flowers – Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

Valentine’s Day 💞

February 14, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in life

Happy Valentine’s Day! Wishing Love & Joy to everyone today. Valentine’s Day is a holiday that is typically marketed towards couples. This year however, I am thinking of the singles in our society who have been particularly affected by the isolation that has been a part of this lingering pandemic. For anyone who is alone today and feeling a bit stranded, I am thinking of you and sending hearts and huggs and smiles your way.

Have a great day! If you cannot be with the ones you love, think of them often and do something special for yourself to brighten your day. Thinking of you. AnneMarie 🌞

February 4th – Summer in Saskatchewan

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in Updates - February 2022

Back in November of 2019, I was looking forward to the return of summer. Moving into February of 2022, I am beyond excited as I anticipate the coming spring and summer. 🌞

https://seclusion101withannemarie.com/2019/11/16/summer-in-saskatchewan/

The only way to update this 2019 post, is to add a few ‘Summer in Saskatchewan’ photos from 2020 and 2021. For anyone living north of warmer weather, I hope this is a little something to brighten your day and warm your heart. 🌹

The beauty of a Saskatchewan summer! It cannot get here soon enough, even if it is well worth the wait.

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

July 2nd – Summer Has Arrived

July 2, 2021July 2, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Magical Moments - July 2021

Yesterday was Canada Day, my husband was home, and I was being too laid back to spend much time looking for magical moments. Fortunately, a few of them came looking for me.

We have so many yellow flowers this year, I think Mom had a hand in planting them – ***especially the Brown Eyed Susans***.

About 50 of our lilies bloomed yesterday. I don’t know where they came from but they let us know they are here.

Close up, lilies provide so much elegance and dignity to a flowerbed.

A perfect pink blossom is always magical💞

This photo is from a few days ago but I love it. Our squirrel has discovered that he can avoid Kat by hiding behind the nut basket while he eats. ***Sneaky….***

Kat’s first swim of the year – pure magic 😂

Thank you for dropping by! I hope to see you soon.

Have a great day and if you are in this heatwave zone – keep safe!

Day 22 – Words of Wisdom

June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Accentuate the Positive - June 2021

It is the twenty-second day of my June ‘Accent the Positive’ challenge. Today I decided to share some of my favourite quotes by the masters – they are positively brilliant, beautiful, and inspiring words of wisdom.

Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.
– Rumi

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
– Oliver Wendell Holmes

Those who bring sunshine to others, cannot keep it from themselves.
– James M. Barrie

Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
– St. Francis De Sales

Celebrate what you want to see more of.
– Tom Peters

If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.
– St. Therese of Lisieux

You will rise by lifting others.
– Robert Green Ingersoll

What’s going on the inside shows on the outside.
– Earl Nightengale

That is all for today! Twenty two days down, only eight more days to go.

Have a beautiful day! I hope to see you tomorrow! 🥀

Day 8 – Flower Power

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Accentuate the Positive - June 2021

Our yard is not bursting with color yet, but we do have perfect little blossoms popping up here and there. For day eight of my June ‘Accentuate the Positive’ challenge, I have chosen to share a few of my favourite little buds.

Dan’s favourite – multi-colour portulaca

Nameless gnome guarding our new marigolds.

This is a perennial that we have had for years. The cutest puff of color when it is fully in bloom.

Not blooming yet, but these Coral Bells add color to our front yard. 😊

My sister and I used to help my great uncle pick the blossoms off of his chives. I always thought it was such a pity. They are so pretty!

Spring is such a great time of year! Everytime we go outside there is a new treasure to be found. 🤗

Eight days down, twenty two to go. Have a lovely day and I hope to see you tomorrow! 🌞

Survival

May 27, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in life

The Saskatchewan floods and frigid weather have passed. Most of our plants have survived so far. We will see how many make it through the hurricane strength winds today!

All of the pepper plants seem good – sweet bell, mini bell, and hot varieties. 🌶️

Kat’s Tiny Tim tomatoes and our Roma, San Marzano, Beefsteak, Better Boy and multicolor all look good. Except for one multicolor plant – I think Kat ate it. 🙄

The petunias are still small but starting to bloom 👍

The wildflowers under our bedroom window seem to be fine – a bit messy, maybe 😉

I just loved the color of these plants at the garden centre but not so sure now. Will see once they have a chance to grow a bit.

Stay safe and have a good day! 🌞

Gardening in Saskatchewan.

May 24, 2021May 24, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in life

We got the garden in! Our plants all seem to have survived two days of +31 temps followed by three days of snow and freezing temperatures. (They did ride out the snow and cold by hunkering down under sheets and blankets). If they can get through the next week of rain without drowning we should be good!

Grandpa’s Bleeding Heart blooming like crazy

This year’s begonia for our elephant planter – love the color!

Dan did major work on our welcome planter & lights. I planted the posies.

Maple Leafs vs the Canadiens – Go Leafs!
🏒 🇨🇦 🏆

We still have work to do getting the yard cleaned up. I have to finish power washing the patio and outdoor furniture and get the steel planters painted. Dan is working on the front lawn and rebuilding one of the front lawn planters, plus cleaning up some lights and decorations. (Once everything dries up and warms up of course!)

Wishing all a warm and sunny day! 🌞

Changing Seasons

September 7, 2020 by annemariedemyen, posted in nature

It is hard to find a lot of ‘positivity’ in a day that rings in at +5 Celsius and the world is turning a nasty shade of Saskatchewan greige but it is there if you look hard enough.

Kat and I geared up and went for a 3.67 kilometer walk around the neighbourhood. That was hardly a record for us this summer but it is a good 3.67 kilometers further than we used to walk on a daily basis. 😋

I have no idea what this is – the colour leaves something to be desired but I thought those hairy balls were cool. Baby tumbleweeds maybe?

I don’t know what these little cuties were either but they were blooming along the path in our neighbourhood park.

Time to get out and start harvesting everything I can from the garden. There is frost in the forecast for tonight so we will have to cover anything that isn’t ready to pick. 🤦

Have a great day! If there is heat and sunshine anywhere, get out and enjoy it! Send pics🙄

Garden Update

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020 by annemariedemyen, posted in nature, Uncategorized

We finally got a couple of decent rains this week and plenty of sunshine. The garden and flower beds are taking off now. Dan finished a couple of his little projects and we have a new regular visitor.

The frog duo got their horns painted up.

Tinkerbell got decked out with new skirt and wings.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Stay safe and have a good week. 😉

Random Moments

July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by annemariedemyen, posted in life

Dan had the day off to celebrate Canada Day yesterday. We did not do anything too earth shaking but we (mostly he) got a few things accomplished and we got caught up on a few holidays.