Mar 28, 2011

Girls!

Girls. You never know what they're going to think nor do...  When a girl goes bad--men go right after her.
The four girls from Norway finally arrived and I must say we were quite impressed with them.   Imagine first time coming to the USA as adults and not having a clue as to what to expect especially on the roads...no problem for them.


They rented a car like most do these days.  No GPS system just working off a road map and made it without a hitch to The Fur House.  This is not that easy especially at midnight and when you are sleep deprived.  Thankfully, we have an extra GPS....now they can get around better.

Not exactly sure what to expect  when we met.  I was surprised to see how young they looked.   The oldest not a day over 25, but she could have passed for 17 along with the others.  Fresh faced, make-up free the girls are darn cute and quite adventurous.

In preparation for them we did the usual, stocked them up with food for a day and some other necessities they would need until they went out on their own for supplies.  Same we do for everyone visiting.

The day after, Arvid as usual took them around and explained what was around their surroundings.  These girls were thankful, but being adventurous they said they wanted to explore everything on their own.

They will be doing a school program for the first 2 weeks and the last 3 weeks is just pure leisure time it seems....and boy do they plan to discover every part of Florida.

To quote an Anthony Robbins, I say to the girls:
"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.”

ENJOY YOUR FLORIDA TIME AND SEE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN....

until next time....




Mar 26, 2011

About Brutus....

There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone.... 

loves his foodies

The key to good cat food is its nutritional content which should mimic nutritional composition of a "natural" diet for cats. The term natural refers to anything that they can catch and feed themselves. While supplemental food is sometimes needed, the natural foods are best for the health and diet of your cat. Cat food can sometimes be considered natural and contain no artificial ingredients, but it's not really a "natural" food in the same sense of what cats eat in the wild.
still his favorite

beginning of sore paw:(

We have recently been trying to switch Brutus from his regular dry food.  Right now he is eating Science Diet, but we have noticed that his left paw is normally sore and swollen and were not sure as to what was going on... 
resting his little
head:)

relaxed as usual:)
A visit to the vet, some antibiotics and all was back to normal within a couple of weeks, but 2-3 months later same thing happens again.  Back to the vet, same thing antibiotics again, but this time the vet told us that maybe the food he was eating was causing him to have an allergic reaction.  She said that the food was high in corn content.   Never heard of this before but for Brutus we were/are willing to try anything. 

our baby:)

It's been almost a month now trying to get him to switch foods and though it's going OK he still wants his old food in the mix, the good thing is that I believe it is working.  He does not have that redness and swelling under his paw.  I want to believe that this is all it was.
gobble
gobble...
His new food is very tiny (pellets that is) compared to the Science Diet, and Brutus hardly chews it anymore he just gobbles and swallows it.  I have been concerned wondering if this is OK.  He seems fine, his fur is shiny and the people at the pet store assure me that this new food is much better for him...Hope so...

they love
each other..


When we play with our cat, who knows if we are not a pastime to him more than he is to us?....Cats were put into the world to disprove the dogma that all things were created to serve man...

until next time...

Mar 23, 2011

17 Most Important Things To Remember In Life:)

One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood...

As I was reading an old magazine I came across the following and I thought it was just too good to not pass along.  We have one life to live and just one time to make a first good impression..


  17 Most Important Things To Remember In Life:)

1. Never give up on anybody; miracles happen everyday.
2.Be brave even if your not, pretend to be.  No one can tell the difference.
3. Think big thoughts, relish small pleasures.
4. Learn to listen.  Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
5. Never deprive someone of hope, it might be all they have.
6. Strive for excellence, not perfection.
7. Don't waste time grieving over past mistakes.  Learn from them and move on.
8. When someone hugs you let them be the first to let go.
9. Never cut what can be untied.
10. Don't expect life to be fair.
11. Remember:  Success comes to the one that acts first.
12. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
13. Remember that nobody makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who help you.
14. Never underestimate the power of a kind word or deed.
15. Laugh a lot.  A good sense of humor cures almost all of life's ills.
16. Don't miss the magic of the moment by focusing on whats to come.
17. Watch for big problems. They disguise big opportunities.

May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness, let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have.

The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.....

until next time...


Mar 20, 2011

Good Times:))

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.....

good to be home..
This has been a very good weekend for us.  We are back home, relaxed and having the time of our lives.  It is always good to be with friends and family, but also it is very nice to have time with just ourselves.  I love our life and would not change it for anything.  Like every one's life, it has it's ups and downs but I love it!!

Call it what you like but the best times we have are those spent with just the three of us doing whatever we like and whenever we want.  Friday we "visited" our old stomping grounds.  We spent the afternoon at The Las Olas Riverfront.  We walked around all our favorite places and  made pit stops at our favorite restaurants/pubs....was lots of fun and made me miss being there quite a bit.

Cheers!!
Saturday was as much fun as Friday.  Started the day with some work as usual.  From there I had some me time and what better way to spend it than going to the mall and buying up a storm...yep snagged me some pretty good deals, and OK some not so great deals, but I liked it and that's what matters.   From there it was back to Las Olas cruising along the beach to another favorite restaurant of ours...and of course dessert...

Later in the evening we had some friends visiting from Norway. They were our guests for the night and as you know this turned out to be a pretty long but enjoyable evening:)  Just hope they wake up in time to catch the plane...oh well Arvid will go check on them.
 

with Piano Bob

Sunday promises to be as good as the previous 2 days.  Looking forward to some music at the  Coral Gables Blues Festival.  Life could not be better.  There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; or you can live as if everything is a miracle...the choice is yours:)))

Just the two of us. We're in it together. The pleasure will be ours alone. For the rest of our lives....
I love the sun for days, the moon for nights and you forever......


until next time....



