Thursday March 30th ~

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy...

Not a good way to start my day.  Too early 😂

On the other hand,  there was another beautiful sunset here in Southwest Florida. 

 Sure will miss these sunsets 🌞, at the same time I am very much looking

 forward to our sunsets and sunrises in Branson.  Life is beautiful

 and you find beauty in all that surrounds you.  I sure do 😽.

Some of the most amazing sunsets right in our own backyard.

Our "winter" in Florida is coming to an end.  It's soon time 

to pack our bags and head to Branson.  A new adventure awaits us.  

Always up for it.  What is life if not one adventure after another?

On this day some 8 years ago our second granddaughter was 

born in Norway.  Little Vanessa who always has a smile on her 

face and mischief in her eyes.  She is all things love and little girl.

Since you came into this world, you have filled our lives joy 

and happiness.  You and your sisters make going to Norway a must.

Vanessa, today you are a bit  older and  a lot more fabulous.

Grandma and Grandpa love you very much and can't wait to hug you.

A good day to all.  Life is short and the world is wide.  Looking

 out our "backdoor" as in our balcony.  Sunsets never disappoint.

Photography makes one conscious of beauty everywhere, even in 

the simplest things, even in what is often considered commonplace or

 ugly. Yet nothing is really 'ordinary', for every fragment of the world is 

crowned with wonder and mystery, and a great and surprising beauty...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday March 29th ~

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good nights sleep...

 Sniff and I are both better rested today and it 

sure feels so very good.  Instead of waking up at 2:30 

in the morning we were up just before 6 am.  What

 a good way to start the day.  Fully rested.

Sniff had a little brushing and is already getting comfy for another nap.

Good morning everyone.  It's going to be a good day. 

 We see family and we all get to spend some time together

 and enjoy a good meal.  Definitely a good day.

One more nap before his dada gets up.  Sniff needs his energy to 

keep up with Arvid, as do I.  The man has boundless amounts of it.

Confidence is not "they will like me."  

 Confidence is, "I'll be fine even if they don't."

~Nadiya~

Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop ~

Where is here, when is now. The whole key to life is 

discovering things for yourself. What you do with that 

discovery is what lies on the other side of that door...

In between working we took a break and went to The Swap Shop.

  What a place. You can find absolutely EVERYTHING!!!  It's a giant

 indoor and outdoor flea  market with  a free circus, amusement 

rides, video arcade, and drive-in movies and much more.

Not my usual place to go but, if you need to frame a picture

 there are quite a few galleries also,  if you have some time to kill 

and just want to be amazed by the thousands of vendors with

 everything you can imagine it's the place to go...

Check out the link and you'll see what I mean:

Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop

Just take a look at these pictures and you will have an idea of

 what it's all about.  Yes, if you are in the search for a stun gun

search no more you will find it here.  Want a sports car well

 you're in the right place.  Want to go to the movies?  

No problem because it has 15 screens...

If you are like me and love fresh vegetables and all kinds of tropical

 fruit then you've come to the right place.....Juts take a look at the 

marketplace and some of the  fruit I was able to snag...will be 

having a feast tonight and for the next few days...a fruit feast!!

There is so much more you can find if you have

 the time and want to spend all that energy fighting

 the crowd and the heat......just have a look.

 You are not mistaken you can even find a pet here....

So next time you are in Fort Lauderdale and have time

 on your hands...the Swap Shop might be the place to spend 

it cheap and different if you are into that.  You might

 even find the Blues Brothers there....ENJOY!!

Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything.

 Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy,

 be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might

 as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your 

mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try 

to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human...

~Nadiya~

March 28th ~

 What you do today can improve all your tomorrows...

Up early and once again time to make the most of my

 morning.  Love it much more than afternoon walks.  Mornings

 are cooler and quieter.  Peaceful and no sun beating down

 on you.  I like sunshine just not bearing down on me.

Beautiful mornings make for the perfect rest of the day.

On another note, change can be happy and exciting as well as messy

 and complicated. Whether we're are going through a season of grief, 

heading off to your first year of college, or navigating a break-up,

it's helpful to know that change is not necessarily a bad thing.

