Tag: health

Week 20

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, July 2022

It has been 20 weeks since I got out of my rocking chair and started getting fit for spring. It has been such a great journey, I have had no inclination to quit once spring sprang or at any other time in my foreseeable future.

As always, I noted a few improvements this week.

#1 – For the first time since I started working out, I noticed that when I am working out, I was really not struggling to breathe or to catch my breath – even on warm and humid days. That is amazing! With asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis, I used to struggle to breathe all of the time.

#2 – My hands look younger. My blood vessels are not as noticeable. I don’t know if that is because my skin is healthier or because my collagen levels (that affect blood vessels) is better. Either way, that is cool.

#3 – My stamina has improved considerably. On Saturday, I spent the entire first half of the day working to clean up our entire yard in anticipation of a visit from my sister, her husband, and their two German Shepherds – Heidi and King.

This was after they arrived. 🤣🤣🤣. I can hear Dan out back recleaning the back patio as we speak.
Heidi appreciated the nice cool sand.
King – The first pure black German Shepherd that I have ever seen and he is GORGEOUS!
Molly and King went hard.
And rested frequently!

Dan and I had a good visit while watching our dogs carry on. Dan barbecued us a delicious steak and shrimp supper Saturday night. On Sunday, I whipped up some pancakes and bacon, Dan and Jerry went golfing, and Lorraine and I got in a good visit while keeping an eye on the canines. It was a great visit and the weather was perfect – warm, windless, and absolutely bugless!

The dogs all got along great – especially King and Molly who are both still puppies (big puppies). Heidi has quite a few good years on her and struggles with arthritis, so she was more content laying back and watching the young ‘uns.

That’s it for this week’s report. I am still working out, planning to get in some good walks with Molly, and anxious to see how far I can take this fitness program that I am on.

Take care and have a great day!💞

Seventeen Weeks

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, June 2022

Here I am, seventeen weeks since I started my fitness mission to get out of my rocking chair and into rocking my retirement lifestyle. 

  • Notable tidbits from the past week:
  • Feeling good physically. Every week is just that bit better. 😊
  • Feeling fine mentally!  On top of my game. 🙂
  • Emotionally, it has been a bit of a struggle.  Nothing that I can’t chalk up to a full moon and a deeply embedded habit of stressing out. 🙄
  • After seventeen weeks in I have FINALLY lost a solid TEN pounds.   That is at least twice as much as I have ever lost on a fitness plan, so will take it as a win.
  • After seventeen weeks of dancersizing and two weeks of beet juice, my blood pressure is back down to normal +/- 120/80.
  • A few days ago, I added a tablespoon of sauerkraut (before supper) to my diet. Hopefully it will help settle digestive issues. If it works, thank you sister Elaine for the suggestion. If not, it is all good – I love sauerkraut.
  • On the Molly side:
  • Two weeks until we can start walking the neighbourhood – And not a minute too soon. Molly is BORED. We went out and bought her some new toys this morning, to mix things up a bit for her. We did not buy her the $20.00 rubber stick. Seriously! Dan did find a stick a few weeks ago, cleaned the bark off of it and filed down the sharp bits. We tried to teach her to fetch it but she just wanted to eat it. 😋
  • GOOD NEWS! Molly FINALLY quit trying to bite and scratch my arms. They may be scarred for life but I am no longer covered in peroxide and bandaids.
  • BAD NEWS! Molly’s sheep herding tendencies have reached a new level. Now she has taken up head butting and butt nipping. Since we lack sheep, my butt is the target. I don’t know what is worse, when she follows me around nipping at my butt or when she charges full tilt across the yard and slams her head into my butt. Neither is pleasant or particularly elegant. 🙄

Photos of Molly:

That’s it for today. 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! 💞

‘Scrapsing Out’

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

I have been rather MIA on WordPress for the last few weeks. This bothers me, because I do enjoy posting and reading everyone else’s news and views of the day. It is hard to explain, but I have gotten so caught up in my spring fitness plan, that I have rather lost (or found) myself in it. 🙄

When I met Dan, I had a little Terrier named Scraps. She had this wierd habit of becoming totally mesmerized at random moments. She would be walking across the room and suddenly go off into her own little world. We referred to these episodes as ‘Scrapsing Out’.

Mark and Scraps

Anyway… For the past few weeks I have been ‘Scrapsing Out’. It started innocently enough when I realized my fitness level was not going to cut it when spring (and spring yard cleanup) arrived. I started dancersizing for half an hour a day. The results were almost impressive. I am looking and feeling much better. I even have muscle tone in my arms!

I noticed that I was feeling mentally sharper and emotionally grounded – so I started engaging in more mental exercise and meditating on a regular basis.

When our snow and ice melted (currently it has temporarily returned), I started walking everyday. I also got focussed on spending more time preparing healthier meals.

Every day, I am feeling better, am more energetic, and am more active. But, I have kind of lost that time that I used to spend blogging. Since, that was quality time for me I am definitely trying to get back to fitting it into my new lifestyle. It may take a while but I am working on it.

