Welcome Spring and Goodbye Boots

Happy Spring to all and glad that we can say goodbye to our winter boots...!

Also goodbye to thick woolen sweaters and leather skirts... Love wearing this one from the Escada Outlet

Yeah, wait till I'm really TALL!

Entire outfit is Escada...

Cornuda Italy Christmas Eve Feeding the Critters

 Sorry, we have no Internet!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Just an overview from our 5th floor apartment in Cornuda, Treviso when we still lived in Italy.

From our balcony, and also from the rooftop to show the back.

We then drove in my Ford Escort to Madonna di Rocca from where the lot that we'd purchased is visible.

And of course we did stop at the old people's home, to feed their critters.

We always did so on our way to work and they knew our car or if we came to work by bike, they recognized us.

We both LOVE pets and this was such a natural thing to do!Even more so on Christmas Eve.Those black leather boots I'm wearing (gift from Italian friends) I still have, as well as the wool winter coat that I'd purchased in Pennsylvania just before moving to Italy.If you view this video on YouTube and on your PC you will find the clickable markings below for reading and clicking on it. At 0:22 Church of Cornuda, Province of Treviso. At 1:18 zooming in on the Church atop Madonna di Rocca.
Very short but valuable to both of us.
Related links:{Our Apartment in Cornuda, TV, Italy} | previous post by meBuying Property in Cornuda, Italy below Madonna di Rocca | previous post by meLiving out of our Suitcases - BUT we LIVED near Venice, Italy! | previous post by meOur Precious Silver Engraving from Church in Cornuda, TV - Italy | previous post by me 

Kitties we Remember

 

Sweet Spooky II, on January 8, 2006

This precious fur baby died too young at age 4.5 because of Heartworm.

Our then vet, had not given us the right protection against it, only against ticks and flees, not including heartworm. So sad and since then I've always ordered my own prescription on line.

A young Barty, not yet two years old...

Always following us and wanting to be near us; like magnets!

Spooky II, proudly standing near his Papi!

Strange, our Spooky II got named Boots by the Humane Society...

The local newspaper's date was erroneous printed as October and it was Thursday, November 7, 2002.

A cute tuxedo cat-man!

Wearing my calf hair Escada boots, Escada pony hair leather skirt and the cuddly warm Mink coat that I inherited from dear friend Ellie as she, neither her daughter Elvira could fit into it any longer.

Related links of posts by me:

The Kitty I Had Already so I Ordered the Hand Knitted Sweater 

R.I.P. Sweet Barty Boy

{Our Felines - Sweet Spooky II...}

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!

Sister Diny's Rabbit LOVED my Saddlebag from The Bridge Italy

After having been to the Congress in Hong Kong, we continued traveling to Australia for another Congress in Sydney.

Next we flew to Melbourne for a weekend at the Grand Hyatt, using our points.
On Saturday, September 4, 1993 we went to an Italian shop, run by an Italian so I was happy being able to chat with her. In the window we'd already eyed a beautiful tan Saddlebag from The Bridge, Italy.

Now I became its happy owner!

Loved the lock and the stitching around the cording.

So did my sister Diny's pet-rabbit, as it managed to chew a hole in it, while we were visiting her on September 18, 1994... 🐇

Screenshot from video taken at the Gardens of the Alhambra in Spain, with the saddlebag.

We had visited Diny prior to that vacation by bus via France, into Spain and Portugal.

April 20, 1997 at The Spa at Norwich Inn in Connecticut where we stayed at one of their villas during our consulting work.
Wearing my saddlebag (left in picture).

The Spa at Norwich Inn where we stayed in a Villa... click it

From there, we also drove to Logee's for some unique plants

No, I have NO pictures of that favorite bag before the rabbit took a BITE... 🐇

Yep, the Rabbit took a bite right on the leather piping... 🐇

The Bridge Pellettieri in Firenze, Italy

For 1993 pricing Australian $ 119.00

But what to do about the HOLE?

Found THIS: LeatherNu and ordered it... just click link

Well, I have had it for almost 2 years sitting here before using it 'ONE DAY'

Finally I DID!

