Monday October 12th~

It's not what happens to you, but

 how you react to it that matters...

 Another week begins.  Another chance for us

 to right the wrongs we did last week, and another 

chance to shine and give it our all.  Life is simple,

 sometimes it is us who make it more complicated than

 it should be.  It is a series of natural and spontaneous 

changes. We should spend more time being happy.

Arvid and I had a another very good outing 

yesterday. We sure are enjoying these beautiful 

days here in Branson. Fall at its best 🍂

As the new week begins we don't have much 

planned to do as of right now.  I am hoping to go

 to Almost Home one of these days, and hopefully

 see a few of our old tenants.  Also, to meet the 

new office manager.  Aside from that, the usual 

chores, but with us that can change suddenly.

 Some days we simply need a reminder to be

 gentle;  with ourselves and with the people

 around us. Be Kind To People For No

 Reason - Choose Kindness Always...

~Nadiya~

Sunday October 11th~

Life does what it does, and half the

 time we are just hanging on for dear life...

 Yesterday morning as I was driving to the

 grocery store I saw a whole lot of dead creatures on

 the road, and I mean a lot. There was a dead deer, 

dog, cat, several raccoons, a bunch of armadillos 

and even a few skunks. Broke my heart. 

When Arvid drives I close my eyes to not see 

them, but when I’m driving they are right there in 

front of me.  I know all about nature and survival

 of the fittest. Still not easy for me to see.

We’re having really nice weather, but still

no birdies. The other day as we were returning

 from one of our outings we saw hundreds of

 birds in the sky, but none next to where we

 are.  Fall sure  is beautiful in Branson.

I’m sad because soon we will leave. I bought

 a lot of bird food;  and I leave food out for them 

every day, and I will still scatter it around when we 

leave, but I sure wished we would see Fatboy, Daisy,

 Pigeon, and the rest of the “gang” before leaving. 

I have not seen PiP Kara's cat around either😭

Yesterday evening we went to  Lake Vibez Branson 

 formerly known as Area 71.  There is always some

 kind of live music going on, and for sure it is a 

very cool place.  We met up with Roger and a few

others from Star Bar. It was a perfect evening.

The music was more toward country, but it was not bad. 

We met some new people and found out they had Norwegian

 backgrounds.  It seems many of the people we meet have some

 Norwegian in the.  Strange if you ask me, but it's true.

After Lake Vibez we decided to go check out

Cheeky Monkey   Last time we tried it was so packed 

there were no seats, but last night it was better.  Lots 

of people, but Roger got there before us and saved

 us a spot.  That place was ALIVE and kicking.

I may have mixed my drinks a bit too much, but I

 guess it helped me have a good night's sleep.  Happy 

for that. Arvid had quite a few Bacardi and coke. Roger

 also had quite a few, but we had a great time definitely 

worth it. Everywhere we go, everyone knows Roger.

  He's like the local celebrity. He told us that he had

 lunch yesterday with Dean Martin's daughter.  She

 lives in Branson and is good friends with Roger.

To all a very good day. Today we most likely go to 

The Landing and have a quiet and relaxing outing.

Sunday is the perfect day to refuel your soul and 

be grateful for every one of your blessings...

~Nadiya~

Saturday October 10th~

Life is inherently risky. There is only 

one big risk you should avoid at all costs, 

and that is the risk of doing nothing...

 When in doubt go to Home Depot if only

 to get some light bulbs. Make it an experience,

 at least that’s what we did yesterday. Arvid walks 

around as if he were in a toy store. We walked

 around and he looked while I was wondering wha

t the heck we’re doing here.  We needed nothing.

 Also did a little run to Petco for some food

 for Sniff, before you knew it it was time for 

lunch and since I did not want to rush home and 

cook I decided to get us Panda Express.  Both of us

 like it very much.  We had a good lunch then came

 home to Sniff, who has been puking too often lately.

By 4pm we were restless, and since it’s 

Friday we had to get out a little. This time we 

did not go to The Landing. We decided to

 check out Point Royale Bar and Grill.

Point Royal happens to be just about five minutes 

from where we live. We did ask Roger to go with us 

but, unfortunately he has the flu.  Last Tuesday Roger 

asked us over for Taco Tuesday and a movie at his 

home together with some other people. He has asked

 before. So far we have not been able to make it 😱.

