Netherlands Open Air Museum with Mom & Dad and American Colleague's Wife

For a business trip to The Netherlands, with several of Pieter's colleagues from Campbell Soup, I also took care of the wife of his colleague.

We all went to the Dutch Mushroom Days on the day before and sealed it off with a dinner at the famous Turfhoeve, in Sevenum, The Netherlands.

Pieter's American 'boss' could not end the day and thus we landed in bed by 2:35 AM!

Again, rising early after a few hours and I dropped Pieter off at the Experimental Station where the excursion started (his boss remained in bed...).

Then, I continued with Mom & Dad and Mary-Jo, the wife of his Campbell Soup colleague from the USA.

We were going to visit the Open Air Museum in Arnhem, The Netherlands on May 30 of 1986...

Well, I'd been here before and this photo shows me in October of 1971, when we went with all colleagues from the Practical Training College for Mushroom Growing together as a day's outing!

On one of the old bridges, with a windmill in the back.

Wearing my own sewing creation, dress made from a Burda pattern in a rayon fabric.
Standing on a Double Drawbridge, you will see later in more detail.

Two of my colleagues and me on the right...
Beautiful home and windmill from the Zaan region, North Holland in the back behind the canal.

Husband Pieter made this photo for his photo club, before we immigrated.
Open Air Museum Arnhem had homes from centuries old from most Provinces.

Some of the very special Dutch gavel homes from the Zaan region, North Holland...

Don't really know what this is...
Probably Willy from De tante van Tjorven would know!

And this... It might have to do something with Suriname, Curaçao or other Dutch Caribbean Island or any of the former Indonesian colonial buildings.

Typical Dutch Double Drawbridge from the Zaan region as we have so many over the canals...

Thatched roof homes and a water well in front.

This Open Air Museum is so realistic, all the way! This is a typical Dutch landscape with its black and white cows.

One could stroll around for hours... and probably for days!

Yes, complete with authentic gardens!

Interior with tiled walls...

The following are from slides by G. J. Derksen who also published books about Open Air Museum Arnhem.
It is the Living Room Farmhouse from Budel, North Brabant.

Interior Farmhouse from Staphorst, Overijssel

Interior Farmhouse from Zeijen, Drenthe

Parlor from Hindeloopen in Friesland
Notice the steps to the 'Bedstee' (cabinet bed)?
Also called Box–Bed or Closet-Bed (cupboard bed) and in French Lit–Clos...

Kitchen Farmhouse from Midlum in Friesland

Parlor Farmhouse from Midlum in Friesland

Two Mills from Huizen and Delft in North Holland, picture by F. van Heetkamp

Drainage Mill from Noordlaren in Groningen by F. van de Heetkamp

Sheepcote from Daarle, Overijsel by F. van de Heetkamp

Veluwse Farmhouse from Vierhouten, Gelderland by F. van de Heetkamp
Husband Pieter is born in such a 17th Century home!
Sadly it got destroyed during WWII...
Above photo is also from the Province where Pieter is born!
Interior Fisherman's Cottage from Marken, North Holland by G. J. Derksen

Fisherman's Cottage from Marken, North Holland by F. van de Heetkamp
With Mom & Dad and our American guest we drove back via a bakery in Wanssum for some typical Limburgse 'vlaai' a special pie.
Back home at Mom & Dad's place also Pieter joined us for a farewell coffee with pie...
Mom & Dad enjoyed the American lady and they had so much in common, same size family and same religion.
It was a special day for ALL!

Thank you for your visit and comment

Related link:
{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me where you can see my 1st photo...

Sweet Audrey needs your HELP and PRAYERS

It was on March 11, 2016, that we heard a strange noise when having our 'late' afternoon tea in the living room after a busy day.

That turned out to be the gas burners from a HUGE Hot Air Balloon that landed in our back yard! 
Just beside the big pond and they barely managed to get over the huge oak tree that stands next to the pond.

