Saturday July 5th~

 Experience is a hard teacher because she 
gives the test first, the lesson afterward...

I don't know much about soccer, but I did "know" 

of Diogo Jota, one of Liverpool's star players.  

I usually watch the games with Arvid.  

He is a Liverpool fan and was a Diogo Jota fan as

 well.  So when I heard the news of his death a couple 

of days ago, I hit me hard.  Then I read more about 

him, his wife of less than 3 weeks and their 3 little 

kids, it was as if someone I knew had just died. 

 My heart mourns for this loss.  Diogo Jota

 and his brother both died in a car crash in Spain. 

 Parents just lost their only children.  Three kids

 their father and a woman the man she loves.

Diogo Jota 1996-2025

It rained so much yesterday, but the worst is the 

lightning.  I decided that we would skip the downtown

 outing and just stay home and watch a movie and a

 few fireworks from home.  Arvid was good with that.  

Sniff too.  Of course after we decided to stay in,

 there was no more rain.  It became the perfect

 evening, but we were already cozy with Sniff so 

no downtown last night.  Still was a good time.

I, like many have known grief first hand. The

 reality of it, is that you will grieve forever. You will 

not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn 

to live with it and with time it becomes bearable.

For some reason I feel this loss of Diogo Jota.

A little running around today, but most of the day

 is looking pretty open.  So far no rain as yet.  A good 

day to all. And may you always live in interesting times.

Do not let what you cannot do

 interfere with what you can do...

~Nadiya~

Friday July 4th~

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better...

 Yesterday we were busy. Seems like we’re always

 rushing to do something. Arvid always makes appointments 

really early in the mornings without considering that we 

just got home and need to do a few things.  But by being 

early we also finished early with the running around.

Sniff is not eating well. He ate something on the 

evening we arrived but nothing so far. Obviously I

 am stressed. He sure knows how to pull my strings.

He did remember all his favorite sleeping

 spots. He did sleep well, but not food. Arvid and 

I went to lunch at one of Arvid’s favorite places. 

He chose to go to Pinchers. I still have my selection

 and hopefully if it’s not raining or sweltering hot we 

will go there on Sunday.  Arvid likes the peel and 

eat shrimp and I like the whole fried snapper.

July 4th today. Rain in the forecast, but who

 knows how the evening will go.  Arvid asked for 

some greasy food today so I’ll be making steaks with 

Bearnaise sauce, roasted potatoes and corn on the cob. 

 Nothing fancy, but should hit the spot.  Supposedly

 great foods prepare his stomach for alcohol 😳

Looking forward to tonight and hopefully we will 

be able to go downtown if it does not rain.  And how do 

you plan on spending your July 4th weekend?

Branson Landing had it's yearly fireworks yesterday,

 July 3rd.  An absolute amazing show they put on.  Did not

 see it this year, but hopefully we will see some downtown

 Fort Myers and on the river by our condo building.

It is raining right now.  So far because of lightning 

many of the July 4th fireworks have been cancelled. 

 Safety first.  If the rain holds up our outing is sure not 

looking good, but still early to say what will happen.

To all a very safe and happy July 4th. 

Food, fireworks, and fun…what’s not to like?

We're blessed with the opportunity to stand for

 something, for liberty and fairness. And these are things 

worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to...

~Nadiya~

July 3rd~ Home Sweet Home

Home is any four walls 

that enclose the right person...

 We're home and I could  not be any 
happier.  Heat or no heat, Florida is home,

 and right now the temperature is good.  

Already did a Publix run.  Happy🌴

Home where beautiful sunsets

 and sunrises greet us everyday.

I like Branson.  We have a comfy place, 

but happy to be back in our bed and big shower.  

I'm happy to be home.  Even for a short time.

Where we love is home - home that 

our feet may leave, but not our hearts...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday July 2nd ~

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your

 schedule, but to schedule your priorities...

Florida is calling and we are listening. Today we go 

back home to Florida for a couple of weeks.  We were 

supposed to be going back to see Michelle and family, sadly

 that will not happen.  I am so disappointed as is Arvid. 

I am looking forward to going home.  Not so 

much the plane ride, but on the flight coming here,

Sniff was much calmer because of a calming

 spray I used.  Hopefully it will work again.

 

Mom is doing good.  She was discharged yesterday.  

