Thursday June 4th~

 Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: 

the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's 

attitude in any given set of circumstances...

A few randomness to start the day.  While driving

 my in North Carolina my sister spotted this personalized

 license plate.  I sure hope this person is never caught in the 

"wrong" neighborhood.  In Texas they go big.  They go all

 the way out to prove a point. No messing around here. 

Meanwhile in Florida 🌴We're having a good

 time in Branson, but I miss my parents, and I miss 

taking care of Legacy.  Of course in Branson, we 

are loving all the wildlife that surrounds us.

Arvid and I did a little driving around yesterday, 

checking out different neighborhoods and familiar ones

 as well.  We always drive by the the place we had our

 first home in Branson; the one we bought online without

 even seeing it.  The house looked good; but of course it

was the lot in front of the house that caught our attention. 

 All cleared up and now the lake is very visible.

Our drive took us to our favorite spot, Branson Landing. 

 The day was beautiful and we of course were going 

to make the most of it.  We enjoyed a few hours by the 

water; just enjoying the views and having a relaxed 

time.  These unplanned moments sure are special.

Downtown Branson was busy.  People and 

cars everywhere. Branson is in full season.

A few plans for today which is always good. 

 Sniff is busy bird watching, Charley is out and

 about.  She looks and waits for me to call her.

Morning is here and a beautiful one it is. 

Everything is good in our corner of the 

world right now.  A good day to all.

Don't ever save anything for a special 

occasion. Being alive is the special occasion...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday June 3rd~

                                   

 Success isn’t handed to you; it’s earned through

                                     hard work, persistence, and never giving up...                                     

Arvid and I are smiling.  Sometimes things 

do pay off and seems like one of our trades will 

most likely do so.  You know we have to have a 

little celebration.  We have celebrations just for about 

anything and everything.  Does not have to be something

 big or grand; just as long as we feel we deserve it. 

 We work hard and we also play hard.  Life.

Yesterday was a hot day, but dry. Arvid went 

for a walk; sadly I was not able to go with him.

 I hurt too much.  Hopefully one day I will be

 able to walk normally and pain free again.

On the news the other day we saw that there a 

Margaritaville coming to Branson with a brand

new $30 million vacation suites and resort project.  

It will transform the former Red Lion Inn & Suites 

on the Highway 76 Strip (1420 W. Country Blvd) 

into a tropical-themed hospitality destination.

Looking forward to this.  Hopefully it will 

happen. It was a very good day, little on the busy

 side, but like I say, "busy is good."  Some work

 combined with some fun is always a good thing.

To all a very good day.  Be happy. Not

 because everything is good, but because

 you can see the good in everything.

You never change your life until 

you step out of your comfort zone; change 

begins at the end of your comfort zone...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday June 2nd~

Happiness, not in another place but this 

place not for another hour, but this hour...

Arvid and I have had another outing to Andy's 

Frozen Custard. My favorite place for frozen custard.

 It's better than ice-cream.  Arvid also took his brother

 here, and he also like it.  Andy's Frozen Custard has

 nearly 200 locations across 15 states, with a heavy 

concentration in the Midwest and South. I wish we

 had an Andy's close to Fort Myers.  They do have

 two Florida locations. One in Tampa/St. Pete 

area, Orlando, and surrounding communities.

Once again this morning the moon was peeking out. 

 Same spot as yesterday.  Lucky me I managed to

 get a few more pictures before it disappeared. 

Life in Branson is relaxing.  I love all the wildlife

 we get to see.  Yesterday we saw the deers again

 as we were driving around.  They are so cute and

 they just look at us with those big brown eyes.

To all a very good day.  They say that 

some people wait for motivation while others 

brew it.  Happy new day all.  Ours has already

begun beautifully.  Little friends everywhere

It is not how much we have, but how

 much we enjoy, that makes happiness...

~Nadiya~

Monday June 1st- Hello June

It isn't the big pleasures that count the most, 

it's making a big deal out of the little ones...

