Saturday ~

I’ve learned that whenever I decide something 
with an open heart, I usually make the right decision...

Choices and more choices.  Either one, it was very good.

Arvid has been in soccer coma the last few days.  

Soccer every channel and he sure finds the time to watch 

most of the games.  Sniff of course is always by his side.

Mom and dad got in OK yesterday.  Looking forward 

to having them here for a while.  They used to live in Weston, 

but thought it was too hot in Florida.  They now live in NC

 and enjoy spending a few weeks in the winter in Florida.

Just a few more days until we begin 2020.
Arvid and I have been back in Florida a little
 over a year after our Branson days.

Very happy to be back home, but every so often
I think of all the good people we met and it pulls on my
 heart strings.  Especially now during the holidays.

My parents arrived yesterday in Fort Lauderdale.  They
have been on the move constantly since December 12th
visiting family.  We have a lot of family in Florida.  They
 are happy to finally relax and call this final spot home
for the next month and a half. I'm also very happy.

Wishing everyone a great last Saturday in 2019.  Make it count.

We need much less than we think we need. 
If you’re always trying to be normal you will 
never know how amazing you can be...

~Nadiya~

About Shoes ~

If a man's fortune does not fit him, it is like the shoe 
in the story; if too large it trips him up, 
if too small it pinches him...

What do women want?  Shoes of course.  If you are like me,
 then you must own tons of them.  If you are anything
 like my sister then you own even more.

I must confess that even though I love shoes, I always wonder how it is that all these women I see with these very high, high heels can make it through the day and not have a single blister on their feet.  At least that is how it appears to me.  I see them all walking around in these gorgeous shoes with 3+ inches (and not platform like most of mine), and I am always awed at their stamina for tolerating pain.

From young my mom loved shoes and her closet was filled with them as we were growing up.  Little by little she had quite a collection and to this day she is a collector of shoes.  I also have quite a collection, but my problem is that after wearing them once, my feet are blistered, and then I am afraid to use them again.

I have 2 kinds of collections...the practical, comfy everyday ones
 which include my sneakers and my Easy Spirits, Eccos, Nurture,
Timberland etc.  You get the idea.  They are comfy, but they are not
 the prettiest of shoes, but I can actually walk forever in them.

With the hotel it does not make sense to wear anything buy comfy
 shoes. Missouri is very hilly and the grounds at the hotel is also.  I am 
constantly going up and down stairs, and just walking around
the property makes it almost impossible for me to have 
anything on but comfort shoes (aka not always pretty)

Aside from the "not pretty shoes" I have the collection with the heels.  Some platform, some stilettos.  Now these look awesome on your feet and if you are going to a place 
where you don't have
 to walk perfect. 

 Seems though that with me it does not matter after about an hour in these shoes my feet are blistered.  Band-Aid or no Band-Aid I just don't seem to be able to use them for more than a 2 hour tops.  

I have discovered in Calvin Klein, Guess, INC, Gianni Bini and BCBG and Marc Jacobs among others some styles that are a bit more comfy for me and yes pretty.  I can actually use them for an evening if there is not much walking involved.  Another brand that I like is called Born.  These can be anywhere from ugly looking to some very pretty ones.  Best of all they are so good to walk in.

Having "problem" feet I am not able to wear all brands.  My shoes have to be well made and of good quality.  Unfortunately, this means that I have to pay quite a bit for a pair of shoes that is unless I can find them on sale. Which then makes me very happy.   My problem is that when I find that perfect shoe that embodies all I want, style, beauty, sophistication and grace it is always way too expensive.  This does not make me happy.

No matter what, the first stop for me when I go to the mall is the shoe department.  Do I learn?  Not really otherwise, I would not have bought another pair yesterday knowing that my feet will be blistered within the hour, but for now I love them and that's what matters.

If the shoe fits, it's too expensive....

~Nadiya~

Thursday ~

In a sea of people, my eyes will always search for you...

