April 26th 2024 ~ Goodbye Dexy 💔

Sometimes losing a pet is more painful than

 losing a human because in the case of the 

pet, you were not pretending to love it...

 My sister Rima and family are grieving right now.  Their boy 

Dexter (Dexy) took his last breath today.  It's never easy.  

My heart is also hurting, for I loved Dexy so much 💔

Dexy was 17 years old. Same age as Lilly Vade.  Yes he

 lived a long and good life, but it's never easy letting go even

 when you know you are doing the right thing for him 💔

My heart is sad right now.

Until one has loved an animal, a 

part of one's soul remains un-awakened...

~Nadiya~

Life with Sniff 💜 Thursday April 26th

Do today what should be done.

 Your tomorrow may never come...

Everyday with Sniff is a beautiful day.  He is one of

 the most affectionate kitty we have had.  He may not 

like being picked up, but as soon as you are seated he

 comes to be with you.  Sniff loves being close to us. 

He follows Arvid everywhere.  Together they

 hangout in the balcony  and watch boats and

 birds go by.  They understand each other.

Brutus used to wait for Arvid to pet him before

 he ate his foodies, now Sniff is doing exactly the same.  

Cute to see, but not a good thing in the long run.  Of course

I worry about when we are not home what will happen.

Today if all goes well Arvid and I plan on heading 

to Fort Myers Beach for lunch.  Planning on going to 

Matanzas on the Bay.  Hopefully nothing unexpected shows 

up and spoil our plans.  The way thigs have been going..

Demolition of the marina continues in full swing.  As

 Arvid says, "so much to see right now"  Keeps him/us busy. 

 Every so often we peek out the bedroom window or the 

just take time "off" in the balcony to watch the work.

Progress is what pushes you forward 

towards your ultimate destination. It advances 

you closer and closer towards your goals... 

~Nadiya~

Thursday April 25th~

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace

 for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow...

My "last" outside view before going to bed.  Of 

course that is if Arvid did not close the blinds 😂

Mornings on the balcony.  For Sniff it always begins as an

 adventure.  At first he's dubious if he wants to go out.  Then 

he gets brave and does go out, after that he never wants to come 

back in.  We sometime have to trick him into coming back in.

It's the same everyday, but even so, Sniff knows

 exactly what time Arvid goes out and he patiently 

waits until we are done with breakfast and the

 door to the outside world opens up for him.

For Arvid it also means he/we can check out the

 work in progress.  The demolition crew working to rebuild 

the marina next to us is busy.  This was last Thursday.

Today the building is on it's way down and we and all the 

neighbors could not be any happier.  Progress is finally coming

 almost 19 months after Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers.

Never has the site of debris/trash been so welcoming.

Another beautiful day awaits us.  Another recheck awaits me.  

Definitely life has and is good to us.  Hope you can all see the 

beauty all around you and be grateful for each new day.

Acknowledging the good that you already have in 

your life is the foundation for all abundance...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday April 24th~

A whole new world, that's where we'll be a thrilling 

chase of a wonderous place for you and me..

 This past Sunday Arvid and I checked out a place called Matlacha 

(pronounced mat-la-shay)  This is an "Old Florida" fishing village

 known for many bright colored art galleries, island boutiques,

 seafood restaurants, and traditional Floridian cottages.

We found this very cute restaurant on the water.  It just

 happened to be their reopening week after Hurricane Ian. 

 I think half of Florida was there.  The place was packed

 and the line of cars went on for miles on the road.

From there Arvid and I drove around to check out the 

surrounding towns.  A few other restaurants on the water, 

but what caught our attention most was their landmark.

It is always good to go and discover new places.  I find the 

place and then Arvid maps out how to get there.  Team work.

The truth be told, there is still a lot of visible damage from 

Hurricane Ian.  This restaurant we went to, as I mentioned 

before just reopened this past week.  Progress is slow

getting there as you can see from the picture below.

After a very good birthday, Sniff is ready to catch up on sleep.

Just one small positive thought in the morning

 can change your whole day.  Life is either 

a daring adventure or nothing at all...

~Nadiya~

My Sniff's Birthday~ April 23rd

I have what I have. And I am happy. I have 

lost what I’ve lost. And I am still happy...

 Sniff is nine years old today.  We have had him for

 eight of those nine years, and all I can say is thank you.

  Sniff entered our lives during a difficult time.  

Our Shadow had just died a most horrific death, and the

 death of our Brutus was still raw.  Sometimes life’s worst

 moments lead you directly to your happiest moments.

Not a day goes by that I don't appreciate Sniff in our lives.  

He is the most loving, cuddly kitty I know.  He still does not

 like being picked up, but as soon as we sit, he's right there

 next to us.  I love him so much that sometimes it scares me.

