This weekend, we finally had consecutive days of summer-ish weather. It was warm and sunny, with relatively little wind. We did our best to take advantage of it.
Most of Friday was spent tidying up around here, inside and out. Later in the evening, Prim came over and we hiked across the street to the ball diamonds to watch the Indigenous Day fireworks. Dan stayed home with Molly, who is not such a fan of loud noises and bright lights.
On Saturday, we hosted a slightly belated birthday party for our daughter Jennifer’s nineteen year old son, Rory.
Our new gazebo and barbecue were both up to the task and served us well. Jennifer and her brother Mark set up our previous barbecue to celebrate Father’s Day and Rory’s first birthday. I’m not sure how long these things tend to last but I’d say eighteen years was a decent run.
Genie brought over Nerf paddles and balls, so the younger generation spent a good part of the evening across the street engaging in some friendly competition. In true Martel fashion, Maddy and Prim came back with more than their share of scraped knees and mud stains.
Standing on the back landing, staring into the sun. 🙄The girls and Ronan decorated the gazebo before Rory arrived.
Yesterday, Prim returned and we headed over to the Regent Park Pool. She spent four hours splashing around with her friends. I spent four hours in the shade of nearby trees, enjoying the fresh air and park ambiance.
Regent Park
Today we are looking to enjoy another warm and sunny day. It would be nice to sit back and soak it in but yard chores are calling so it is time to get to work.
Yesterday was officially the first day of summer and I was finally able to get outside to enjoy a bit of heat and sunshine! Our spring was one long stretch of cold temperatures, rain and more rain, and strong winds. My asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis have not been happy.
I have maintained my Monday through Saturday morning aerobics and my weight and strength training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Since I could hardly blame the weather for poor eating habits, I have also stayed on track there as well.
I saw both my respiratory specialist and therapist over the past couple of weeks. Despite the weather, my lungs have stayed clear of any infection and healthwise I am doing okay. I have been coughing A LOT, especially these past couple of weeks but that is to be expected. Hopefully, that will clear up as our weather does likewise.
I have been doing a fair amount of driving, which is a good thing. We have been helping daughter Jen out while she works, getting her daughters around the city for various appointments and events.
Our main ‘event’ this week was granddaughter Madison’s grade eight graduation.
Maddy accepting her ‘Top Reader’ and ‘Honor Roll’ awards and medals.Maddy with her sisters Genie & PrimMaddy with her friend Ronan.
We could not be more proud of our little ray of sunshine. Not only did she excel in her academics this year, she earned her place on the Saskatchewan Youth Honor Band, and she started working part-time as a hostess at one of our local restaurants. Everything Maddy does, she does to the best of her ability and she makes it look easy by doing it with her charming attitude and beautiful smile. 🥰
Finally, we have been working on, and enjoying, our yard as weather permits.
We skipped the pool this year and went with a gazebo to protect us from the heat and bugs – neither of which have been an issue so far.The garden is struggling but coming along. I am trying to get the planters painted but that has been a process as well.
My health and wellness update takes a bit of a left turn this week. I am fine and I have been fine, but I took a break from my regular workouts last week to take a trip with my daughter Jennifer.
Our first day (Wednesday) was spent driving to Rapid City, South Dakota. We were in my daughter’s Jeep and she did all of the driving –driving, driving, and more driving! Between taking the long route to cross the border, slowing down for every small town along the way, slowing down for road construction between small towns, and taking a hundred mile detour to go for lunch in Williston, North Dakota, we managed to make the eight hour drive in thirteen hours. We finally arrived in Rapid City, checked into our hotel, and ran into my brother Pete and his wife Janice when we stepped out of the elevator on the forth floor. We went our separate ways for supper but met up (this time, as we had planned) for breakfast the next morning.
After a few hours of shopping in Rapid City, we all drove to Chadron, Nebraska to celebrate my sister Jeanne’s birthday. We spent a couple of days with family, friends, and an adorable little dog named Buddy. Despite the fact that this was somewhat of a surprise party for my sister (as she was unaware that the Canadian half of us would be there) she and her husband Don were as warm and welcoming as ever. Our time in Nebraska was great.
Late Friday afternoon, we turned back north and drove to Sturgis, South Dakota. That was a relatively short and uneventful drive. We turned in early after a good supper in one of the local bars.
On Saturday, we headed into the Black Hills. We stopped in Deadwood for a stroll around their scenic main street and did some shopping. We left with a few good memories and a lot of South Dakota Beef Jerky.
Doing the touristy thing in Deadwood. I managed to get up on my own but Jen may have had to lend a hand on the way down. There were a lot of amazing chainsaw sculptures but this one was my personal favourite.We loved the cobblestone street and horse drawn carriage.
