On April 4, of this year we both stayed in Knoxville, TN for two nights.
For a very special reason...
After having gone to Clingman's Dome, see previous post below, we visited with a dear blogger friend close to Knoxville and then checked in at the Hyatt Place downtown.
The blogger friend is: Katie Isabella she is very sweet in person!
Also: Ramblingon Katie Isabella's Mom
Yes, we met both of them!
It is always a joy for Meeting with any Blogger Friend that you know for many, many years and it also proves again and again that you have so much in common.
Here husband Pieter finally stands in a spot where he took daily lunch break walks...
Pieter had to do a course about Statistical Process Control at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for Campbell Soup.
So on Saturday, September 6, 1986 Pieter flew from Atlanta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee after I'd dropped him off at the airport.
Here, Mom & Dad are walking the gardens around the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, on May 6, 1987.
As a matter of fact, just received this photo from my Dad on May 21, 2019, when I drove straight home from the airport after landing in Amsterdam.
Showed him some video on my MacBook and photos from our trip to Knoxville in April.
Dad jumped up and grabbed his photo book from their FIRST trip to the USA.
Never had seen those pictures myself and of course immediately asked Dad to take them with me for scanning them for archiving.
So happy with these memories!
Pieter took this photo from the University of Tennessee, from the Hill Street...
The University of Tennessee, Hill Entrance
It is always a joy for Meeting with any Blogger Friend that you know for many, many years and it also proves again and again that you have so much in common.
Pieter had to do a course about Statistical Process Control at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for Campbell Soup.
So on Saturday, September 6, 1986 Pieter flew from Atlanta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee after I'd dropped him off at the airport.
As a matter of fact, just received this photo from my Dad on May 21, 2019, when I drove straight home from the airport after landing in Amsterdam.
Showed him some video on my MacBook and photos from our trip to Knoxville in April.
Dad jumped up and grabbed his photo book from their FIRST trip to the USA.
Never had seen those pictures myself and of course immediately asked Dad to take them with me for scanning them for archiving.
So happy with these memories!
Card from the University of Knoxville that Pieter sent to Mom & Dad in The Netherlands
While Pieter was napping, I found it on the Internet, and now had the address for walking to it from our Hyatt Place in Downtown...
It was rather difficult to recognize from the bad photo I had of Mom & Dad.
Pieter took this photo from the median with pedestrian traffic lights as otherwise the entire building would not be in the picture.
Pedestrians could not cross this 6-lane road in 'one' trip...
The tower's window glass panels are layered in 24-karat gold dust...
It measures 266 ft or 81 m!
The 1982 World's Fair, formerly known as Knoxville International Energy Exposition in which The Netherlands also participated and China for the 1st time EVER.
See short video: Remembering the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee where President Reagan opened it on May 1.
Also called 'Sunsphere'
Husband Pieter took this photo in 1986 when walking around during lunch break...
In the center you see the Hilton hotel
Oh, I do recall Pieter talking about Worlds Largest Rubik's Cube From 1982 Worlds Fair of which they had a HUGE one on display.
Designed by Hungarian Architecture Professor Erno Rubik and became one of the 1982 World's Fair's most well known icons.
The first time that Pieter ever came back here since 1986!
There are still overhead wires visible but a lot less than in 1987 when I took Mom & Dad's photo.
Horizon pollution...
We visited Highlands and also nearby Dry Falls of which Dad himself had pictures.
We spent the night in Cherokee TN, at a Best Western
Next day we went to Gatlinburg, TN and on to Knoxville.
1226 km for me solo or 14 hours driving...
Pieter was still working full time for Campbell Soup as Vice President Training & Development.
A total of 1,226 km and back till the airport in Atlanta to pick up Pieter, all on May 6, and from there, Pieter did drive home!
That was a full day... all the way from Knoxville.
Dad sang the Dutch Wilhelmus on this side of the Atlantic!
So with 2 nights at the Marriott and some shopping, dropping Pieter off at the airport I'd gone back to Dublin for 1 night... Next day we left for North Carolina and the above Knoxville, TN visit.
When I'd come home in Dublin, I also altered a newly bought dress for Mom (while in Atlanta!) so she could wear it!
So happy for having received Dad's photos and being able to look back and for having shown Pieter once more...
Previous post:
SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me
SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me
{Mom Lived 16 Days Short of Her 91st Birthday} | previous post by me with Mom & Dad's words in guest book
Dear Mariette
ReplyDeleteI understand how proud Pieter was when he received his certification and showed you it.
I enjoyed all of those photos you have shared here.
Sorry I was not able to visit you. My left eye has been cared since last summer when suddenly the sight was blocked for a short time.
