It's Called Life....

Ignore the negative voice inside you. Focus on your strengths.

You see, the what ifs are as boundless as the stars....

I saw this the other day on Facebook and thought I'd share.  How would you answer this question.

I sat there reminiscing, wondering who I would want to talk to. Then I thought of my dad

 who lot his dad when he was only 11 years old.  I'm sure my dad would give anything

 to be able to have a little time on this bench with his dad.

Me I know who I know who I would like to talk to.  Many questions I have that were 

left unanswered.  Yes I would like some answers, but unfortunately I will never

 have them.  All I can do is make up the answers that I want and keep guessing.

We all have the opportunity to make the most of what we have of who we have in our lives. 

 Don't wait until it's too late , for living with regrets is something that will forever eat

 at you.  Fortunately, I don't live with regrets.  I loved and lost but I never 

not let the person know how much I care.

Everyday with Arvid is a gift.  A gift I am very fortunate to have.  My parents, my sisters,

 nieces, nephews and all the ones I love know it.  I am not one to hesitate in showing 

my affection and love.  I hope this never changes because I have so much to be 

grateful for and I never want to forget it.  Life is too short for that.

My heart and my thought are far away these days.  They are with my sister and family.

What she is going through is something I would never wish on anyone. Waiting and 

waiting for news, for a glimmer that everything is going to be all right.

My sister is hurting and for that I am hurting like crazy as well.

To all a good day.  Hopefully you can sit on that bench with that person

without having to wait until it's too late.  Now is always the time.

Leaving you with a little ocean sounds from our trip yesterday.

You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it...

~Nadiya~

Rough Times...

Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs.

 It's a journey of discovery - there are moments on mountaintops 

and moments in deep valleys of despair...

Our family is going through a rough patch right now.  As it is with families, tragedies tend to 

bring us even closer.  When one member of our family is hurting it affects us all. We all 

want to do so much.  I want to take the pain away and make it right again as do my

 parents and the rest of the family.  Unfortunately, the only thing we

 can do is to be there for each other and wait.

Yesterday was not a good day.  In 5 different Sates and in the Island of Puerto Rico we were

all going through the same anxiety.  On of my sisters husband was in a terrible car 

accident and we are all suffering for her.  Breaks our hearts that she is hurting.

Tragedy does not discriminate.  I ask myself always why?  why? when one has

only been kind, one has only done good and has never caused hurt, or pain

to another soul, why should that person have to hurt?  Life happens.

Another long day awaits us.  Being so far apart it is not easy in times like this.

All I can think is, if this is a long day for us, what is it like for my sister and kids?

If I could take away all the hurt and pain they are going through right now, I would.

Life is not easy.  Never said it was, but every so often you would think a person would catch a 

break and a little ray of sunlight would peek out and come their way.  Right now my sister

 needs a little ray of sunshine in her life.  Too much sadness right now.  She's hurting and 

no one can do anything.  All we can do is pray my brother-in-law gets through this.

I spoke to my nephew today and I will never forget what he said.  He said, "auntie 

Nady right now I am very scared."  He's just a little boy and his words tore my world apart.

For now we wait again to hear more news.  Waiting is the hardest thing.

Once again my brother in law had to be rushed into surgery.

Good morning everyone.  Hoping your day is better than ours.

No matter what life goes on, the sun is shining and we must carry on.

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans....

~Nadiya~

9 Signs Your Cat Loves You...

In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.
Happy is the home with at least one cat...

Woke up one morning and Arvid says to me, 

"you want to know the signs of if a cat loves you?"

Yes! he's been reading online news again.  Something he has been doing

every so often and which he seems to find at times amusing or in this case very 

enjoyable.  Of course when and if he reads something; he needs to share it with me.

1. Lightly touching her forehead against you 
Called head bunting, this feline act of affection is delivered only to the A-listers 

in a cat's life.  Your cat will face you, lower her head and lean forward so that the 
top of her head touches your forehead, face or other body part. This loving touch 
can often  release feel-good hormones called endorphins in your cat and you.

2. Cheek rubbing you
Think of your cat as a feline graffiti artist. To make her turf really feel like
 home, she will rub her cheeks against the corners of furniture and, possibly,
 your legs or hands when you pet her. This act secretes oils from her facial glands.
 It's her way of claiming you as her own. Just be grateful that 
she  does so by cheek rubbing, not spraying. 

3. Twitching the tip of her tail

The feline tail acts like a mood barometer. The tail puffs out when your cat is 
frightened or agitated. Conversely, your cat expresses love to you when she 
approaches you with her tail hoisted lazily up in the air and the very 
tip twitches.   In cat speak, she is saying, "You rock my world!"

