MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS: Our Felines

Showing posts with label Our Felines. Show all posts

Monday, April 1, 2019

Spoiled Fur Babies Chilling Out

On February 18 and 19, it was weather for hibernating... windy and rainy.

So what better to do than chilling out in the living room?!

Leave me alone Mom, put that stupid iPhone away!

That's what Speckie girl said on February 19...

February 18, in the evening and raining...

Husband Pieter with Barty on his lap, Spooky at his side and one little girl; Tiggy-Tiger on the top of the leather back seat.

Those Fur Babies Know all about Chilling Out!

Tuesday, February 19, our Speckie girl was too lazy to open up both eyes... Haha!

Poor babies, they have such a rough life!

Hope you all stay cozy on rainy and windy days!

Thanks for your visit and comments.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

My Visit to Castle Howard & Minster of York, England

En route to the MGA Conference in Cambridge we flew to Leeds.

Visiting our mushroom friends Paul and Pam Middlebrook.
We went to their home and had coffee with cookies on Monday morning, September 23 of 1985.
Pieter went with friend Paul to his mushroom farm and Pam did take Alice Carapiet (whom we also would meet at the two SPAWN MATE SYMPOSIUMS in Scottsdale, Arizona) and me for a ride.
During all International events we would run into our mushroom friends from all over the world!
Her husband George Carapiet was with SPAWN MATE at the time.
Both had Armenian background.

Here, friend Pam and I are in front of Castle Howard on September 23, 1985...
Wearing my tweed woolen Planet suit, the one that Pam helped select for Pieter when he was shopping for me in 1982. That was after receiving his Sinden Award, at Marks & Spencer in Harrogate.
Pam was smart to ask Pieter, which of the sales ladies at the department store, resembled my build.
So that worked out perfect!
We enjoyed lunch at Castle Howard restaurant.
Nowadays they even allow people to have their wedding there...

See more info about Castle Howard just click it.

We had spent one night at the Post House Hotel in Leeds/Bradford Bramhope, near the Leeds airport.

Here Pam showed us the impressive Minster of York, seen from the city walls and inside.
See here: Walking around the York Walls just click it.
By the way, dear friends Paul & Pam Middlebrook were so gracious for allowing Pieter's niece Judith, to stay with them for several weeks one summer.
Coming from The Netherlands, she enjoyed this country side living and horse back riding very much.

Postcard from York where you can see the Minster of York to the right, from another side.
Bottom you see some of the old medieval city walls, from where my above photo was taken.
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We did have to depart by train around 4:45 PM to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire...
These were the pre-days before our MGA Mushroom Conference in Cambridge later that week.

Still have my Planet tweed woolen suit...
Also the same Italian Piero Erbacci bag from Florence.
Not the pumps I wore in 1985...
Of course Speckie girl and Spooky boy want to be near me.

Photos are from February 16... with Spooky's tail on my left side!
I also have shortened the skirt and with the fabric left over I created four belt loops for wearing a belt with it.
A bonus when you never gain weight!
Wearing my Escada silk blouse, Escada belt and pumps.

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Sunday, December 23, 2018

LOVED singing in Händel's Messiah

MUSIC is FOOD for the SOUL

Even more so when it is being composed by Georg Friedrich Händel...
December is a busy month for ALL, but I did commit myself to sing in one more choir since it is our favorite: Händel's Messiah!

Second row from the top, 2nd from left behind lady in sleeveless dress, I'm singing my heart out as a soprano.
We sang 7 songs and in-between we had a tenor, bas, alto and soprano sing a solo.
The Orchestra played great and we only rehearsed together with the orchestra, the day before!
Twice we'd rehearsed + performed on the actual day though!
Our local TV35, did capture the entire performance: Handel Messiah at Theatre Dublin click this link.

In the above screenshot from full video, finally the drummer and trumpet players are being shown as well!
I'm just sitting down here...
Husband Pieter did enjoy both performances and felt very proud of me singing with the choir.

That was our Händel's Messiah, with Georgia Southern University Magnolia String Quartet
First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir and Orchestra

No doubt, it made my Mom smile down from heaven, hearing her 2nd daughter sing soprano, like she used to do in her choir...
My Paternal Grandmother also sang as soprano, together with her friend my Mother-in-law who was a 2nd soprano.
Of course, my Dad who still sings but no longer as a first tenor.
Just learned that Dad quit singing, due to his severe flu recently he has said his farewell to the choir...
Used this link of: Händel's Messiah since it was spelled correctly!

Encyclopedia Brittannica shows it correct: Georg Friedrich Händel with the German Umlaut, which can also be replaced by 'ae' as: Haendel.

Only 3 days earlier, Pieter snapped this photo from part of our choir the Knight Owls, performing at the annual Christmas Revue. Me, 2nd row, 2nd from left...
Since my double. closed pelvic bone fracture I no longer dare to stand on the top riser!
We do have lots of talent in this group and it feels warm and fuzzy to belong!

This is what I was wearing when performing with the Knight Owls at different events and since the Christmas Revue we also did perform at two local nursing homes.
My Escada Jacquard Knit Rose Sweater with a wide belt (from Indonesia) on Wolford leggings.
Fake fur leg warmers from Walmart that I did fold over my boots from Italy and fake fur fingerless gloves from Walmart.

