Tuesday December 23rd~

Christmas waves a magic wand over
 this world and behold, everything
 is softer and more beautiful...

Fun times during the holidays at Fort Myers Beach. 

 Picture by Christine Brickman.  It was the annual

 Pedals and Presents parade.  Everyone brings

 an unopened gift for children in need.

Fort Myers has a unique way of doing Christmas. 

 At Times Square (Fort Myers Beach) and at the Fort Myers

 International Airport instead of the traditional Christmas

 tree they have a Christmas tree with real poinsettias. 

Christmas is also a time to reflect.  These last few days my 

thoughts have been everywhere.  I have been hearing the 

same song almost every other day.  A Spanish song that 

was the theme of a telenovela when i lived in New York. 

 My husband at the time used to tease me about it. Now I

 hear it and I just can't seem to stop crying. Life happens.

We did our walk yesterday and of course Legacy 

was waiting for me.  She was resting on the towels I

 set out for her. She's actually getting a little friendlier.  I 

would love to catch her and take her to the vet.

Wishing everyone a beautiful day.  Ours 

begins with a warm breeze and lots of sunshine.  

Wherever you are, make it a time to remember.

Christmas is not as much about opening 

our presents as opening our hearts...

~Nadiya~

Monday December 22nd~

 Let us keep Christmas beautiful 
without a thought of greed...

Back home from Orlando. Glad to be home, 

but I have to say that I had a very good time. No I 

did not enjoy the almost 6 hour ceremony.  It’s 

not my thing but it’s family so I endured.  

The function is officiated by a pandit.  A pandit is an 

individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher of 

any field of knowledge in Hinduism. They  sure have the

 gift of talking, and after he was done with his 2 hours,

 another Pandit took over for another 2 hours 😭.

 Pandit #1 sat next to me and I have to say

 that after that everything was better. He is funny. 

He sure made me laugh with all his stories. 

 The evening suddenly got 100% better.

After Pandit #2 was done it was time for speeches. 

A good 3 hours😭. Every time I thought it was

 done more happened 😭.  All of that being said 

and endured, I had the best time meeting

 cousins I knew and some I didn’t.  

Family came from Suriname, Dutch Guiana,

 Guyana, The Netherlands, England and of course 

all over the US.  That part was fun and good.

 Also good was the food served after the function.

  It was all vegetarian and boy was it delicious.  It’s is

 nice to meet up with family and to get more and more

 acquainted with them.  It was a good time.  A happy 

time.  A very long function 😭, and I’m sure I will 

be doing it again should the occasion arise.  

A new week begins.  Christmas is around the 

corner and it will be a good one.  Mom and dad

 live once again in Florida, Nina and David are at their 

home in Tampa.  Danielle, Andrew and Wally are also

 on their way to Florida.  Max and Kelsey already live

 here.  We will be spending it with all of them.

 Christmas- It is tenderness for the past, courage 

for the present, hope for the future...

~Nadiya~

Sunday December 21st~

Death marks just one chapter in a bigger story...

I'm still here in Orlando with mom and dad. 

 I have to say, Orlando is not my favorite place 

to be.  Traffic always crazy, and I am not interested

 in any of the Disney stuff, but sometimes one has to 

do things we would prefer not to simply because 

of family.  Our family ties are very strong.

Yesterday we attended a Celebration of Life

for an aunt.  She died a few years ago, and Hindu

 tradition makes sure we do not forget those who died. 

 They live on in us always. I was born a Hindu, baptized

 a Lutheran, and take the best of both for my beliefs.

Hindu tradition views death as a transition, 

not an end, focusing on releasing the soul from 

the body for reincarnation until liberation.

Heading back home today.  As far as I am

 concerned, no place like home.  Sure looking 

forward to seeing my lil Sniff-Sniff soon.

Death is the number one 

killer in the world today...

~Nadiya~

Saturday December 20th~

What you leave behind is not what 

is engraved in stone monuments, but 

what is woven into the lives of others...

Another aunt of mine died, many years ago.  

Today there is another Celebration of Life for 

her.  This time I'm heading out to Orlando. 

They say that our legacy is really the lives we

 touch, the inspiration we give, altering someone's 

plan - if even for a moment, and getting them to

 think, cry, laugh, argue. More than anything, we are 

remembered for our smiles; the ones we share with

 our closest and dearest, and the ones we bestow 

on a total stranger, who needed it right then.

Make sure today and everyday you live a life 

that when you look back you can confidently say,

 "I gave it my all.  I did my best, and I had fun."

Yesterday Arvid and I went downtown for

 Music Walk.  As always we had a great time. Everything, 

everyone, is a bit more festive now at Christmas time.

There was music at all corners.  What's not to like?

We had a very good time.  Stopped on our way to

 feed Legacy, but she had so much food out.  Even so,

 I cleaned up her area.  Ants everywhere even though I

 had gone there one day and cleaned the entire area 

with bleach and water.  No she was not there.  I went 

early in the morning so it dried up right away.

To all a very good day. Orlando next for me. Wishing

 everyone a happy holiday season.  Christmas is right 

around the corner.  Make it a Merry Christmas.

Let your life be your message. 

 What we once enjoyed and deeply 

loved we can never lose...