4. Holding eye contact and sharing a soft blink
Don't expect a cat to maintain a steady eye-to-eye stare with a new house guest.
 Cats save eye contact for people they know and trust, like you. The bond is
 accented when she blinks softly at you. This is the equivalent of a kitty kiss
 Respond by softly blinking back. 

5. Turning on the purr power

This steady, rhythmic sound emitted when your cat inhales and exhales is often 
associated with contentment. But cats also purr when they need to self-calm 
or while nursing a litter; however, your cat saves the special full-bodied
 rumble as a smile directed to you. It is her way of saying, "I love you."

6. Sitting on you or beside you
Cats crave warm places to nap and sleep, but when they bypass a comfy cat
 bed or your bedroom pillow to perch on your lap, you should feel honored.
 Your cat has sized up her options and is conveying that she prefers 
being with you rather than being by herself in her cat bed. 

7. Kneading his paws on your lap

If you need a sign it is time to trim your cat's nails, nothing is clearer 
than when  he perches on your lap, purrs and starts kneading your thighs with
 her front paws. But this is also a sign of affection. Experts say that this action
 beckons your adult cat back to a safe, welcoming memory when she was
 nuzzling his mother for milk as a newborn kitten. 
He is being affectionate and a bit nostalgic.

8. Licking your hair and earlobes
OK, neither of these actions may rate on your top 10 list of affection preferences, 
but your cat is regarding you as another cat - albeit a big one - in her inner circle.
 Only special "cats" are deemed worthy of these special grooming sessions.
 In a multicat household, mutual grooming is a sign of trust and friendship.
 Pay attention to which cats, if any, in your home team up for mutual grooming. 
You may be the only one meriting such a gift! 

9. Bringing you dead mice, birds and other so-called gifts

Evolution and domestication have not stripped your cat of her inner hunter.
 After a successful hunt, she may deposit a mouse head or lizard tail in
 a place she knows you will visit - like your pillow. Yuck?
 Yes, but your cat is sharing her prey prize with you,
 a true sign of trusted friendship.

Brutus is a perfectionist at each and every one of theses.  Being an 
indoor cat, he does not have access to live mice, but that does not stop
him from bring us his toy ones and in his case he has a special string that makes
noise.  No matter where we hide it, he finds it and brings it to us.  His favorite is to 
drag it all over the apartment at nights when we are sleeping, taking it to it's final resting spot
right beside Arvid.  Arvid has gotten clever to this and has started to "hide" the string at nights.

Unfortunately for Arvid, Brutus always finds the string.  Every night by midnight,
the string makes its way to the floor mat right next to Arvid.  He no longer
hides it from Brutus.  Now everyone is happy with the "game"

Wishing you all a pleasant day and leaving you with the reminder,
kindness know no boundaries, and it's never to late to practice random acts of kindness.

The ultimate sign that YOU LOVE your cat:

Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose.
People like cats because they are such quiet, lovable,
 wise creatures, and cats like people for the same reasons, win-win...

~Nadiya~

More Jekyll Island...

Whatever you decide to do make sure it makes you happy...

Yesterday I had the entire day to explore all by myself.  Jekyll Island is not big so there

is no way one can actually get lost.  That worked out great for me because no matter 

what I always ended up at the hotel.  I had a great day  exploring the island.

While Arvid traded, I had the day to do whatever I liked.  The beach is nothing like the

 beaches in Florida.  The water was not blue, but in its own way it was beautiful. 

 I walked the beach, I talked to everyone I met and I took tons of pictures.

Jekyll Island is very beautiful, but it is not exactly our style.  The rich and famous must 

see in this Island a peaceful getaway from their busy lifestyles.  For me it is very 

quiet and not too much to do.  Many historical buildings and historical trees.

We get back home tonight to Brutus.  Always the best part of any trip is going home. 

 Home where Brutus is.  We love to travel, but nothing beats being in the comfort of our

 own home.  Our own bed and with Brutus.  For now I will explore a little more of Jekyll

 Island  while Arvid continues trading.  I never know what we will end up with 

Be happy not because everything is good, 
but because you can see the good in everything...

~Nadiya~

Jekyll Island...

The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams...

Always exciting when we can combine work with a little leisure time.  Arvid works

and I get to enjoy the sights of a new place.  Could not be better.

All day long Arvid is in a trading meeting.  In the evenings I join him and together we

see what else we can trade.  My favorite time is the evenings when I get to do some

 trading myself.  I have trade before for vanilla scented candles, jewelry from

 Peru and a few other miscellaneous items.  The fun is in the haggling.

