{Mom Did Wear Many Hats}

Indeed, during her lifetime, Mom did wear many hats.

She was above all a loving Mom, a devoted and submissive wife, a cook, a seamstress, a great housekeeper, and a very hard working partner working in the greenhouses and on the fields; harvesting vegetables and fruits.

The list could go on and on...

For readers from foreign countries who are maybe not familiar with the English saying of 'Wearing many hats', it means a person has different roles or tasks to perform.

Just because Mom made MANY sacrifices during her life time, being a Mom to a large family of 8, of which 7 survived, she NEVER could go on vacation.

So it was a joy for offering her four times this luxury for being able to fly off, across the Atlantic Ocean from The Netherlands to Georgia, USA.

Dad did come a total of six times and Pieter and I did pay for six of their ten roundtrip plane tickets. 

Mom & Dad have been escorted on March 20, 1996 by a dear friend of us who also was flying back from the Netherlands to Atlanta, Georgia!

The very first time, in April of 1987, they flew over together with both of us.

This photo was taken two days after she arrived in 1996.

Mom did not have to cook, clean, launder or do anything.

That is visible in her face; feeling very happy and pampered.

Mom was taken by the lady that gathered outfits for her, and who also did her hair and put lipstick on.

Meanwhile the clever photographer asked me to jot down some basic words in Dutch, for him to use - like 'chin up' - smile etc.

Mom LOVED it that he spoke her language and was so happy about the 'ease' of working with this clever guy. It is quite noticeable in these photos.

She even looks a bit mischievous in my opinion...

Both trips I took alone with Mom, just Mother & Daughter, for having those Glamour shots made and one week later, on April 4, to pick up the one photo that we selected on a computer screen, with several smal ones.
The above photos are taken from small sizes.
When we got home with our photos, Dad was very amazed and had to look at them, over and over...

In my leather bound journal I wrote on Tuesday, April 16 of 1996 that in the evening our friends arrived for coffee with dessert as a farewell to Mom & Dad.
The hit of the evening was my Mom with her Glamour shots!
They found she looked like a movie star and Uncle Bo found Mom now very worth while instead of another 'Mariet'...
Everyone found she also looked younger now than in 1987.
Dad got very quiet... he always had been used to being the center of attention, especially when he sang a solo as a first tenor.
It was great that Mom for once was the center of attention!

Next day we had one last breakfast together and drove to Atlanta to check in World Business class on our courtesy card with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
They were even that courteous for letting all four of us into the shared Lufthansa lounge.
Than came a very emotional goodbye, especially Mom was tearful.
The day before she mentioned that those photos were the most beautiful gift she'd ever received...
I did listen to her video tape where she did mention it at the end of that evening with our friends.
She was so very happy.
Fond memories around Mother's Day!

Yes, I too had one photo taken during that session with Mom...
 ~
Mom used to wear always a hat to Church when I was a girl, there still was a real millinery in my home town where I loved to peak inside the window.
Maybe that's where my fondness of hats originated from.
At least these pictures do remind me of my Mom when I was a girl.
Hope you enjoyed them too.
Wishing all those that still are fortunate to have their Mom around, a very Happy Mother's Day and also to those that are a Mom themselves.
For each of us it is a day filled with memories, that live inside our hearts forever.
I have been blessed with a sweet Mom and today when I watched the video, I've laughed a lot; so many fun things with lots of humor too.

Here this photo was taken by my Dad as I mostly video taped things.
Mom is waving goodbye, from the Chattanooga Choo Choo, a train in Tennessee from 1880.
So many farewells, for the 4 times that Mom came to the US and for the 64 times that we came to The Netherlands...

This is just 6 months after Mom & Dad went home and we went to Church in the morning, made this photo and then left for the airport on our 42nd trip to The Netherlands.
Me, looking happy for getting to see my Mom again!

Until it was that one final time...

They are not gone who live in the hearts of those they leave behind.

- Native American Saying

{Mom Lived 16 Days Short of Her 91st Birthday} showing Mom's writing in our guest book

Mom got called MOVIE STAR for once she was the CENTER of ATTENTION! | later post by me with video...