Tag: active aging

June 14th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Yes, I missed a couple of days but it was not due to any setback! Thankfully. 😃

When one is dealing with one’s health, one is either moving forward or spiraling downward.  In this case, I was busy moving forward. 

On Friday, I was working outside – cleaning up after the storm and getting some fresh air.  Very beneficial when one is in recovery mode – especially from a respiratory flare up.

Yesterday, I was doing a deep clean in our bedroom – stripping our bed, washing our blinds/blackout curtains, vacuuming, and dusting everything including the walls and ceiling.  When you live in southern Saskatchewan, have a yard full of dirt,  sand,  trees,  AND a Molly dog who drags everything from outside inside, dust is a constant battle.

Unfortunately, when I am not feeling well, and I am taking medication that makes me feel worse, my motivation to keep up with the dust spirals along with  everything else.  This of course does nothing to help my lungs recover. 🤷‍♀️

So,  feeling well enough to roll up my sleeves and get to work on some  cleaning is a serious step forward in my recovery! 😚

Today, I am just relaxing in my new hanging egg chair, about to read a couple of chapters in my latest book by John E. Sarno – “The Divided Mind – The Epidemic of Mind-body Disorders“. 

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

Dan is still working on my planter stand, but my little flowers are happy sitting in the sunshine!

June 9th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Dan and I spent much of the afternoon outside yesterday. 

– We finished getting the gazebo ready for summer.  Dan got all of the chair cushions out of storage and I secured them in place. 

– I swept up a zillion or so of those little tree seed pods.  I swear, if we locked up this place and left for the season, we would return to a forest.  Every one that lands, on anything resembling dirt,  takes root. 🌳

– I started potting a dozen little flower plants to fill the planter that Dan is building for the back yard.

And I got to see see my first Fried Egg Peonie blossom.  It isn’t what I expected, but it is bright, perky, and unique.

While I am out and about as much as I can be, I am still focused on getting back to my Health and Fitness Journey.

One of my new healthy habits has been using my new Navage nasal irrigation unit, that Dan bought me a couple of weeks ago.  

This unit is awesome! I have been dealing with sinus issues (and enviornmental allergies) for fourteen years! I have seen ENT’s, used a neti pot with saline solution, used prescription strength sinus sprays, and consumed boxes of antihistamines  – nothing was particularly helpful.

But this is a game changer!  The first week was rough.  I don’t know if it was because my sinuses were such a mess or if it was just a learning curve, but it was rough.  I seriously thought I might drown myself a couple of times. 🤦‍♀️

But, it was well worth the perseverance.  My sinuses are much better and  my allergies are all but gone –   and all without side effects of any sort.

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

June 6th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

OK.   I am ready to make my comeback!

The past five and a half months have been a lot more miss than hit, but I am ready to do this.

It wasn’t ever about being deathly ill.  It was more about learning.  Learning that when one is healing and growing, it is never just physically or mentally or emotionally or spiritually.  It is all encompassing.  And when one is spiraling physically or mentally or emotionally or spiritually – SAME THING! 

Everything has been a challenge for me  these past months.  Blogwise, feeling dumb (numb?) as a post has been the real issue.

But, with my health issues somewhat behind me, the worst of the meds out of my system, and the arrival of spring… I should be able to string together a few words on a regular basis going forward. 😁

Dan and I finally got the last of our garden in yesterday.  Today, we are going to start pressure washing the patios.

And, for the inevitable breaks I will take… I can relax in the hanging egg chair Dan bought me for Mother’s Day!

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

April 2nd – Days 84 to 90  of My 2026 Daily Activity

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

We are through the first quarter of 2026 and some of us (one of us 😆) is still straddling the READY, SET,…. line.

I  am working on it.  Despite the rough days, and the mediocre days, I am experiencing a few stronger more productive days.

