Sundays ~

Life isn’t as serious as the mind makes it out to be...

Sunday morning, a little wet and a bit cooler.  Perfect start 

of the day.  Summer vacation is over for Lilly Vade also.  This 

little girl, no longer a little girl is soon starting high school.  Time goes

 by so very fast.  So happy I got to see them in April of this year.

Keeping up with al the birds is getting crazy.  There are too

 many black big birds eating all the foodies of my Daisy,

 Fatboy and the other little ones.  I keep chasing them

 away but it's constant.  It's not a chore 😂

The newest addition to our backyard "zoo" is a rabbit.  

I have seen her a few times, but she runs off too fast.  Yesterday 

she stayed eating the foodies I left for her.  Of course I

 managed to get her picture.  She's another cutie.

Relaxing day.  Soccer, Arvid's usually bacon and eggs 

every Sunday and Sniff continuing to be entertained by the

 birds as do I.  I also love watching our Gerald's eat.  Their 

mouths never stop moving. It's very entertaining to see.

Sniff is loving his view. It will be sad the day we have to 

go back home to Florida.  It is still nice and warm.  Perfect

 temperatures, but I know as soon as it starts to get cold we 

will be thinking of going home.  For now we enjoy Branson.

Your mind will answer most questions if

 you learn to relax and wait for the answer...

~Nadiya~

Saturday August 20th ~

 Morning comes whether you set the alarm or not...

I'm awake even earlier than usual.  I really 

tried to stay in bed and go back to sleep, unfortunately

 for me, it did not work.  On the other hand, I am a morning 

person, just not this early.  It's going to be a long day 😂

It was a beautiful evening yesterday, of course we could not miss

 the opportunity to go to The Landing.  We took our partner with

 us and had a very good time.  Never a bad time at The Landing.

It really is the coolest spot in Branson, at least as far as Arvid and I

 are concerned.  Being close to the water, always so very relaxing.

Looking forward to a relaxing day at home.

  Soccer for Arvid and hopefully a nap for me.  

Good morning all and enjoy the weekend.

Today’s goals: Coffee and kindness. 

Maybe two coffees, and then kindness...

~Nadiya~

Friday August 19th ~

 Start by doing what is necessary, then what is 

possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible...

Two things that caught my eye yesterday on social media.  

There is something for everyone.  That's what makes life

 so very interesting and entertaining.  The meme's about

 Florida 🌴really cracks me up.  Many so true also😂.

Living in Florida isn’t always easy, even though we/many

 wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else. Living anywhere, though, 

is a lot easier if you learn to laugh at yourself. Floridians usually 

have a pretty good sense of humor.  Makes for good times.

All of this being said, Florida is and will always be 

considered our home no matter where we go, eventually 

we will always head home.  For now home is Missouri

Yesterday Arvid and I went to the movies.  As most already

 know, I just love going to the movies.  Not the same as watching 

it at home.  Make me happy and I just get all excited about it.

  Does not hurt when it's the dine in movies and you

 can also have a nibble.  Of course, this does not sit well 

with Arvid.  He prefers to eat at home then do the

 movies, but I convinced him that it was OK 😂

Friday.  I smell the weekend already.  Fridays hold possibilities.

The dream is free.  The hustle is sold separately...

~Nadiya~

Thursday August 18th

 A truly happy person is one who can

 enjoy the scenery while on a detour...

All is good just a little ache here and there, but that's what 

happens as one gets older 😐  Aside from that keeping busy, 

especially with all the "chores" Arvid has planned for each day.  

He is the busiest, most hard working man I know.  Retired

 or not, he NEVER slows down.  Arvid always finds things

 to do, and I try to find ways to not have him "make" 

me work with him all day long running "errands"

Just like yesterday today will also be a wet day, though 
cooler it still gets warm up.  Completely looking like winter

 even.  Yesterday Arvid said to me, "you know I was not really

 looking to go back to Florida, but now I am a little more." The 

 weather changes.  Arvid gets "scared" of the cold approaching.

Sniff, the birdies and I are enjoying the cooler temperatures. 

 Well Sniff prefers warmth because as soon as the laundry 

is out of the dryer he finds himself tangled up in them.

  Snoozing as usual.  Sniff does not need a reason to snooze 💚,

 but fresh laundry is something he just can't resist.

