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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

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Hurricane Helene — Goodbye and THANK YOU ALL

 Yes, only hours after the broken water pipe the power went off for 4.5 days...
Tree down near greenhouse...
Creek near road washed out...
warnings
Bridge totally out
Arounf 7 on 27th walked out from front door as garage is electric and am shut in without power
Last bridge
near greenhouse




The Vedder Estate...
Sorry no longer able to reply to comments as I'm in constant pain from thoracic spine area near stent–graft area from repair of tear in aorta...
My Pieter is reaching out to me for Christmas together in heaven.
It hurts to let go of family and loved ones and for kind of abandoning my 3 senior kitties of 17 years + 8 months.
Trusting those that love me will care for them when I'm gone.
It is weird for feeling life being slowly snuffed out but I'm not afraid as my soul is being carried by so many loved ones... 
Did admire Pieter for being such a rock in Faith all till his final breath.
Grateful for having lived in Faith and having found True Love! So grateful to all the support from the entire world, I felt uplifted!
Leaving my writings with now 4,800,000 views for my humble blog...

THANKS

Monday, December 2, 2024

Broken Water Pipe

 On September 26, I had a big scare...
First the Hurricane Warning at 17:32
That was the time I went downstairs to feed the 3 kitties...
Then at 18:53 there was so much water in the staircase area...
Yep, sure needed help in getting the water out.
My Catholic teens came to the rescue and helped with the squeegee to get the water into the garage and out...
By 19:20 someone came and turned off the main valve, as he discovered a broken pipe.
That was the culprit, right under the front porch, where the water pipe entered from outside, it needed repair.
Home Depot was already closed in anticipation of Hurricane Helene so an old piece got used...
A large dehumidifier was left and 4 fans...
Two fans in staircase area...
This one in the laundry room...
Another one in the laundry room...
BUT—by 1:30 AM, I had no power due to Hurricane Helene!
Only 4.5 days later we could finally use the wet vac.

Not a happy time...
But compared to others I cannot complain!

Friday, November 22, 2024

Pieter wrote: Our Weapon—A Powerful Gesture together with Prayer

 At times we find messages that really stand out! This I found on August 17...
In Dutch, Pieter wrote: Ons Wapen = Our Weapon
It was glued to a kind of diary that Pieter kept.
A cross with the four letter word: INRI = Latin for King of the Jews
Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum
Latin uses the I instead of the English J
It actually is a Cursillo Cross and on its back it reads: CHRIST IS COUNTING ON YOU
Also a Crucifix Rosary Ring from Italy hails from Pieter's Cursillo...
On Thursday, May 4 of 1995, my Pieter left by 2:00 PM for Savannah. His friend Hank Basedow let him know last minute that he was not going. Pieter had agreed to join because of him, for being one more time together with a special friend...
But he left now with Church friend Pat Roche.
Pieter came home from Savannah on Sunday, May 7 by 8:00 PM.
A nice letter from Walt Kessel, the organizer, who passed away on January 23, 2021
Hank passed away in February of 1997 and Pat on August 8, 2005.

Fond memories of brothers in Christ.

Our nation has very strongly used its weapon of the cross and prayer over the past months.
God has listened to His People and things seem to be changing!

Happy Thanksgiving to all in the USA

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Pieter and I Consulted for Gourmet's Delight in Eden Wisconsin

One very pleasant consulting job for both of us stands out from April 4, 1993
A special Monday as we got up early for driving to Atlanta at 6:00 AM where Pieter had his I.N.S. interview for becoming a US Citizen on April 23!
We flew via Detroit to Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Northwest Airlines at 4:00 PM.
Upon arrival we had to drive one hour to Fond du Lac where we stayed at the Holiday Inn, now Holiday Inn Express.
Tuesday morning we had to drive about 20 minutes to the mushroom farm of the Floyd brothers John and Richard.
Pleasant work for both of us and we had lunch at John's place, nice and homely cozy.
Wednesday we checked out from our hotel and went to the farm. Another pleasant day with lunch at Richard's home.
 For a chance, we were amongst Catholics.
By 5:45 PM we flew back via Detroit to Atlanta on Northwest Airlines and for this trip we both got an upgrade into first class.
Home on Thursday by 2:30 AM.
From Barb I received a written note:
Yes, the address is Mushroom Rd in Eden, Wisconsin.
Very unique!

It sure was a nice upgrade from tourist class to first class and our first experience together. 
Atlanta–Detroit–Milwaukee with one change at Detroit

Related link:
LEGAL IMMIGRANTS | previous post by me

Friday, November 8, 2024

Our Sugar Maple

Our Acer Saccharum Marshall or Sugar Maple was looking rather nice and full on November 5.
Rain and wind did not add to it since...

Related link:
{Our Acer - Maple Trees} | previous post by me


Friday, November 1, 2024

FOUND a Pieter treasure from November 2018

 When I made a sale on eBay and had to prepare the Giovanni Raspini 925 silver Angel charms for shipping, I reached inside the TOP drawer of my Raphael Angel box...
Had this box made by an Atlanta Holland Club member; Paul Van Witteveen from Gainesville, GA from Italian Florentine wrapping paper.
Three drawers and I kept those silver charms in the bottom drawer but for whatever reason I reached for the top drawer...
Open Raphael Angel box...
But what I found in the top drawer was an emotional treasure!
My beloved Pieter's handwriting...
Sealed...
Dear Mariet
35+ years together!!
What is it that brings 2 people so inseparable together?
I don't know the answer exactly; in my opinion, it is one of those mysterious, complicated, possibly supernatural influences. 
Whatever it may be; we have found each other; two people with different personalities, ideas (and age) but also with many similarities. Some traits sometimes clashed with each other, but the love between the two of us always turned out to be stronger. 
With this in mind, I've always loved you, and that hasn't diminished over the years. 
We lived together for over 13,000 days; in general, sunny days with the occasional rain shower to keep things fresh. 
I still love you very much girl. Both of us are not such overly 'sweeties', not exactly such soft romantic types; we are too level–headed and too rational for that. We may not say often enough that we can't miss each other, nor do we kiss enough, but when we say something like that, it comes not only from our lips but from our hearts. 
I hope to be able to live with you for many more days; Our life together was, and still is, the result of the 'something' that brought us together. There will come a time when we will have to say goodbye to each other, but even then this 'something' will continue to exist.
Beyond doubt!!!

