Sunday May 17th~

 In quietness the soul expands.  Memory
 is the personal journalism of the soul...

May 17 is Norway's Constitution Day.  The equivalent 

to our July 4th here in the USA.  Because of it being

 a special day we decided to give Brutus and Shadow this 

day as their official birthdays. Both Brutus and Shadow

 are dead, but there is not a day I don't think of them. 

Unless you have a pet, you will never understand what it's

 like to lose one. They take a piece of you that is forever

 gone. Our Brutus will forever remain one of the most 

beautiful times of our lives.  We only had Shadow for 

four months, but in those four months he was loved.

In Norway there is a big celebration today. For 

Norway's Constitution Day on May 17, the traditional

 dress code is the bunad, a traditional folk costume

 representing specific regions, worn by roughly 70% 

of women and 20% of men. Just see how beautiful 

our granddaughters, Michelle and Emil look.

As for Arvid, Sniff and I we had a quiet 

day yesterday. Arvid watched a soccer

 game and I did some grocery shopping.

 Yesterday my friend Anna had to say goodbye

 to her baby boy BB.  Bowe Bowe was rescued by

 Anna on the night of 7-3-2014, just like all her fur babies. 

He had the best life for 12 years.  No matter how many

 years you have with them it is never enough. On one 

of my trips to California I was fortunate to meet BB I 

think he liked me a bit.  I still remember the day Brutus 

and Shadow died. The quietness almost killed me.

Arvid and I also went for a little

outing to Big Cedar Lodge.  Another place

 we always enjoy the frozen custard and 

wildlife galore. Big Cedar

Sniff continues to be entertained by the birdies. 

To all a very good day.  Remember the things we 

take for granted someone else is praying for.

The minds replays what the heart cannot delete...

~Nadiya~

Saturday May 16th~

 We live in a wonderful world that is full 

of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no 

end to the adventures we can have if only 

we seek them with our eyes open...

Arvid and I enjoyed a very nice outing

 yesterday in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  It’s 

a quaint but very charming little town. 

The "Stairstep Town": Downtown Eureka Springs 

is built entirely into the mountainside. You won’t

 find any stoplights here; instead, the entire downtown 

area is listed on the National Register of Historic 

Places as the Eureka Springs Historic District.

Seems like there are no elevators around.  It is 

after all a very quaint town.  Arvid and I climbed 

stairs just to everywhere we went. Even the elderly had to 

climb stairs if the wanted to get to a particular restaurant. 

 Not just one set of stairs but minimum of three sets.

We enjoyed lunch accompanied with music.  

Afterwards we walked around a bit. Checked out a few

 pubs and realized there is a lot more we would like to see 

here in Eureka Springs.  The people were friendly and 

very down to earth.  We also met a few nice people.  

We checked out a few places, some very cool

 looking pubs as well.  Very small, but they reminded us

 of some of the blues bars/venues in Chicago.  Definitely

 a place we will have to check out some more.

We liked Chelsea pub and grub quite a bit.  There

 were many cool posters on the wall.  One in particular 

caught our attention.  Arvid of course made an offer 

to the owner to buy it.  No luck with that.  Knowing 

Arvid, he will try again.  Next time we go there.

The outing left us wanting for more.  Maybe another 

trip is in our future.  Just have to wait and see.

Morning is here.  Sniff is very 

occupied with his wildlife friends.

It’s not what you look at 

that matters. It’s what you see...

~Nadiya~

Friday May 15th~

I have a feeling today is going to be a great day.

Today Arvid and I will have a little road trip.  We will 

go exploring a little of Eureka Springs, Arkansans.  We

 have been there a long time ago, but today hopefully

 we will discover more of what it has to offer. 

It's just a day trip so Sniff will be home with the

 birds and other wildlife.  He will definitely not be bored.

 We are really enjoying our days here in Branson.  The

 weather has been beautiful.  Cooler on the morning

 side, then it warms up without getting hot and humid 

like it is right now back home in Florida. Perfect.

To everyone a good day. Arvid and

 I are soon off on a little road trip.

The "Little Golden Gate Bridge," is the last remaining

 bridge of its type in the state, offering a scenic, rustic, wooden

plank driving experience with a 20,000-lb weight limit. One

lane only; drivers must wait for opposing traffic to clear before 

crossing. The wooden deck often rattles, and the bridge can

 sway, providing a unique, historic travel experience. 

 Ready for an adventure?  Just drive over the bridge.

The road is calling, and we must go.

No road is long while in great company...

~Nadiya~

Thursday May 14th~

Remember to aim for progress, 

not perfection. Have a great day...

 Last night we "lost" the remote to turn off

 the TV.  Arvid would say that I did something

 to it. We spent, well mostly him and Sniff

 about fifteen minutes looking for it.  

They crawled under all the furniture, moved

 everything, but the remote still remained hidden. 

