About Me

My photo
Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Commercial Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Thursday, February 17, 2022

My Drive to Lakeland, Florida for Visiting Friends

 For several decades we do have special Friends in Lakeland, Florida.
They used to live right here in Dublin, Georgia...
But the distance never kept us away from each other!
This meant 691.4 km or 429.4 mi.
Putting the nose of our Infiniti QX50 Southbound and off we went.
Only 5 hours and 55 minutes later, we arrived at our Hyatt Place in Lakeland!
Next day on a Sunday, our Friends came to pick us up in the afternoon.
A little sight seeing and also a visit to the Polk Museum of Art; very interesting!
We were impressed by the life sized images by Peter Menzel, who visited various cultures around the world. Visiting thirty different countries and staying for one week with each family.
Menzel photographed these families outside of their homes, along with all of their possessions.
Also with the entire ingredients for the food they lived on for one week, with their families...
Quite an eye opener!
There also is a book: MATERIAL WORLD: A GLOBAL FAMILY PORTRAIT
We went to their home and there was supposed to be a rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center, which is visible from their back yard.
But it never happened... 
We went together to a Thai restaurant for a fun supper together as friends.
A very happy Sunday afternoon!


On February 22, 2017, we stayed at the Hyatt Place Fort Meyers, Florida and from there we visited our friends' Parents in Sebring. 
We all met at their home, except for Roman's wife who had to work.
So glad we literally went the extra mile these two days, for driving from Dublin to Fort Meyers those 815 km or 506 mi. Just for staying three nights, to visit our dear friends.
Mother Yolanda was in hospice and she passed away on May 31, 2017.

22 comments:

  1. E'bello incontrare gli amici che ti fanno conoscere posti nuovi.Ciao

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cara Olga,
      Sempre una sorpresa per scoprire cose nuove insieme a ottimi amici!
      Abbracci,
      Mariette

      Delete
  2. I just remembered an old poem. As T.S. Eliot says, you were in happiness of "mixing memory and desire": good memories of good friends and big desire to have hot and tasty tropical foods. Nice weekend to you and your friends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest RTC,
      Guess you're right in that of mixing memory and desire.
      Both of us have had the best time of our life while living and working in Asia!
      Experiencing this together with some special friends was wonderful.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  3. Amazing ... 429 miles in 6 hours. From London to Edinburgh is 402 miles and that can take 8 to 9 hours. Enjoy your holiday.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Victor,
      Yes, that was a very smooth ride, almost all Interstate I must say though!
      We sure did enjoy our time in Florida.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  4. Hello Mariette, How nice to visit close friends, although a five-hour drive might make me think about the advantages of a Zoom call! I looked up Mr. Menzel's photography. If he came to my place during a typical week, I think he would end up with a very boring photograph.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jim,
      Well, a Zoom call can never replace a good hug and a meal shared together!
      Those photographs were quite interesting and for having to bring out your furniture into the outdoors and capturing it on photo would be quite something. We would not be able to handle all the heavy oak...😉
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  5. Staying in touch, close and personal, is the antidote for Covid fatigue!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Helen,
      AMEN to that and both of us are not the type for letting anyone dictate us how to LIVE, LOVE and SURVIVE!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Dearest Anne,
      Yes, it sure is and even more so for meeting dear Friends.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  7. May You Two Hit The Open Road Again Sometime Soon - Enjoy Your Weekend My Friend

    Big Hugs,
    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Travis,
      You bet we will! On two wheels also very soon...😉
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  8. Un poco de turismo, es lo que quiero hacer ahora, llevo un poco tiempo sin viajar.

    Besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Querida Antónia,
      Hasta ahora hemos tenido suerte dentro de los Estados Unidos. ¡Espero que pronto disfrutes de algunos viajes!
      Abrazos,
      Mariette

      Delete
  9. Okay that’s a fun app…and sounds like you had a nice visit !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Janey,
      LOVE this app as it makes your trips come so much more to life!
      Oh, the visit was so very special.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  10. A trip that once would have taken a bloody lot longer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jo-Anne,
      Before the Interstate it would have been nearly impossible to travel that far south.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  11. It is very important to maintain friendships even when people distance themselves.
    xoxo
    Coisas de Feltro

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Christina,
      You are so right about that!
      Already in January 2015 I wrote a post about that:h ttps://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2015/01/make-friends-live-longer.html
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...

Copyright:

MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS © 2009. All rights reserved - Text and images may not be copied for distribution or sale.

