Feeling Good ~

When was the last time you spent

 a quiet moment just doing nothing,

 just sitting and looking at the sea, 

or watching the wind blowing

 the tree limbs, or waves rippling

 on a pond, a flickering candle

 or children playing in the park?...

Mornings.  My favorite time of the day.  Peaceful.  

Quiet.  The sound of the palm trees swaying, 

a boat passing by, my cafe and Sniff. How 

does it get any better than that? 

 I really don't care where I am, as long 

as my mornings are quiet and calming

 I am loving it.  I loved my mornings 

in Branson also.  I miss them, 

but I also love it here.

Another busy day here.  Arvid still 

has the "flu"  Still can't seem to 

restrain himself from doing too 

much running around.  

Since coming back to Florida he 

has been looking like crazy for 

concerts for us to go to. 

 He did find one (I told him I would not go), fortunately for

me it was all sold out!  Has not stopped him from looking.

Time to start my day.  Arvid will soon be awake and

 from that time on we will be busy busy busy.  Coffee and

 quiet time is over.  Morning is starting to buzz again.

There comes a time for everybody when words

 and reasons can become such a great weariness.

~Nadiya~

Busy Week Ahead ~

One of the nice things about being busy is it makes you focus
 on what's important to you and how you use your time...

Somehow our life in Florida seems even more hectic than when

 we lived in Branson and ran the hotels.  How is that possible?  Answer

 is simple.  Arvid.  Somehow Arvid makes life seem more hectic 

that it should. Says he likes staying busy, so do I, but

 somehow with him it is really a lot of work.

Yesterday we met with a customer.  Over drinks and a good meal 

we discussed his selling his house.  A house we sold them a 

few years ago.  Since we have been gone from Florida for

 a good 2 years, I have to relearn everything about the 

Multiple Listing System, or MLS as it's called.

As Arvid said to me, "tomorrow we take the listing, so make 

sure you figure out how the system works.  Thank goodness that

 I learn fast.  I have already mastered most of it, at least

 enough for us to take the listing tomorrow.

Now all Arvid has to do is print out the forms.  Go to the 

customer and take the listing.  In the meantime I will continue to 

see how best we can use the system to maximize the listing.  

It's been a long time since I did this so hopefully I will

 manage to do what's best for the customer.  I have to.

The week will be a busy one, but that's only good.  I think

 of other things.  Sniff is enjoying his new home.  At least he is

 much more comfortable in his surroundings.  He does not

 seem to care about the views the way Brutus did.  Sniff is 

not into Palm Trees and boats.  He loves bird watching.

In my experience, being busy and 
working hard is the key to sanity/happiness...

~Nadiya~

Back In Florida ~ Home Again

Life doesn't require that we be the best, only

that we try our best.  Sometimes we forget...

I had a great time in California visiting my sister and family. 

 Arvid and I had a few days together then he went back to Las Vegas 

for his meeting.  Worked out great.  He and I enjoyed San Diego together

 in a place called Gaslamp District.  It's the spot in San Diego.

We also checked out a very cool place called Little Italy in san Diego.

The music seems to follow us, for there was live music, and the

 place was rocking.  Arvid and I of course enjoyed the music,

 the crowd and a few adult beverages.  The weather in

 San Diego as ALWAYS perfect.  We had a great time.

Rima and George gave us the tour.  We drove almost 2 hours 

to Huntington Beach for dinner and to see the sunset at The Pier. 

 Well worth it.  Food was delicious and the sunset out of this world. 

 I love sunrises and sunsets and could have spent forever just 

looking at it.  Needless to say we had a great time.

Rima took me to a few places I have never been to.  

California has definitely changed since I last lived there.  

There is development just about everywhere.  

So much so it looks like a whole new place to me.  I enjoyed

 every moment I had with Rima and family.  I was also fortunate 

to see my friend Anna.  Rima made some amazing desserts for us. 

 Her cheesecake is the best I have every had.  Cheesecake Factory

 does not even compare to Rima's.  We also had Tres Leches, better

 than any Cuban Restaurant you will go to and some of her cakes.

 Needless to say extra pounds were packed on.   But so delicious.

I kook forward to seeing them every year.  Now that we 

are back to living in Florida it should be easier to go places. 

 The weirdest thing though is that I have suddenly 

discovered that I do not like flying that much.  

When we went to Norway this year the plane trip was scary.

  The plane bounced around a lot and it dropped suddenly.  

I'm not sure I would like to do that long trip again, 

but as Arvid said, "give it time."  I will.

To all a good day.  Sunny and beautiful right now.  The 

boats are just giving us an amazing show right now.

Our life is good and it will keep getting better...

~Nadiya~

About Shoes ~

If a man's fortune does not fit him, it is like the shoe 
in the story; if too large it trips him up, 
if too small it pinches him...

What do women want?  Shoes of course.  If you are like me,
 then you must own tons of them.  If you are anything
 like my sister then you own even more.

