Yes, I missed a couple of days but it was not due to any setback! Thankfully. đ
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. đ¤ˇââď¸
So, feeling well enough to roll up my sleeves and get to work on some cleaning is a serious step forward in my recovery! đ
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! đđ
Dan is still working on my planter stand, but my little flowers are happy sitting in the sunshine!
Dan and I spent much of the afternoon outside yesterday.Â
– 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. đł
– 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. Â
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. đ¤Śââď¸
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!
I’m back.. or at least I am stopping by for a quick check in.
Things have been a bit rough for the past few weeks. I have been waiting for a CAT scan to see how I made out with my three week treatment for pseudomonas aeruginosa.Â
Since the wait was going on a few weeks now, and I was feeling punkish, I decided to check in with my respirologist. My blood oxygen was low, my blood pressure and pulse were high, and..
After having blood tests and an x-ray done… the infection is obviously alive and well and has been feasting on the iron in my body to the point where I am severely anemic.
I am already on another 21 Day round of Ciprofloxacin. I can take iron supplements and eat iron rich foods so I can feel better and maintain my aerobics and the relatively healthy lifestyle that helps keep my lungs functional … but this also provides nourishment for my infection to thrive.
Or, I can not take iron supplements or eat iron rich foods, lay around like a vegetable and allow this infection to go underground to protect itself from the antibiotics I am taking.Â
Either way, I have another appointment with my respirologist next Wednesday, I have sputum culture results that have yet to be posted, and I have a CAT scan coming up.
At this point, I am going with the iron supplements and iron rich food because feeling like hell isn’t doing it for me.
All is not terrible… Dan bought me flowers and a nice box of cookies. đ
Have a great day! đ¤đ
I will stay in touch as I feel up to it and/or have anything noteworthy to share. đ
Yesterday, I completed my 21 day course of Ciprofloxacin. Zero side effects! I will not know if it was successful in irradicating my lung infection until I have further testing done, but I did it. 42 doses of 750mg. đ
I had never thought to do the math but yesterday something amazing occurred to me!Â
I have no doubt how or where I contracted my pseudomonas aeruginosa. On December 17th (2025), I had day surgery to repair a hernia repair that I had done on December 17th (2021).  In the weeks before my surgery, I was doing great. Following surgery, I was definitely NOT, and I never really got over it.Â
A few weeks ago, I went to see my respirologist. Through sputum testing, he diagnosed my problem and put me on a three week course of antibiotics, which I completed yesterday – March 17th.
December 17th is the anniversary of the day my Father passed away ( in 1993). Yesterday, March 17th was my Father’s Birthday. (b 1909).Â
Pretty cool how that worked out. Just one more reason to believe this little adventure is over and done. đ
Celebrating Dad’s birthday early 80’s
To celebrate yesterday, Dan went out and bought me flowers.Â
The green blossoms were for St. Patrick’s Day.. âď¸
Other than that, IÂ have a bit of news…
Genie and Alec came by yesterday for a quick visit and to pick up their share of the baking from Saturday.
We are getting a taste of spring with temperatures in the DOUBLE digits (celcius) this week.Â
And.. I have begun spring cleaning. đŞ
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day!
The past few days have been particularly uneventful.
Our snow quit falling, our sun has returned, and our temperatures have tanked! With March fast approaching, this will improve sooner than later.
Dan and Molly have been staying close to home. Dan has gotten our sidewalks and garage access cleared. Molly is in and out – outside to bark at anything that moves and inside to pout and sigh because she has had to forgo her daily walk for a couple of days.
In the meantime, I am staying indoors and catching up on a few of those deep housecleaning tasks that keep getting put off.
I am still waiting to hear back ftom my respirologist about my test results that showed a +4 pseudomonas aeruginosa result.
It has been eleven days since I saw him, ten days since I submitted the sample, seven days since the results have been available, of which only four were business days.  I did call his office the day I submitted the sample (as per his request) and I called back on Thursday to tell his receptionist that the results were up on the public health system. She checked and told me they had received the results. đ
Maybe it is unrealistic to expect any feedback from my doctor within four days, but this is getting old already.Â
This infection is nothing to fool around with. It will not go away without proper antibiotics and it has the ability to morph into any number of serious health concerns if left to its own devices. And..chances are I got it from the hospital when I had my hernia surgery, so there’s that!
