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Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Lovely Birthday Dinner at Ristorante da Maria

Yep, another Birthday has passed by - way too rapidly but I've started another year once more.
It was such a lovely day with sunshine, warm weather and lots of LOVE.
Happy me at Ristorante da Maria, enjoying a romantic birthday dinner...
Wearing my silk Escada blouse with roses and woolen Escada cardigan with roses.
Husband Pieter enjoying his dinner... Lady Chef Maria is the BEST and her 5-course dinners are always special.
Apart from celebrating a blissful relationship!
This is me on my Birthday and yes, the Japanese Magnolias were opening up fast!
My Pieter against the picket fence as the best view was from the neighbor's garden as there's the sun early morning!
That is today, February 12, on Mom's 5th Birthday in Heaven...
Magnolia petals are falling off.
Lovely birthday weather! It was 24ºC or 75ºF and next day 27ºC or 80ºF and that's when we biked together in shorts for the first time.
With all the phone calls, video calls etc. etc. I had my breakfast kind of late... but happy with sunshine and with Pieter's red roses in a vase and some fresh camellias from our garden.
With a few supplements, I've made it so far... Eating healthy and drinking only coffee at breakfast time, with cocoa added. A mug of unsweetened soy milk from Trader Joe's, half an avocado, half a banana and a mandarin. Multi grain bread from Costco with cheese and crunchy almond butter without salt.
A lovely bouquet from a lady from our R.C. Church...
Wish I could pass on the fragrance of those lilies!
Lily buds have fully opened, but one at the top left. Pure PERFUME...

Hope you are also enjoying some sunshine in your life.

Sending you the very best for your area to enjoy!

49 comments:

  1. Liebe Mariette,
    ich freue mich wieder über deinen schönen Post.
    Alles Liebe
    Elisabeth

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    1. Liebe Elisabeth,
      Danke sehr und liebe Grüße deiner Richtung!
      Mariette

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  2. Dear Mariette - a belated Happy Birthday to you - so pleased that you had such a lovely day and also a delicious meal out with Pieter. Your Magnolia tree and bouquet of flowers are both lovely.

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    1. Dearest Rosemary,
      Thank you and yes, we had several wonderful days, extending my Birthday.
      The lilies are now fully open and we indulge in their perfume.
      This time of the year when the Magnolias are fully open, it shows that nature is making progress towards spring. Soon they will bare their leaves when all petals have fallen off.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      PS just last night when I was updating my files for creating another post about the UK, I found a letter that should have been used (part of it) in my previous post: Husband Pieter's Fond Relationship with Mushroom Growers in the U.K.
      No doubt you have been to Tewkesbury Park, that's where Pieter and I gave our seminars for English growers in 1994.

      Delete
  3. Hello Mariette, Happy Birthday, and I am glad to see you and Pieter are enjoying it with such elegance and style! As usual, your yard is a dream with all those flowers--you really have a green thumb!

    Many Happy Returns,
    --Jim

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    1. Dearest Jim,
      Thank you and yes, we enjoyed a lovely couple of days and especially this dinner!
      At breakfast, in the sunshine and looking out the bay window from the kitchen, the sight of such flowers is a dream.
      Green thumbs is nice but we have often so much against us. The two magnolia trees will look far better in five years. We did cut out huge branches of the tall oak trees nearby so they can fill in gradually where once no light came for them. Soil here in Georgia is poor, no water holding capacity at all.
      We're both beyond fighting it any longer so we enjoy what 'IS'.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  4. Belas fotografias e gostei de ver os meus amigos, aquele arranjo floral está maravilhoso, aproveito para desejar a continuação de uma boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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    1. Caro Francisco Manuel,
      Obrigado e você deve ser capaz de ver os lírios abertos agora e entrar em sua fragrância...
      Abraços,
      Mariette

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  5. Dearest Mariette, Happy Belated! It looks like your had a great day, with sun and warm yet!
    I always enjoy seeing pictures of your mother, a very lovely lady indeed. You share her smile.
    Have a wonderful year xoxo

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    1. Dearest Suzi,
      Thank you so very much! Oh, my Birthday was perfect with sunshine and all and the remainder of the week was great. Not that it did stay as warm as those couple of days... It is not yet real spring. We biked today again, yesterday as well when it was very windy and rather crisp.
      It is weird as here on my end, LinkWithin is not showing its 5 Widgets under each post... But I leave it alone as now I know it is okay for others.
      Also on FB those older memories did come flashing by and it is a kind of sad period but I do have peace, knowing she is without suffering and always smiling down from heaven now. She was lovely, when being relaxed and pampered! Such a rough life she lived, always caring for a family of 9 and working hard inside the greenhouses and on the fields without any hand for household chores and very little convenience.
      Hugs and thanks for your hilarious post about Cat Rules. Pieter loved reading it as well, on his iPad and he remarked, it certainly must have been written by a person that has cats or you don't know them this well!
      Mariette

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  6. Happy belated birthday Mariette. You certainly had a wonderful day with a romantic dinner and beautiful flowers. You both look so elegant :) xxx