I must confess that even though I love shoes, I always wonder how it is that all these women I see with these very high, high heels can make it through the day and not have a single blister on their feet.  At least that is how it appears to me.  I see them all walking around in these gorgeous shoes with 3+ inches (and not platform like most of mine), and I am always awed at their stamina for tolerating pain.

From young my mom loved shoes and her closet was filled with them as we were growing up.  Little by little she had quite a collection and to this day she is a collector of shoes.  I also have quite a collection, but my problem is that after wearing them once, my feet are blistered, and then I am afraid to use them again.

I have 2 kinds of collections...the practical, comfy everyday ones
 which include my sneakers and my Easy Spirits, Eccos, Nurture,
Timberland etc.  You get the idea.  They are comfy, but they are not
 the prettiest of shoes, but I can actually walk forever in them.

With the hotel it does not make sense to wear anything buy comfy
 shoes. Missouri is very hilly and the grounds at the hotel is also.  I am 
constantly going up and down stairs, and just walking around
the property makes it almost impossible for me to have 
anything on but comfort shoes (aka not always pretty)

Aside from the "not pretty shoes" I have the collection with the heels.  Some platform, some stilettos.  Now these look awesome on your feet and if you are going to a place 
where you don't have
 to walk perfect. 

 Seems though that with me it does not matter after about an hour in these shoes my feet are blistered.  Band-Aid or no Band-Aid I just don't seem to be able to use them for more than a 2 hour tops.  

I have discovered in Calvin Klein, Guess, INC, Gianni Bini and BCBG and Marc Jacobs among others some styles that are a bit more comfy for me and yes pretty.  I can actually use them for an evening if there is not much walking involved.  Another brand that I like is called Born.  These can be anywhere from ugly looking to some very pretty ones.  Best of all they are so good to walk in.

Having "problem" feet I am not able to wear all brands.  My shoes have to be well made and of good quality.  Unfortunately, this means that I have to pay quite a bit for a pair of shoes that is unless I can find them on sale. Which then makes me very happy.   My problem is that when I find that perfect shoe that embodies all I want, style, beauty, sophistication and grace it is always way too expensive.  This does not make me happy.

No matter what, the first stop for me when I go to the mall is the shoe department.  Do I learn?  Not really otherwise, I would not have bought another pair yesterday knowing that my feet will be blistered within the hour, but for now I love them and that's what matters.

If the shoe fits, it's too expensive....

~Nadiya~

Vegas Days And Nights ~

Las Vegas looks the way you’d imagine heaven must look at night....

What a beautiful sight at night.   The Las Vegas nightlife truly is unrivaled.

And when the stars come out, so does everybody else.

Hungry? Well Denny's has a full bar and yes a wedding chapel. 
 Just in case you decide to do something "crazy"  You know they
 say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  So why not?

Meet the High Roller Ferris Wheel, the world's tallest observation wheel.

The High Roller is 9 ft (2.7 m) taller than the 541-foot (165 m) Singapore Flyer,

 which held the record for the world's tallest observation wheel from its opening 
in 2008 until High Roller opened to the public on March 31, 2014.

Everyday on my tour of the city I pass the High Roller. 
 Pretty during the day, but spectacular at night.

A must is Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.  Just good vibes.  
Good music and entertainment. Good food and good drinks.

To all a good day.  Here in Vegas it is always weekend, and
 as someone said: A weekend in Vegas without gambling 
and drinking is just like being a born-again Christian.

Vegas is a celebration.  Las Vegas is the only place
 I know where money really talks.  It says goodbye...

~Nadiya~

Life Is Good ~

You shouldn't wait for other people to make special
 things happen. You have to create your own memories...

Rima, George and the family are completely settled in 

to the California lifestyle.  As Lilly Vade says, "we are

 living the American dream here in California."

I am happy.  Whenever I have the opportunity to spend
 time with loved ones my heart is all happiness.  I know our

time will soon come to an end, but the few days we have had
 together and what we still have will forever be happy memories.
 I am on a quest of collecting happy memories always.

Lilly Vade, Riley and our hippie Gabsy are all California
 kids now.  They fit into the lifestyle so easily.  I love seeing
 them happy and always smiling.  Makes me happy.

  I was happy to be able to go to Lilly Vade's school with Rima,
 and pick her up.  I have done that with all of my nieces
 and nephews at some point in their lives.  Hopefully one
day we will do it with Vanessa and Aleah as well.

Time to go and make some more memories.  To all a very
good day.  I'm having a great time with Rima and family.

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the
memory banks of our loved ones.  I have a very conveniently
 photographic memory of emotions - it's overwhelming,
 because things don't fade for me...

~Nadiya~

Family Time ~

Our pictures are our footprints. It’s the 
best way to tell people we were here...

I don't think it gets any better than this.  Spending time

 with everyone and just having the most relaxing and fun of times.

