Thursday August 31st~

It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal...

 Yesterday I saw the black kitty again.  He first appeared in 

our backyard about two weeks ago.  I fed him then and did 

the same yesterday.  He's really cautious and only allows you 

to get withing a certain distance of him before he takes off.  

Yesterday he was in the front of our home just looking.

I have not been to Almost Home since last Wednesday.  

Arvid on the other hand is there quite often. Our office manager 

has everything it under control and that makes me happy.  

Thanks to our tenants Ralph and Andrew I have 

enjoyed many a delicious tomatoes this summer.  All from

 the garden at Almost Home.  Thank you Andrew.

I'm still a bit confused and shocked at the loss of a beautiful 

friendship.  I replay the events that led up to this, and  I just don't

 get it.  But as someone always says to me, "the circle of life."  

On Thursdays I do not cook.  Arvid and I go out for lunch.

  Makes for a nice change mid week.  Sniff is happy to have us all to 

himself again.  He does what he does best.  Be cute all the time.

 Let us all remember that being happy for others is not a bad 

thing even when your own life may be falling apart.  As long

 as you are envious of others, you will never know peace. 

Wishing everyone a day filled with peace and happiness. 

You cannot share your life with a dog… or a cat, 

and not know perfectly well that animals have 

personalities and minds and feelings...

~Nadiya~

A Branson Attraction ~ Wednesday August 30th

Sometimes the most scenic roads in life

 are the detours you didn't mean to take...

The Branson Scenic railway is a daytime Excursion Train, 

March through November.  We have not been on it as yet, but 

something to consider.  Now we just need to have the time to do it.

You can enjoy a three-course candlelight dinner where the guests 

are treated to traditional-style dining that was the ultimate experience 

long ago when riding the rails.  The Dinner Train departs Branson

 at 5 p.m. each Saturday and runs April through October.

Branson Scenic Railway is "The Polar Express" after dark,

 November and December. Branson Scenic Railway

If you make it to Branson one day, consider taking the Scenic Route.

On a not too happy note, Florida once again

 is getting ready to be hit by another hurricane.  As all

 Floridians know, ALWAYS PREPARE FOR THE 

WORSE, BUT HOPE FOR THE BEST 🙏

And just like that a new day begins.  Sniff of course is on

 my chair.  As usual we will be sharing the same chair for breakfast. 

 Sniff takes up more than half, but it's Sniff so all's good.

Because the greatest part of a road trip

 isn’t arriving at your destination...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday August 29th~

Don't be afraid to change.  You may lose

 something good but you may gain something better...

  A typical morning for Sniff begins with a little bird watching.

 Of course in between of all this hard "work" there is nap times.

This morning I looked out the window and what do I see? 

 Two vultures, just enjoying the cool temperatures we are having. 

On a different note.  Yesterday I came to the realization 

that not all relationships are good for you.  It does not matter

 how long you may have known that person, there comes a

 time when you have to say, "enough" and just let it go.

I won't lie.  My heart is sad today, but it also knows that it's time 

to move on.   Life has its ups and downs, but you can only look forward

Closure happens right after you accept that

 letting go is more important than projecting a fantasy of how 

the relationship could have been.  I reserve the right to 

be choosy about what and who I allow in my life...

~Nadiya~

Monday August 28th ~

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead

 where there is no path and leave a trail...

 And just like that it's time to go home, and I am looking

 forward to it.  It's always good to get away for a few days,

 but the best of times is when we are going back home.

  Home where Sniff is patiently waiting for us.

We have recharged ourselves.  Now back to the "real" world.  Not 

bad at all.  Wishing everyone a good day and a productive week

 ahead.  Be kind; you never know the battles others are fighting.

Arvid and I have enjoyed our stay in Chicago.  As always we

 did lots of walking and checked out many of our favorite places.  

Quite a few changes. So many new restaurants, it was just a pleasure 

walking around and enjoying the sights and the people.

Just Saturday alone we saw three weddings by The Riverwalk ,

 a few bachelorette and bachelors party.  It was just a beautiful time.

There is no place like home.  I don't care where we go,

 home is where we want to come back to.  Always.

The future belongs to those who

 believe in the beauty of their dreams...

~Nadiya~

Sunday August 27th~

It does not matter how slowly 

you go as long as you do not stop...

Many of our favorite places all in one place.  

 Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, 

with a population of nearly three million people

The Bean is a work of public art in the heart of Chicago. The

 sculpture, which is officially titled Cloud Gate, is one of the world’s 

largest permanent outdoor art installations. The monumental work was

 unveiled in 2004 and quickly became of the Chicago’s most iconic sights. 

Chicago is a foodie destination.  More than 7,300 

restaurants.7 AAA Diamond-rated restaurants, 26 Michelin-

starred restaurants144 dog-friendly restaurants, and more.

Chicago is a city in a garden: 600 parks, 500 playgrounds,

 70 nature and bird sanctuaries 307 fields for soccer, football, 

lacrosse and more, 250 field houses  534 tennis courts and 6 indoor

 courts  80 swimming pools  29 beaches26 miles of open lakefront.

To all a good day.  It's soon time for us to discover more of the Chicago we like.

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart...

~Nadiya~

Saturday August 26th ~

The most beautiful view is the one I share with you...

 Of all places we have lived, I believe this has been the best 

view we have had, and we have had some good ones.

With so few days in the Windy City, we have some catching

 up to do and we have begun 😍.  We realize we have really missed

 this city.  It was a second home to us for over ten years. 

