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!

My Escada Sport Shorts Then and Now

 In my previous post Montréal Old Port and City Hall ←click link—I did wear my Escada Sport shorts.

Writer and blogger friend I admire: Paula Alexandra Santos ←click link—commented on my outfit, seen in the short video...

Everything the same—except I forgot to get my Burberry folding umbrella 😉.

Keeping that in the pouch of the car seat...

My Escada Sport shorts with matching leather belt.

My Dutch Loints sandals, from The Netherlands and over 40 years old.

Back side where you can see also the linen slouch socks—sustainable and eco friendly pieces.

Escada Sport belt.

Escada Sport shorts in size 34 or US size 4.

Of course they are more faded than in the above video from 1998...😏.

Always loved wearing this soft yellow shirt from Time Square Sportswear–Denver, Colorado, USA.

100% cotton!

Very subtle logo embroidered on the front: ATLANTA

My all time favorite little handbag GABRIELLE.

That hails from the mid 70s from a store in Panningen where I lived when first married...

Related links:

Mount Royal Park and Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montréal, Canada | previous post by me where I also wear the entire outfit...

COME Cross the Tengger Sand Sea to Volcano Mount Bromo, Indonesia | previous post by me wearing the Loints sandals

True Indigo Indigofera Tinctoria in Pieter's Favorite Color  | previous post by me wearing my Loints sandals

Blogger Friend showed Exotic Mushrooms in her Post

 One long–time blogger friend whom I admire, is former flight attendant Janey.

She also did live in my birth country and is an avid traveler.

Always interesting to read her posts!

Photo taken by husband Pieter while in Taiwan.

Shown are Pleurotus Eringii being grown on a mixture of sawdust and rice bran.

Janey showed them in her post: We Are Going Where? ←just click link.

It was quite a sight to see them being grown at Central Market.

In 'our' comment you will read: that they are being grown elsewhere in those inoculated, pressed blocks.

This photo is also from Pieter's trip to Taiwan.

Showing you Hericium erinaceus or Lion's Mane.

Janey did show those too in a real good photo.

Related link:

To University of Bologna, Vicenza, Venice and via Austria to The Netherlands | previous post where I'm holding Pleurotus and where we also saw the above mentioned Pleurotus Eringii being grown outdoors.

Dutch Blogger Friend SOLVED Blog List Thumbnail not Showing!!!

Dutch Blogger Friend  Willy from De tante van Tjorven (just click link) has solved the Blogger bug, that has affected many of us... Tjorven's aunt if using the English translator on her side bar a little down.

For Having Thumbnail showing up again on our Blog List on the Side Line:

The trick is that the 1st photo in your blog ought to be inserted under ORIGINAL SIZE!

BUT first you also have to size it down to only 640 pixel by 480 pixel...

It WORKS thanks to this very clever blogger friend!!!

Use the above link for seeing a better tutorial on her blog!

So I want to share it here with others... THANKS A MILLION WILLY!

The Open Air Museum in Kommern, Germany

 For many years I do read a blog from Willy, a Dutch lady that lives in the Province where Pieter is born, in Gelderland/The Netherlands.

She is an excellent photographer and she visits the most interesting places.

Willy has been battling Leukemia and is back on track and we sure wish her a lot more time with her close travel companion and husband!

Open Air Museum Kommern, Germany

So I spotted on her blog: The open-air museum in Kommern - Het openluchtmuseum in Kommern and new it was the one we visited! Just click the link and yes, she has a translator on the side, a little down.

Both of us got invited to join our 3 German sons as they took a day off for showing us around at Kommern Freilicht Museum in the Eifel.An act of gratitude as they were our guests here in Georgia and we were there for them if needed while traveling in the USA.Family, not by blood...We went on to Switzerland and Italy for visiting friends.Doing so, I forgot my black Chanel boots, after a night with our friends in the Eifel, Germany and had to retrieve them on the way home...Adventures!

{Tea in Atlanta with a Blogger Friend I Admire}

FINALLY I get to post this... Meeting a very sweet and special Blogger Friend, Tamago and her husband 

Tamago writes the very humorous and fun blog: GOROGORO & NIKONIKO about her two adorable cat-boys.

Devoted Cat-Mamas together; Tamago to the right.

We enjoyed some tea and dessert at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead where we were staying for a free night, annual gift that comes with their Visa card's anniversary.

This makes Tamago my 6th Blogger Friend that I met in person.

It is always very special to do so.

Mr. D. with my Pieter, two devoted Cat-Daddies.

This was on June 28 of 2015.

Thank you sweet Tamago for this special photo of the two of us together!

As usual we did exchange some delicious cookies...

