Mar 31, 2019

Sunday Funday Vibes ~

Some old-fashioned things like fresh
 air and sunshine are hard to beat...

I love these "colder" mornings.  Nothing beats fresh air.
  No AC and the doors slightly open.  Makes for a perfect 
hourin the mornings.  Of course then it's back to AC
 and hotter temperatures.  For now just loving it 
and hope it lasts for a little while longer.


Even Sniff is enjoying some of this "cold" air we 
are having.  Sniff is happy, so I am happy as well.  
I can't ever stop saying what a good kitty he is.

It's a perfect boat day here again.  Just saw a pretty 
different looking boat.  Of course a picture was necessary. 
 Not sure why I take so many pictures.  It then becomes a 
chore to delete.  But as Arvid would say, "you love it."


Sunday.  Lots of soccer games on today.  Both of us happy. 
 Arvid get to be "busy" and I get to have time to do some stuff
 on my own.  Life is sure good.  Happy Sunday all.


I am happy because I'm grateful. I choose to be
 grateful  That gratitude allows me to be happy...

~Nadiya~

Mar 29, 2019

Awake ~

I can get a call at 2 A.M., and the person on the other end is like:
 'Sorry, did I wake you?' and I'm like: 'No, I'm wide awake.'...

I'm awake, but at the same time I know I should 
still be in bed.  Asleep like Arvid.  Sniff woke up and stayed
 with me for an hour, but finally he gave in and went back 
to sleep with his dada.  Exactly what I hope to do.


Little too early to have coffee, but what the heck. 
 Already had a cup and I think I will soon be ready
 for bed again.  Busy day here again today.  

March has gone by so very fast.   Strange month. 
The first couple of weeks it was just beautiful, but the 
last 2 weeks it was wet, windy and fairly unpredictable.  Even 
so, it was always warm.  We have had quite some rain in 
the last few days. I like rain.  Made everything clean.


Life with Sniff is very good, but I will be honest, I miss our 
Brutus so very much.  Every place we have moved to, Brutus 
has a special section.  In Arvid's office there are tons of pictures
 of Brutus.  There is also a spot where Shadow loved to sit.


In our apartment here in Florida and the one in Chicago,
 Brutus is the first picture that was hung and the first you 
will see as you enter.  He will always have a special place 
in our hearts.  The other day Arvid said to me, "I think 
of Brutus very often."  I also think of him very much.

I wish we would have had more than 9 years with Brutus, 
but I am so grateful for the time we had.  I hope Sniff is with
 us for years and years to come.  He is just the most loving kitty.


Good morning all.  I think I will try to get some more sleep.

I am the biggest enemy of my own sleep. On the 
nights I can’t sleep, like that one, like so many recently,
 I wish I could just turn my mind off like a lamp...

~Nadiya~

Mar 28, 2019

Temperamental Thursday ~

Close your eyes and turn your face into the wind.
Feel it sweep along your skin in an invisible ocean
 of exultation. Suddenly, you know you are alive...

Thursday, a windy and pretty wet day so far. On the other 
hand, it is still warm and I know the rain will soon end.


Hello everyone.  How is your day so far?

To most human beings, wind is an irritation. 
To most trees, wind is a song.  It's a windy day...

~Nadiya~

Mar 27, 2019

Tony Henderson ~ Thank You

You live everyday, but you only die once...

When I took over Almost Home in Branson, MO
 I knew nothing about running a hotel.  Neither did Arvid.
 We just jumped into it hoping as always for the best.
 One thing we were told by many hotel owners, "it is
essential to have the right maintenance couple."  

At the time I was not exactly sure what they meant,
 but by the end of the first day I sure did.  Almost Home
 "came" with Tony and Krissy.  Tony was the maintenance man.

We were advised by the previous owner that we may want to
change the maintenance man once we took over, but at that
 time we decided to stay with Tony.  I mean we did not
know any other person to be our maintenance man.


Tony was liked and trusted by all the tenants.
That already was a plus.  At the start of the first few
months, we encountered a few things with Tony that we did
 not like nor were we about to tolerate.  We were "advised"
to fire him.  But you see I liked Tony, the human being that
 he was.  He was good, kind and so patient with everyone.


Arvid and I had a talk with him.  We clarified a few
things that we did not like nor would tolerate.

We told Tony that we were willing to have another go
with him if he shaped up.  Shape up he did.  The first
 8 months at Almost Home would have been much
 more difficult for me had it not been for Tony.


