Morning Is Here ~

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

Once again I am awake really early.  Sniff has been
brushed and fed.  As always.  Truth is if you don't brush
 him he will cry, and he cries very loud.  Love the sound
of his "voice"  It makes us smile and do his bidding.

Every night Sniff and Arvid have this very special routine. 
Sniff knows exactly when Arvid is getting ready to sit
and watch TV.  He waits patiently until Arvid settles in,
and then right away he jumps between Arvids legs. 
And this is how they remain for at least 3 hours.

I have been asked to be the bridesmaid in a wedding and Arvid
the best man.  We are both super excited and happy.  Both the
groom, and the bride could have chosen their own families for
this honor, but instead they choose Arvid and I.  Now to
 find a pretty yellow dress.  Yay!  Something fun to do.

Looking forward to another very beautiful day here in
Fort Lauderdale.  A few things planned so all in all a really
good day awaits us.  Be it work or be it fun, we always
try to find the bright side in everything.

Wishing everyone a beautiful day ahead.  Remember we
 have to make our own sunshine and our own happiness.

When something goes wrong, take a moment to
 be thankful for the many things that are going right.  
Expect nothing and appreciate everything...

~Nadiya~

Monday Again ~

I like to escape to the beach and kind

 of ground myself whenever I can...

When I need some quiet time, nothing like long 

walks along the beach.  Soothes the mind and refreshes

 the soul.  Make you ready to face whatever the day holds.  

That's what it does for me.  It calms and centers me.

A new week begins.  A new month begins. February,
 the month of my sisters birthday. In February there
is everything to hope for and nothing to regret.

Wishing everyone a happy start of the week and a great February.
Even though February is the shortest month of the year, 
sometimes it seems like the longest for many.  

And the wind whispers, "Don't be afraid.  I am here.  Close your eyes,
 smell the salty air, and let the spirit of the ocean move you."...

~Nadiya~

Sunday Vibes ~

Happiness is letting go of  what you think

your life is supposed to look like...

After a very good dinner at our favorite restaurant, Arvid

said to me, "want to go for a drive by the beach?"  Of course I said yes.

  My favorite Pina Coladas are at Aruba's Beach Cafe.  As we

 got closer, the road was blocked off.  Huge Super Bowl Party

 going on.  Every restaurant was fully booked.  

Arvid saw I was a little disappointed so he said, let's just 

continue driving on A1A.  We cruised along Fort Lauderdale Beach, 

and believe it or not, everything was super quiet there.  There 

was tons of parking and the beach was empty.  No big parties 

that I noticed going on.  Was a relaxing outing. 

So every day we make plans on what we would like to do. 

 Everyday Arvid tells me that we have to live more.  To enjoy life.  

As he puts it, "we have worked hard our entire lives.  It's time 

we reap the benefits."  How can I disagree with his logic?

The rest of the evening we will be watching The Super Bowl.

 As always my favorite part is the halftime entertainment and the cool ads.

Hope everyone has had a great day so far.  Let's go Patriots!

Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it...

~Nadiya~

Saturday ~

Everyone is taught that angels have wings, but the
 lucky ones of us find they have 4 paws.  Sometimes a 
very special cat enters our lives…their presence 
changes our hearts forever.  And we can call 
ourselves blessed for having known them...

A normal day.  Nothing different, but in my heart 

something is stirring all over again.  For a brief moment again

 I felt the same grief I did when we first lost our Brutus.  

Once again my heart is being ripped apart.  I know it 

will pass.  The grief will settle in again, but for a little while 

there I really wanted my baby back with us.  I always want

 him back, but some days it's worse than others.

After the grief washes away, I am grateful to have

 Sniff in our lives.  I love the little dude.  He is special and 

I know that we are very fortunate to have him in our lives. 

 My little Sniff Sniff is just a heartbeat at my feet.

It's a beautiful day here.  The fact that one has moments

 of grief is just our hearts way of telling us we have loved and

 we have experienced loss.  Does not make you weak, it's just

 a part of life, and for those who have never experienced grief, 

it is pretty hard to explain or for you to understand.