I have been doing my aerobics in the morning.  My afternoon workouts have been more of a struggle but I have been making an effort on the treadmill and yesterday I crushed a light weight workout! 😁

I have been doing deep breathing exercises every day.   Inhale 4, hold 16, exhale 8.

I have been reading for an hour a day.  That is doing wonders for my  mindset.

AND… I have been working on my diet.  Generally speaking, my diet hasn’t been an issue but making  ‘healthy’ choices  for breakfast and snacks has been challenging. 

A couple of days ago, I went on a muffin baking extravaganza…

Coconut/almond, chocolate/peanut butter chips, and oatmeal/raspberry.

Making a full dozen of one type of muffin is problematic for Dan and I, so I made a variety pack to share with Jen & family and Genie & Alec.   💗

Last night was Dart Night for Dan.  I prepared for my regular Wednesday Night snack attack by making a large batch of popcorn for myself and a small batch of dog friendly, unbuttered and unsalted for Molly.

I have also been serving more vegetables – specifically raw vegetables with our meals lately.  Recently, I read (Unlimited PowerPoint by Tony Robbins) that it is healthier to keep hydrated by eating fruits and vegetables than by drinking an abundance of water.   That makes sense, as fruits and vegetables add nutrients to the body, while water flushes them out.  Hitting a point where 70% of my diet is fruits and vegetables may never happen, I am going in the right direction.

But, I am still drinking – one glass of water first thing in the morning, one cup of coffee, one cup of broth, one cup of tea, 12 Oz of carbonated water for supper, and regular water in the evening. 

Our weather is gradually improving so I am looking at spending more time outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine in the coming days. 🌞

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

Happy April!

March 25th – Days 77 to 83  of My 2026 Daily Activity

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

It has been a few days, so I  will start with the most noteworthy event of the week.

Last night, we attended a family birthday celebration  for granddaughters  Maddy (16 on the 24th) & Prim (14 on the 25th). 

Mom Jen & fiance Tanner hosted supper at Agave Authentic Mexican Grill.   The three sisters and Alec brought the energy and charm to the table. (Grandma & Grandpa brought the  cake.  The  cream cheese icing melted, but it was  all good!  )

The food and service were great (despite a   full house) and a good time was enjoyed by all. 

This afternoon we are going to Conexus Centre  of the Arts Optimist Band Festival to hear Maddy debut with her French Horn (She’s been playing the trombone for years). 

And tonight for Prim’s birthday, Jen and Tanner are taking her  and her friend Luca out to a  movie.

It’s incredible how fast our little dolls grew up! And a little sad… 😢

On another note… my health has been up and down for  the past few days.  One day I feel fine, the next – not so much.  On Monday I had a fever ALL DAY.  Fever is the one thing that knocks me down.  Fortunately, it only lasted a day!

I haven’t heard from the CT lab yet, so haven’t seen my respirologist.  No idea if the meds worked for my lung infection. 🤷‍♀️

My workouts have been a  bit hit and miss but I generally do my morning aerobics and I have been fairly consistent with deep breathing. 

I am definitely not where I would like to be physically,  but I have been  reading every day and gradually getting caught up with  my spring cleaning. 🙂

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

February 16th – Day 46  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

On my blog yesterday, I noted that one of my more recent motivators is James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits.

This book offers a plethora of practical advice,  so having read it, I followed an Atomic Habits Fan  Facebook page and ultimately signed up for a weekly email newsletters.

In this past Thursday’s  email, James clear passed along the following wisdom..

“The loser has more in common with the winner than the person sitting on the sidelines.

    The winner and the loser each had the courage to try.  Both risked embarrassment.  Both were willing to face uncertainty.  Both were stubborn enough to continue.

   Success is endurance in disguise.  It belongs to the person who can absorb the losses without absorbing the identity of “loser”.   It’s the courage to start – and to stick with it – that is the real separator.

   Results tend to find the person who stays in the game.

    The sidelines are safe, but sterile.  Nothing grows there.”

It is for such wisdom that I read and that I follow such authors.

