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
On Monday, January 9, I would make my rounds to Atlanta and to Marietta also for having my Rado watch's battery replaced.
BUT on Sunday evening when brushing my hair and removing the Chanel barrette I noticed that its spring got half broken away...
So, we made another stop at Neiman Marcus at their Chanel Boutique for having it repaired.
Will be so happy when it will be ready with a new spring.
It was right there at the store on the counter, that I noticed some earrings, longer model and with a pearl...
SO... Pieter bought those for me as an early Birthday gift—and I did NOT object 😉
They got nicely gift wrapped with the famous white Chanel Camélia...
Our white hyacinths from Trader Joe's were blooming nicely in our bay window area.
Lovely white Camélia and ribbon...
A card with embossed white camélia and gift box...
Inside the gift box...
Tada...!
Nice Strass Crystals and the CC logo with pearls.
Photo taken outside in bright sunlight on Sunday, February 5.
Metal & Strass
Gold, Pink & Iridescent Crystals and Pearl
I'm very happy with those earrings as a gift from my Pieter—even though they're not of gold...
Chanel manages to make very elegant costume jewelry as well!
Wearing my Escada silk and cashmere twinset and when looking back, this is what I wore to Mom & Dad's 55th Wedding Anniversary 19 years ago...
Now you also can see my Escada jeans and our Japanese magnolias that are almost open.
Pieter's shade as the sun was really strong with a temperature of 19°C or 66°F.
Both of us are grateful that the –2°C or 28°F last week did not make them turn brown!
Usually these would bloom on Mom's Birthday—February 12, but now she's in heaven, they seem to bloom earlier on my Birthday.
You can see the white vinyl picket fence in the background...
And the green tree on the left is the Southern Magnolia.
Here I wear the very same Escada twinset on February 15, 2004 when I am happy to see and greet my 2nd brother Piet at the restaurant where we all met for Mom & Dad's 55th Wedding Anniversary.
Wearing also the same Escada jeans...
Piet's kids and wife in the background.
Of course having phone calls on my Birthday and then late breakfast while observing our birds from our bay window.
Here the Eastern Phoebe on the bird bath.
Pieter just added meal worms inside the feeder for them and the Carolina wrens to snack on...
Below video on YouTube you find clickable links with information...
Pieter standing proudly in front of his meticulously straight placed fence!
Seen at clickable 12:26 in above video.
Great job!
Now looking the other way towards our driveway (left) and street.
Corner posts and intermediate posts every 25 m in the concrete.
Total length of 110 m and DAYS OF WORK... Yep, another mega task DONE!
This was also the very day (February 10 of 1984) that Pieter officially had become a member of the Rotary Club of Dublin, Georgia/U.S.A.
Pieter was already a member in The Netherlands since May 11, 1976 of the Rotary Club of Venray, The Netherlands district 1550, where he was President in the year 1978/1979.
That very same year, Pieter was also Honorary President of the Rotary Club Royal Forest of Dean, UK district 1100.
Our late friend Roy J. Chappell wrote this to Pieter on Valentine's Day:
Dear Pieter:
Welcome to my Rotary Club—both you and Mariet.
The worldwide reach of Rotary is manifested in your joining our club.
Whenever I may help you in Rotary—or any part of you and Mariet's life here in Laurens County—please call on my.
What a very kind gesture and he's been a tremendous friend over many years and he did tour Mom & Dad and us around through Laurens and surrounding Counties to show us the rural agricultural part of it.
Forever fond memories!
Such a NEAT fence and here you see the wood that had to get split for burning it in our wood burner in the living room.
Our 1st home's garden was of a perfect size, not too deep in the back. To the right you just can see our veranda.
The other end of the 110 meter long fence with our rock garden.
~
It was on March 9, 1984 that we also had our front porch tiled with the imported Dutch tiles and our garage got tiled with the leftover tiles from the Campbell mushroom farm that Pieter designed.
Just had scrubbed them with authentic Dutch Green Soap and mopped it dry with a real Dutch dweil...
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 Dad
Thinking 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
Long before the Internet or GPS, on July 16 of 1988 we both went to Cherokee, North Carolina and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Just to show my Pieter the breathtaking views I'd seen when taking Mom & Dad up there in 1987.
Campbell Soup forced us to move within a couple of months—so we took our CHANCE.
Picture taken from Pieter on July 16, 1988 near Gatlinburg, along highway 441...
BUT back then there was no location indicated on our photos or slides.
AND there were hardly any signs at the locations...
