Monday ~ A New Week Begins Again

 A new week rolls in.  A week full of promise, potential, and 
endless possibilities.  A week for you to pursue your dreams...

The year is soon over.  Seems like not fast enough right 

now.  2020 so far has been one of the most terrible times the 

world has and is still living.  COVID has spared no one.

COVID sure has changed the way life was, 

and most likely for many it has changed the way 

life will be in the future.  So much we take for granted, 

hopefully when this is "over" we will not forget

 what and who is really important in life.

By Emilita Cornain

One thing that is certain, we know that adjusting to

change can be challenging. Be it planned or unplanned,

gradual or sudden, change is inevitable and

very much part of being human.

Over the past few months, we’ve experienced an

unprecedented shift in our way of life due to COVID-19.

Pre-pandemic, who would’ve thought that toilet paper could

become as precious as gold! And now, a trip to do a weekly

grocery shop seems like an adventure of its own! Before we

know it, we’ve (reluctantly) let go of our old normal and

now settling into what seems to be our new normal.

Once again toilet paper is difficult to find in the stores.

SOLD OUT!! Not panicking, but it won't hurt to go and

get a few extra rolls of toilet paper. Just incase.

Let all hope this week brings us closer to the COVID

vaccine, and that this terrible pandemic will soon near its end.

One can hope and being positive never killed anyone.

Hello Monday. Let's get this week rolling.

Give yourself the space and time to grieve, to celebrate,

and to feel every emotion in between, during this challenging

time. We are living in a situation that never happened before

(at least in our lifetime), and it is impacting each and every one of

us in a unique way. How we deal with it could be our saving grace.

We are in this together-and we will get through this together...

~Nadiya~

Sunday ~

 Say hello to the next great thing in your life...

Mornings are my favorite time of the day.  Walks, coffee

 and the little stray kitties make it the perfect start of the day.

The kitties now know my route so they wait patiently

 for me.  I'm always guilty on the days I do not go walking. 

 I picture them meowing for foodies, but I remind myself that 

they still need to be able to find food on their own.  Because 

when we leave, they will starve if they forget how to hunt.

I mean who can resist a face like this?  Definitely not me.  

Quiet day at home.  rain has been an off and on occurrence

 the last few days.  One minute it's beautiful then suddenly

 it looks like we are about to be hit by a major hurricane.  

Island life, you never know what to expect 🌴

Everyday we must learn to cherish all our happy moments.

How does your Sunday look like amigos?  
Beautiful sunny start of our day.  Hopefully it holds.

I want a life full of happy moments, happy

 feelings, laughter and smiles.  With you...

~Nadiya~

The Best Things In Life Are Free....

Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall.  
Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day.  

Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till 

the sun goes down.  And this is all life really means...

Everyday life can sometimes make us loose sight of
what is really important and what life is all about.  We all
 get caught up with our jobs, chores and all other kinds of
issues, and we tend to forget about the simple things that
can make us happy, and as it says are all free for the taking.

I am no exception, but I want to think that I do
know what I have and that I do appreciate
 all the little and simple things in life.

  I love making others laugh and cheering them
up whenever possible. Even though there are many
 a times I hurt 😿, and get sad over things beyond
 my control, I also realize we  have a good life.

We have each other and we are each others best
 support system.  We don't always have what we
want, but we have exactly what we need.

Wishing you all good times and always remember
to enjoy life's simple pleasures, being free,
 and not letting the small things be a burden.  

If we can accomplish this we are on our way to
 truly appreciating life and making a better 
day for us and everyone around us.

Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, 
even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it...

~Nadiya~

Friday ~

 Strength does not come from physical capacity,

 it comes from an indomitable will...

 The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our daily 

lives in more ways than we could have ever thought. 

Who would have imagined coming out of your own

 home all masked up?  Not me.  A first for all.

At least once a week I keep track of the cases where our 

families live.  We have family in Norway, where they are

 also seeing a rise in COVID cases, even though Norway 

still remains one in the lowest of cases in Europe 😷.

