On The Move....

Well! Well!  Look what finally decided to show up?  Hello Friday!

Don't mix bad words with your bad mood.  You'll have many opportunities to 

change a mood, but you'll never get the opportunity to replace the words you spoke....

February is a beautiful month in so many ways.  One of my favorite things about

February is watching the manatees move southbound.  We have a parade of'

manatees every day and every time is as amazing as the time before. 

Something we look forward to it every morning.

Most of the times these manatees travel in pairs or in  aggregations.  That's a group of them.  

It is very rare to see a single one.  I took this picture yesterday morning from our balcony. 

 Sometimes they are so far away that all we see is the bubble in the water. 

 Arvid and I know what a manatee "bubble" looks like so we are on the look out for them.

Friday morning already.  The week has sure gone by fast.  It is once again the start

of another weekend.  Arvid and I have chores to do.  Meaning we have work that will take

us into Miami.  As always we try to combine work with a little fun.  Nothing better than that!

Nothing big planned for tonight, but with Arvid that can change in the blink f an eye.
Hands up everyone if you LOVE Fridays!!!  February is also special because it is
the month my "little" sister Rima was born.  It is the month of love.  To all
make every, month every day every moment special.  You don't need
 a reason,  but if you have one does not hurt.  Happy Friday everyone.

Life is not lived in the past, neither is it lived wandering in the future.  Life is for today,
and it is today.  Live it, see it, love it, and show how capable you are of everything
you wish to achieve.   Good morning and have a beautiful day ahead.  Have fun...

~Nadiya~

Just A Regular Day....

“If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?”

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live...

Busy morning here at home.  But it is a good busy.  Already Thursday and the weekend is

looking to be a little colder that I would like.  Arvid wants to go and listen to music.  

The music happens to be outdoors so not sure how it will work out for me.

In the meantime, I came across a few good tips and will share with all of you.

I'm looking forward to trying the mint leaves under my eyes. Anything to look better.

On another note, my sister sent us the cutest video of Lilly, my niece reading.

Lilly is already a big girl and now she's reading.  I see even more trouble in the horizon.

Also another cute video I want to share is with Aleah our adorable grand-daughter.

Here Aleah is showing off her most favorite dress.  Her Dr. Mcstuffins.

Nothing spectacular going on today.  Just chores and cleaning.  Not so exciting.

I leave with you a few of my favorite quotes.

To all a good day.  When all fails remember a cup of coffee always brightens p the day.

Happy Thursday friends.  The weekend is soon upon us.

Never tell your problems to anyone...20% don't care and the

 other 80% are glad you have them...

~Nadiya~

Words & Friendship...

A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide, and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity....

This was sent to me a while back and I thought it was good enough to share.  Just remember that words can do a lot of damage.  Sometimes the damage is never repaired, but they can also do a lot of good.  Choose your words  and your friends  carefully.  Remember, "Be careful of the words you say, Keep them short and sweet.  You never know, from day to day, Which ones you'll have to eat."

There once wasa little boy who had a bad temper.  His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. 

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.  Over the nextfew weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered dailygradually dwindled down.  He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence..  Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.  He told hisfather about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. 

   The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.  The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.  He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.  The fence will never be the same.  When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.  You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. 

But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there.  A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Remember that friends are very rare jewels indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed; They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open
their hearts to us... 

Good words like good friends are worth much, and cost little.

  By words we learn thoughts, and by thoughts we learn life...Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words like good friends endure..

Nadiya...

Happy Tuesday...

Confidence is valuing your time.  Think how you would ideally balance your life 

between work, family, and other demands, including time for yourself. 

 Then work towards creating that balance....

Tuesday already and it has been over a week since we Skyped with our little grand-daughter.

Her schedule is even busier than ours and I usually make an appointment and clear it

with Michelle to make sure we are on the same page.  sadly it has not worked

out so well this week.  Little Aleah, like all little kids is enrolled inn tons 

of activities that keep her too busy.  Seems though that we may be

 in luck tomorrow.  Fingers crossed cause I miss her.