 He showed me things and thought me things as well.
 In his quiet way, Tony helped me to get through
those first months as a hotel owner. Without
Tony by my side I would not have made it.

Arvid was busy running our second hotel, so he did not
 have much time to spend at Almost Home.  It was
Tony, myself,  and Krissy.  Tony's better half.


Sunday March 24th I got a phone call.  7pm.
I was told that Tony died.  Both Arvid and I are very sad.
  Me especially.  Tony was by my side for almost a year
before he was told by his doctors that he
should not be working anymore.

Tony was the one I turned to when I need something
taken care of at Almost Home.  Tony was the one everyone
 loved and trusted.  Tony will be missed very much
because in his own way he touched many with his
kindness, patience, calmness Tony made everyone
 at Almost Home feel safe and well cared for.


Tony, I will forever be grateful to you.  There are not
 many like you.  From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!
I will miss you Tony.  Both Arvid and I say "thank you"
and may you rest in peace and not hurt anymore.

Death stings the victim only once, but those left behind
feel the pain of loss with every passing memory every day.

Death never comes at the right time, despite what 
mortals believe. Death always comes like a thief...

~Nadiya~

Mar 25, 2019

Hello Monday ~

Leave a little sparkle wherever you go...

New week.  Time to make sure that whatever you did
 not get accomplished last week gets done this week.  
Always time to move on to a better start and
to correct the mistakes of last week.


Yesterday we went to Bahama Breeze.  My favorite 
thing there is not the food, but this coconut-pineapple Martini.  
This can definitely change my perspective on drinking.

Hello Monday.  Let's prepare to be amazing.

Positive mind. Positive life.  Positive vibes...

~Nadiya~

Mar 24, 2019

Hello Sunday ~

Someday you will look back and understand why it
 all happened the way it did.  Spread love wherever you go. 
 Let no one ever come without leaving happier...

Finally we can relax a little. We redid the floors in our 
apartment, and it seemed like a race against time to have them
 completed, cleaned and ready for company yesterday.  


After 3 weeks of very hard work the place is now almost
 100% livable.  All that's left is arranging and organizing
 my clothes.  Sounds like a simple job, but not really.


The worst part is starting.  Luckily I have started so the rest
 should be better, I hope. All Arvid says, "get rid of this,
 get rid of that,"  I am actually doing that.  Sniff's pet 
sitter has already gotten bags and bags of stuff.


Today we really need a relaxation day.  After moving
 and lifting heaving furniture from one spot to another our
 bodies are pretty achy.  Usually Arvid has a few soccer games
 to watch, unfortunately none today.  Not good because 
I usually use this time to go walk around the mall.  


Wishing everyone a relaxing day.  They say that sometimes
 the most productive thing we can do is relax. It's always important
 to have a balance in your life between work and play.

If a man insisted always on being serious, and never
 allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would 
go mad or become unstable without knowing it...

~Nadiya~

Mar 22, 2019

Hello Friday ~

They say a person needs just three things to
 be truly happy in this world: someone to love, 
something to do, and something to hope for...

It’s been a really good week, and as usual when one
 is busy time just flies. As always coming back home after 
being gone for a few day, lots to catch up with.

  Arvid is go, go, go.  Finally it’s Friday and we allow 
ourselves to take a little time to do something fun.  


Tonight we go and see Buddy Guy in concert.  Truth
 is we have seen him before, and I was not too impressed.  

Too much profanity coming out of his mouth. 
 On the other hand he is good.  When in Chicago,
 we usually go to his club.  There we also
 see him and yes, more profanity.

  That being said it is always nice to go to a concert,
 especially when you know a few of the songs,
 and you know the artist is sure to sing.  

Arvid said to me, “tonight I will get tipsy.” 
OK with me because the theater is right across the
 river from us.  We take the boat across to go 
and same to get back home. No driving.


We are both pretty tired and it will be good to 
just sit back. Enjoy the music and not do any work.

The weekend begins.  Looking forward to it very
 much.  Tomorrow we will be having company over.  
Excited about that.  J and Alexandra are coming
 as are Michael and Victoria. Fun times ahead.

I’m so happy J lives close to us.  Miami after all,
 is not that far from us.  His only free time happens to be 
Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately it does not 
always work out, but this weekend it does.

Sniff and I have been awake for some time.


