Happy Days ~

Actually, it's moving along so well considering 
all the work that had to be done.  Moving right along...

A new week begins and it couldn't start better.  Arvid is

 back home with us.  We missed him very much.  Last Sunday 

he left for Florida, driving my car back. Yup, now when I get 

back before him, (maybe) I will have my car.  He was gone for 

an entire week, but I was busy so time went by fast for me.

We were supposed to go together, but I did not want to leave 

Sniff on his own.  Especially with people coming in and out of 

the house.  Glad for that.  Plus I didn't feel like going.

Arvid said he loved being back in Fort Lauderdale, but the truth is

 after 4 days he would call and tell me how he was ready to come

 back home.  Yes, home is where your heart is.  Always.

Sniff and I are happy he's back.  We are complete.

With the selling of the house there is lots to do.  While Arvid 

was gone I was dealing with different roofing companies, getting 

estimates, and with our home owners insurance adjuster as well. 

 I think I have made quite a good deal on the roof. Happy!

Sniff is now more relaxed.  Finally his dada is back and he can

 now rest and not have to wait by the door all day long.  Yes, 

Sniff sat /slept by the door in hopes of Arvid coming home.

Who knows what the week hold, but one thing I know for

 sure is that we will be seeing my parents by the weekend. 

 I have been waiting for this since for weeks now.

I am counting down the days until we get to North Carolina.
Happiness is knowing we are going to see you both soon.

It's been a long time coming, but we're
 almost there.  I'm happy...

~Nadiya~

Relaxing Day ~

Hopefully, through all aspects of life, you learn from things 
you've got right, things you've got wrong, but I'm not one
 for looking back. I'm looking ahead; you've got to...

Been looking forward to this day for a week now.  

Happy days again.  Sniff and I woke up as usual early, watched

 the birds and had coffee time and brushing time together.
Also we’re happy Arvid is back home. Compete again.

Also I had lots of time to let my mind take me to places.
Many happy places, memories, and some not so happy
times.  Life.  No one ever said it was a bed of roses.

Soon Arvid will be awake and who knows how the day will pan

 out.  Hopefully today we will eat at home.  It's been 2 weeks

 of eating out everyday, so eating at home is a treat.

Many things to do in the weeks ahead of us.  For now,
we will just relax and enjoy our day together.

Wishing you all a happy day and peaceful times.

Looking back at our life's voyage, I can only say that it has been 
a golden trip, and it's not done as yet.  The voyage continues...

~Nadiya~

Looking Back ~

I don't know whether you can look at your past and find, 

woven like the hidden symbols on a treasure map,

 the path that will point to your final destination...

I woke up thinking about how much our lives have changed,

 and how it will soon be changing again.  Now that we are done with 

he hotel business, we will be soon going back to Florida.  

I am looking forward to it and everyday I am trying to think

 of ways to keep busy.  I know I will manage.  So much to do 

back in Fort Lauderdale, so staying busy will be the

 least of our troubles.  Well mine at least.

This morning I have been looking at pictures of "the way we used to be"

 of the things we used to do and of the many possibilities

 that await us again.  Very exciting prospect.

Life definitely has changed for us, and though not all of it was good, 

we sure have learnt a lot in these last two years and have made

 friends and memories that will always be cherished.

Yes it will be good to go back to Florida and who knows start

 something new again.  Here in Branson since I no longer have 

Almost Home I don't know what to do with my time. 

It's god to look back once in a while on the life we left behind, but one

 we will be coming back to.  Now with Sniff it will be a whole new 

adventure to look forward to.  We will make more memories, and we 

will continue to have fun no matter what we do and where we go.

To all of you a good day.  May we never forget to be grateful 

for what we have and to always be kind to one and other.

I think back to this moment sometimes now, look back at that

 person I was, months before I couldn't unknow what had happened.  

Today I am not the same person I was back then, for that I am thankful...

~Nadiya~

Friday Again ~

The most beautiful moments always seemed to accelerate 

and slip beyond one’s grasp just when you want

 to hold onto them for as long as possible....

This week went by extremely fast.  It helps to stay busy, 

and of course to have a little fun time in between.

Bonnie, one of my tenants/friends from Almost Home, and I went 

out for dinner and drinks a couple of days ago.  Bonnie is a riot.

 and she makes me laugh.  She's from Georgia, and says 

she hopes to go back one day.  I really hope she does.

What has surprised me in the last two weeks are all the cars 

we have seen with Florida license plates.  It seems like every other 

car is from Florida.  Makes me wonder what's going on.