After Deadwood, we took the scenic route South to a bar in Lead for lunch and on to Mount Rushmore.
Waterfallsand cavesAnd huge rocks!
The drive through the hills was beautiful and relaxing. Of course, I wasn’t the one maneuvering around hairpin curves, through rock tunnels, and on gravel detours.
It wasn’t raining mud. By this point, a LOT of bugs had tried (and failed) to fly through Jen’s windshield.Driving by a ‘fluffy cow’. Fortunately, it did not try to dash in front of Jen’s Jeep – like the THREE deer that she barely missed. Cliffs on one side.Sheer walls on the other. On to the road less travelled.
From here we headed to Mount Rushmore. I didn’t take any photos. I did go up to the main area and in to the gift shop for a few minutes but I sat on a bench while Jen walked to the look out point. When she got back, we left and made one more quick stop at a small tourist town, drove to Rapid City and back to Sturgis.
Sunday morning we headed back to Canada.
Driving back through North Dakota – and MORE construction.
A few notes on our trip:
– The Americans we met along the way we’re as friendly and good natured as ever. 🤗
– The food was great but the restaurant meals just did not sit well with me. 🙃
– My lungs struggled. I don’t know why for sure but I felt much better as soon as we got home.
– My daughter is an amazing driver. I knew that but I had forgotten how good she is!
– The border crossings were quick and easy. No problem whatsoever!
– I was surprised by the lack of traffic – anywhere, everywhere, even during the Memorial Day weekend.
– It was good to go, a great time there, and a joy to be back home!
I have written a number of health and fitness update blogs. This time, I had to go for a “Progress Update” because it has pretty much been all progress so far this year.
My strength is improving daily. I have been working out with five and eight pound dumbbells three times a week and that is paying off in spades. Two years ago, I was facing spring wondering where I would get the strength to clear up our yard and plant our garden. This year, I am working up planters, hauling seedlings up and down stairs to the kid’s playhouse (that I am using as a greenhouse), and lifting heavy bags and pails of dirt and sand. I don’t know if I have ever been stronger. I am sure that doing yardwork has never been easier.
Here’s hoping our garden will be as good as usual.
My stamina and energy are amazing. . I have been doing aerobic workouts consistently six mornings a week. I can go a solid sixteen hours a day. One day last week, I went so hard and steady that I forgot to have lunch or do any snacking. I have NEVER forgotten to eat – EVER. Plus, that was a day when I was scheduled to do weights before supper! I nailed them. 😊
And I crushed a tray of nachos for supper. I did share with Dan, but I put away more than my share.
Other than that, I have been able to get out and about in the fresh air. I have even been back to the dogpark with Dan and Molly. I have EVEN been walking Molly with a regular collar – no harness or training collar. I can’t wait to get out and do some hiking with her this year.
Molly is ready to hit the trails!
Both Dan and I have been doing pretty well at fixing and eating healthy wholesome meals. Since I had to quit eating anything containing yeast, takeout meals are few and far between. I make desserts when the kids are over for a meal, but the leftovers leave with them. 👍
Packing up the cookies to leave with the kids! 👋
My health has been holding up great so far. I still do a fair amount of coughing, but certainly nothing like the relentless coughing fits I had all of last year. It will take a while with my bronchiectasis. I started taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar every morning with my beet juice and that seems to be thinning the mucus and helping a lot to clear it away. If the wind can keep blowing the smoke from northern forest fires away from us this year, I could experience some true healing! I doubt that I will ever be off of my inhalers for asthma and COPD, but hopefully I will NEVER AGAIN need the antibiotics and oral steroids that I was on too many times last year.
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” – Sean Patrick Flanery
That has been my motto for the past couple of years. Speaking from experience, it is worth it.
It is incredible that we are 1/3rd of the way through this year already but HERE WE ARE!
It has been four months since I ran across an article on sinuses and upper respiratory infections and gotten back on track to a fit and healthy life. I have been hitting my aerobic workout six mornings a week and acing the most intense ones. I am doing weights three nights a week and that is going well. I am consistently gaining strength and beginning to show some toning in my arms and my back. I have begun working on muscles that I did not even know I had.
I have also been continuing my sinus care, including the Neti Pot rinses every evening. The results have been phenomenal. I am breathing easier, my coughing is minimal compared to what it was, I have not had any asthma/COPD/or bronchiectasis flare ups and my vision continues to improve. Even when we are out at night, the glare from headlights and streetlights do not bother me in the least!