Next month Aleah will be big sister to Vanessa.  Yes, baby number two is soon

here. Summertime can't come fast enough for us to see them again.

This morning we were abruptly awoken up once again by the ringing of the phone.  

Again the call came from Norway.  Some still forget the 6 hour difference in time.

Gave us a chance to wake up early.  Arvid was not happy, but he got much accomplished.

Still a bit colder than normal, hopefully as the week progresses it will warm up 

even more.  Victoria is visiting soon so the weather needs to be nice and warm for her.

One of the main reasons for coming to Florida is to bask in the heat and just warm the body up.

Quite a few things to do today and since we have had an earlier than usual start, we are

 already ahead of the game.  Yesterday I did my online real Estate class.  I am one

 that does not want to spend too much time reading through the entire book

 or  listening for hours to someone online.  I advanced the course all the 

way to the end took the exam and yes passed.  Happy as can be!

Hope your day is a good one.  

If you want something really bad you must work to achieve it.

And in the process, you may find that the work is what drives you...

~Nadiya~

A New Week Begins...

Start the day with a smile and finish it with Champagne...

Our weekend was ridiculously amazing if I may say so.  We did not do anything out

of this world, but whatever we did we sure enjoyed ourselves so much so that 

we found ourselves having a little sangria every night.  Just sips for me,

but even so it was delicious and me savored it to the last drop.

We did just about a little of everything including the movies.  Would like to go

 again this weekend, but I'm sure that will be too much for Arvid.  All I can 

do is try nothing to lose.   All he can say is nope, not this week.

We have been spending the last 3 weekends with one of our friends.  Quite a lot of fun

he is and when I did not want to go and listen to music Arvid had company.  It's 

not as if I did not want to go, but I know that the two of them stay out much

 later than I would want so it worked out really good for all of us. 

 I drove them to the location and they came back with a taxi.

Yesterday we all went looking at cars.  Together the two of them are car crazy.

Me I have a good time checking the cars out and taking pictures of everything

 in sight.  One never knows when that great picture might be taken.

Most of our day was spent with cars.  Afterwards Arvid and I had our alone time.

Very important to have our Sundays by ourselves as he says.  Of course sometimes it 

isnot possible, but then we are also flexible.  When we have it which is most Sundays we 

make it special.  By special I mean we make it last and we relax somewhere by the water

 just watching the boats as we have our meal.  Peaceful and quiet.  No unnecessary chit chat.

Monday here already.  Too bad the weekend went by so fast, but time to get busy again,

 be productive so we can celebrate when the weekend gets here or a little before.

Busy week ahead of us, but that is probably the same with most of you.

Makes life fun, interesting and always a challenge to see what we

 can accomplish once we set our minds on a goal. So let's do it!!

Good morning world.  Let's get this week started with a good attitude.

Start everyday with new hope, leave bad memories behind,

and have faith for a better tomorrow.  Happy Monday to all...

~Nadiya~

Happy Sunday....

Always welcome a new day with a smile on your lips and good thoughts in mind.

Good morning and Happy Sunday.  Take it slow and give your soul

 a chance to catch up with your body....

How to relax on a Sunday?  Hmmm... thought we had that covered, but it seems like Sunday

 is as good a day to run around and conduct business.  Arvid seems to think so.  The day

 is already planned out.  Has been since Friday so not too much time for family 

talks this morning.  How sad, but as Arvid says business is business.

The truth is, Arvid is very conscientious.  He calls his family in Norway every Sunday.

It is a routine that has been going on for years.  They all wait for that call.  Cute!

Yesterday we changed up our evening a little, instead of going to listen to music we went 

to the movie theater.  That Dine-In Movie theater is just the best.  It has now become 

one of my favorite outings and I am happy that Arvid so far is OK with it.
We saw The Loft and we enjoyed it very much.  It kept us guessing.