My sister Rima and family lives in California. 

 California is about to be shutdown all over again.  We 

are living in some extremely crazy times right now.

The global coronavirus has quickly transformed

 our language to include many words and phrases that 

were not part of our daily vocabulary, such as

"social distancing" and "quarantine."

Puerto Rico has many restrictions in place as of

 right now,  and who knows what is coming next.  

Same to be said of everywhere in the world.

Friday. Random rainstorms happening.  One minute

 you think the storm will swallow you up then within

 minutes the skies clear up.  Right now it's story.

To all a happy Friday and a good start of the weekend.

May your weekend be filled with positive

 thoughts, kind people and happy moments...

~Nadiya~

Tropical Thursday In Puerto Rico ~

 Don't let what you can't do stop 
you from doing what you can do...

The island is full of stray dogs and cats.  Breaks my

heart to go anywhere and see all these hungry looking babies. 

 I carry cat food everywhere we go, but there are so many it's

 difficult to keep up with.  The other day as we went for a walk

 we encountered this beauty.  Starving.  I had food for her,

 but what happens tomorrow and every other day?

It's also very strange to see little kids with masks.  They 

adapt easier than I think I have to using a mask. Imagine

 a walk on the beach and you see everyone with masks. Weird.

 Even weirder because it is the new norm we are living.

People heading out for an outing in the water.  Wearing a mask?

  Never thought I would be witnessing anything like this.

Sniff dislikes the mask so much that he destroys them

 whenever he can.  He sees a mask, he eats the strings.  Simple

 as that. We keep them hidden, but yesterday he found it.

Yesterday was a first for me since being with Arvid. 

 He actually helped put up some Christmas decorations

 with Kimsy. I was shocked, but happy.

 Even he, Arvid was surprised because this morning he said

 to me, "I don't remember ever doing anything Christmas."

  That's pretty sad actually, but here in Puerto Rico there

 has been many first times, and hopefully more to come.

Yesterday was a very good day.  Happy and grateful.

The best moments of my life don't make it to social media.

Although the world is full of suffering,

 it is full also of the overcoming of it...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday Already ~

 Take all the swift advantage of the hours...

Next week is Thanksgiving.  This month has sure

 sped by way too fast.  I can already see our time here

 getting closer to the end.  Usually I am so happy to leave from

 wherever we are, but I do not want to leave Puerto Rico.  This

 has been one of the most relaxing and enjoyable times.

I love the afternoons.  We relax and I practice my

 bird watching and photography skills.  Does

 not really get much better than this.

Yesterday the "backyard" kitties showed up.  I had some

 chicken so I threw it to them.  I can't get to the neighbors

 yard, so this was really the only way.  They loved it.

Arvid and I went for a walk yesterday along the beach

 and park.  Due to COVID, we are not allowed to go swimming.  

This is in effect until December 15th I believe at which time

 the governor will consider new measures.  If the cases do 

no go down she has "promised" to do another lockdown.

  Hopefully we do not get to that stage. Fingers crossed.

As if 2020 was not already "interesting" yesterday

 the island had a tornado to spice things up some.  Tornado

Life becomes more meaningful when you realize the 

simple fact that you'll never get the same moment twice...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday ~

 Life is about moments, don't wait for them, create them...

Never underestimate the power of reaching out for

 something you want badly, no matter how difficult the

 road ahead may seem,  And just like that a new day is here

 and yes we are busy and suddenly things are starting to 

clear up for us again.  Why is it we can't seem to sit still?

Today thought of a little kitty came to my mind.

  Again. I smile and I think of all the good times and

 the wonderful memories we made and we have with

 our Brutus.  Today we make beautiful memories with 

Sniff.  My Brutus, took my heart with him 💓.

So far we are having a rain free day.  Due to the increase of 

COVID cases everywhere, Arvid and I are selecting to be even

 more cautious than before, and trust me we are cautious.