Mar 18, 2011

5 health reasons to not quit coffee.

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce.....


Like many of you I look forward to my morning cup of coffee.  It is one of the only times of the day I actually have time to sit relax and do absolutely nothing, but enjoy my coffee.  Now for all of you who thought coffee was bad for you...good news is here. If you have not read the good new as yet...don't worry here it is again.

5 health reasons to not quit coffee:

1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.


2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.


4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict.

One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.  So go ahead...enjoy that morning cup of coffee.  I do!!

Chocolate, men, coffee – some things are better rich..... 


Mar 16, 2011

The Time Is Now:)))

I'd rather have a moment of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special....


Not so long ago another friend of mine sent me an email.  Yes, one of those that you forward to hundreds of people, then you ask them to forward to their friends.  Truth is I did not forward to anyone, yet at the same time it left a very deep impression with me.  I have looked at it and re read it several times and thought it was beautiful enough to share with you.

All I can say to you is that life is truly very short.  One takes so much for granted and we forget what sometimes is really important and what really matters.  A long time ago I would say that this could have been me....many days it is still me, but in my life I have had some very heartbreaking moments which have thought me to really appreciate life, people in my life and everything I have.

I have learnt that we must enjoy ourselves for it's later than we think.  Also I have learnt that one should not take life too seriously.  You will never get out of it alive.  What I am tying to say is that live for now for you never know what tomorrow holds.  With that in mind this is the email that was forwarded to me:

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package. "This, he said isn't any ordinary package." He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , she was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it.

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.


He turned to me and said,  "Never save something for a special occasion.
Everyday in your life is a special occasion." I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.
I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.
I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
I understood that life should be an experience to be lived up to, not survived through..
I no longer keep anything.
I use crystal glasses every day....
I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it..
I don't save my special cologne for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

The words 'Someday....' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.
If it's worth seeing, listening to,or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now....

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.
I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food.
It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..
Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one..

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.  It's the life in your years....Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead....

until next time....

Mar 14, 2011

Last Day In London:)

Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation.....


Piccadilly Circus
Today has been a day of leisure for us here in London.  It is the only day we had where we did not have to work and naturally I wanted to make sure we did the most we could...and we did. 
Buckingham Palace

Today we toured London and did as much sightseeing as we could possibly fit into one day.  Since we have already been to London before we had a choice of what to see and of course did not go and visit the same places we had already done in our previous London trip.

We were able to see quite a lot in one day.  We went to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, walked around Piccadilly Circus....of course in between all of this we had to take some pit stops and "visit" a few Pubs...for what's the point of being in London and not enjoying some pub hopping.

We also managed to go to Oxford Street and boy there sure are hundreds and hundreds of ways to bankrupt a person, but what a way to go.  The shops are amazing and prices are compatible to those back home in the USA.  Even Arvid was encouraging me to shop, shop, shop....it did help that once in the shops one was able to warm up quite a bit.

new friends:)

London is an amazing city and I would highly recommend anyone to visit it.  We have met many friendly people....like our friends last night from some Rugby team all decked out in their Kilt.  One of these nice guys even sang a song to me....


London Bridge

Today is our last day here in London.  Not sure when or if we will ever be back.  We have had a good time, workwise all went well, it was great also in that we spent a few very good days and evenings with Arvid's brother and Siv.  The 2 brothers bonded and had some quality time which is always very nice. 

Now we are very much looking forward to going home to Brutus and to some of that great South Florida weather.  For our last evening here Arvid and I will have a nice meal out and of course visit another pub for the last time.  Brutus we miss you and can't wait to see you.

No one needs a vacation more than the person who just had one....

until next time.....

Mar 12, 2011

Work And Fun Times:)

I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.....

These last few days have been going by so fast.  We  are working hard and at the same time we are having a blast doing what we love....talking about our properties and meting new and interesting people.

London is cold, gray and definitely NOT South Florida but everyday we are meeting tons of nice people and really enjoying ourselves.  Together with Arvid's brother and Siv we are very happy with the shows turnout.

Another great part of our day are the evenings after work".  We all get to be together, relax, have a good meal, listen to music and enjoy some pubbing.  That time is now so off we go:)))

I read about the evils of drinking, so I gave up reading....every moment you get is a gift. Spend it on things that matter. Don’t spend it by dwelling on unhappy things....



Mar 9, 2011

London..Business And Pleasure Combined:)

When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible...

about to land

We are in London and boy what a difference from South Florida.  Nothing compares to the weather we have right now in South Florida.  For the winters hands down Florida is the place to be:))
our bedroom


 We arrived to a fairly "warm" London day.  50F so not the worst it could have been, but the wind made it seem so much colder.  All settled into our hotel and here I can really tell the difference between the USA and so many places in Europe.  Nothng against Europe..., but as far as I go nothing compares to the good old USA. 

Our hotel room is tiny and the bathroom is even tinier.  It would have been OK if it were cheap also, no such luck.  In the USA this would be equivalent to a roadside motel, but in here we are in the middle of central London.  A plus is the very friendly people we have met so far.  Really helpful and accomodating so it sure evens out:)))

must have:)

must have:)

We are actually pretty tired, but we went to Earl's Court to check out our booth and to see that everything was going according to plan.  A few little corrections and hopefully tomorrow when we get there all will be done.  Gives us time to hit the town and its many pubs with Arvid's brother and girlfriend.


nad's must have:)
 Should be a good week.  Looking forward to it.  A combination of business and pleasure....

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams....