Monday Again ~

Life is short, and if we enjoy every moment 

of every day, then we will be happy no matter 

what happens or what changes along the way...

Our time with Rima went by way too fast, but the

time we had together was well spent.  We did so much in 

just a few days.  Even the cold, wind, rain and fog were

 not able to stop us.  Arvid just keeps saying, "she's so

 easy to have with us."  I love that because it's true.

 The temperature here in Chicago is still cold.  It is 20 

degrees colder than it should be at this time of the year.  

Truly not happy about that right now.  Wish to be back in 

Florida.  It would be OK if it were cold and sunny, but not 

even. One can only hope July and August will be better.

It's always good to go back to "normal"  At the same 

time I miss her and her infectious laugh.  Her family

 of course is happy she's soon going to be home. 

 Overall we all had a great time. Grateful!

Monday again.  Start of a new week.  

Hopefully we will see the sunshine soon. Let's not 

forget that what you feel inside reflects on your face.

 So be happy and positive all the time.

Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. 

There's going to be stress in life, but it's your

 choice whether you let it affect you or not...

~Nadiya~

Happy Sunday ~

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost...

In the process of looking for a pet sitter for Sniff,
I ended up pet sitting 2 kitties.  One is called frisky
and the other Baby.  Supposedly they are
mom (Frisky) and daughter (Baby). 

Frisky is super friendly and Baby is scared of
 everything,  and everyone.  The first time I went there
I did not see her.  Second time Arvid went with me,
 hoping she would come out.  No luck.

  The following day, lucky me after playing with Frisky for a
while, Baby came out.  Looked at us from a distance and even
played a little with the toy, but never let me get close to her.

I have had three and a half days with them.  Just saw them
for the last time.  Arvid went with me this morning, and
 now Rima and I just went back.  Hopefully before the
 summer is over I will be able to watch them again.

Yesterday was wet, cloudy and very gloomy. 
Not much  one can do except go to the movies and
 out for a nice meal. It rained as we went to the movies,
but even so we walked.   Here it's all about walking. 
The scenery was still beautiful but gloomy.

Today it is still cloudy.  We hope to be able to go to
 360 Chicago Observation Deck, but if the fog persists
it's a no go.  Even so we managed to do so far quite
a lot of things even in this no so great weather.

To all the dad's out there and especially to our dad,
 Happy Fathers Day.  A dad that person who is always
there for you, who listens to you, and who no matter what ,
loves you like no one else.  For us one of the greatest gift
 we have ever had came from God and we call him dad.

Happy Fathers Day daddy.  Everyone can be
 a father, but it takes a lot to be a dad. Thank
 you for ALWAYS being there for us.

A fathers job isn't to teach his daughter how to
 be a lady, it's to teach her how a lady should be.

~Nadiya~

Making Memories ~

It takes a moment to make memories

 and a lifetime to forget them... 

Rima came in with a bang.  She laughs like no one I know. 

 Contagious and makes for good times and happy memories.

Coffee time just got better and afternoon tea as well.

Since she does not have many days with us, we wanted 

to make sure we show her as many places as possible.  

Yesterday we were out for over 8 hours and we

 walked everywhere.  We had a good workout.

We started our very early because the day was beautiful. 

 First stop was Navy Pier.  We walked forever, and then 

in between we quenched our thirst.  Unfortunately, both

 Rima and I have the cough and we're really not 100%

Rima surprised us by taking us to a very good steakhouse.

  It so happens that this is the same steakhouse Arvid's

 brother wanted to go to a few years ago when here.

Arvid's brother knows about food, and this was the one

 he really wanted to go to, and it so happens that Rima 

took us there.  I am fortunate, my family is something else. 

 Rima said a late birthday present for both Arvid and I.

The food was excellent, the weather was perfect and 

we had a table on the outside.  People watching galore. 

 This is the same area we saw Bono some years ago.

After that we decided to tour the city some more.  

We took her walking along The Magnificent Mile. 

 Beautiful stores and everything you can want, all in the 

same area.  The weather could not have been better.

Arvid says Rima is easy going and not difficult to be with.

  She's simple and not pretentious.  She does not need

 to impress anyone and we like that.  Simple.

We toured the city until we were about to drop.  

I got an asthma attack and at that point we thought it was

 best to come home.  But in one day she has seen quite a bit. 

 Tomorrow is another day with lots more to do.

I'm happy she's here.  Staying with us.  She really

 needed a little vacation away from everything, 

and we are happy she chose to spend it with us.

Wishing everyone a happy Saturday.  Rain

 or shine we have plans and things to do.

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

~Nadiya~

Sister Time ~

What's the good news if you don't have a sister to share it with.
The greatest gift our parents ever gave us was each other...

