Tønsberg ~

The most important thing is to

 enjoy life.  It's all that matters...

Yesterday's highlight was meeting with Victoria

 and Michael for lunch.  We had Thai food.  Was delicious 

and I won't mind doing it again and again.  So Arvid 

was not crazy about it, but then what's new.

Lunch was in  Tønsberg.  A beautiful spot.

It was relaxing and it was so pleasant to just sit

 down  and have a little conversation as we ate.  

I would have liked it to last longer, but unfortunately

 we had to get back to Horten and take care of a

little errand we promised Arvi'd mom.

That worked out well also because we got to spend

 some more time with her.  She will miss Arvid's 

daily visits when we leave and for that I am sad.  It is 

not pleasant to spend day after day all by yourself.  She

 is 91 after all and having company at his age 

is sure something she looks forward to.

After yesterday, I am in a better frame of mind.  

Today we help Molly with a fridge installation.

  Something to do.  Keeps us busy and happy. 

 Wednesday already.  Happy day all.

Be happy.  Not because everything is good, but

 because you can see the good side of everything...

~Nadiya~

Another Day In Horten ~

Maybe home is nothing but two arms holding

 you tight when you are at your worst...

Yesterday was cold and windy. Similar to most 

of the days we have had so far in Norway. Good thing

 is that I do enjoy it very much. Loving this cold 

Norwegian summer. Feels so good.

Arvid's mom wanted to go for a drive and 
visit her sisters grave site among other things.
It's always good to have something to fill up our 
time. have something to fill up our time.   

As we were giving her the “tour” of some of her

 familiar spots in Horten, Arvid drove by his old 

stomping grounds of when he was just a little boy.

There he met a friend of his. They were little boys playing

 soccer together some 45 plus years.  Arvid recognizes 

the man right away.  The man's name was also Arvid.

They got to talking and I’m sure they caught up 

on each others life in those brief short 15 minutes.

The sun was shining and the day was looking good.  

Arvid mom who is 91 is very sharp, but she has

 forgotten quite a few thing in the neighborhood.  

Arvid reacquainted her with some of the facts.  When 

we’re in the car together only Norwegian is spoken. 

 I don’t mind anymore. I tune everything out and look

 around. Take some pictures and enjoy the sights.

  Also, it’s only a few more days so then it’s all better.

Norway is  a beautiful country but the Norway I am

 seeing is NOT the Norway most people coming 

to this country sees. The Norway I picture

 in my mind is stunning.  Hope to see some 

more of it one day.  One can hope.

The Norway is see is Horten, and whenever

 I get the chance to catch a glimpse of 
anything outside of Horten I am happy.

Happy that we have the girls, Michelle, Emil, Victoria 

and Michael in the picture. They make it worth coming. 

 And of course Arvids mom, his brother and friends.

My heart is already at home!  I miss my little Sniff 

so much and I miss home.  Good food. Familiar 

surroundings. Waking up in our own bed 

and and some.  I'm all ready to go home.

Life, if well lived is enough...

~Nadiya~

Yesterday In Kragerø

Everyday begins with new possibilities...

Yesterday I saw a new place in Norway called Kragerø.

Picturesque and quite beautiful.  Lots of restaurants on the 

water and people everywhere.  It was a busy place.  

When I picture Norway this is what comes to mind.  For me this is beautiful.

Unfortunately, it was cold and windy.  Even so 

we managed to walk around for a little and check out 

the cozy little town around the water.  I have never

 denied that Norway is beautiful.  Yesterday's

 outing once again confirmed that. 

Monday already.  A new week begins here 

in Norway for us. Counting down to home.  Five more

 nights in Norway.  One night in Sweden.  One night

 in NYC and then we will be home with Sniff. 

 With many things to do this week, I know (hope) 

time will go by fast.  In the meantime we continue

 to enjoy all that the new day/week offers.

It's a new day, fresh start, fresh energy, new

 opportunities. Get your mind right, be thankful, 

be positive and start your day right...

~Nadiya~

Sunday~

Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive...

Yesterday was a good day for pub hopping in Horten.

A few here and a few there before we knew it the day was almost over.

Both locations had music, but we happened to

 come late to the one that had The Blues.  But what we did 

hear, was pretty good. Arvid even bonded with the band. 

 Encouraged them to come and play at his brothers club.

Here in Norway you cannot drink and drive.  Not even 

one beer, but there are always ways to get around that.

  Since I was the designated driver, let's just say one 

was more than enough and by the time we were ready 

to leave I was in great shape behind the wheels.

The weather was perfect.  Maybe too chilly for Arvid, 

but I loved the cool, crisp air.  This year in Norway

 I am really loving this weather.  It's perfect.

It's Sunday.  This time next week we will be heading

 home, for now we plan to spend the day making memories 

and having a good time.  After all life is to be lived.

I always do what makes me happy - it doesn't

 make sense to live life unhappily.  I'll look back at this

 and smile because it was life and I decided to live it...

~Nadiya~

Another Day Begins ~

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

Yesterday morning we went for a little walk around our area.