Starting out with the Leather Repair Compound...

On New Year's Day, I had filled in the RABBIT HOLE for the first time and let it cure... 🐇

On January 6, the RABBIT HOLE looking like this... 🐇

Hitting BINGO with the matching color brown already inside this package and applying a few coats of leather dye.

Got these sponges to apply the dye from the tiny bottle...

Next a few coats with the Clear Leather Sealer...

Result was GOOD! 

And this, after all those years...

Wore my Saddlebag to Church on my Angel Sister's 70th Birthday and feeling happy with it.

Poor Rabbit is long over the Rainbow Bridge... 🐇
It matches well with my Escada jeans and coat.

But I still LOVE my Saddlebag from The Bridge with quite a story attached to it, adventures covering three continents!

Being made in Italy, sold in Australia, taken home to the U.S.A., being bitten in The Netherlands and finally restored in the U.S.A.

Matching also nicely my suede/leather boots from Italy, purchased in 1989 when we lived and worked there. 

Related links:
Our Weekend at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne Regency Club | previous post by me
From Hong Kong to Sydney, Australia | previous post by me

Dad in Savannah, Georgia

On December 4 of 1990, we went with Dad to Savannah.

Dad LOVED Savannah!
Here he is at the Savannah River with the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in the back.

Riverside is such a lovely place to stroll!
Yep, this is where our belongings arrived per sea container in 1983...
This time, 1990, they did arrive in Charleston, South Carolina.

Of course we all three went inside the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
That is me crossing the street in my boots.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist now looks a lot better without all that 1990 wiring around!

Dad standing near those palm trees that line Savannah Georgia's streets.

Husband Pieter took this picture of me with the horse and carriage. Wearing my winter boots but it was a lovely day!

We did enjoy a coffee in the Hyatt Regency lounge while overlooking the Savannah River and Talmadge Memorial Bridge...

Lovely day spent and we did quite some walking from where we parked our car below the parking garage at the Hyatt Regency.

Thank for your visit and comment!

Related links:
Dad Sang The First Noel and Thank You Lord at Presbyterian Church | previous post by me
With Dad to Okefenokee on the Georgia/Florida State Line | previous post by me
Blessing of our New Home with Dad being Present | previous post by me
Visiting Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia with Dad | previous post by me
Dad Visiting Chappell Grist Mill Dublin Georgia | previous post by me
Dad did tag along on November 11, 1990 for helping us move into our new home | previous post by me

Mushroom Friends in Austria and their Mushroom God Statue

Internationally both of us have met so many mushroom friends, so also in Austria.

On April of 1985, I joined Pieter as we both flew from Düsseldorf, Germany to Zürich, Switzerland and we visited with our Swiss mushroom friends, and went to Austrian mushroom friend Elmar Sohm.

It was on April 2, that this photo got taken by husband Pieter from me standing next to a kind of Pre-Columbian Maya type Mushroom God statue.
Oh, I'm wearing my favorite boots that I got gifted with, for doing my first consulting job in the Venice area of Italy. My embroidered suede boots or 'stivali di camoscio ricamato' in Italian. 

Elmar Sohm had a very unique patented Indoor Composting System where Pieter visited also with his Campbell Soup colleagues.

Here on April 16 of 1987, Pieter's American Campbell colleague is to the left, then Elmar Sohm from Austria (his name is also above their heads...), American Campbell colleague, Mushroom God, husband Pieter, son Dietmar Sohm and another young man.

~

Talking about a crazy schedule...

April 10 - Pieter just had arrived in Amsterdam from Taiwan after his 3-week trip to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan on his People to People Citizen Ambassador Program.

April 13 - Pieter went early at 5:45 to the airport for flight from Amsterdam to England and got home by 23:30 after dropping his American Campbell Soup colleagues off at their hotel.

April 14 - Pieter went with American Campbell Soup colleagues to a mushroom farm in Boekel, The Netherlands and to Thilot, visiting Jan Thielen's plant where my youngest brother also worked at the time. Next Pieter visited with his American colleagues the Dutch Compost Cooperative...

