Our NATIVITY and Angels from Italy

Christmas Once again...

So let me show you our hand carved wooden nativity scene with angels from South Tyrol, Italy. The birth of Jesus is the reason for the season... Our Saviour, who came into this world because of LOVE.

The wood carving is so meticulously done by the Italian craftsmen!

Love the angel holding a HEART; the universal symbol of Love...

At present we do have some Paperwhites blooming again. 

As well as fragrant Chimonanthus praecox (Calycanthus p.) (C. fragrans) which you see in the center of this Mandalay Chartreuse vase by Mason, together with Ilex decidua 'Finches Golden' a yellow berried Ilex. 

Last year we only had the yellow Ilex (holly berries) but this year there are plenty of red Ilex.

Do you have a special nativity scene in your home?

Wishing you a Merry Christmas with all your loved ones!

Related link:
{Our Garden's Winter Blooms for Christmas} my previous post about this Wintersweet flower...
Christie's Mandalay by Masons showing you the Mandalay by Mason, as is my vase above...

Grateful to Friend Gil for Capturing Pieter's 93rd Birthday

 We sure are grateful to photographer friend Gil Gillis for capturing Pieter's 93rd Birthday Dinner with Friends.

Pieter is ready for Mass and for his special Birthday Dinner following...

Wearing the very same Escada silk dress with roses, Escada patent leather sandals and Majolica pearls, that I wore for Pieter's 80th Birthday dinner with friends and family. 

Pieter's Goddaughter then flew over from The Netherlands, for being here!

Wearing my special handmade bracelet, a gift from Blogger Friend: {Rose Bracelet from Enma in Spain - Blogger I Admire} ←click on link.

We were greeted by friend and Lady Chef Maria Runggaldier from Ristorante da Maria ←click on link.

She hails from Bolzano, the capital of the Province of South Tyrol in northern Italy.

Both of us were quite surprised to find our invited friend Gil Gillis, the previous owner of our local TV station, with his professional camera...

How precious for having these photos as a lasting memory!

Thank you so much Gil for you thoughtfulness!!!

Now Gil is in the group as well, standing next to me, as Tara, the young lady on the right, took over his camera.

He personally has trained Tara, to become a professional photographer herself with TheFurgPhoto ←click it.

Pieter received his dessert with a Birthday candle on it and we of course sang Happy Birthday to him.

As a Dutch touch, some white tulips in vases with pebbles, graced the table.

Ristorante da Maria

Our Menu 

All in all, it was a perfect evening.

This text on a towel, wrapped around a wine bottle that Pieter received as a gift from our friends, sums it up perfectly:

THE SOUTH

Where tea is sweet

and accents are sweeter.

Summer starts in April.

Front porches are wide

and words are long.

Macaroni & Cheese is a vegetable.

Pecan Pie is a staple.

Y'all is the only proper pronoun.

Chicken is fried and 

biscuits come with gravy.

Everything is "darlin"

and someone's heart is

always getting blessed.

FOND MEMORIES! 💖

On my FB Page Mariette's Back to Basics

1,249 views on Pieter's LinkedIn profile.

Pieter Cleaned our Front Door Lights and HURT his Eye

 Having your own home requires ongoing maintenance and or repair...

One of the LED lights next to our front door did no longer work.

So Pieter started to take them off the wall, to replace their dusk to dawn light control.

This is AFTER Pieter did the job, successfully!

In 2013, the spot behind them has not even been painted...

They needed some deep cleaning!

The contractor that build our home, did not leave much of the wire outside of the wall, for working with.

That made things complicated, for disconnecting and re-connecting.

The hand carved wooden name plaque got made in Indonesia and was a gift for Pieter's help in the mushroom cultivation there.

Cast aluminum in white, that we brought back from Italy.

They both needed a new dusk to dawn light control.

Pieter also did sand the cast aluminum and paint the lights, before hanging them back onto the wall.

In doing these various chores, somehow, he must have gotten something inside his left eye...

There are also glass panels...

While we were living and working in Indonesia, the house got build.

The usage of such LONG screws proves that the professionalism at times was not the best!

On November 3, I had to be with Pieter at the Vision Eye Group Ophthalmology Clinic in Macon for his 8:00 AM appointment...

One hour drive...

We tried on Friday, to get an emergency appointment in at the local Dublin Eye Associates.

But he could only be seen by mid February!

Review for Dr. Felicia Carolyn Fountain, MD in Dublin

Review for Dr. Jeffery C. Hinson, MD

So I was so glad that they fit us in for seeing the ophthalmologist in Macon, the one that did my eye surgery end of 2020 and early this year.

Grateful, as it turned out Pieter had a swollen eye and it got scratched, very painful all together!

With some special drops for two weeks, which we picked up at the pharmacy on the way home, he got fast pain relief and also better vision.

That was quite a scare!

On Wednesday, December 1, we both went back, again early appointment at 8:00 AM and all looked well again.

The Netherlands - Obsteig, Austria - Montebelluna, Italy

Flying once again to The Netherlands from Atlanta, Georgia/USA for the 37th time.
Our 11th trip to Italy by car, in August of 1993, with Dad's Ford Fiesta...