 June sees us still in Branson.  The days are

 closer to that time to go to Norway.  I really

 miss the girls and can’t wait to see them.  Arvid 

will be going before me, and that’s ok. I love the

 girls and the family in Norway, but I just can’t 

 picture myself being there as long as Arvid.

New month and new week all in one.  This

 week hopefully we will be meeting up with one 

of our previous tenants, and go out for a good time.

  This is a very funny guy and both Arvid and I 

look forward to the outing. He’s interesting and 

he makes us laugh. Never a boring time. A 

pretty good combination I would say.

I miss Legacy and I hope she is well cared for.  

Looking forward to seeing her when we get 

back to Florida.  I hope she's doing ok.

As the week/month begins, we look forward to

 enjoying more of Branson.  Hopefully see/do something 

we have not done as yet.  Enjoy time with friends and 

of course stay busy.  Happy new month to all. It begins

 beautifully with a stunning moon and sunrise.

Arvid and I had a very good outing yesterday. 

The Texas Roadhouse in Branson, Missouri, officially

 opened for business on September 29, 2025. First 

time we are going there since it opened up.

Remember, be kind, be curious, be you.  Happy 

month of June to all of us.  May it be a good one.

A new month offers gentle 

permission to begin again...

~Nadiya~

Sunday May 31st ~

The best way to start the

 day is with a grateful heart...

Sniff and I are always up very early. We usually

 feed the wildlife before 6am. Just to make sure they

 start showing up early.  Suddenly there are tons 

of squirrels and chipmunks searching for peanuts

 and whatever else they can find. We even have 

the Canadian geese showing up to munch on 

bird seeds and peanuts. I also give them 

some grapes every once in a while.

Arvid and I had a very good time at the Eureka 

Springs Blues Festival. We heard and have seen 

artists we knew nothing about.  One lady in particular

 was excellent.  Definitely will be following her shows

 Hopefully one day she will be in Fort Myers.  Her

 name is Carolyn Wonderland.  If you ever get the 

chance to see her perform.  Don't hesitate just go.

Once again we climbed a million stairs

 just to get around.  The city is mainly made 

up of historic building, with no elevators, and

 yes we both did the same amount of stairs.

As mentioned before, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 

is a uniquely preserved Victorian resort town in the 

Ozark Mountains known for its natural healing

 springs, distinct arts scene, and incredibly steep,

 winding streets. Often called the "Little Switzerland 

of America," the entire downtown area is listed 

on the National Register of Historic Places.

We really had a great time in Eureka Springs,

 Arkansas.  Hopefully we will do it again next year.

 

We spent a quiet evening at home watching a movie
 and snuggling up with Sniff.  Relaxing and stress free. 
 We also had our "famous" snacks and a cold Pepsi.

Today our niece Resham has a birthday.  She Torin

 and their fur baby Apollo like to hit the road. They are 

travelling to San Francisco California, also checking 

out Lassen Volcanic Park and Lake Tahoe.  They love 

road trips because they get to take Apollo with them.

Wishing everyone a good day.  May we all find 

beauty in simplicity and gratitude in the little things.

It is nice finding that place

 where you can just go and relax...

~Nadiya~

Saturday May 30th~

We need to break the habit

 of overreacting because of our 

speedy assumptions and judgments....

 My Sniff is losing weight. I know I

 should be happy about this. The vet is always

 telling me he needs to lose weight, but why do

 I feel as if he has lost more than he should? 

I started to notice it back home in Florida. He 

did have a check up a with the vet.  She said he

 looked great and everything was fine with him.

Now I think I will take him back to the vet

 as soon as we get home. He does have a vet here

 in Branson, but I know they will do blood work on

 him and in Florida the vet would want to repeat the

 same.  So yeah, I will wait until we’re back home to 

do everything.  He looks great. Runs up and down the 

stairs. Eats well. Drinks water and uses the litter box 

regularly.  I also could be overreacting.  I hope so.

