterfly net. All the while, Molly tried her best to stay between me and our unwelcome guest. Eventually, the Finch got tired of our futile efforts and made its way out the back door.

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

Playtime With Molly

by annemariedemyen, posted in May 2022

In a futile effort to wear Molly out during the day, to afford us a good night’s sleep, I try to schedule in some regular playtime with her.

I like fetch but obviously Molly prefers ‘hide and seek’. 
She wins on a regular basis. 🙂

Last night we were awake until 2 or so listening to her walk around the bed, groan loudly, and drop to the floor with a thud. We should have named her ‘RELENTLESS‘. 😂😂😂

Take care and have a great day! 💞

Grooming and Gardening

by annemariedemyen, posted in May 2022

We are back home so it is time to get to work around here. There is always plenty of yardwork to do in the spring. This year there is twice as much since I wasn’t in shape to get much accomplished last year. With Molly’s help, I don’t know how much I will get done this year. 🤦

The birdbath is cleaned up and our little flowers are starting to take.
Grandpa’s Bleeding Heart and ferns are coming up. He cleaned out this flower bed and put up new fencing to slow Molly down.
I have the pond Petunias in.
…And the Roma and San Marzano tomatoes planted.

I also started cleaning up the front yard flower bed and thinning out the dandelions in our lawn. I think this year will be all about the WeedNFeed.

I am also trying to keep on top of grooming Molly and taking care of the house. When I was researching Pyrenees pups, there was not much to be found regarding grooming. I read that despite their long, thick hair, grooming is not a serious issue as they only shed much in the spring and their hair is ‘self cleaning’ for the most part. Supposedly, it is a matter of weekly brushing and semi annual baths and they are good to go!

In case you didn’t catch it, the ‘self cleaning’ is the issue here. Everything that Molly sits in, lays in, rolls around in …. works its way into her fur. Then she comes into the house where this ‘self cleaning’ takes place. Grass, tree branches, leaves, dirt, toys, car parts, small tools – you name it – Molly smuggles it into the house, where her fur ‘self cleans’. This morning I found a dead, bald, baby bird in the porch. 😢

Of course, most of what Molly drags in does not shed in the porch. It drops off gradually from one end of the house to the other. I dust and I sweep several times a day. Molly likes to help – which is not terribly helpful.

All in all, Molly’s ‘moderate grooming needs’ take up a LOT of my time.

I took a bit of a break from my daily workouts while we were gone on the weekend, but I started back up yesterday, so that is something else to keep me occupied.

That is it for today. Time to grab a quick lunch and get back at it. Take care and have a great day!💞

Molly’s First Road Trip

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

It was a long weekend for those of us in Canada. Some of us quietly celebrated Queen Victoria’s birthday. We, on the other hand, took our three month old giant puppy on her first road trip to visit son Dan and his family, a few hours north of Regina.

Molly did great on the trip. She slept or watched the world go by.
Once at Dan and Amanda’s, Molly met Baccardi and Cornelius.
She also met Gabby and Cason. Unfortunately, seven year old Lucas wasn’t home, but she spent time with Gabby when she was home from work and she went HARD with Cason. They wore each other out more than a few times.
Molly checking out a few of the MANY flowers that Amanda and I planted.
While Cason took a spin in his SUV.

Except for a few accidents and minor incidents, Molly did way better than I could have hoped. We even stayed over Sunday to experience one of Dan and Amanda’s bi-weekly patio parties for their friends. There were at least twelve adults, just as many kids, and one extra ‘Dixie’ dog and Molly was pretty well maintained – well enough that we could sit back and enjoy Dan’s smoked brisket and pork ribs and Amanda’s baked beans, barbecued chicken, and macaroni salad – plus all the extras. Those two know how to dish up some amazing food. We were fed well ALL this weekend, as we always are when we visit.

All in all, it was a great weekend, and it was really great to learn that Molly is indeed travel worthy as pups go. 🤗

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Take care and have a great day!💞

Comfort Zone

by annemariedemyen, posted in May 2022
Molly – In the Zone

Back in the days when I was working, I would receive a weekly inspirational email.  I do not remember the  name of the woman who authored  these emails.  I do however remember one email in particular.  It inspired me at the time and it has stuck with me to this day.

This one email focussed on our comfort zone.  Basically, the place, places, or situations where we feel comfortable.  For any number of people, which I am one of, anything outside  of our comfort zone(s) is uncomfortable to the point of being distressing.  So, what to do?

We have two options.   First off, we can do everything in our power to stay in our comfort zone(s). The problem with this, is that the harder we try to stay within our comfort zone, the smaller it gets.   We back ourselves into our yard or our house or our bed, while our life passes us by.   😢

Our second option is to realize that any discomfort or distress we feel in leaving our comfort zone is simply growing pains.   If we push through the pain, out comfort zone expands to include more and more of the life we are meant to live. 

Over the years, I have been reminded of this email countless times when I have experienced these ‘growing pains’.  

One situation it has specifically helped me deal with is my fear of driving.    (Terror would be a better word).   I have been terrified to the point of suffering full blown anxiety attacks when driving. (Which, trust me, is not good at any time but particularly dangerous when one is driving.)  By recognizing the first signs of distress, and accepting them as growing pains, I have been able to get past the discomfort and embrace the challenge of  expanding my comfort zone – even when I am driving.  

I know that I cannot do this advice the justice of the original author, but if there are places or situations that you find challenging, try it. If it doesn’t work for you, at least you tried. If it does work – you will be amazed!

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

Three Months Old

by annemariedemyen, posted in May 2022

Molly is three months old now (as of the sixteenth). She has tripled in size – at least! She is a firmly entrenched member of our once peaceful household. She dug the trench herself and our household is not nearly as peaceful as it used to be.

Molly 3 mos & 2 days

I am impressed that we still have really good days. Yesterday wasn’t one of them. She pooped TWICE in the house and peed once. She was also in one of those rambunctious moods where she insists on jumping on me and biting at me. She also managed to toss my supper plate off of the table and onto the floor and yes – my supper was on it. 😧

This morning is starting out way better, but she did come in a while ago with a big tick on her neck. 🙄

That was a ordeal!

Ticks are not the only things Molly brings into our small house from our big yard. She hauls copious amounts of sand, leaves, branches, twigs, rocks, plants, and garbage that blows in from Lord knows where. It is a challenge keeping up with her. In deciding to get a larger dog, that was not something I had even considered. I had no idea how much debris one dog could haul around. 😳

All in all, life with Molly is lots of fun. She is getting really good at playing Nerf Frisbee and better at playing ball. She is relatively quiet, although these dogs have a reputation for becoming big barkers. I will be surprised if Molly goes that way. She is not the skittish, excitable sort – even when the squirrels visit. She did do some serious whining yesterday when I went out front to mow our lawn. She had to stay inside the fence and she let me know she was upset about it.

Anyway, Molly is proving to be a good companion so far and I am looking forward to whatever lies ahead for us. Seems like a keeper! 🤗

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