April 15 - Pieter left at 4:45 to pick up his American colleagues at the hotel for driving to Düsseldorf, Germany for flight at 8:00 to Zürich, Switzerland...

By 9:30 my youngest brother called me that his boss, Jan Thielen, had not yet left for Switzerland where he'd have to deliver an engine at the very Kuhn mushroom plant where Pieter was on his way to...

I made a quick call and offered to be his designated driver and after Jan Thielen picked me up at my Parents', we left at 11:45. For lunch Jan had a beer, after he'd asked if I would drive. Sure I said and so I drove in his B.M.W. to Full in Switzerland. At 18:30 we surprised Jörg Kuhn, his son Hans Jörg and manager August Enzler. Pieter arrived by 19:00 after having been to their mushroom farm first. We went to the Bahnhof hotel and had a delicious meal with the Kuhns, senior and junior and the Americans. 

Bonus was that Pieter and I shared a great down duvet bed together!

April 16 - After breakfast, Jan Thielen and I drove to the mushroom farm in Full and Pieter went to the Sohm mushroom farm in Austria with his American colleagues, see photo above...

I'd driven with Jan Thielen, next to Herrenberg, south of Stutgart in Germany to visit another mushroom grower. We had lunch in a little village and by 14:45 I headed back to Horst, The Netherlands were I arrived around 20:30 after some 600 km and some 170 km/h...

Pieter had arrived only 10 minutes earlier, so flying sure does not beat driving!

April 20 - with Mom and Dad and lots of luggage in Pieter's rental car we all drove back to Amsterdam airport for our flight back to the U.S.A. - Mom & Dad's 1st Flight Ever...

Pieter did stay in touch with the advanced mushroom growing countries, for educating Campbell's Mushroom Plants' Staff and doing so in a language other than our mother tongue.  Pieter also was in the process of designing the newest Campbell plant in Hillsboro, TX which would be opened on October 7, 1987 - see post below.

Related links:

Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class | previous post by me
Visiting A.G. Linfield Mushroom Compost Facility in England | previous post by me about Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands
{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan} | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's Design for the Campbell Mushroom Plants in Dublin, GA and Hillsboro, TX | previous post by me

Taking Mom & Dad to Bremen Cathedral in Germany where Dad sang with his Choir

Campbell Soup kind of forced us to move to Pennsylvania, from Georgia/USA...

Packing up and preparing for the big move, I also did fly to Düsseldorf, Germany on American Airlines, for only $ 195.00 and 30,000 frequent flyer miles.

This to transport some of our plants and other valuable things on October 9, 1988.
So I boarded American Airlines' 767 Luxury Liner in Atlanta, after saying goodbye to my Pieter who himself had a later flight for Campbell Soup to Denver, Colorado...

I'd told Mom & Dad that I would be wearing my black leather jacket and black beret, so they would spot me from a distance at the German airport.

Mom & Dad had been stuck in heavy traffic, thus I stood for an hour outside but they soon found me on October 10, 1988.
Above photos got taken later in November of 1993 but still the same outfit and it's ME!
Still have all pieces but it's rather hot for wearing it now in Georgia...

On October 12, I took Mom & Dad along on my trip to Visbek, Germany.

Delivering the brass mushrooms for Pilzland where I'd done consulting before, and they wanted to purchase my own design Lacquered Brass Window Decorations with their business logo.

We ate our own lunch at the home of Jan Koopmans, the manager, and Pieter's former student.

Next I drove in about 1 hour, to Bremen and its City Center where Dad did perform with the Horster Mannenkoor in 1981 and Mom could not join at that time.
So now she got to walk in Dad's footsteps as well!
This is the famous Sankt Petri Dom, or St. Peter's Cathedral in Bremen (just click the link) where Dad sang with his choir.
Bremen Cathedral is a medieval building.

We enjoyed the Bremen City Hall (click link) also located at the Market Square.

Bremen's Marktplatz (Market Square) just click link.

