Your're Always With Me ~

I've seen better days, but I have also seen worse. I don't

have everything that I want, but I do have all that I need.

I woke up with some aches and pains, but I woke up....

The only picture I insisted on bringing to Puerto Rico.

Brutus is always in my heart, and always by by side.

Today he also has a spot in Puerto Rico.  Home is not home 

without my kitties.  Sniff is right next to me, Brutus and 

Shadow in my memories and in my heart.  Forever.

It goes without saying that there is not a day when 

I do not think of Brutus.  I cannot imagine life without our 

Sniff, but my Brutus stole my heart.  His little "hands" 

stole my heart.  His little feet ran away with it.

Good morning everyone.  And so 

begins another day on island time 😍

Life is not always perfect. Like a road, it has 

many bends, ups and down, but that’s its beauty...

~Nadiya~

Friday Vibes In Puerto Rico ~

If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't

 likely to be thankful for what he's going to get...

  Our day is already starting to look good. Sniff has been fed, 

brushed and played with.  Now he is just relaxing in the morning 

sunshine.  Getting one of those famous cat-naps. He is one of 

those happy boys.  he's getting more used to his new home.

Yesterday Arvid and I ventured out again to the beach area.

  We have decided that we will be checking out all the little 

restaurants in the area.  Not fancy at all.  Many look like 

a shack, but the food is something else.  In each of these

 so called "shacks" you can find all your favorite 🍹

frozen drinks.  Made as you wait.  We love, love it.

Today we go to San Juan.  Happy about that because

 every time we go is another chance to meet up with my

 sister and Kimsy.  I love the fact that I am close to my sister. 

 Fajardo, where we live has all we need, but if you want

 nightlife, shopping and a few extras, San Juan is where you want

 to be.  We like it here because it's quiet and almost no traffic.

Good morning all.  The weekend is soon upon us,

and here in Puerto Rico we can enjoy life a little more.

  We have enjoyed eating out again and we love the 

blue turquoise Caribbean waters that surround us 💙.

Things turn out best for people who make the best 

of the way things turn out.  In life, one has a choice

 to take one of two paths: to wait for some special

 day--or to celebrate each special day...

~Nadiya~

Life During COVID Times~

This summer, everything is "BYOS" — bring your own sanitizer....

Going to the beach sure has changed.  This is us at the 

beach in Puerto Rico. Masks are a must unless you are 

in the water.  Same applies back home in Fort Lauderdale.

  Not easy today. COVID has sure changed the way we live.

What does not change is the beauty of the beaches.

  Always relaxing and a place that gives me inner peace.  

We didn't swim in the water as yet, but we sure had a good

 time.  Still looking for a little private spot just for us.

 Lots of little kiosks around and you can get just about any 

kind of drink you like.  Also the best "frituras" you can find. 

 Puerto Rico is known for good food. If you like Puerto Rican food, 

this is food heaven.  Just have to make sure we do not overdo it.

  Unfortunately, gaining weight has never been a problem for me 😭

Here at home Sniff is back to living the "high" life,
perched on his condo.  Makes him feel more relaxed and,
 finally he has found a spot to call his own.  He loves it,
 and we have put it right next to the breakfast take.
 he's close to us and he has a view. Happy boy.

Everything is falling into place.  What's most amazing
 is that neither Arvid nor I miss Florida.  As Arvid said to me
 last night, "I have not thought about it at all."  We are getting
used to island life (mostly), and we are really liking it.

And to all a beautiful day.  Adventure is 
important in life. Making memories matters.

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts
 of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in
 fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life
 was beginning over again with the summer...

~Nadiya~

Coffee Time ~

Happiness can be as simple as a
 cup of coffee and the right attitude...

Mornings are always relaxing times for me.
No matter where we are, but having Sniff with
us makes it even better. Sniff makes me happy.

Cafe island style. Happiness in a cup.  Good morning all.

Happy because now I have more than one teacup to
 choose from.  Suddenly cafe in the mornings have taken
 a new turn.  Choices... hmm, and to think I was happy
 with the one tea cup I had for so many days.

