Entering The Windy City ~July 14th

Hold on we're going home...

Nothing is the way it used to be.  Long gone are

 the "good old days"  Today the new norm is here and

 it seems it's here to stay, at least for some time.  

We're driving because we chose not to travel 

in a plane and for some other reasons.  At first

 glance all seemed "normal" but then every so often 

this is what you see.  Pretty soon everyone coming 

from Florida will be banned from everywhere.

Back in Fort Lauderdale, you don't see just about

 everyone walking around with masks in all public places.

  Here in Chicago just about everyone is wearing a mask.  Could

 that be why there are so many less cases compared to Florida?

The streets are now covered with people wearing masks.

A lot of work awaits us the next few days.  We have

 rented out our apartment in Chicago and I have listed 

everything for sale on FB Marketplace among other sights. 

 I have been bombarded with requests to purchase the items. 

 Now a request and a sale are not the same thing.

Almost home.  This view keeps us coming back.

We are soon home.  Tired, but happy.

Home is not a place it is a feeling...

~Nadiya~

July 14th ~ Chicago Here We Come

Acknowledging the good that you already have in

 your life is the foundation for all abundance...

Our second day on the road.  Today we make

 it into Chicago.  We are getting closer and closer.

Still hours to go, but in the meantime we are having

 a good time.  Looking forward to being in our apartment, 

and to enjoy our view if just for a little time.  This year 

nothing so far has been anywhere near "normal"

The magic thing about home is that it feels good

 to leave, and it feels even better to come back.

Like all travelers, I have seen more than I

 remember, and remember more than I have seen...

~Nadiya~

July 13th Road Trip ~

Sometimes the most scenic roads in

 life are the detours you didn't mean to take...

Road trip to Chicago.  Finally the day is here when we 

go to the city we love the most.  Our journey begins today 

and tomorrow we will be Home Sweet Home in Chicago.

Arvid and I have been waiting for this day for

 a long time. Finally Arvid's countdown is over and our 

adventure to Chicago begins.  I wonder what the "new norm" 

will feel like in Chicago.   Soon we will find out ✌.

Because of COVID a lot has changed.  Sniff will 

not be going with us.  We won't be there for a long time. 

 Yes a lot has changed, but we are definitely planning 

on having a great time.  That's always a must.

Sniff won't be with us, but he's never 

far from my heart and my thoughts.

To all a very good day.  A long day of driving

 awaits us.  Happy to be on the road again.

Roads were made for journeys, not destinations...

~Nadiya~

Leaving Is Always Difficult ~

When I'm with you hours feel like seconds.

When we're apart days feel like years...

The most difficult part of every trip we take is 

leaving Sniff behind.  Days before we leave, he knows.

  His entire behavior changes.  I know the signs so well.

  Brutus did the same; as I am sure everyone who

 has a fur baby experiences the same.

Sniff stopped eating like he usually does.  

He became very moody.  Yes, I can tell.  Also he 

refused to sleep in the bedroom like he usually does.

  Instead of sleeping with us the entire night he 

would come to bed around 4 AM.  I know because I 

constantly look up and check to see if he's with us.

As much as we are attached to our little Sniff, 

he is also just as attached to us.  For the next 2+ 

weeks he is going to miss his daily brushing. 

 He will miss having clean linens as often, but I

 did leave instructions to have his "sheets" changed

every 5 days.  I usually change them every 2-3 days.

I'm fussy when it comes to Sniff and this 

is mild compared to how I was with Brutus. 

 I won't change because after all Sniff is my baby.  

Just like Brutus and Shadow ♥️❤️💛💜💙.

When you love what you have, you have everything you need.

Life's journey is sweeter when traveled with a fur baby...

~Nadiya~

Hello Sunday ~ July 12th

On Sundays we do nothing 😎 well almost nothing...

Sunday.  A lot to do before we leave for Chicago. 

 As always the day begins with calls to Norway. 

 Makes for a good start.  Soccer on already, so 

Arvid's attention is between the call 📞 and 

the game.  Just a typical happy Sunday.

Had to make a run yesterday to, yes my favorite 

outing. Needed a few things for the road trip.  One can

 never have too many snacks is how I see it 🍎

We are all getting really fed up with the mask.  

