Humor For Today...

Every time you find some humor in a difficult

situation, you win....

Today is a good day for humor.  Every so often we can all use a good laugh,

a little change of pace and of routine.  I am having one of these days and when I saw this 

email from my mom, it changed the way the day was heading.  Smiling right now.

Here is what my mom sent me:

 Pastor goes to the dentist for a set of false teeth. 

The first Sunday after he gets his new teeth, he talks for only eight minutes. 

The second Sunday, he talks for only ten minutes. 

The following Sunday, he talks for 2 hours and 48 minutes. 

The congregation had to mob him to get him down from the pulpit

 and they asked him what happened. 

The Pastor explains the first Sunday his gums hurt so bad he couldn't talk 

for more than 8 minutes. The second Sunday his gums hurt too much to talk for more

 than 10 minutes. But, the third Sunday, he put his wife's' teeth in by mistake and he couldn't shut up.

Greetings to all from, Fort Lauderdale.

Remember, if you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen.

I understand that humor isn't for everyone.

It's only for people who want to have fun,

enjoy life and, and feel alive...

~Nadiya~

Feeling Good....

We all seek peace in our lives,

 but few of us are ever fortunate enough to find it...

The other day Arvid and I were both talking about how lucky we are to 

live where we do.  We live on the Intracoastal, and we are only about 

a few minutes walk to the beach.  A beautiful beach as you can see.

Even though we are not the beach type, we love the fact that we are close to 

it and that it is within walking distance from us.   Above is the beach in 

Lauderdale~By~The~Sea.  Beautiful anytime of the day.

All of our families that visit love it there.  The restaurants, the night life, the shops

and just the colorfulness of the lifestyle makes it a most interesting place.

Except for a few months in the summertime, there is live music every 

Friday night on the streets.  People from all over the world can be 

seen there  dancing, singing, and just enjoying themselves.  

It's like someone said; 

people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel.

For us it is also a good place to meet friends visiting from around the world.

Listen to the music, enjoy good food, drinks and have a jolly good time.  Every time.

And the sunsets are beautiful.

Yes, we do live in Paradise....

To all a good day.  I feel lucky, 

but I also know that luck is not as random as you think.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Think how lucky you are that the skin you live in, so beautifully holds the 
"You" who's within."...

~Nadiya~

New Week...

There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.

Don't forget to always count your blessings....

It is a beautiful start of the week in my neighborhood.  Always good and just about

the best way to start a new week.  Quite a few things to do and it being Monday,

one never knows what will happen.  That's sometimes the beauty of our lives.

The unexpected always happens and best of all, both Arvid and I enjoy it.

Even though Brutus is awake, he somehow knows that today he has to take pills.

There is no way to trick him to come out of the bedroom.  He will stay there for

as long as Arvid is there and some just making sure the coast is clear.

For instance, yesterday was a no pill day.  Well Brutus was out with me

all the time.  I know he knows that the pill is every other day.  Too smart kitty.

Yesterday we tried to see the final game in the World Cup, FIFA, but every single sports

bar, every spot with a TV was packed to the max.  We tried BoKampers, Bierhaus and 

some others, but had to turn back and watch the game at home.  My team Argentina lost.

After the game we ended up going to one of our favorite restaurants we have not been 

to in quite a long time.  J Alexanders.  The food was good, 

and the dessert I brought home even better.

Still early for Arvid and Brutus to come out, and for two different reasons.

For now I am still enjoying my cafe and will catch up on a few chapters

 of my book until they appear and the day starts to get hectic.

Here is to another good week everyone!

Remember to get what you want and then enjoy it.

Happy Monday to all of you!

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do...

~Nadiya~

Relaxing Days...

Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort...

Arvid has had the flu now fr almost 2 weeks.  Poor thing really sounds miserable, 

but Arvid never complains and no matter what is still constantly busy.
 Most of us will probably  take some kind of a medication to ease the symptoms
and at least allow us to sleep throughout the night.  Unfortunately,
 because Arvid takes Coumadin, he can't take anything else.
I keep telling him to take a long hot bath.  As you know,
there must be quite a few things that a hot bath
 won't cure,  but I don't know many of them.

Cold or no cold, nothing stops him from always taking care of Brutus.  Nothing stops

him from doing his job, even when I sometimes tell him he needs to take a little break.

Arvid does not know the meaning of "taking a break"  The only time I saw that he nodded 

off was while watching a program on TV.  By then he was exhausted of the non stop 

coughing and the headache. As you can see he even sewed a button on to his shorts.  