Saturday. Arvid has his time to do some trades
 and I have time doing my stuff.  Both of us happy.

Today I have most of the day to do whatever I like.
While Arvid does his trading, I will make use of my time and
 do a few things I enjoy as well.  A little tour of The Pier at
St. petersburg, a little shopping and dining at one of my favorite
 restaurants.  Every so often it is good to have some alone time.

The universe does not give you what you ask for with your
 thoughts; it gives you what you demand with your actions...

~Nadiya~

The Simple Things In Life ~

Every day, I like to wake up and remind 

myself to be grateful of the simple things...

I'm attracted to the 

simple things that

 most people ignore,

 so the other day when 

I saw this it just 

reminded me once 

again that the simple

 pleasures in life 

are sometimes 

the best. 

Even though Arvid and I are 

"semi-retired" we seem

 to be as busy as

 always. If not more.  

It is a choice.  

Neither 

of us can sit around

 all day doing nothing.  Too boring.

 After being in Branson and running 

a hotel each even less so.  I have to 

admit to miss being that busy.  

To always have something to do.

 I loved it.

We now fill our time with going to different

 trade meetings around the country.  We also

 still have our shipping company, and we still do

 real estate.  Overall we manage to stay busy.

I try to always remind myself to never take

 for granted the simple things that life gives us.  

Those simple things are what makes me the happiest. 

 I love being home.  Going out to a quiet diner with 

Arvid, seeing Sniff run around and be happy.

I love the sound of laughter coming from our 

grand-daughters.  See them smiling and happy is enough 

to make any day a good day.  To hear my nieces and nephews

 say "I love you auntie Nad," and to talk to my family often, 

that's happiness right there for me.  The rest is fluff.

Let us not forget that sometimes we should express 

our gratitude for the small and simple things like

 the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite

 food, or the sound of a loved one's voice.

I think what really people want is just a few things 

done really, really well. And if you think about ever day

 of your life, the things you really appreciate aren't the

 complicated things. They're the simple things that

work just the way you expect them to...

~Nadiya~

Shopping Day ~

Shopping is a bit of a relaxing hobby for me,

 which is sometimes troubling for the bank balance.

Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale.
This is how it looked during the holidays.
And yes, I am already thinking weekend.

It's where I hope to go later today.  Always something to

 check out and to eat.  Even though now should be the time 

when tourists are in Florida, the mall is very quiet and empty.

Shopping relaxes me.  Especially when I am shopping alone.

I do not like to go with Arvid or anyone else.  I like to look, try on 

and just take my time. With Arvid everything is always a rush.

Looking forward to a few hours in the mall.

  Making music is like shopping for me. Every song

 is like a new pair of shoes and I love shoes.

The quickest way to know a woman 

is to go shopping with her...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday Already ~

When you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine...

The days are going by so fast.  Before you know it the

 week will soon be done.  Wednesday already.  Halfway 

there.  Yesterday was so cold we had to actually 

turn on the heat.  First time for this year.  

Hopefully not too many more days of this cold.  Sad 

because  Arvid has some friends visiting from Norway.  

I'm sure they have been looking forward to coming

 to warmer climate, but right now no such luck for them.  

he good thing about the Sunshine State, the cold 

does not last that long. At least we can hope so.

I woke up again and was really cold.  Again I had to

 use my scarf.  Rima gave me this wool scarf many years ago. 

 We lived in Branson and I never used it.  Go figure.

  I'm using it here in Fort Lauderdale.  In Branson 

though it was cold, we were dressed for it.

I don't know what or why, but when we were in Branson 

I was not this cold.  I guess the fact that we were constantly 

busy and on the move did not give us time to dwell on the cold.

  When I stop to think of Branson I miss everyone.  I'm happy to

 still be in contact with a few of my former tenants/friends now.

I stay warm with my scarf on, the heat going and lots of

 green tea during the day.  Arvid keeps busy by doing 

what he does best.  A little of this a little of that.  

Sniff stays busy by taking frequent naps.