And suddenly "vacation" is soon here for us.

Arvid has not mentioned Norway as much, but I 

know once we get to Chicago and he gets some of that

 Chicago scene in him he will start to talk about it.

He is of course very excited, but I think all he can 

talk  about is Chicago.  He really misses that city.  Many

 little things to do today.  My priority is to make sure 

Sniff has everything he needs and a lot of extras.

Sniff and the birds are all set.  Now it's time for me to do a few
things for myself and to start packing.  This year I plan to travel very light!

It's time to go now.  It's time to get ready for the trip.
I keep myself busy with things to do, but 
every time I pause I still think of you.

~Nadiya~

Saturday ~

Good times and crazy friends make the best of memories...

A busy day here at Almost Home.  We have a room that 

became available late last night and I have already rented it out,

 but the new tenants want it on Sunday.  That means that once

 again We will be very busy today.  Together with Chris and Tiffany

 I will helping to clean the room.  I usually take the bathroom.

  I scrub and scrub until it is sparkling clean.

Arvid has the easy part.  He will hang out in the office 

and greet the tenants, he also has to listen to their stories. 

 He is not always very fond of that, but he'd rather that 

than scrub a toilet.  We all have our "demons"

Last night we had a girls night out.  It was very good.  Maybe 

happy hour is not such a good thing because one tends to drink a
 for a few hours everyone forgot about work and their problems.
Not only are they my tenants, but my friends as well.
 Yes I have strong bonds with a few hand chosen tenants,
whom I am happy to call friends as well.

Saturdays are very quiet days at Almost Home.  Makes it 

pleasant to go in and "work."  Today for lunch I am hoping for 

BBQ chicken wings.  Compared to Flip Flops in Fort Lauderdale 

I have to say the wings at Drafts are much better.  Now I'm hungry.

Yesterday was one of those days that will forever hold a special
place in my heart.  We laughed, we joked around and for a
few hours we were just silly "girls"  It was fun.

It was relaxing, and once again you realize that
the best things in life are the people you love, the
 places you go and the memories you make.

Once we take that journey within all that is outside of us 
becomes even more beautiful than before.  Life is a beautiful 
journey.  Enjoy the ride.  Say yes, to new adventures...

~Nadiya~

Interesting Times ~

I'm a big believer that life changes as much as you want it to.  We all

have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance...

When we lived in Florida, we stayed to ourselves mostly.  We

 were and still are not the types to do a lot of social outings.  

We prefer weekend getaways, an evening out listening to 

music, a good meal, but always mainly Arvid and I.

Here in Branson that has changed.  Honestly we socialize more 

here than we did in Florida.  We go out more in groups here also than 

we did in Florida and I said to Arvid, "I believe you need to invest in

 a blazer and some dress clothes."  The craziest thing is Arvid agreed. 

 Of course, owning the hotels have been a big part in this, 

plus Arvid has met people who are interested in trading as 

much as he is.  Makes for some very interesting times.

Last night we attended an auction for charity.  The main items

 were 2 cars.  Arvid of course had to bid on them, but like all good

 bidders he also had a limit.  Needless to say the cars were sold for more 

than our agreed limit.  No problem, today and tomorrow the real 

auction begins and I know he will do his best to acquire a few cars. 

Just last week we also attended a silent auction.  The items were not 

as grand as cars, and only one item interested us.  I saw it and I said

 to  Arvid, "please bid on this one and make sure we get it." It's home 

with us.  Life has taken a different path here in Branson for us.

Whatever our future holds, I know that Branson has played (and continues to)

 a very important part in our lives.  We may or may not have liked it all,

 but we sure experienced and still continue to do life changes that 

will always be a part of us.  It has definitely it filled a void.

We are definitely living in interesting times.

Going by my past journey, I am not certain where life will 

take me, what turns and twists will happen; nobody knows where

 they will end up. As life changes direction, I'll flow with it...

~Nadiya~