On the family front, I had a good visit from my daughter this past week. A stop in for a few minutes turned into a tea party for a few hours. We also had a visit from granddaughter Genie who came to get Grandpa to trim some boards for her. She brought me a beautiful bouquet to honor my mother’s passing eleven years ago Saturday.
Saturday, we had the pleasure of attending a band concert that granddaughter Maddy was performing in. It was an amazing opportunity for her to be accepted into the Saskatchewan Youth Honor Band. There were three bands involved – elementary school, high school, and adult. They had ONE DAY to practice together before the concert. Each band played for thirty minutes and to wrap up the night all three bands joined together to perform “Let’s Go Band”. The joy and enthusiasm and passion of the performers (especially in that last piece) was just over the top. The performers and their directors did a fantastic job of coming together!
Trombonist …. Maddy 💞
Finally! Molly has been really good for the past week or so. She stayed home alone while we attended Maddy’s concert and there wasn’t a thing out of place when we returned home. She is doing great!
Mature Molly 💞
That is all I have for now. Take care and have a great rest of the day!🌞
Being as this is Monday, it is time to choose my focus for the week and this week I have chosen to focus on confidence. This won’t be an easy one for me, as I have a serious tendency to lean towards insecurity. Regardless of what I have endured, survived, and succeeded at in life, confidence has always been and remains a challenge for me.
It is beyond time for me to make a conscious effort to rectify this situation. To help get me on the right path, I turned to Google to source out what advice the experts have to offer.
Know your value. Confidence breeds success. Act like the person you want to become and people will start seeing you as that person. – Mark M. FordWhen you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things. – Joe NamethDon’t let others define you. Don’t let the past confine you. Take charge of your life with confidence and there are no limits to what you can do or be. – Michael JosephsonExperience tells you what you can do; confidence allows you to do it. – Stan Smith Self-confidence is very important. Not in the sense of self pride, but as a realistic awareness of what we can do. – Dalai LamaIn order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. – Nikos Kazantzakis I am always looking outside of myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time. – Anna FreudI am not a has been. I am a will be. – Lauren Bacall
That should give me plenty to work with this week!
It is APRIL and yes I have graduated to my new eight pound dumbbells! I definitely feel the difference between them and the five pound ones that I was using but I can work with them so I am pretty excited about that!
Getting there!
As great as it is to be able to up my workouts, the real payoff is feeling better, looking better, and being strong enough to LIVE my life. When we woke up to a heavy dump of spring snow last week, I got out there, grabbed our shovel, and cleared all of our walks. About a hundred feet of deep wet snow and I crushed it. 💪
Dan took Molly to the dogpark yesterday morning, as usual. Somewhat overnight, all of the snow had melted leaving Molly and her friends to run and wrestle in the mud.
Molly & Ripple
Fortunately, with a bit of a brushing and her ‘self cleaning’ fur, we were able to put off bathing Molly for a few days. If our weather holds, the yard and park should dry enough to warrant a bath on the weekend.
Not looking too shabby!
We celebrated Easter this past weekend with a supper on Saturday for daughter Jen and family. I wasn’t up for our typical turkey and ham extravaganza, so we opted for a celebration of spring. We had a picnic type supper of chicken and ribs, assorted salads, pickles, and potato chips. The honey garlic ribs were the biggest hit but all was enjoyed and appreciated. With a cake, fresh fruit, lemon butter, ice cream and whipped cream for desert no one left the table hungry.
Jen had to work early Sunday morning (6:30 early 😯) so she and her boyfriend Tanner left once the dishes were done and the kitchen set right.
The girls stayed behind to visit, have tea, and work on their chess skills.
Genie & MollyPrim & Maddy
Alec (Genie’s fiance) had to work Saturday evening, but he dropped by to visit earlier in the afternoon and to deliver a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers. Fortunately, Genie got off of work early so she was able to come and spend some time with him. And… Of course she packed up leftovers so he could have his Easter supper when he got home. 🍽️ 💞
Flowers from Alec
That is about it for today. Dan is up in the kid’s playhouse straightening up and scrubbing the floor so I can start using it as a little greenhouse for the seedlings I started last week. I have a few more to start so I should get to work on that.
I don’t have much to say on any front but I do have a few updates to share.
First off, today is our granddaughter Prim’s birthday – which, as always, comes the day after our granddaughter (Prim’s sister) Maddy’s birthday.