Last night, I decided to book an appointment with my nurse practitioner to get her thoughts on how long I should sit on these test results or if she can do anything for me. March 24th is her next available appointment. đ¤Śââď¸
I will call Katie, my respiratory therapist on Monday and see what she thinks.Â
If past history tells me anything, I might hear from my respirologist this coming week or I may not hear from his office until my next prescriptions are due. Hopefully, Katie can advise me on how long I should fool around with this.
In the meantime, I will keep doing what I can do – working out, keeping my enviornment clean and dust free, using my inhalers and taking my vitamins and supplements, clearing my lungs, eating well, drinking an abundance of fluids, and getting quality sleep each night – anything and everything that I can to keep my immune system healthy and strong. đŞ
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! đđ¤
Yesterday, I failed to note that it was Molly’s FOURTH BIRTHDAY!
Molly is our Great Pyrenees. She came to us when she was an eight week old ball of pure white fur.
She stayed small for about three days before she morphed into an affectionate, energetic fifty pound puppy with nails and fangs like rasor blades.
Before she was a year old, she had developed the independent (stubborn) nature of a working sheep dog. She had eaten half of the cedar trees in our yard, destroyed multiple plant pots, pails, and watering cans. And… she had started shedding hair – so much hair!
Now, easily a hundred pounds she is the heart and soul of our family.
She is Dan’s sidekick, my relentless protector, and the happiest pup on the block when her favourite humans (our grandchildren) stop by.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOLLY! đ
That’s it for today! Take care and have a great day! đ¤đ
Day Three of Tony Robbins 2026 Time To Rise seminar covered a subject that was new to me – although apparently far from new in the fields of literature and personal growth.
Despite my unfamiliarity with the concept, I found it quite intriguing how easily I could relate to it. đ¤ˇââď¸
The Hero’s Journey
1. Ordinary world – Day to day life as we have come to expect it (for better or worse)
2. Call to adventure –Â major life change or challenge
3. Refusethe call – denial
4. Meeting mentors/allies – In person, online, in books, possibly one or more animals, guides, supporters, and friendships built from sharing a similar situation
5. Get on the path/cross the point of no return start making progress on the journey until one is fully committed
6. Do battle – the ordeal & transformation – setbacks, break through, plateaus, more setbacks, more break through…
7. Victory and reward! đŞ
Return to ordinary life and wait for the next call to adventure….
Looking back, I can see this pattern replayed multiple times in my life, despite being unaware of it, at the time.Â
My personal takeaway from this session..
The Hero’s Journey is a practical plan to help us to accept life’s challenges, to make the most of them, and to use them as an opportunity to change, to grow, to strengthen, to evolve.Â
For me, this session was also a huge reminder to allow my family and loved ones to accept their own calls to adventure. I am not saving them or protecting them, by stepping in and depriving them of their opportunites to be challenged.  As Rumi would say (in similar words) I can walk the road with them, but I cannot walk the road for them.
Tomorrow, I will touch on the final or bonus day of the Tony Robbins online seminar that I attended. Then I will set this to rest…
For now I am out to do battle with the ice on our walks. I pushed through and was quite happy with what I accomplished yesterday. Unfortunately, snow and ice melted off of our neighbours walks overnight, ran downhill, and pooled on our front walk – where it refroze. đ¤Śââď¸
That is it for today. Take care and have a great day! đđ
Another breakthrough on my Journey to Health & Fitness this morning! đ
Today I am wearing a pair of yoga pants that I bought a couple of years ago. They are a medium. A medium what I have no idea, but they have always been uncomfortably snug, especially before my hernia repair. Now they fit perfectly and are super comfortable.
They were perfect for doing my aerobics this morning and will be fine for getting out and attacking more of the permafrost on our sidewalks today, and for doing my treadmill time later. đ
Last night, I spent more time reading ‘The Magic of Believing’ by Claude Bristol. It takes focus – and no doubt a second reading, but I am enjoying it.
On Day 2 of the online Tony Robbins seminar, the Power of Belief was one of the things he emphasized.
There are a few good points that he made:
1) Belief is the absolute certainty about what something means.
2) Beliefs create and beliefs destroy.
3) Your identity belief is who you are.
I have always believed that our beliefs, our attitude, and our emotions create the quality of our lives.
As much as successful, motivational speakers validate my beliefs – they are not the ones who drive them.
The credit for my strong positive beliefs goes to observing and dealing with people who cling to destructive beliefs.
