Sep 30, 2013

New Kids On The Block...

Children are happy because they don't have a file in their minds called,
"all the things that can go wrong"

Having little kids around is always fun and with these two energizer bunnies
life sure is interesting for the parents, and grandparents.  Arvid and I went to visit them 
a few days ago and we found them running and crawling around all over their new home in 
Florida.  Isabel and Victor will soon become the newest Floridians.  Looking forward to
 some fun times with them.  Just so so very cute!


Yesterday we were out with them having dinner.  Like most kids they were just happy.
Just the smiles on their faces and their laughter was enough to brighten even
the most miserable of people.  No one can really resist the charms of a child.
For sure I can't, and I melt when I see kids especially happy smiling ones.


Yesterday we all went out to lunch at our favorite restaurant.  Kaluz.  The kids were 
amazingly well behaved and just pleasant.  It was fun especially when little Isabel
started calling me by name.  I think they liked us both.  Of course I offered to 
baby sit anytime they want.  


Wishing you all a good start of the week.  Remember it's not
what we give but what we share makes us great!

Every child is a different kind of flower and all together 
make this world a beautiful garden...

~Nadiya~

Sep 29, 2013

Hello Sunday...


It's been quite a while since Arvid and I went to a concert.  Ever since his surgery and blood
 clot life has taken on a different pace.  To be expected.  The first few monts were more of 
a stay at home thing.  Slowly we started to do a little more and a little more.  Last night we went 
to a concert in Miami.  We went to Magic City Casino a place we have been to before for concerts.


We went to see a group called  Blues Traveller.  I have heard of them, from Arvid of course.
He has been wanting to see this group for a very long time.  Of course as soon as he saw their
 names he said, "we are going to a concert tomorrow".  I said sure.  The music
was not exactly what he had in mind, but nevertheless, it was still good.  There were
three young kids, and I mean young (8-12 years).  They were VERY into the music.
Was nice to see them jump and clap and scream as the band played.


Blues Traveler is a rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band's 
music covers a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, 
soul, and Southern rock.  When Arvid listens to the Blues, he is an altogether different 
person.  For him a life without music is not much of a life.  Contagious.


Later on today we will be meeting up with some friends at our favorite restaurant.  Kaluz.
Ever since we took them there, it has also become one of their favorites.  Don't
blame them.  It's our favorite as well.

This has been a good week.  All our favorite shows on TV have started.
No need to tell you Arvid is in heaven.  He as you know watches any and
 everything, but now that our regular series have begun, even better.

Time to catch up on a few Sunday routines and then to relax, and enjoy the day.
Wishing you all interesting time and always remember do not spend
too much time just earning a living.  Take time to enjoy and live life.

Ask yourself what's really important
and live without regrets...

~Nadiya~

Sep 28, 2013

One Of Those Days...

See the glass half full,
then fill it the rest of the way...

Sometimes when we are over exhausted or very stressed we tend to let our emotions 
rule over us.  I know I do as was the case of yesterday.  I was tired and 
not really in the mood for much.  Arvid was his usual cheery person, not
much gets to this man.  That is one (of his many) of the qualities I love.


It was not really a big deal.  It's just that I was looking at Brutus and saw his
paw was far from getting better.  This has been bothering me even more this
past week.  For a moment I just had it with everything.  I was just fed up and 
just wanted to go someplace where everything was just right.  No such place exists.


But like always, after every major storm there is the calm, and I calmed down.
I know that there is no use to fight against what just is and will be.  I 
try, I struggle always with it, but in the end I know that we have to move on and 
deal with it.  Deal with it we do, but sometimes I wish there was more that I can do
to make things better for everyone.  Just not happening.  At least I can count on
Arvid for always being optimistic even to the point of being unrealistic at times.
I am the reality check in this relationship.  I like to deal with things, Arvid likes 
to believe everything is OK and if it's not then it will miraculously get better...


Well its Saturday.  A new day.  New expectations and from the looks of
it, I am sure it is going to be a great one.  As usual Brutus and I are awake
early as Arvid rests his little head and catches up on some more sleep.


Good morning everyone.  Smile for a new day!
Remember positive minds live positive lives!

The pessimist complains about the winds,
the optimist expects it to change,
the realist adjusts the sail...

~Nadiya~

Sep 27, 2013

TGIF...

You have to fight some of the bad days 
 to earn some of the best days of your life....