Hello Wednesday.  Let's see a little more warmth 

today and a lot more sunshine.  For all of us.

  Winter, it's time you went away.

And when it rains on your parade,
 look up rather than down.  Without the rain
 there would be no rainbow...

~Nadiya~

Cold Tuesday ~

Smile big.  Laugh often.  Never take this life for granted...

4am this morning Arvid says to me, "I'm so cold.  

Can you get me another blanket?"  Of course I did.

  We already have 4 covers over us, but what's one more.  

So I covered him.  He was happy, and Sniff and I got up.

I have already had my cafe.  Fed Sniff and played with

 him a little.  And yes it's cold right now.  Had to find a 

scarf because my neck is cold.  Sniff is back in bed 

with Arvid.  Those two are keeping each other warm.

Even though is was cold yesterday as well, it was perfect 

for a little walk.  On our walk we saw the cutest duck family. 

 Mama and her ducklings were all huddled up together. 

 Keeping each other warm.  Just like our walks in Chicago.  

There we see the ducks in the lake, here just in the parking lots. 

Wishing everyone a happy Tuesday.  

Stay warm and don't forget to be amazing.

I'm no longer amused by this weather.

Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always 

bring your own sunshine.  If you want light to come 

into your life you have to stand where it is shining...

~Nadiya~

Fresh Week ~

Bad weather always looks worse through a window...

Yesterday evening as we were watching a movie 

on TV, the broadcast was suddenly interrupted. 

 Headlines read: TORNADO WARNING.  

Arvid and I who never really take much serious, 

jumped out of our chairs.  Without having to

 tell each other what to do we just did.  

I put a sheet on the floor, and Arvid went out in 

the rain onto the balcony and handed me the little

 bits of furniture we had.  Furniture secured. 

  Arvid was swearing because he was wet. We made a

 plan as to what to do should we get hit by the tornado. 

 We got the candles out and of course decided that we 

would grab Sniff and head into the bathroom, in

 worst case scenario.  Always hoping for the best.

I texted our nephew J.  Told him to stay put and do 

not go outside.  As soon as all of that was done I

 logged into the weather channel and this is what it said: 

TORNADO WARNING CANCELLED.  Of course

 we were happy, but this was probably the first

 time we took one of these warnings seriously.

Monday morning.  Rain and more rain is expected.  

The next two days will also be "cold" as far as

 Floridian standards go.  Today for sure we do

 not have any plans to go out and run around.

January is soon over.  Not sure what happened, 

but time sure flies. With lots to do this week, I hope that

 I feel a little better.  Yesterday I thought I was doing much 

better but by afternoon I was nauseous all over again.  Also

 feel tired as if I was run over by a truck.  A big truck.

I know better days are coming, but I am 

so tired of not feeling good.  At the same time 

I know it's just a passing thing.

Wishing everyone a good week ahead.  Let's

 remember that even though we may  have bad 
weather right now, but the sun shines in the hearts
 of the people and that keeps us all warm.

Wake up every Monday knowing that you can create
 something amazing this week.  What you tell yourself
 everyday will either lift you up or tear you down...

~Nadiya~

Hello Sunday ~

If my world were to cave in tomorrow, 

I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements

 and worthwhileness’s I have been lucky enough to have had.

 Not the sadness, but the joy of everything else.

 It will have been enough...

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.  Even with 

all the rain, there was still a beautiful sunset.  Just for a little

 while the skies cleared up.  The boats came back, and then came

 this amazing sunset.  It's the little things in life that makes one happy.

Our Sunday begins quietly.  Arvid has already 

spoken with his family and watched the first of his soccer 

games.  Sniff has been fed and brushed and is tucked in bed

 for his morning nap.  A nap that can go on for hours.

Arvid is now busy organizing his "stuff" and I am

 feeling much better right now.  All is looking good.  

Wishing everyone a great day as well.

The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and

 accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse. A person 

who knows who they are lives a simple life by eliminating from 

their orbit anything that does not align with his or her overriding

 purpose and values. A person must be selective with their time 

and energy because both elements of life are limited...

