annemariedemyen

August 9th – Pain Relief

August 9, 2021August 9, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

I have been struggling for the past few weeks. Our weather, while not nearly as hot as in many places, has been relatively hot for us. Our house stays cool in the day time but gets stifling in the evening. We have two options – turn on the air conditioner or turn on the fans.

I have three respiratory issues so my lungs do not handle air conditioning well. My lungs can handle fans, but if the fan is blowing in our bedroom, it is blowing on my legs and I lay awake with leg cramps all night. 😥

Dan was talking to someone who suggested I try CBD creams and oils. With my leg cramps getting worse and my lack of sleep wearing me down, Dan offered to take me to a cannabis outlet (which are legal here) to see if they had anything that they would recommend for me. The shop was immaculate and the two staff members that attended to us were amazingly. We left with a bottle of hemp CBD oil, one of CBD Cream, and a package of hemp CBD bath salts.

I wasn’t too happy with the bath salts at first. I was too distracted by the plant life floating around in the tub and sticking to my skin to really enjoy it. I definitely was not about to let all of that stuff wash down our drain but fortunately I always have a drain screen handy. When I told Dan how it went, he made me a mesh basket that I could use to dissolve the bath salts but control the plant life in the tub. I am much happier using it this way!

I tried the CBD Cream with good results for my stiff and achy hands. I had a migraine one day and tried rubbing some of the cream on the back of my neck. The migraine vanished in minutes. I seldom get migraines, but when I do they are bad, and they do not just vanish!

I started taking a small dose of the CBD oil every night, about half an hour before I go to bed. Not only have my leg cramps totally vanished, but I have been sleeping soundly. I get up in the morning feeling great and more relaxed than I have ever felt! I have lived with sore, tense muscles forever (part of my genetic collagen disorder no doubt) and I would never have thought it possible for my body to feel this good.

On Sunday, when my son was here he developed a migraine. Mark has had frequent migraines since he was two years old. They are vicious and they last for days. He knew the one coming on was a bad one and he knows his migraines. I rubbed some of my CBD cream on the back of his neck and on his temples. I texted him the next morning to see how he was and he said he was feeling much better. 💞

I knew next to nothing about CBD a few weeks ago. I had heard of it but it wasn’t something that I researched or paid much attention to. I am amazed by the results that I have seen and I am so grateful that we found it. I am especially grateful that we discovered this line of Hemp CBD products as I would probably never had tried the marijuana lines. (Because I have such a low tolerance for anything with any psychoactive ingredients 🙄).

I have long been frustrated with our medical community, when it comes to quality of life. There is nothing worse than being in crushing pain, or seeing a loved one devastated by pain and hearing some doctor saying “well you won’t die of it.” Like you should be okay with living in pain. 🤨

I am so grateful to the governments, the researchers, and the industries who are recognizing that quality of life matters. I am so grateful that products are entering the market that address health issues that our health system ignores. These products are life changing and they are no doubt just the beginning. 💞

The Dr. Teals is a product I have been buying for months for Dan’s footbath. I doubt that the CBD level is high enough to do much, but he can use it way more frequently than straight Epsom Salts without it drying out his skin.

Wishing everyone a great day! Keep safe and I hope to see you tomorrow!💞

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
– JFK

August 8th – Feeling It

August 8, 2021August 8, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

**Dom has never left without leaving me a reason to smile. 😂**

Sunday afternoon and I am just feeling grateful.

I had my coffee and toast this morning before venturing out into our yard to fill the bird and squirrel feeders.

We are having a major sticky aphid infestation so I washed down the patio furniture and barbecue. Then I fussed over our garden for a while – spreading crushed eggshells for the tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, doling out pails of diluted Miracle Grow, and finally giving everything a good soaking before washing down the birdbath and adding water to the pond.

I came inside to do some laundry and relax with a bit of meditation. I found a nice Nicky Sutton video on You Tube and slowly melted into a nice peaceful place.

By the time Nicky finished doing her thing, I was too relaxed to be terribly motivated so I switched to some soft meditation music and let my mind start to drift.

Before long, I had drifted to a place where I started to think of all that there is to be grateful for. We are so fortunate to be living this life. I cannot imagine how one could not be grateful for any of it. What would be the point in having anything at all, if one could not appreciate it ?

Anyway, here I sat, on a beautiful Sunday morning, just feeling grateful – for my life, my body, my mind, my soul, my husband, my dog, my siblings, my sons, my daughter, and my grandchildren, my memories – so many memories 😳, the trees, the flowers, the fresh vegetables and the green grass, the skies, the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, clean water and abundant food, our house, our furniture, our vehicles – So many things and everything to be grateful for.

