Another Birthday for my Pieter is Ending

 Pieter's 94th Birthday started with sunshine for breakfast!

That was the perfect setting...

It does bring you IN THE MOOD!

On Sunday evening, October 25, in 1998, Pieter was in a happy mood so he played Glenn Miller's In The Mood which was recorded in 1939

Dad's Unique Royal Dutch Singers' Association Certificate for 80 Years Singing

 Yes, exactly on the day of his death, Dad would have been a singer for 81 years!

Dad joined the Church Choir at the age of 17 and soon he became a member of the Horster Mannenkoor (Men's choir) as a First Tenor.

In 1988 Dad (left) got honored as one of the Golden Quintet members...

1998 Dad (right) got honored as one of a quartet for 60 years singing.

On his lapel, Dad now proudly displayed his Royal Dutch Singers' Association pin in honor of his 60 years as a singer.

In 2008, Dad got serenaded by the Horster Mannenkoor and received his Royal Dutch Singers' Association Certificate for 70 years singing.

Photo courtesy of one of my siblings in The Netherlands

In 2013, Dad obtained another Royal Dutch Singers' Association Certificate for 75 years being a singer...

Again they got serenaded by the other members of the Horster Mannenkoor (photo courtesy of one of my siblings in The Netherlands).

Mom is beaming and she received a bouquet of flowers.

Mom is wearing my Majorica pearls that we gifted her in December of 1983.

On Friday, June 29 of 2018, Dad received his Nationally UNIQUE Royal Dutch Singers' Association Certificate for 80 years being a singer...

This time without Mom, as she passed away on January 27, 2015

Dad beaming himself, when he got recognized and awarded the above Certificate and an engraved Pewter Plate.

This engraved pewter plate came home with me from my final trip to Limburg...

Very hard to capture it, so I took it outside.

PIET VAN DEN MUNCKHOF

80 JAAR LID (80 YEARS MEMBER)

HORSTER MANNENKOOR

JULI 2018 (JULY 2018)

~

COPPERSMITHING

P. VAN DER BEELE

HORST, LIMBURG/THE NETHERLANDS

ETAIN — TIN — ZINN — PEWTER (French — Dutch — German — English)

97% by KIS KIN 

Made in Belgium

Now it resides in our home in Georgia, with the 2nd born child of 8 and the ONLY one singing...

My Paternal Grandma sang first soprano, Dad first tenor, Mom first soprano for over 25 years with the elderly choir.

My Mother–in–law (my paternal Grandma's best friend) sang also in a choir as alto.

Fond memories...

Related links:

Limburg — The Emotional Part | previous post by me about my FINAL TRIP HOME 

From CitizenM Hotel on Delta Airlines from Amsterdam to Savannah, Georgia | previous post by me about Dad's performance ONE MONTH before his death...

Thank You Lord — Horster Mannenkoor | previous post by me about Dad singing

Soon Ah Will Be Done With The Troubles Of The World | previous post by me about Dad singing

Dad Sang Avé Maria from Bach-Gounod | previous post by me about Dad singing

Thinking about Mom and Dad on Saint Cecilia | previous post by me about Dad singing

Dad Sang Solo on Mom & Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary | previous post by me about Dad singing

{W.A. Mozart Composed this Heavenly Mass in C, K 167 at Age 17} | previous post by me about Dad happily anticipating Mass sung by Horster Mannenkoor

Auf der Heide blühn die letzten Rosen | Youtube video where Dad sings when he was half a year widower...

{My Daddy - Papa} | previous post by me and mention about Dad singing a solo at the Church of our friends here in Dublin...

Team Vedder and Our North Dakota Adventure

Yep, Team Vedder as—VEDDERS CONSULTANTS—got all kind of requests.

Our # 10 Consulting trip brought us to North Dakota where we were going to work for a mushroom farm facing bankruptcy.

On Saturday, January 9, we both left by 1:30 PM for the Atlanta Airport (a good 2 hour drive). 

Our flight went via Minneapolis/St. Paul to Grand Forks in North Dakota where we arrived by 8:50 PM.

On one of the Campbell Soup Seminars that Pieter did in October 1992—the owner had begged Pieter to come to his small mushroom farm in North Dakota—he was desperate!

They made their own compost, had 1 tunnel and 5 growing rooms of 400 m² built by the Dutch company Huub Aerts.

More than likely the son of a Pennsylvanian mushroom grower that liked to leave his Dad's old farm—sorry for his Dad—will come to manage the farm.

Don Dusek came to pick us up and together with him, another hour driving the 60 mi (96.5 km) to our Motel in Park River, North Dakota.

We both slept well and on Sunday, January 10, Don Dusek came to our motel and had breakfast with us. We went to Church with him in Pisek, together with his son and daughter—all Catholic Czechs. 

Next we had lunch and went to the mushroom farm till 3:30 PM.

There was a lot of snow and it was –25°F or about –32°C with a daytime temperature of –5°F or –20.5°C. 

By 5:00 PM we went together for supper to Ron (3rd generation Norwegian) & Renae, together with Steve.  

