politics – Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

Marching On…

March 1, 2022March 1, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in March 2022

I have been rather MIA on WordPress for the past few days. There was nothing specifically wrong. I just got caught up in real life.

1) Pet News… Kat and I paid a visit to the vet yesterday. She received a vaccine and a clean bill of health. Yay!

2) Politics… have been the subject of virtually every article I have read lately. 🙄 It is amazing how so many people feel that they have all of the answers to all of the issues locally, nationally, and globally. I understand that people have opinions and are free to express them… But it is obvious that the people who are most adamant about what is being done wrong, and how it must be done, have half the facts and have twisted them to suit their purpose.

3) Bizarre…The world watches the Russian/Ukraine situation – the destruction, the devastation, the danger of it spreading to global conflict. In North America, there are still those vehemently protesting health mandates that have for the most part been dropped. 🤦

4) Anger... I grew up in a peaceful home. There was never screaming or physical violence of any sort – not from my parents and not amongst the siblings. It just wasn’t done, so I definitely was not prepared for it in the real world. I used to be terrified of angry people. I felt that they were attacking me with their anger – often for something I did, something I should have anticipated would upset them. A couple of years ago, I realized that it isn’t about me. Angry people spew anger because that is what they are – angry. I still do not understand how or why some people can be so angry. I do not trust angry people. I think they are irrational, unstable, destructive, and unpredictable. There are a lot of angry people in the world these days. They are virtually impossible to avoid altogether without shutting oneself off completely. Since that is not terribly practical, I have been spending a lot of time focussing on building up my inner reserve of peace, happiness, and love. I doubt that I will ever figure out how to affect how angry people feel (or express themselves) but I am hopeful that I can get to a place where they do not change or affect how I feel. That would be nice. 🤗

5) Taxes.. I have completed and submitted our taxes. Yay!!! Due to a small glitch in the program I was using, I received an email from the government advising me that they had revised my math and that our refund was $500.00 higher than I expected it to be. More Yay!!!

***Not quite spring but at least it is MARCH***

That’s all I have for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞

October 19th- Covid Care

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021 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. 💞

October 13th – Special 🤨

October 13, 2021October 13, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

I am veering off the warm and fuzzy for today’s blog post. The news story that attracted my attention today is one that focuses on yet another Canadian ‘special interest’ group.

The group in the news today, are the “Conservatives of Chinese Descent”. They are pushing Erin O’Toole, the current leader of the Conservative Party, to resign after his loss in our recent federal election. They claim that his loss was at least partially due to O’Toole’s “tougher approach to China”.

There are more than twenty thousand special interest groups in Canada. A list of some of these groups in Canada can be found here. These special interest groups (listed or otherwise) typically have three things in common : a desire for government funding, a desire to influence government policy and legislation, and a total indifference to find workable solutions or to compromise with any other group of Canadians. Being special, it is all about them and their agenda.

In my view – Governments are formed to collect funds (taxes) to provide and maintain the services that individuals, individual communities, or individual provinces cannot manage on their own. Once elected, governments should do what they are elected to do without pressure from thousands of ‘special interest groups’ who feel that their rights and agendas outweigh that of society as a whole. During elections, politicians should be expected to release their platform and state their qualifications for ensuring that their platform can and will be implemented. Period.

People in Canada (and probably in every country in the free world) are forever complaining about the size of government, cost of government, corruption of government, and incompetence of government. Then, they run to government in little groups, hands out for money and fists pounding for action on their demands. How is any government supposed to operate efficiently under such conditions?

I have no idea how we reverse this trend of special interest groups and massive government, but this is not working and it is only getting worse.

Thanks for listening. 🙄 (For the record, I have nothing against Chinese Canadians, nor am I particularly for Erin O’Toole. I do not belong to the Conservative Party or any other political party.) As always, feel free to comment below. All I ask is that you keep it respectful. Thank you. 💞

***Just a group of happy musical frogs*** 😏

Take care and have a great day! 💞

September 21st – Sharing is Caring

September 21, 2021December 2, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

I am pressed for time today, so once again I am just sharing a few random ‘pieces of my mind’.

**This one needs no explanation as to what was going through my mind when I brought in the mail this morning. 🤨 (In case you can’t tell, the city found four coffee cups when they scanned our** ***recycling).***

**I invited Mark and Dom over for an early birthday supper for Mark tonight. We still had leftover carrot cake so I baked them each a cookie for desert.** 😂

Those last three photos were all taken one after another and I was almost in the same place. (I was a bit closer to the fence for the middle shot). We see those little blue beans often – sometimes alone, sometimes in groups. No idea what they are. Sometimes there are some behind our house, sometimes beside our house, sometimes on the power poles. Wierd. 🤔

That is all I have for today! Take care and have a good rest of the day💞

August 16 – More Wedding Prep

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in gratitude - August 2021

It is days away from my son’s wedding and I am getting ready for the drive and the big day. There is not that much I had to do – hotel reservations, haircut, outfit to wear, gift, that sort of thing. Husband Dan will get the Jeep ready. Son Dan and Amanda have their arrangements all made so there is little to be done for them.