Again I'd baked some Amaretti Cookies from Almond Meal with Coconut Palm Sugar to bring with me.

Sweet Tamago and Mr. D. gifted us with some very special individually wrapped Macarons from the Mozart Bakery.

This very special Bakery also seems to have a restaurant and we for sure will check it out within a couple of months!

The thrill of tasting a Mango Macaron!

For the color I added these orange Hibiscus...

And of course served, using the Japanese lacquered tray with Kyushu teapot and Japanese teacup, in honor of Friend Tamago.

Sorry for having eaten this yummy Mango Macaron almost before taking a picture!

Mozart Bakery's Macarons are yummy and their tastes are: 

Blueberry

Chocolate

Coffee

Green Tea

Mango

Strawberry

Tiramisu

Vanilla...

Thank you so very much sweet Tamago and Mr. D.!

Wish we would live closer and do this more often.

Related links:
{Brunch in Toronto with Blogger Friends I Admire} | previous post by me
{Port Huron, MI - Meeting with Blogger Friend I Admire} | previous post by me
{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Blogger Friend I Admire} | previous post by me
{Visiting Ria from IT'S ME} | previous post by me

{Friend Celia M. ~ Living My High Heeled Life - Beauty Bag GIVEAWAY}

Long time friend and a blogger I admire, Celia M. is having a FABULOUS Beauty Bag GIVEAWAY! 
Her vision is to create a virtual world, where women can come together to support and inspire each other to live their Resilientista Life. Just enter FREE, by signing up tot the top/right for RESILIENTISTA's VIP by clicking on this link.

The Goodies: Mascara Volume - Yves Saint Laurent; Orchidée Impériale The Cream- Guerlain; Base Coat - deborah lippmann; the cream - Clé de Peau; tinted moisturizer - laura mercier; Gold Dust transformative mask - Oribe; fruit and flower acids mask - Chantecaille; Custom-repair serum - Clinique; perfume - Hermès

Great value!
~ 
See link below post about this incredible lady that survived a near fatal accident and recovered from brain injury. 
Such a feisty girl and she must have been brilliant before as she still leaves many of us behind; the way she is now. 
~
One to admire - no doubt!
Let's support her in her efforts for getting where she is now and doing so much for others that face(d) the very same...

All goodies arrive in this adorable beauty bag!

So don't wait: click an the above RESILIENTISTA link and enter.
~

GOOD LUCK!

Related link:

{"A Blogger I Admire" - Celia from High Heeled Life} | previous post mentioning her near fatal accident and healing from brain injury

{SWEET Gifts from Celia at High Heeled Life}

SWEET Gifts from dear Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista, a Blogger Friend I very much admire!

We did have brunch with her and with Susan from Ava Grace's Closet, while visiting Toronto, Canada in June.

Look what sweet Celia sent us home with:

Pure Maple Syrup; Orangic Wildflower Honey from her lovely state of Ontario, Canada.

Also 8 Syrup Wafers... So sorry that my husband Pieter had eaten some of them before I even could take this photo!

We ALWAYS do use Pure Maple Syrup with our waffles and/or pancakes.

That's what I did again today, see photos below...

The remainder of those 8 delicious Syrup Wafers.

YES, I got to taste one; when it comes to sweets, husband Pieter will win!

Such delicious Pure Organic Ontario Wildflower honey!

Guess when my husband will ever reincarnate, he will be a 'Honey Bear'

Yes, I baked plenty of Multigrain Waffles, using the Multigrain Mix for Pancakes from Trader Joe's  

We got fresh raspberries and blue berries from Costco in Jacksonville, FL.

Yummy looking out on our balcony in the sunshine!

Generously drizzled with delicious Maple Syrup...

Still lots of Waffle Hearts left over for indulging many more times in Celia's Pure Maple Syrup and fond memories!
Freezing them and reheating in the Toaster...

THANK you ever so much SWEET Celia for so many SWEET Gifts that keep on giving!!!

Please do visit this very special lady as only yesterday she went through the very tragic anniversary of her accident in 2006.

Related links:
{Brunch in Toronto with Blogger Friends I Admire} | previous post by me
Meet Celia M. | How High Heeled Life came to be: About Sunday, October 29 in 2006...

Managing Change with Celia M. | YouTube video Excerpt from Celia M. Speaking at BIST (Brain Injury Society of Toronto) - Oct. 28, 2013   

  

{Contemplating Cutting my Hair...}

As mentioned in my previous post, this summer I have been Contemplating Cutting my Hair.

For several reasons, being 'UNE FEMME D'UN CERTAIN ÂGE' and considering also the fact that my hair suffered a great deal five years ago from all the Prednisone I took after bing paralyzed...
So, I'm telling you that I'm not as brave as blogger friend Deborah from The Beautiful Matters who showed us her very brave step: Another hair update after she already embraced her SILVER HAIR.