Arvid is still in bed.  Good morning all and happy Friday,
 and enjoy the weekend ahead.  Beautiful morning here.
  A little "chilly' but I love it.  Have already been out on the
 balcony with my cage.  Life is good so let's live it up.

Today in Norway our eldest granddaughter turns 6.
I just do not know where the time has gone by.  One day 
she was this tiny little thing, today she's a 6 year old DIVA.


Happy birthday baby girl.  Bestemor og bestefar fra America
 love you very much.  Lots of hugs today going your way.

Happiness is letting go of what you think you life is supposed 
to look like. Happiness comes in waves.  It'll find you again...

~Nadiya~

Mar 21, 2019

Feeling Good ~

I really live a simple life and don't need very much to feel
good and happy. Don't get me wrong; I believe you should get 
what you earn. Sometimes you have to fight for it...

Home again.  Busy again.  Happy as can be.  Best
 of all the 3 of us are together again.  Sniff was super 
happy when we got home as were we.  I really
 do not like leaving him for so long.  


It's just not right.  I just don't want to think of leaving 
him all alone for 3 weeks this summer.  Breaks
my heart.  Same as when we left Brutus.

Back in Florida life is busy.  In Chicago we took it easy, 
and just relaxed and for a change it was a vacation.  
Yes, we did do work in the apartment, but most
 of the time we walked around the city.


Good morning all.  A brand new day awaits us. 
Let's make the most of it.  Happy Thursday all.

You will never get everything in life but you
 will get enough.  Hard work makes you feel good 
because you have accomplished something...

~Nadiya-

Mar 19, 2019

Going Home ~t

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

The day is here when we go back home to Sniff.
I have to say I have enjoyed being in the cold weather again.
  Did not bother me one bit, but it is sure good to be going
 back to the warmth of the Sunshine State.

Can't wait to see Sniff.  To pick him up and give
him lots of love.  He hates being picked up, but I do
it all the time.  One day he is going to love it.

For now it's goodbye Chicago until summer.  Then Sniff
 will be coming with us and everything will be better.
 He makes our life complete.  The way Brutus did.

 Yes, I miss Brutus a lot.   Wish he was here with
Arvid, Sniff and I.  He will always be my baby.



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

~Nadiya~

Tuesday ~

The secret of having it all is knowing you already do...

Soon going home. Always happy for that.  
No matter where we go, I always look forward
to being home.  Home where the 3 of us belong.

Chicago has been fun. Cold but as mentioned before,
 I love it.  I enjoy walking in the cold and yes feeling
 to very cold air on my face.  Luckily I kept my winter 
boots here. Kept my feet always nice and toasty.  


Arvid has his as well.  I am EXTREMELY surprised
 that Arvid did not complain too much about the cold. 
All he said was “it’s very cold.”  Usually he 
would complain about it all day long.

Yesterday was cleaning day.  Loads of laundry to do.  
I actually enjoy doing laundry I get to be on my 
own for at least an hour or two.  Arvid insists
 on helping, but it’s not his favorite chore.

This afternoon a little trip out for lunch and some
 more shopping.  Arvid did a little shopping yesterday. 
Today looking for some stuff for the apartment.  


I’m all set and ready to see Sniff.  He’s doing good,
 but I know he is also looking forward to us coming home 
soon.  Can’t wait.  I’ve missed him so much and this was 
only a week.  Imagine when we leave this
 summer for almost 3 weeks.  


Can’t think about that right now.  Hated to leave 
Brutus and now I hate to leave Sniff.  These little fur 
babies sure have a way of inserting themselves into our
 lives and our hearts.  So happy and grateful for that.


Wishing everyone a great day ahead.
Soon we will be seeing Sniff.  Happy.

Grateful today for all the things I usually take
 for granted. The most beautiful way to start 
and end the day is with a grateful heart...

~Nadiya~

Mar 18, 2019

Beautiful Views ~

The good life is a process, not a state of being.
 It is a direction not a destination...

Sunsets from our balcony.  Even though it's cold, I just can't
 seem to resist going out and taking a few pictures. 


Sunrise from the balcony.  I am really enjoying the views,
 but I would rather be home with Sniff.  I miss him very much.


Our walks are always interesting and fun. 
 Be it winter or summer always something to see.


30 degrees F (5C) this is on a warm day, and you still 
find outdoor dining in the city and as if that was not COLD,
 there are lines of hundreds of people waiting to go in.  


This is everyday winter and summer.  And yes, 
I have eaten there with a friend and we also waited
 close to an hour to be seated.  It was an experience.