We got an old car from Don and we both returned to our motel.

Monday, January 11, the day started with an empty battery! Someone from the farm came over. 

After our breakfast at the Guest House we head to the farm to work.

Very busy day with the 9 harvesters. 

Pieter does some training  in the afternoon after first going over the farm.

We had supper at the guest house.

Tuesday, picked with the harvesters and visited them individually training and correcting—they opened up and start to follow my training and it goes well!

For lunch we got stuck in the snow with that old car—due to having gotten off road!

No telling where the road ends—with such a layer of snow... We don't live there.

After work we have supper at the restaurant of our motel: Don, Ron & Renae, Steve and both of us.

Wednesday January 13, Steve departed this morning, back to Pennsylvania. 

Both of us continue with our training. Very busy and working over time in room 4...

We both have supper at the motel at Alice's.

Thursday, January 14. Don's old car broke down and he came to pick us up in his pickup. 

Don was quite a figure! He actually has a gravel business! 

He went on to tell us a nice story. They were at the gravel extraction site, stone breaking when suddenly bones and skulls appeared...

They stopped and called the police as they first thought about a possible murder case.

As a result they halted the entire enterprise for days and eventually the investigation led to ancient Indians—no murder case and it all had cost him some US $ 40,000. 

So he gave his people the instruction: Whatever you see, keep grinding!

Another routine work day and we picked off room 4 entirely and cleaned the beds by removing any stumps and debris. Good feeling!

Friday, January 15, we packed and had our breakfast with Don and he drove us around for seeing a potato grading company, to which Ron was connected. That was quite impressive!

In water through concrete canals under the road they transported them into large sheds where they got sorted and bagged—heavy work! 

Too bad we had forgotten to bring our camera for this trip...

It was so huge that for every American they had 2 kilos or 4.4 pounds in stock—so impressive!

By 10:30 we did a slide presentation for the harvesters.

Farewell to a satisfied group.

My ONLY paycheck were red roses with ferns and baby's breath + card!

Thanks!

You went all out...

...and

The results were outstanding!

Training by Pieter for the men till past 7:00 PM.

Then we had dinner with them, including Sherry their daughter.

Saturday, January 16, we briefly went to the farm and Duane is now also caught up.

At 11:00 AM take off from Grand Forks and via Minneapolis/St. Paul to Atlanta.

Home by 7:00 PM and reading our mail with the fireplace on.

Just received one more letter from Ron Monson, dated January 23, 1995...

That was our North Dakota adventure!

It was quite a surprise that on Facebook one of our mushroom friends reacted to this photo from April 23, 1983 when Campbell Soup flew both of us from Camden, New Jersey to Dublin, Georgia in their corporate Learjet—40 years ago!

Still grateful for being able to read such feedback about our training after 40 years.

Related link:

modern mushroom growing 2020 harvesting | previous post by me

Rosette of our Clematis 'Josephine'

 Pieter wanted to show you the ROSETTE of our Clematis 'Josephine'—yep the bird poop gift!

ROSETTE of the Clematis 'Josephine' a somewhat dahlia like Clematis.

Do you see the outer sepals underneath this Rosette?

They fell off at the time the Rosette fully opened up...

This is the total bloom of Clematis 'Josephine' before the Rosette fully opens.

Missouri Botanical Garden names it: Clematis 'Evijohill' and describes it has been discovered in 1998 by Josephine Hill.

Related link:

Exotic Flowering Vines—Bird Poop Gifts | previous post by me

Three Blooms on BABY AMARYLLIS

Just have to share you our BABY AMARYLLIS...

Yep, Pieter did divide a bulb from our 8–year old Amaryllis and LOOK...

3 blooms!

Just like the Mama Amaryllis it got potted into one of our Delft White planters and is rather happy and look, another baby is developing on the side!

Both images are from April 17 around breakfast time.

This I took at breakfast time on April 18, the 3rd flower is almost open.

This I took today, April 19—from above to show you its 3 blooms!

What a loyal bloomers those Amaryllis bulbs are.

Have you ever had any babies growing on the side of your Amaryllis?

Related link:

Our 8 Year Old Amaryllis with 7 Blooms | previous post with Mama plant one month earlier

Our Golden Mist Home and Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold

 It is the BEST time of the year for our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold...

Saturday morning April 15 with full sunshine! 

Benjamin Moore Golden Mist paint for our home with the Interlock Metal Roofing in aged copper slate and Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold to the right of our home.

Yep, the golden oak had a lot to do with the paint color... 😉

Lots of pot plants on our patio.

Here you can see the entire Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold

Sure it will even be more golden in the next week or so, see links below for the 'perfect' view.

Yes, our Eastern Phoebe is residing once again on the very same nest (we left it there as I'd read they return to their previous nest!) and has babies.

Last year's nest and you can see their beaks up—ready for Mom or Dad to bring them food.

They love their romantic surroundings by Vintage Woodworks...

This morning I captured the babies and we are not quite sure if there are 3 or 4 in the nest...

Pieter did purchase this beauty for becoming a potplant for our patio.

White Dipladenia it is called.

