Tuesday May 21st~

As we go through life, we will always

 create more and more memories that we will 

one day find ourselves reminiscing about...

 Facebook has this thing about showing you your memories.  

Last night it was my wildlife friends from Branson.  I really miss

 them.  I keep telling it to Arvid quite often lately.  Miss my Daisy, 

Fatboy, the deers, my Geralds (groundhog) and all the others.

I can't say I really miss running Almost Home.  There 

was a time for that, and now Kurt is the one running it.  I don't 

feel that connected anymore, but it will always have a special 

place with me.  It brought me a lot of satisfaction and I met some 

amazing people.  That has not changed.  The people are still 

amazing, and we have made many friends in Branson.

Believe it or not, I miss our home.  There all the wildlife 

showed up and they were all fed and cared for.  They

 made me happy during the time we lived there.

It's okay to reminisce sometimes.  Life has been good to us. 

 Taken us in many directions and our Branson time will forever

 be special to me.  Sniff loved his homes in Branson as well. 

No matter what, Branson will forever hold a special place 

in my heart.  Tuesday already, the week is moving along fast.  

Aside from the heat all is the same.  Arvid does a little "work" 

at the warehouse to stay busy.  Meanwhile, I just have a lot of 

ideas floating around of things I would like to do this summer.

Mornings first glow.  I love it.  Hopefully the marina 

will one day soon be re-built.  Demolition is done, so now

 construction should begin.  At least that's how I see it.

Life is not always perfect. Like a road, it has 

many bends, ups and down, but that's its beauty...

~Nadiya~

Monday May 20th~

 Every morning you have two choices: continue to
 sleep with your dreams or wake up & chase them...

Looking forward to what the new week holds, and to 

hopefully be doing a few fun things even with this heat spell.  

Life is treating us well and we do appreciate it, even when 

at times it seems as if we take a few things for granted.

Back in March with Victoria and Michael.  The relaxing view

 from Houston's Restaurant in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Whatever your week holds make it a great one. 

 Remember attitude is one of the keys to success.

Your talent determines what you can do. Your

 motivation determines how much you are willing

 to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it...

~Nadiya~

Sunday May 19th~

Sunday is your best day. You know you had an amazing week. 

Time to recover and think how you gonna kill the next one...

 Yesterday Arvid, Sniff and I took it easy.  We stayed in.

  Watched a movie and all three of us enjoyed popcorn.

 Yes, Sniff always gets one to two kernels.  He hears the

 popping and gets all excited.  He loves his popcorn. 

It has been really way too hot to go outdoors, much less 

go for walks. As soon as we step out we’re already soaking

 wet.  This is officially our first summer in Fort Myers.

Arvid is trying to get me to go to Virginia to visit Rima

 and family since as he said, "I’ve checked the weather there

 and it’s much cooler than here.”  Though I would love to go, 

it’s not a good time for Rima.  It’s a busy month for her.  

She has a lot of orders for weddings the next two

 months and needs the time to prepare.

We will soon be going to Norway. Looking forward

 to seeing everyone, especially our three granddaughters.

 It will be a good summer.  The girls are learning English and 

I hope they will speak to me in English.  Very excited about that.

No outdoor outing today. Way too hot for that, but there

 are many alternative for indoor dining as well. First the

 food is so much better.  May is flying by faster than ever. 

June is soon here and before you know it's July and we’re

 in Norway. I’m so missing Sniff already, at the same 

time looking forward to a little change in scenery.

A good day to all.  If you live in Florida, stay indoors.

The higher the humidity, the wetter it feels outside. Sprinting 

for a full day in Florida in midsummer proved very challenging. 

That humidity is crazy. Florida is a beautiful state, but the weather

 is intense. I was warned, but for some reason I thought it 

would be like L.A. in the summer. The reality? No...

~Nadiya~

Saturday May 18th~

 As long as you know your heart and intentions
 are pure, don't explain yourself to anyone...

I was out early again the other morning trying to get in a

 little exercise before the sun heats us.  It was not even 6 AM

 and like the days before, it was already 82F  (28C).  

I love mornings and no matter how often I do the same 

thing, see the same things, it is always different.  On this day

 the sky was all dark, but the contrast with the blue waters 

of the pool just made it even more beautiful.

Depending on the time, I get to see a variety of colors in the sky. 

These two and their routines.  I love watching them together.

And some more Florida happenings.  Never a dull moment

 that's for sure.  No one does it like Florida, be it good or bad😂

Demolition is done.  Now to do the clean up.

  The other day it rained so much making it impossible to 

do any work for a few hours, but as soon as the rain 

stopped the guys were back on the job.  

Soon Arvid and Sniff will be without a "job"  Just hoping 

that another "job" shows up soon so that they can stay busy.

Last night was Music Walk Downtown Fort Myers.

  We were there.  Started out at our favorite spot, Hideaway. 

 More like Arvid's favorite spot.  The drinks are always 

good and the entertainment (people watch)even better. 

Participate in life instead of just watching it pass you by...

~Nadiya~

May 17th ~ Happy Birthday to our Brutus and Shadow ❤

 Life has a way of humbling us, and anytime I felt I 

mastered this game of life, it proved me wrong. So, my 

advice is to live this life to the fullest and make your 

existence count. When you complete this journey,

 don't depart without leaving your marks...