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    1. Dearest Sami,
      Thank you and it was a dream... some very wonderful days complete with sunshine and all!
      That makes one happy for sliding into spring steadily. Today Valentine's Day which was a sunny and nice day as well. We went for a bike ride together.
      For such a restaurant one better does dress up!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  7. Lieve Mariette, van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag. Mooie boeketten en ook nog de magnolia in bloei. Fijn dat jullie zo'n heerlijke avond hadden in het restaurant. Ik wens je een mooi jaar toe.
    Lieve groet,

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    1. Lieve Willy,
      Dank je en het betekent heel veel voor me dat jij me nog kunt feliciteren na al je gezondheid's issues.
      Ja, van zulke boeketten geniet je dubbel as het zonnetje ook nog om de hoek komt kijken in onze keuken erker en veranda aangrenzend. De geurende lelies zijn heerlijk.
      De lady Chef Maria vliegt zondag naar Italië, haar Moeder is niet zo goed meer... Ze zal wel afgemat in de stoel van het tuig vallen na een heel drukke periode. Vorige week had ze al een lunch voor 60 personen gedaan en deze week elke dag wel iets in het teken van Valentijn. Het is hard werken.
      Liefs,
      Mariette

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  8. Happy Birthday Mariette! How beautiful the hero of the day and the wonderful flowers.

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    1. Dearest Anne,
      Thank you and it felt really special for a couple of days full of attention and LOVE!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  9. Dear One ... looks as though you celebrated in fine fashion! Wishing you a perfect 364 days till next one. Beautiful flowers, beautiful photos.
    Love,
    Helen

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    1. Dearest Helen,
      Yes, this year's Birthday celebration was a perfect one for several days in a row.
      Thank you so much for your wishes and that's exactly how we think about Valentine's Day, for 365 years in a row it ought to be.
      We still enjoy those lovely flowers and their perfume.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  10. Happy belated birthday dear Mariette and so glad you had a happy day with flowers and a wonderful romantic dinner out. Yes, the years do seem to fly by.
    Now it is time to wish you a happy Valentines day
    hugs
    Carolyn

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    1. Dearest Carolyn,
      Thank you and it was so lovely for days on end.
      Time is passing very rapidly but with fond memories like this, shared together, it is meaningful!
      Hope your Valentine was happy and will get extended into the remaining 364 days, that's how we feel about it.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  11. Dearest Mariette,
    Happy Birthday I always enjoy seeing pictures of your mother, lovely sunshine warm weather and beautiful flowers You and Pieter are enjoying you both of nice dream Have a wonderful year xoxo
    hugs and love your both!
    Michiko

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    1. Dearest Michiko san,
      Thank you and I wish that my LinkWithin would show me the widgets too but I can't see them for what ever reason.
      Yes, we both enjoyed this special time and we're happy together!
      Hugs, also from Pieter,
      Mariette

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  12. Happy belated Birthday to you, dearest Mariette!
    It is fine, you had such a lovely and wodnerful day!
    Thank you for the wonderful photos!
    Wishing you a 💖 HAppy Valentinesday 💖!
    Lots of Love, Claudia xoxo

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    1. Dearest Claudia,
      Thank you very much and we had a great couple of days of celebration.
      Hoping your Valentine's Day was a good one and will get carried over into all the days of the year.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  13. Happy birthday, Mariette! Looks like you had a great birthday dinner at Ristorante da Maria. The restaurant is very lovely and dishes look so good! You and your husband Pieter are such a beautiful couple.
    Your Japanese Magnolias are very pretty and so are flower gifts for your birthday!

    Happy Valentine's Day, Mariette!

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    1. Dearest Tamago,
      Thank you and it was a fabulous couple of days last week! That is great for recharging and feeling our soul for the next stretch.
      Such Japanese Magnolia blossoms are a treasure to enjoy for the time they last and so are the heavenly fragrantly lilies in the large bouquet.
      Hugs and Happy Valentine's Day ending.
      Mariette

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  14. Cara amica,rinnovo gli auguri anche qui..è bellissimo vedere queste belle foto,anche quella della tua mamma..mi sembra di sentirvi più vicini.
    Un abbraccio a voi,con affetto♥
    Anna

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    1. Carissima Anna,
      Beh, abbiamo visitato e scrivendo l'una l'altra ora per quasi un decennio e fa sentire molto vicino. Alcuni eventi ci attirano ancora di più. Come spiegato sopra, per me quei LinkWithin widgets con le foto di mia mamma non mostrano per me qui. A volte scompare ma sono molto contento di tutti questi commenti che la menzionano. Soprattutto la sua compleanno il 12 mi fa pensare a lei così tanto...
      Grandi abbracci,
      Mariette

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  15. Dinner and breakfast look delicious! Happy Birthday, Marietta! I love to celebrate mine all month long with little treats and such. I'm a summer birthday and wish winter would go away. It looks mild where you are with the lovely Japanese Magnolias opening up. In my childhood home, we had a magnolia tree in our backyard. They are not the tree to plant if you don't like yard work as they will keep you busy all 4 seaons. It was already there when we moved into the house, and my father had a green thumb.