November 2018
your Pieter

Had to sit down and tears rolled freely as this was such an unexpected treasure!

Related link:

Sorry Antónia, accidentally deleted it.. but rewrote it.


Saturday, October 26, 2024

Early July Huge Oak Tree Down

 On July 11, the doorbell rang...
It was one of the back door neighbors.
Well, our vast property of 2.167 acres or 0.88 hectare, borders five different neighbors and additional neighbors across the street.
It was a livid neighbor... he demanded to speak to my husband.
'I'm sorry, my husband went to heaven on April 30...' I said.
He calmed a bit down and continued to tell me that a huge oak tree had fallen down and had taken one of his big trees down and it fell on our fence...
Next day I took my iPhone and went to our wood garden to assess the situation.
That is captured in above video...
We had been having so much rain all spring and summer, that the tree guy could not start due to the soil being too muddy for the use of his Bobcat.
I'd searched for someone that also would clear the underbrush.
My Pieter did that himself on
And the center bridge had to be taken up as it got destroyed by severe weather on February 12, 2024.
Center bridge destroyed by flood water... this needs to be taken up.
Center bridge and wild underbrush...
View towards street and 1st bridge
Center bridge to the right and sadly our pussy willow also got whacked down...
More underbrush...
Underbrush
View of 3rd bridge and more underbrush...
3rd bridge
View from 3rd bridge
On September 3, when I went to Atlanta to see my nephrologist at Emory, Mitchell from One Moore Tree Service tackled the job as it finally had dried out enough...
My first time via Angi and this person deserved his 5 stars!


Mitchell very well took over my Pieter's care for the underbrush...



Related links:
Bridge and Underbrush Clearing | previous post with Pieter clearing underbrush in January of 2022...
Severe Weather with Bridge Destruction | previous post from February 12, 2024

Friday, October 18, 2024

The Book MELANIA

 Sure, I did read during the power outage caused by. Hurricane Helene. Using my Mighty Bright clip on LED Light, I finished two historical books in Dutch. One about Joan of Arc and the next about Love and Betrayel around Lucrecia Borgia.
It was fun as it brought me back to those Old World places I've been before.
#1 Best Seller
Ordered the book MELANIA and it arrived on Friday, October 11. A very elegant black cover with only her name on the center front and on its spine. Just as our First Lady Melania is—elegant and classy. On Sunday, I started reading in it.

On Monday, October 14, I finished it...
While living and working in Italy over 1989, I've worked with lots of Yugoslavian women. Those that fled the country before the war.
Living under a Communist regime was already tough enough.

So for that, I can understand MELANIA, as she dared to venture out on her own to Milan, Italy. Not easy for leaving your family and culture behind and to start in another language—but she DID.
Her Slovenian name: Melanija Knavs super model

From there she went to Paris and was quite successful as a supermodel.

Her next, brave move, was the flight to New York City for modeling in the United States.
For Melania, the former supermodel...

And the rest is history...
For me, having studied three years of Fashion and only been on the runway to model some self created outfits and finally showing my bridal gown, there is enough admiration for Melania.
On the runway in my bridal gown—my sewing creation. This was at the end of each year at Fashion School after I'd graduated already as they had no bride for that year. My youngest cousin was my brides maid.
Showing train of my bridal gown and damsel sleeves in April, 1973

It was touching how Melania described her arrival to the New World and also her courtship with Donald.
She is 24 years younger, so I could identify with that, as my Pieter was almost 22 years my senior.

It was so to the point how she wrote—about Donald, it was as if our souls had always known each other! 
Surely can identify with that...
Guess due to the age difference, the foundation of a blissful relationship is quite different and far more intensive. I've always lived to the fullest of every day and feeling grateful for that.

Her language use is incredible and knowing that she speaks several languages! 

She further described how she got warned that Muslim countries might not shake hands with women... She went to Saudi Arabia and I got warned before going to the world's biggest Muslim country of Indonesia—so I certainly could identify with that.
But Melania got welcomed in a very special way!
That is due to her poise and elegance.

Former Press Secretary Dana Perino said it best:
MELANIA
'She lights up the room, and I think she can light up the country.' —Dana Perino
Dana Perino was the 24th White House Press Secretary and is now an American political commentator and author.

Melania Wearing Her Escada Blazer at the White House, September 2017
Escada is also my favorite couture brand because of great fit and quality.

There is a lot of envy because of her exceptional beauty, her strong family ties (a cultural thing of her region!), her Faith, her intelligence, success as an individual and her natural grace and elegance.

The media never gave Melania the credit she deserves!

Well, I do—with my humble citizen journalism...
Lots of views...

Related links:
Our Historic Christmas in Italy - END of Romania's Communist Dictator | previous post by me also about Slovenia and Melania

Copyright:

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

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