MOST PRECIOUS GIFT OF LOVE for both of us—MOM'S REQUIEM on VIDEO One Hour Later

 Not being able to be present at the funeral of Mom due to Pieter having had another heart attack and I myself having still therapy for my left hand—felt devastating.

But my BEST Friend Ellie went to the funeral with her daughter Elvira (our Goddaughter) and Elvira's husband had asked his boss permission for using the professional video camera—so he could capture Mom's Solemn Gregorian Requiem Mass

No words can describe what this meant to both of us for being able to watch it on my Mac just over an hour later...Below this video on YouTube you find clickable links with explanation in English and way below also in Dutch.Dad did select the special Kyrie Eleison deliberately as Mom sang it as a 1st soprano with the elderly choir for more than 25 years and for some 18 years with Dad together in the same choir.~Both of us were in The Netherlands on October 11, 1997 and went to Mass where Mom & Dad for the FIRST time ever—sang together in the elderly choir. Quite a historical fact.
Related links:My Angel Sister who Died TWICE | previous post by me about the denial by my sister to give Dad an equally solemn Gregorian Requiem Mass... Just now I can finally post Mom's Requiem Mass and for the rest we can only PRAY for those that denied this to my DadThinking about Mom and Dad on Saint Cecilia | previous post by me where Mom & Dad sing: I Pray To the Power of Love and what the choir also sang at Mom's Requiem Mass at clickable link 46:55{February 21, 2014 Tornado in our Subdivision} | previous post by me—Tornado while we went to Mom & Dad's Wedding Anniversary...

TV Interview by Sue Colter with Pieter J.C. Vedder about Leprosy Project in Indonesia

Sunday, January 29, 2023 is again World Leprosy Day...

So I like to share with you this local TV interview by Sue Colter (and Gillis Video) with Pieter J.C. Vedder about Leprosy Project in Indonesia.

Pieter got quite emotional in telling his/our story...Click CC for subtitle/closed captions.It sure IS heartbreaking and if one reads today on World Data Atlas that it is even inside the USA—that is scary!
World Leprosy Day 2023: Stories of persons affected by leprosy ←click link.

When is World Leprosy Day in 2023? ←click link

Why do we celebrate World Leprosy Day? ←click link

Each year there are 200,000 people diagnosed with leprosy...

DON'T THINK THAT IS FAR AWAY...!

United States of America – Leprosy reported cases ←click link

With our open border—it might even be higher than that...!

Related links:

December 31 With Pieter J.C. Vedder Visiting Sitanala Leprosy Hospital in Indonesia | previous post by me

International Calling as it WAS

 Both, Pieter and I had a lot to deal with those old fashioned calling cards for making a phone call...

Do you recall any of those?

This MULTIFON was one that we used in México for calling and also for getting on the Internet with our laptop!

A confidential number needed to get 'scratched off', see below on the right of that red arrow.

Any way you used it—phone calls or on the Internet—you had to be FAST as it also did click away FAST... 📞  💻

~

We also have used for years a special AT&T calling card for which you had to use different numbers in different countries—before dialing the number you wanted to reach. That way it got billed to our personal AT&T account here in the USA. 

Mom often used to say—our phone bill was not any higher than usual when using their phone...

Of course not—we paid for it!

And then in 2003 came this...

Calling the 1010 987 prior to the number you had to call!

ONLY for 3 US Dollar cents a minute all day, every day!

For the U.S., to Canada and to Western Europe!!!

That was quite a break through.

This was still way before we had our first Blackberry at the time Pieter had his open heart surgery done.

We've also made phone calls using our AmericanExpress card—very expensive rate but in case of an emergency we have done so.

Calling our sweet Sister–In–Love in The Netherlands from Mexico on our American Express card for a rip off of US $ 49.00—while on vacation in Acapulco, México.

We just had to call her—as she was going home from the hospital to be comfortable in her own surroundings during her final weeks with pancreatic cancer...

Over the years we have used our phone a lot and paid our share for communication with Parents and loved ones.

HOW things have changed since!

Now we can do video calls for free from one smart phone to another.

Guess there are at present no hotels that don't offer Free WiFi...

WISH we'd had that when we were first immigrants—for being able to talk with Mom more than our limited calls on Birthdays and special holidays.

It was the weekly letter writing that we kept up.

And oh, how I always saved those Dutch guilders for pushing into the slot for making phone calls at Schiphol airport... calling Mom especially and Pieter his brothers and some more.