Dipladenia is in the Mandevilla family but it is a bushier plant whose stems grow down and hang.

This photo I made this morning to give a view of the bay window area and even you see the gazebo on the left.

There are lots of leaves blown off the Southern Magnolia tree...

Yes, on Friday, around 1:00 PM we had torrential rain + wind!

With our Benjamin Moore Golden Mist paint color, we of course had to have yellow pansies...

The same planter on the left is filling in as those got planted somewhat later.

A detail with some rain drops from yesterday...

Related links:

{Our Home with Aluminum Interlock Roofing and Benjamin Moore Golden Mist Exterior} | previous post by me

Our Home Freshly Painted | previous post by me

{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me

Eastern Phoebe Reside in Front Porch with Babies | previous post by me

Our LONG Connection with Hyatt Hotels

It was exactly on April 12, 2023 that Pieter's account with WORLD OF HYATT got closed.

Already during the time Pieter worked for Campbell Soup, he frequently stayed at their Hyatt Regency at Cherry Hill, New Jersey—close to the Campbell Soup Headquarters.

That now is a Hilton.

Even our canine Mauzie spent the night there with us on October 23, 1983 as Pieter had to make a presentation for the President of Campbell Soup—while we were in San Francisco he had to write this...

See: From Santa Cruz to San Francisco for the Weekend ←click link.

So that means Pieter was in his 40th year of membership.

But now I got my own WORLD OF HYATT

~

In March of 2008, Pieter received a very unique email message

For Pieter's 50 unique Hyatt hotel stays—he received a gift of 10,000 bonus points!

That was for stays between January 1995 and March 2008...

Pieter's Hyatt Map with Hawaii, USA, Curaçao in the Caribbean and to the right Singapore

Showing the different locations from left to right:

Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport; Hyatt Place Scottsdale/Old Town in Arizona; Grand Hyatt Atlanta, Georgia; Hyatt Regency Jacksonville, Florida; Grand Hyatt Washington, DC

More cities from left to right:

Hyatt Place Scottsdale/Old Town in Arizona; Hyatt Place Atlanta/Cobb Galleria in Smyrna, Georgia; Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort an Spa in Bonita Springs, Florida where we took our Foster–Daughter after her graduation from the University in Surabaya, Indonesia; Grand Hyatt Washington DC where we also took our Foster–Daughter; Hyatt House Philadelphia in Pennsylvania

Some favorite ones in the South East:

Hyatt Regency Savannah, Georgia; Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa Bonita Springs in Florida

Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa in Honolulu, Tempe in Arizona, Norcross in Georgia

Again Waikiki, Hawaii and Grand Hyatt Tampa in Florida

Hyatt Place Tempe/Phoenix Airport in Arizona and Hyatt Regency, Savannah in Georgia and Hyatt Place Orlando/Universal in Florida

Our favorite Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six where we watched Princess Diana's funeral... Princess Diana's Funeral and Our Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Adventure ←click it.

Hyatt Regency Miami

Fun games for points...

Addictive those games for points!

We ALWAYS enjoyed all of our Hyatt stays!

We did start using Pieter's remaining points by the end of 2022 for free nights: Our Stay at Hyatt Place Downtown Knoxville and Meeting Blogger Friend ←click link. Also on 2nd Christmas Day when we used more points for free nights: Our Stay at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida ←click link. 

Pieter also did earn a $ 100 Hyatt Gift Card* which we used towards the end for paying for our meals in Orlando...

Followed by this free stay: Our Stay at Hyatt Regency Sarasota Florida ←click link.

For our Trip to the WEST last year July, we also stayed mainly at Hyatt hotels.

Now I am looking forward to using my personal WORLD OF HYATT card for the first stay at a Hyatt hotel — hoping that will be soon enough in the coming months.

Happy with New Stephanotis floribunda or Madagascar Jasmine

 Yay, what a happy sight at Trader Joe's—Stephanotis

Stephanotis floribunda has been my all time favorite fragrant flower!

Had them back in The Netherlands and also at our previous home in Dublin, Georgia and here at our home.

Ordered a Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda) from Logee's ←click link—if you don't live near any Trader Joe's...

nostalgic photo from 1988 on our solid oak windowsill inside a Delft White cachepot.

To me this photo is meaningful—for the memory...

When we moved up north and then to Italy, a dear friend kept this one for me and I got it back in May of 1992!

Closeup of the heavenly Stephanotis blooms in 1992!

And again here, probably without flash...

Photo from our kitchen in 1998 and in the center of our bay window, I had another stephanotis and two Hoya Cornosa plants around a metal ring.

Below my hand crocheted curtain you also see a Hoya Bella in a brass planter on chains.

We are about to have a baby Hoya Bella taking up residence there!

And here our new resident captured this morning at breakfast time!

Stephanotis floribunda from Trader Joe's

Residing on the Corian windowsill on our bay window in the kitchen.

Just like in the above image...

A healthy and happy new resident!

Do you have or had a Stephanotis floribunda?

Related link:

Our Fragrant Hoya Carnosa Wax Plant in Metal Ring | previous post by me