The daughter of a dear friend was inside the basket, it was one of the things still on her bucket list.
 After having received two donor lungs, and recovering well enough, she finally was able to realize this!

Audrey aimed at 'drifting' a bit farther to reach her Parents' property but the wind was not enough...

Audrey looking at us, from inside the balloon's basket...

Since then, Audrey has reached another fabulous milestone; meeting the LOVE of HER LIFE and she got married to him on November 4, 2017.

Above photo shows Audrey as a gorgeous Bride, with her happy Mom Jo-Ann, whom I know for decades.

TRUE LOVE... photo taken at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, the 2nd largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Audrey wrote on September 6 at 9:49 AM: Today is my 5th lungaversary!!! I have had several moments lately that made it seem like I might not make it to this day!
When you start talking about getting a lung transplant with your doctor, you hear the scary statistics: 80% survive 1 year, 50% survive 5 years, and only 20% survive 10 years! Of course you think you are going to be one of those who will make it to ten years before you need another pair of lungs! And then you hear about people who are 18 or 26 years out with the same pair of lungs and you desperately hope to be in that group!! But the longer I walk this transplant life, the more I see that the stats don't lie. I have known people to pass away during each stage of this process. We all want to get new lungs and live as long as possible but getting new lungs is just a bandaid. It just prolongs the inevitable. What everyone waiting for organs most needs - what EVERYONE needs - is JESUS!!
We are all going to stand before our Creator one day and give an account of our lives. We are all going to be judged on what we did or didn't do. If we haven't surrendered our hearts and lives to Jesus, we will face eternal punishment.
Nobody wants that! Even though I still believe that God has promised me that I will live and not die, I am at peace if God does call me home! I accepted Christ as my savior when I was four years old, and I have followed Him ever since. I may have gone through periods of doubt or anger at Him about how my life was going at times, but ultimately I kept following Him because nothing and no one else was worthy enough to base my life on. So however God chooses to get me through all of this, I know I can trust Him because He has good plans for me! To prosper me and not to harm me... to give me a future and a hope!
Audrey is an Angelic young woman and even more beautiful on the inside than outside!
Her extremely strong Faith has carried her this far, together with the support of her True Love at her side and family, friends and legions of people praying for her, have kept her with us.
But things need to be taken care of...

Right now, Audrey and her husband Kevin need our PRAYERS and HELP!
She had been kept heavily sedated and on the ventilator, for letting her lungs heal after treatment for heavy bleeding...
Audrey's Aid click the link for going there... May God sustain her and let her be with her TRUE LOVE for some more time!

Thanks for your attention and feel free to share this!

Update: On Sunday, October 13, Audrey had her 38th Birthday
On Tuesday afternoon, October 15, she went to heaven...
She now is another Angel we know by name!

Related post:
{UPDATE...} | previous post by me when Hot Air Balloon landed in our back yard...

Taking Mom & Dad to Bremen Cathedral in Germany where Dad sang with his Choir

Campbell Soup kind of forced us to move to Pennsylvania, from Georgia/USA...

Packing up and preparing for the big move, I also did fly to Düsseldorf, Germany on American Airlines, for only $ 195.00 and 30,000 frequent flyer miles.

This to transport some of our plants and other valuable things on October 9, 1988.
So I boarded American Airlines' 767 Luxury Liner in Atlanta, after saying goodbye to my Pieter who himself had a later flight for Campbell Soup to Denver, Colorado...

I'd told Mom & Dad that I would be wearing my black leather jacket and black beret, so they would spot me from a distance at the German airport.

Mom & Dad had been stuck in heavy traffic, thus I stood for an hour outside but they soon found me on October 10, 1988.
Above photos got taken later in November of 1993 but still the same outfit and it's ME!
Still have all pieces but it's rather hot for wearing it now in Georgia...

On October 12, I took Mom & Dad along on my trip to Visbek, Germany.

