Friday August 12th ~

 The biggest adventure you can ever

 take is to live the life of your dreams....

And just like that it is Friday again.  Just last Friday

 we were in Memphis, boy this week sure went by fast.  

Best part is we are always happy to be home.

Friday.  Usually we go out for a little nibble and a drink,

 but not sure if we will today.  We had more than enough

 in Memphis, but it's a new day so who knows?

All good here.  Some days I get restless.  Not used to 

being so idle, but I will not complain because when we

 were at Almost Home there was no rest for us.

Happy Friday from all of us.  Make it a good one.

Roll with the punches and enjoy every minute of it...

~Nadiya~

Waiting, Not My Best Quality ~

Patience is not simply the ability to wait, 
 it's how we behave while we're waiting... 

Because we had to take back Almost Home within a short 

time of coming back to Branson; I never had time to even look 

into doctors, especially into an endocrinologist.  After weeks

 of trying to get hold of one, someone finally answered. 

 I finally managed to talk to a real person.  I do have an 

appointment.  earliest appointment available was October 12th.

  Much later than I wanted but what can i say, I guess I am thankful

 I have one.  As a friend of mine loves to say, "it is what it is."

Forget about seeing a dentist.  I have called so

 many their answer is more or less the same, "we are not

 seeing new patients for the rest of the year, but if you like 

you can schedule an appoint for early next year."

Well I'll be darned.  I told the girl at the endocrinologist's 

office that I could die before I make it to the appointment. 

 She was a little taken back for words, but finally said, 

"I'm sorry.  if someone cancels we will call you."

I did see a general doctor mid June concerning bites I was

 getting.  He recommended a tetanus shot which I got.  He 

also recommended a full lab work up.  With thyroids issues it's 

recommended you do labs every 3 months.  The last time I did lab

 word was October 2021 in Puerto Rico.  Soon to be 10 months.

So he wrote up the script for the blood work and said he 

would send it to the lab.  This was mid June.  So last week 

the doctor's office called and asked why I had not gone to the lab 

and had my blood work done.  I made an excuse, and said I will

 be going.  So the next day I went.  This was last Thursday.

I got to the lab all excited because it was not full. 

 I was seen right away.  The phlebotomist checked her 

computer to see what it is I needed done.  Well low and behold,

 there was nothing in their system for my lab work.  The

 doctor's office had completely  forgotten to send it in.  

Let's see how it goes this week.  So far I am not having

 a good impression of how the medical/dental system 

works here.  Last time we lived here it worked smoothly.  

Everyone now blames COVID. Who knows?

Our day is looking good.  The days are still hot, but

 the evenings and mornings are cooler.  Loving the cooler 

temperatures.  No longer a fan of the heat.  Neither of us.

Good morning everyone.  Soon it's the weekend.  Again 😂

Life consists not in holding good cards 

but in playing those you hold well....

~Nadiya~

Wednesday August 10th ~

How people die remains in the memory of those who live on...

Yesterday via zoom I watched the viewing services for 

my aunt in New York.  Today you don't have to be there to 

"be there" makes you at least feel a little better.  I saw my 

dad, the eldest brother in the family make his speech.  

My dad is a good speaker and it was touching.

A sad fact is that with life comes death. It

 will happen to all of us. But that doesn’t make 

dealing with or understanding it any easier.

As the new day begins, we have many things we're 

working on.  A few places we would like to go to and a 

few "bigger" chores that need taking care of here at home.

  Never a dull moment.  Who said when you "retire" you 

actually slow down.  We sure have not seen that yet.

Yesterday we were at Almost Home.  I was happy to

 meet the littlest member there.  He finally came home

 from the hospital, almost a month after being born.  I also 

saw a few of our tenants, got some hugs and left smiling.

The wildlife has been fed and taken care of.  Sniff has

 been brushed and fed, now he is just watching the birds

 and trying to stay out of Arvid's papers.  Overall a very 

good morning here.  Wishing you all the same.

Happy Birthday Victoria.  Enjoy your day an your 

vacation in Ibiza.  Never forget how special you are 💗

Two things define you: your patience when you have

 nothing and your attitude when you have everything...

~Nadiya~

It Is What It Is ~

 You can't be everything to everyone. It is what it is, 

it is what you make it. Not everything happens

 when you expect it; it is what it is...

Not so long ago we communicated by calling 

and having a “real” conversation.  Hearing a person 

on the other end of the phone.  Especially when

 you can’t see that person so very often.  

