Sisters ~

A sister shares childhood memories and grownup dreams...

My sister Nirvana will soon be visiting Florida.  She

 practically is here every month since J her son now 

lives in Miami.  I could not be any happier. 

 Now I get to see her a lot, and of course whenever 

she's here we always get together all of us and do

 something fun. So happy and excited.

 Usually Arvid and I will meet them for lunch

 somewhere in Miami, and of course we will try to 

see if they can come to us for dinner.  Time is always 

short so am happy with whatever time we get

 to spend with her. Can't wait to see her.

A perfect sister I am not, but very thankful for the

 ones I've got.  Life blessed me with 4 sisters.  Through

 thick and thin we are each others best friends.

Of course we are already making plans.  

Both Arvid and I are excited. Everyone loves Arvid, 

and I am happy that he also gets along very well with my

family.  My family is simple and real.  Not pretentious at all. 

Makes it easy for all of us to have a great time  together.

What you see is what you get.  No hidden agendas.

The best of times are always those spent with loved ones.

We had good times with Arvid's family not so
 long ago as well.  Lots of good memories made as well.

Sisters are probably the most competitive relationship

 withing the family, but once the sisters are grown, 

it becomes the strongest relationship...

~Nadiya~

It's Starting All Over Again ~

Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don't give up

 hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround

 yourself with happy, warm and genuine people...

And yesterday I zoomed into this couples happy day.  

Taking place across the river from us.  I love our 

location.  There is always something going on.

After lunch, a little outing along the
 beach made for an excellent Sunday.

New week again.  May is soon upon us.
  This year sure is going by fast.  Just wish I had
 a little more sleep, but it is what it is and as you
 know, the early worm catches the bird.

New week all.  Bring it on.  May your 

coffee be strong and your Monday be short.

Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard 

and sacrifice,  and, above all, don't let anyone limit

 your dreams.  You can control two things: your 

work ethic and your attitude about anything...

~Nadiya~

Sunday Vibes ~

Stop focusing on what you have to lose and

 start focusing on what you have to gain...

Relaxing.  Arvid making his Sunday calls.  Routines that

 make for good times. On Sundays Arvid goes "all the way out" 

as he likes to say.  Sundays are for bacon and eggs.

Yesterday evening Arvid had some time out with the boys.  

I had some time alone with Sniff and a good book.

  We were both happy.  He did try to get me

 to go with him, but this time I said no.

Today there is a lot of soccer going on.  Arvid plans

breakfast in between the breaks.  He tries to get all his 

phone calls done before because as he says, "it's now done, 

and I can watch the games without interruption."  Sometimes 

it works and sometimes it does not.  Arvid is flexible after all.

Another beautiful day here.  My balcony pick for this morning.

Hello Sunday.  And what do you have in store for us today?

Sometimes you just have to accept the truth and 

stop wasting time on the wrong people.  It is up to

 you to see the beauty of everyday things...

~Nadiya~

Hello Saturday ~

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. 

Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you

 happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time

 you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. 

Every minute should be enjoyed and savored..

Yesterday did not end exactly as I would have liked it to.

  By the end of the day I had a swollen eye.  As we were cleaning 

the house we have for sale, I have no idea what happened 

nor how it happened.  Before I knew it I was falling.  And next 

thing I was flat on my face.  The right side.  Now I have bruises,

 and as my family said, "are you sure you were not beaten?"

Truth is I do not remember how this happened.  I was

 holding the broom.  I may have been taking a few pictures 

of the house, the flowers and surroundings to use in our next 

open house, but I honestly do not recall what happened.

  End result is the same.  Swollen, black and blue face.

It won't stop me from going out today.  People will stare,  

I will stare back and I am so sure what they will be thinking. 

 They will assume that I am an abused woman, and I am

 sure I won't do a thing to correct them.  Arvid on the other 

hand will be a little more "concerned" of what people might

 think.  I never have.  Never will.  I know who I am.

Our day is looking great.  Sunny with a little wind. 

 Perfect for any and everything.  Arvid of course 

already busy with soccer games.  Sniff sleeping by

 his side.  Could not be any better.  Happy times.

Yesterday's Sunset.  No filter needed

 Hello Saturday ~ let's do it.

Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy.

 There's going to be stress in life, but it's your

 choice whether you let it affect you or not...

~Nadiya~

The Weekend Begins ~

It's Friday.  Time to go make stories for Monday...

Happy that Arvid is back safe at home.  I had a

 few stressful moments for a while, but all's good.  

Friday and the weekend will kick off early.

This weekend we have plan on having an open house, 

so today we clean and prep the property.  Making it ready 

for showing.  Even when we work we have fun.

Not sure what the day hold, but definitely something fun.
Had an early workout, brushed Sniff and now debating
what to make for lunch. Not always an easy thing.

 Arvid does not like to eat out too often, and no matter
what or where I bribe him to go, he refuses.  Lately
though he has been open to checking out different
places for Happy Hour.  Happy about that.