Delivering the brass mushrooms for Pilzland where I'd done consulting before, and they wanted to purchase my own design Lacquered Brass Window Decorations with their business logo.

We ate our own lunch at the home of Jan Koopmans, the manager, and Pieter's former student.

Next I drove in about 1 hour, to Bremen and its City Center where Dad did perform with the Horster Mannenkoor in 1981 and Mom could not join at that time.
So now she got to walk in Dad's footsteps as well!
This is the famous Sankt Petri Dom, or St. Peter's Cathedral in Bremen (just click the link) where Dad sang with his choir.
Bremen Cathedral is a medieval building.

We enjoyed the Bremen City Hall (click link) also located at the Market Square.

Bremen's Marktplatz (Market Square) just click link.

Of course, we also did see the famous
Bremer Stadtmusikanten or in English Town Musicians of Bremen (click on link) from the well known fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.
Mom was delighted for finally, after 7 years, having been there herself and it made me of course very happy!

St. Petri Dom Bremen, Tower Topped Romanesque Cathedral from above, with Market Square and top left are the Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Town Musicians of Bremen) all very close together!
Upon returning home I continued with my stops:
Visiting my aunt Mia in Venlo, Dad's eldest sister to whom I have been very close, my Mother-in-law, Pieter's brother Thé and his wife and also my brother Martin and wife. Did not get to see sister Diny and brother Piet during this short 3-night visit!
Next day I flew back to the USA, after Dad did drop me off at the Düsseldorf/Germany airport.  Mom  could not join us, she had to sing with her choir.
Got delayed in Chicago by 3 hours and poor Pieter waited in vain for me in Atlanta. We got home by 2:30 AM and I called Mom to let her know that I'd arrived safely home.

Short and intens trip but with very fond memories!
Thanks for reading my stories and for your comment.

Related posts:
{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me
Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class | previous post by me with more links below post

Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class

Thanks to Aviodrome in The Netherlands, I did obtain a photo from KLM's Boeing 747-300 as it still was in use over 1987 when Mom & Dad made their FIRST Flight EVER; together with us!

On April 20, 1987 we left together with husband Pieter, who had circled the globe, from Atlanta via Seattle to Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei to Amsterdam for some business in Europe, following his People to People Citizen Ambassador Program; both for Campbell Soup.
During the three weeks that Pieter was in the Far East, I went to Europe.
So togethe we went back to Schiphol Airport in Pieter's rental car and relaxing in the Van Gogh Room (for Business class and Royal class only).

On March 24, while Pieter was in Beijing, China, I had gone to the bank for handing Mom & Dad 1,000 Dutch Guilders, approximately US $ 500.00 as part of the ticket price.
Sister-in-law Wilma, seen on the left, did take care of the tickets on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Photo taken by brother Jan Van den Munckhof.
Pieter would be back in Europe by April 10, on April 20 all four of us flew to Atlanta...
The next day while at home in Dublin, Georgia/USA, Mom & Dad were welcomed over the radio by 'Uncle' Bo Whaley during his talk show!

In previous posts you could read about some of our trips or just Mom & Dad with me, as Pieter had to work for Campbell Soup.
Above photo shows the final evening of Tuesday, May 12, that we sat together at table, with Pieter (who took this photo) before he had to travel to Dallas, Texas next day...

Our final Friday evening together at home... We just had gotten back from visiting some friends and Mom had received a nice hand painted cloth from India, to take back to The Netherlands.

With my KLM Courtesy Card, I got all three of us checked in at the Business Class counter and also access to the Business Class Lounge AND A BUSINESS CLASS SEAT!
Mom & Dad had seat 11A and 11B and I had 11D.

Business Class in the Boeing 747-300 was in the upper deck and also in the lower deck where the 3 of us were seated.