~Nadiya~

Grateful Always ~

Every day, I like to wake up and remind

 myself to be grateful of the simple things...

There is no sunshine right now.  The next few days it 

is supposed to be raining quite a bit.  For us here in Florida 

it is cold.  I was just chatting with Victoria in Norway and

 she said, 57F is like springtime for us here in Norway.

Yes, sometimes we forget that what we think is cold, 

or otherwise not so great, for many that same thing is a blessing 

in disguise.  Thank you Victoria for the reminder and we look

 forward to seeing you and Michael here in Florida shortly.

This is why everyone comes to Florida.

The beaches, the sunshine and for many the food here 

offers a lot more variety from where they are coming for.  I know 

Michael can't wait to come and enjoy some of Florida's food.

Saturday stars out with rain, but like Victoria and my sister Mala

 said to me, it sure is a lot warmer than here in Norway and Vermont.

I try to be grateful for the abundance of the blessings that I have, 

for the journey that I'm on and to relish each day as a gift..

~Nadiya~

Friday Again ~

I've learned over and over that life 
happens on its own terms, not mine...

The concert may hot have been that good, but we 

still had a good time.  These two started the celebration at

 our apartment, and then I of course drove us all to the concert. 

 Seems like I am always the designated driver.  That's 

what happens when you don't drink I guess.

I woke up at 4am because I couldn't sleep, and also because

 I wanted to be at the lab by 6am to get the bloodwork done.

I really have not been feeling that great lately.  I'm sure

 it's because of all the tests and the different "stuff" going into 

my body.  Hopefully soon this will be over for this year 

and I will be back to feeling like my usual self.

I got to the lab a little before 6am.  Thinking I would be
 one of the first, no such luck.  Almost 20 others thought the same.
 The wait was no that long.  One hour and I was done.  After that
I headed to the hospital to Nuclear Medicine for my body scan.

Other than having to lay for an hour without moving all was OK.

 After the body scan I had another
scan of my throat.  That was a little
more uncomfortable because
 I had to really hyperextend.

Now it's over, but just heard
 back from Nuclear Medicine
 that I MAY have to repeat the
body scan tomorrow.

I'm a little fed up and tired
 with these tests, but I know it's
something that has to be done.
  Hopefully only once a year.

Back home Sniff is asleep.
  Arvid is out and about already.
I have the morning all to myself.
The way I feel  just want to go to
 bed and lay there for the rest of
 the day.  Yes, I do not feel that
great right now.

On the other hand it's Friday.  Not up to doing much
 right now, but hopefully that will change in a few
hours.  It's getting cold again today and we expect
to see a lot of rain in the next couple of days.

Happy Friday all.  Enjoy the weekend and live life
 to the fullest.  You never know what tomorrow
 holds.  Truth is, I have no idea what will happen
between today and tomorrow either.  Life!!!

Write it in your heart that every day is the best
 day in the year.  Things turn out best for people 
who make the best of the way things turn out...

~Nadiya~

Thursday ~

Life itself is simple...it's just not easy.

The greatest wealth is to live content with little...

Good morning everyone.  Feeling good and happy today.
  Woke up to this and to a beautiful sunrise.  Manatees swimming 
right below us.  Another of my favorite sites.  Right now we
 see them almost everyday.  Never ceases to amaze me.

Just seeing the sunrise every morning is enough to make

 me feel good for the rest of the day.  As always, Arvid is

a little busy bee and he has Sniff running around in circles

 following him.  Seeing them together makes me happy.

The next few days are looking good.  A little cooler at

times, but definitely warmer compared to most of the world.

It's so cold right now that parts of Niagara Falls is frozen.

Pictures of Niagara Falls taken from the internet

Almost 3 months ago Arvid bought 3 tickets for a concert.  

Tonight after all the waiting we will be going together with

 a friend. Being back in Florida means we get to do the

 things we love.  One of those is going to music venues.

Today I get a rest day from tests.  Happy for that because

 I really don't feel good.  My stomach is a mess and I just feel 

queasy all the time.  Yesterday I had the radiation pill.  