Arvid is one that gets really annoyed when someone 

tries to text him, especially after he has told them

 that all he has is a flip phone.  Needless to say, he

 ignores the text, and deletes the message.  He says,

"if they can't call me then it's not that important."

Arvid has many qualities, most I admire.  One of 

his so many admirable qualities is that he has been

 calling his mother Molly in Norway for over 40 years

 every Sunday at more or less the same time. 

She could set her clock with his calls. 

 Arvid's mom died in January of this year. 

 What a difference one call less makes 😥 Also he 

has his 2 daughters in Norway who he has been calling 

every Sunday without fail for last 30 or so years.  Michelle

 is married with kids so we have had to adjust  to when 

is a good time for them. But even so the calls are

 always there. You hear each other’s voice 💚

Today everyone texts 🙊. Me included.  At least I

 text using actual words. Then there are those who just 

use these so called emoji’s, Bitmoji’s or some random 

thing they copied from elsewhere.  Impersonal is

 what we have then become in these situations.

The truth is that I don't always read all these things 

that are copied and sent to me.  Too much.  If you're going

 to text I'd rather have a few words.  make it more personal.  

That's just my way of thinking.  I text with my mom and 

sisters, but we also talk.   I need to  hear their voices.

Random pictures of some very good times in 

today's blog.  Happy Tuesday to all.  The week is

 still fresh and we can still make those changes

 we keep talking about, at least try our best.

My least favorite expression: it is what it is 🤮 Life happens.

Unpredictability means what it means. 

I don't know how you define it. It is what it is...

 

~Nadiya~

Monday August 8th ~

 With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts...

I actually missed this little dude.  He's just adorable.  Lil' Gerald.
He loves to eat, and I really like watching him munch along.

The leaves are falling from the tree.  Too early for fall.

Sniff missed us.  We missed him.  Everything is back to "normal" 

 With the new week comes new challenges and new goals that

 need to be met.  Let's  see how the next few days play out 🙏

Our family has been hit with bad news times 2.  My aunt,

 my dad's sister died in New York over the weekend.  She was

 ill and it was "expected" but when it happens it's another thing. 

 Of course my parents are now headed to New York. 

The were already booked on a flight a little later in the month,

 but my aunt died before they got to see her.  Like everyone

 in my dad's family, she was a kind woman, and when we lived 

in Guyana, she was always kind to us, especially to me.

We also got the news that a friend of ours more like a sister

 to us also lost her husband/better half of over 29 years.  Even 

Arvid met him in Puerto Rico and remembers him as the guy

 with the cars.  Nirvana was closest to them, and she is devastated

 as well.  Our entire family grieve for him right now. She is

 and will always be our sister from another mother 💔💔

Good morning all.  Monday again. Each new day

 has a different shape to it. You just roll with it. 

It takes strength to step enthusiastically into each 

day of our lives. This strength comes more readily on some 

days than on others, but every day makes demands on us...

~Nadiya~

Sunday August 7th ~

 Life is much better when you're living in the present moment...

No matter where we go, we are always happy

 when it's time to go back home.  We have had a good time. 

 Heard lots of music, walked all over Beale Street. 

 Had good foodies and yummy drinks. 

 That was all good, but now we are recharged and 

ready to go back home to Sniff.  Sniff is my

 happy place and I can't wait to see him.

To all a good day, don't forget, it makes a big 

difference in your life if you stay positive.

Folks are usually about as happy

 as they make up their minds to be...

~Nadiya~

🎶 Saturday August 6th 🎶

🎸 Today, take a minute and look back how far you 

have come.  No one can take that away from you🎸 ...

It has been a long time coming, but we are back in 

Memphis, Tennessee.  If you love the Blues like Arvid

 does, then we are definitely in the right place.  We love

 these short road trips.  Nott too long away from home, but

 enough to recharge your spirits, and brighten your day.

Where words fail music speaks, and we are listening.

Arvid and I have been here many times before, even so 

I love walking on Beale Street.  There is a little of everything, 

and you will always be surprised by the unexpected.  If you 

love the Blues then this is the right place for you 🎶🎸

With just a couple of days, one can't "waste" any time 😂

Sometimes in life you just have to go with the feel of the music.

  These are the times Arvid is at his happiest and most relaxed.

After silence, that which comes nearest 

to expressing the inexpressible is music...

~Nadiya~

Friday August 5th Road Trip ~🎸

 It's the little details that are vital.

 Little things make big things happen...