We would have liked her to stay in a bit longer, but the 

doctor is confident that she was ready to go home🙏

Our furry friend showed up to greet us good morning

 and to enjoy some foodies, and wish us a good trip..  First 

time Daisy and Fatboy showed up together.  I love them.

The human capacity for burden 

is like bamboo, far more flexible than 

you’d ever believe at first glance...

~Nadiya~

July 1st ~ New Month

Champions keep playing until they get it right...

 July begins with our mom doing great after surgery. 

Her doctor and her medical team call her the miracle lady.

  They keep saying how they have rarely seen someone her 

age heal so fast.  I call the hospital everyday as well 

since leaving NC, and they tell me the same thing.  

Last night I was told that our mom had a "step-down"  

What this means is that she is no longer in the ICU 

ward because she's doing great.  According to her doctor 

if all goes well she will be discharged today.  We were 

hoping she would be in a tad bit longer.  Just to 

get stronger, seems as if she's already there.

I cannot stop saying how relieved and happy we are

 at her progress.  Our dad also gives us daily update.

  My dad who never wanted to text is not a great 

texter.  We love him so much.  He is the best.

The month already started great as far as our mom's

 progress.  Unfortunately though Michelle and family 

will not be able to come visit us. Arvid and I are so 

disappointed, but things happen.  Time will tell.

As the new month begins I can't wait to see how 

it unfolds.  Can't wait for our mom to be back to her 

"normal" self, but most of all it begins with thankfulness 

and gratitude that our mom is doing so very good.  Arvid is

 still shocked at how fast she is going to be discharged.

A good day to all and may July be good to us all.

Strong women don’t have ‘attitudes’, we have standards...

~Nadiya~

Monday June 30th~

Relief feels like happiness, if you 

don't know the difference...  

 Yesterday myself and my sisters all left NC

 We left with a lighter heart and a big weight taken

 off our shoulders. Our mom made it out of surgery

 with flying colors.  Her doctor/surgeon could not stop

 talking about how impressed he was with her.

He said that for a woman her age she was 

is get condition. He kept us updated throughout 

the surgery.  Surgery was scheduled to be 5-6 hours. 

 They were done with it in about 5 hours🙏

Her surgeon Dr Starr is a character.  In his mid 

30’s, taller than any basketball player I have 

ever seen, skinny as can be, but the best 

part was his size 14 cowboy boots.  

He’s known as the cowboy doctor and we will

 never stop being grateful to him and his team

 for the amazing job they did on our mom.

He talked to us after surgery for a very long time. 

He was so pleased with our mom. He even asked 

us all what part of the US we were coming from. 

 Super nice man. Excellent heart surgeon.

We saw our mom within 2-3 hours after 

surgery. We were so shocked to see her connected

 to so many tubes and a ventilator. But Dr. Starr and 

his staff had told us beforehand, plus we all knew 

what to expect because we had seen our dad

 this way as well.   Even so, it was a shock.

Dr Starr said she would have the ventilator

 anywhere from 5-7 hours depending on how she

 recuperates. Could be more. Could be less. 

Could be more. Imagine our joy when we

 were called and told the ventilator was

 taken off. She only had it on for 4 hours.

Right away we were allowed to visit her again.

 Second time after surgery.  She was still under the 

effects of the anesthesia and lots of pain meds.  In and

 out all the time, even so she spoke with us for a little.  

The relief we all felt was visible.  Especially on

 my dad.  My dad's face relaxed as soon as the 

doctor said "success"  We all breathed better.

Our mom is recovering so well. We all hope 

she continues to do so well and that soon she will

 be home.  Personally we would all like for her to 

be in the hospital for as long as possible 

so that she gets all the care she needs.

Her surgery was on Friday June 27th.

On Saturday June 28th the sat her up,

 and made her walk. Of course with 

the help of a physical therapist.

This being my dad’s birthday as well we all treated

 him to a meal of his choice.  My dad did not want

 much. He loves his chicken sandwiches so we went

 to a very nice Italian restaurant. After that it was back

 to the hospital. Seeing our mom looking so good and

 talking to all of us was the best feeling in the world.

On the day she went into the hospital for surgery 

we all went together.  No one slept that night and we

 all arrived at the hospital around 5 in the morning.  What

 a long day that was, but a good one too. We were 

at the hospital for over 12 hours, but it was

 worth it to see our mom doing so good.