Every time we move, it's kind of a change in our lives. 

 You would think I would be used to it by now, but as I

 get older it seems more and more foreign to me.  

To make up for it I decided to take a little trip to the outlet not

that far from us.  It was relaxing and I did enjoy a good four hours 

of uninterrupted browsing.  Arvid was home watching soccer.

Once again we are awake way too early.  Can't keep this up. 

 Pretty soon we will be on the road to Branson and in

 order to drive I need to be awake and fully alert.

A good morning to all and a good day.

Just one small positive thought in the

 morning can change your whole day...

~Nadiya~

Monday March 27th ~

Yesterday ended last night.  It's a brand new day.  And it's yours...

 This will be our last Monday for now in Florida.  Come next 

Monday we will be waking up in Branson, Missouri, and if Arvid 

thought we were having some cold days here in Fort Myers, well 

wait until we get to Missouri.  Winter is still hanging on there.

All of that being said, we are definitely looking forward to being

 on the move again.  How strange it is that we keep on moving 

all the time.  As we get older we should "settle" down better.

I am missing my Brutus and our little Shadow right now. 

 I'm just so grateful to have Sniff is our lives.  He gives love 

everyday and makes me happy.  He is my happy place.

The next few months will be doctor free, at least that is

 what I was told.  My October calendar s already filling up

 with doctors visits, but for now I'm free as a bird.  Was 

starting to get me tired all these doctor's/tests/scans.

Monday is back.  Our last Monday here in Fort Myers.  It's 

looking good.  Summer is coming which means it will soon be 

time for Norway.  I look forward so very much to seeing the

 3 granddaughters.  Norway is not my favorite place to go to, 

but then it has some of my favorite people.  Conundrum 😂

May this be the beginning of a great week for all of us.  We 

have some busy days especially the last couple of days before

 we leave.  So much to do and the thing is you can't do them until the 

very end.  In the meantime, we continue to make the most of each day.

Never underestimate the power you 

have to take your life in a new direction...

~Nadiya~

Sunday March 26th ~

 Your mind is where you stay most of the time,

 make sure it's a good place to be..

A very good thought/way to start everyday.  Not always

 the easiest, but then not everything comes easy in life. 

 Good morning everyone.  A beautiful Sunday here.  Started the 

day with and early walk.  After all if one is awake early why not 

make the most of the morning?  I plan to do so again 😀

Downtown Fort Myers was very quiet and peaceful. 

 All I heard were the birds and an occasional car.  There were 

also a few other people with the same idea like me.  Enjoying

 the peacefulness and beauty of an early morning walk.

Arvid is watching soccer.  Surprise 😂  Sniff is laying 

around wondering what to do.  Soon I may be doing the same 😂  

Not lay around, but wondering what I should do next.  Hmm..

It's been a long time coming, but I know change is gonna come.

  Change begins at the end of your comfort zone...

~Nadiya~

Saturday March 25th ~

Life happens.  Adapt.  Embrace change and make

 the most of everything that comes your way...

 The "cold" spell we have been having is once again gone.  

Warm days and sunshine is back to stay, and no one could

 be any happier than Sniff.  He loves basking in the sun

 more than anything else.  And I love watching him.

Beautiful weather no matter what for afternoon walks.  There

 is a lot of beauty surrounding us, and I am always ready.

Yesterday evening we had a little extra going on downtown.  

It was the seafood festival combined with a Music Festival.  We 

were in the middle of it sampling a few things.  At least I was.

I didn't get up until 5:30 today.  It's already looking to be a 

very good day.  I'm rested and that's always a good way to start

 any day.  Good morning all and enjoy the weekend.

Think about it: What’s the worst thing that 

can happen to you if you just totally go for it...

~Nadiya~

Friday March 24th ~

You will never change your life until you change

 something you do daily. The secret of your 

success is found in your daily routine...

Mornings be like 🧡  I love our routines.

Not all routines are "bad"  Arvid, Sniff and I have a few that I

 would not change for anything in the world.  One of those is to 

go out to the balcony after breakfast what the boats and enjoy the

last of our coffee/tea.  Sniff of course is always there with us.