But… I am also really enjoying feeling more fit everyday! And I am totally impressed that I have kicked up my dancersizing routines. This is one of the You Tube ones I use now. Obviously, I do not look like these girls but I am doing a pretty amazing job of keeping up with them. 😊

https://youtu.be/4h62OzPwrms

That is it for today. I will post again soon and I will absolutely get around to catching up on all of your news asap.

Take care and have a great day! 💞

October 19th- Covid Care

by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

My news story for today is a sad one for Saskatchewan. Some Covid patients requiring ICU care are now being transferred to Ontario, to take the pressure off of the Saskatchewan medical system. After all that could have been done, everything that should have been done, we have come to this.

You can see Premier Scott Moe’s official announcement on You Tube.

Thoughts and prayers going out to all who are currently being affected by Covid in Saskatchewan and elsewhere around the globe.

Thank you to Ontario for providing your assistance to Saskatchewan! 💞

Take care, stay safe and have a great day. 💞

Day 21 – Retirement!

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

Since I have retired, the positives in my life are ubiquitous! Today for the twenty-first day of my June ‘Accentuate the Positive’ challenge, I have chosen to express my appreciation for this wonderful time of my life – RETIREMENT 🥳

Time to bloom. 💐

I appreciate that my retirement provides the time for doing what I please, when I please! I particularly appreciate this in the morning. I love having the time to enjoy my coffee, while reading my online newspaper and playing my morning internet game. 💝

My happy morning place.

I appreciate having time to take care of myself and run errands that I need to deal with. I never have to stress about making doctor or dentist or optometrist or hairdresser appointments – I am free – anytime! I can even take Kat to the vet or groomers any day of the week!

Going to the groomers on Thursday 🙂

I appreciate that in retirement the weather is always perfect! If it is warm and sunny, I can spend the day outside enjoying the beautiful day. If it is rainy, snowy, cold, or windy, I can stay inside and look out the window and appreciate what I have the option of avoiding!

Rain, shine, or in-between, every day is lovely!

I appreciate that I SAVE so much money that it is not terribly painful to take a significant drop in income since I retired . I save on taxes, on clothes, on vehicle expenses, on take-out food, and on spending money – just because it was my payday reward for working. 🤦

Money I haven’t spent! 😂

When the weather is lovely, I appreciate that I can spend my time outside – during the best parts of the day. I check up on my flowers and vegetables, do a bit of clean-up, water and take care of my plants. I have even been working on our front lawn this year. Still a ways to go, but at least it is green!

Mostly green 👍

I appreciate that shopping is so much easier! My husband has always, and still does, the bulk of our shopping. However, there are times when I go with him, or without him, for whatever reason. Shopping is so much easier mid-week, when most people are at work!

Wednesday afternoon shopping – far from the Saturday crowds 🤭

The biggest positive of retirement is the time I get to spend with my husband. Although he still works 24/7 shifts, at least when he has time off, I have time off! Time we can actually spend together! 👫

Spending time together, enjoying Dan’s yard projects. 💞

Whether you are working towards it, or already living yours, I hope you enjoy your retirement as much as I enjoy mine. 🤗

Twenty-one days down and only nine more to go! Thank you for dropping in today and I hope to see you tomorrow.

Annoyed!

by annemariedemyen, posted in life

I take pride in being capable of handling difficult situations in a calm and reasonable manner. Grace under pressure🙏 That is me – in a medical emergency, a project crisis, or a natural disaster. I suck it up and do what must be done. 👍

What I can take no pride in, is my absolute fail in the face of life’s ‘little’ snafus.

Struggling to tear off a section of plastic wrap, parchment paper, toilet paper – I come unhinged. Sticky tape and velcro are my nemesis. I hate paper cuts!!! I once got a staple stuck in the end of my finger and practically beat my boss with a phonebook because he was laughing too hard to pull it out. Rediculous of course, I know, but that is how I roll.

So here is the thing… In 2012 I was in hospital for a month with pneumonia and empyema. I was sent home none the worse for wear (I returned to work the day after I was released). Except for one thing. Since my time in hospital, my sinuses have been pooched. My nose has been plugged for nine years. 😢

This year, I have had one thing after another go wrong with my lungs – which aggravates my sinuses. Yay! I have used a neti pot, a steamer, and my specialist put me on a long-term steroid nasal spray. That helped for a couple of weeks before making matters worse.

For the past few weeks, my sinuses seem to deflate every time I close my mouth – which causes an immediate airlock in my head. I cannot eat, I cannot sleep, I exercise every day – it is more of a workout to breathe than it is to actually work out, and I cannot concentrate on anything except for the fact that I cannot breathe. I struggle to meditate. Virtually every meditation starts with “relax and breathe naturally”. Pffffttt! Like that is going to happen!

I decided to stop using the nasal spray but my husband thought I should run it by my doctor first. I called – he is on holidays for the next two weeks. I called my specialist’s office. His reception promised to run it past him and get back to me. (Still waiting…..) So… I tossed the spray. Things are quite a bit better, but – my sinuses are still stuffy to an annoying degree.