Rain is predicted for the rest of the week, but for now

we are enjoying dry weather.  Life in Puerto Rico

 is good and we are grateful to be here.

Some of the best moments in life are

 the ones you can't tell anyone about..

~Nadiya~

Holiday Season ~Monday November 16th

There's something about a Holiday that isn't 

all about how much money you spend 🎄...

 It's a new week with new expectations and who

 knows what to expect.  That is how life is today during 

these Coronavirus times.  Expect the unexpected. 

 Even so, some things will not change.  That is the,

 celebrations may be held differently, but you can 

still feel the vibe of the people all around you. 

 Puerto Ricans are happy people. 

 They make the most of what they have and they

 really enjoy life.  Take for instance Kimsy, our niece. 

 What made her the happiest right now was to

 decorate a Christmas tree with her mom.

  Because of Coronavirus they get to spend Christmas 

together, and luckily so do Arvid and I.  We get to 

spend it with them, unless something happens and 

the governor orders a lockdown.  Hopefully not. 

 I remember Christmas in Puerto Rico when I was

 a child.  The happiest Christmases ever.  I look forward

 to seeing some of the festivities with Arvid.  

Monday again.  Time is flying.  Soon it is Thanksgiving 

and we also get to spend it with my sister, J and 

Kimsy. Life is good and I am very grateful.  

As the new week begins, I wish everyone 

happy days and better ones to come.  Yesterday was not

 a good day for the USA as far as number of cases of

 COVID.  Hopefully this week will be better.

Florida, Missouri, California, Illinois just to name a few

 added over 10,000 Covid cases yesterday.  NO Bueno at all.

One small positive thought in the morning can 

change your whole day.  New week, bring it on...

~Nadiya~

Sunday November 15th ~

 Sometimes you have to accept the fact that certain 
things will never go back to how they used to be...

Today is our last outing before the new guidelines are

 implemented in Puerto Rico due to COVID.  Tougher restrictions

 are on their way like it or not.  Life has changed no matter what part 

of the world you find yourself in.  COVID times are here for

 the long haul it seems.  So today we go all the way out.

We are enjoying more "freedom" here in Puerto Rico. 

 Should we go back to Florida right now, I do not think we 

would be doing much of the things we do right now.

We are enjoying the few freedoms still available to us.

How long it will last no one knows.  Life goes on.

Every minute spent worrying about  "the way things were"

is a moment stolen from creating "the way things can be"...

~Nadiya~

Saturday November 14th ~

Hang in there, as better times are ahead.  he secret

 of crisis management is not good vs. bad, it’s

 preventing the bad from getting worse...

Saturday and I'm happy.  The sun is shining and life is good.

No cooking for me today.  Already an even better day.

  Not that I mind cooking, but sometimes it's OK to not have

 to.  Arvid is easy to please when it comes to food.

COVID cases are once again rampant throughout the USA.

Just yesterday Florida saw a staggering 7,000 case.  Hig numbers

considering it was getting a tad bit better a few weeks back.

Here in Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vasquez is taking it a step further.

In Florida Governor Ron DeSantis does not plan to do

 much.  From what I last read yesterday, he was not planning

 to do much changes.  All is still wide open.  Not that I am 

disagreeing,  at the same don't know when we will see

 an end to this "mess"  It's way too crazy now.

Seems like we will be in Puerto Rico for some time.  

We love it here so that's not a problem, but according to the

 Governor of Puerto Rico, if COVID continues to be rampant we

 may be heading into another LOCKDOWN!! That is not good.

A beautiful start of this day.  Beautiful blue skies,

 and no rain is predicted.  It did rain earlier this morning, but

 we were tucked in bed so that didn't count.  Sniff is basking 

in the sunshine once again.  Seems like he sure missed it.

 Happy Saturday to everyone.  Stay safe, and keep your distance.

No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. 

That’s the only way to keep the roads clear.  In the face of adversity,

 we have a choice. We can be bitter, or we can be better 🎅...

~Nadiya~