The day is starting out bright and warm just the way 

we like it, and it only will get warmer.  I won't mind 

a little cooler air every once in a while as well😂.

May 17th is the day we choose to celebrate Brutus 

and Shadows birthday.  Brutus would have been 18 years old 

today had he lived.  He died when he was only 9 years old.

Shadow would have been all of nine years old today.  

We only had him for four months when he died. 

 That little boy never even made it to one year💔 

I was not ready to let you go.  I don't think I ever will. I miss

 our Brutus a lot.  He will forever be my baby just like Sniff is. 

 My Brutus took a piece of my heart. I will miss you for the 

rest of my life, but grateful for the time we had with you

Wishing everyone a very good day.   Today I am 

thinking of our Brutus and Shadow.  I do miss them, 

but Sniff has also filled our lives with happiness.  For all I 

have had and still have, I am thankful.  I am also thankful

 for my five California kitties.  I loved them all.

Time only teaches us to conceal our pain from 

others and we learn to grieve all by ourselves.

The sun rises each day no matter what.

If you have ever lost a loved one, then you 

know exactly how it feels.  And if you have not, 

then you possibly cannot imagine it..

~❤Nadiya❤~

A Typical Day at Home~

A nourishing breakfast sets the tone for a productive day...

 Breakfast is often called 'the most important meal 

of the day', and for good reason. As the name suggests, 

breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes

 your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness, 

while also providing other essential nutrients required for good 

health.  That's why Sniff and I are making sure we start our 

day right.  Arvid always starts his with a good breakfast.

Arvid and Sniff have a regular routine after breakfast. 

  They both look forward to having time on the balcony.  Arvid

 to enjoy the remaining of his tea, and Sniff just so he can be

 with Arvid.  I also go out but not as consistently as these two.

  An effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to 

better mental health, more time to relax and less anxiety.

I love many of the routines we have.  Some I 

can definitely do without, but overall, I would

 not change a single thing.  A Happy day to all.

Chasing dreams.  Living my best life.  First

 I drink the coffee, then I do the things 😂

A daily routine built on good habits 

and disciplines separates the most successful 

among us from everyone else...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday May 15th~

 You define your own life.  Don't let 

other people write your script...

As we continue to "monitor" the demolition progress, 

Sniff got tired and decided to just take it easy and sit this

 one out.  He has been quite vigilant.  Just like his dada.

The buildings are totally down.  Now it's clean up/debris 

removal and then hopefully permits will be given soon by the

 city to begin construction of the re-construction of the marina.

My Sniff is my little shadow and I love it.  When he's awake he 

follows me everywhere, but if Arvid is around then it's a toss-up.

Here's a little throwback.  Long time ago in Fort Myers.

Another very pretty sunrise by the pool deck this morning.

Also another busy day for these two.  Arvid never 

gives up, Sniff on the other hand likes his snooze time.

Be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according 

to your vision and purpose instead of the expectations

 and opinions of others. Don't just learn, experience...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday May 14th~

Do the best you can until you know better.

Then when you know better, do better...

On Sunday we went to FMB for lunch.  As always we 

had a good time.  There was music and good food, at the same

 time' we got to see people flocking around the boat which is now

 an extra attraction for this restaurant.  This boat crashed into 

the restaurant  September 28th, 2022.  Today it's a landmark. 

If the restaurant was popular before the boat crashed into 

it, it's now twice as popular.  People love a good story of 

overcoming adversity.  And FMB is definitely doing it.

Yesterday I got summoned for Dury Juty in Fort Lauderdale. 

 Kinda far right now so have to see what I can do.  I have

 been called in several times, but the trial never took place 

so everyone called in was dismissed.  The one and 

only time it wasn't was when I lived in New York.

This morning I had to go out and get something.

  I happened to catch the fist glow of the sunrise.

Everything sure looks more beautiful in the right lighting.

The heat is making people do very strange things here in Florida. 

Not much walking lately for us.  Neither Arvid nor I 

feel like getting burnt to a crisp.  Gotta find something else

 to burn those calories.  A good day to all 😃another busy day

 awaits Arvid and Sniff.  So much going on as Arvid says.

Not in doing what you like, but in liking

 what you do is the secret of happiness...

~Nadiya~

Monday May 13th~ New Week

A new day: Be open enough to see opportunities. Be wise 

enough to be grateful. Be courageous enough to be happy...

Once again a new week begins.  Time just seems to 

be going by so fast.  With each passing day Sniff gets more

 and more attached to us.  I'm really worried about leaving 

him alone.  I know I am a bit "crazy," but I feel as if if 

left alone he will be heartbroken.  Not to mention me.

On Saturday Arvid and I ventured out to a new venue. 

 We went to listen to music and the performing artis was none 

other than a 13 year old boy named Champ Jaxon.  He was 

excellent and we definitely plan on going back to see him.

 The place itself is a cool place.  Huge outdoor seating 

as well as indoor. This pickup is part of its attraction.  

At nights it changes colors.  Very cool looking.

Little by little we are discovering new places, and we

 are really liking them.  SWFL so far has been good to us.

Wishing everyone a great start of the week, and may the 

rest of the week be a productive and successful one.

Life always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow...

~Nadiya~