Thank you for reading through my rant and whine. All sympathy gratefully accepted. 😊

😟

Have a great day! 💞

It’s Go Time

by annemariedemyen, posted in family

The snow and ice has kept me housebound for a few months now and Dan has been laid off for a month. It is time for us to get active before we turn into Mr. & Mrs. Doughboy.

We have decided to start working out together. Having a workout partner will help to make it fun and hopefully keep us motivated. The plan is for us to take turns leading off on a few exercises for each session. This should afford us plenty of variety and split the struggle of coming up with workout routines.

The challenging part is that we are coming from two totally different places and working out for two totally different reasons. Dan has a long history of playing intense sports (hockey, baseball, racquetball) and working an extremely physical job in the steel industry. I on the other hand, have never even watched sports, much less participated! I have worked in administration and sales, most of the time being desk bound. While we both want to lose some weight, my health issues are respiratory, while Dan’s are circulatory. It is going to be fun, coming up with workout plans that work for both of us!

Day two, down and done!

Falling over tree pose – that’s a thing right?

Stay safe, keep active 🏋️

Meditation

by annemariedemyen, posted in life

With physical exercise becoming difficult to impossible since the snow and ice have moved into Saskatchewan, I have been spending more time working on my meditation. Mother always said “every cloud has a silver lining”. Meditation has become mine. 🌨️

I have tried meditation over the years. I even tried ‘walking meditation’ this past summer. My attempts were somewhat successful but, since I distract easily, the results have always been less than mind boggling.

Lately, I have been exploring different forms of meditation on You Tube. Most of them have peace and spiritual healing at heart, but I am amazed at the different methods I have come across.

I have come across Himalayan singing bowls, Native chanting and drums, and African voodoo beat (which is neither African nor voodoo). I find all of them deeply relaxing. I also find the pulse of these meditations very therapeutic for my heart and lungs – and even for soothing muscle cramps! 😳

I have found a number of guided meditations that I love. Most of them are infinitely relaxing and I find they do wonders at expanding my conciousness. These guided meditations have brought much healing, love, joy, and peace to my mind, heart, and soul.

This morning, I found a new line of guided meditations. I searched out meditations for long distance healing. I found one by Nicky Sutton called ‘Send Healing Energy Guided Meditation’. It is amazing – I think it is my new favourite. 💖 (If you get a sudden warm and fuzzy feeling, you are welcome – Merry Christmas 🎁)

I find that meditating with You Tube works better for me with ear phones. I am more focussed so the meditations are more effective. Dan ordered me a pair of Bluetooth ear buds for Christmas. They will be another step up in my meditating practice. I can’t wait to get them! 😊

Wishing all a peaceful day. If you need help creating yours – try You Tube meditation videos. A great investment in your health and well-being. 💞

The Ups and Downs of Aging

by annemariedemyen, posted in retirement

I have been retired for an entire eight months now, so it is time for another update of how things are going!

Finances – contrary to virtually every column I have ever read on retirement, we did not become destitute the day I retired. Granted, my husband is still working, but I am fairly confident that even when he does retire, we will not end up under a bridge. Maybe these dire warnings in finance columns are not meant for Canadians. We have Old Age Pension and Canada Pension, plus Dan will have a work pension. We have public Medicare and reduced costs for prescriptions, insurance and the like. Plus – working costs a lot of money that us retirees do not shell out. (Like restaurant meals, or take out meals or quick cooking meals, clothing, vehicle expense, aspirin and the like). 😊

Appearance – Inevitably, looks change as we get older. Some fortunate people actually get more attractive and distinguished looking as they age. Some of us get wrinkles, move all of our weight to our waistlines, and look like dandelions that have gone to seed on our bad hair days. I choose to avoid mirrors, wear stretch pants, and feel beautiful, anyway. ☺️

Health – Health can be challenging as we age. Apparently when you hit 65, your warranty runs out and parts start to go. That does not mean you have to believe every advertisement or meme out there. I still have my hearing and my sight is as good (or as bad) as it has ever been. I have only fallen down once and found I couldn’t get up. (That incident involved a bottle of tequila and a hot tub, so whatever🙄). I haven’t started to pee a little when I laugh (phew – that is a relief – cause I laugh quite often since I retired). My joints seem to be holding out – except I pulled something in my left knee the other day and that hurts like hell. Other than my sinuses, lungs, heart, and this knee thing, I think I am doing relatively well. 👍

All in all, retirement is still working for me. I am happier and more content than I have ever been. I love being able to live my life around Dan’s schedule and spend time with him. I love having time to rest and relax – it feels so decadent. 🤗 I love having time to remember the good times that I had in my life. This morning I was going through some Christmas pictures from when my kids were tots. They were so cute and sweet and precious. I miss my little ones, but I am happy that they are all grown up and have their own little ones now. It is funny, we enjoy the time when our kids are small, but we are so busy taking care of them that we do not fully appreciate that time until we have time to cherish our memories of it. Thank goodness for retirement!

Old lady, bad hair day🤣🤣🤣