My week has been busy.  I did go to Almost Home for 

a visit, but other than that I have had many things going on to 

keep me occupied.  Sniff has been really quiet and lately he seems

 pretty jumpy whenever he hears any sounds.  One thing that 

has not changed is that he loves sitting by the window sills.

It's happy Hour Friday again.  Wishing 

you all a great and fun weekend ahead.

Although I understand that all days are equal with 

24 hours each, most of us agree that Friday is the longest 

day of the week and Sunday the shortest!...

~Nadiya~

A Reminder To All Of Us...

The sign of great parenting is not the child's behavior.

The sign of truly great parenting is the parent's behavior...

I shared this on FB the other day.  

It's beautiful.  Like I told my sisters, 

"you all have daughters."  Sometimes life 

gets so busy we "forget" what's important.

  Our mom no matter what her day has thrown 

her way never, but never is not there for us.

I will be the first to admit to being impatient at times. 

 There was always so much going on in our lives the 

last 2 years that I sometimes was short and abrupt.  

Not only to my mom but also to my sisters.

 I have made a promise to myself to be better.

I have a lot of time on my hands right now, and I realize that 

my parents are getting older and I want to enjoy every moment with

 them and to be a better person because that's how they raised us all. 

 To be kind, patient and to have compassion for others. 

 I have to work on my patience.  I can definitely do better.  

Our mom has all the patience in the world, and I am 

sure there are days she would rather have some time 

for herself, but when we need her she is there.  

That's what mothers do for their children.  As we all grow 

older let us not forget that our parents are also getting older, and

 we must all learn to be kinder, gentler and more patient with them.

You can learn so many things from your children.

Like how much patience you have.  Have a great day everyone.

It takes a mother's Patience to bring a child up right, 

and her Courage and her Cheerfulness to make a dark day right...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday .. Halfway There ~

Too much time on my hands. It’s ticking away with

 my sanity.  I’ve got too much time on my hands it’s hard to

 believe such a calamity.  I’ve got too much time on my hands, 

and it’s ticking away, ticking away from me....

Believe it or not I have spent way too many hours this week 

watching shark movies.  And this is during the day.  What has 

happened to me?   I'm not sure how many more shark
movies I can handle, but for now pretty entertaining.

Yesterday I was at Almost Home.  Short visit but very nice.

  The day before I met Bailey, on of my previous tenants' kitty cat.

  Bailey is very tiny, but boy is he energetic.  I took him

 a few toys and he never stopped running, rolling 

and jumping.  Already I love Bailey.

Today  Bonnie and I go out for lunch.  Who knows maybe 

an adult drink or two is in the picture.  You never know.

The last few days we have had quite a lot of rain.  

Sniff is happy because we’re home, but he still thinks we 

will be leaving.  Anytime Arvid goes out Sniff just 

waits by the door.  He has been really jumpy.

The birds keep him entertained and now so do the 2 little turtles 

we have.  I feed them lettuce and bread and they gobble

 it right up.  Running out of things to do here.

 Now that we do not have the hotel I feel the need/desire to go

 back to Florida.  Strange, but I still don’t think of it as home right

 now.  But I am ready to go.  Here in Branson I am already restless.

On Sunday Arvid and I went to what's known as The birthplace of
Route 66 Festival in Springfield.  It's a car and motorcycle show.  Pretty
interesting with lots and lots of cars, and lots of memorabilia of Route 66.

As the new day begins Sniff and I are keeping each other company.
We love our mornings.  Very peaceful and very quiet.  In the mornings
 as I sit with Sniff I sometimes let my thoughts go elsewhere.  It
 always leads me to Brutus.  I really miss him.  The pain is not as
 agonizing, but boy I miss my Brutus.  I love our Sniff Sniff.

We have a good life.  We have what we need and for that I
am always grateful, but I miss my Brutus.  Now I have so
 many hours to think.  Not so sure this is always good.

Physically I am here.  Mentally I am far, far away.
Some days, she has no idea how she'll do it.
But every single day, it still gets done...

~Nadiya~

Some Of My Favorite Quotes...

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing

 is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle...

I love to use quotes when writing my blog and 

in the process of doing 

just that I have come across so many.  Today I decided to just share some of my favorites....there are way too many so had to make the list short.  Hope you enjoy.

I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did, but people
    will never forget how you made them feel...

Make somebody happy today, and mind your own business...

                          

I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you 

what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to

 be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell 

them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, 

love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees 

when they walk into a room and smile at you.... my special quote for Arvid...

You have enemies? Good. That means 

you've stood up for something, sometime in your life...

Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. 

Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is

 self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure-footedness

 that comes with having proved 
you can meet life....

Laugh when you can,
apologize when you should,
and let go of what you can't change.
Life's too short to be anything... but happy...