 Was a mystery to me, but when it comes to a man and

 the remote, it's no game here.  This was serious.  Another

 ten minutes, lost of cussing in Norwegian, and just like that

 Arvid found the remote.  It appears that I may have let 

it slip under the recliner.  At least that's Arvid's story. 

This whole incident was funny.  You had to be there to 

hear Arvid.  Of course I could not laugh openly because

 that made things worse.  He was breathing hard by the

 time the remote was "found" and he was mad as hell.

Yesterday the birdies started to show up.

 Slowly but surely they will be coming back. 

Sniff and I were super excited and happy. Right

 now Sniff is being entertained by them also.

The other day when I went to Almost Home, 

I chatted of course with many there, but there is

 one tenant in particular that just keeps me laughing.

 He actually makes both Arvid and I laugh with just about

 everything he says. We enjoy his company and I promised 

that he, Arvid and I will go out for cocktails one day

 soon.  We didn’t before and we had a great time,

Yesterday we walked. This time my knee

 was not as good. We walked by the marina again.

  Arvid needed to know how quiet and peaceful it felt

 there.  Again.  Also saw lots of birds and wildlife.

To all a very good day.  Remember life is full

 of surprises, so embrace them with open arms.

It’s not about when you wake up.

 It’s about who you wake up to be...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday May 13th-

Aww... My favorite part of having coffee in

 the morning is watching the birds with my cat...

 Yesterday I went to Walmart and stocked up on 

bird food and squirrel food. I also bought some kitty

 food for Charley. She does not roam around as much

 right now, so have not been able to feed her as yet. 

Glad she has become more of an indoor kitty.

Arvid washed the car. He made a deal last 

summer with the association and pays to use

 their water at the marina. Of course when he 

came back he was just telling me how peaceful

 and quiet it was there.  Arvid loves it quiet.

We didn’t go anywhere yesterday, aside 

from Walmart and washing of the car we 

spent most of the day in.  It was another very

 beautiful day. Clear blue skies and sunny. 

 Right now it feels good to be in Branson.

Mom in Florida was telling me that it is

 very hot there right now. Nina is also in Florida. 

They came for a couple of weeks. Their home

 is in Tampa. We missed them this time.

Soon Max will be returning to Florida and in

 less than 2 months he, Kelsey and their 2 fur 

babies will be heading to live in Rhode Island 

where Max will begin medical school at Brown 

University. Kelsey may stay back a bit longer in 

Florida to settle the sale of their home if needed.

Yesterday I also saw Pip, our neighbors cat who

 likes to hang out on the deck and give me stern 

looks. He is a cutie, and yes I miss Legacy.

Sniff is waiting for the birds and squirrels to come 

and eat their foodies.  So far, none has come, but they

 will.  A good day to all and make it a great one.

 Start each day with purpose and joy.

Wake up, smile, and let the world feel your light...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday May 12th~

Always be a first version of yourself and

 not a second rate version of someone else...

 The other day at the grocery store's parking lot.  

I really think this person is trying to make some 

kind of a statement. The question is what kind of

 statement.  I found it worthwhile to take a picture 

because I have not seen any car this dirty so far.

Yesterday we had a fairly busy morning, 

but after that the day got a little calmer. We 

had lunch at home; it was good to eat at home 

after eating out soMany days. For myself I made 

chicken curry with rice and a cucumber salad.

For Arvid I made salmon in a mushroom

 and pineapple sauce. Arvid loves pineapple

 in his food. He also had a salad and rice.

There was soccer and then after cleaning up I

 had a little time to just relax. Sniff is once again 

being difficult with his food. He’s not eating

 and that as you can imagine, stresses me.

After the game we went for a walk.  I was very

 surprised and extremely happy that I was able to

 walk without extreme pain.  We walked for over an

 hour, with a few stops to look around.  Always

 a thing or two that catches our attention.  

For Arvid it's the homes on the water.  For me 

it's the wildlife everywhere.  It was a good walk. 

 We saw lots of geralds (groundhogs), rabbits, 

squirrels and birds.  Made for a happy outing.

 We even saw an orange kitty roaming around.

Morning is here and we have a few things to do.

  Sniff and I are up very early.  Arvid still has a 

few hours of beauty sleep to catch up with.

On a different note, American Idol crowned their 

season 24 winner last night.  Hannah Harper is from

 Missouri. Just about two hours away from Branson.

 She's good, but was not my first choice.  My vote

 went to the runner up, Jordan.  The song that 

 made her a winner.  It started with like this:

Hannah-harper-string-cheese-lyrics

Another sunrise to be grateful for.  Bit on the cooler 

start of the day, but always blue skies and sunny.

Each day holds a surprise. But 

only if we expect it can we see, hear,

 or feel it when it comes to us."

~Nadiya~

Monday May 11th~

 Life is not about how hard a hit you
 can give.. it's about how many you can 
take, and still keep moving forward

The new week sees all of us in Branson.  We 

have had some some very good days. Yesterday 

was a bit on the gloomy side in the afternoon, but 

our day was good. I even made a new friend.

