Monday ~ March 23rd

The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.

Another day begins and so begins another week of
being indoors.  Self imposed quarantine for now.
  Better safe than sorry as the saying goes.

And how does your day/week ahead looks.  We live
in different parts of the world, but today we are all
 living either in quarantine be it voluntarily or mandated.
 Best thing right now is to stay calm and ride it out.

Our day begins with a few hours on the balcony.
It's just the perfect way to start any day/week.

Wishing everyone a happy day and a great week ahead.
  All things considered, there is always something to
 be grateful for.  What are you grateful for?

When one door closes, another opens; 
but we often look so long and so regretfully
 upon the closed door that we do not
 see the one that has opened for us...

~Nadiya~

Sunday Vibes ~

Every day may not be good, but 

there is something good in every day...

A little too early for this, but allergies kicked in 

and so began the sneezing.  Better to get out of bed

 than to wake Arvid up.  He needs his beauty sleep. 

 Sniff and I in the meantime have had time together.  

He was brushed, fed, played with and photographed. 

 He's already back in bed.  Where I should be as well.

I wonder what our day hold.  Right, we are going to 

be housebound.  Lots of balcony time, TV and walks.

  We do not use the pool or hot tub anymore.  At least 

not until the virus situation is under control.

From our balcony you see just about everything.

Yesterday there was a photo shoot.  We saw the 

neighbors trying to grill their dinner.  That didn't turn

 out so great.  The entire meal caught on fire.

There is always the party boat with the girls.  

Girls do not like to obey rules.  There will be fun

 no matter what, and damm the consequences. 

 At least one girl had on a face mask 🙈

Every morning we see our neighbors in the building 

across from us.  Arvid has a story surrounding them 

and he calls them Robe. Most of the times they are

both in their bath robes.  We stay entertained.

So far we have been able to fill the days without getting

 really bored.  We are used to being out and about and 

this self imposed quarantine is definitely interfering 

with our way of life.  Just like it is with everyone's 😅

Like everyone, we make the most of it.  More drinking,😎 🍹

more eating 🥘and more quality time together.  If we stop and

 think about it, it may really do us all good to spend time

 with each other and actually talk to one another 😍.

Good morning everyone.  Still early here in Fort Lauderdale.

  Everything is quiet.  Sniff is back in bed and together with

 Arvid, both fast asleep.  I hear their soft breathing

 All's good here.  Happy Sunday everyone.

If everything was perfect, you would

 never learn and you would never grow..

~Nadiya~

How We Spend Our days ~

Every day is not a success. Every year is not

 a success. You have to celebrate the good...

Long leisure walks.  Take time to 

always stop and enjoy the sights.

Make new friends.  Always a pleasant part of our walks.

Sniff is a little confused at times, but handling it 

like the champ he is.  He sees boxes and boxes of Chewy 

coming in and gets happy.  Another box to play with.

 Enjoying the sights, always something good to see.

The boats everywhere keep us entertained.

But the best part of our days are now spent on the 

balcony where the views are unbeatable.  If one has

 to be quarantined, then not a bad place to be.

To all stay safe.  Stay home and be calm.

Though Arvid is more "scared" than I am, he 

sure knows how to relax better than I do.

The biggest adventure you can take

 is to live the life of your dreams...

~Nadiya~

Hunkering Down On This Friday ~

A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart...

No matter what you/we do, and right now there

is not much one can do aside from staying in.  I am 

starting to feel the beginning of restlessness.

Like just about most places, everything is closed. 

 Restaurants are still doing take-out and delivery as of 

right now.  We are not venturing out to any as of right now, 

but who knows.  Take out right now sounds pretty good.

Yesterday we ordered Pizza.  Not an unusual thing, 

but because of the lock down it was quite a daring thing 

for Arvid to do.  Pizza never tasted this good.

More long walks for us.  Extra time on the balcony.
These are all good things, but I wonder how long before
 I go completely restless.  The weather has been spectacular,
 so sitting out on the balcony has been enjoyable.  Not hot
nor humid so far.  According to Arvid it's coming😠.

Both Arvid and I are stocked up with some of our
 favorite drinks.  One has to make this staying home as
 pleasant as possible.  For me a tropical adult beverage is a
good start. And thankfully I have quite a bit in the freezer.

Lockdown or no lockdown.  Life goes on and
for many it is a very terrible time; many have been laid off.
  Many of the people I care for in Branson are having
hardships.  Just like people all over the world.

Like everyone, we just have to wait and hope that
this virus goes away fast and without too may
 casualties.  There sure has been enough.

Easier said than done, but here it goes anyway:
Always end the day with a positive thought.
 No matter how hard things were, tomorrow
 is a fresh opportunity to make it better

But you will admit that it is a very good thing
to be alive. Whatever the mind of man can
 conceive and believe, it can achieve...

~Nadiya~

One Day At A Time ~ Thursday

Every day is not a success. Every year is not a success. 

You have to celebrate the good.  What comes easy won’t 

last long, and what lasts long won’t come easy....

Hours on the balcony makes for a really good start 

of the day.  Now that we have to be in all the time,

 it is a very pleasant way to pass a few hours.

Breakfast is no longer a rush.  It never has been 

for me, but Arvid usually rushes.  Now we both have

 to be relaxed and just take it easy.  Easier for 

him than for me.  I get restless too fast. 

Even Sniff is completely relaxed.  Truth is he always is.

Now he's so happy we are always around.  He gets lots of 

attention, brushing and foodies.  Whatever he wants.

Afternoons we go for long walks.  There is hardly

 anyone around.  Restaurants, shops just about everything

 is on lock down.  Grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations 

and banks will remain open.  Until further notice.

The days are beautiful.  The weather is spectacular. 

 In that sense we are better off than many who are experiencing 

the same, but are also having snow and cold temperatures.