Today I get to see a little of Jekyll Island.  Jekyll is a barrier island sitting just off the coast

 of southern Georgia about 40 miles (64km) north of the Florida border and about 90 miles

 south of Savannah. It is famous for being one of the Golden Isles of Georgia, 

historically inhabited or frequented by America’s most élite families, 

including the Rockefellers, Morgans, and Vanderbilts.

More than just turtle eggs have hatched on this historic island. More than 100 years ago the 

biggest banking magnates in America (comprising 25% of the world’s wealth) came to 

the unspoiled soft sand beaches of Jekyll Island where they gave birth to The Federal Reserve.

With whatever we do, I feel as if our life is an adventure, and ii am just happy to 

discover where it leads and what new excitement awaits us, being on the road, or at home.

It is just a way of life for us.  We live it, we experience it and we savor every moment like our last.

Good morning everyone, remember, remember life is either a great adventure or nothing.

There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. 

There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open...

~Nadiya~

Road Trip...

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone...

I have mentioned it many times and I will say it again.  Nothing makes us happier than 

a road trip and when that road trip is a combination of work and fun, 

then you know that we are in for a treat.

Our road trip takes us to Jekyll Island, Georgia.  have never been there before

so I am really looking forward to seeing someplace new.  One of the great advantages

of living in these United States of America is that there is so much to see and 

so much to do, and all of it is just withing driving distance. 

My goal is to see every State in the United States and little by little we are getting there.

To all of you, if you have the opportunity to see someplace different, someplace new,do 

it for you never know what the future holds.  Like I have always said nothing is guaranteed.

I want my live to be an unending adventure.  Destination does not matter.

What matters is that whatever I do I want to enjoy it and live it to the fullest.  Always.

The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have,
instead of what you don't have...

~Nadiya~

Warmer Saturday...

In the morning, celebrate the beauty and warmth of sun light,

in the evening, celebrate the song of silence and love of night...

Warmer weather is finally headed this way!  Now we can actually say we live in the 

Sunshine State again.  Everyone is very happy especially the tourists who have come here

 from cold places to soak up some warm weather.  Once again it's time for shorts and summer tops.

Arvid who lives in his shorts is once again happy.  The last few days he has been bundled

 up in way too many clothes.  Says it's NOT his style.  He is a Floridian after all.

Saturday, taking it nice and easy and spending the day in the best place, home with Brutus.

  Brutus is always so happy when we are close to him he feels secure and protected.

Some Soccer for the boys.  Yes, Brutus loves sitting next to his dada when the games are on.

Today is Pizza day so I don't have to cook!  Happy about that.  Making every Saturday pizza day.

Looks like a good day is heading our way.  Yay!!!!

Happy Saturday to all of you.  Stay warm and bundle up.

Sending you a little box of Sunshine to brighten

your day as you always brighten mine....

~Nadiya~

Very Cold Cold Day Again...

I'm shivering like a mobster in tax office...

Cold weather sure brings out the cook in Arvid and when it comes to making hot chocolates 

the man is a gourmet chef!  He takes pleasure and pride in the making of his hot chocolate.

I said to him, "you have to thank your mama for teaching you a few tricks." 

 His response,"Nope, I am better in making hot chocolate than her.  Mine is the best. 

 I don't use salt and I add vanilla sugar"  That he said was his secret ingredient.   

Guess not so secret anymore.  Also when Arvid makes his famous 

hot chocolate we have enough for two days!  So good!

Even though it was really cold yesterday and we did not wish to get out of the apartment,

we still did and it was very nice to feel the COLD air on my face, but now I 

really wish it will get back warm again.  Go away already winter!

To warm us up on this very COLD Friday, we will treat ourselves to lunch at Flanigan's.

For Arvid it is the Baby Back Ribs, garlic rolls and a pitcher of Heineken. For me always 

chicken wings and today will have the nachos to start with.  Too big for just me, but since

 we will be having the company of Victoria and Micheal, I think between the 3 of 

us we will handle it.  Arvid of course will not even try it.  His loss for sure.

Happy Friday everyone.  May this be the start of a good weekend.

Hopefully for all of us it warms up a little more.  I need to feel warmth on my face again. 

It is so cold right now we have the heat turned on.  

For Fort Lauderdale, that is very unusual.

Dear Mother Nature, get back on your meds.  Pop open a bottle of wine,

and start thinking warm happy thoughts...

~Nadiya~

A Cold Day In The Sunshine State....

I'm from Miami, I love it when we're out in the heat. When it's cold,

 I'm like, 'I'm never acting again,' because it's too freezing....