Here is to another successful work week and to the start of the weekend.
If you are like us, you probably also look forward to Fridays.  It just seems that 
once Friday comes along one tends to get a bit more relaxed and less tense.  In this case,
it is always true for both Arvid and I.  Don't know what it is, but during the week we are always 


in a constant rush.  Mostly Arvid.  The man is constant movement.  Wears me out!


Hope you have all had a good work week so far.  We have been keeping busy 
and that's always good.  A few soccer games in the middle of the day makes
for a happy Arvid, especially when Barcelona wins.  Yep, the man loves his soccer.


As for Brutus, he has not had the best of weeks.  His paw is once again
more swollen than usual and he has been bleeding quite a bit.  Even so he 
plays non-stop and is full of energy all day long.  Even he wears me out :)


Swollen or not, Brutus is always in the center of everything and he loves
it.  If Arvid steps out of the apartment for a few minutes, Brutus sits and waits 
patiently for him to get back home while I sit and enjoy a skinny girl Margarita.


Brutus after all approved!  Whatever it is your weekend holds, attack it with 
enthusiasm.  Remember nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

Let's take the good times as they go,
and I'll meet you further up the road...

~Nadiya~

Sep 26, 2013

Interesting...

Beauty is self confidence applied directly to the face...

Here is to natural beauty.  They say that beauty is how you feel
on the inside, which then reflects in your eyes.
Beauty can sometimes use a little help, hence makeup!


I find that another thing that expresses beauty is a persons ability to laugh.


Our niece Danielle is one to whom laughter comes easily and spontaneously.
When in her company both Arvid and I find that we are laughing even more
than usual.  The girl has a heck of a personality and she leaves you feeling 
good always.  I really miss her.  Now she has left home and is away in college.


Wishing you all a day full of laughter and happiness.
It's Thursday already so let's all start gearing up for the weekend!
Remember the best is yet to come!

You can turn painful situations around through laughter.
 If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.

~Nadiya~

Sep 25, 2013

Thankful...

Never let the things you want make 
you forget the things you have...

Talking to my parents and to my sisters yesterday, they all tell me that fall is
already in the air.  They already feel the chill of winter approaching..


This is when I am happy to be living in the warmer Florida climate. 
There was a time I lived in New York and though I love the city, I
never got used to the freezing winters.  I hated to be bundled up in so many layers 
of clothing.  I love the fact that here in Florida we can always wear summer clothes.


Or go to the beach all year long (this though, we never do).  Another good thing
is that we can drive the car top down all winter long.  If we so wish.
Chicago is another city we both love.  I think it has become our favorite
city, but there they also have very harsh winters.  One of the reasons we only
lived there in the summers.  Yes, I feel fortunate to be able to have
warm climate all year long.  Many, like my sisters and parents love the change of 
seasons and they enjoy the winters.   Arvid, Brutus and I not at all!  We like warm.


 My parents and two sisters at one time called Florida home.  Today they unfortunately
 no longer live here and seem to be happier in their new States.  The good thing is that since
we have a "spare" house, my parents visit every year and enjoy some of the
Florida sunshine also.  Yes, I am grateful and happy with our life.

Wishing you all a good day and never forget to ask yourself,
:what are you grateful for today?  You'd be surprised.

Gratitude is a habit of the heart...

~Nadiya~

Sep 24, 2013

Just A Regular Day...

In between all your goals, priorities, obligations, and everything 
else that might appear on one of your upcoming to-do lists,
 there are moments called life that still have to be lived and enjoyed...

These days with our busy lifestyles, we all like anything that will help us make 
our lives easier and simpler.  I know that I for sure do.  Like everyone, clean,
I cook and do all the chores that comes with everyday life.  Sometimes, I 
really wish there was magical way of making things happen without much 
effort especially when it comes to housework.  

That not being the case, it is nice then to find out that there are ways to 
get things done without having to wear yourself out.  For instance,
I spend lots of time cleaning the showers and baths, yet it is never as shiny 
as I want.  Could also be that I am not as good a cleaner as I think, but that's 
for another time.  Yesterday I found out a simple way to clean shower hardware
and to make it shiny in just a few minutes.  


Look at  the before and after picture. Here you can see the transition and best,
does not take long to do.  I for one am happy about this.  Saves me
from buying those sprays which in reality do almost nothing and
I am sure they are causing harm to my lungs.  This method is safer, simpler 
and definitely cheaper.  Save you time to do something more fun or to 
do some other household chore.  Either way you look at it it's good.


It's already Tuesday.  Monday was a very long day.  With so many little
things to do and to take care of seemed as if the day would stretch on 
forever.  Then came a horrible thunderstorm with lightning like
I have never seen before.  