Now, my biggest challenge is getting myself ready. Son Dan is a good man and we are delighted that we are able to go to celebrate his marriage to Amanda. Amanda is an amazing partner for him. She is funny and intelligent and caring and bursting with the energy necessary to keep up with Dan and their three children plus run her own small business! Most of all she is always saying that she is grateful for Dan, as we know he is for her. That is so huge for both of them and their relationship. Many couples focus on the faults of their partners. It is heartwarming to see a couple who constantly focus on each other’s strengths.

So, we are happy for them and we look forward to seeing them and celebrating with them. But, all is not roses. There are a couple of challenges going into this weekend.

The first being that we will be spending a weekend with my ex and his wife. To be honest, I do not have an issue with my ex being there. He is the father of my son (and his siblings). We have been divorced longer than we were married. Quite frankly the last few years of our marriage were so bad that I never wanted either of us to hold any lingering animosity or the such once it ended. I do have issues with his wife. For the past twenty years she has been on some mission to rewrite our history, discredit me, victimize my ex, and basically (with the help of my ex’s family) brainwash my sons into believing her version of our past.

The second challenge is that our Prime Minister called a federal election yesterday. This should hardly be a cause for alarm at a wedding party for a loving couple and their beautiful blended family. Except, this party is being held at a Saskatchewan/Alberta border city. Chances are, this will get ugly. I do not care that I do not agree with the politics of most of the people who will be there. I seldom, if ever bother to argue politics with others. But, there is a time a place and I would easily get upset if anyone decided that this would be a good time or place to start a political rant.

So…. I have my work cut out for me this week! I am digging way deep to fill my heart and soul with enough peace and love and happiness to get through this weekend with a positive mindset. I want to add to the joy of this weekend for Dan, Amanda and their family. I want to have a good weekend away with my husband Dan. I want to enjoy this very special weekend! 💞

I just finished a nice meditation, which I enjoyed in my little space under our big tree. I am feeling good and feeling surrounded by an energy of peace and contentment. Now I just have to build on these feelings and I will be the ‘Mother of the Groom‘ that I truly wish to be. 👍

Please wish me luck, and keep me in your thoughts and prayers. All will be truly appreciated! I don’t know how many can relate. This is one of those situations that may sound rediculous but that can be totally challenging to find oneself in. 🙄

**I have little Dom here this week to help me attain the right mindset.** **He definitely has the ‘peace’ vibe going right now.** 🥱

Take care, have a great day and see you tomorrow! 💞

Canadian Politics

June 24, 2020June 24, 2020 by annemariedemyen, posted in Social Issues

I do not discuss politics often. In this day and age, it seems as if it is not so much a discussion as a drag down/knock out fight. However, today I will make an exception.

In Canada, there are three main parties – the Conservatives on the right, the NDP (New Democrat Party) on the Left and the Liberals in the middle. Although Canada is far from being as politically intense as our southern neighbours, there are Canadians who are to the extreme right of the Conservatives and the extreme left of the NDP. These two demographics seem to be growing – or at least growing increasingly vocal.

I am not a card carrying member of any party but, since I prefer compromise to battle, I tend to favour the Liberals – who happen to be currently in power.

I voted Liberal in the past two elections because I am comfortable supporting them and their leader. I like Justin Trudeau for three reasons. (1) He consistently displays affection, kindness, respect and appreciation for his parents. (2) He consistently displays affection, kindness, respect and appreciation for his wife. (3) He consistently displays affection, kindness respect and appreciation for his children.

I do not have a major issue with the left or far left. I just do not believe that all of their ideals, although important and well meaning, are practical as a be all and end solution for maintaining a strong country. In Canada, the left – even the extreme far left, tend to fight for their beliefs with protests and the like – mainly peaceful demonstrations. They take issue with the Liberal government and Justin Trudeau for not doing enough to support their causes and I can respect that.

I have a harder time finding respect for the right, specifically the far right. They tend to flat out oppose anything the Liberal Government does. They flat out oppose anything Justin Trudeau does. Justin Trudeau and the Liberals can be doing exactly what the majority of countries and their leaders are doing and it is all wrong – and all Trudeau’s fault. (He caused the pandemic, caused the many repercussions of the pandemic, caused the fall in oil prices, caused the increasing frequency and devastation of natural disasters around the globe, caused the ramping up of racial tensions, etc. … 🙄). Those on the far right seldom show any respect in their opposition and quite frequently spread questionable ‘facts’, use righteous indignation, or use questionable humor in their quest to destroy the credibility of Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. This is politics as it is today and politicians know what they are getting into when they run for public office. I generally roll my eyes 👀 at such nonsense and move on.

Then there are those, from the far right, who attack and taunt anyone who supports Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. These people are not just small pockets of strangers. Some of these people are relatives and friends. To these people I am a libtard and a snowflake, unworthy of using my vote as I see fit, and too lazy to take care of myself and my family (hence my support for social programs, justice and the like). These are people who know that I am worthy of respect. These are people who know that I not only have the right to my vote, but who deserves that right. These are people who know that I have worked all of my adult life to provide for myself and my family, who has helped others in need and who has paid my share of taxes regardless of who was in government. None of this matters, to those on the far right (specifically people on the far right who know me) because I chose to vote for the Liberals and Justin Trudeau. 🙄

I do not fight often but I will fight for my right to vote as I see fit. AND I will fight for every other Canadian’s right to vote for whoever they see fit. (Even those who know me but choose to mock, attack and insult me for how I vote.) 🇨🇦