 Our last apartment had a KILLER view.

With just a few days there is so much we would like to check out.  

Arvid and I are not the types to do the tourist things.  We would 

rather walk around checking things out on our own pace.

It sure feels good to be walking along some of our favorite 

places, enjoying a few of the simple things life has to offer. 

 They bring the most joy to us, as far as I am concerned.

The Windy City will always have a hold on us.

  To all a good day.  It's soon time to be on the move.

A good life is a collection of happy memories...

~Nadiya~

August 25th Chicago ~

Anywhere in the world you hear a Chicago 🎸

 bluesman play, it’s a Chicago sound born and bred...

I'll take Chicago over any other destination.  Best part is 

we do not have to fly.  It's just a drive away for us.

 From deep-dish pizza to The Bean, Chicago, known as the 

The Windy City, is a charismatic and friendly city that has attracted 

professionals, writers and travelers from around the world.

Arvid and I fell in love with the city from the first time we visited.  Our 

first time in Chicago was 2006 for the Blues Festival.  It has now become

 one of the things we look forward to each year.  And with that in mind, we

 are back for some music, the views, the food and a few favorite places. 

With just a few days, we need to cover a lotta ground and fast 😂

Wishing everyone a good day and a happy weekend.  Arvid and 

I are soon on the road, and just like that our weekend has begun.

Chicago is a town, a city that doesn't ever have to measure

 itself against any other city. Other places have to measure

 themselves against it. It’s big, it’s outgoing, it’s tough,

 it’s opinionated, and everybody’s got a story...

~Nadiya~

Thursday August 24th ~

Success is no accident. It is hard work,

 perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most

 of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do...

 Our work week at Almost Home is officially over today.  

We have, mainly Arvid has worked non-stop to get everything

 up to par for the fire inspection.  It has paid off.  A now well

 deserved few days off is called for. He has earned this.

After working all day at Almost Home, Arvid's (our)day is not 

over.  Back home we have to deal with our personal stuff as well. 

 Sometimes having a job 9-5 can be a true blessing in disguise.  

When the clock hits 5o'clock your day is over.  Not ours.

Today we take two of Arvid's former tenants (now friends) 

out to lunch.  We have been so busy with Almost Home that we

 have not had many opportunities to do so.  Looking forward 

to it, and to catching up.  Always a pleasant time to be had.

I have been awake for a while now.  Earlier that I would 

like, but nothing I can do about that.  I am enjoying the 

peace and quietness of the morning.  Sniff is roaming 

around, but went back to his bed.  Smart boy 😻

Our youngest niece Lilly Vade melted my heart.  Like all 

little and not so little girls, she has a special bond with her mom.  

They do lots of "just girl" stuff all the time.  Yesterday Lilly

 made a drawing depicting her mom.  No explanation 

needed for those of us who know Rima 💕

If you think that simple pleasures are boring, then think it over.

 Every little thing in your day-to-day life can be a pleasure when 

you enjoy it while being aware and mindful. Simple things become

 pleasures when we appreciate them and acknowledge their existence and 

contribution to our evolution and well-being. Sometimes we take many

 things for granted and do not notice what they introduce to our life.

Good morning and a good day to all.  Always be 

on the lookout for the presence of wonder.

Sometimes, the simple things are more fun and 

meaningful than all the banquets in the world...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday August 23rd~

Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up 

of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently.

 And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, 

the big ones don't really mean anything...

 No more makeshift covers for my beverages when we are out.  

I now have a "legitimate" cover.  No more flying bugs in my drinks.  

Yes, it's a happy day and can't wait to try out my new gadget 😂

On Monday I received my love box filled with goodies from my sister

 Narima, the baker in the family.  Last week she catered a wedding for 100 

people.  Huge success.  So much so that in October she will be catering an even

 bigger wedding party.  Just a little over 200 guests.  Yikes.  She's busy, busy.

Another early morning for me.  Sniff has taken up my spot on 

the sofa, which means I have to find another spot to sit up and wait

 for morning to come.  Hopefully doze off in between as well.

We left him sleeping there last night and the previous nights,

 now he does not want to move over and make room for me.

My allergies are really bad.  If they are just allergies.  At this stage

 not sure what to do.  I am doing good a few hours in the day.  Yes, I

 sneeze, but at nights it's an entire different story.  Because I am awake

 so early, I am exhausted during the day.  Not a good scenario 😏.

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the 

scenery you miss by going to fast – you also miss 

the sense of where you are going and why...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday August 22nd~

Exploring new horizons, one mile at a time.

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

bends, ups, and downs, but that's its beauty...

 The other day we were in the mood for chicken wings. 

 No place better than Drafts.  Best BBQ wings I have ever had.

We also took the Lexus out and did the scenic route.  Amazing

 country side.  If you look closely you will see Arvid sitting in the

 car.  Says it was too hot for him to get out, eventually he did

Missouri has amazing lakes.  People who leave 

come back because they miss the lakes and the fishing.

No outing is complete if I don't capture some of the beauty of it.

To all a good day.  We continue preparing Almost Home

 for inspections.  Always hoping for the best, but preparing

 for the worst.  As usual, Sniff and I are awake early, and

 we're just enjoying the quietness of the morning.

On a different not, I used a filter to take the following 

pictures.  When I showed it to Arvid he said, "you look like

 a puffer fish."  Always the man with the right words 😂

Sure my lips may be fake,

 but my laugh is completely genuine...

~Nadiya~