It is four years since I began my Health and Fitness Journey.    I have appreciated the successes, but I have also suffered my share of the setbacks.

Today, I am facing another setback…

A few days ago I saw my Respirologist.  I went to pick up a couple of prescription renewals for inhalers that I use to help manage asthma, copd, and bronchiectasis symptoms.  My Respirologist provided the prescriptions plus gave me a requision for a sputum culture sample as I had a wheeze in my lungs and an increase in coughing since my hernia surgery.

I submitted the sample and last night the results came up on my Sask Health Record. +4 pseudomonas aeruginosa.   I won’t know the treatment plan or the prognosis until I see my Respirologist, but from what I have read so far it sounds like another setback to me!

I cannot say I am not frustrated – but I am grateful for my Respirologist, my friends, my family, and my professional team of ‘motivators’ who will  help me push through another loss without becoming a hapless loser.  I am not ready to be relegated to the sidelines!

Today is Monday ‘Family Day’ in Saskatchewan.  As much as it is a holiday, for me it is a day for aerobics, weights, snd treadmill.  

Tomorrow, I will undoubtably hear from my Respirologist. 🤞🤞🤞

Tha’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🤗💪

February 15th – Day 45  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Yesterday marked the forth anniversary of my Health and Fitness Journey.

This journey has taken me to places I  could never have imagined. 

Over the past four years:

1) I have… Done things I would never have attempted to do.  (Balance has never been my friend!)

2) I have …  Met my two BEST Forever Friends 💞💞💞 (two people who both live thousands of miles away from me, who are decade(s), younger than me, and who (on the surface) couldn’t possibly have anything in common with me. 🕺💃

3) I have… Traveled the narrow gravel backroads through the Black Hills of South Dakota with my daughter – going around curves with  a five mile per hour speed limit 😳

4) I have … With my husband’s cautious approval, adopted a GIANT Molly dog!

5) I have… Attempted, and successfully completed, major challenges  – like my 2025 Daily Food Diary. 

6) I have… Lost 40 pounds and fit back into my favourite Size 6 jeans

Seventy years old and they fit like they did when I was forty! 👍
Smoke break in my laundry room with my BIL Jerry same pants! 🤣

7) I have… read books by authors I would never considered reading!

I have been reading motivational books for decades –  spiritual, academic,  or philisophical type books.

I read the likes of Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Norman Vincent Peale, Eckart Tolle, and Rhonda Byrne…

Over the past four years, I have expanded my reading to include authors such as James Clear (a former sports coach) and David Goggins (a former US Navy Seal, ultra marathon runner, and forest fire jumper) .   Motivation through Physical Fitness authors.

Not only have I read their books – I continue to follow them on social media! In their pages and on their posts I have acquired wisdom and practical advice that I would never have been aware of if I had stayed within my typical reading gendre. 

That is the thing about journeys that take us out of our comfort zone.. we learn, we grow, and we change!  ☺️

A couple of weeks ago, I attended an online Tony Robbins seminar.  On the final day, my husband Dan went out and bought me this poster that now hangs on our kitchen wall.    I am so fortunate that I have a husband who always has, and continues to,  support my Health & Fitness Journey.

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

February 14th – Day 43 & 44  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Wishing everyone a day of Love, Peace, and Happiness. 💞

Dan got me the roses, I got him the chocolates and the desk calendar.  Molly has not been forgotten!  Dan is off to Cowtown to pick up a treat for her and hopefully some collagen chews.

I love the color of those roses! They are so pretty.   Neither of us NEEDS the chocolates, but they are nice to have. 🙂

Hopefully the desk calendar will  help Dan and I decide what to have for suppers, going forward.   I know how fortunate we are to have such a decision to make – but somehow it is typically our most difficult decision of the day!

Today is also the FORTH ANNIVERSARY of the day I began my Health and Fitness Journey!

It has been a rough, winding, amazing journey so far.

