Saturday ~

Panic implies that there is no rational thought taking place...

There is a lot of everyone's mind these days.  Yes, 

the Coronavirus.  The media has gotten most into a state 

of total panic.  Lets just say the shelves in all grocery stores

 here in Fort Lauderdale, that we have been to, and 

we have been to quite a few are EMPTY.

Not sure what the deal is about the toilet paper, 

but there is none to be found.  Forget cleaning supplies. 

 Depending on the store you may still be able to

 get some cleaning supplies if  you are lucky.

Arvid and I are enjoying more time in the mornings

 on the balcony.  Life here is relaxed, but it does get a 

little tiresome to not be on the move as much. 

We did go out a little yesterday.  It was Friday after all,

 and we are still alive and life is good.  Glad for that.

Not saying we are not going through some scary 

times right now with this Coronavirus, but at the same 

time logic and common sense should also kick in.

Hysteria is impossible without an audience.

 Panicking by yourself is the same as laughing alone

 in an empty room. You feel really silly...

~Nadiya~

And So Begins Another Day ~

Positive mind.  Positive vibes.  Positive life...

Branson without doubt has some of the strangest of weathers.  All week last

 week we were close to the mid 90's, yet on Sunday the one day Arvid 

and I have "off" it was an amazingly mild June day.  Temperatures 

were in the 70's.  Made for a great outing with friends.

Even in 90 degrees Arvid wears his long sleeves T-Shirts.  On Sunday he was

 "brave" and was in typical summer clothes.  For a little there it reminded us

 of the life we left behind.  One day we will go back, but for now

  Branson is home and yes, it does have some gorgeous days.

Yesterday after work we decided to do some weed whacking.  

Well I wanted to call the guy who does the yard work, but Arvid 

was positive he could do it.  He bought a weed whacker.  Butchered the

 front yard.  Tomorrow I'm calling the lawn man if he does not.

While Arvid was busy destroying the front yard, Sniff was happy to receive
 is foodies via UPS.  I order his food online now twice a month.  I also buy
 food for Bridgette, one of the kitties at Almost Home.  Everyone Happy!

Yesterday was a good day.  Not much drama in either hotel. It's going
to be a good week.  Weather wise  it is just perfect.  Yay!

To all a good day.  Hope you week has also begun on a positive note.

When life puts you in tough situations, don't say "why me."  Say "try me."

~Nadiya~

A Beautiful Day Ahead...

Give everyday a chance to become the most beautiful day of your life...

The days are going by super fast.  Not exactly sure what we are doing but seems

 like before you know it the day is almost over.  Take today for instance; we woke

 up at the usual time.  Arvid watched soccer as usual, called his family,

 then breakfast.  Next thing you know it's already noon. 

Maybe the beautiful weather is keeping us busier than usual.  Love that.  Had a 

chance to check out some more of the stores at the outlet mall and at the same time 

pick up a few pairs of shoes.  Went on my own so was able to browse at my hearts

 content.  The other day Arvid and I went together with Arvid.  Needless to say,

 in under 10 minutes he found 2 pairs of shoes and we were done shopping.

Another beautiful day in our horizon.  Can't believe we are actually warmer than back

 home in Fort Lauderdale.  No complaints here.  Time to head out and enjoy our Sunday. 

 Wishing the same to all of you.  Sniff is enjoying bird watching and squirrels

 passing by "torturing" him.  Yes, kit is a good day here at home.

It's such a beautiful day.  I'm feeling positive and focused.

I hope everyone has a great day.  I will be grateful for this day...

~Nadiya~

Hello Hump Day...

Closeness has nothing to do with distance...

No matter where we go, one of the first things I like to do is to have pictures of family . 

 I'm not the type to want to hang pictures everywhere, but one piece with everyone

 together is enough.  And yes, Brutus is always the one favored the most in all

 of them.  Always will be.  He is after all my baby and that will very change.