When travelling life's journey it's good to have a sisters
 hand to hold.  How lucky I am to have four sisters.

It's not everyday I get to see one of my sisters so when
 the opportunity arises, I definitely am grateful and happy.
 Good morning all.  It's coffee time with my sister.

Because I have a sister I will always have a friend.
Our paths may change as life goes along but 
our bond as sisters will remain ever strong.

Sisters make the bad times good and the 
good times unforgettable. I love you 
too much to just be your friend.

Side by side or miles apart, sisters 
will always be connected by the heart..

~Nadiya~

Wet and Cold Thursday ~

Whatever is good for your soul, do that. Always 
believe that something wonderful is about to happen...

It's laundry day here for us.  Unfortunately, we do 

not have a washer and dryer in our apartment.  Some

 owners do, now they were grandfathered in.  Unfortunately 

this is not one of the units grandfathered in.  No big deal. 

 We go down to the 2nd floor, there I can do all my 5

loads of laundry at one time.  There are numerous machines

 and dryers.  Better than any commercial laundromat I have

 ever seen.  Makes the chore much easier and faster.

Yesterday was a pretty ugly day.  It was gloomy, cold, 

windy and wet.  We were not able to go for our daily walk, 

but we did manage to do a few fun things in between the rain.

 Sniff was happy to have us around most of the day.  Hopefully 

today will be better.  Cold, but at least no rain.  We hope.

Well the day is not looking so good as of this minute.
 It's raining and its cold.  same as yesterday, but
more rain and colder. One can always hope it will
 warm up a little more.  Miracles do happen.

This has definitely been one very strange start of summer
 in Chicago.  Everyone keeps saying that it will be
 a "mild" meaning colder summer.  That's
OK as long as it does not rain everyday.

Weekend is everyday for us, but I still like to believe our 

weekend begins on Friday.  Sometimes on a Thursday as well.  

Who knows what the day holds.  Whatever it is I'm HAPPY!

Sometimes life just calls for an umbrella.
  I love the feeling of the fresh air on my face 
and the wind just blowing through my hair...

~Nadiya~

It's A Good Day ~

Success is getting what you want.

Happiness is wanting what you get...

As I mentioned yesterday, Arvid's mom turned 91.  

She looks amazing for her age and she was out 

and about town  enjoying her day as it should be.

Yesterday Arvid and I went visiting the duckies on the lake. 

 We always carry food for them as well.  The thing about

 Chicago is to walk around.  That's the best way

 to enjoy the city and to see everything.

Though it was a little cooler by the lake, it was 

also the perfect weather for a walk.  We fed the duckies, 

and we gave bread to a few kids to feed them as well.  

It's the simple things we enjoy most, unlike so many.

For many it's how much you spend.

   For us it's the simple pleasures that bring

 a smile to us and makes us feel good.

Good morning everyone.  The day is a little cloudy

 right now, but does not matter.  We are having

 a good time and it is soon the weekend again.

Happiness is the best makeup.  It is not something 

ready made.  It comes from your own actions...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday ~

May your day be filled with good thoughts, 

kind people, and happy moments..

Max and Danielle are in Rome and so far I have not 

seen a single picture of their vacation. I mention this

 because I have been asking for a picture since they left 

and all I get is, “we have not taken many so far.” 

 I know they have, but they do not like to post anything. 

They do not post anything so hopefully today I will

 get one or will have to wait until Nina my sister 

sends me one, and that can be a long wait.

Yesterday we Skyped for almost one hour with 

Michelle and our granddaughters. They were in

 the bathtub and having the time of their lives. 

As it goes with sisters/siblings these 2 little girls also 

have a special bond.  We hope it will always be this way. 

In less than a month we will be seeing them in Norway. 

 Can’t wait to hold them, hug them and enjoy them for

 the time we are there.  We are fortunate and

 grateful for having them in our lives.

The day promises to be warmer than what we have 

had so far.   Looking forward to a walk along the 

lake and to feeding the duckies, who by

 the way we can see from our balcony.

The city is setting up for some new activities. Little

 colorful tents are going up everywhere.  We see just 

about everything worth seeing from our balcony. What

 we don't see from the balcony, we see on our walks.

Though I still have the cough and shortness of breath,

  I started going to the gym yesterday. Combined 

with our daily walks I think we’re doing OK.

Sniff is getting more and more used to city life.

The other night when he heard the fireworks all he 

did was raise his head, twitches his nose and then 

went right back to sleep between Arvid's legs. 

 Sniff had visitors as well.  His first pet sitters, 

Ana and her mom Queta came to visit him. They love him,

 and though they go to Spain the same time we go to Norway, 

they made us promise that if we need a pet sitter

 after that they would love to watch him.