I don't feel like going to a concert right now, but the

 tickets have been bough for months.  Hopefully by 

this evening I will be feeling much better.

Wishing everyone a happy day.

The essence of life is not in the great victories and 

grand failures, but in the simple joys..

~Nadiya~

It's Life ~

Thank you is the best prayer that anyone could say.
I say that one a lot.  Thank you expresses extreme
 gratitude, humility and understanding...

For the rest of the month and the first 10 days of February,

 I will be going through intense treatment all leading up to finding 

out if my body is still cancer free.  I am positive that this will be 

the case, but in the meantime it's a very draining process.

I started a few weeks a go with doctors appointments. 

 Many doctors appointments.  Then came the  blood 

work.  I have lots of blood work scheduled. 

As mentioned a while back, since we have been in Branson

 I never had the time to follow up on all the tests required. 

Fortunately, now I do.  This week is packed.  Started yesterday

 and it will go on until Friday.  One test after another. 

The days are different but this weeks tests follows the

 above schedule.  After I got home yesterday, I did not realize that

 the injection was what was causing me to be so tired and nauseous.

  You see I have a high tolerance for this stuff, but when I fell

 asleep and Arvid had to wake me up, I knew something

 was not right.  I NEVER nap during the day.

I feel better today and am ready for the other injection.

  The right side of my butt is sore from yesterday so 

today will be on the left side.  That will even it out.

I am looking forward to the results of all these test.
 Will hopefully get them by mid February.  That is if all the
tests are done.  On the fifth day of my first week of tests I will
 be having the entire body scan.  Have had one before. 

Just don't like to be still for long, but nothing I can do.
 Have to just lay down and stay still.  That is the
hardest part for me, other than that a total breeze.

This all sounds like a lot of "work" , but the truth is it's not.
 Just have to show up and do the test.  There are others
 going through a much more difficult time right now. 

My aunt is currently going through one of those very
 difficult times in her life.  One day she was fine.  Next thing
you know her life was turned upside down.  I may have a few weeks
of testing.  My aunt has been going through this for months now.

So when you start to complain and say how difficult your
 life is (me included) think about the millions of people, who
you don't know, and some of who you do.  Their lives are lived
day to day.  They have no idea what the next day holds.

Stop and look around you.  Be thankful for what you have,
for what you take for granted someone else is praying for.

There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as
 though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything
 is a miracle.  Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter
 how bad you think it is, is someone else's fairytale...

~Nadiya~

Mornings ~

In a world where you can be anything, be kind...

There is something to be said about being an early riser 

and catching a glimpse of the first rays of sunlight. It's calm, 

it's peaceful, and nothing nor no one to interrupt my thoughts. 

As the new week begins, we are once again given the 

opportunity to correct last week's mistakes.  For those who did 

not make any, kudos to you.  For me life is always a learning path,

 and always a chance to make things better.  At least to give it a try.

My friend Anna in California is missing her Taino so very much.

Her Taino was with her longer than many, and I know she aches.

  Unfortunately, there is not much anyone can do to take away 

her pain, other than to bring her Taino back.  I feel her pain when we

 talk and my heart breaks, for I know what she is going through.

For many of us today is just another day.  For others

 it is a struggle that seems never ending.  It's not always easy. 

What else can we do?  When we face our darkest moments that

 is when we need to focus even more on all the goodness 

surrounding us and all we should be grateful for. 

 This is easier said than done.  When I was facing these intense

 moments of grief, nothing anyone said to me made it better.  

NOTHING.  It took time to ease that agonizing grief.  

It still comes back, but now it is more bearable.

As the new week begins, let's try to be a little kinder to 

each other for we do not know what that other person is 

going through.  Remember, sometimes the brightest

 of smiles hides the most agonizing pain.

A cold start of the week.  At least it will get warmer
 for us, for many the cold will linger for quite some
 more time.  Good morning all, happy Monday, 

The things you take for granted someone else is praying for.

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about...

~Nadiya~