The only disadvantage was that I was in seat 11D, about 'half-a-row' behind their seats 11A+B, contrary to other seat rows in the center and on the right side in this Boeing.
But I happily accepted that, as it gave more leg room and seating space, complete with dinner served on china and so on.
It was a night flight so one ought to sleep as much as possible...
My brother Harry with his wife Elly did pick us up in Amsterdam and I had to do consulting work in Germany the next day...
Dad had insisted towards Pieter, that I'd use their car instead of renting me a car for the 2 weeks of work in the Bremen area, Germany.

On June 3, I did travel back home from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Atlanta, USA with business friend Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands who gave me a ride to the airport.
In return for that ride, I could share the privilege of checking in at the business class counter and access to the business class 'Van Gogh' room with my KLM Courtesy Card. Just as we could with Mom & Dad in tow. You were allowed to bring a guest...

Those were the days of classy travel with lots of privileges!
So grateful for having been able to let Mom & Dad share in it.

Related links:
Mushroom Friends in Austria and their Mushroom God Statue | read about our insane schedule before taking Mom & Dad home with us...
St. Augustine, 1st Florida city with Mom & Dad in 1987 | previous post by me

Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad with Mom & Dad and again with Pieter | previous post by me
Taking Husband Pieter back to Knoxville, TN in Mom & Dad's Footsteps | 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
{MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES} | previous post by me
{Do YOU all know Our Nations Oldest City - St. Augustine, Florida?} | previous post by me
Visiting A.G. Linfield Mushroom Compost Facility in England | previous post by me about Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands
{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan} | previous post by me

St. Augustine, 1st Florida city with Mom & Dad in 1987

On May 08, 1987 we both drove with Mom & Dad to Florida as Pieter had taken some days off at Campbell's Soup.

Here we are in St. Augustine, Florida on one of the old walls at Castillo De San Marcos.
Staying one night at the Oldest City in USA...
On August 4, 1999 my youngest brother and his wife went there with me.

The day before on May 8, 1987 we entered for Mom & Dad their 4th State within the United States of America; Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

I'm wearing the perfectly fitting cream colored jeans that Pieter bought for me while in China the previous month.

Mom & Dad and both of us had each a room at the Days Inn in St. Augustine, FL

Now it is called Days Inn by Wyndham St Augustine/Historic Downtown (click the link).

This is where Mom & Dad stayed with us...

We were very close to Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, Florida

We sit on the wall, shown at the bottom right in this photo and the fort is behind us, also the little building seen above my head in photo, is seen here above in the lower right section.

Behind Mom & Dad's heads in the top photo you can see this kind of turret with the openings for firing the canons. Click for going to website for more views of this star shaped 17th century fort.

This photo from HISTORIC ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — PART 1 by Stan Paregien, comes the closest by the one Pieter took form Mom & Dad and me, more or less from the same spot, except that we were on the wall to the left near the water!
We took Mom & Dad also to Gatorland and the show with the snakes was at 10:00 and we left for Kennedy Space Center by 10:30.

Mom, Dad and me at Kennedy Space Center on May 9, 1987.
On Mother's Day, May 10, we did visit Epcot.

This is a photo of me at our hotel in Kissimmee, Florida where I'm feeding a squirrel.

On Monday, May 11, we did visit Sea World and here we are near our car, picnicking on our blanket.
Yep, we had to live off a budget and there was no time for going to a restaurant as well.

This is a photo I did scan from Dad's collection that he showed me in May when he was fondly remembering this trip from 1987.

We enjoyed the show of Baby Shamu the Orka and the walrus, sea lion and otter-shows.
The dolphins and the sharks with the glass tunnel.
By 15:00 we drove home to Georgia and arrived there by 21.45 as Pieter had to start at work next day and he had to catch up on a lot!

Hope you enjoyed this fond memory and thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:
Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad with Mom & Dad and again with Pieter | previous post by me
Taking Husband Pieter back to Knoxville, TN in Mom & Dad's Footsteps | 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
{MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES} | previous post by me
{Do YOU all know Our Nations Oldest City - St. Augustine, Florida?} | previous post by me