Thursday February 29th~

Leap year gives me extra time to reflect

 on how unproductive I am with extra time...

 In an ordinary year, if you were to count all the days in a 

calendar from January to December, you'd count 365 days. But

 approximately every four years, February has 29 days instead 

of 28. So, there are 366 days in the year. This is called a leap year. 

 2024 happens to be a leap year.  Happy February 29th all.

Sniff has been giving me the "look" for a few minutes.  It's time 

for his foodies and I have not given it to him as yet.  He goes to his

 mat, sits, waits and just stares at me like, "any minute now"

As for Arvid and I neither of us are feeling 100% right now,

 but getting better.  Arvid is getting over the cold and I am getting 

my voice back every day as well.  Every day is a better day.

To all a very good day.  There is always going

 to be another game and another day.  

Embrace every new day with gratitude, hope and love...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday February 28th ~

 Patience is not simply the ability to wait,

 it's how we behave while we're waiting...

 Just like that February is soon over.  Spring is soon here

 and for many living in colder temperatures this has been

 a long wait.  It has been a cold winter even for Florida.

  In just a short time, we move the clock ⏰forward.

Have patience with all things but first of all with yourself.

Looking forward to a relaxing and happy day.  Happy day to all.

Life has taught me to embrace the art of patiently waiting...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday February 27th~

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax..

 Arvid can be the most restless person when he has

 nothing to do, at the same time he definitely knows

 how to tune that restlessness out when it's time to just 

chill and relax.  Not much interferes with his relax time.

It does not take much to make him happy.  TV, remote control 

and music.  Throw in a few snacks, and he's in heaven.

Sniff's motto, "rest before you get tired."

You just have to take a deep breath, 

relax and let the game come to you...

~Nadiya~

Monday February 26th~

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong,

 and start being excited about what could go right...

 Starting the new week feeling much better.  I am still

 about 50% hoarse, but as far as I am concerned, much better 

than 100% hoarse 😂  I have some of my voice again.  Yay! 

 Can finally talk to my mom and sisters again.  It's been

 sixteen days now, to to get back to "normal"

Not much planned for the day just to take it easy and feel better.

  Knowing Arvid he won't be able to sit still for too long.

Wishing everyone a productive and happy week ahead.

We begin the new week on a chilly note, at least for Floridians it's chilly.

Yesterday was a good day for Arvid.  His favorite soccer team, 

Liverpool won the Carabao Cup.  Liverpool hopes to win a few more

 cups before the season is over.  Would sure make Arvid's day.

You have to be where you

 are to get where you need to go...

~Nadiya~

Sunday February 25th~

 Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. 
 Every sunrise begins with new eyes...

Sunset from our balcony.   Sunsets are

 proof that endings can be beautiful too.

 The sunrise is one of the most awe-inspiring moments

 of the day. As the world awakens, the sky fills with vibrant 

hues of orange, pink, and gold. It's a magical time that signals 

the start of a new day, promising endless possibilities and

 opportunities, and I am always ready to "catch" it.

When Brutus was alive, I dressed him up all the time.  

He even had a Bob Marley hat he shared with Arvid.

We did make it to the movies last night.  This was 

definitely the best part of the movies for me.

Looking forward to March.  Our next movie experience.  

Both Arvid and I love the Kung Fu Panda movies. 

A good day to all.  It's a beautiful one here in Fort Myers.

Every day is a new day, and you'll never be 

able to find happiness if you don't move on...

~Nadiya~

Saturday February 24th~

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely...

 On Friday Arvid and I went to Napes.  It was supposed to 

be a fun time, but the traffic was so bad that we were mostly 

aggravated.  We did go to Tin City in Naples and that took

 away the tension of being in traffic for so long.

Why is Naples called Tin City?  The descriptive name “Tin City” 

comes from the buildings and their tin roofs. The rustic buildings were

 used at that time as a busy center for oyster processing, clam shelling

 and boat building. They also served as home to a local fishing fleet.

Arvid and I enjoyed a relaxing lunch and Arvid even managed 

to do a little shopping (at my insistence).  Arvid is difficult

 when it comes to buying anything for himself, but I 

always somehow manage to coax him into it. 

Yesterday evening Arvid and I went to our usual Friday hangout. 

 He insisted I text my sisters and let them know we were at Hideaway. 

 They have been there with us a few times and the Sex on the Beach is 

always a hit with everyone.  Even Michael and Victoria liked it when they 

were there with us last year.  Looking forward to repeating it soon.

Sniff and I are always fortunate we get to see a the sunrise

 most days.  never the same, but always beautiful 😎

Another beautiful day awaits us.  Today hopefully Arvid and I 

will go and see the Bob Marley movie.  We figure the crowd will

 be less now.  Looking forward to it.  A good day to all.

Be you. Truly & unapologetically you.  The most

 important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all 

that matters.   Be yourself; everyone else is already taken...

~Nadiya~

Sunrises ~

It takes no more time to see the 

good side of life than to see the bad...

 There is such a thing as the perfect sunrise.  I know 

because no matter where we are I always find it.

These are from our condo in Fort Myers.  From

 the balcony and from our bedroom.  It never 

bores me, and each sunrise is always different.

Most days I miss the ones from the bedroom because Arvid

 is still asleep and the shades are down, but today I was lucky.