I cannot imagine how there was ever a time, when my mind was so full of things that I wanted and things that I did not want, that I could not feel grateful for all that I had.

I am so grateful for this time that I have now. I am so grateful for this opportunity to appreciate all that I have and all that I have had, in my life. I used to think some people 🤨 were so blessed. I am glad that I now realize that I am one of them. 🤗

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you are having a great day and I look forward to seeing you again💞

“If we don’t feel grateful for what we have, what makes us think we would be grateful for more?”
– Anonymous

August 7th – Family Day

August 7, 2021August 7, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

Every day is a day to be grateful for, but today was an extra special day for us. Son Mark and Grandson Dominic dropped by for a visit. 😁

We started our visit with brunch. Our power went out just as Dan was cooking the eggs and making the toast. Luckily, he was able to finish cooking outside on the barbecue and everything turned out perfectly delicious!

After lunch, Mark, Dom, Kat and I spent some time up in the playhouse. When Dom tired of the Playdough, we managed to watch a movie, play with Lego for a bit, and take a splash in the pool before it was time for them to head home.

**Dominic, happy to dig into the Playdoh.**

After our company left, I still had enough energy to get things cleaned up and back in order around here. 👍

**Unlike Kat, who obviously had no energy left after keeping up with Dom.**

I hope you are enjoying a pleasant day! Take care and see you tomorrow 💞

At the end of the day the most important thing is that your family is safe, you have food to eat, and you are grateful for what you have.
– Anonymous

August 6th – Grateful for a Guru 💞

August 6, 2021August 6, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

I made it to, and through, my dentist appointment. I am grateful that is over! It was a long one as it was the first appointment for getting a crown.

I was getting ready to go to my appointment yesterday. It was one of those days when the smoke from northern forest fires was really bad. This concerned me as I worry about having respiratory issues in the middle of a dental procedure. Inhaling wood smoke was not something I wanted to be doing on my way to the dentist.

I was driving to the dentist, through woodsmoke, and I saw a train passing at the end of our street. My preferred route is via Elphinstone but avoiding it to miss the train was not a big deal. I took Avonhurst to Albert and the same train was crossing Albert, blocking traffic. I was starting to wonder if I would make my appointment on time. The train moved and I was off – until I hit a construction detour. There were fifty cars in a ten block radius and they were all jammed up at the intersection where I needed to turn. By then, I was wondering if I would make it to my appointment at all. 😳

I made it to my dentist’s office, with moments to spare. I turned in and – ta da!! A UPS van flew around the corner of the building and darn near took me out. 😱

With a collision avoided, I parked and headed inside. Dr. Bryden and his assistant were ready for me. I did really well throughout the procedure until we got to the making of the permanent crown template. My mouth was filled with expanding foam and I was told to relax and wait for FIVE minutes without moving my mouth. I can’t cough, I can’t sneeze, I can’t breathe. I was not relaxed! 🙄

I decided I that could do this. I remembered a You Tube video I had watched a couple of days ago. It wasn’t a meditation. It was a spiritual guru giving a talk. He was talking about having maximum power to manifest whatever it is that you want or need in your life. He spoke of focusing your mind, your body, your emotions, and your energy to create one desired result.

I decided to manifest myself some serious peace and calm. I thought peaceful, calming thoughts. I relaxed my body – head to toe. I felt peaceful and calm. I allowed that peaceful, calm feeling to expand around me and to envelop my dentist and his assistant.

It was an amazing experience. I felt so peaceful and calm. The five minutes were over and the appointment was completed, stress free.

I drove home by a different route than the one I had taken to get to my appointment. It was a bit longer, but peaceful, calm, and incident free. I arrived home feeling good. I felt good for the rest of the day and my day was followed by a good night’s sleep.

I am so grateful for the spiritual guru who posted his video to You Tube. I wonder if he knows how much his wisdom and insight helps others? I doubt that he is someone who ‘needs’ validation but I hope he knows that he is appreciated.

Time to get on with my day. I wish I could share that You Tube video with you but I cannot find it today, for some strange reason. When and if, I do come across it again, I will share it in another post.

I hope all is well with you and that you are having a really good day. Take care and see you tomorrow💞

The struggle ends, when gratitude begins.
– Neil Donald Walsch

August 5th – Professionally Speaking

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

I am off for a dental appointment today. I am not thrilled, but I do not suppose anyone loves such appointments any more than I do. 🥺

I am however infinitely grateful that I have a dentist that I can totally appreciate!

