Kitties that ADOPTED US

 In our previous home we had nice neighbors but suddenly they were moving away...

That happens in life!

BUT, their two kitties, brother and sister, stayed behind and came to us for food and shelter...

Pieter in our kitchen, holding up Saartje (left) and her brother Spooky...

Here I'm holding both, Spooky the boy to the left and Saartje his sister to the right.

Yes, Saartje is a Dutch kitty name!

We never knew their real names... or IF they had any.

Photos are from February 22, 1986...

Saartje was SO in love with her new Mommy!

Me too...

March 9, they both came to Pieter as he was working in the yard and followed him like they were doggies!

On May 9, 1986 husband Pieter dropped me off at the airport as I was flying to Amsterdam for a surprise Mother's Day visit and also for the First Communion of our best friends' son, on the 11th of May.

Pieter was working in the yard on May 15, and Saartje put a newborn kitten in front of him...

Where have you hidden them? 

Pieter asked her, and she led him to the peat-moss bale under the open, but roofed garden shed. 

On May 19, Pieter flew to Ohio, for Campbell Soup and on May 23 he flew back to Atlanta and, continued to Amsterdam, for joining me in Europe.

Both of us arrived back home on June 15, and a skinny Saartje greeted us. She and her 4 skinny kittens had lived on our patio and actually fed on bugs that got attracted by the light.

Poor critters, all left on their own - remember they were NOT ours but from the neighbors.

We started feeding them and soon they perked back up.

A week later, Kitty Mom Saartje with three of her babies on the patio, looking again healthy.

Happy tummies... Gave them brushies as well.

Feasting with Kitty Mom. 

Nicki is looking towards the camera, with his 'M' on the forehead.

This is where they slept on our patio... Our veranda to the left and the kitchen bay window to the right.

Pieter with Panther, Devil, Stripe and Nicki...

Pieter with an armload of kitties...

So much cuteness!

All on Sunday, June 22, 1986

August 23, in 5 days Nicki will go to his adoptive human parents...

August 28, my final cuddle time day with Nicki, after tennis lessons...

Next day I did bring him to his new Mom and it was exactly one year since Mauzie girl, our Dachshund went over the rainbow. 

Now again without a pet...

~

The neighbors did come back obviously to retrieve the two adult cats; we never saw Saartje and Spooky again

Packing up and delivering the DUTCH FLOWER BULBS sold during Summer

Yes, that too, I've tried!

Helping out a Dutch born friend with a large family, who dealt in Dutch Flower Bulbs.

So during the summer of 1985, I went by bike to the homes in the neighborhood. and tried to sell them Dutch Flower Bulbs.

Most people thought I was a Highschool student but I was NOT.

Inside our garage. Yes, our garage was tiled with the leftover tiles from the mushroom plant, that Pieter designed for Campbell Soup.

It was November 2, when we got to package the bulbs, according to the list, with amounts ordered, and starting to deliver them.

Quite a job!

Of course, husband Pieter helped me out as well!

My life never has been boring though!

Each time you learn from whatever you do.

In March of 1986, we too had some of those tulips show up in our garden...

Related link:

Husband Pieter's Design for the Campbell Mushroom Plants in Dublin, GA and Hillsboro, TX | previous post by me

Pieter Made Brick and Wooden Pole Edging | previous post by me

My 3rd Home with my French DMC Rose Filet Lace Crocheted Curtains

On Saturday, October 26 of 1985, we got  our new front door hung by the carpenter and I'd already hand crocheted the French DMC Rose Filet Lace Crocheted Curtains.

Before we had a solid, metal door and I did hate to open it, as I never knew who I was opening the door to...

So we changed it for this one, with small windows, so I could look out.

Pieter had done the tedious job of hammering in the tiny brass nails that I brought over from The Netherlands. Brass, on purpose, as that would never tarnish the fine filet crochet work.

Another Mega Task accomplished.

We also put a new window in the living room, one that allowed us to look outside instead of the previous higher window in a small size!

Yes, in our previous home we also had those solid oak window shutters, made by a craftsman from Virginia. They are excellent and eco friendly, in saving energy and you can close them for privacy, if needed. 

That's me, crocheting on some curtains for somebody...

(The wool Smyrna rug under the table, got hand done by me—knotted with a latch hook).

Comfy and lazy!

So, now I was happy! 

Finally having my roses back and LIGHT coming inside the hall way as well.

On December 24, after having taken the curtains off, Pieter managed to give the door its first coat of paint.

On the link below this post you can see more photos, also from a couple of years later, as well as from my previous two homes' Rose Filet Lace Curtains... Also you can clearly see the pattern.

Fond memories from archiving our photo albums.

Related link:

{My French DMC Rose Filet Lace Crocheted Curtains} } previous post by me for pattern

Arts & Crafts Shows in Mall and Library

Once more an attempt to participate in a local Arts & Crafts Show.

On October 19, 1985 at the Local Mall

Due to very poor publicity, none of us vendors sold anything...

Well, I did sell for $ 12.60

December 7, now at the local library but once again they proved their very poor publicity.

Closeup with a Spanish born gentleman that also tried to sell...

Me, showing a hand crocheted bridal lace handkerchief, done by me...