Soon it will be time to rumble as Arvid says.  Better get going soon.  This morning

we were abruptly awoken by the phone ringing.  Even though Arvid turns off all the

 ringers of our phones, somehow this one was still on.  The call was from Norway. A customer.

Sadly they sometimes forget the 6 hour difference in our times.  Anyway all worked out for the best.

Hello Sunday.  I'm used to it being a little less rushed, but then with Arvid one never knows.

I think that is one of the things I really like about him and at the same time

of of the things I really wish could be different...oh well.  Still happy!

Greetings from Fort Lauderdale.  I am enjoying the boats as they pass by.

A real woman can handle a busy man.  She'll respect his hustle

and if he's a real man, he'll know how to make time for her...

~Nadiya~

Home.. No Place Like It...

Home is where love resides, memories are created, 

friends always belong, and laughter never ends....

Friday night.  For us it was just relaxing to spend it at home with Brutus.  We relaxed and 

spent the evening watching TV, enjoying some snacks, watching the boats pass by and 

enjoying some Sangria.  Sangria was really good.  Unfortunately all I could manage

was a few sips.  Sadly after that the cough came so I had to quit it.  Luckily

 Ice-Cream was there. Last night it was Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey. 

Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.  Yesterday we also tried out 

a new place not too far from us for lunch.  As you walk in, there is nothing really

 special about the place.  Though there was a large list of beers on tap, there was

 nothing Arvid liked.  Ended up with a Corona.  Once the food arrived that was 
a different story.  Nothing fancy just chicken wings for Arvid 

and crab legs for me.  Food was very good,

Well the day began on a good note.  Lots of Soccer for Arvid.  bacon and eggs
for breakfast and best of all no pill day for Brutus.  How could it be better?
Time to run around a little, meet some friends and start planning for the day.

Simply Saturday.  Everything shines when we
let our positive attitude shine through...

~Nadiya~

Here Comes The Weekend....

No matter how many plans you make or how much in control you are,

 life is always winging it...

I would like to start out today's blog with another bit of humor.  This made me laugh and I'm 

still smiling.  Maybe it will also give some of you a better start of your day/weekend.

Goes like this, "Dad, are they allowed to put two people in the same grave?"

"I don't think so son.  Why do you ask?"  "Because that headstone over there says, 

"Here lies a lawyer and an honest man."  Go figure that all of you.

Lawyer jokes are always funny.  The truth is sometimes 

I don't really think they are all jokes.

Friday morning.  Today the day is looking much better than yesterday.  Yep! Already

a good start of the weekend.  Arvid and I have no concrete plans as of right now.  

We usually decide on the spur of the moment and then we just take off.  

There is something about being spontaneous that suits us both.  Especially when it concerns 

the weekends.  Trips we decide and plan a little more for.  Once we make up our 

minds then we do act fast as well.  Yep!  I think we are the fastest in

 making decisions than anyone we know.

Last night we went to a Hockey game.  We saw the Florida Panthers beat the LA Kings.
What a game.  As usual we had a very good time.  Of course there is always a few
little annoyances, last night we had 2 young men right behind us talking non-stop.

 According to Arvid, they were talking more than girls.  Arvid always claims girls
talk too much.  So terrible.  Says he just has to say a few choice words
 to keep the conversation flowing.  Terrible, but cute.

At some point I was a little annoyed because I don't understand why people have to come
 to the game, not watch the game and just babble nonsense.  I guess I had reached
my limit.  I turned around and all I said was "shut up."  According to Arvid,
 I need more finessing.  Anyway the boys were quite stunned.
They looked at me and after a while said "that's so rude."
Then I said, "if you wish to talk go outside."  

Afterwards Arvid and I had a good laugh about the entire incident and my "rudeness"
and abruptness.  Well it's time to check out the weekend scene.  Lots happening.
To all a good weekend.  Hopefully it is not raining in your area, still
it is nice and warm and we are happy and doing great.