 Life is a beautiful journey that is meant to be embraced

 to the fullest every day. However, that doesn’t mean you always 

wake up ready to seize the day, and sometimes need a reminder 

that life is a great gift, always look for that reminder 💛

Arvid and I came back to Branson, MO with the intention of 

relaxing and enjoying a few road trips.  Just a short drive from

 us and we are in "music territory."  Neither of us are that keen on 

flying anymore, of course we have to, does not mean we want to.

On one of our road trips to Tennessee; it's a must.  Graceland.

  One time is good.  Just like Disney World.  You see it once 

and you're good.  Same goes for Silver Dollar City here

 in Branson.  Once is more than enough.

That's what made Branson so perfect.  It's in a central 

location.  Close to so many venues.  Of course let's not forget, 

Almost Home is here.  We do have to protect our investment.

Some of our best times are these short road trips. Long 

enough to make it sweet, and short enough to not get bored. 

 One of those many wonderful trips took us to Gdańsk Poland.  

Sometimes you do have to fly in order to get there.

We begin our road trip and we continue to make memories

that will last a lifetime.  To all a good weekend.  Ours is 

soon about to begin. Let the music soothe your souls 🎸

Where there is music, sooner or later we will be there.

Music is the only language in which 

you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing...

~Nadiya~

Thursday August 4th ~

 I intend to live life, not just exist...

Today I go to Almost Home for a little.  Very excited to

 see everyone.  Also good to know that I can go, and just leave 

whenever I choose to.  Do I miss it?  No I don't miss

 the long days, and the cleaning and scrubbing. 

 What I do miss are the people and my daily chats 

with them.  I miss filling up the candy bowl.  I miss believe it 

or not buying little groceries for the box and seeing the tenants 

face as they found an item or two or three that would make

 a meal for them.  Those are the things I miss most.

We survived the visit to the vet.  Enough said on that. 🙏

Another week almost over.  Before we know it August is done, 

and there is so many things we would like to do 🎸To all a good day. 

 Remember, you can't live a positive life with a negative mind.

Our week was looking so good, but then suddenly things 

changed.   No one is sick.  All our families are good 😍,

but circumstances suddenly can change then your life

 becomes a tad bit more stressful, but I'm sure we will

 deal with it.  Already working on remedying the issue.

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday August 3rd ~

 We keep moving forward, opening new doors, 
and doing new things, because we're curious and 

curiosity keeps leading us down new paths...

Today we take Sniff-Sniff to the vet.  Definitely not

 looking forward to this.  Just getting him into the carrier

 is a job all by itself.  I have been "preparing" him for it. 

 Left the carrier out for over a week now.  He walks

 around it nd takes off like a bat outta hell.

The other day I had a sangria with my dinner, as always

 anytime I have this sangria it reminds me of Puerto Rico.  Of the

 many times we went with Nirvan and Kimsy to Longhorn in

 San Juan. Some days I really miss it all, at the same time I 

know we are where we should be at this time in our lives.

You ever want to take a step back from all that drama that goes 

on around you?  Yes, that's the way I feel right now.  "Drama"

 all around.  It's not like it's not always happening, but there

 comes a point in life when you just say, "I've had enough."  

Does not mean you don't care/like the person anymore.  

Just means you need a little breathing space 👀

So many people prefer to live in drama because it's comfortable.

 It's like someone staying in a bad marriage or relationship; it's 

actually easier to stay because they know what to expect every

 day, versus leaving and not knowing what to expect. Life.

To all a good day. Definitely not looking forward to the trip 

later on to the vet, but when it comes to our pets, we do for them 

what we don't even do for ourselves.  And I love every moment 

of making Sniff happy.  Why?  Because he makes us happy.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps

 it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to 

the music which he hears, however measured or far away...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday August 2nd ~

A goal without a plan is only a dream... 

And just like that August began.  There is no stopping 

it now either.  Like everything, once it begins it takes on a

 life of it's own. That being said, fall is around the corner, 

which means winter also will follow close behind.  

At my insistence, Arvid agreed to make his famous 

hot chocolate.  He says it's was not the right time, but 

I said whenever one feels like it, it is the right time.  

So he made it, and of course was happy he did.

I have always enjoyed the colors of fall, and here in

 Missouri it is exceptionally beautiful.  Looking forward

 to seeing the leaves change color and to hopefully 

not have to spend another winter here. Too cold.

 That's the plan, and now we have to work on achieving it.

  Like everything else, once you have a goal in mind, 

you do everything possible in order to achieve it.

If you don't know where you are going,

 you will probably end up somewhere else...

~Nadiya~