Dr. Bryan and the entire staff that work at 4th Ave. Dental Clinic are amazing. They are professional, competent, capable, considerate, and kind. I have never had a single issue with anyone at this clinic. 💞

To be honest, I am so grateful for all of the core medical professionals in my life right now. Like my dentist, my family doctor is dedicated, thorough, and kind. My optometrist is likewise. All three put their egos aside and actually listen to me – as I am sure they do with all of their clients.

Strangely enough, my former dentist, doctor, and optometrist were the complete opposites of my current ones.

My former dentist was competent enough but it took months to get an appointment (weeks if it was an emergency). Then he acted like he was doing me a favour by seeing me. I am not sure how well his practice would do if he had no clients, but he certainly never showed any appreciation for the ones he had.

It took as long, or longer, to get in to see my former optometrist and he was no more gracious than my former dentist. As an added bonus, he was a complete idiot.

And… My former doctor, who kept patients waiting for hours, who was rude and incompetent, has had his license revoked and has been charged by police for assaulting patients. I think he is still awaiting trial but I am not terribly surprised by the charges.

It is funny that when we go through lack or difficulty in a situation, that we are all the more grateful when we get more or better. It almost makes it worth having gone through the lack or difficulty in the first place. Almost! 😂

Take care, have a great day – and see you tomorrow. 💞

I will forever remain humble because I know I could have less.   I will forever remain grateful because I know I've had less.  - Anonymous

August 4th – Home But Not Alone

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

Dan finished another round of shifts this morning. He worked for three days and two nights in a row. As usual, I was left to my own devices.

After Dan left for work yesterday afternoon, I cleaned up from our lunch/supper. I fed Kat. I went down the basement stairs to collect the fettuccine that I had accidentally dumped down the staircase. (It wasn’t cooked 👍). The time passed and finally I settled down in the livingroom for a quiet evening – not quite alone.

It is funny how much we can appreciate the simplest things in life. I am so grateful for my faithful little friend and the opportunity to share my snack with her. It is so much fun, knowing that she appreciates it as much as I do. 😊

Take care and have a great rest of the day! See you tomorrow! 💞

Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.
– William Arthur Ward

August 3rd – Accessible & Abundant

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

I grew up in small town Saskatchewan. My Mother was a more than capable homemaker and cook, but shopping was limited and there was only so much she could do with a seasonal garden. She made do and she did amazing with what she had to work with.

Shopping nowadays is something that never fails to amaze me. We are so fortunate to live in an abundant country like Canada, at a time when producers, modern science, and adequate distribution methods keep our stores stocked with affordable goods to fill our every need.

If I am ever looking for a reason to feel grateful, it is as easy as looking around our house at the variety of food, pet supplies, cosmetics, and general household products that fill our shelves and cabinets. Naturally, I then feel grateful for my husband who works so hard to provide for us and who actually does the bulk of our shopping. I feel grateful for everyone who works all the way up and down the supply chain. And, I definitely feel grateful for the power who has placed us here in Canada and blessed us with this abundant life. Gratitude is like that! One grateful thought leads to another, and another, and another💞

**I don’t remember ever having fresh mushrooms as a kid and I definitely don’t remember having artichoke hearts. Now they are always in our fridge. 😋**

**Variety is the spice of life – and the oils and the Caesar mixes**. 🥳

**Feeding our furry and feathered friends is as easy and economical as a trip to the Dollar Store.** 🐿️🐦

**Healing Dan’s feet from decades of workboots and cement floors. 🤗**

**Keeping it clean – easy peasy with readily available cleaning** **products** 🗑️🧽🧤

**Dan made a dedicated trip to a hardware store and came home with insect repellent refills to keep my meditation corner bug free and comfortable.** 🦟🕷️🐜

There is no end to the variety of amazing products that are readily available to me – every day! So much to be so grateful for. 😘

I hope you are all having a great day! Take care and I hope to see you tomorrow. 💞

What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.
– Brene’ Brown

(The difference between privilege and entitlement is that one is a blessing and one is a curse. 😉)

August 2nd – Saskatchewan Day

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

**Saskatchewan Legislative Building – Wascana Park, Regina, SK.**

Today is ‘Saskatchewan Day’. It is a stat holiday for those who still work – and get stat holidays. (sorry Dear, not you🥺)

There is so much to be grateful for, for anyone fortunate enough to live in any province in Canada. Saskatchewan has its own special benefits. We have reasonably affordable single family housing, stable employment, short commute times, plus other benefits too numerous to mention.