Still trying to coordinate time frames with J
and Alexandra.  They do a lot of destination weddings
 and weekends are their only free time. Making it
tougher to get together. Busy lives.

 When I told J we wanted to take them out to dinner
 the first thing he said, "auntie Nad, this time we will take
you and uncle Arvid out for a proper meal, and we will pay."
 Little J has grown up.  From a child he has always
been kind.  A quality that will be his forever.
I'm not used to anyone paying for us.
 I love that boy so much.

Let's see what the day holds.

May your weekend be filled with positive

 thoughts, kind people, and happy moments...

~Nadiya~

Life Is Good ~

I enjoy life when things are happening.  I don't care if it's 

good things or bad things.  That means you are alive...

Having had the day all to myself, and not having

 to worry about what Arvid wants or needs, I took the

 time and did a few things that I enjoy. 

 Started the morning with a walk along the beach.  Was a 

gorgeous morning and the temperature was perfect.

I parked the car and just walked around for a while.

 It is always relaxing and calming to just listen to the 

ocean waves and feel the salty air through your hair.  

I also did a little shopping.  Somehow shopping

 always makes me feel good and always happy does

 not matter if I buy something or not.  Lucky me, I found 

something pretty and got it. Sniff likes it as well.

For lunch I went to another of my favorite Indian restaurants. 

 The food is always good.  I have not been to an Indian 

restaurant as yet where the food is bad.  Happy for that.

Living in Florida, no matter where you go chances

 are you will come across an Iguana.  I did.

To all a happy what's left of Thursday.  Focus on the good.

~Nadiya~

Days Like These ~

Be your excellent self today by creating a 

beautiful mosaic from yesterdays' broken pieces...

As I stood out on the balcony yesterday, I saw two 

little duckies swimming like crazy to get across the river.  

They were fast and in no time they made it to the other side.

While Liliana and I were having lunch we noticed

 another commotion going on across the river.  Of

 course we went out to the balcony to have a look.

There was a Memorial service going on for fallen officers. 

 Twelve Fort Laurderdale police officers who died on active

duty were remembered and honored in a Fort Lauderdale ceremony 

Wednesday. Some died decades ago, as far back as the 1940s.

Of course I had my camera ready.  Me with the camera 

and Liliana with the binoculars directing me as to where to aim. 

I love living Downtown.  I always did, and we are both so

 very happy to be back Downtown.  There is ALWAYS something 

going on, and usually we can always see it right from our balcony.

I am always amazed by the boats.  It seems that 

they keep getting bigger and bigger.  We love it and

 we are happy to be back here in Florida.

On the other hand, we will soon be going to Branson 

for a visit.  I am so happy to be going back.  To seeing as

 many people as we can.  Branson will forever be 

special to me and Almost Home and everyone there

will always have a special place in my heart.

It's been a great day and the sunset it calling.

Don't wait for things to get easier, simpler, or better.

  Life will always be complicated.  Learn to be happy

 right now.  Otherwise you'll run out of time...

~Nadiya~

Birthdays~

Since you've been around I smile a lot more than I used to...

The 2 loves in my life celebrate birthdays today.

Our little boy Sniff turns 4 today.  We have had him for 3 years, 

and I can't imagine life without him.  He completes our circle.

Today is also Arvid's birthday.  Of course this is why we

 "made" it Sniff's as well.  Happy boys they are.

I have exactly what I need in life, and because of that I am grateful.

And all I want to say, "you are the best thing that has happened to me."

Life may be tough, but with you it is one awesome ride.

I love you.  You annoy me more than I thought ever possible.

But I want to spend very irritating minute with you...

~Nadiya~

Hello Monday ~

Be your excellent self today by creating a 

beautiful mosaic from yesterdays' broken pieces...

The weekend was really good.  Best of all we had

 "cooler" temperatures.  Heavenly.  With the cooler temperatures 

we decided to take the water taxi for a little tour along the

  Intracoastal and at the same time hop off and have lunch.

The water taxi ride was about 2 hours one way. 

 After lunch we walked around our old neighborhood,

 and we listened to some music.  Albert Castiglia was

 playing, and both Arvid and I like him very much.

Everyone knows Florida is beautiful.  Sometimes even I 

have taken it for granted because we live here all the time,

 but being in Branson for almost 2 years was a little reminder.

The boat above is named Not Enough.  If that's 

not enough I wonder what is.  Cruising along the Intracoastal

 waterways was relaxing and just calming.  I forgot how

 many huge boat exists in these waterways.

Monday again.  New week.  Just a month and 

some before we go to Chicago.  Then for us it's officially

 summer.  After that is the usual Norway trip.  

Then you know it's summertime for us.

To all a great week ahead.

Being negative only makes the journey more difficult.  

You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it...

~Nadiya~

Easter 2019 ~

I've been through so much. I just live each day, 
and whatever happens, happens. I've lived a 
very good life. My life has definitely changed,
 but the attitude is still the same...