You can't buy happiness, but you
 can buy coffee and that's pretty close.

~Nadiya~

Tuesday In Puerto Rico ~

The most beautiful things are not associated with
 money; they are memories and moments. If you 
don't celebrate those, they can pass you by...

Getting used to being on island time and trying to not get 

impatient as often as I do.  Difficult, but it's a learning process.  

Taking me much longer than Arvid.  When I want something 

done, I want it done right away.  Not happening.  As yet 😲.

The complex we live in is big.  Very steep climb so makes 

for a good walk.  Yesterday we went walking closer to  6pm. 

 What a huge difference between walking here in Puerto Rico compared

 to walking back home in Fort Lauderdale, at the same hour.

Our walk was made even better by the ocean breeze. 

 I love the breeze here in the island.  No matter how hot 

it gets, there is always a breeze to cool you down.

There are many kitties here.  Of course I took food 

on our walk with hopes of seeing one.  We sure did and 

I slept better knowing she/he was full last night.

Good morning all.  Busy day today.  Things to do, places to go.

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

~Nadiya~

Spectacular Sunday ~

Time is not measured by clocks but by moments..

I do not recall the last time I spent a birthday with

 my sister Nirvana.  Way too many years.  This year 

we have been fortunate to be able to celebrate with 

her, J and Kimsy.  We had an amazing time.

Last year we celebrated Victoria's birthday in Chicago.  

Another memorable time.  Grateful for these moments.

We had good food, good drinks, great views but

 the best was the company.  It will forever be 

one of those special moments in life.

J brought his drone and we all enjoyed playing with it.

  Of course Arvid had J check out the local "abandoned" 

properties around us looking for a good deal as he puts it.

As the new week begins, we are still waiting for our palette

 to arrive.  It's been shipped out weeks ago.  Hopefully today 

something will happen because the governor of Puerto Rico

 has now reinstated all public employees back to work.

Soon it would have been one month since we shipped

 this palette.  Hoping this is our lucky week.

Sniff is good.  Loves company, he actually is indifferent

 to company.  Not scared, not over excited.  he stares at everyone 

and continues to sleep wherever he happens to be. Happy boy.

It's a new week and we still have quite a few

 things to take care of.  Always good to be busy.

Life’s most precious moments are not all loud or

 uproarious. Silence and stillness has its own virtues...

~Nadiya~

Living The Island Life ~🌴

The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the

 imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul...

The Caribbean Sea is one of the world's largest

 at roughly 1,063,000 square miles in size. The Caribbean Sea 

is home to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef - the second largest

 barrier reef in the world. It is what we look out to every day 

from our balcony.  All paths lead to the Caribbean Sea.

For now the backdrop of the beautiful island is where we call home.  For now.

Puerto Rico is full of tiny and not so tiny islands. 

 From our balcony we see quite a few of these islands.  

Looking forward to discovering them one day. 

 As soon as we are done organizing our place.

Arvid loves the white sand beaches so do I, but

 I also find beauty in a beach with character.  A few 

pebbles, shells and what not.  Here you find all 

of that at times in the same strip of beach.

When it comes to a beach, you find whatever it is 

you desire, as long as you know where to look.  Even the

 most beat up of paths lead to beautiful destinations.

One thing though that is still difficult to process, 

its seeing people on the beach in bathing suits wearing a

 mask.  As of today it is still the mandate here in Puerto Rico.  

Restrictions are slowly being lifted, but the mask might 

still be mandated for quite some time to come.

Sunday.  Very peaceful, and no matter where we are 

some routines are meant to stay😍  Soon it's time for

 Arvid to call his family and give them the news.  If they

 are like mine, they won't be surprised. Arvid loves 

his surprises 😏.  Not I.  I like to know always.

Happy Sunday all.  As someone said, "life is short, 

live it where the water meets the sand."

Life takes you down many paths, but my favorite ones lead to 

the beach.  Paradise is anywhere you can write in the sand... 

~Nadiya~

It's Starting To Feel Like Home ~

Home is where our story begins...

Slowly but surely everything is falling into place. 

Just sitting out on the balcony makes this the right decision.