Those people are consistently miserable. Regardless of what they  have, it is never enough, never what they want, or someone is trying to take it away from them.  They lack appreciation for anything. They are chronic victims – they want justice but they will never forgive. They see only the worst in anything, anyone, or any situation. They refuse to accept responsibility for anything, then whine that they are powerless to change or fix anything. đ¤Śââď¸
Over the course of my employment years, I worked with a lot of such people. They never failed to amaze me.. especially when they complained about how difficult and miserable life was to them.Â
Beliefs create and beliefs destroy!Â
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! đđ
It is TEN DAYS until I celebrate the Four Year anniversary of my Health & Fitness Journey.Â
Over the past few days, I have been taking an online Tony Robbins seminar. One of the main ideas that he was trying to impress on us was to become aware of the stories we tell ourselves.
One of the main stories that I have told myself throughout my life was that I was weak and sickly.  Everything and everyone validated that vision I had of myself.
I lived with that vision until I actually was so weak and sickly that I could not go on like that anymore. I knew that I could be somewhat healthier and stronger so I determined to find a way to make it happen.
First off, I determined my core issues – allergies and a collagen deficiency (which for the most part affect my respiratory system).
Through years of trial and error, much support and encouragement from family and friends (especially WordPress friends) I persevered until I got to where I am today.
But I clung to my story that ‘I am weak and sickly, doing everything in my power to deal with my health issues’. And, I was stuck there…
In the past few days, I have come to realize (partly through attending this seminar and partly due to the latest tweak in my personal healthcare routine) that I am NOT destined to be weak and sickly. In fact, I am healing and my strength is increasing.
I know that I have work to do. I will always have to maintain my healthcare routine from my prescription inhalers to my supplements, to my fitness workouts.
But, I also know that as long as I can and do take care of my body, I will be strong and healthy.
This is my new (health) story.Â
Yesterday, I did my regular workout and my thirty minutes on the treadmill. In the afternoon, I went outside with Molly and cleared the snow off of our front landing and steps and our front walks.
Starting today, our temperature is supposed to be plus 5C (41F) and higher in the days to come. Â
On top of my regular workouts and treadmill time, I will be out clearing the ice from all of our walks and paths. Since we had days of freezing rain before our recent deepfreeze there is an abundance of ICE to deal with.
With my past four years of healing and increasing strength, and some help from Mother Nature… I’ve got this!
That is it for day. Take care and have a great day! đđ¤
Since I began my Health and Fitness Journey four years ago, I have focussed on Body, Mind, and Soul – physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Today, I am focussed on all three, not just for myself, but for those around me.
When I got up this morning it felt like -44 ° celcius (-47.6 ° fahrenheit) with the windchill. It wasn’t much better without it! đĽś
That is brutal for anyone who must venture out. We are fortunate that we have the option to stay in our home, snug and warm and comfortable in our retirement. But, I feel for those who have to deal with this weather – as would any normal human being with an ounce of empathy.
But empathy be damned. Our city planners, managers, mayor, councillors, and any and all overpaid city hierarchy who have a voice in such decisions – decided this was a good day to unleash the city graders on our residential streets.
This is our street. The photo does not do the situation justice. The grader operator (under order from those higher up on the chain of command no doubt) passed up and down our street – scraping off the solid pack of ice and snow (which was not causing any issue) and pushed it up against the sidewalks.
It is hard to tell, but this is not a lttle ridge of snow. It is higher and wider than it looks. It is a solid, impenetrable barrier of ice and snow.  The city will not be back to clear it away.  (This is not a one and done – this is an annual event in recent years.)
Our neighbours who do not have the luxury of offstreet parking, will return from work unable to park in front of their homes. They will park as close as they can, and risk exiting their vehicle in traffic – then struggle to climb over this city built obstacle – carrying tots from daycare, groceries, and whatever else they need, to go about their daily lives.
Delivery drivers will risk life and limb to climb over these icy ridges, as will seniors accessing their vehicles, as will people – especially those with mobility issues, struggling to access public transit.Â
For most people in our city, life at minus 44 degrees is more than an inconvenience. That our city would do anything as unconcienable, dangerous, and stupid to make things harder is beyond comprehehension.
It is not a matter of finances. Our city has no issue raising taxes, or spending outrageous sums on vanity projects, or paying obscene severance packages to incompetent city managers who should never have been hired in the first place. They have no problem buying electric buses – in Saskatchewan đ¤Śââď¸, questionable artwork, and so much more.
It is beyond stupid and irresponsible. It is a danger to our physical, emotional, andmental wellbeing and that of our friends, neighbours, and family.Â
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 