LEGAL IMMIGRANTS

With all that is going on in the United States of America right now—open borders where millions have crossed, one often wonders WHY?!

When we came here, we got checked out thoroughly—checking if we had paid our Dutch taxes and we had to show our diplomas in person to a lawyer that came to our home. No copies!

We only had our B–1 Visa at that time...

You must never have been in any trouble by the law.

So, in November of 1983 going to the town hall in Duiven, Gelderland. 

Yep, another trip across the Atlantic. 

On to the municipality in Bergen and Arcen for a certificate of good conduct for Pieter's stay there. All this for the U.S. Consulate to get our Green Card... our first step towards United States Citizenship later in 1993.

Pieter's Certificate of good conduct over the years 1946 through April 12, 1955 

Pieter's paper for immigration from Ministry of Defense

Pieter's Certificate of good conduct from Bergen in Limburg

Pieter's Certificate of good conduct from Arcen in Limburg

Pieter's Certificate of good conduct from Horst in Limburg

My Certificate of good conduct from Horst in Limburg

Letter of CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES for the appointment on April 24, 1984.

April 24, 1984 again back in The Netherlands. 

Early rising at 5:00 AM and with the 5:50 AM train to Rotterdam, where we arrived at 8:30 AM at the American Consulate. 

New building, opposite the eye hospital... (Where Pieter had his surgery for implant lens early July, 1982—reccommended by Dr. Tan Kok Kheng from Singapore. → see previous post at very top: Visiting Dr Tan Kok Kheng in Singapore. Who would have dreamed that?!

 First to the GGD for X-rays. Waiting for the results. Taking the subway to some doctor for medical– and blood tests. At 1:00 PM with this result back to the Consulate. And ready at 4:30 PM after questions; fingerprints and taking the oath that we had filled in the truth. Our long day got rewarded with a heavy, sealed parcel for our permanent visa for the sum of F 800.00 (Florin = Dutch Guilder)

 

Pieter's x–rays

That is me...

LOTS OF DOCUMENTS and we had to pay a total of F 800 and as you can see here US $ 100 was equivalent to F 310 so it was US $ 258 for April 24 of 1984

Pieter's finger prints... 

FBI = FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Yes, like a criminal we got thoroughly checked out!

What a SCARE Early Morning

 On January 16, at 5:45 AM we rudely got woken up...

Somebody was ringing our front–door bell with such aggression and banging on the door as well!

It scares you!

Pieter opened the door and I heard a woman's voice...

Quickly done my morning robe and did greet her and invited her inside, out of the cold.

She was in such panic!

Wearing plaid pajama pants and a red wool winter coat over it...

I let her take a seat on our oak chest below the coat rack and she then tried to call 911.

But her cellphone was DEAD so she asked me to call for her, which I did.

She also asked me to call a friend, which I did and she talked briefly to her.

Then the Sheriff arrived and assessed the situation. He went into our front lawn, where she'd driven her car, to get info off her license plate.

Later he called for the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and a backup Sheriff deputy.

That elderly lady was from our neighborhood but we never met her.

By 6:41 AM I took this short video with my iPhone as the backup Sheriff drove her car carefully out of our front yard—avoiding the mail box and not again getting inside the tiled ditch next to our brick walkway.

He got escorted by another sheriff as the woman's car had NO lights!

Pieter had placed two big tiles alongside his neatly dug out trench for water control.

You can see more here: {Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} ←click link to see how our Felines supervised Pieter ten years ago...

She had broken one of the big tiles as she obviously, with one wheel drove through it...

One tile is completely gone (maybe scooped up by her car?) and the other broken...

We had early breakfast as it was impossible to go back to sleep!

Our Japanese Magnolias in Sunshine Today!

 It was not easy to watch our Japanese Magnolias (scientific name Magnolia x Soulangeana) opening up on such dark and dreary days...

But today it was SUNNY! 

Yay, that warms one's heart...

This was on February 16... no sunshine at all.

This is our 2nd Magnolia tree and I must say that a big tree fell into it when still young.

That's why it is so lanky but it does its very best!

Did spot lots of insects inside those blooms and that means the birds like our resident Eastern Phoebe can gather their protein once again.

This side of the house we use for feeding our birds and we observe them from the bay window area where we enjoy our meals.

Love their color transformation from dark bud to light inside petals...

Once more a picture taken today with blue sky and towards our home.

And from beneath the lanky one towards the home.

We ought to have the rose arbor and everything else pressure washed again...

Now first we live through pollen season!

But spring is arriving! 

PANSIES SMILING

Already on February 10, I took these photos of our SMILING PANSIES

Due to my bronchitis I took a lot of rest...

 

After lots of freezing nights and also rain, the pansies that Pieter planted early at the end of November.

They hardly showed, nor could lift their faces up...

So I waited for better days to capture them—February 10.

The entire length of Fiberglass Window Boxes along the driveway's retainer wall.

Also captured our 'ever flowering' Rosemary.

We started with several new trailing Rosemary plants as they are evergreen and always blooming.

A paradise for bees—year round!

Another view, now the other direction towards the house.

Now walking around and showing you our Fiberglass Window Boxes at the kitchen bay window and veranda.

And on February 10, our Japanese Magnolia started budding.

Hoping there will be no more frost...

Our kitchen bay window, where the middle Fiberglass Window Box is showing the BEST progress yet.

Also you see the blooming orchids...

These orchids were a gift from a friend's daughter and her husband, given to us on June 17.

They bloomed a 2nd time and flowers were so HUGE that one stem is kind of broken... not fully severed though. 

Yes, IF the sun is out, we enjoy our breakfast in the sunshine. 

SMILING PANSIES also on this side of our home!

We opted for this color to match our Golden Mist home.

We also have blooming Rosemary as patio pot plants to keep our bees happy!

Are you also enjoying some spring flowers?

Related link:

Our Golden Mist Home and Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold | Previous post by me