But, I did find this old postcard on the Internet with the mention of Chimney Tops Overlook near Gatlinburg, Tennessee!
Complete with the huge rocks we were standing on...
We at that time did NOT know about Chimney Tops and it was rather hazy when we visited as you see from our photos.
But now we knew where we were heading towards and on Sunday morning, October 30 around 9:15 AM we started our journey up north—hoping for nice autumn colors as well.
A Rest Stop at Sanders Knob, North Carolina.
It looked rather cloudy but in the end it would turn out to be a perfect day.
We even started out with drizzle rain in the morning...
Once we'd crossed the state line from Georgia, going into North Carolina it was so beautiful.
I'd passed this old Water Mill and I turend quickly to come back for making a photo.
This was in Cherokee, North Carolina alongside the Oconaluftee River.
We spotted a restaurant, across from this water mill, so we drove there and after parking the car we walked a bit.
Lots of gift shops but no other restaurants on that side.
Now we view from the other side across the Oconaluftee River.
We had a good lunch and not even salty—at El Cajelito Mexican Restaurant on 1681 Acquoni Rd, Cherokee, NC 28719.
A much needed break for me as well!
We continued and saw the sign Elk viewing...
WOW what a very special BONUS was that!
The elk is the largest mammal in the Great Smoky Mountains!
They had become nearly extinct and got reintroduced.
Male elk or 'bulls' weigh around 600–700 pounds and the female or 'cows' weigh average 500 pounds.
Those trees had shed already lots of leaves during a week of rain, before we went there.
Yes, not far from the Oconaluftee River on Highway 441.
Then all of a sudden I was driving IN THE CLOUDS...
Made me feel sad as for having come that far in vain—with no view.
BUT that was only at the highest points!
Towards Gatlinburg Tennessee on the Newfound Gap Rd, I told Pieter, wow, this road almost makes me dizzy.
Pieter replied that we'd made a full circle!
You can see that here above!
Chimney Tops Trail starts to the left...
This is LOOP–OVER base of Chimney Tops as seen on this old postcard.
You see that there is a small tunnel going underneath the LOOP-OVER!
Image got taken from the jagged peaks of the Chimney Tops—giving you this bird's–eye view of the Loop–Over on the spectacular Tennessee side of the Newfound Gap Highway — which crosses the center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Around 16:00 o'cock I'd parked the car and we arrived with the most glorious light at Chimney Tops Overlook!
Pieter standing here in front of a tree with glorious autumn leaves... 🍂🍁
Turning to the other side—Chimney Tops is visible to the left!
Now you can find this huge information board—none was there in 1988...
Chimney Tops
Can you imagine smoke wafting from the chimney–like formations on this ridge? Nearly vertical holes in the tops of these jutting rocks make them look like natural chimney flues, and mountain people named them so—Chimney Tops. The Cherokees called the mountain Duniskwalguni, meaning 'forked antlers.'
The half–billion–year–old Chimney Tops, made of slates, schists, and phyllites, sit atop even older rock (Anakeesta Formtion) is softer than the sandstone, allowing rain, hail, and ice—over hundreds of millions of years—to fashion its chimney–shaped likeness.
Giving you an oversight of this beautiful Overlook...
It was rather crowded on Sunday—guess due to the weather.
But at a higher altitude the trees are already bare...!
Again an old picture postcard showing the rock formation on the other side of the road...
Those big rocks on the right were no longer there!
So I captured that side of the road as well.
SO happy for having reached our goal for the day and with perfect autumn leaves still visible and sunshine! 🌞
Pieter captured me standing behind the car.
Couldn't get enough of the light + autumn leaves...
We still had to drive a short distance to our Hyatt Place in Downtown Knoxville, TN
Enjoy short Relive Video below:
That was still a long drive of 493.8 km or 306.8 mi and a total of 6.5 hours solo behind the wheel...
But now I could REST for one day!
Related links:
SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me when we climbed Clingmans Dome—the highest point on April 03, 2019
Just like to share another song that my Dad loved to sing with his Horster Mannenkoor in Horst, Limburg/The Netherlands.
He has been a great 1st tenor—Dad's voice is easily heard!
In begin 1990s Dad gave us a cassette tape with some of the songs they sang.
Did digitalize a few of those songs—wish I had the original but this already made my singing heart happy...
Enjoy:
Dad is seen 2nd from left, bottom row and my Uncle Jan is on the left.
Horster Mannenkoor during their Mass for 100 years Horster Men's Choir November 9, 1894–1994 at the St. Lambertus Church in Horst, Limburg / The Netherlands