There is a saying that says, "I love my cat more than

 I love most people."  Have to say this is very true.  

Just watching my Sniff makes me happy.

Cats leave paw prints in your heart, forever and always.

I don’t need too many people to be happy, just a few real ones,

 who appreciate you for who you are, and definitely a Sniff/cat

 in our home and lives.  Looking forward to a long, long time

 with Sniff in our lives.  I would take forever if possible.

Also a very happy birthday to the man I share my 

life with, Arvid Hvidsten.  I won't change a thing.

I look forward to many more adventures together.

Today Sniff will be having an extra Sheba pate.

  I'm sure he will be trilled when he sees he's having an 

extra meal for the day.  Tomorrow we will watch his diet,

 but today he feasts.  After all, Sniff is my happy place.

A soulmate is not a perfect person, but

 someone whose flaws complement yours.

I love my cats more than I love most people. 

Probably more than is healthy 🐾

~Nadiya~

Monday April 22nd~

 Trouble knocked at the door, 

but hearing laughter, hurried away...

April is flying away right before my eyes.

The new week begins with me looking forward to 

celebrating 2 birthdays.  My two favorite boys both have 

birthdays on the same day.  Tomorrow is their day.

Today another doctors appointment.  I'm on the right path. 

 To all a very good day and a productive week ahead.

Whenever you’re feeling sad, just remember that some 

of the best days of your life have yet to come...

~Nadiya~

Sunday April 21st~

Participate in life instead of just watching it pass you by...

 Some days it's just too beautiful a day to just sit at home 

and do nothing.  Yesterday was another of those days.  We had our

 walk downtown and ended up at the ice-cream store.  Best ice-cream. 

 I have had the pralines and cream from Häagen-Dazs  and other places, 

but this one takes the cake.  So good.  Always a special treat 🍦

Most Friday evenings we usually have our slice of pizza.

  Another treat we look forward to all week. It's so good.

It's been a while since I last posted

 some Florida humor.  Well here it comes.

Under Florida's "stand your ground" law, it is legal to shoot 

anybody for any reason as long as you are standing on the ground😂

In some other state, a person might say to himself, "I believe I 

shall pose as Superman by the side of the road!" But in Florida, that 

person is also going to say, "But first, I shall remove my pants!

Just a little more and our Sniff will be 9 years old.

The soon to be birthday boy is hungry.  Nothing gets 

between Sniff and his foodies.  Healthy boy.  Healthy appetite.

Wishing everyone a very good day.  Arvid and I had our 

little downtown outing yesterday.  As always a very good time. 

 A little walk a little nibble, some music.  Makes us happy

The good life is one inspired 

by love and guided by knowledge...

~Nadiya~

Saturday April 20th~

Taurus motto Don't talk, act! Don't say, 

show! Don't promise, prove!

 There is a saying about those born under the sign of Taurus. 

 Goes like this: Never ever start a fight, but when the time

 comes, always stand up for yourself, Always finish it.

Our Sniff was born under this sign, as is Arvid 💙

Both boys celebrate their birthdays on the same day.  

Could not be any better than that.  My two favorite guys🎉

born under the sign of Taurus.  Taurus knows how to have a 

good time, so they are fun and always-up-for-it company.

Birthday for these two same day next week.  Lucky me.

This was from our Reggae trip the other night.

Arvid and I continue to enjoy life in Fort Myers, and

 everyday we find more reasons to love where we live.

To all a very good day.   Always remember 

to enjoy your life – to be happy. 

It’s no use going back to yesterday, 

because I was a different person then...

~Nadiya~

Sunday April 14th~ (Late Post)

Some people have lives; some people have music.

   Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, 

flight to the imagination, and life to everything...

I was supposed to post this on Sunday April 14th.  

Got caught up with stuff and just noticed it.

  Here it goes, a little late but still accurate.

 The annual Tampa Bay Blues Festival returns to 

Vinoy Park on the waterfront for three days, and Arvid

 and I will be right there.  We won't be doing all 3 days 

because it's way too hot to be in the sun all day long.  

Years ago we would go for all three days.  We would

 come back home all crisp and sunburnt.  Especially Arvid. 

 He's just too white after all.  No matter how much protection 

we had against the sun, it was just too hot for so many days.

All of that being said, both Arvid and I are looking forward 

very much to the festival today.  It will be hot most of the day,

 but at night it sure gets cold.  We get a taste of it all, and best of 

all there is the music and the beautiful surroundings around us.

  It's a universal language that anyone can understand. 

It has the power to change lives. It's not a requirement to

 be able to play an instrument to appreciate it. Music 

is the ultimate gift, both to give and receive...

~Nadiya~