Because it was going to rain (and it did)

 at the time we usually go out for our Sunday

 outing, we chose to go to a different place.  Indoors,

 but by the lake.  I read the reviews and I saw pictures

 of the place and it looked really nice.  So we decided 

to go.  It was not exactly what we expected, but our 

food was very good and we saw the last bit of the

 Barcelona vs Real Madrid game.  It was good.

As the new week begins, I’m not exactly 

sure what our plans are. We have so much in 

the works, I just hope we can delegate some

 of it to others. We have traded for a house in 

North Dakota. Never seen this house.  Only

 from pictures. It does require some cleaning. 

 Like I told Arvid, if we  can find someone to 

do the cleaning then we won’t have to do the

 almost 16 hour drive to clean it out. I’m not 

looking forward to that drive nor to the cleaning.

 Fingers crossed we can find someone to do it.

Sniff is adjusting very well. He always 

does so good when traveling from place to 

place. Much better than our Brutus did.

Yesterday I finally saw Charlie. The grey kitty 

I fed last summer. She has a home but loves to

 roam all day long. She was on a vacation with

 Dave her human daddy and Jackson, the doggie. 

 When I saw her come out of the car I called 

her, and she ran towards me. I’m so happy.

 I have already seen my Gerald as well.  

Many birds and squirrels.  Branson is alive 

with wildlife. Sadly I have also seen many

 dead animals on the road. Makes me sad.

Last night we had a meetup at Star Bar with

 friends. Sadly there was Karaoke. Not our favorite 

venue, and it makes for a difficult time having a 

conversation.  We had yummy drinks no did a review

 on Google and brought home a coffee mug. Soon I 

will also get the Star Bar signature  mason jar.  

Yeah, small things like this get me excited.

Star Bar never disappoints as far as there cocktails

 go.  I have never had one that was not to my liking.

 Matthew the bartender can make anything.  I have 

seen many ask for things I have never heard of and

 Matthew just whips it up.  Mine are always the 

same. Not boring, but not adventurous either. 

Wishing everyone a good day.  A happy and 

productive new week.  Enjoying my cafe in 

my Star Bar coffee mug and smiling.

Be like water, my friend," to flow around 

obstacles, and stressing the importance of using what 

works, discarding the rest, and adding your own essence, 

all while focusing on inner growth, real-life

 application, and living authentically...

~Nadiya~

Sunday May 10th~

If you love life, don't waste time,

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

 Yesterday was just another very good day for us. 

For starters we are having the best weather possible. 

Blue skies, sunny jet when you’re by the water

 there is a coolness in the air. Loving it.

Arvid as always had a few soccer games to

 watch in the morning and early afternoon hours. 

 He watches a lot of soccer.  I took that at time 

to go to Almost Home and see a few friends.

 I was specifically going to see one of our

 previous tenants, she still lives there  going on to 

12 years. She’s going through a really rough time and

 I told Arvid that I would like for us to help her out. 

 So I made arrangements, met with her, and hopefully

 with our help she can breathe a little easier. Life is not 

easy for so many. Definitely not for her right now. 

While at Almost Home I also met up with 

several other tenants. Yeah they were our tenants 

as well when we ran Almost Home. It was really good

 to talk to all of them.  I laughed quite a bit with the

 stories of one of the guys.  Arvid and I had taken him 

out for drinks when we were there and I want to do it 

again soon. He makes us laugh with his stories.  

After that I came home. Arvid’s games were still

 going on.  After his game I took him out to dinner to 

the place of my choice.  We went to Capone’s Speakeasy. 

 Definitely the best steak I have ever eaten.  It just

 melts in your mouth. I have been dreaming of 

this steak since we left Branson last year.

After Capone's we went to Branson Landing. 

 The day was just too beautiful to not be outdoors. 

 Nowhere better than the Landing.  On the lake, good 

views, boats passing by and obviously great drinks. 

 Any place that carries Landshark beer is a winner

 for Arvid, but if you also have the views and ambiance

 to go with it, it's the place for us.  Such is LandShark

 Margaritaville at Branson Landing. It's our for great 

outings place.  When you know, you know. 

Whenever we are by anyplace on the water 

Arvid gets this itch to buy a place on the lake. 

 That itch goes away within a few weeks when 

practicality and reason kicks in, but for those few

 weeks, boy is he busy on his quest for that place.

  Life with Arvid, always interesting. Always busy.

Back home it was relaxed time with Sniff and a

 movie on Netflix. The day was very good.  My

first 2 days in Branson so far have been better than

 I expected.  Life is good right now.  Even though 

there are things going on under the surface (medical) 

I will take happiness right now.  It feels very good.

A good day to all, and to all a Happy Mother's Day.  

Especially to my mom and my four sisters.

To the world you are a mother, but to 

your family you are the world. A mother's 

love is the first home we ever know...

~Nadiya~