We left on August 4 and spent the night in Obsteig, Austria.

Me walking outside of Hotel Tyrol, now the Aktivhotel Tyrol, Unterstrass 243 in Obsteig 6416 Austria.

Here I am just outside the door of the hotel, ready to continue our journey into Italy!

We enjoyed a wonderful brunch before getting on the road again.

In Bassano, we were waiting till the leather shoe/boots factory opened up...

Taking in our beautiful surroundings!
Yes, we lived in this area and in this very town, our ceramic chandeliers got made. See links below post.
We spent the night at Albergo Gallo in Montebelluna...

On August 6, we visited FUNGHI DEL MONTELLO where we both worked in 1989...
Mushrooms from the mountains when translated into English and you can see why.

On Saturday, August 7, we move to Albergo Hotel Ristorante Tegorzo, Fener, (BL) Italy province of Belluno which is more to the north.
We also had visited Bar Belvedère in Cornuda, that used to be below our apartment and enjoyed a coffee at Daniella's place. We also met our former neighbor and the owner of the super market across from our apartment.
On Sunday, August 8, we went to Mass in Cornuda, our former Church. Next we went to Asolo but there was no antique market that Sunday. We did find an antique crystal jar with silver lid for storing jewelry.

We did drive around in the area and also walked...

Yes, I was wearing my Donna Karan jeans set...

Always hard to leave as part of our heart belongs to that region near Venice, Italy!

Both of us love mountains and nature...
Next day on Monday. August 9, we drove back to The Netherlands and had done more than 2,400 km or 1,491 mi.
That was a trip including three languages... Dutch; German and Italian.

Ciao Italia!

Related links:

{Our White Ceramic Chandeliers from Italy} | previous post by me

Closing the Italian Chapter of our Life with Jan Van den Munckhof and Wilma

Well, due to the earthquake region we were rather 'shocked' to find out that by law you had to put as much money in the ground as above the ground!

Nobody had told us that up front... duh and I did not embrace the fact for having to work till age 65 for all that is in the ground; never to be seen again. Concrete pillars that is!

Also the walls had to be one foot thick and even the roof; a solid bunker.

May 19 of 1990 we drove one final time to Cornuda for the sale of our property and closing our Italian bank account - end of Italian Chapter!

Photo got taken by my youngest brother Jan Van den Munckhof, while we had a break at the Brenner Pass in Austria, crossing the Italian border.

Me, sister-in-law Wilma and Pieter.

Pieter and I at the Brenner Pass through the Alps...

It was great for being with multiple drivers this trip!

Well, Jan had done it on his BMW motorcycle solo, with Wilma in the passenger seat and so did I solo coming back from my 2-weeks consulting in Germany. That took me 17 hours due to a strike at the Brenner border between Austria and Italy.

At the Brenner Pass...
Yes, working at a mushroom farm I always kept my hair long and did braid it as that was a perfect hairstyle. See link to post below.

Wilma was doing the next segment driving the red Opel Kadett into Italy...

On May 22 of 1990 we received our Italian Lire 36,000,000 and also closed our bank account, taking it home with us as US Dollars.

YES, we lived like millionaires back then, everything in Italy was in huge sums!

This was the end of Our Life in Italy...
The romantic creek the Runero, behind our property had been totally closed off now; it ran underground... So much of the original scenery had changed.
Fond memories and that's it!

Related links:
Brother Jan with Wife Wilma Rode his BMW Motorbike for 15 Hours to Visit us in Italy | previous post
Buying Property in Cornuda, Italy below Madonna di Rocca | previous post by me
{Did I loose my strength?... Like in Samson and Delilah?} | previous post by me

Pieter Took Incredible Aerial Photos of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

In 1972, while en route to Jakarta, Indonesia with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, they first landed in Rome, Italy.
The captain called his passengers to the attention of this view...

While descending, the weather was perfect and allowing Pieter to make two incredible aerial photos from the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Seen to the left with the Tiber River flowing to the right...

As the plane turned, now St. Peter's Basilica is more to the right.

St. Peter's Basilica as seen from Google Maps

Sometimes one can get lucky when flying over a certain area!

Dad did tag along on November 11, 1990 for helping us move into our new home

On Saturday evening, November 3 of 1990, we flew from Jakarta, Indonesia on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight 838 to Amsterdam, The Netherlands via Singapore and Delhi. Our month off from consulting work and our life in Indonesia.

This time it was very special, as we would move into our new HOME.

Dad had offered to tag along, for helping us!

So when we were in Amsterdam at Schiphol airport on November 4, we got the tickets for Dad at fl 1.739.00 cash, before Dad and our sister-in-law Bets met us at the airport.
Seeing our friend on his birthday that very day...
On Tuesday, November 6, we got up at 4:00 and by 5:30 we started our drive towards the Brenner Pass to Italy... From The Netherlands, through Germany, Austria into Italy with Dad's Ford Fiesta.
We even did meet on Thursday, November 8, Pieter's dear friend Harry Hollander at the very same hotel we were staying, with his wife and business associates!
Friday, November 9, we drive in 13 hours (taking turns!) back to The Netherlands...
What a schedule we lived by then!