Everywhere you go, you gotta mask up.  Not happy times

 at all.  Hopefully soon we will see better days.

It would be a treat today to just pick up, and go 

to one of our favorite restaurants, but because we 

are being extra careful, that we won't be doing 🍕.

To all a great day.  This will e a little busier than 

usual Sunday for us.  All things considered, busy is

 always good.  Already missing that little face.

On the bright side, we will see my parents on
our way back home to Florida.  Happy for that.

Let's do what we love and do a lot of it 😛...

~Nadiya~

Hot! 🔥 Hot! 🔥 Hot! 🔥 ~ July 11th

The month of July had turned into a griddle

 where the days just lay there and sizzled...

Scorching heat is what we have been having. 

 Sure wears you out, even when you have not done much. 

 That is how I feel.  We did go for a walk on Thursday, but

 not yesterday.  Can't take the heat two days in a row.

While Arvid maintained himself hydrated with a 

few cold ones , Sniff and I had our own way of staying

 cool.  Watermelon popsicles.  Everyone happy.

We still enjoy time on the balcony even if for 

shorter periods.  Always good and always interesting

 to what people do and what's going on around us. 

 All from the privacy of our balcony.

Our walk the other day was perfect. Though hot,

 the day was beautiful and we had a good time. 

 I always enjoy stopping and taking pictures.  

Sometimes Arvid lets me take one of him, most times 

all I get is his back walking away.  Still makes me happy.

I stay busy trying to get pictures of 2 squirrels and a

 green lizard that live on the palm tree in front of our balcony. 

 Very difficult, but when it comes to getting the right shot

 I find in me patience I usually don't have 🦎.

Arvid and I are getting excited about Chicago. 

 Really he is more than I am.  I am just not happy

leaving Sniff.  I know he will be OK, but still we have

 our routines, and yes I am going to miss him a lot.

Saturday.  In just a few days we will be heading to 

Chicago. I wonder what Arvid's next "obsession" 

will be?  For a while there it was Puerto Rico.  

Right now though, I won't mind a few days 

in Puerto Rico, Isle of Enchantment🌴.

He sure knows how to talk up a storm, but when

 it comes down to reality, I think we are as good here 

in Florida as anywhere else.  No matter where we go 

the virus is everywhere.  Everywhere except Norway👀. 

Running away will never make you free. I just need 

some time in a beautiful place to clear my head...

~Nadiya~ 

Friday Hits Differently ~ July 10th

Grief never ends...But it changes.  It's a passage,
not a place to stay.  Grief is not a sign of weakness,
nor a lack of faith...It is the price of LOVE...

That not so good feeling lingers on.
  My thoughts are elsewhere 💔

I have lost a loved one.  At the time, I thought I would
never see the light of day again 💔.  I never listened
when people said to me, "one day it will be better."
I did not believe any of it.  The loss consumed me.

I mean how would anyone know what it's
like to lose someone you love, if they have never
 lived through something like that?  One can only
imagine what it's like, but no one knows what
grief is unless you have experienced it 💔

I lost my first husband 27 years ago.  The first 5
years after his death is still hazy.  I lived with
grief every single moment of my life.  I never
thought the day would come when that dark
cloud that followed me would be gone.

Eventually one day I was happy again, I
 have to say every once in a while that grief
 reappears in my life like a bad apple.

Then one day Brutus died.  Once again I was
overcome with grief.  The pain of losing Brutus
is still there.  Not as agonizing, but every so often it
 creeps up on me.  Then the grief of the two losses
blends together.  Makes for a pretty good cry.

All I'm getting at is that everyone navigates their
grief in their own ways.  Everyone deals with it in their
own way.  There is no set rules on how grief works.
 You can be having the best of days and suddenly, just
a smell can throw you off and set you back.  The
good thing is that it does not last very long.

Michelle has lost two parents in less than 2 years.
  That is an overload of loss.  When she most needed her
mom, her mom died.  As a mom herself to two little girls,
Michelle never expected her mom nor her stepdad to not
be a part of their lives.  Michelle's stepdad lived for them.

