Tag: mall walking

January 7th – Day 6 of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Today is a new day and a new opportunity to step up to transcend my previous limitations!

Yesterday went well.  I did my morning aerobics.  I put more focus and effort into each movement.  I felt it for sure,  but I also felt a greater  sense of accomplishment when I was done. 

I met my weekly goal by getting out and about with a visit to Northgate Mall.  Dan drove me and joined me for lunch at the food court.  I had an amazing Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Pork Salad from  Hung’s Happy Kitchen. 

After lunch, Dan left to get gas while I checked out the mall and a few of the shops.  I stopped at the Dollar Store to visit  their Christmas/Valentine/Easter displays.  I did a tour of Fabricland (which was the busiest outlet in the mall).  I checked out the Safeway Store, where there seemed to be more clerks than customers.  And for old time sake, I checked out the kiddie rides.  Twenty years ago, Rory would have loved that dozer!

It is unfortunate how many shops in this mall have closed down.  The place is half deserted.  I’m not sure why.  There are three other major malls in the city that seem to thrive despite the arrival of bigbox stores.

Northgate has a special place in my heart.  I was living across the street from it when I met Dan.  We worked together for eight months before our first date.  We went to a movie.  I chose the movie.  “The English Patient”. 🤦‍♀️ 

Surprisingly, we had a second date.  He came shopping with me to Northgate Safeway.  As a single mother of  three teenagers, working eighty hours a week, grocery shopping was a major event.  When my bill rang up at $250.00 (1997),   Dan asked me how long it had been since I had gone shopping.  

Two weeks later (right on schedule) we were back.  That time the bill rang in at $300.00.  Dan told me I couldn’t be in charge of grocery shopping anymore. 🤣

Dan has been doing our shopping ever since.  He buys in bulk, he checks fliers, and instore sales. He compares brands and price per unit.  He examines eggs and meat, fresh vegetables and fruit.  He reads labels.  He is, no doubt, the better shopper. 

Back to yesterday… Dan returned to pick me up forty five minutes after he left to get gas.  We came home, had tea, and I did a light weight workout. 

Neither of us were hungry for supper, so we skipped that and went straight to our evening wind down. 

Dan watched verious televisoon programs and I took out the new crochet book that I got last week.

As far as flower patterns go, it leaves something to be desired, but it has a LOT of extremely helpful information for beginners or for someone (like me) who hasn’t crocheted for decades.

Winter evenings are problematic for me.  I am not much into television.  Playing mindless, repetitive games on my phone or the computer gets old fast.  And doom scrolling does nothing for my mental or/and emotional well being. 

I am looking forward to challenging my creative skills and talents! And crocheted flowers beats no flowers during our long Saskatchewan winter.

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 42 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It’s Day 42 of tracking and reporting my daily intake.  It is also two days before I begin Year Four – of the health and fitness journey I began in 2022.  It is ALSO my daughter Jennifer’s 44th birthday! 

Jennifer is my youngest of two sons and one daughter.  When she was born, Mark was 3 1/2 years old, Danny was 1 1/2, and of course Jen was a newborn.   I was NOT in the shape I am today.   I’m glad that young mothers now seem to be much more aware of their health and fitness and take better care of themselves than I did back in the day.   

Celebrating Jen’s birthday last year

We are still in the deep freeze. This morning it is -38c without the windchill.   I won’t be venturing far today.   Dan and I were out and about a bit yesterday.  We went to a mall to check out a couple of sales.   I didn’t break the bank shopping but did come away with a new pair of summer shorts.  We also stopped for lunch at Burger King on the way home.  It’s funny how I miss fast food, but the reality never meets my experiences.  🤔

Food Diary – Day 42

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios & (1/4) c 2% milk.  (200)

(1) Burger King Whopper (without bun), medium fries, medium gravy, three mozza fingers, and  2/3s of a medium root beer  (1251)

(1) c tea (1)

(24) oz water

(2) Bowls of amazing homemade chicken noodle soup (238)

(5) Licorice allsorts (107)

(12) oz water

Total calories: 1889

The BK was not worth the cost, the calories, or the salt content.  And the burger was definitely not worth the effort of eating it with wooden utensils.  I am not sure what the options would be if plastic is no longer allowed, but wood does not cut it. (No pun intended 😂).  The only thing that was worth it was sharing the experience with Dan.  Our meals out in general are few and far between and still moments to be treasured.

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