On our lay–over on the way to India or Indonesia...

Related link:

Husband Pieter's DANGEROUS Trip back from India | SCARY time when Pieter on his solo trip could not reach the USA so he informed Dad who in turn called me here in the USA...

Our Biking over 2022

 An overview of our biking in 2022

A very sunny Sunday in November, 2022

It was 21°C or 69.8°F

This was earlier in November. Sunny but chilly...

Wearing gloves and our skull cap under the helmet to protect the ears from the wind as we can go at a rather high speed on those E-bikes when going down hill.

On December 4, was my final E-bike ride for the year!

Pieter more often did run some errands and has biked far more frequently.

Pieter's E-bike rides over 2022:

1,550.5 km or 963 miles

A total of 93 rides... one for each year in age!

My E-bike rides over 2022 was 891.4 km or 554 miles

A total of 34 rides...

A bit more for both of us with the July bike rides at Jenny Lake in Wyoming and also recently in December Biking Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort ←(click link for Relive video) in Orlando, Florida .

And also a few short walks.

Planning to roll my bike again in 2023—did so far twice this month and Pieter five times.

Related link:

Biking around Jenny Lake and Dining at Jenny Lake Lodge Dining Room | previous post by me with Relive video

Pieter Proudly Showing Pleurotus ostreatus and Stropharia Grown at the Mushroom Growing Training Centre

 Already in 1981, we did have good quality Pleurotus at the Mushroom Growing Training Centre in Horst, The Netherlands

As also seen in the 14 second video above, here you see the demonstration cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus in the Fall of 1981—photo by Pieter J.C. Vedder

Pieter showing proudly these Pleurotus ostreatus

Pieter is wearing his Burberry suit—which he still has and it still fits as he never ever gained any weight!

Holding a bouquet of Pleurotus ostreatus...

We also did a demonstration of growing Stropharia

A better photo by Pieter J.C. Vedder of those Stropharia mushrooms on page 44 of our book.

Pieter made numerous photos also from mushrooms in the wild.

Seen here are tree oyster mushrooms or Pleurotus ostreatus.

That would become a nice Christmas card with the signature from all teachers:

Top the principal and teacher Pieter J.C. Vedder

Martin van Lieshout

Antoon van As

Peter Rechsteiner

Roel Seubring the manager of the actual production farm attached to the practical training college.

On Pieter's LinkedIn account we did share this post and Pieter got 954 impressions

Jan Smits, the Teacher/Deputy Principal Practical Training Centre for Mushroom Growing 1980 – 1984 did comment as Pieter mentioned him being briefly shown in video.

In this video clip there was an erroneous mention of Experimental Station but it was 'our' CCO (abbreviation for the Dutch Centre)!

Jan Smits replied: Indeed our CCO and of and for – at that time – approximately 800 Dutch mushroom growers and several hundreds of mushroom growers all over the world.

Pieter thanked Jan Smits for this statistical update!

Indeed very fond memories of that period.

Related link:

modern mushroom growing 2020 harvesting | previous post by me about our newest book

{Pleurotus Ostreatus in Wood Garden Provided Meal} | previous post by me and YES those Pleurotus Ostreatus followed us!!!

Pieter J.C. Vedder | Pieter's LinkedIn account

Common Stinkhorn or Phallus impudicus in Our Garden

On December 11 of 2022, husband Pieter made some perfect photos from the Common Stinkhorn or Phallus impudicus in Our Garden...

After lower temperatures and some rainy days, mushrooms show up in meadows, woody areas and also in our backyard. In the past we have shown you already different species. 

Here is a not so common one: Phallus impudicus or stinkhorn.

The name is suggesting that it is looking somewhat like a male part.

This is a perfect example and also showing one bulbous egg—its beginning stage.

Here you can see an excellent video, click it→ Phallus impudicus, Documentary, Time lapse

You clearly see how this Stinkhorn is supposed to attract flies and LOTS of them. 

They come and lick up its spores and that way they get disposed somewhere else.

Pieter carefully removed one just to show its bulbous egg from which it grew.

Are they edible?

You wouldn't even try—because they produce a strong, cadaver like smell.

The purpose of that is to attract flies to their slimy top, to spread their spores.

The fruit bodies evolve from an egg–like bulbous.

Showing some more bulbous eggs.

ONLY in this stage they are edible!