Of course, we also did see the famous
Bremer Stadtmusikanten or in English Town Musicians of Bremen (click on link) from the well known fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.
Mom was delighted for finally, after 7 years, having been there herself and it made me of course very happy!

St. Petri Dom Bremen, Tower Topped Romanesque Cathedral from above, with Market Square and top left are the Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Town Musicians of Bremen) all very close together!
Upon returning home I continued with my stops:
Visiting my aunt Mia in Venlo, Dad's eldest sister to whom I have been very close, my Mother-in-law, Pieter's brother Thé and his wife and also my brother Martin and wife. Did not get to see sister Diny and brother Piet during this short 3-night visit!
Next day I flew back to the USA, after Dad did drop me off at the Düsseldorf/Germany airport.  Mom  could not join us, she had to sing with her choir.
Got delayed in Chicago by 3 hours and poor Pieter waited in vain for me in Atlanta. We got home by 2:30 AM and I called Mom to let her know that I'd arrived safely home.

Short and intens trip but with very fond memories!
Thanks for reading my stories and for your comment.

Related posts:
{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me
Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class | previous post by me with more links below post

From CitizenM Hotel on Delta Airlines from Amsterdam to Savannah, Georgia

And so we were returning home from our 66th trip to The Netherlands!
It was a LONG trip this time since we did not want to use the much cheaper, all included flight + cruise from Viking!
Having your Dad, living in The Netherlands and bypassing him would be criminal in my humble opinion.
So here we went, right after having had a very hectic week with our choir, daily rehearsals for choreography and then 2 x performing on Saturday, May 18, at the local theatre.

Here I am, after getting back from Mass, in-between 2 performances.
Did not wear this to Church though... My Go-Go boots belonged with the 60s A-line style of dresses.
Found me this at Neiman Marcus Last Call and JIT = Just In Time. Click the link to read about the A-line silhouette, which did bring back very fond memories of me going to Fashion Design School...
Haha, half a century ago that is, but see, such styles DO return!
Go-Go boots came straight form China as I did not want any heels.
If you click the link, it shows them being very high, but not so on my long legs...
This dress can be pulled on over the head so I decided to take it with me to Europe.

Viking was offering this as: RIVER CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS... Indeed, they offered very cheap flights from Atlanta to Budapest!
But we did NOT want to bypass The Netherlands.

Sure the VIKING INCLUSIVE VALUE was super!
Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase...

If air is not purchased from Viking, transfers may be purchased separately.
We ran into lots of bottle necks but with some back and forth writing it worked out.

BUT... 'After many long discussions with my management team and our operations team, I'm able to have transfers on your sailing at no additional price. All you need to do is provide us with your flight information.' - That was great news and we proceeded with the bookings!

This is U.S. time but it was 9:15 when our flight from New York landed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and I got a message from Verizon with welcome to The Netherlands you are connected... We had not even arrived yet at the terminal!
Still had to get off the plane, through customs and collecting our suitcases.
So I sent my youngest brother Jan a location snapshot...
And again after arriving at Dad's place shortly after noon, when I drove the approx. 2 hours south.

Happy for being able to surprise my 98 year old Dad with a visit!
And several visits that is, he was SO HAPPY, never have seen him 'show' it the way he did this time.
And so talkative... we stayed some 2.5 hours after we had landed in Amsterdam and I'd driven straight to Dad's place for a visit.
The above photo is from June 2, the Sunday before we would be flying to Budapest next day, to start our Viking cruise adventure together.
Dad always had drilled us while picking tomatoes or gherkins about what is the capital of Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary etc. He himself loved Geography and so did I.
Little did I know then, that I would get to see quite a number of those capitals...
But we both had never been to Eastern Europe outside of Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
I'd given Dad my booklet from Viking, so he could study it and read all about it.
He would know day by day where we were and what we would be visiting.
His question was IF we would come back...
Well, as we both wanted to surprise him on Father's Day for being once again at his place with my siblings, we did not openly tell him we'd be back.
WISH I had...
After returning from Bucharest when Pieter was so sick and I too was weak, we rested a few days and there comes the message that Dad had been taken by ambulance to the hospital, serious heart problems.
So instead of visiting him at home, we ended up visiting him at the hospital.
He was SO Happy again and said: 'So yet you are here!'...
We did bring him the remainder of the dark German Lindt chocolate, that we brought back from Bad Münstereifel, where I took Mom and Dad and they always LOVED being there.