Another example of nature at it's best.  Heaven

 is under our feet as well as over our heads 🌸

Good morning everyone and how true is this:

 Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and

 sunshine are hard to beat.  Always be on

 the lookout for the presence of wonder.

If it costs you your peace, it is too expensive..

~Nadiya~

Thursday March 23rd ~

There's never a dull moment with your nephews...

The eldest grandson and eldest nephew in our family

 turns 30 today.  Those years sure went by too fast. 

Today Max is a doctor in physical therapy and is the 

main doctor of a physical therapy clinic in Naples, Florida. 

 Just another reason we are so very proud of him.

Max was five months old when he and his mom visited

 me in California.  The circumstances were not the best, but 

Max made every moment memorable.  Everything he did was 

adorable and even in sadness one could not help but laugh.

I lived in New Jersey for 11 months.  Max was still 

a baby and I used to babysit him every so often.  He loved

 being picked up, and I was warned not to do so.  I did it anyway. 

 How could one resist a child so precious as Max?

 Max and J were born in 1993.  One of the most difficult 

years in my life.  They made it "easier"  When I met Arvid 

a few years later, I came to find out that Michelle, his youngest

 daughter was also born in 1993.  This year all three turn 30. Definitely 

will a year to remember and to keep making beautiful memories

Life should not only be lived.  It should be celebrated...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday March 22nd~

I'm in a happy place. I'm very at peace with who I 

am and what I'm doing and the people around me, so I 

think I'm probably most ambitious at where I am...

 Lucky us that we have a reason to go to Fort Lauderdale again

 today  A combination of a little business and a little family time.  

Always good to go back and then even better when we come 

back home.  Hands down Fort Lauderdale is beautiful.

It's been our home for so many years that it's hard to believe 

what Arvid said to me the last time we were leaving and heading back

 home to Fort Myers.  Arvid said, "it does not feel like home anymore."

I believe a lot has to do with the year and a half we spent in Puerto Rico. 

 Life in PR was different.  Peaceful, simple and stress free.

Arvid and I are very fortunate and I never take for 

granted this life that we have made for ourselves.

 Together with Sniff we make up our happy place.

Today our eldest granddaughter turns 10.  These years

 sure are going by way to fast.  Before our very 

eyes this little girl is no longer a little girl.

 Our eldest granddaughter is one heck of a beauty.  Only party with 

people who celebrate life.  Aleah sure does, in her 10 years she

 is living her best life with the ones she love and love her.

Happy birthday Aleah.  Grandma and Grandpa love you, and

 I can't wait for you to teach me Norwegian this summer.

Learn to be thankful for what you already have,

 while you pursue all that you what...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday March 21st ~

Bad stuff does happen sometimes, always remember that 

but remember that you have to move on somehow. You 

just pick your head up and stare at something beautiful

 like the sky or the ocean and you move the hell on...

 Hopefully yesterday was my last visit to the radiology department. 

 Hopefully no more scans nor X-rays in the next few months.  Still have

 doctors visits, but those are not bad.  A few side effects from yesterdays X-rays,

 only because it had to be done with contrast.  Metallic taste in my mouth, 

but I'm used to that.  Nausea from it, not a big deal.  I have had it before

 and within 24-48 hours I'm "new" again. Ready for the next round.

Cheetos makes me feel better so I did indulge in some

 snacking together with Sniff.  We both love Cheetos.

Sniff and I have been awake since 4am.  Not the worse. 

 Seems like winter is hitting us this morning.  The temperature 

here in Fort Myers is expected to drop another two degrees by 7 am.

  Yes, cold for us Floridians.  We are wimps.  Arvid should be making his 

famous hot chocolate when he gets up.  Always better on a cold day.

Fort Lauderdale is a good 12 degrees warmer than us right now.  

Arvid will have some thoughts on that.  Definitely 😂  I like it a

 bit cooler than he does. Makes for better sleep.  Based on the picture

 below the temperature in Fort Myers has already dipped in the 40's

 Good morning to all and may spring be here soon. 

 My family in the different states are sure not experiencing

 any spring type weather as of today.  Still too cold.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines

 hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer

 in the light, and winter in the shade...

~Nadiya~