Chicago has a lot going for it, but somehow I am not
 too into being away from home anymore.  I think I am just 
tired of always moving around.  Now I want to be in one place. 
  Arvid and I were thinking of going to Punta Cana,
 but suddenly I do not wish to go anymore.


I am happy with our life and grateful for all the 
things we do.  As Arvid says, "we have worked hard
 enough to be able to enjoy life and do as we please."  
Guess he's right, but all I want is to go home.  

Wishing everyone a beautiful day and 
hope your week is going well so far.

The more you are positive and say, 'I want to have 
good life,' the more you build that reality for 
yourself by creating the life that you want...

~Nadiya~

Chicago Life ~

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn
 or consumed.  Happiness is the spiritual experience of
 living every minute with love, grace and gratitude...

The last days we have been  having an adventure in
Chicago.  Yes it's cold, but we have all our winter clothes we 
brought from Branson so it will be a breeze.  Mostly for me.



Sniff will be coming with us in June.  He will be cared for by 
the same family that took care of him in 2016.  Anna, who was then 
a little girl loved him then and looks forward to seeing him again.
  Brutus has never lived in this apartment.  It's all Sniff's.

Hello everyone.  Remember, this is a wonderful day.
We have never seen it before.  Let's make the most of it.
Below is the beginning of the sunset from our balcony.


Yesterday we had snow flurries.  Someone said,
kindness is like snow.  It beautifies everything it covers.

Expect nothing and appreciate everything...

~Nadiya~

Mar 17, 2019

St. Patrick"s Day In Chicago ~

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more.
And nothing but happiness comes through your door...

Yesterday I went out early for a walk to be part of 
the St Patrick’s day celebrations that were and is still going on. 
 It was cold 31F,  so I bundled up pretty good.  Luckily it was
 very sunny and before you knew it I was getting warm. 
 Many were in shorts!  Yes shorts. Crazy!


The people. The parade. The life that is this city reminded 
me why we love Chicago so much.  Arvid stayed in to
 watch a soccer game. I just wanted to be out. See the 
river and experience everything taking place.


I loved walking in the cold and brisk air.  Reminded me
 of being in Branson. I had the best time.  Everyone was 
happy and just having the best of times.  The weather did
not seem to matter at all.  Was fun to see and experience.


Arvid and I had our share of being Irish as well.  Later 
on in the day we went to and Irish Pub.  The beer
 was green and everyone was very happy.  


It felt great to experience all of this in the city we love
 so much.  I secretly believe Arvid loves Chicago more than 
any other place.  Too bad it's so cold in the winter time.


So far we have been having a great time.  It is definitely cold.  
I am so enjoying it, but I know Arvid is cold even though 
he is not mentioning it too much.  Unusual for him.  
It just goes to show how much he loves it here.


Good morning everyone.  The celebration continues today.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend and making 
lasting memories.  To all Happy St. Patrick's Day.

I've always thought you have to believe in luck to get it.
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you each morning and night...

~Nadiya~

Mar 16, 2019

Cold Chicago Days ~

It was one of those March days when the sun 
shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is 
summer in the light, and winter in the shade...

Arvid is as happy as can be.  Says he’s on vacation,
 even though we have been working continuously.
We did not realize there was still quite a lot to do to
make the apartment safe and ready for Sniff.


Before we leave it will all be ready for him.  
Still some things to do, but at least safe for him.

I love the city, but I don’t believe I am as excited 
about it anymore as Arvid is.  I prefer being 
in one location now.  Going away on
vacation every now and again is OK.

No denying it we have a beautiful apartment.


 The views are amazing be it day or night, but I rather
 be home with Sniff.  Home where I know where everything
 is.  Where I have my car and can take off whenever I
 want, and go wherever I like.  Chicago is beautiful,
and very cold right now; there is no denying that.


As a new day begins I have to say I am looking
forward to seeing what it holds.  Yes there is always
something going on and something to do.

I love being here and we are enjoying everything the
city has to offer.  I guess it’s not completely home
as yet because Sniff is missing.  Once he’s here with
 us it will be different.  I miss the little dude a lot.


Good morning all.  Wishing you all a great St. Patrick's
 day weekend.  One thing I know for sure, it is going to be a very
cold day here in Chicago. Yes, that's ice you see in the lake.



To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake 
it is necessary to stand out in the cold...

~Nadiya~