Another early start for Sniff and I.  Not by choice.

If there’s a single lesson that life teaches

 us, it’s that wishing doesn’t make it so...

~Nadiya~

Friday October 9th~

Happiness is seeing the nephew

 you once held in your arms grow

 into an amazing man...

 Our nephew Riley turned 24 this week. 

Arvid always calls him "the professor" and said, I 

can't believe he's already 24. We held him as a newborn 

in our arms, and today that little boy is 24.  Where

 did the years go by? Riley is celebrating his birthday

 with a three day weekend in The Big Apple, NYC

He and his best friend Katie are going to

 see  the Broadway version of Wicked.

Arvid and I had a good outing.  As long as 

I have a day without cooking, it is a good day,

 does not matter that food prepared at home

 always tastes better.  At least I didn't have

 to clean, and "slave" over the stove.

Arvid enjoyed his Cuban sandwich and

 I for a change did not have chicken. We were

 both very satisfied with our food choice.We

 have been to Castaways before, and Arvid 

did have their Cuban sandwich at the time.

 He always remembered how good it was.

As we drive around I keep taking pictures

 of the trees as they change colors. Flowers are

 still blooming beautifully.  The stunning

 contrast in colors is an amazing sight.

To all a very good day.  Another week is almost

 over and done with.  Soon we will be heading

 home to Florida.  In the meantime we continue

 to enjoy our time here in Branson, Missouri.

Life is like a road trip, enjoy each 

day and don't carry too much baggage...

~Nadiya~

Thursday October 8th~

3 AM is the ideal time for a concert.

Zoomies across the hallway. Crying into the

 void.  Knocking things off the counter for 

acoustics. Apparently, sleep is optional...

 Sniff usually sleeps through the entire night

 without having any of the so called zoomies most

 cat owners say their cats have.  He goes to bed with 

us, sleeps next to us for an hour or so then hops 

onto his bed which is right next to ours.

Last night that changed.  Around 4:46 in the morning 

I heard him running up and down the stairs. This went on 

for a good ten minutes or so.  Of course after that I got 

out of bed to see if everything was alright with him. All 

was. My guess is he probably slept too much the day

 before so he had to release some pent oy energy.

It's Thursday and on Thursdays I do 

not cook.  Have not decided where we will be

 going as of yet, butArvid has a craving for a 

Cuban sandwich.  Wherever we go, I know 

will most likely have the chicken dish.

To all a very good day.  It's 57 degrees 

Fahrenheit (14C) right now, but according to the

 weather forecast it will get to a hig in the 90's

 (32+C)  How do we dress for the day?

This hot and cold weather is 

the reason I have trust issues...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday October 7th~

It’s alright if I feel quiet today. 

Quiet is where gentle things grow...

 Yesterday was a quiet day spent at home. 

It was nice not to have to do anything. Caught 

up on some reading and of course there is 

always cleaning to do. These days I try

 to only do one load of laundry a day. 

As we were having breakfast we saw many

 birds flying around.  First time seeing so 

many since we got back in September.  

Always hoping that today will be the day

 the come and eat.  Yesterday one little birdie

 came to the feeder. Made me happy and gives 

me hope more will come before we leave.

Sniff keeps waiting as well.  Then

 he get tired and falls asleep in the sunshine.  

Either way, he's happy doing his thing.

Cooler mornings are here.  Loving it and

 enjoying it while we can. I spoke to one of my 

friends back home in Florida, and she was telling

 me how hot it is.  Hopefully by the time we

 go back cooler air will be around as well.

The quieter you become the more 

you are able to hear. Some days we

 just need to turn the quiet up...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday October 6th~

When you're smiling, the

 whole world smiles with you...

 Yesterday sure started out on a good note.

 We finally got to “see” Michelle, Emil and 

our 3 granddaughters. On FaceTime, but still 

better than nothing. The girls are beautiful 

and growing so fast.  I really miss them 🩷

Aside from starting good, our day ended 

like this. They say, every one of a hundred 

thousand cities around the world had its own 

special sunset and it was worth going there,

 just once, if only to see the sun go down.

Yesterday was also the perfect day for a walk. 

 Of course I was not able to go with Arvid. 

Made me sad to think that I was able to 

do such small things not so long ago.

Fall is definitely my favorite season of the year. 