Now they are both dead.  How cruel can life be to
Michelle and family?  And why?  People say there is
 a GOD, when Paul died, when Brutus died and
when Shadow died, Michelle's mom and stepdad
died WHERE WAS GOD??? Where I ask?

Yes, I'm angry, and every time a loved one experiences
 a loss, unfortunately I relive the losses I have had
 vividly.  I have a picture perfect memory for
certain things.  Not always to my advantage.

Getting through the loss of a loved one takes
 time and everyone's journey to healing is unique,
everyone is different and sometimes the journey can
seem more than we can bear.  Many times it is.

 When this happens, we should remember to be
 grateful for the time we spent with our loved ones
 and try to believe that they are in a better place.

Sometimes all you can do is lie in bed 
and hope to fall asleep before you fall apart...

~Nadiya~

Hot Thursday ~ July 9th

Did the hole in the ozone layer just get bombed?...

It is too hot to be out on the balcony right now,  

even so people are still out enjoying the great outdoors.

  Always good to see happy people around 😺.

Rain, lightning, thunder or scorching heat, 

nothing stops the boaters from enjoying life ⛵.  

That's how it should be.  Life is made to be lived.

Today is our nephew J's birthday.  We had a good 

time chatting with him.  Somehow Arvid ended up 

talking more to him than I did.  Hmmm. but it was good. 

 He promised to visit us soon, and we are happy for that. 

 J right now is in Puerto Rico for his birthday 🎂

One of the highlights of our day was takeout.  Pizza. 

Arvid orders from Papa John's and I have found a spot 

I love.  Vito's.  All of us happy, even Sniff Sniff.

Lots of soccer on these days.  Hardly time to do much

 but watch the games.  At least for Arvid and Sniff.

The other day we went to the Mall.  Definitely

 not the same.  Let's just say it was like a ghost 

town. Business are hurting in a bad way.

Thursday not over as yet.  Neither is soccer.  

Who knows?  Maybe later we will go for a walk.  

As of right now it is still extremely hot out there.

Satan called.  He wants his weather back...

~Nadiya~

Grocery Time ~ Happy Time

I accidentally went grocery shopping on an empty 

stomach and now I'm the proud owner of aisle 4 😲...

This is what going to The Whole Foods Market looks like today.

One way lines, 6ft apart, mask on and hand sanitizer

 before you actually go into the stores.  And yes, they still

 count how many are going in.  Publix and Winn Dixie

 do not have any of these safety measures in place.

Going to Publix is the highlight of my week.  

I love going to the grocery store.  I know I can have 

it delivered, but then I would miss out on an outing, 

and that is not an option right now 🍅🌶🍌🍬.

I guess you know where I am going today✌ . 

 Yesterday we did the Whole Foods.  Of course Arvid

 waits on the outside while I go and do the shopping,

 but when I go to Publix I go alone 👏👏.

Yesterday was as good as any day to have a drink. And we did,
definitely slept well.  First good sleep in some days 💤.

I always make a list before I go to the grocery store. 

 Sometimes, I even remember to bring it with me...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday July 5th ~There Is A Sadness In My 🖤

The song is ended,😢 but the melody lingers on...

Tragedy strikes yet again to little Michelle.  Arvid's
youngest daughter does not seem to be catching a break.

November 2018 her mom died.  UNFAIR!! that's
 what life is. UNFAIR and there is NOTHING

 one can do, but sit and watch it happen 😢😢

Michelle is only 27.  Just a couple of days ago,
the man who was like her second dad if not at times
 her primary dad died. And I ask is this fair?

At Michelle's wedding her two dad's walked her down
 the aisle.  Memories that will forever live in her heart.

Michelle.  We love you.  We have you, Emil and the
girls in our thoughts.  I can't stop thinking about you.  My
parents and my entire family is devastated for you.  Again.
 Please find peace in knowing he no longer is in pain.💔

He may not have been your dad by birth, but he
loved you as if you were his very own. Never 🖤💙
forget that.  You are loved by so many Michelle.

This is the price you pay for having a great father. 
You get the wonder, the joy, the tender moments
– and you get the tears at the end, too...

~Nadiya~