My "office" has a personal touch to it.  Arvid prefers to have maps and things

 related to real estate in his.  Booth happy with our choices.  Another cold, cold day 

here in Branson.  Sniff and I have been awake for a while now.  He is very

 active in the mornings so I have already played with him quite a lot.

Good morning everyone.  Remember to be happy not because everything

 is good, but because you can see the good in everything.  Last night 

I had my first pina colada in Branson.  Happy, happy.

There is sunshine in my soul today.  It's not how much we

 have but how much we enjoy that makes happiness...

~Nadiya~

Life...

Just smile and say you are fine, because nobody really cares...

Chicago living is fun, at least in the summertime.   Now I soon look forward

 to going home. There is so much to do here.  There is not time to be bored, even so,

 I want to go home.  I want to bring Shadow home.  Liliana has his ashes

 and somehow it's been pressing on my mind now for quite some time.

 I want to see the familiar surroundings where Brutus ran around, and I want Sniff to 

get used to his home as well.  So far Sniff has lived longer in Chicago than he has in 

Florida.  We have lots more space in Florida and I want to be able to wake up in 

the mornings and not just lay in bed.  Yes, I am ready to go home.

We keep ourselves busy no matter where ever are.  Arvid continues to do his trades,

we have even gone to a trade meeting, he has met a few people here who are also 

interested in trade, so for him it's business as usual.  For me it's a little different. 

At least this year it is.  My frame of mind is not the best and I have days 

that I really don't wish on anyone.  Unfortunately as I mentioned,

 my sister and family are having those kinda days as well.

Life as we know is not perfect.  It just throws everything at you and it's up to us 

to do the best we can.  Some days I manage to do just that other days I have 

some setbacks, but it is what it is and hopefully time will be my 

friend in this journey and I hope it will be my sisters as well.

Our walks as usual is something we do all the time.  We have also been to the

 Jazz Festival here in the park and when we come home we can also hear the music

 and see it from our balcony.  We are truly very fortunate to be where we 

are in Chicago.  In the center of everything.  Yet I wish to go home.  

This has not been a good year for me.  I'm not ungrateful.  I know many

 have it so much worse, but you know when it boils down to the nitty gritty, 

at the end of the day it's ones own circumstances that takes priority, and the
 truth when being told no one really cares what the other person is going
through, but that person.  Maybe one day I will learn to care less.

For now wishing you all peaceful times and happy days.

Fake a smile.  Don't let them know your're hurting.  They don't care anyways.
Just because her eyes don't tear doesn't mean her heart don't cry, and just
 because she comes out strong doesn't mean there's nothing wrong...

~Nadiya~

42 Things Every Foreigner Must Learn About Norway... (Part 1) More To Come

Once you understand and appreciate other peoples cultural
 backgrounds, then you can also connect with them more...

The following is taken straight from the Internet.  So if you agree or disagree with me, 

I can't hold it against you nor should you hold it against me.  Norwegians are SPECIAL!!!

According to this article, it's not easy to understand these ice-cold Vikings, but with the following

 tips it will probably make it easier.  I wish I had know this when I first went to Norway.

Definitely a beautiful country.  Well worth the trip.

That's it for today.  The rest to come in another post.  As we all know every country has it's
 own peculiarities.  What may seem strange for one is the norm for another.  When I
first met Arvid there were so many things that I could not understand.  The main one being
our big difference in how we treated people.  I come from a culture of warm, open and
 generous people. Arvid was and in many cases is still a little reserved and not
that fast to open up to people.  I can and I do talk  to everyone I meet.

  Our parents taught us that nothing is wrong with that.  In the USA everyone talks
to everyone even if you don't know each other you strike up a conversation.
 Norwegians are a bit more reserved.  It still does not stop me.

To all a very good day.  Remember we all smile in the same language.

It is not our differences that divide us.  It is our inability to
 recognize, accept and celebrate those differences...

~Nadiya~