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    1. Dearest Debbie,
      Hah, you're the very first person not skipping my breakfast... Thanks for the Birthday wishes!
      Especially for you, living in a hotel for the time being, it is tough to handle winter time.
      Hope things will progress as planned and that you can soon be 'home' again and enjoy more comfort and convenience.
      Yes, it is very balmy here in the South, quite a difference with the North with all its snow and ice...
      Our Southern Magnolia causes a lot more work as they shed leaves and it is so leathery, they don't decompose and have to be raked up indeed. But these trees are nothing to fuzz about. The petals drop but by rain they soon are gone.
      Sending you hugs,
      Mariette

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  16. Cara Mariette ancora tanti auguri di buon compleanno!Siete davvero carini tu e Pieter...i fiori...te l'ho già detto in un altro post che adoro quelle casette sulla finestra!
    Grazie per le tue visite al mio blog
    Baci
    Letizia

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    1. Carissima Letizia,
      La ringrazio molto e guardando carini quando essere felice non è difficile... Che Dio ci conceda un po' più di tempo insieme come il mio caro Pieter si avvicina il suo novantesimo compleanno abbastanza presto. Non riesco a crederci e solo a causa della sua condizione cardiaca mi preoccupo a volte, ma spero e prego che Dio mi dà abbastanza tempo per finire di scrivere le sue storie... Così orgoglioso di lui e vuole lasciarlo rivivere i suoi migliori anni prima di andare in paradiso.
      Grandi abbracci,
      Mariette

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  17. Oh dear!
    Belated Happy Birthday. May many happy returns of the day.
    XOXO

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    1. Dearest Krishna,
      Thank you so very much and it is fun for extending one' Birthday...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  18. Joyeux anniversaire, ma chère amie,

    Wish I could have been there to share it w/you and Pieter, since it's so obvious that we share so much already, including birthdays close together.

    You both look so happy, and my mouth is watering at the thought of a glorious five-course dinner à l'italienne.

    May you have many, many more.

    Grosses bises,

    Marie-Thérèse

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    1. Dearest Marie-Thérèse,
      You no doubt would have loved this dinner and we could celebrate our double B'day!!
      We both are happy and grateful for every day together...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  19. May your birth month continue to be a joyous one. It certainly looks like you had a wonderful celebration. That's quite a healthy and yummy looking breakfast you had there. Lovely flowers inside and out. Nice to hear that you've had warmer weather and are able to bike. Wishing you a fabulous Friday and weekend. Hugs and blessings, Tammy

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    1. Dearest Tammy,
      So far it is carrying over in a wonderful way.
      Thank you very much for your kind words and we enjoyed biking a few more times this week. Now the rain is taking over for the entire week so I can work on the memoirs and practice my singing and steps!
      Guess you would enjoy the breakfast too, vegetarian...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  20. Happy belated birthday、Dear Marriette.
    It is so nice to see both of you at a Ristorante da Maria.The dinner looks beautiful and delicious.
    Magnolia with the soft touching color is lovely.
    Have a good weekend.

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    1. Dearest Tomoko,
      Thank you very much and it has been a joy and that makes us ready for a week of rain coming our way.
      More time for focussing on Pieter's Memoirs. The writing is going well so I'm happy.
      The Magnolias are still lovely, even though lots of petals are on the ground already.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  21. Dearest Mariette; Happy Belated Birthday, Dear friend♡♡♡ You look Fabulous with red colored outfit at the dinner table with your husband♪ Yes, I'm amazed and happy for you with the Japanese Magnolias blooming beautifully. And the bouquet you were gifted is so beautiful.
    Wishing you two will have a wonderful new week and happy another year for you.
    Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend, xoxo Miyako*

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    1. Dearest Miyako,
      Thank you very much for your wishes here!
      Since it started raining again, most Magnolia petals are now falling off...
      But the flowers still give us pleasure and above all, the fragrance of the lilies!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  22. Happiest of birthdays dear Mariette! You look beautiful and both of you are looking well! Must be the exercise and those healthy breakfasts. Yes, lilies are lovely, but a little too much indoors. xo

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    1. Dearest Deborah,
      Thank you so very much! We both are grateful for every day together, it is a gift from God.
      Yes, eating healthy we both do very rigorously and my slight improvement in kidney function is living proof that preparing your meals at home pays off! The sodium content in restaurants in general is way too high!
      Such fragrant flowers will never be too much indoors for both of us...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  23. Cara Mariette non sapevo che compivi gli anni, in ritardo ma ti faccio tantissimi auguri.
    Sei elegantissima e bellissima. Fiori stupendi e so che sono molto profumati.
    Hai una casa e un giardino che sono un sogno, adoro le magnolie e ne ho anch'io due che ora sono ancora in bocciolo.
    Tanti auguri ancora di cose belle, ti abbraccio.
    Lorena

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    1. La ringrazio molto carissima Lorena e ho appena continuare con il mio mese di compleanno... In questo momento sembra triste con la maggior parte dei petali sotto gli alberi e abbiamo pioggia durante il giorno.
      Inviandoti abbracci,
      Mariette

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    2. Abbi pazienza e vedrai che splendore. Un abbraccio.
      Lorena

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Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...