Beautiful scenery and perfect weather.  Now I can go home.

There is only so much nature I can handle.  I have 

seen enough.  It's beautiful, now I am ready to go home.

Arvid and I went for a little trip to Lovoyea.  

He had a few cold ones and I had a few cafe lattes.  

There is not much more to do.  Here everyone 

sits for hours on end in the sun.  I do not 

like the sun so am always seeing shade.

The day was saved by Michelle and Emil. 

 We went to dinner at an Indian restaurant.  Everyone

 left feeling full, happy and I sure was in a better mood. 

 Arvid was not that crazy about the food, but at

 the same time he did not hate it either.

A new day begins.  Meaning one day closer to 

being home with Sniff.  Yes, I am counting the days

 until we are home with Sniff, but in the meantime,

 I look forward to enjoying what this day holds.

Every morning starts a new page in your

 story. Make it a great one today...

~Nadiya~

Happy Day ~

Time spent with family is worth every second...

Yesterday was one of those days that makes you happy. 

 We went to Victoria and Michael's for dinner. As always 

this is one of my favorite times in Norway.  I do have

 a few favorites, and going to them is one of them.

When it comes to presentation, no one does it like Victoria. 

 You walk into their home and you are greeted with a

 beautiful table setting be it indoors or outdoor, 

it is always well thought out, and you can 

tell she put a lot of time into it. 

 Always perfect, and I love looking at it.  For me it's 

a special treat to just see it and of course take pictures.

 Of course we then eat, and the food is always delicious. 

 They also go out of their way to get special seafood 

for us.  They put time and thought in all of it.

At their home everyone always have a good time. 

 Aleah and Vanessa love it there because of the beautiful

 pool, the pond with fishes and of course because

 auntie Victoria and uncle Michael always have 

lots of goodies for them and love them to pieces.

Yesterday made everything seem so much better.

Today is a new day, and of course I am missing 

our Sniff.  Even more so after seeing Loffen.  

Sniff is doing good, but he also misses us.

It's Saturday July 12th. In 10 days we will be home with Sniff.

The only secret behind a good day is a good attitude...

~Nadiya~

LONG DAYS ~

The opposite of happiness is not sadness.  It's boredom...

Usually when we come to Norway by day two

 I am ready to go home.  This year has been different. 

 I lasted all the way to day 6.  Now I am ready to go

 home.  I told Arvid that I have reached my limit

 and he said to me, "I have exceeded my limit."

I want to be where Sniff is.  That is home and I 

want to go home already.  I miss my little 

boy too much and I miss everything USA.

Yes we are having a good time with family and

 enjoying some of our favorite foods, that's not the issue.

We are enjoying the girls and more, but there are still 

so many hours left in the day that needs to be filled.  

There is nothing to do here.  It does not get dark until

 midnight.  Making the days EXTRA EXTRA LONGGGGG.

Another day is here, but at least today we will spend

 time with the girls.  They keep us busy and make 

time pass fast.   We love the little ones.  They make

each day we spend with them much better.

I enjoy spending time with everyone, but I wish there was more 

to do in Horten.  I an completely bored out of my mind. 

The two enemies of human 

happiness are pain and boredom...

~Nadiya~

Time With the Girls ~

What i like about photographs is that they capture

 a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce...

A day with our granddaughters:

There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes

Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second

A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away

A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels,

 in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed

For me, the camera is a sketch book,

 an instrument of intuition and spontaneity

People spot a big black lens, and they worry

 about what they're doing, or how their hair looks. 

Nobody see the person holding the camera

Our days have been good.  I do miss my Sniff very much 

and look forward to going back home, but for now we will 

enjoy Norway, even though we are getting a little restless.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and happy day.

When I have a camera in my hand I know no fear.

When you photograph a face

 you photograph the soul behind it...

~Nadiya~

New Week ~

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience...

Sunday was peaceful and quiet.   We spent the day 

enjoying scenic Norway.  I love the colors of nature combined

 with the colors of the the houses in the horizon.

Here are a few of my favorites from the last few days:

I love taking pictures of the houses.  Set against

 this stunning background that is scenic Norway.

Over the weekend we went to a car show.  Pretty nice cars there.

We also went to Lovoyea.  There we saw swans.

  Fierce swans.  One tried to attack me.

Like any good summer day in Norway, we had rain.

Soon we would have been a week already in Norway.

  I miss my little Sniff too much and can't wait to

 see him soon.  For now it's time to make some

 more beautiful memories with everyone.

Beauty is grace and confidence. I've learned

 to accept and appreciate what nature gave me...

~Nadiya~

Sunday In Horten ~

Easy like Sunday morning...

It's a beautiful Sunday here in Horten, 

Arvid's hometown.  Last night was also a perfect time.  

We all went to Arvid's brother's blues club, Blues'n.  We had 

an amazing time with everyone.  Family and friends.

Sunday in Norway. 

 Let's see what the day holds.

Happy Sunday.  I wish you a day

 filled with unexpected miracles...

~Nadiya~