  Of course I love them as well.  Sniff remembered them. 

 He just went up to them like he does with everyone 

and allowed them to pet him. Queta said she has 

Sniffs pictures on her refrigerator.  We always

 knew they were the right ones for Sniff.

Today Arvid's mom turns 91.  Happy birthday Molly.

  She lives and does everything on her own. Very self

 sufficient and sharp she is.  Her goal is to get to

 a 100. We don’t doubt it. Here's to many more.

Hope your week is going great so far.  Ours is 

promising and we try to stay busy.  Needless to stay 

no matter where Arvid goes he’s always busy.

Right now he and Sniff are still asleep.

Good morning all.  Still chilly here, but expecting a little

 warm up during the day.  Beautiful weather for walking.

Every morning start a new page in your story. 

 Make it a beautiful one.  Be thankful for today, 

because in one moment your life can change...

~Nadiya~

A New Week Begins ~

Start each day with a grateful heart...

Yesterday started out foggy and it never cleared up. 
 It was a gloomy and wet day, but it did not top Arvid

 from going to the last day of the blues festival.  I chose to 

not go. I still don't feel 100% and did not wish to get worse.

Instead I went to Macy’s.  Macy’s in Chicago is huge. 

It is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and listed 

on the National Register of Historic Places, Macy's 

State Street is a Macy's flagship destination. 

 Towering granite columns front the 9-story structure,

 flanking its gracious main entrance, and two massive 

Great Clocks punctuate the corners of the store

 on Randolph and Washington Streets.

Visitors to Macy’s often meet at the Great Clocks, 

located at the corners of the building. The first clock was

 installed in 1897, at the corner of State and Washington.

The Chicago Tribune went on to report that Chicago 
women in Chicago were telling others to “meet 
me under the clock at Marshall Field’s!”

Another captivating architectural element in the

 store is the Burnham Fountain, also known as the

 “Lost Fountain.” It’s made of 6 tons of cast 

iron and holds 700 gallons of water.

This morning the fog has cleared up.  It promises to be

 a good day and it's the start of another great week here in the

 Windy City.  Life is good and we make the best of it always.

Hello new week.  Bring it on.

Mondays are good for new

 beginnings and fresh starts...

~Nadiya~

Pictures From The Chicago Blues Festival ~

Sometimes life gives us a cold and rainy day.

So wear cute boots and remember to play...

Last day of the festival, and the weather is gloomy.

Weddings, Quinceañera, proms, and more all happening

in the middle of the festival.  The Bean is where everyone wants

to be and to have their pictures taken on their special day.

From every angle of the Bean the picture is different.  

When you step under the Bean it seems as if there is

 a face looking at you.  Very unique and interesting.  A

 must to see when visiting Chicago. Always packed.

Taken last night from our balcony.  That's where the

 last act takes place every night at the festival.  It was too 

cold, so I came home again, but did not miss much

 because I saw it and heard it from the balcony.

So far the day is still gloomy.  Sniff does not want to get out of bed.

Happy Sunday all.  If you were in Chicago right

 now, you'd never believe it's almost summer.

They call it the premier blues festival in the 

country, because it's really where the blues began.  

It's almost like going to church.  It's holy ground...

~Nadiya~

More Music ~

The blues tells a story in itself. It can make 

you happy or give you a feeling to swing...

Day two of the Blues Festival.  The fog is no longer hanging
 over the city, and though it was on the cold side yesterday
 it sure did not stop anyone.  The crowd is huge and having
a great time.  The "chill" does not stop this crowd.

Yesterday started off cold and windy.  In the middle 
of the day if you were in the sun it was nice and warm,
 but as soon as the sun disappeared a dramatic change
 happened.  A few left also, but the majority stayed.

Some started out without much clothing, but as 
the day progressed everyone started to bundle up. 
 I was cold.  I who like the cold did not enjoy sitting 
with the wind blowing on me.  If we were moving rather
 than sitting maybe it would have been a little better. 

  The wind picked up and it was cold.  So cold that
 I left an hour earlier than Arvid.  I am still not feeling 
100% and sure did not wish to get any worse.

With a diverse lineup celebrating the blues’ past, 
present and future, the Chicago Blues Festival shares
 the great Chicago-born music tradition with the world
 while shining a spotlight on the genre’s contributions to
 soul, R&B, gospel, rock, hip-hop and more. 

Yesterday the first artist on our list did not start until 3pm.  

We took the time to go out and have a nice lunch.  One

 of our favorite places is called Park Grill.  It's kind of

 anchored to The Bean.  It's beautiful and at that time the 
sun was out.  We enjoyed the opportunity to have lunch

 with a view, and listen to the music at the same time.

Music is the universal language of mankind.
Where words fail, music speaks....

~Nadiya~