On August 23... Still rather happy with my longer length.
Being almost at retirement age (YEP), it makes one think.
Growing OLD gracefully is not always easy.
I've been blessed for having kept my figure since age 15.
Fitting in a size 4, sometimes a 6, or 34 and 36 European, makes for lots of bargains!
This is one of them, a lovely silk Escada skirt in 3 layers with an Escada Elements top.
Outlet bargains that I treasure.
Shoes are old pumps from the 80s from  Switzerland.

Had those heels cut down as I 'HATE' very high heels...
Here you can see my SILVER HAIR!

Contemplating; YES!
Never opted for dying my hair, due to my dear husband being two decades older.
That would look very odd!
Just trying to keep it healthy and for that purpose, at times a generous cut is very positive.

Have you stood before such a decision at times?

Related links:
{Did I loose my strength?... Like in Samson and Delilah?} | previous post by me showing very long hair and my stacked bob...
{Prednisone - My Hair Loss & Mason Pearson Brushes} | previous post by me showing my full hair before Prednisone...

{My French Ormolu Jewelry Box got new Bottom}

For several years I'd been looking for 5mm gold nails with claws, for replacing the bad looking old ones in the worn velvet of my French Ormolu Jewelry Box's Bottom...

So finally I found them in France and Claudia from NuNu's Garn-und Stofflabor did put the new bottom together for me.

You can click the above link for reading her post about this job.

This is my Antique French Ormolu Jewelry Box...
It was again a very sunny day and I loved to fill this tiny white vase with fragrant Ginger Lilies.

It does have a beveled glass top and four side panels.

Here is the new Bottom, made by Claudia...

She did replace this stained and worn velvet bottom...

That fabric could not be salvaged...

So we found the 5mm Gold nails with claws and Claudia used some Suedine, that she uses for her Bear making, creating the foot soles.

This is the end result.

My silver Angels feel very much at home for the time being, as long as they reside at: Mariette's Back to Basics my boutique on line.

Once they all get adopted, I can fill it with my own jewelry.

Photo taken with the lid opened for a better color.

Thank you Claudia!

Related link:
{My French Ormolu Jewelry Box & Silver Angels} | previous post by me
A Little Mercerie | French on line store for all kind of craft items

{Brunch in Toronto with Blogger Friends I Admire}

Where the time finally comes we will meet with two more Blogger Friends that I admire!

The lovelies: Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista  and Susan Liberatore  from Ava Grace's Closet .

The waitress was so kind for taking this photo of all five of us.
From the left: Lovely Susan, me, Celia and her lovely Mr. G. and my Pieter...
A table of many languages!

Sweet Celia, had made ​​reservations for all of us at The Hazelton Hotel  in Yorkville, Toronto's hotspot.

We were seated in the rounded area, center of photo, Where the famous ONE Restaurant | The Hazelton Hotel  is located.

The Hazelton Hotel is a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World.

Delicious Chicken schnitzel for brunch ...
Indeed:  ONE RESTAURANT We deliver ... The See and be Scene and delicious food by Canada's Most Celebrated Chef MARK McEWAN.

Bragged enough!
But so well deserved and we're grateful for having both had the opportunity to be here.
Thanks to Celia who had returned from Paris only two days before ...
Jet lag or not, she was there; all smile!

Such BLISS that was for finally meeting in the flesh ...
Celia is one blogger friend I've already mentioned before as a Blogger I Admire.
She survived what should have been a fatal accident, some 9 years ago.

Susan was caught in traffic and arrived a little bit later.
This spunky Mama of 3, is another incredible lady!
Indeed, two Blogger Friends I Admire.
Only too bad that little Ava was sick and could not join her Mama...

A very lovely Sunday Brunch together; thank you once again Celia & Susan - we owe you big!
If you ever do come to the South East of the USA; we will reciprocate.
We both are very happy we did add Toronto to our trip !!!
Stay well and happy Celia and Susan, Until we meet again  ♥♥

Related links:
{Arriving at Hyatt Regency Toronto on King} | previous post by me
{Port Huron, MI - Meeting with Blogger Friend I Admire} | previous post by me
{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Friend Blogger I Admire} | previous post by me
{Our Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Michigan Afternoon Tea} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Flora} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Carriage Tours} | previous post by me
{Patriotic & Romantic Mackinac Island} | previous post by me
{Shepler's Mackinac Island, Michigan Ferry} | previous post by me
{505 S Huron Avenue, Mackinaw City, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Delta Annual Companion Certificate Flight to Detroit, Michigan}  | previous post by me