  For now.  Finally last week we have managed to have the water

 in our name, this week we got Internet, TV and a home phone. 

 Next week its the electricity.  Soon we will be all set, in 

our new home for now.  It's starting to take shape.

When we got here there were a few things I did not

 like so much.  The furniture in the living room was not to my

 liking.  It was old, and dirty looking.  We changed that.  

We now have our own furniture.  Nice and clean.

Last week the refrigerator gave up on us.  Already replaced.

  This week it was the microwave.  Got a new one just needs

to be installed.  Arvid still waiting for his tools to arrive.

Arvid and I have already set up an office space.  We used 

the 3rd bedroom as our office.  Everything is looking good and

 we look forward to enjoying our new home for a while now.

Finally Sniff has found a spot he can rest his head on.

  Hopefully now he will sleep on the sofa and not only on top 

of the kitchen cabinets.  Definitely will make me happy.

What's missing is the picture of Brutus, but it will soon

 be home.  Once Brutus and Shadow are here with us

 it will be home.  Home sweet home for now.

To all a great day.  Life takes us to unexpected places,

 love brings you home.  I guess we are home.

It's not how big the house is, it's how happy the home is...

~Nadiya~

September 11th ~ 9/11

If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we 

learn that life is short and there is no time for hate...

On September 11th 2001, almost 3,000 people lost their 

lives during the attacks at the Twin Towers, Pentagon

 and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. At 8:46 a.m. ET, American

 Airlines Flight 11 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) hit the

 north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. 

At 9:03 a.m. ET, United Airlines Flight 175 (traveling from

 Boston to Los Angeles) hit the south tower of the World 

Trade Center in New York City. At 9:37 a.m. ET, American 

Airlines Flight 77 (traveling from Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles) 

hit the Pentagon Building in Washington. And at 10:03 a.m. ET, 

United Airlines Flight 93 (traveling from Newark, New Jersey, 

to San Francisco) crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

And just like that America changed it's course in history.

1987 I got married for the first time.  We spent our first

 night as a married couple in Manhattan, at the Twin Towers.

  We breakfasted with mimosas and all that good stuff.  Never was

 I to imagine that one day the Twin Towers no longer will be.

Life was taken that day, and at the same time new

 life began.  September 13th my nephew Sachin was born.  

I also remember watching television, seeing the bombings 

happening.  I was not sure what was going on.  Mala and 

family lived in New York at the time.  She called crying.  

Could not believe what they were witnessing.  Life 

for so many change in the blink of an eye.

Today my sister Nirvan was also born.  Long before 9/11.

We celebrate her on Sunday, and for that I am grateful.

The attacks of September 11th were intended to break 

our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. 

We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic

 and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. 

We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom." 

–Then-Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani...

~Nadiya~

That Feeling Of Being Alive ~

You're only here for a short visit.  Don't hurry.  Don't worry. 
 And be sure to smell the flowers along the way...

Being in Puerto Rico has already "allowed" us to live 

a little more than we did in Florida. In Florida though we 

were able to eat out in restaurants, we choose not to because 

COVID cases are so much higher compared to Puerto Rico.

Yesterday once again Arvid and I ventured out to dinner. 

 Just sitting out by the water, enjoying the breezes, the views,

 and the food makes one feel on vacation and so very relaxed. 

For some reason Arvid feels safer and more open to going out,

 eating out and being around other people.  I am not asking

 how come, I am just enjoying it all.  We are enjoying it all 😍.

Sniff is getting better adjusted every day.  Just hope 

when we get back home to Florida he is back to being his

 relaxed self.  We are awake every morning to catch the 

sunrise.  Sniff enjoys his brushing, foodies, and I my

 cafe.  All of this while Arvid is still sound asleep. 

 And so begins our weekend in Puerto Rico. 
Wishing everyone happy times.  Look forward to ours
because on Sunday it's my sister's birthday and we get
 to spend it with her, Kimsy and J. Can't wait.

If life were predictable it would cease to be life,
 and be without flavor.  The most important thing is to 
enjoy your life, to be happy, it's all that matters...

~Nadiya~