Photo taken by Uncle Bo Whaley for his 3-weekly column about our return to Dublin, Georgia.

My brother Harry in his new Citroen BX had brought us to the airport on November 11, without Mom... she could not join us, as Harry had his little 3-year old son Johnny with him. Mom was sad!
Via Bergen op Zoom and Vlissingen, Harry's 'scenic' route to Schiphol airport we arrived there.
Flying once more on a KLM Royal Airlines Boeing 747 and we got all seated together in economy class. This was Dad's 2nd flight to Atlanta, USA, from The Netherlands.
We arrived in Dublin, Georgia by 9:00 PM and first we all went to see our NEW HOME!
Then we went to dear friends Somai (born in Thailand) and Bob where we would stay for 5 nights, till we unpacked ALL 110 boxes and transferred our container load of furniture.
Billy Brown had our goods transported on his truck and with the help of three extremely strong black guys it got delivered.
We ALL worked hard.

Photo by Uncle Bo Whaley...

Uncle Bo Whaley's 1st column... Monday, December 3, 1990

Uncle Bo Whaley's 2nd column, Wednesday, December 5, 1990

Uncle Bo Whaley's 3rd column, Friday, December 7, 1990


After 22 nights at our NEW HOME we all flew on Friday evening, December 7 of 1990, back across the Atlantic, Dad back home to The Netherlands and we continued to Jakarta, Indonesia, back to work...

Related link:

Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class | previous post by me

To University of Bologna, Vicenza, Venice and via Austria to The Netherlands

We did start early that Monday, October 29.
Via the mushroom farm and hotel Gallo for picking up the Americans at their hotel and off in two cars to the University of Bologna for meeting with Professor of Mycology, Floriano Ferri, an expert with Pleurotus.

Here I'm holding Pleurotus in my hand...

Wearing my cashmere sweater that Pieter brought home from the English Mushroom Days in Chester, 1984.

Pieter in Bologna with Professor Floriano Ferri

A lot of translations back and forth between English, Italian and Dutch...
Further Pleurotus discussion at the University of Bologna and there also lunch, as a lack of time.
We went to a private Pleurotus grower in Ferrera, a former student of Professor Floriano Ferri.
On Tuesday, October 30, first to the mushroom farm of the Sartor family.
Around 11:15 we left for Vicenza and after lunch with spawn representative Antonio, we visited a Pleurotus grower in Vicenza.

Pleurotus grower in Vicenza

The very first photo I did show you already some Pleurotus...

With the Pleurotus grower and his wife, spawn representative and our friend Tommaso, American colleagues and Martin, Pieter's former student around the table with a wine and sweet potatoes.
Next day we got up at 5:45 on October 31 and we picked up our colleagues. Together with Martin we drove to Venice and via another Pleurotus farm we were at the airport by 11:00.
We said our good byes to Long Chi Wu and Frank Gabell, as they departed for the USA.

A little bit time for us in Venice and I found an 18ct golden ring with red coral in a rose form.
Matching with the charm I had for decades! Very happy with it.
By 16:30 we all met in Jesolo, resort area near Venice where Tommaso with his wife and Martin's wife and daughter had come to meet us.
After some shoe shopping (gift) we went to a fish restaurant in the direction of home.
Delicious meal and by 23:00 we were back in Asolo and to bed.
On November 1, finally some time for Tommaso's mushroom farms.
Pieter had a meeting with the Sartor staff and I had a coffee at Annelies' and time to write my diary.
We had dinner at Gianni', where Frank stared at his pigeon soup before...
Always delicious home cooked meals, by him and his wife.

We walked in Asolo together.
Wearing my self made woolen skirt. The fabric was a gift from a friend here in Dublin, GA who owned a woolen mill...
On Friday, November 2, we got picked up by Tommaso after he'd checked out for us at the hotel.
Now off to Montebelluna and that yielded lovely black boots for me!
We always have been treated royally.
We said our goodbyes at the mushroom farms, also to Martin and his brother.
Now off into the direction of the Brenner Pass to Austria.

Our hotel from 1981, Staudacherhof' was closed so we sleep at hotel Obermühle.
We had a delicious meal and were on time in bed!
Saturday, November 2 we got up at 7:00 and after a delicious breakfast (oh, how we miss that bread here in the USA) we were riding by 9:00 via Munich.
With a stop in Altenahr, Germany and a quick visit with a dear friend, just as a coffee break, we were at my Parent's home by 19:15 with Babi Pangang from the Chinese restaurant...
We ourselves did drive some 3800 km and in Italy they drove another 1000 km with us.
*
On Wednesday November 7, we had a 25th wedding anniversary of Pieter's best friend.
A lovely day with lots of people we know.
On our wedding anniversary day,  the 10th of November, we flew back to Atlanta, USA...
~~☼~~
Thanks for your visit and comment!