After our visit to the Hungarian mushroom conference, I felt so badly for those poor people under the Communist regime, so I started importing their things in order to HELP some.
Those hand embroidered boxes and hearts are from Hungary.

Heart shaped boxes with hand embroidery from Hungary, and some crocheted doilies done by me.
Also I'd added some of the Delft white items like candleholders and vases.
Sold for US $ 62.14 but at least I tried to help some people in Hungary...

Related link:

Pieter Created Board for my Crafts Sale in Fayetteville, Georgia | previous post by me

Pieter's Former Student and Mushroom Grower Took us up into the Sky

It is obvious that in 1985 a lot of things happened.

Unusual things too.

We had taken the son of one of Pieter's former students, a mushroom grower, with us on a trip to Florida.

He was here for the summer, on an exchange from Roteract youth, staying as a guest with families from our local Rotary Club.

So now, they wanted to kind of take 'revenge'...

We were back in The Netherlands and got invited:

We arrived on October 7, around 11:00 at the home of Pieter's former student and mushroom grower in Standdaarbuiten, in the Southwestern part of The Netherlands.

After a coffee, we also joined them for lunch and then they took us to the Royal Tree Nursery of Piet Van der Bom, in Oudenbosch.

After that, they took us to Oudenbosch Basilica a replica of the famous St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Then they took us by 14:00 to airport Seppe.

Vliegveld in Dutch means Airport
Daan Van de Nobelen seen to the left, the father of the Roteract youth that stayed in Georgia for summer.

Husband Pieter to the left with pilot and loyal former student(s) Dré Heestermans, and Daan Van de Nobelen

Daan Van de Nobelen, me and husband Pieter next to the little plane

Pieter's former student, Dré Heestermans from Ulvenhout, took us one by one, up in the air for viewing the different mushroom farms from above, over the region where Pieter for years drove to from Horst, for giving classes.

Wearing my Burberry skirt and trench coat, it was autumn in The Netherlands.

Pieter let me go first... 

He's always been a true gentleman, and living by the motto: 'Ladies FIRST'...

Pilot Dré, took me up first for 45 minutes, above Tholen, the area where Pieter taught its mushroom growers.

Son Rudy Van de Nobelen, had organized this for Pieter, as a THANK YOU

After I slid out of this little plane, it was Pieter's turn.

Pieter was taking off with one of his most loyal former students from that area...

Pieter's turn

Pieter ready for take off... but due to sudden weather changes, they were back after 35 minutes.

We all went to Kreekdijk, for supper with the Van de Nobelen family and after that, around 20:30 by surprise, all Pieter's former students from that region, where he gave classes in the 1950s before he established the practical training college in Horst, triggered in.

They served hors d'oeuvres, and after Pieter showed some slides with news from the Campbell Mushroom farm, they each told their story.

Quite an experience and rather moving for Pieter.

We were in bed by 1:30 in Standdaarbuiten en after breakfast in the morning we went with the son back to Van der Bom and then we drove to Limburg where we stayed with my brother Harry and his wife.

Related post:

Yerseke Oyster Fishers got Trained by Pieter J.C. Vedder to become Mushroom Growers | post by me about nearby 

Daring to Alter 7/8 Pants into Knickerbockers

If your legs are very long, certain pants can look rather odd...

So, what do you think?

Looking better as a Knickerbockers or not... 

Too late for reversing my decision at this time!

Done on September 1st, 1985...

Still got the knickerbockers and also these shoes.

Top got stolen in Indonesia, loved its cotton comfort.

Photo from April 23, 1988 showing you both legs being 'knickerbocker' style... 😏

Sorghum Growing in Georgia

Of course, being the son and daughter of a market gardener, we always had an interest in crops growing in the fields.

A rather new crop for both of us, was this field with Sorghum bicolor, seen on August 12, 1985.

Do you know this grain?

Cattle Egrets in Georgia

Being an immigrant from another continent, it is quite interesting when you start discovering nature in your new surroundings.

Cows in a meadow and hundreds of Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis)! 

Have you ever seen them?

This was near the Campbell Soup mushroom farm on August 12, 1985

We had an 87 m deep well dug for watering our garden

Due to extreme heat in summer, here in the South East of the USA, in Georgia, we decided to have us an 87 m (285 feet) deep well dug. 

Due to city water restrictions, we had no other option or let our veggies, flowers, plants and shrubs go to waste...

On Monday morning around 8:00 AM on July 15, 1985, they arrived for digging our well...

Pieter was at work but he had already laid all the electric wiring, to the spot where the pump had to be placed. 

BUT this man did not listen to me... 

I ran quickly inside the house, and grabbed the wireless phone, while I had rang Pieter.

Now I handed the phone to the stubborn man and I heard him say: Yes Sir, sure Sir! 

He then handed the phone back to me, and grumbled...

They worked for 7 hours...

A lot of action was going on in our yard...

What a muddy job!

By 15:15 they pulled the switch over and it started running!
This proved, that Pieter had correctly connected the electrical wiring!
The first water starts running out...

Still dirty water, for several hours...
Pieter came home from work early, for connecting some pipes.
I'd made the photos, so he too could see what they'd done.