Husband Pieter and I are facing our 35th Christmas, without any family nearby.
To both of us, Christmas is the pure religious meaning.

Only in 2004, we did have our foster-daughter Anita staying with us.
Fond memories!
Still wear my hair calf boots and skirt from Escada with black sweater.
Cat boy Barty on the left is still with us but not Spooky on the right who died at age 3.5 because of heart worm...

Wishing each of you a Merry Christmas!

Google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Monday, November 12, 2018

Tiggy-Tiger in her Basket + Update

About time to post something...

Well, we've had quite some weeks to live through!

Pieter had a bad bronchitis for a very long time, he's doing great again.

Got so worried...

Our tiny Tiggy-Tiger girl made me smile, we ought to learn form our felines!

She found herself a new spot to sleep in.

Pieter's Mushroom Science books are all gathered in the big box below and on top we placed an empty basket, to get it out of the way.

She LOVED it!

The above photos I took on October 26, needless to say that I was too late for capturing her sleeping...

Haha.

On November 11, when I worked in my office, scanning the old letters that Pieter had found when clearing the storage space under our front porch, I slowly went over and GOTCHA!

I'd used old fashioned wooden clothes pins to fasten the flannel square (a table topper) for her to sleep on.

She's in HEAVEN.

After some lovely 3 days north of Atlanta, for a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Day and a nice Birthday Breakfast, we came home on Sunday afternoon.

That Monday the tiles of the shower and floor got taken out.

This was on Tuesday, the wall paper got removed.

NICE MESS and you ask if we got any DUST?

ARE YOU KIDDING?!

For ONLY 2 months this special toilet sat in its box in our hallway...

WAITING to get build in!

Those are times that you just have to put your brain on zero and move ahead.

LOOK, after only 2 months the toilet finally got placed on November 7.

So happy we now at least have our upstairs toilet again.

No more trips down the stairs into the Rose Suite.

The other bathroom is functioning as a closet space for Pieter's suits, shirts, pants.

We hung broomsticks and metal rods over the tub doors and wall unit.

Looking so much forward to CHRISTMAS for having again a spic and span home!

More relaxed days ahead.

Meanwhile I did finish the mega task of scanning additional letters.

Still need to align some scans and crop them, date them and file them away.

Have been tutoring also for the months of September and October.

Busy and that is good, time is moving rapidly that way!

But I'm sure looking forward for all renovation projects coming to an END.

Waiting on the glass for shower...

Today the faucet got placed and other things hung.

Thanks for your visit and comment - visit your blogs soon!

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Speckie Girl Magnet

Oh, when you just have been away for a couple of days... Kitties can give you that LOOK!

So did Speckie-Girl after I'd come home - she remained my MAGNET! On my desk, staring at me like saying Mom you don't go away AGAIN?!

She has such perfect white whiskers and eyebrow hair!

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Related link:
{Lazy Speckie Girl} | previous post by me
{Our Spicy girl with Snake} | previous post by me before we renamed her Speckie... due to being FAT!

Google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Daycare for Kitties

Oh, those spoiled stinkers of kitties, what a life they have!

This is from April 5, all four of them lounging on their leopard blankies on top of our guest beds.

One would wish to be a pet like that!

Carefree nappy time after breakfast...

Bandido on the bottom, Barty on the other bed and Bandido's tiny sister Tiggy-Tiger at the foot end on an extra blanky!

Speckie girl claims the other soft blanky on the oak chest near the window for watching the front yard and the road.

Tiggy-Tiger loves to curl up when sleeping!

Barty boy, our most senior at the age of 14. He got white whiskers on one side...

They sure have a GOOD life!

But they are oh so loved.

Around 11:00 AM I call them all downstairs for their brushies. Combing their hair and than brushing it. Barty HATES it but he takes the bribes and lets me do some minimal combing + brushing.

Speckie loves to EAT so she lets me do a lot more.

Spunky girl, her brothers Spooky and Bandido LOVE it and so does Tiggy-Tiger.

They are all so very easy.

Don't we all love our furry family members?!

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Related link:
Would LOVE to Reincarnate as Fur Baby... | previous post by me
{Cat Dining Room} | previous post by me

Google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Thursday, July 5, 2018

HAPPY in Georgia with Feline boy Bandido

Feeling really HAPPY in Georgia and I'm a SUMMER person too.

Guess with my training inside the summer greenhouse (hot-house!) of around 120ºF or 49ºC I got very well pre-conditioned for living in Georgia and for working in the tropics!

All our Felines LOVE to frolic outside in the summer.
Either on the driveway, inside our gazebo, some spot on the patio or on the lawn.
They all find a favorite spot.
Here I'm holding our very silky boy Bandido.
He has a white cross on his chest.
His parents were Mexican, we did bring his Mamita home with us on the plane and had NO CLUE she was pregnant with 5 kittens!
All born at our home and we kept them.
We have lost since Bandido's sister Sacha but he still has 2 sisters and 1 brother.

Wearing cotton feels great, like this Outlet score a cotton top from Escada and the pants are from Apriori7, a line from Escada as well.
My cotton Hat Attack NYC Gavroche is also a favorite. Shown here earlier: {My Hat Attack NYC GAVROCHE}.