Taken a little earlier the same morning.  There are still 

destroyed boats from Hurricane Ian sitting in the water.

Be cheerful—the problems that worry

 us most are those that never arrive...

~Nadiya~

Thursday February 22nd~

The Internet gave us access to everything;

 but it also gave everything access to us...

 Definitely never a dull moment when you

 live in Florida, and the internet/social media is 

always there to remind us of it.  Like it or not😂

After a drive through alligator alley, the car sure

 was full of bugs of all sorts.  Also beautiful sunsets 

all the way home Today is a good day for a cleaning. 

Sniff missed us and now he is super 

affectionate.  I just love his little face and all 

of his expressions.  Makes me happy everyday.

Yesterday Arvid and I had an outing in Fort Lauderdale. 

 A little business and a lot more fun. We had lunch at Kaluz with 

Victoria and Michael.  As always a good time.  Best of all I also got

 my coconuts and picked up a few Norwegian products for Arvid.  

Overall a very good day.  Hopefully we repeat it soon again.

Looking forward to what today holds.  We go to Naples today.

 Arvid has looked into a cool place for us to have lunch.  Lately

 he has been looking at so many different things for us to do.  

He says to me, "we have to live now."  I'm loving it.

Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made 

up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. 

And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, 

the big ones don't really mean anything...

~Nadiya~

A Day Off ~ February 21st

   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.

Scene above is from happy times in Branson.  I miss my 

wildlife the most.  They brought me so much pleasure.

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~

Tuesday February 20th~

 Memories are the treasure of

 your heart, written in your mind...

Whenever we go walking I am always carrying 

bird seeds, peanuts for the squirrel and oats for the

 ducks.  I read somewhere that bread is not good

 for them because it impedes them from flying. 

 The other day there were many squirrels, 

birds and even a duck.  Made me very happy

 and at the same time made me miss my 

wildlife buddies in Branson.

As for the kitties in Puerto Rico, I got a video

 and I “saw” a few of them, MacGyver looks really good.

  Of course I missed them all like crazy. My thoughts do

 wander to them every so often.  Hard not to.

Last night I lay in bed I was thinking of Sniff and 

how I want him to be with us forever.  I thought of how

 we only had Brutus for 9 years, for a brief minute there 

I was not able to “see” Brutus’ face anymore. It put me

 in a panic and for a few minutes; sadness was my

 companion.  Life happens and there are times you

 just have to go with the flow until it passes.

I feel good today.  Sniff is healthy.  He seems to know 

I am not doing so good because he’s always by my side.  

 I love him so much I cannot imagine not having him

 in our lives.  I know that after Brutus died I worry more.

A beautiful sunny day awaits us. A cool front is 

back for the next few days, but the sun is shining.  That

 sure helps. Sunshine makes everything better

Good day to all. I have to say I am missing my

 mom very much.  I miss doing things with her 😍

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot 

be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart...

~Nadiya~

Monday February 19th~

 Today is a new day.  Even if you did it wrong
 yesterday, you can get it right today...

I am missing our Brutus so much right now. It's been over

 eight years since our Brutus died.  I grieved, I screamed, I did

 some healing and then there were days it was back to square one. 

 No matter the years that go by, nothing and no one can diminish 

the love in my heart for Brutus.  He was my baby, and 

he took a part of me that I can never get back.

Life moves forward, as it should, but some days it just

 pauses for a little and I am back in time.  I try not to

 stay there too long.  Not good for anyone.

A new week begins filled with new expectations and exciting 

things to come.  Hope you all have a great one.  Today in the 

USA we celebrate President's Day.  It's a federal holiday so

 many have it off.  Enjoy, relax and have a good one.

Yesterday it rained all day.  Was the perfect day to be in and 

just do nothing, but I chose to go to the mall.  I did get a little 

wet, but I also had a very good time just walking around

 and not having to worry about cooking for a change.

I am where I want to be and I am happy.  Wish you all the same.

It's all about the little things. Most folks are about

 as happy as they make up their minds to be... 

~Nadiya~

Sunday February 18th!

Nobody fights you like your own sister; nobody else

 knows the most vulnerable parts of you and will aim for

 them without mercy.  Sisters are the perfect best friend...

 Today Rima celebrates a big milestone in her life.

  Another birthday and this year she and her husband are

 celebrating in New Orleans.  Unlike Arvid and I they do

 just about everything possible.  Same as Nina and David.  

They sure are painting the town red.  The French Quarters 

sure never expected someone like Rima 😂

Last night Arvid and I went out to listen to music. 

 Neither of us thought the venue would be al aire libre. 

 Lets just say it was windy, chilly, and of course it rained 

towards the end.  Even so we had a good time.  

Luckily we had a blanket in the car.  I was 

wrapped in it most of the night.  For the first part of the 

evening a lady saw that I was really cold, she lent me her 

very warm sweater all the way from New England

 I was nice and toasty for the first part of the evening,

 after that I was wrapped in a warm blanket.  I don't mind the 

stares of people.  I was very warm😍and comfy.

Rainy day here.  Time to stay indoors and get cozy,

 although for some reason I am really keen on going to the mall. 

 Rain never killed anyone is how I see it 😂 Happy day all.

Sniff is already making the most of this rainy day.

You don't have to get wet to be good friends with the rain!

 Just feel the rhythm of the raindrops in your soul...

~Nadiya~