Cheers to the weekend!!!

I can do a week in a weekend. That’s not how efficient I am, that’s how little I work.
Hands up if you’re ready to do something you’ll regret this weekend. 
Go forth! You have my blessing.

~Nadiya~

Rainy Thursday...

You are what you share.  How different would people act if they

 couldn't show off on social media? Would they still do it...??

Guess this is the way the World is evolving.  Today most people are more into all of
these different social media "thing" rather than personal contact. Have to say I am
also one to enjoy the social media "thing" very much, but I also like the sound
and the feel of the real "thing" as well.  Has it's pluses!

Daughter:  "Daddy, I am coming home to get married.  Take out your checkbook.  Dad,

I'm in love with a boy who is far away from me.  I am in Australia and he lives in the UK.

We met on a dating website.  Became friends on Facebook, had long chats an web.app 

 He  proposed to me on Skype, and now we have had two months of a relationship on

 Viber.   Dad I need your blessings, good wishes and a big wedding.

Father:  Wow!  Really!  Then get married on Twitter.  Have fun on Tango, buy your kids on

 Amazon and pay through Pay Pal.  And if you are fed up with your husband...sell him on EBay!

Well thought that was a good way to start out this Friday.  Little humor is always
something we can all use.  Our lives are complicated and sometimes downright intense,
but with humor even for a little we forget and we laugh and seems like the day is already better.

Here it is not a pretty day.  It is raining cats and dogs right now.  Unfortunately the entire day
is predicted to be rainy, but that does not matter; at least we do not have rain combined
with snow and the freezing weather like many do.  Gotta always be grateful for
what you have because somewhere someone wishes to be in your shoes.

Thursday already.  Today we plan to go to the Hockey game.  Yes, "Let's Go Panthers"
Hopefully we will not be detained by the rain.  Arvid like my dad hates getting
caught in it.  I don't mind the rain as long as all my gadgets are protected.
And yes, I always carry little zip lock bags in my handbag just in case.

In preparation for the game and for the fact that soon it is Friday I have
made Sangria.  The fruit is already nice and soft in there and it sure tastes good.
had to have a little sampling of it yesterday.  I'm ready for whatever the day holds!



Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
 Let the rain sing you a lullaby.  Here comes the rain again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion....

~Nadiya~

Almost Weekend....

Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen....

It's another feel good kind of a day.  Brutus is still in hiding though.  Have not been able 

to give him his pills so far.  Guess it will be one of those hide and seek days.  I try to

 not stress it out too much since he senses everything.  Hopefully he comes

 out on his own.  I grab him and struggle a little and all done.

Looking forward today to having a little more quiet day. Arvid, on the other hand always

 has days packed with activity.  Like I always say, he finds ways to always stay busy.

It is his specialty and it makes him happy.  He is SPECIAL.

What Politics mean in Florida compared to everywhere else:

Here in Fort Lauderdale it is looking like a very good day.  The sun is

shining, we are healthy and as the new day begins we have new perspectives.

Everyday as they say is another chance we are given to get it right.  I believe so all the time.

Good morning everyone.  Wednesday.  Half the work week soon over.  

I'm already preparing for the weekend.

Wednesday, it's like the middle finger of the week...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday...

Don't start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday.  Every morning we wake up is the

first day of the rest of our life.   Happy Tuesday and to all a good morning....

Here in Fort Lauderdale Brutus and I woke up to a "chilly" but beautiful morning.

Brutus sneaked around a little then took off again into the bedroom and unto the bed to 

catch up with some more sleeping together with his dada.  He's afraid I would grab him for his pills.

Last night there was a beautiful moon right outside of our balcony,

and I was for a change in the right spot at the right moment with my camera.

Soon the day with all of it's activities, noises and movement will begin.  For now it is quiet, 

peaceful with just a few boats passing by.  The "boys" are still asleep. I have a good

 hour or so to enjoy my morning coffee and the quietness before everything

 begins again.  I'm enjoying it very much.  Peaceful and so relaxing.