AND—Pieter did bring a mature one inside to let me smell it!

NO, by no means it did compare to my favorite La Perla In Rosa Eau de Toilette spray... 

Have you ever smelled one?!

Related link:

{Phallus Impudicus or Stinkhorn} | previous post by me where you also can see a video about it being a delicacy...

Our Kitchen Bay Window Before and After Renewal by Andersen

 On October 12, we both went ahead and arranged to have new windows installed by Renewal by Andersen®.

A sales representative came to our home and about a week later another person came to take exact measures of the thermopane glass that needed to be replaced.

Those specks are actually in–between the double glass...

To the left bottom my iPhone is visible.

We moved into our home in November of 1990, after it got newly built.

Sure, all windows were shiny and perfect but not forever!

We'd asked a local company if they could replace them but got told that it was impossible with that type of windows...

It got really ugly and in the beginning I thought that I lost it when cleaning windows...

Going back and forth from inside to outside and rubbing really hard—in vain!

So we contacted Renewal by Andersen and ordered new ones.

This sun glare was perfect for actually showing how ugly they became—embarrassing.

The wait for new ones has been quite long—three months but there they are... on January 17, 2023

The evening before I took this photo from outside.

Pieter had already removed the Flower Framers of Cincinnati window boxes a week ago.

The center window from outside and our white picket fence is reflecting in it...

Woke up early and checked the weather—perfect with rain later in the day!

7°C or 44.6°F and high 22°C or 71.6°F

At 10:20 AM the crew of 3 had arrived from Fayetteville, Georgia a good two hour drive.

Loved this logo on the t–shirt:

The Better Way to

a Better Window®

With a huge suction devise from outside and work from inside this was at 11:08 AM

At 11:10 the first of 3 was out... Pieter is looking on in the back.

At 11:36 the new one was in and I took a picture of how it looked so far...

At 11:41 getting the center window out...

At 11:42 the other side window was in.

They meticulously used drop cloths inside and outside on the patio.

We opted for the FibrexⓇ Energy–Efficient Glass.

At 12:27 a detail of the new window...

At 14:29 after they'd already left... All DONE!

The new windows face more outward.

To the left is the BEFORE and to the right is the AFTER and you notice that the entire window is more outward. 

Both of us can't get over the CLEAR view of our garden with birds!

Very pleased with them and they were excellent workers.

The special glass quality we chose is also keeping the heat out and the cold—Saving Energy on cooling and heating.

This also comes with a great Limited Warranty

20.10.10 Years

Glass & Fibrex, Installation, Hardware

Fully Transferable

Kitties we LOVE and GRIEF for...

 A dear Blogger Friend lost her precious Derry boy.

Musings on a Small Life ←click link.

LOVE this photo of sweet Derry!

Kitties and or Puppies can really look inside our soul...

Their faces can convey so much and they truly are such loyal companions.

May Derry R.I.P. and may his Mom find the strength for moving on without this cuddle bear near her...

~

November 22, 2022 our Spunky girl claimed my European pillow, the one below the regular sized one.

Hah, my water bottles on the night table to the right...

This made in Germany flannel set with yellow roses, I'd enlarged its duvet cover so it would now fit the 'larger' Caribbean light down comforter.

It was quite a task for taking it apart on one side with the seam ripper but it was so worth it!

Our kitties LOVE it as much as we do... 😼

Spooky nestled close to his Papi while reading on his Samsung tablet...

Speckie only claims her tiny spot next to her Papi's pillow... arms crossed.

Spooky next to me on the love seat. He sure LOVES his blanket and with one eye he follows what I'm typing here on my MacBook—for you to read...

Yes, our kitties are all seniors and they show more and more gray hair in their fur.

Speckie is 13 since November 10 and her four siblings by adoption are turning 16 on March 30.

Spooky's paw—looking like a blackberry...

But YES they forever leave a footprint on our hearts—and they are so loved!

On January 8, 2023 this neighborhood kitty (male) is on our patio in one of the pot plants and staring at our kitties in the windowsill of the bay window area...

Ours stay inside when it's cold and those 'friend–kitties' come to our home looking for some affection... SAD!

That's why it is a tremendous solace when we lose one of our beloved kitties—knowing they lived a sheltered life with good medical care, good food and lots of LOVE and cuddles!

There are so many others that never get such human love... This kitty also limps and that for over half a year. 

Those eyes speak volumes!