The weather is kinda getting me down a little.  Granted it is 100x better than where the rest of
my family is, even so for Florida standards it has been too many cold days this year so far.
So, I asked myself, "what would make me feel better?"  Of course the answer was a
 trip to the mall to my favorite store Michael Kors.  When I feel blue
 I feel the need to check out the new collection of handbags.

The thought of going to the mall is already making me feel better.  Already time to
think about some spring colors and definitely yellow is one of my favorites.

For us these cold days are really taking it's toll.  Just the other day Arvid said, "boy I
 can't wait for summer to come again and to be warm."  That tells you that it must
 be cold.  Arvid after all is a Viking, or at least he likes to say he is.

Not much going out today.  Just a few chores out, but hopefully most of the day we
will be spending it inside.  Brutus for sure will be all bundled up.  Arvid will definitely
be wearing all his "winter" gear and I'm sure to wear my fuzzy socks and keep my feet warm.

While many states are facing terrible snow storms, we are still very lucky.
It may be cold, actually much colder than we want it to be here in Florida, but it won't
last.  A few more days of this and it will go away.  Back to warm weather soon again.
Yes, we are still very fortunate.  We live in a place where winter just comes a few days a year.

Good morning everyone.  Hope your day and ours also warms up a little more.
As someone describing this cold weather:  It's so cold outside;
I just saw a teenage boy with his pants pulled up!

So when you're cold from the inside out
And don't know what to do,Remember love and friendship, 
And warmth will come to you...

~Nadiya~

It's Called Life...

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have...

I try always to have positive thoughts and to not dwell on the negative.  Most of the times 

it works.  After all life is so much more pleasant and enjoyable when we face it with the 

right attitude and with a positive outlook.  Yesterday this was not working so good 

for me.  I was and still and very sad about the death of my sisters friend.  To add 

to that I also have a few friends who are currently experiencing loss of

 a loved one.  All of this combined made for a not very good day.

Try as I tried to put this out of my mind I could not.  That is I can't seem to turn a "blind"

 eye to the tragedy that is unfolding so close to my sister.  It think of a little girl who 

today is now 18 years old.  I remember her as a little girl. Only met her a few 

times while visiting my sister.  She called me auntie Nad.  

Just remembering that is tearing my heart to pieces.

Yes theses things happen everyday. The thing is I know the people affected and that is

 what is breaking my heart. The world is full of tragedy.  People dying everywhere,

 but I don't know them.I am terribly sad right now.  More than I can understand. 

 In my mind I see a little girl with no dad anymore.  I see changes that 

one did not plan for.  I see a lot of pain and in all of it I also 

see the start of friendships renewing.

Many years ago someone told me that time does not take away the pain.  What time does

 is that it makes it more bearable.  There is no way one would believe this when the 

loss of a loved one has just taken place.  I never believed it, but trust me time

 does wonders.  Time heals the heartache a little at a time.  Today my worst

 enemy are my memories.  Time does not take those away.  That is good 

and sometimes not so good, but it is what it is.  It's called LIFE!!

On a better note, today is my baby sister's birthday.  All grown up now with three 

adorable kids of her own, two beautiful doggies and a one of a kind husband.  She has 

everything one could want in life.  I love her from the day she was born and nothing nor

 anyone will ever change that.  The bond between sisters just keeps getting stronger every day.

To all a very good day.  Here in fort Lauderdale it is going to be VERY cold the next 

two days, I can only imagine how cold it is right now in the rest of the Nation.

Life seems sometimes like nothing more than a series of losses, from beginning to end. 

That's the given. How you respond to those losses, what you make of what's left,

 that's the part you have to make up as you go...

~Nadiya~

Boats & Manatees....

I have learnt that it is the sweet simple things in 
life which are after all the real ones.  Life moves pretty fast.  
If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it....

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, February is the month we see the most Manatees.  

Just these past few days we have spotted over 50 of them.  Most are far away so 

not quite able to get a good picture, but just yesterday there was close to 

10 of them swimming away and luckily we were standing right on our 

balcony and  was able to get a few pictures of them. 

 Still not the clearest as can be, but nonetheless pretty amazing sight as far as I am concerned.

  I feel very lucky that we can see these amazing creatures so frequently.  Happy!

I don't often forget how fortunate I am in life, but every so often I may take it for granted.

Nothing in life is guaranteed and from personal experience I will tell you all enjoy

 everyday to its fullest.  Live it with passion and with zest because you never

know when in a blink of the eye it is gone.   Nothing is guaranteed!

Yesterday my sister called me.  Not the kind of call you want.  Se told me that so and so was
dead.  Not family of ours, but I knew this person.  I know the kids and I know the wife. My
sister of course knows them really well.  I only happened to meet them while visiting her 

many years ago.  Why it affected me the way it did I can't explain. 