Dearest Tomoko,
DeleteThank you for your kind comments and yes, it was rather difficult to sit through those lessons about extracting the nth Root in a foreign language...
When he called me with the news that he'd made it, I was very proud of him and happily drove to the airport to pick him up.
So sorry to read about your left eye problem and hope you are okay now! Maybe you could read my previous post...
Sending you hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteit is so wonderful you went back with Pieter to places filled of good memories!
Wishing you a wonderful new week,
Lots of Love and hugs, Claudia xo
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteYes, it sure was and even more valuable now with Dad's additional photos that he showed me on May 21 when we had arrived straight from the airport to visit him. Sure I had to scan those and treasure.
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteherzlichen Dank und liebe Grüße
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteGerne und liebe Grüße zurück.
Mariette
Hello Mariette, It seems that honors and adventures meet you and Pieter everywhere in the world. How much better when those can be shared with family.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteYou sum up some true facts and we always loved sharing them, however hectic our lifestyle was during those working years, we always made time available for family!
Hugs,
Mariette
It's wonderful you got to meet Katie san and her mom! I know from their blogs they are both very sweet :-) And lovely visit to Knoxville, TN. I enjoyed photos of now and then - with your husband Pieter and your parents. xo
ReplyDeleteDearest Tamago,
DeleteYes, that was such a sweet meeting and we are glad we did manage, even with Pieter's time consuming walk up to Clingmans Dome that made things get later. So glad we managed it ALL. Fond memories forever.
The Knoxville visit was so special for Pieter to walk in the areas where he did so in 1986 and where I took Mom & Dad in 1987.
Hugs,
Mariette
It's nice to see what some places used to be and what they are today. Greetings
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteWell, the World's Fair part is mostly gone but this Sunsphere is there to stand I guess and you can ride up into it as it has 7 stories...
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh dear Mariette! all the beautiful memories.. love it.
ReplyDeleteDearest Krishna,
DeleteYes those are beautiful memories and Dad talked about it on the day we first visited him, after landing...
Hugs,
Mariette
What a time that was. Certainly for you both and certainly for Katie and for me!!! Two more gracious guests have never been in this home than you both. I remarked on that to my family. I wish they could have met you as well. And Katie of course was the better hostess. I must depend on her I think for all occasions. She will ask for an allowance if I do!
ReplyDeleteXXOO
Dearest Katie Isabella,
DeleteYes, we treasure that time very much and it was a purrfect ending of an adventurous day, starting with Clingmans Dome and then seeing you both!
Hugs,
Mariette
How fun to be in a place again where your parents have been. We have friends (who are summer friends here) that live just outside of Knoxville in Kingsland. We have visited them and it is a beautiful area,...Janey
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
DeleteYes, we finally made it together and loved Knoxville and its surroundings.
Hugs,
Mariette
I've visited Knoxville. Lovely city and people. Also great stacked (everything only it) pizza!
ReplyDeleteDearest Debbie,
DeleteGlad you got to visit Knoxville and it sure is a lovely city and warm people.
Hugs,
Mariette
So wonderful that you got to meet two lovely bloggers.
ReplyDeleteKnoxville looks very pretty and that tower with the golden globe is very unusual.
So nice to be able to go back and revisit good memories.
Dearest Sami,
DeleteYes, it is always very special to meet with blogger friends!
The Knoxville Sunsphere is indeed a unique building.
We sure do have fond memories of this city over the years.
Hugs,
Mariette
Great! Your good health took you to the memorable place for the first time in 33 years. Many things have been changed and some still keep what you saw.
ReplyDeleteDearest RTC.,
DeleteWell, it is more the will power than the good health as that lies in our past... But we still feel fit enough to do this and enjoy it tremendously. Yes, we had such a hectic and busy lifestyle for many decades that there never even was time to look at the slides made. Always working on the next training, seminar or conference. So finally it is our time since Pieter retired at age 75 but first we did extensive work in the garden, in the house etc.
Only when I started to scan all slides and making everything digital, we got an oversight and started reliving things and making plans to go back to certain areas.
We feel blessed for still being able to do this together and I want to share it with others as well, as ell as reliving it this way.
Hugs,
Mariette
Leuk om weer eens terug te gaan waar je met je ouders geweest bent.En ook zo de foto's weer eens te vergelijken..heel speciaal..
ReplyDeleteBeste Marian,
DeleteJa, dat was geweldig om met Pieter eindelijk eens terug te kunnen gaan.
Altijd wel wat anders, of werk met reizen, of thuis wat verbouwen... Je kent het wel!
Zo zie je echt wat ruim 30 jaar voor een stad betekent. Haha, en voor ons ook.
Liefs,
Mariette