Brutus always keeping an eye on him making sure all is OK with his dada.

Though we did some work for some customers, I found time to do something I liked.

While Arvid watched the soccer game between Brazil and Holland, I went and
had a mani-pedicure.  Felt really good to just do nothing and
relax while someone else took care of me.

The day was also very beautiful.  For a change no rain.  Was relaxing to
just sit and watch a parade of boats go by all day and all night long.

Remember, life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

~Nadiya~

Black Kitiies...

There are no truly evil cats, but there are evil humans..

I saw this the other day and thought of all the ones I know that have black kitties.

Also of the many I only know about.  Black kitties have a rep for being a bad luck thing,

but if you were to ask the owners of a black kitty, and my sister who owns a black dog

pictured above and named Marley, you will see that this is total nonsense.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Not that I ever believed it either.

So this is what it say:

The BCC's Top Ten Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat:

1. They're dignified, laid back, and friendly (if a little gullible).

2. They're great at staring contests.

3. They're always happy to see you--and not just because 

you're carrying a plate of food.

4. They run the best kissing booths.

5. They look fabulous with anything--even that horrible 

Christmas sweater your mother gave you and insists that you 

wear every year for the family Christmas card photo, 

because it's "festive."

6. They're the best at sticking their tongues out.

7. They're always prepared for an alien invasion.

8. They'll watch out for you and keep you safe,

 because they're heroes.

9. They will love you forever and ever. And ever.

10. They are the very best of luck.

Remember everyone that a back kitty is not an open invitation to be mean.

The color does not matter.  We have a kitty and whatever his color I would never 

change him for the world.  Color does not matter, what matters is that unconditional

love they give to us.  What matters is the way they make our lives so much better and the way

they insert themselves into our lives and make themselves indispensable and irreplaceable.

If you see a black animal crossing your path, all it means

is that the animal is going somewhere.  Be kind everyone.

Have a good day everyone and remember everyone,

kindness goes goes a long way.

It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white,
so long as it catches mice...

~Nadiya~

Wise Words....

The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. 

The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn 

is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed 

is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself....

Someone has written these beautiful words.  

They are like the ten commandments to follow in life all the time. 

1. Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, 

but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

2. So why is a car's windshield so large and the rear view mirror so small? 

Because our past is not as important as our future.  So, look ahead and move on.

3. Friendship is like a book.  It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4. All things in life are temporary.  If it's going well, enjoy it, that won't last long.  

If it's going badly, don't worry, that won't last long either.

5. Old friends are gold! New friends are diamonds! If you get a diamond, 

don't forget the gold!  Because to hold a diamond, you always need a base of gold!

6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says,

 "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!"

7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in His abilities; 

when God doesn't solve your problems, He has faith in your abilities.

8. A blind person asked St. Anthony, "Can there be anything worse

 than losing eyesight?" He replied, "Yes, losing your vision!"

9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them; 

sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10. Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's peace.

These were sent to me by email from one of my aunts.  Anytime I get an email from 

her I always know that it will be something propound and something well worth sharing.  

We can all use some words of wisdom in our lives, and it is never too late to learn 

something,  to appreciate someone, to become better persons and to just be better human beings.

With that being said, wishing you all a good day and remember if you just

start practicing one of these at a time, who knows what miracles can happen.

Greetings from our home to your home.  Hello Friday!

There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do 

something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others.

 When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. 

Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it...

Getting Nervous....

You can't control everything.  Sometimes you just need to relax

and have faith that things will work out.

Let go a little and just let it happen....

A big part of  yesterday was spent stressing about how to schedule care for Brutus while 

we are away.  Easy to do, but because of his medicines, it had to be alternated between Liliana 

and Wendy.  As I said to Wendy, "I am nuts."  Wendy said, "yes you are" but at least we understand

each other which for me is as good as it gets.  We trust them both to take good care of Brutus.

The calendar is already taped to the fridge, and has already been emailed to both. 

Combined with a VERY long and detailed email, I feel as if i have covered all bases.

Leaving Brutus is always stressful and just doing the calendar was enough stress

to make me not feel like cooking, at least that's what I told Arvid and he bought it.

It also makes it easy when there are many good restaurants to choose from and they 

deliver.  Yesterday we were in the mood for Italian and Umberto's is five minutes from us.

More rain yesterday followed by LOUD thunder.  This time Brutus definitely 

took off.  Arvid followed him and tried to get him to come out from under the bed.  