From our home to yours Happy Easter.
Life is good when we think it's good.
 Life is bad when we don't think.

It has been a beautiful weekend.  Yesterday we did a little
 "exploring" on Las Olas.  Was a delicious experience.
  One we will repeat soon.Life is a journey, not 
a destination.  You hold the key to happiness.

Wishing everyone a beautiful day today and everyday.
Your peace is more important than driving yourself 
crazy trying to understand why something
 happened the way it did.  Let it go. 

Sometimes you got to accept that certain things
 will never go back to how they used to be...

~Nadiya~

Always Be Kind To Each Other ~

Be kind, don't judge, and have respect for others.
 If we can all do this, the world would be a better place.
 The point is to teach this to the next generation...

Don't wait for things to get easier, simpler, or better.

  Life will always be complicated.  Learn to be happy 

right now.  Otherwise you'll run out of time. 

Friday is here and that means that the weekend has

 begun for many already.  Good Friday.  Suddenly

 everyone wants to "do the right thing" 

We focus on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday,

 but we forget to pause in the stillness of the days between.

 Find time today to be present in that place of waiting. 

There is treasure to be found in the sacred peace that

 comes as you breathe in that place of quiet surrender.

 Don’t rush through the space called “Between."

I don't do anything different today compared

 to any other day.  I try to live life always being

kind to the other, and to always treat others 

the way I would like to be treated everyday.

But the most beautiful things in life are not just things.

They are people and places, memories and pictures. They're

 the feelings and moments and smiles and laughter...

~Nadiya~

Thursday Vibes ~

Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be...

Thursday, and our day is looking pretty good. 

 If all goes well we will be doing a little business and 

having a little fun time all in one.  Best of all we will

 go to Sawgrass Mills Outlets to do so.  

It's not as if I want to go shopping and all,

 but I just love the idea of walking around and

 browsing.   Of course there are a few of my

 favorite shops I would like to take a peek into.  

 Who knows something may catch my fancy.

  Hopefully plans do not change.  In our life

 plans change in seconds.  Used to bother me

 before, but now, it's just a way of life.

What remains constant is Arvid and Sniff, and to

 see that the bond between them gets stronger with every 

passing day makes for happy days and happy times.

Sniff is soon going to be 4 years old.  We have now 

 had him for 3 years.  I'm so grateful he came into our lives.

Good morning all.  As my sisters would say,

"what are you going to do with your life today?"

The world is beautiful outside 

when there is stability inside...

~Nadiya~

Life ~

Grief is never something you get over. You don't

 wake up one morning and say, 'I've conquered that;

 now I'm moving on.' It's something that walks beside you 

every day. And if you can learn how to manage it and honor 

the person that you miss, you can take something that

 is incredibly sad and have some form of positivity...

.

Everyday is a good day no matter what happens.

  We always find a reason to see the positive and the 

good around us.  So what happened last night?

  As we were going to bed, Arvid turned off the 

lights,  and said "it's 11:11"  I said "that's our bedtime 

with Brutus"  It was like clockwork.

After that I'm not sure what happened because it 

seemed as if all of a sudden Brutus just died all over

 again.  I could not stop crying and the grief 

was too much.  All over again.

It took me a very long time to fall asleep, and to stop

 my mind from going back to the day Brutus died.  I

 have a memory that sometimes is my worst enemy. 

As I was immersed in grief I was also thinking of Sniff.

  Of how much I love him, and at the same time how much

 I wished our Brutus was still here.  Today will be better. 

 It's a beautiful day here. I'm done with my workout

 and Sniff is all over the place chasing a leaf. 

Today will be better.  I'm calmer, but my heart is sad.

Your grief path is yours alone, and no one else can

 walk it, and no one else can understand it...

~Nadiya~

New Week ~

Never underestimate the importance of having fun...

Even sitting out on the balcony has it's moments.  

Always something going on.  I am always ready 

with the camera.  You never know when

 something interesting will happen. 

 For us just about everything is interesting.  Keeps us

 entertained and happy.  Arvid thinks he's back in 

Mexico every time he sits out on the balcony. 

 To this day, his favorite vacations have been those 

days we spent in our condo in Mexico.  As he says, 

"now we have Mexico in our own backyard." 

Monday begins with rain and more rain.  I like the rain.
  I love taking pictures of the raindrops as they fall
 on the windshield of the car.  Of course not while
driving, but parked.  Safety is always first.

Rain or no rain it's a beautiful day here.  Got my workout in,
 and most likely a walk later this afternoon with Arvid.

Yesterday we had a nice outing on Las Olas.  We took
the boat to and back home.  Pretty relaxing and enjoyable.
 We keep saying we will discover our own backyard,
who knows maybe we will. Happy Monday all.

You don't stop having fun when you get old,
 you get old when you stop having fun...

~Nadiya~