Brutus who is normally a little used to 
thunder was petrified. Took hours before he came out from under the bed.  
Arvid was a bit exhausted and without knowing he fell asleep on the sofa.
  Not something he would admit to nor something he ever does.


Claims that Brutus woke him up way too too early and he was unable to go back to sleep.
  For Arvid the worst thing is to wake up early.  Then according to him his entire day 
gets messed up. I'm thinking it could have also been a few beers too many yesterday.
Seeing him this tired always makes me want to comfort him and makes me love him 
even more.  When Arvid is at his most vulnerable is when I find him the
most appealing and the most wonderful man of all.  Yes, I love him.



It's Tuesday, so let's all have a good day and make the most 
of each moment.

Do not think that love in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary.  
What we need is to love without getting tired...

~Nadiya~

Sep 23, 2013

Good Morning...

Freedom lies in being bold...

It's the start of a new week.  Let's start it right and keep moving forward.


Pretty straight forward if you ask me.  As Arvid always says to me, "if anyone 
can ask it's you"  I see nothing wrong in asking for want I want and for going after
it.  Arvid claims that I am too bold.  I think I am just pretty direct and upfront.

We have had a good weekend.  Made new friends and got reacquainted 
with old friends.  Now recharged and rested, we are also ready 
for a new week.  Hope yours is good and filled with productivity and friendship.


For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose
 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.
Good morning to all and good day!  
Happy Monday friends.  Have a smiling day!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!
Live the life you've imagined...

~Nadiya~

Sep 22, 2013

Sunday...

If you really want to do something you will find a way,
If you don't you'll find an excuse...

We all face challenges, and we keep giving our best always, but sometimes 
there are days when even the smallest of challenge seems overwhelming. 


When this happens I think of my sisters.  Each of them with kids, and with just that
life is a challenge always.  They are always worried about something yet they all 
face life gracefully and accept all the challenges and difficulties thrown their way.
I never hear them complain about much.  They always are positive and ready 
to take on whatever life throws their way.  I admire each and every one of them!


Another Sunday and what better way to enjoy it than in the company of good friends
 and good food.  Somehow food always tastes better when shared with friends.
Sundays...also a day for Arvid to catch up with family and have quality time.
Wishing you all good times and don't forget to be awesome.

The best of times is now...

~Nadiya~

Sep 21, 2013

Happy...

The secret to happiness is to do what you like.
The secret to success is to like what you do...

I told Arvid that I would like to go on a little vacation soon.  He looks at me 
and without blinking says, "well aren't you always on vacation"?  I just looked 
back at him and of course I had to smile.  Otherwise, I guess I would have really 
done something very wrong.  Sometimes I think he is either very clueless or
it is just one big act he likes to put on... on being dense.


On a good note, we concluded that we will one day re-plan and retake our trip to California.
Unfortunately, this year did not work out because of medical issues with
Arvid and Brutus.  Who knows March or April is always a good month.
One can hope.


Our friends are finally here decorating and furnishing their home.  Their excitement
is palpable and with every purchase they make they are closer to making
this house their home.  Arvid and I were happy to be able to make it welcoming
for them.  It was worth the smiles on their faces.  Can't wait to see what they do next.

Being Realtors really is fun.  We meet interesting people and we always become
friends.  Even in Chicago.  When we bought and sold our apartment we became friends
with the Realtor.  We even went out and had dinners together and kept in touch.  Same
with our customers.  Some have even come to our home for drinks and we have been to
theirs as well.  Both Arvid and I love what we do and I guess it shows.

One customer in particular calls us before he and his wife show up to make
sure we will be around so that we can get together.  The last time they were here,
we had drinks at their home then we all went out for a fun evening. They have even visited
 my parents both here in Florida and now in North Carolina.  They also named their
granddaughter after me!  Yep!  guess soon they will be back hoping to get away
for a few weeks from the cold winters in Indiana.


The only way to do great work is to love what you do!
Never settle for anything because if you do, you sure are missing
out on some of life's best moments.  Getting there is not always easy,
but the journey is half of the fun!


Wishing you all a beautiful day filled with love and lots of fun.
Remember,  let the beauty of what you love be what you do.

Do what you love; you'll be better at it. It sounds pretty simple, 
but you'd be surprised how many people don't get this one right away.


~Nadiya~

Sep 20, 2013

Hello Friday....

Everything beautiful has its moments then passes away...

One of my Facebook friends from Norway lives in a place called Rissa.  Yesterday 
evening he posted a picture of the sun setting.  This was close to 11pm in Norway.  I have
 seen  beautiful sunsets, but this one sure is among the prettiest of recent.


The thing I remember most about my first trip ever to Norway was that it never got
dark in the evenings.  The sky was always bright.  Though very beautiful, it made it 
kind of difficult to want to go to sleep.  You kept thinking that it is still too early to sleep. 
It was a beautiful thing to see.


Not too bad if you ask.  Yesterday we had a beautiful day filled with sunshine.
With quite a few chores to do, the day went by pretty fast.  It seems as if
a day does not go by without me doing loads and loads of laundry.  The happiest 
in this scenario is always Brutus.  Lots of clean, warm laundry to catch a little snooze 
on  Exactly as he was doing as I took the laundry out of the dryer.
Yes, we spoil him :)


The weekend is looking very promising.  Some friends are visiting and
we are looking forward to taking them to another favorite restaurant of ours.
The weather is looking good and what better way to start the weekend than
with a little visit to the mall, one of my fruity umbrella drinks and whatever
else that follows.  Yes, today I am really ready for the weekend!


For now have a happy Friday and join me in my cup of cafe to bring in the day!


Happiness is when what you think, what you say,
and what you do are in harmony...

~Nadiya~

Sep 19, 2013

Wet Days...

When it rains on your parade look up rather than down
without the rain there would be no rainbow...

Living in Florida means wet summers and this year it seems like the skies 
are opening up even more than usual or maybe because we are here and not in 
Chicago makes it seem like rain all the time when in reality it is just a normal rainfall.


Whatever it is, I don't mind the rain.  Yesterday I had quite a few things to 
do and of course each meant getting in and out of the car several times.  Goes
without saying that by the time I was done I was also soaking wet.


Being wet does not bother me one bit.  I like the rain.  What I don't
like is that my handbag and all my gadgets will also get wet.  I have several
umbrellas in the car, but do you think I carry any with me?  Nope, and every time I 
need one it is of course in the trunk.  By then I figure I might as well make a run for it.


Rain makes everything look beautiful and clean afterwards.  Even Brutus is no longer 
afraid of the constant pounding of the raindrops on the sliding doors.  He now finds it 
fascinating and tires to catch the drops.  Very cute watching him struggle with that.


The best thing is that after the rain comes the rainbow.  Perfect and beautiful.  
It is a reminder that things will better if we give it a chance and
if we believe strongly enough.  Remember, you can't have
a rainbow without a little rain.


Wishing you all a day filled with all things nice.  Rain or shine
there is always something to be happy about.

Anyone who thinks sunshine is pure happiness has
never danced in the rain...

~Nadiya~

Sep 18, 2013

Something Good....

Mothers hold their child's hand for a moment
and their hearts for a lifetime...  

Just the other day someone posted this.  I have to say lately I have 
been seeing quite a few nice things on Facebook and every so often I save it for my blog.  
Always enjoy sharing with everyone, especially something as heartwarming and touching as this.


When I saw this, my mind immediately flashed back to when I was 
a little little girl and my dad took me everywhere he went.  He
always held my hand and never let go.  I was never afraid when I was 
with him.  Some memories never go away.


I don't have many pictures of me and my dad when I was a little 
girl, but I have the images clearly imprinted in my mind and in my heart.
Those will never leave.  My dad has always been my hero.


Today I am a big girl.  I don't need anyone holding my hand,
but Arvid does and I love it.  I love the feeling of being safe and 
protected I have with Arvid.  Together we are good! 


Wishing you good times always.  Remember take time
to laugh, it's the music of the heart.


Find a heart that will love you at your worst,
and arms that will hold you at your weakest.
In my case = Arvid...

~Nadiya~

Sep 17, 2013

Let It Be A Good day...

You can't start the next chapter, 
if you keep re-reading the last one...

Sometimes for what ever reason, we just feel like quitting and giving up.
You are not alone in feeling this way.  It happens to all of us. I was just 
talking to my girlfriend and for a moment while I listened to her, I realize again
that what I thought was a bad time is actually just something in passing.


Someone said, it is during our darkest moments 
that we must focus to see the light. 
Something to think about.  


It is very easy to give advise when you are not
the one walking in that persons footsteps.  The best thing is 
to let them know you care and that you are always here for them.
Sometimes you just have to find a place inside where there's joy, 
and the joy will burn out the pain.  At least you hope it will.


The minute you think of giving up
think of the reason why you held on so long...

~Nadiya~