  On the 12th it's Lilly Vade's birthday.  Baby doll turns 11.  I 

have no clue how time has gone by so fast.  It seems 

just like yesterday she was just a tiny little girlie.

Hopefully today my friend Anna will be visiting.  Have 

also been looking forward to this day for a long time. Friends 

for a lifetime and more. Super excited to see her.

Tomorrow I plan to take Rima and the gang out to dinner. 

 Celebrating Lilly Vade's and Riley's birthday.  Riley turned

 16 on the 7th.For riley's birthday we all went to lunch

 at the Pier at Huntington Beach.  It's surf time all day 

long there, and at sunset even more impressive.

Times like now I would love to be living in California.

  So much that is familiar, yet at the same time so different.  

I love life with Arvid, but for now I am just reminiscing a little 

and enjoying every moment I have with the ones I love.

You shouldn't wait for other people to make special 
things happen. You have to create your own memories...

~Nadiya~

Making Memories ~

Live for moments you can't put into words...

So far we are have having a great time with everyone.  

I am just happy to be able to spend time with Rima, George,

 the kids and of course Dexter and Marley.  Dexter as I have 

always mentioned holds a special place with me.  He loves to be 

carried around, and gets it all the time from everyone.  After all,

Dexy weighs less than Sniff.  How is that even possible?

The days are already going by way too fast and we have

 so much to do.  Rima makes an excellent tour guide and she

 will actually be taking me out to see some of her favorite places. 

 Loving it.  She loves San Diego.  Guess where we will be heading.

Lilly Vade is a water baby.  If she could spend all her 

hours swimming and using the hot tub she would.  She rushes 

to do all her chores and homework just so that she can have 

extra swim time.  The entire family is golden in color.

  California living suits them so well.  They all love it.

I am fortunate to be able to spend time with them.  

I am loving every minute and making wonderful memories

 all over again.  Being here in California brings back a

 lot of memories.  Memories of a life I once had here.  

It was also a beautiful time and a beautiful life.

I have a beautiful life with Arvid.  Would never change
 it for anything in the world, but at the same time just being
 in California awakens what I thought was asleep.

Wishing everyone a beautiful day.  I will be continuing to

 enjoy California and my time with my sister and family. 

 So much more to do in so short a time.  Pretty amazing

 how much can get done when one really wants to do it.

Every day is a going to be a memory. 

Make good ones and take pictures...

~Nadiya~

Memory Lane And Some ~

Sometimes even when i am having a great 
time, i can’t help but think of the old times 
the times when everything was perfect...

It's been a few years since I was last in
California, and the last time we were
 there both Arvid and I were sick as dogs.

Going back to the neighborhood and seeing
 the house that was once home to me is
 sure going to be interesting.

It was in California I first discovered my love
for kitties. So much so that we adopted 5 of them.

It was in California I went out on long rides
 on a motorcycle and enjoyed the mountains and
 curvy roads of The Los Angeles Crest Highway.

There I discovered the beauty of the desert and found
 out that not all beaches were warm.  Pretty icy cold in the
California beaches.  It was also my first time seeing so many
beautiful people with such perfectly tanned bodies

In California I discovered the joy of living everyday to the fullest.
 There I experienced some of the happiest times of my life and
there also I experienced one of the saddest time of my life.

For three years I had everything I could ever want in life.
 I was happy and I was enjoying life like never before.
Three years may seem like a short time to some, but for
me in three years I had lived quite a lot of life.

August 14, 1993 tragedy struck.  I became a 
young widow and another statistic, life being what
 it is...one moves on and start over.

California holds so many memories, and when the memories
 hit you, that stuff hurts.  I only hope that the memories
 are worth rediscovering.  They say that sometimes
you miss the memories, not the people.

Together with Arvid, I will be enjoying
this trip with a new perspective.  He brings life
 and laughter into everything we do.

The picture above is of Rima and I at the top
of Big Bear Mountain.  That was the view I had from the
 bedroom of my home in California.  Rima was
 so little, and visited every chance she had.

I never would have thought that one day it
would be Arvid and I who would be visiting my little sister 
and her family in California.  I have a lot of memories 
and flashbacks coming to me.  I can't wait to
see them and to be once again in California.  
The place I called home for 3 years.

I know that whatever we do it will be fun.  Arvid
makes me happy like. My memories are one thing,
but my Arvid is real.  Have a good day all.
Let the good times roll!

I've never tried to block out the memories of the past,
 even though some are painful. I don't understand people
 who hide from their past. Everything you live through
 helps to make you the person you are now...

~Nadiya~

Greetings From Vegas ~

Las Vegas is sort of like how God 

would do it if he had money...

We made it, and now the best part begins.  

Looking forward to having a wonderful time. Wishing 

everyone an amazing day.  Don't forget to be awesome.

When you're true to who you are amazing things happen...

~Nadiya~