Took a little coaxing, but he finally came out.  The rain of course did not stop the boaters from 

enjoying themselves as you can see.  Nothing stops the fun when you live in The Sunshine State.

After the rain the manatees came out.

The sunset brought the day to a perfect closing.

The days are flying by.  Too fast if you ask me.  Soon it will be time to leave Brutus.

I am NEVER ready for that, but I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Norway.

Boy it is true what they say.  Life really is not that complicated.  We make it complicated.

Good  morning from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

I think I need to listen to Wendy.  She told me to  breathe in 

SLOWLY, GENTLY, DEEPLY

and breathe out.

I've always got such high expectations for myself.

 I'm aware of them, but I can't relax them...

~Nadiya~

Calm After The Storm...

After the storm comes the calm...

These last few weeks have been pretty erratic weather wise, but for those of us

 living in Florida, this is nothing unusual.  Summertime is the rainy season.  

With the rain we have the thunder, lightning and howling wind.

Palm trees swaying along the beach in Fort Lauderdale.  For me it is a pretty 

interesting sight and no matter what always beautiful.  As you can see not 

many are daring enough to brace the elements.

Back at home it was no different.  The sky just kept getting darker.

Even so, I can't help but find it beautiful.  The palm trees were also

swaying and the rain just kept coming down.  Those who live in Florida also 

know that when it rains it pours, but it last only for a shot time an then suddenly calm set in.

That was exactly the case yesterday.  Howling wind, rain, thunder, lightning and 

suddenly it cleared up.  Everything go very quiet.  The Intracoastal looked like a mirror.

After every storm the sun will smile.  The birds will sing. Remember also that if you

 spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you'll never enjoy the sunshine.

The good thing is that it never stops anyone from having a good time.

As you can see, as soon as the weather clears up, people are sitting out and

enjoying the sunshine.  Another of our favorite restaurants is Shooters.  Amazing views.

Greetings from Fort Lauderdale.

Clouds, leaves, soil, and wind all offer themselves as signals of changes in the weather.

 However, not all the storms of life can be predicted...

~Nadiya~

Steak954...and Some More

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things,

 because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths...

On Sunday Arvid and I finally tried out a restaurant we were wanting to go for a long time.

We live year round in Fort Lauderdale and we seem to take for granted all that is around

us.  Sometimes we are reminded by how lucky we are to live in The Sunshine State.

We have hundreds of restaurants at our disposal and we hardly make the most of it.

People from all other parts of the world and of the country come to Florida to enjoy what 

we sometimes take for granted.  For instance, Arvid and I have met an extremely nice couple,

who enjoy fine dining.  Already with them we have tried two new restaurants.  The first being

The Lobster Bar on Las Olas

 and now Steak954 

Of course we both had the steak.  Our favorite steak restaurant is Kaluz, but

I have to say the steak here was pretty amazing as well.  Definitely order it 

either medium or medium well.  Well done and it's ruined.

I have to say that it is always good trying new things.  With Doreen and Philippe

we hopefully will be venturing out into some "newer" places.  Arvid and 

I are both set in our ways.  We find something and we stick to it.

The bad thing about that is sometimes we miss out on a lot.

What we don't miss out on is excitement.  That for us is more important.
Yesterday i saw two very interesting things.  While driving to the grocery store,
I saw the sheriff pull up in front of me in a Corvette!  Beware everyone no getting away.

Luckily he was not chasing anyone.  They would not stand a chance.
Back home while we were having lunch, we saw two girls jump from a boat into
the Inracoastal.  Not something I would do nor recommend, but they had fun.

 A half hour later we saw a girl being pulled by a small boat on an inflatable raft.
Within minutes the Coast guard was there.  Not sure who alerted them,
 but they pulled the boat and the girl over and was writing them up.
Yep!!  NEVER a dull moment here at home.
As one of my friends said,
"leave it up to Ft Lauderdale!!!

With that I wish you all a good day.  Remember,
the best things in life are unexpected, because there were no expectations


When somebody says "expect the unexpected" 
slap them in the face and say, "you did'nt expect that did you?"
Every person is a new door to a different world.
Expect the UNEXPECTED!!!!...


~Nadiya~

This and That....

Vulgarity is like a fine wine: it should only be uncorked on a special occasion, 

and then only shared with the right group of people...

Many have asked me why is it that I have removed the comment section in my blog.