On a different note, summer break is over, and our two

 eldest granddaughters a back to school and happy as can be.  

We love and miss them.  Hope to see them soon 🙏

We are all products of our experiences, good and bad.

 Sometimes you learn as much from the negative

 experiences as you do from the positive...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday August 17th ~

 Life teaches you a new lesson every day, 
if you are attentive enough in the class of life...

Halfway through the week.  Not much to tell today.

  Don't know that we will be doing much except a few chores

 here and there.  Not that exciting, but still a good day. 

Some day it just be like that, as they say 😂

It's a wet and gloomy looking day, but still warm. 

 I went to a doctor's appointment early this morning and

 when I got back home Arvid was making hot chocolate.

  Said he wanted to surprise me.  I love this man 💙

Good day to all.  Remember, you are never too

 old to set another goal or dream a new dream.

You always pass failure on the way to success...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday August 16th ~

There is no advertisement as powerful 

as a positive reputation traveling fast... 

 Good morning/evening to all.  Today feels like fall.  It's grey,  

cloudy with a chance of rain.  Rain we need, and also it's cooler. 

 I can't believe summer is soon over.  I love fall.  The changing

colors, the coolness and the scenery.  Yes, looking forward to it.

Arvid is a happy man.  No matter what he does, he does 
it enthusiastically and he's always smiling.  A little like his 

dad in so many ways.  He enjoys doing the dishes after breakfast. 

 Says he relaxes and he comes up with many good ideas 😂

Sniff is already settled in for a snooze.  He's already 

watched the birds, and this morning there were quite a

 few on the grass.  Guess they enjoy the foodies I

 buy for them combined with some bird treats.

Have a great and productive day.  Don't forget,

 miracles happen to those who believe in them.

I will go anywhere as long as it’s forward...

~Nadiya~

Monday August 15th ~

 Every day is a new day, and ultimately, 
I have to figure out what works each day...

Been there done that.  A friend of ours has a 

Tesla Model X.  We went out with them, and he insisted 

we test drive his car.  Best thing about the car it that it's fast.

  Aside from that, it's not for us.  I really did not like the 

white interior, everyone has their own taste 😍

On any given day, you never know what to expect or 

what you will see.  It's too early for fall, but I insist,

 the leaves are falling and changing color 🍊

To all a very good day.  New week.  New perspectives.

So yesterday you fell off the wagon? Or maybe you blew

 your diet? Or lost your temper and shot off your mouth? 

Well, that was yesterday. Today is a brand-new 

day with a clean slate, so forget yesterday!...

~Nadiya~

Sunday August 14th ~

 There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will 
be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits...

Definitely feeling better (cooler) at least in the mornings and 

evenings.  During the day it is still very warn, but cooling 

down is coming and we sure are looking forward to it.

Yesterday we went out to dinner with some friends, also

 in the hotel business.  They were the ones who introduced us

 to the hotel business.  From day one it is a lucrative business, 

but it requires A LOT of work and to make a success of it

 you have to be present at all times.  Unless of course you

 sell, and hopefully you sell to the right people.  That is

 always something you can never be sure of.  A chance 

everyone is willing to take.  Life is all about risks.

Good morning everyone, let's not forget that a 

Sunday well spent brings a week of contentment.

You can't get much done in life if you only 

work on the days when you feel good...

~Nadiya~

Saturday August 13th ~

 Everything in my life has happened very early, personally 

and professionally. I’m always learning: I have to...

Yeah a little early, but Sniff already got into some "trouble" But

 he's just a baby so all's good and he's already back to doing his thing.

Arvid does not realize that  Sniff will puke every so often 😂

Yesterday we did go out.  We had a great time as always.  
Something about being near the water.  Relaxing.  The Landing,

 one of the many beautiful places we enjoy.  In Branson, this 

is our favorite spot, and yesterday was just perfect.

Temperatures are cooling down in the evenings, makes everything 

so much more pleasant. Margaritaville, definitely a Friday afternoon

 outing.  "It's 5 O'clock Somewhere," my most favorite drink there.

Looking forward to the cooler days coming.  September should

 definitely be beautiful.  Maybe a day trip or two depending on my 

doctors appointments.  Still trying to see if I can get in earlier. 

 So far I have had one appointment move up.  Happy for that.

Saturday.  Looking good.  The wildlife has been fed.  