Prim (12) and Maddy (14)
We had a joint birthday party on Saturday with Make Your Own Pizza Subs and birthday cake provided by their Mom. (my daughter Jennifer)
Sibling love – Rory, Maddy, Genie, & Prim 💞
Second… Molly has a new friend, as Jennifer now has her dog Sasha. Molly and Sasha get along just fine. Molly and I went for a short walk with Maddy and Sasha yesterday. Sasha was a little stressed at being in a new area but when it would get too much, she would get as close to Molly as she could and Molly would lean protectively towards her. It was cute and more than a little touching.
This was the first time Molly met Sasha – early last spring. 💞
Finally, I am on top of my daily workouts. I am ready to move up to my new eight pound weights in a few days. I am feeling well. I continue to work on my sinuses by using my neti pot in the evening, meditating before bed, and sitting up and sleeping braced up with pillows. It is amazing what a difference it has all made. My entire upper respiratory system has improved significantly! Finally! 😊
That is it for now. All in all, things are good. I cannot wait to get out and work in the yard, see the grass and trees turn green, the flowers bloom, the squirrels scamper and the hear the birdies sing.
Today is the first full day of spring! Even though it is a dull and dreary day, I am such a fan of spring that I can’t help feeling this is a day to be celebrated. 💐
It is a day that I am reminded of my Mother. Like me, she loved spring and I remember her often reciting the following poem….
“Spring has sprung, the grass iz riz…
I don’t remember the rest of the poem and from the variety of versions I found on the internet I am confident no one else remembers either.
I did find one particularly shocking version from Australia that did not sound familiar…
“Spring has sprung, The grass has riz. I wonder where the birdies is? Tiny weeny wittle things, Have no feathers on their wings. Cannot fly and cannot sing… Chop their bloody heads off.” 😲
There was another (less shocking) version that claimed the birdies were on the wing, high in the sky, dropping bird poop in my eye. That one didn’t ring any bells either. 🙄
Mom, with my teens (at the time) Mark, Jennifer & Daniel.
A more recent memory of spring that will never fade for me is a flashback to a month and a half before the official return of spring two years ago – February 2nd, 2022.
I was sitting in my rocking chair, as I am now. Unlike now, I was cold and miserable and exhausted and ill. My King Charles Cavalier (Kat) was on the sofa close to me.
I was feeling down because the groundhogs that reported had indicated that we were in for another six weeks of winter. I wanted spring. I needed spring. I had so many plans for spring – spring cleaning, spring planting, spring painting. Then reality struck and I realized that if I did not get up and moving and building up some strength and stamina, the arrival of spring would mean nothing to me. I would not even be able to walk my precious little Kat when the sun was shining, the skies were blue, and the grass and leaves were green. I would be sitting in my rocking chair feeling cold and miserable and exhausted and ill.
It took me two weeks but I got off my chair and started my journey to health and fitness.
This year I can legitimately anticipate spring and start planning accordingly. On Sunday, I planted containers of flower seeds to be transplanted outdoors when the time comes. Our shed/grandkids playhouse is overdue for attention. Our patios need pressure washing. Sadly our little Kat is gone, but I am looking forward to hiking with Dan and Molly.
Molly is ready to go!
Spring is here and this year I am ready for it! 🌞🧑🌾💪
“Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go.” – Paula Finn
One month in from starting Year 3 of my health and fitness journey and things are still moving along.
I have been doing my aerobic workouts every morning and I am excited to be moving up in the intensity. I have also been working on my strength training. I have been crushing the five pound dumbbells this time around and I am confident that I am ready for the eight pound weights next month. Once I bump up to the next level, the sky’s the limit! 💪
I went for my first walk since November a few days ago! It is very humid out and there are patches of snow and ice to maneuver around but it felt good to get out there and move in the fresh air.
The neighbourhood bunniesdon’t mind the snow, ice, or water puddles. There were four or five of them hopping around our front lawn yesterday.
My biggest news this week is that my daughter has joined a gym in the mall where she works. I am seriously planning to go check it out. I know I have always said ‘never’ but I have always been kind of curious. I’m not saying I am ready to commit, and if I do it would probably be one closer to home. But… I need to get out of my comfort zone.
In other recent news, Dan and I went to Prim and Maddy’s school assembly last week. Both of them played in the school band and Maddy was one of the MC’s for the general assembly.
Prim on sax, Maddy on trombone.
And speaking of Maddy… We are so proud that our Maddy has been accepted into the Saskatchewan Youth Honor Band. She is so dedicated and hard working, she absolutely deserves any honors she receives.
Maddy – our shining star!
Fun fact that I learned this week… All of our grandchildren – Maddy and younger belong to what is known as the Alpha Generation. I swear, that term is perfect for these kids. They are strong, resilient, determined, talented, and brilliant. They are amazing – every one of them.
That is it for this week! Take care and have a great day!
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 