Though we would have all liked to stay there 

for more days, we were still very happy for the

 time we were there and to have been able to 

see what a difference a day makes.

We all had issues with our flights.  Mala’s flight

 from Miami was cancelled. So she had an extra 

day there. Nirvanas flight coming from Puerto Rico 

was cancelled. She had to rebook through Miami. 

 I was fortunate to have not had any serious issues.

 Nina and David drove so that went well.  I really

 hate flying, but if my dad and mom should 

need me I will be on the very next flight out. 

And so will my sisters, no matter what.

After all is said and done, it’s always good to

 be home. Home where Arvid, Sniff and I love,

laugh and live.  I think they both missed me😍

Monday again, and the way my mom is healing it 

is going to be a great week.A good day to all.  For

 us a big load has been lifted off our shoulders.

Hearts don't often break even. One person is

 usually more hurt while the other is more relieved.

 Awoke from nightmare could be a relief...

~Nadiya~

Sunday June 29th~

 Almost everything will work again if you 
unplug it for a few minutes…Including you...   

Out of the "office."  Will be back tomorrow 😂It is very
 important to recharge our batteries to uplift our spirits and
 refresh our perspectives towards life. It is often said that the
 best way to recharge yourself is to unplug yourself from the 
daily duties for sometime.  It's what I plan to do today.

To all a good day and "see" you tomorrow. 

Taking a break helps you understand yourself

 better and recharges your drained battery.

Give yourself permission to unplug and regroup, 

without feeling guilty ❤ . You can’t be there for

others if you don’t take care of yourself first...

~Nadiya~

Saturday June 28th~

Life doesn't come with a manual; it comes with a mother...

 Long time ago Mala and family lived in Melbourne, Florida.  We 

always had big gatherings at her home since they had a very big 

house.  Unfortunately they left Florida and moved to Vermont.

  Later on to North Carolina.  It was nice having them close by.

My mother was my role model before I 

even knew what that word was.  She taught 

me to love, to hope, and to never give up.

Today is my dad's birthday.  He is 84

 years old today.  I love you daddy.

You've always believed in us, even 

when we didn't believe in ourselves...

~Nadiya~

Friday June 27th~

 Faith consists in believing when it is 

beyond the power of reason to believe...

The next few hours will be very stressful for us. 

My dad, Nina and David, Nirvan and myself are 

in (North Carolina) at the Cardiac Center  Our

 mom is having open heart surgery right now.

She is one of the strongest women I know 

and that is what will get her through all of this.  

At the same time we are scared out of our wits. 

My mom has never been sick. Has never been

 hospitalized.  Yes she lives with terrible pain, but

 she’s never been sick. I can't help but be scared 

right now, and yes, I am positive everything will 

be alright, even so I'm very scared.  So not me. 

Today is going to be one of the longest days

 of my/our lives.  Many many years ago dad also 

had open heart surgery.  He was much younger.  

To say we are a wreck is putting it mildly.  Yes the

 doctors know what they are doing. Yeah this is an everyday 

surgery and yes we all know everything is going to be 

alright 🙏, but when it’s your mother all bets are off. 

 No matter how much sense this all makes, until 

she’s out of surgery and in recovery I’m a wreck.

Good day to all NC is usually a place we all go to "forget"

 for awhile and to bask in being taken care of again.  Today

 that feeling is replaced by a lot of anxiety, a lot of what if,

 but most of all lots of prayers and faith that everything 

is going to be alright. That's the only way I see it.

Prayer is the voice of faith.  It can 

move mountains and change lives... 

~Nadiya~ 

Friday. June 27th~

The two most incredible people in my life – my mom

 and dad. Every day with them is a precious gift...

 Greetings from North Carolina. Myself, Nina, 

David, and Nivana are here with mom and dad. Mala 

unfortunately cannot be here because she is on a cruise

 in the Caribbean. This was planned months ago before 

we knew anything. Rima is booked with wedding cakes.  

They will come in a couple of weeks. It’s good to

 be here with mom and dad.  It’s good to be here with

 my sisters. Life is not always easy, but with family

 by your side it makes for a smoother time. 

Today is going to be a long day for us.  Mentally and 

emotionally.  You can always say you are prepared for 

whatever comes, but that's not true. The strongest woman 

I know, our mother, you better prove us right again 🙏

When I look at my mom and dad, I see 

the epitome of love, sacrifice, and devotion...

~Nadiya~