213 Countries visited with 277 flags since:

free counters

Total Pageviews

Blog Archive

Google Analytics

Labels

4th of July (8) Accordion (8) Advent (24) ALL SAINTS DAY | ALL SOULS DAY (2) Aluminum Roofing (11) Amaretti cookies (15) American Airlines (4) American Mushroom Institute (2) Angels (123) Angels We Know By Name (12) Archiving (32) Arizona (19) Australia (25) Auto Immune Disease (12) Ava Grace's closet (10) Baccarat Crystal (65) Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate (8) Barlow Tyrie Capri Lounger (2) Bathing Suits (10) BB and L (4) Belgium (2) Benjamin Moore (14) Biking (34) Birthdays (39) Blissful Relationship (129) Blog Award (20) Blog Pageviews (15) Blogger I Admire (33) Blogger Tips (27) Bobèches (6) Bok Tower (3) Bridal Gowns (6) Britex Fabrics (12) Britex Notions (10) Bulgaria (3) Burberry (33) Burberry Tuxedo (6) Bypass Surgery (8) Cable Car (5) Camille Tharaud (9) Campbell Soup (42) Canada (31) Canada Rail Vacations (4) Candles (40) Carbon Footprint (10) Carillon (2) Cat Nurse (1) Cathedral/Basilica/Church (96) Ceramic Chandelier (6) Certified Podologist (2) Chanel (20) Chaperon (5) Cherubs (20) Childhood (19) Chile (7) China (15) Chocolate (33) Christie's (30) Christmas (63) Christofle (28) Christofle (Memoire) David Rosenberg (11) Chronic Kidney Disease (15) Citizen Journalism (10) CitizenM (2) Coffee Cup (5) Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass (8) Communism (15) Conference (35) Congress (29) Consulting (153) Costco (2) Countries visited (38) Courtesy (1) Croatia (1) Curaçao (14) D.S. Mullis (Author) (1) Dad (119) Damixa (7) Danish (6) Daughter (68) De Gaerde (1) Declaration of Independence (6) Delft Polychrome (1) Delftware houses (11) Delta Airlines (11) Denmark (2) Dessert (10) Diabetes (13) Diabetes type 2 (22) Diabetes type 2 Recipe (10) Dialysis (13) Dieng Plateau (2) Dining with Royalty (1) DMC (28) DNA (6) Doensen Sfeerhaarden (2) Domain Name (1) Door Décor (1) Doris Plaster (1) Down Duvets (6) Dupuytren's Contracture (3) Dutch American Heritage Day (5) Dutch King's Day (5) Dutch Queen's Day (4) Dweilen (3) Easter (27) Eco Friendly (31) Eco Storage (4) Edible flowers (11) Education (82) Edward Bok (6) Energy Star (10) England (17) Escada (143) Etiquette Training (5) Fairmont Hotels (16) Family (165) Family Memories (122) Filet Lace (12) Filet Lace Embroidered (4) First Lady Melania Trump (3) Fleur de Lys (11) France (6) FREEDOM (12) French (71) French Country Style (55) French Lavender Sachets (5) Friendship (279) From Pilgrim to President (2) Genocide (2) Georgia (36) Georgia State Flag (4) Germany (12) Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet (17) Gevaphone (4) Gift from Blogger Friend (36) Gillis Video (7) Giovanni Raspini Charms and Co (42) Giovanni Raspini Silver Desk Items (11) Giovanni Raspini Silver Frames (11) Giovanni Raspini Silver Gifts (17) GIVEAWAY (23) Going Green (36) Graham H. Boonzaaier (5) Grand Canyon (4) Graze Picking (1) Hand Crocheted (106) Hand Embroidered (28) Hand Knitted (29) Hand made Lace (23) Happy New Year (10) Hawaii (5) Healthy Heart (21) Healthy heart recipe (27) Healthy Living (74) Heart Attack (19) Heeroom (13) Helicopter (2) Hermès (2) High Tea (8) Highlights of the Mississippi Cruise (8) Holocaust (1) Hong Kong (7) House Blessing (2) Hungary (16) Hurricane (4) Hyatt (121) I Will Follow Him (1) India (44) Indonesia (23) Interlock Metal Roofing (15) International Workshop & Seminar (2) Irok gallery (13) ISMS (34) Italy (58) Japan (7) Kashmir (9) Kichler Xenon Under Counter Lights (2) KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (57) Kruisherenhotel (1) Lace (6) Lacquered Brass Window Decorations (14) Lampe Berger (11) Lampes Berger A Century of History by Gérald Vilcocq (10) Language (71) Last Call by Neiman Marcus (24) Lavender Sachet (4) Le Chameau (2) Le Jacquard Français (37) Leather Coat (4) Leather Garments Factory (12) Leather Shorts (2) Leather Skirt (3) Leather Vest (5) Leprosy Infection (5) Leprosy Project (10) Leprosy STIGMA (8) Limburg (51) Limoges (18) Limoges Table Lamp (7) Log Cabin (6) Logee's (12) Maharaja Amarinder Singh of Patiala (1) Mainstream Media (1) Margraten (6) Marl Caves (12) Mason's Patent Ironstone Mandalay (18) Maximum Baggage Weight (10) Meeting Blogger Friend (9) Mega Task (46) Memorial Day (8) Mexico (25) Miele (18) Millinery (13) Mom (135) Montblanc pens (1) Moral Compass (19) Mushroom Cultivation (72) Mushroom Editorial Review (24) Mushroom Quality Criteria (24) Mushroom Technology Transfer Seminar (10) Mushrooms Canada (4) Mushrooms in our Garden (21) My Boots (26) My French Connection (2) My Hats (18) My Publications (7) My Sewing Creation (55) Nativity Scene (6) New Netherland (3) New Orleans (11) New Orleans School of Cooking (2) New York City (28) Organ (15) Original Content (32) Ormolu (6) Our Balcony (17) Our Bathroom (8) Our Bird Feeders (10) Our Bird Houses (16) Our Bridges and Wood Trail (60) Our Canine (31) Our Dutch Clock (3) Our Felines (169) Our Fiberglass Window Boxes (34) Our Flower Bulbs (69) Our Flowering Shrubs (135) Our Flowering Trees (31) Our Flowering Vines (37) Our Flowers (63) Our Fragrant Flowers (175) Our Garden (60) Our Garden Critters (81) Our Gazebo (57) Our Greenhouse (22) Our Home (163) Our Life in Indonesia (76) Our Life in Italy (36) Our Magnolias (56) Our Palm Trees (20) Our Pet Squirrel (1) Our Pond (28) Our Pot Plants (52) Our Rose Arbor (5) Our Rose Suite (17) Our Roses (61) Our Shrubs (7) Our Trees (55) P.J.C. Vedder's Memoirs (277) P.J.C. Vedder's Publications (87) Patio (35) Pearls (28) People to People Citizen Ambassador Program (28) Plagiarism (6) Poem (1) Poinsettia (7) Poland (1) Pond's India (23) Pre-Diabetes (9) Prednisone (9) Princess Diana (10) Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold (32) Quotes (63) Religious Paper Lace (2) Relive (54) Replacements Ltd. (19) REPOUSSE Silver (10) Resilientista (31) Ristorante da Maria (35) Romania (5) Romantic Boxes with Pansies (2) Romantic Rose Boxes (7) Rose Jewelry (10) Rose silverware (65) Rose Stepping Stones (5) Roses (6) Rösle (7) Rotary International (6) Royal Mail (1) Saint Nicholas (13) Saint Valentine's Day (14) Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th (12) Santa Barbara Plantation (3) Santa Claus (12) Saving Energy (18) Scraped Content (9) Serbia (2) Servitude (1) Silver Knife Rests (19) Sinden Award (13) Singapore Airlines (1) Singing (38) Sinterklaas (10) Skiing (5) Socialism (8) South Africa (20) Spain (1) SPAWN MATE SYMPOSIUM (2) Spectrenoir (94) Storage and Organizing (6) Super Power Readers (4) Sweden (2) Switzerland (13) Table Setting (32) Taiwan (3) Tanner Krolle (4) Tavel (1) Tea (25) Tea Cup (15) Thailand (2) Thanksgiving (11) The Bridge (13) The Netherlands (22) Theodore Haviland France (2) Toile de Jouy (5) Tornado (3) Toyota RAV4 (14) Transparent Acrylic Bolts and Nuts (3) Travel (436) Travel by Rail (25) Tropical Thunderstorms (4) Uncle Bo Whaley (18) UNESCO World Heritage Site (22) United States Citizenship (12) United States Flag (14) Vases (101) Viking River Cruise (10) Vintage Lampe Berger (13) Vintage Woodworks (34) Vinyl Picket Fence (22) Water Control (20) Wedding (13) Wedding Anniversary (22) WeFie (14) WGXA.TV (3) Wolford (22) Wool Fedora Hat (8) World Bank (2) World Leprosy Day (4) World Polio Day (3) Writing (100) Yves Delorme (8) Yves Saint Laurent (3) Zegna (13)