The truth is, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep away the spammers, and the

 unwanted comments from being posted.  It was becoming necessary for me to actually
go and delete comments on a daily basis.  Apart from the spam, and these were coming in
 by the thousands a day; I had to filter through comments that were lewd, offensive and as
far as I am concerned downright vulgar.  Decision made to remove comment section. 

Those who wish to leave me a message always know were to.

Can one be excited and stressed at the same time?  Definitely can.
That's how I am right now.  Part of me is excited about going to Norway.  Can't wait
to see Aleah, pick her up, play with her and just cover her with hugs and kisses.  Also,
looking forward to seeing Victoria and Michelle.  Victoria and I get along really well so that
will be nice.  She and I Whats app on a regular basis and I always enjoy talking with her.  She is
a very interesting person.  Michelle is a sweetheart and very easygoing, so that's good as well.

I stress about Brutus.  I worry that he will not have his medicines.  I also know
that no matter what, I will miss him like crazy.  He is my baby after all.
I also know we will have a good time in Norway.  The last time we were
 there was 2012.  Will be good for Arvid to see his mom.
 We have seen the girls, Aleah and his brother
in between, but not his mom.

I try to tell myself to relax and have a good time.
  Maybe this time I should take my own advise.

Well everyone a new week begins; bringing us closer to the
day to leave for Norway.  OK all of a sudden I am getting a little panciky.
I have heard someone say, if stress burned calories, I would be a supermodel.
I guess I must not be that stressed since the calories are not melting away.  Hmmmm...

Good morning from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 
 Mondays are the start of the work week which offer new beginnings 52 times a year.

Coffee in hand, big girl panties pulled up,
sparkle in my eye and a smile on my face..
yep!!! I'd say I'm ready for the day....BRING IT ON!!!!!!....

~Nadiya~

Dreams...Via Pictures

Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly...

If my sister Rima was here right now, that would be exactly what she would say.
Rima is a dreamer , a romantic and at the same time down to earth and realistic.
Sounds like these qualitles contradict, but if you know her; you know it's true!

Have a good day all and remember.

never stop dreaming.

I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long.

 If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time...

~Nadiya~

Tofu and Team Tofu...

We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand

 that the animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them 

and love them as we love ourselves...

There are so many animals out there that needs someone to care for them.  Someone to 

advocate for their well being, their life, for just about everything.  Yes, there are also 

many others that need the same, but today I am focusing on those animals that have no-one. 

They have nothing.  Some never stand a chance, but every so often we hear or we see 

a glimmer of hope for them.  There are people in this world who go the extra 

mile just to make sure these babies have a  fighting chance.  It is not

always successful, but the thing is that they gave these fur babies a

chance.  A chance to strive, to live.  More than many of us do.

A little over a month ago, I liked a FB page called, Tofu The Kitty It is another page dedicated 

to cats. This page is called TOFU.  Tofu is the name of the kitty, who unfortunately died.

I read about the rescues of these cats, I follow their stories.  Heartbreaking and yet heart

warming.  I have gotten to "know" the kitties, so when I woke up one morning and saw that

TOFU died my heart broke and yes, I cried.  I cried like I know many who has been following 

TOFU's progress did.  Meet Tofu.  Left all alone when his mama took off

Lil Tofu

Tofu struggled and fought a hard battle, but on June 12th Tofu died.

Sad as this was, the battle to save these rescue kitties continues.  The people

involved do all they can and even more to assure that these kitties make it through the night.

Yes, it is that bad for the kitties.  For them it is always hoping that the make it to see another day.

Despite the battle to save these rescue animals, another one died yesterday.

More heart break for all those following their stories, but especially for

 the kind people and their team who battle daily for their survival.

Little Gumball lost his battle.  Just too weak to fight any more.

Read all about Tofu, the other rescue kitties and the

team that is giving them a fighting chance.

We are in need of wet kitten food and dried cat food for the babies and their mom.

 We don't have a huge prefernece on brand as long as it isn't full 

of tons of chemicals. Attached is our Amazon wishlist. 

Thank you in advance from Team Tofu and the babies

http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/20FFPRWTQA5T4/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_w

Also, if you find it in your heart, please help them.

Anything you can give will be appreciated and

think about it, you will also be giving a 

helping hand in saving these babies.

Just click on the link!

To all a good day.

Leaving with this from the Tofu team:

We rescued Tofu along with almost 40 others from a single property. 

Tofu may have lost his battle but the rest are still fighting to survive.

You can tell by the kindness of a dog

 or cat how a human should be..

 ~Nadiya~