Soccer is back on and guess who is happy.  As Messi said,

 "take advantage of every minute you have, in football and in life."

Take your victories, whatever they might be, 

cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them...

~Nadiya~ 

Friday August 12th ~

 The biggest adventure you can ever

 take is to live the life of your dreams....

And just like that it is Friday again.  Just last Friday

 we were in Memphis, boy this week sure went by fast.  

Best part is we are always happy to be home.

Friday.  Usually we go out for a little nibble and a drink,

 but not sure if we will today.  We had more than enough

 in Memphis, but it's a new day so who knows?

All good here.  Some days I get restless.  Not used to 

being so idle, but I will not complain because when we

 were at Almost Home there was no rest for us.

Happy Friday from all of us.  Make it a good one.

Roll with the punches and enjoy every minute of it...

~Nadiya~

Waiting, Not My Best Quality ~

Patience is not simply the ability to wait, 
 it's how we behave while we're waiting... 

Because we had to take back Almost Home within a short 

time of coming back to Branson; I never had time to even look 

into doctors, especially into an endocrinologist.  After weeks

 of trying to get hold of one, someone finally answered. 

 I finally managed to talk to a real person.  I do have an 

appointment.  earliest appointment available was October 12th.

  Much later than I wanted but what can i say, I guess I am thankful

 I have one.  As a friend of mine loves to say, "it is what it is."

Forget about seeing a dentist.  I have called so

 many their answer is more or less the same, "we are not

 seeing new patients for the rest of the year, but if you like 

you can schedule an appoint for early next year."

Well I'll be darned.  I told the girl at the endocrinologist's 

office that I could die before I make it to the appointment. 

 She was a little taken back for words, but finally said, 

"I'm sorry.  if someone cancels we will call you."

I did see a general doctor mid June concerning bites I was

 getting.  He recommended a tetanus shot which I got.  He 

also recommended a full lab work up.  With thyroids issues it's 

recommended you do labs every 3 months.  The last time I did lab

 word was October 2021 in Puerto Rico.  Soon to be 10 months.

So he wrote up the script for the blood work and said he 

would send it to the lab.  This was mid June.  So last week 

the doctor's office called and asked why I had not gone to the lab 

and had my blood work done.  I made an excuse, and said I will

 be going.  So the next day I went.  This was last Thursday.

I got to the lab all excited because it was not full. 

 I was seen right away.  The phlebotomist checked her 

computer to see what it is I needed done.  Well low and behold,

 there was nothing in their system for my lab work.  The

 doctor's office had completely  forgotten to send it in.  

Let's see how it goes this week.  So far I am not having

 a good impression of how the medical/dental system 

works here.  Last time we lived here it worked smoothly.  

Everyone now blames COVID. Who knows?

Our day is looking good.  The days are still hot, but

 the evenings and mornings are cooler.  Loving the cooler 

temperatures.  No longer a fan of the heat.  Neither of us.

Good morning everyone.  Soon it's the weekend.  Again 😂

Life consists not in holding good cards 

but in playing those you hold well....

~Nadiya~

Wednesday August 10th ~

How people die remains in the memory of those who live on...

Yesterday via zoom I watched the viewing services for 

my aunt in New York.  Today you don't have to be there to 

"be there" makes you at least feel a little better.  I saw my 

dad, the eldest brother in the family make his speech.  

My dad is a good speaker and it was touching.

A sad fact is that with life comes death. It

 will happen to all of us. But that doesn’t make 

dealing with or understanding it any easier.

As the new day begins, we have many things we're 

working on.  A few places we would like to go to and a 

few "bigger" chores that need taking care of here at home.

  Never a dull moment.  Who said when you "retire" you 

actually slow down.  We sure have not seen that yet.

Yesterday we were at Almost Home.  I was happy to

 meet the littlest member there.  He finally came home

 from the hospital, almost a month after being born.  I also 

saw a few of our tenants, got some hugs and left smiling.

The wildlife has been fed and taken care of.  Sniff has

 been brushed and fed, now he is just watching the birds

 and trying to stay out of Arvid's papers.  Overall a very 

good morning here.  Wishing you all the same.

Happy Birthday Victoria.  Enjoy your day an your 

vacation in Ibiza.  Never forget how special you are 💗

Two things define you: your patience when you have

 nothing and your attitude when you have everything...

~Nadiya~