Good morning everyone.  Another beautiful day here.

 Looking forward to what it holds and what we make of it.

  For sure another long walk this afternoon.  Yes, we all 

have to make the most of what life throws at us.

Life is what happens when you're busy

 making other plans. If you don't like the road 

you're walking, start paving another one....

~Nadiya~

Wednesday ~

Always remember, your focus determines your reality....

For now Reshma has opted to stay in Australia. 

 So far where she is all seems OK.  I just hope

 this continues to be so.  Though I don't see her

 much, I miss having her home in the USA.  

Somehow it feels closer and I know she's home. 

 Mala misses her a lot as do the rest of her family.

In the meantime, she's loving her life in Australia.

This Coronavirus has affected everyone's life in

 more ways than one can imagine.  Many have to cut 

short their travels and return home earlier than planned. 

 This is the case for Victoria and Michael.  They are

 returning one week before planned to Norway.  As we all

 know, Norway like so many countries is also on lock down.

Here at home we spend long times on the balcony.
I read a little more than usual, and that's saying a lot.
We watch more TV and have more together time.

We spend extra time watching the sunsets.
This for me is always a pleasure and it makes me happy.
 I try not to get up as early, but sometimes it just can't be helped.
  Our days have a good vibe after our balcony time.

Sniff's happy, relaxed and doing well. After all
is said and done, life is good and we are grateful.

Gratitude helps me focus on what I have 

instead of what I don't have, allowing me to stay

 focused on my blessings instead of worrying

~Nadiya~

Hello Tuesday ~

Positive thoughts are not enough. There have

 to be positive feelings and positive actions....

Long walks are still something we can enjoy even 

with this Coronavirus pandemic.  At least for now. There are 

not that many people out anymore.  Quite noticeably these days. 

 Good for everyone, because less to come in contact with.

I love seeing mama ducks and her ducklings.  

Currently there are quite a few ducklings around.  

There are always squirrels.  They always capture

 our attention.  Then you have some very pampered

 doggies living on boats.  They let you know how 

cool they are by really staring you down.

Those empty boots have been on the same spot for 

months.  For some reason they always capture my 

attention.  At that moment, I think of what may have

 happened to the person who once owned them, and 

for some reason I think of war and injured soldiers.

Today is St. Patrick's Day.  Life as we once knew it is 

no longer the same.  Hopefully soon it will be back on

 track and this Coronavirus will be under control, and 

we will be able to better understand and deal with it.

Good morning all.  Like all of us, this boat has

 seen better days.  But let's remember to keep

 looking up.  That's the secret of life.

Yesterday is not ours to recover, 

but tomorrow is ours to win or lose...

~Nadiya~

New Week Begins ~

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet
 or everything you hear on the news just because 
there is a picture with a quote next to it...

Once again the news media is wrecking havoc 

in lives.  Like most we, especially Arvid watches

 the news everyday. Maybe not so good right now.

 Now with this Coronavirus going on 😠, it's all they talk

 about.  Last night we were "lucky" to catch the part where

 the news reporters were strongly encouraging people

 to not eat in restaurants.  Of course, at the end

 of the day the choice is always ours.

Yesterday was probably the last outing we will be
 having for weeks to come.  We had lunch with
Victoria and Michael.  It was a very good time.
Beautiful scenery and good company.

Spring break in Florida may not be "officially"
cancelled due to this virus, but with all the restrictions
 and curfews, it may as well be, but as the news
 reported, "one can always wait to drink and
party another time.  Best to be safe."

Here at home Sniff is on permanent Spring Break.
He sleeps, he plays, he suns and he gets lots of brushing
and loving from us.  He also stays updated together with us
on the news.  Sniff does not buy into all this hype either.

Our day begins early again.  Not really by choice,
 but it is what it is. The next days will be long days,
especially when we have told ourselves that we will be
staying in and only going our when needed.  Arvid says it
will be worse for me because I am too restless.  He's right

Last night Brutus was so present in my mind.  He's
never far, but last night I vividly thought of him, and of his
last night at home with us.  He snuggled up to me that night
 and together the 3 of us slept soundly on the bed.  The next
morning we took him to the vet.  The next day he died.
The picture below was taken November 3rd 2015.

Brutus died November 5th 2015.  He took my heart.

To all a great week ahead.  Remember to follow
all precautions and stay safe.  The media may
 be hyping us all up about this virus, but
 it never hurts to be on the safe side.

Life offers you so many doors, it is up to
 you which to open and which one to close...

~Nadiya~

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~

Friday ~

Don't be afraid of being scared. To be afraid 

is a sign of common sense. Only complete

 idiots are not afraid of anything...

This Coronavirus is sure wrecking havoc in 

everyone's life.  Reshma is in Australia on a study program 

for one semester, now the university here in the US 

wants all students to return back home. 

Reshma's stay in Australia is probably coming to an end.
In the meantime she just ran a 3K for charity.

Our nephew J was supposed to travel to Europe in

 the next week.  You guessed it.  Flight cancelled.  People 

are panicked and though I agree we should be cautious,

 I think the media is scaring us all to death.  Not good.

Here at home Arvid, Sniff and I are staying low keyed.

Have not gone out much since coming from Puerto Rico.

I can feel the start of boredom setting in.  NO bueno.

The days are beautiful.  Not too many people

 out yesterday as we went for a walk.  Either they are 

scared and staying put indoors, or it was just too warm.

  Either way, it was a beautiful afternoon for a walk.

Arvid and I are still enjoying coffee/tea on the balcony. 

One thing that has not been affected is our view.

Wishing everyone a beautiful Friday.  

Where there is love there is life.

Bad things happen whether you're scared 

or not,  so you might as well not bother 

being scared. It's a waste of time...

~Nadiya~