 All I know is that after talking to my sister I was crying.  I was crying for the loss that that
family is now going through and  I think part of me was crying for another loss.  Arvid
said to me, "you did not even really know this person and I think you are taking
it worse than anyone."  It has affected me more than I can understand.

Making the day even more special, we spotted a man in a canoe and an iguana in the
 water at the same time.  The guy was taking a picture of the Iguana and I was
 taking a picture of both of them.  Pretty interesting what one sees everyday.

The parade of boats is amazing and I can't seem to stop taking pictures.
Life is good and I am enjoying it and appreciating it everyday.
I am thankful for the simple pleasures in life.

To all have a good day.  Make it count and my wish for you
 is that you may always live in interesting times.  Today and always.
If today is your birthday, have a great one as well.

The truth is you never know what is going to happen tomorrow.
Life is a crazy ride and nothing is guaranteed....

~Nadiya~

New Week...Again

Today expect something good to happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday. 

Realize the past no longer holds you captive. It can only continue to hurt you

 if you hold on to it. Let the past go. A simply abundant world awaits...

Brutus has been having days off from his pill.  So far counting today it will be 3 days 

without pills.  He is happy and we are happy cause he's eating again without much fear.  I also

 took a day off from blogging.  Sunday after all is our day to relax and to take it easy.

Saturday night Arvid went to the Fort Lauderdale Blues festival with a friend.  Seeing that it

 was so very cold I had decided to not go and so happy about that.  He and the friend froze. 

 I on the other hand had company over.  My sister Nina and her husband David came 

over for a visit.   Their visits are usually short and sweet.  Not more than two hours. 

 Would not have minded a little longer visit, but on the other hand I don't like prolonged 

visits either.  Once Arvid had some friends over when just would not leave.  It was already 

very late.  I got upset and kicked them out.  Maybe not my best moment, but on 

the other hand no one should overstay their visit. 

 Arvid and I laughed about it today.

While Arvid was out freezing to death at the Blues Festival I went to the movies after my

 sister and husband left.  The movie was 50 Shades of Grey.  I read the books.  Can't say

 I was extremely crazy about them but still was curious as to what the fuss was all 

about.  I went to see the movie and I was terribly bored.  The best thing to me 

was Dakota Johnson.  Yes, daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson.  

 We're it not for her it would have been a total waste of my time.

Going there on my own and on Valentine's Day drew a little attention especially because

 of the type of movie I was going to see.  Could care less.  I had something to eat which

 was pretty good and I had something called Forbidden Fruit to drink.  Have to say 

the movie may have not been great, but everything else was very good.

Yesterday Arvid was a bit hungover from the night before so we had a late start.  After a 

couple of hours he was up to speed again as he likes to say.   Though a very cold 

start of the day...in the 40's, it warmed up.  Good dinner at one of our 

favorite restaurants and the day was complete.

Back home we watched movies, some Hockey and cuddled up next to Brutus who stole

 first Arvid's seat and then mine, but he was happy so that made us happy as well.  

Monday morning, for a change it is not as hectic as most Monday's are.

  Who knows maybe today we will have a "relaxing" Monday for a change. 

 Temperature is warming up.  Brutus still has the day off from his pill so all good here at home.

Beautiful day here already.  For those battling the cold weather all I can say is bundle up.

You guys are much braver than we are here.  In the 70's already and getting better.
Remember, visits always give pleasure..if not the arrival then the departure.
Happy Monday to all of you!  Make it an amazing one.

Hello Monday.

When was the last time you woke up and realized that today 
could be the best day of your life...

~Nadiya~

Happy Valentines Day....

I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you...

Wising everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day. As children we made cards and passed around
 to our classmates. It was special. When my sisters and I were just little girls my parents 
would always give us a little card and sometimes a tiny present for Valentine's Day.  

What I'm getting at is that you don't have to be in a relationship to enjoy the day.  It's not about 
the presents, but about sharing with that someone special in your life.  Don't get me wrong
 if you can get that someone special to shower you with presents why not?? 

Yesterday morning we got a call from my sister.  She said she and her husband were
 in Florida for the weekend.  David, her husband had just surprised her with a
trip to the Sunshine State for valentines day.  Romantic or what?

 Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart. 
Love is knowing that the one you cherish, cherishes you just as much and will 
do whatever it takes to make you happy and vice-versa...

Remember, let us always meet each other with smile, 
for the smile is the beginning of love.

To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.
Love is what you've been through with somebody...

~Nadiya~