Am I overreacting?  Does Sniff look skinnier?

I have to remind myself that overreacting isn't 

going to solve the problem overreacting usually 

becomes the problem, and that I don't want. 

Anything that causes you to overreact or

 underreact can control you, and often does...

~Nadiya~

Friday May 29th~

Turn up the volume, close your eyes,

 and let the music take over your soul...

 Yesterday was a quiet but good day. I did have 

quite a bit going on but it was not rushed, so you 

can say it was relaxing. Arvid and I enjoyed a few

 things together made for an even better time.

Today once again Arvid and I will be heading out to 

Eureka Springs, Arkansans.  This time for a Blues Festival. 

Unfortunately it seems like we will be having a lot of 

rain all day long.  We booked the hotel last time we

 were there, never thinking that it would be raining.

We tried to get a room at the New Orleans Hotel

 in Eureka Springs, but everything was already booked, 

but we ended up with a room at on of the sister hotels. 

Arvid and I are prepared for all contingencies. 

 It is definitely going to rain, so we bought passes 

in advance to make sure we have covered  seating.

  Sure don't want to get soaked listening to music.

Once again Sniff is home alone.  The wildlife

 will definitely keep him busy and tired.  A good

 day to all.  Relax, ease back in your seats and 

let the music take you wherever it does 🎸

Music expresses that which cannot be put into

 words and that which cannot remain silent...

~Nadiya~

Thursday May 28th~

No act of kindness, no matter

 how small, is ever wasted....

 Until it officially ceased operations and liquidated 

on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines was a major American

 ultra-low-cost carrier known for its bright yellow aircraft.

 Following multiple bankruptcies and disrupted restructuring 

efforts, mounting jet fuel costs ultimately forced the airline to 

shut down. Roughly 17,000 employees lost their jobs when Spirit 

Airlines abruptly ceased operations and shut down globally.

  When we lived in Chicago Spirit was our to go airline. 

 One of the only ones at that time with a direct flight.

JetBlue stepped in and hopefully many of

 the Spirit employees will find a home there.

Arvid went for a walk and I was not able to go

 with him.  My knee is hurting really bad. I’m not

 sure if it’s because of the weather but it’s really

 painful. We’ve had damp/wet weather for the 

last week on and off.  Sniff and I are always

 entertained with our wildlife friends.

The evening was quiet. We watched some TV and

 enjoyed time together. It's Thursday and you know 

what that means, someone is not cooking today.

A good day to all.  It is another wet day here. 

Meanwhile back in Florida, the heat is picking up.

Rainy days are the perfect excuse for a lazy day...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday May 27th~

Find magic in the little things, and the big 

things you always expected will start to show up...

 Yesterday as we were having breakfast Charley

 was roaming around.  I went to the deck, called

 her and she ran towards me.  Of course I had to stop

 eating, find her some foodies and off I went.  Arvid

 of course is always saying, "you have to stop this 

nonsense."  I of course ignore him.  Happy life.

Yesterday we also facetimed with our granddaughters

 and Michelle in Norway.  As always it was a very good

 time.  Did not get to see the two big girls, but Amelia

 always makes up for it with her smiles and laughter.

  I will never cease to get emotional when I hear 

them call me grandma.  I makes my heart full.

Yesterday it rained on and off.  Seems as if the

 birds love the rain because it didn’t stop them from 

showing up.  I love seeing them. All day long. There is

 also a baby squirrel that comes to eat just about all day

 long as well. I give him extra peanuts he's very tiny.

I treated myself to a mani-pedi yesterday. I had 

a good time getting pampered.  We both did.

Sniff and I are awake very early.  Soon the

 birdies will show up and our morning will just

 get better.  Arvid still has a few hours of sleep

 to catch up with. To all a very good day.  As

 they say, "joy comes in sips, not gulps."

It's the little things in life that matter most,

 and the memories they create are the best part...

~Nadiya~