During these past four years I have struggled through countless setbacks and celebrated even more unimaginable  benefits.

The most unexpected SETBACK was getting knocked to the ground by our Pyrenees puppy and breaking my left arm.   It was the first (and only)  bone I have  broken in seventy years and I may be the only sibling of the six of us who has broken a bone. 

AND.. four years ago, who would have ever IMAGINED that we would lose our precious little Cavalier Kat – and welcome our amazing (slightly clutsy)  Great Pyrenees Molly into our lives in the first place?

The most awesome BENEFIT that I have experienced so far has been realizing how much  potential grows as we do!  Physically, mentally, emotionally,  and spiritually I am so much stronger than I was four years ago.   And, I possess so much more potential than I dreamed possible four years ago!

As far as I have come in the past four years, I cannot imagine what lies ahead for me!

The sky is the Limit!

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

February 12th – Day 38, 39, 40, 41 & 42  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

It has been a few days, but I am back on track.. in real life if not on WordPress.

A bit of family news…

Last night, our granddaughter Prim went to her highschool openhouse.  In September, she will take another leap towards adulthood. 😳

And.. Today is daughter Jennifer’s birthday. She is working the evening shift today but she has some day time off to enjoy herself.   She has taken up building miniatures, so birthday shopping was relatively easy this year.

The top one is one she just finished.  Dan & I gave her the kit on the bottom left and her girls (Genie, Maddy, & Prim gave her the one on the bottom right.)

The detail in these miniature kits is crazy.  The total finished size is no more than 12″ x 12″ x 12″ for each and she assembles every piece of furniture and accessory.

My week has not been quite as much fun. 

On Tuesday, I went for an appointment with my respirologist.  All I went for was a prescription refill.  I left with the prescription AND a requisition for a sputum test.

I can deal with the test, though who knows why it would take six years to decide to do one.  But, these appointments are so freaking stressful.  I get all pumped up, go in feeling GREAT and come out wondering how I have lived this long.

It is rediculous! I know that nothing I have is fatal.  I know I am doing everything in my power to stay healthy – including taking my inhalers as prescribed.  But according to Downer Dave, I have one foot in my grave and the other on a banana peal. 🤦‍♀️  Unless, I actually am sick – then I am fine.

Anyway, I got the test done.  I got over it and I am back to my regular routine of meds, lung clearing, vitamins and supplements, fresh air, diet, sleep, and exercise – aerobics, light weights, and treadmill.

I am feeling great – at least until I have to go back to get the results from my test. 🙂

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

February 7th – Day 37  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Another wonderful weather day in Saskatchewan! Any day that we reach above freezing point between November and March is a wonderful day in my mind.

I will be heading outside to battle ice on the walks shortly.  It may be a short battle as it is still foggy out and my lungs still struggle with excess humidity.

But I do have some permafrost patches to deal with.
And.. more ice, water, and a New Year’s Eve hat that flowed down the city sidewalk to our house last night.  🎊

On Monday, I attended the bonus/final session of the 2026 Tony Robbins Rise Up Seminar.  Much of this session dealt with finances and Private Equity Funds  which I will not try to paraphrase but may be worth checking into.

The rest of this session was odds and ends of common sense and good advice..

1) Stop using ‘MY’ to claim ownership of the negative –  my fear, my anxiety, my pain…

2) Searching for purpose is the cause  of stress.   Purpose varies depending on where you are, who you are with, what you are doing…Focus on what you want, progress, and results. 

3) Perfection is the lowest standard of all. (My first in-laws were perfectionists.  I won’t  go into details,  but I will say I  cannot fathom how people who did everything so ‘perfectly’ could justify their cruelty and ignorance). 

4) Actions over feelings.  Stop feeling and start doing!

5) Stop carrying around your old story (and start creating your new story.)

6) Problems are not permanent.

That is it for Tony Robbins seminar – or the best of  what I took out of it!   I enjoyed it and it reignited my interest in such works.

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