 The air is crisp and the colors are magical.

As always, Sniff and I are awake enjoying the

 quietness of the morning.  To all a very good day. May

 you also have a peaceful and productive day.

Fall has always been my favorite season.

 The time when everything bursts with its last

 beauty, as if nature had been saving up

 all year for the grand finale...

~Nadiya~

Monday October 5th~

Mondays offer a fresh start, a blank page,

 and a clean slate to reset your mindset and

 build momentum for the week ahead...

 Arvid and I as usual had a very good outing.

  Our Sunday outings are always relaxing, peaceful

 and very pleasant and quiet. We had a good time and we 

enjoyed the cooler temperatures as we dined outdoors.

Once again we chose to go to The Landing. Since

 we’re having beautiful weather, The Landing is the place 

that offers the best outdoor seating with water views.

  It’s our favorite place, and the food is always good. 

During the day we watched some soccer games.

The highlight being the game between Norway and

 Portugal.  Sadly Norway once again lost to Portugal,  

there are still a few games left so it is not yet over.

 

The new week begins and for a change it appears

 to be a relaxing one.  Meaning not much running 

around; happy about that because my knee can rest

 a little. I also know that this can change at any 

given time  with Arvid one never knows.

Sniff is good, relaxed, and happy here in

 Branson. He continues to wait for the birds, sadly 

no show so far.  Sniff and I are always awake

 early hoping the birdies show up.

A clean slate offers a fresh start, 

turning yesterday's mistakes into today's

 opportunity to begin again...

~Nadiya~

Sunday October 4th~

True happiness is often found 

in appreciating the simple things 

that surround us every day...

 Yesterday I had a very busy morning,

 mainly this time doing stuff for myself.  In 

between it all I made time for a manicure and 

pedicure.  Always makes me feel good.  After 

all, self-pampering and self-care are essential

 requirements for a fulfilling life, helping you 

recharge your mind, body, and soul.

Yesterday evening we set out to listen to music at 

Capone's Speakeasy. Both Arvid and I called the day 

before to make sure we had the right group playing. 

 Well when we got there a Dean Martin impersonator 

was playing. Definitely not what we expected.

Arvid said to me, "take a video and send it

 to your mom." When 'Dean Martin" started to 

sing "That's Amore" I recorded it and sent it to her.  

Growing up our mom listened to all kinds of 

music she still does, but when she responded she

 said, "he sounds really weird."  It was "bad"

We decided to go to The Landing in search of

 better music. Problem was that we were out too early

 and most places started much later.  We made quite 

a few stops, but no luck in the music department.

Instead we decided to go have a "late" night snack. 

 What better than pizza.  We went to Mello Mushroom.  

I have been wanting to go there for a long time, but 

Arvid was never game.  Last night he was.  Pizza was 

pretty good. Even Arvid had to grudgingly agree.

Sunday here.  Sniff already on the prowl for

 birds and squirrels.  So far no birds, but squirrel does 

show up everyday.  Actually several times a day.

Every day, I like to wake up and remind 

myself to be grateful of the simple things...

~Nadiya~

Saturday October 3rd~

You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody 

watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, 

sing like there’s nobody listening, and

 live like it’s heaven on earth...

 Yesterday I finally made it to Almost Home.

 Unfortunately, the only one around was this 

cute lil’ kitty. She followed me around, but she 

was way too fast for me to get a better picture. I 

got there early my guess is everyone was still

 either sleeping or just relaxing in their rooms.

Yesterday Arvid and I tried a different place 

for our Friday outing.  We had just planned on 

staying in and relaxing, but by 4 in the afternoon

 we got restless.  That's is always our "problem"

 We always want/need to be on the go.

We checked out a place called Scooters Sports 

Grill.  The place is cool, but at the same time as soon

 as we entered I knew that this would be our first 

and last time here.  It's huge and like all sports

 bars it has many, too many flat screen TV's.

 It was nice, but not cozy, and of course it 

did not have the right ambiance.  Aside from 

that, the drinks and food were pretty good.

Charley has been too "busy" in the mornings 

lately, but yesterday afternoon she ran towards me

 when I called her.  She is feisty and fearless.

Wishing everyone a very good day.  It is 

officially the weekend.  Have a great one.

Happiness is a lazy morning 

and a weekend to enjoy it...

~Nadiya~