There are two things a person should never be angry at, 

what they can help, and what they cannot..

My mom is a never-ending song in my heart
Of comfort, happiness, and being. 
I may sometimes forget the words
But I always remember the tune...


He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it...A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty ...(daddy this is for you)

When we are grateful for the good we already have, we attract more good into our life. On the other hand, when we are ungrateful, we tend to shut ourselves off from the good we might otherwise experience...

Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own...
The future depends on what we do in the present...

Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from what you can do...

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that’s all...

These are some of my favorite...so many more, 
but for now this will do..

As the new week begins, there is a lot going on right now.  No time to get bored.  Thankful for that.  This afternoon meeting up with one of my tenants, used to be tenants.  He's super excited because he just got 2 kitties.  In my car there is already a bag packed with goodies for his fur babies.  Can't wait.  For now good morning everyone.  Let's get this day started.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, 
but I think I have ended up where I needed to be...

~Nadiya~

Sunday Vibes ~

Doing something positive will help turn your mood around. 

When you smile, your body relaxes. When you experience human

 touch and interaction, it eases tension in your body...

Since coming from Norway I thought it would be slow days

 for us.  Truth is we have been pretty busy so I have not

 had time to dwell too much on not being at Almost Home.  

When I think of everyone I then miss it very much. 

 Arvid and have been enjoying a lot of leisure time together.

  Long lunches, after hours, and drives around town checking out 

places we have not had time to visit before.

Also we are gearing up for yet another move.  Yes, before the 

winter gets here we will be heading back to Florida.  Since 

I do not have much to do I Branson anymore I welcome 

the move.  Something to keep me busy.

Little does Sniff know what is in store for him.  Though he 

was born i Florida, his home has been Branson and a few months 

we had in Chicago.  In Florida he will not be able to see the birds, 

squirrels, the falling leaves, and and all the things one has 

in a yard.  Definitely he will be missing all of that.

Back in Florida he will see boats, the water from the top 

of his condo, and he will hear the doggies and occasionally catch 

a glimpse of one.  For Sniff it will be a new adventure to discover

 his Florida home all over again.  For the few months he was there, 

he would smell Brutus and Shadow.  I wish I could smell them.

When the day comes I do not look forward to the plane trip with Sniff.

So far he as been a good traveller, just like Brutus.  Even so I don't

 like it.  Clearing security, Sniff is not as calm as Brutus was.

  He has to be taken out of his carrier.  He puts up a huge fight.

Sunday again.  Quiet day so far.  Soccer has begun.  Needless to say 

Arvid is a happy man.  Right now Liverpool is playing.  Happy indeed.

To all a good day and may you always live in interesting times.

It's a good idea always to do something relaxing prior

 to making an important decision in your life...

~Nadiya~

Friday ~ Start Of Happy Hour

It's beginning to look a lot like cocktails.

Every hour is Happy Hour when you are with good friends...

It's that time of the week again.  Happy hour here we come.

Actually right now everyday is Happy Hour day for us.  If we 

wanted to make it so, but for now we are being "good"

Now that we are semi-retired, I guess I will 

have to cultivate a few other habits.

Arvid as everyone knows is ALWAYS busy.  He knows 

how to find things to do.  I have to give him that.  Always busy. 

 Doing what?  I sometimes don't know, and I don't always 

want to know.  Makes for good and harmonious times.

The days are flowing by smoothly.  We are doing good.  I talk to

 a few tenants at Almost Home and Branson being such a small place

 we have been running into them quite often at the famous Walmart.

  Yes, here in Branson everything is centered around Walmart.

  I think I will actually miss it.  Back in Fort Lauderdale I did not go 

much to Walmart.  The times we went it was a special treat.

To all a very good weekend ahead. 

 Seriously, why limit Happy to an hour?

The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda...

~Nadiya~

Relaxing Days Ahead ~

There comes a time when the world gets quiet, and the only 

thing left is your own heart.  So you'd better learn the sound of it.

  Otherwise you will never understand what it is saying...

As Maya Angelou said, "Each person deserves a day in 

which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  

Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares

 which will not withdraw from us."

Arvid and I are taking it easy.  As much as we can. 

 So far it feels good to be home with Sniff and not have

 

much to "worry" about.  I keep

telling myself this, 

otherwise I am not exactly sure what I will do.  

Sniff still does not understand why we are home with 

him all the time.  Sure he likes it, but it has hampered his 

style a bit.  He does not get as much sleep during the day

 because he follows us around most of the time.

Life is good.  Have to get use again to being at home.

Not the worst thing to do..but who knows?  Already planning 

a new venture.  Just have to see where it takes us.

 A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step...

~Nadiya~