This year, I am feeling particularly grateful for one of Saskatchewan’s most obvious benefits – our wide open spaces! From virtually any point in Saskatchewan we can see as far as we can see. In northern Saskatchewan we do have solid forests but they are broken up by many vast open lakes. In the heart of our cities, we have a few congested blocks but we can always look up! Mostly, our province is flat, free, and clear.

It seems strange for me to feel so grateful for such a thing as open space. People who ever knew me would find it quite bizarre.

I have never really been a ‘people person’. I find a lot of people to be demanding, overbearing, aggressive, or just a bit annoying. I find crowds of people to be emotionally overwhelming. (I don’t do parades or crowded stadiums well 😳). I have just always been more comfortable in my own space. As life has gone on, I have had to deal with more and more people – my schooling, my children’s schooling, my daughter’s children’s schooling and eventually a more and more demanding career. It got really difficult to avoid people.

I was constantly backing myself into smaller and smaller spaces to squeeze people out. Eventually, I found myself trapped behind my corner desk all day, and stuck in our little house every night. (Our yard was not even a reprieve as we went through a period of seriously sketchy neighbours. 🙄) With this ever shrinking life of mine and multiple respiratory issues, I felt like I was suffocating.

Then, I retired! (And the pandemic happened). I was free to open my mind to meditation, free to venture out into neighbourhood parks, free to enjoy our big beautiful yard. Free to head off on short adventures with Dan when he is off work. Freedom! 🤗

I am finally free to come out of the stifling little spaces that I backed myself into and appreciate the wide open spaces of this beautiful province that we live in. I can never get too much of the open skies, the endless fields, the beautiful lakes and rivers, the long and winding (or relatively straight) roads. We live in a big, beautiful, amazing province! For that, I am truly grateful – on Saskatchewan – and every Day. 🤗

**Saskatchewan – Land of the Living Sky!**

I hope everyone is having a good day and that you have the time to feel grateful for your province, state, or homeland.

Take care and see you tomorrow!💞

“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see” – Mary Davis

August 1st – Gearing up for Gratitude!

August 1, 2021August 2, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

Of all the themes that I could choose to go with for August, I have decided to go with ‘GRATITUDE’.

I am relatively confident that two of the first words my parents taught me to say were “Thank You!”. It was not that they were looking for personal gratification. They were just very determined to teach us the true values in life. The values that enrich our lives. The values that make the best of times better and the worst of times tolerable. Respect, dignity, kindness, honesty, humility, and of course ‘gratitude’. Values that would make us strong enough to make the most of life, because my parents wanted us to have more than life – they wanted us to have great lives.

It did not take me long to understand that gratitude was more than words. Genuine gratitude was a feeling. A powerful, feel good feeling. I knew how important gratitude was.

That being said, there have been times in my life when I have definitely struggled to ‘feel’ grateful. Times when I was too busy, too tired, too angry, too sad, just too distracted to feel grateful. I knew it was important, I said the right words, but I could not feel them.

During my ungrateful periods, I would try to feel more grateful. I read books on gratitude. I followed the exercises in the books. I once tried to start each day by compiling a list of ten things that I was grateful for.

I am NOT a morning person. I struggle to like my dog first thing in the morning. But, this was important so I was determined to start each day (for a solid month!) by listing ten things that I was grateful for. By day three, I was thinking “Cool, I have ten toes, let’s go with that”.

**Being grateful for my toes – even that** ***wierd*** **long one. WTF! I don’t even have ten normal toes! So not feeling grateful for my toes.** 🥺

Throughout my life, it has definitely been a process, finding the means to be genuinely grateful on a regular basis. I am finally there. Retirement, and a year and a half of Covid, has given me the time and peace in my life to truly live a life of gratitude – even first thing in the morning. 🥳

So, this month, I am committed to writing one blog each day, to share that and those for which I am most grateful. 😁

I hope you will join me often and I hope that every post I share will be worthy of your time.

Have a great day and take care! See you tomorrow!

July 31st – 22 Years of Magic

July 31, 2021July 31, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Magical Moments - July 2021

Today, Dan and I celebrate twenty-two years of wedded bliss💞. In some ways it was lifetimes ago (a lot of lives have come and gone). In other ways it seems like last year.

I would have been good with a quick trip to city Hall, but Dan wanted a real wedding so I let him take charge. He made all of the arrangements for the ceremony, the reception, and the honeymoon. Jennifer made my dress and designed our wedding invitations. All of my siblings except my sister Denise were able to make it. Dan’s sister, Joan came from Costa Rica and was in the wedding party. The hall was filled with family and friends. Our honeymoon was a week of wilderness camping. All in all, it was a memorable, magical time in our lives.