~Nadiya~

Friday December 19th~

Mistakes are always forgivable if
 one has the courage to admit them...

Christmas in Florida, you see some pretty

 interesting things/signs.  Florida is a diverse state

 and you see a little of everything.  One does not 

have to agree or disagree.  It's just how it is.

This particular sign is everywhere on the road.

  Making sure that we stay safe, drive carefully and 

have a Merry Christmas.  Florida does it right.

Mom and dad have this really tiny tree 

they bought last year, now it's all decorated 

with lights and as you walk into their home 

you can feel Christmas.  It's a very cozy.

 Here at home we don't do much.  Just a few

 decorations is all we have, but I like them.

Yesterday after lunch Arvid surprised me with a 

little trip to the Eagle Nest.  Yes, home of M15 and 

F23 (Lady)  It was my lucky day because I saw one of

 them flying back and forth to the nest with grass. 

 I believe it was M15 because at that same moment

 one of the eaglets, E26 was in its hatching mode. 

 Last night around 7:30 PM we all welcomed E26 

to the world.  Definitely a happy day for all of us. 

 Welcome to the world lil' one.  You're so loved.

My favorite Christmas decoration/present after all is

 said and done is Sniff.  He's always my Happy Place

 and I love him more than words can ever express.

If you love life, don't waste time, 

for time is what life is made up of...

~Nadiya~

Thursday December 18th~

Remember that not getting what you want

 is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck...

We've been waking up to "cold" mornings.  Cold 

for Florida that is, but within a few hours the day sure

 warms up nicely.  Yesterday we went of our walk and 

of course on the way we stopped to feed Legacy. 

As mentioned before, Christmas in Florida 

is special.  Warm weather and lit palm trees 🌴

everywhere.  It's a very happy time of the year.

Thursday, no cooking for me today.  So happy. 

 Though I prefer home-cooked meals best, I also 

like a day without all the clean-up afterwards.

Sniff is good.  He has been puking quite often recently. 

I'm in haveway panic mode already. These last few days

 I have been thinking a lot of my Brutus and Shadow. 

 Life- so many memories.  Good and not so good.

Wishing everyone a good day.  Christmas

 is just 7 days away, so is our moms birthday.

Our lives begin to end the day we

 become silent about things that matter

~Nadiya~

Wednesday December 17th~

It was just a normal day, a day like any 

other. But most of all it was a day in which 

everything was exactly the way it should be...

 My day yesterday started out with me going to 

Trader Joe's, yes more bread for Arvid and to 

Whole Foods Market.  They have things I don't

 find in other stores.  For me it was a good 

outing, and I enjoyed it very much.

Sniff has been acting strangely.  He used to love 

being brushed.  Just the word brushing and he'd run

 into his room and wait for it.  Now he seems to not

 care at all for brushing.  He did get a little in the

 morning, but took off after just a few strokes.

Arvid washed the car.  We had lunch at home and 

in the afternoon we went for a walk.  It was a windy

 day, but beautiful.  Yesterday we went again to mom 

and dad's.  Arvid still has plenty work to do there.

A good day to all.  Christmas is just around the 

corner, and mom and dad are doing their part.

Morning is here and from the looks of it,

 we sure are going to be having a very nice day.

Today, may we make every moment count,

 and then we'll see that we have turned a 

'normal day' into a spectacular one...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday December 16th~

There are 9 more shopping days until 

Christmas. So, guys, that means 8 more

 days till we start shopping, right?...

 Christmas is right around the corner.  It's the most 

wonderful time of the year.  Here in Florida we may not

 have a white Christmas, but we sure have a beautiful 

Christmas season.  My favorite time of the year.

Everyone has their special take on Christmas.  Florida

 is no exception to that.  It's all about having a good time.

Back in Norway our three granddaughters are 

loving the Christmas season and going to lots of fun

 parties at school and with friends.  It's a jolly time.

To all a very good day.  May you 

find joy everyday.  My joy is my Sniff.

Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us

 to think of others rather than of ourselves.

 It directs our thoughts to giving...

~Nadiya~

Monday December 15th~

I may not be there yet, but 

I am closer than I was yesterday...

The new week begins, and I have to tell you this

 past week sure as not a good one for our families.  

Tragedy does not distinguish.  It hits us all the same. 

 Our family in Norway is having a rough time, 

and our family here in the USA as well.

Positive thought for the day.  We always

 tend to see faults in others, rarely do we look 

close enough to see our own.  How about 

we give ourselves a closer look?

We have to all remember that if we think

 positive then positive things are more likely

 to happen.  Why not start right now?

Have a great day and may the rest of the week

 be even better.  Sniff is loving his Florida home, 

and we are happy about that. We are also loving

 it right now as well.  Perfect weather everyday. 

 We enjoy watching Sniff chase around 

everything and love the way he constantly "talks" 

to us.  A new day with new opportunities begins

 for all of us.  Let us make the most of it.

We all enjoyed a good day yesterday with my parents. 

 As always our time together we relaxing and lots of laughs

 going around.  Easy going, just the way we like it.

To all a very good week.  For all our

 sakes, may this be a better one than the last.  

Another beautiful sunset yesterday🌞

A bad attitude is like a flat tire.
You can't go anywhere until you change it...

~Nadiya~