Today's what it means to live in Florida.  What Sunshine means:

The tourists are already here.  The roads are busy and soon more will come for the warm 

weather we have all year long in Florida.  This way everyone at some given time of the year 

also gets to enjoy what Arvid and I call home.  We all are very lucky in more ways than 

we know.  To be able to live in the warm weather or to be able to come to it. 

 Good morning everyone.  Hope this Tuesday is a 

good one and that you all make it awesome.

Make today ridiculously amazing. Beautiful things don't just happen,

 if  you want something marvelous you must make something marvelous....

~Nadiya~

Another Week Begins...

Mondays are the start of the work week which offer new beginnings 52 times a year...

Monday again, and today has so far been a busy day for us.  Quite happy we are to be 

running around.  More Arvid than anyone I know.  Working in the shipping business 

we see all sorts of cars, from luxurious classics to just almost burnt out frames.  

In this business, like in every business, you see that there is something for 

everyone.  May not be my taste, but someone sure loves it.

Our road trip of the day took us to Miami.  Arvid and I have the best time

working together.  Don't get me wrong, we don't always agree, but we sure have fun.

Where else can you drive your car with the top down?  Weather is perfect.

We continue our saga of what things mean here in Florida compared to the rest of 

the world. Today we talk about the Manatee.  

What it means everywhere else:  that cute but weird mammal you've seen pictures of.  

What it means in Florida:  the mammal you fell in love with in third grade and

are still trying to figure out how to possibly keep in your bathtub.

The picture of the manatee at the bottom was taken by me this morning from our balcony.

Just this last week, Arvid and I have been lucky to have spotted close to 30 manatees. 

Life is good and we are sure enjoying it.

Wishing you a happy Monday and a beautiful week...

~Nadiya~

Sunday In Florida...

Make today a happy day and remember a day without laughter is wasted...

Sunday morning and Brutus and I are awake.  More like he's is awake, but he is hiding from me.

He know that as soon as he eats a little food I will grab him and give him medication.  

Smart kitty has stopped eating.  Not so good because now this is something else 

that I have to worry about.  Arvid says he will not "grab" Brutus because 

then Brutus will also be afraid of him.  Guess he's right, but once again 

I'm in this all alone.  Brutus is terrified of me all the time.

Here it is still a good day.  Brutus has not been amputated.  He is difficult taking

his pills, I have the scratches to prove it, but like it or not he will get them.

Last night we checked out the music scene in a new location.  Let's say, it used to be one
 of our favorite restaurants in Las Olas now it has changed to BAO.  It was just
 nice to walk around our old neighborhood once again.  Very beautiful

Good morning everyone.  Wishing you a Sunday filled with beauty. Today here in the 

USA it is Super Bowl Day. It is a day when all eyes will be glued to the TV.  Even 

Arvid and I will be watching the kickoff.  The halftime entertainment is also

 something we always look forward to.  This year it's Missy Elliot and 

Katy Perry.  Let's hope it's good.  The best are the advertisements!!!

And now for a little "lesson" of what we mean in Florida when we use

certain words and what those same words mean in another country. 

1.   Paradise 

What it means everywhere else: a far-away location.  Preferably with a beach

that you might get to visit once a year if you are lucky.

What it means in Florida: Outside.  Your backyard.

2.  Shuttle

What it means everywhere else: the vehicle you take from the airport to your hotel.

What it means in Florida: the giant rocket you watched launch up into space from Cape Canaveral.

3.  Flip Flops

Hope you enjoyed this.  More to come another time.  My sisters and family have
 kids, they will all be watching Super Bowl.  A HUGE part of super bowl
 is the SNACKS!!! Max loves his snacks!!!!

Happy Sunday... Enjoy the game for those watching.

May your enjoyment of the Super Bowl not be affected by the unspeakable
 horror of football season being over...

~Nadiya~