On Saturday, May 25 we visited Bad Münstereifel together with our German 'Son' and family.
They had given Pieter a wonderful belated 90th Birthday celebration at their home...

We'd left Dad four of these sticks in the week after that...
Remainder got saved for FATHER'S DAY

Like Dad, I too LOVE dark Chocolate and Lindt has the 70% Cacao... so good!
Even for diabetic type 2, a daily small piece is okay.

So this is what we left on Dad's bedside table at the hospital after saying our FINAL GOODBYE... EMOTIONAL as Dad and we knew we would NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN - ALIVE THAT IS...
Hope he got to enjoy his chocolate and remembered both of us with each bite!
Sad that we had to depart from there, to return my BB & L rental car and next walk the 300 m to the CitizenM Hotel at Schiphol Airport.
CitizenM is a Netherlands-based hotel chain... click above link.

CitizenM says: wise travellers carry a small bag a big heart and good sunglasses
~
Convenient for our early departure as we were next to the Departure Hall already.

You sleep in a HUGE bed and under a light and soft down duvet on down pillows...
Only wish you had the luxury of sleeping in or at least till a more decent hour than 5:30!

It is the most convenient way to spend the night and for my Pieter especially, not having to walk too far is a big PLUS.

CitizenM is located at Jan Plezierweg 2

Pieter was in awe as with our boarding passes in my Wallet on the iPhone, I could self check our suitcases!
They had to be placed on their side, with handle up and then holding the iPhone with boarding pass, in front of scanner. Label got printed and you tied it around the handle and you also received the above Claim Tag! With the weight... mentioned and directing you to Please go to Gate: E20
So there we went, off on our Delta flight to Detroit at 9:20 in the morning...

We did have quite a lay-over in Detroit so we solved that in a nice way.
Since we have the Platinum Delta SkyMiles credit card, you can buy a day pass for the Delta Sky Club at $ 29.00. One of its perks! So I got us both a pass and we could relax, Pieter even could nap in an armchair and they provide salads, soups and light snacks with drinks.
Also WiFi available so I could check my mail etc. for the day before traveling on.
At 22:00 I arrived safely home by car, from Savannah, Georgia... that would be 4:00 o'clock next morning for Dutch time! A long day from 5:30 till next day 4:00...
We went straight to bed, left the suitcases in the car till next morning when I woke up around 5:30 again.
Of course, Dad had been released that afternoon... Murphy's Law!
~
But on June 30, I received a WhatsApp message from brother Piet, that Dad had passed away, in his chair, in his garden on a Sunday...
A jogger had spotted him, sitting a bit lopsided in his chair.
So my ESP, or heightened intuition/empathic accuracy proved to have been once more right.
I'd heard it in Dad's voice soon after his 98th Birthday, somehow he'd lost his spark for life...
Also when he told me that after his bad cold, my sister Diny had cancelled his membership as an elderly choir member of Levensvreugd (Joy of Life)...
Dad has reached a unique 70th and last year even a more unique 80th Anniversary for being a Choir Singer.
He got two Royal Awards in The Netherlands for that!
Sure enough, when no longer being with his tiny circle of friends, his joy for life was kind of snuffed out, like a candle...
Especially dramatic changes for elderly, do have a huge impact on their overall well being.

On Wednesday, May 15 of 2019, Dad received this big nosegay of fresh flowers from an anonymous person through the soon to be Foundation of Bleumkes vaan Geluk (Flowers of Happiness) puts lonely elderly in the sunshine!
Dad proves in this excellent photo that he was pleasantly surprised!
He was scraping off the old paint for obviously wanting to repaint his window...
This was handed to him only 6 days before we arrived by surprise!
Maybe these happenings did inject him with some more life-elixer?

While we were in the Bad Münstereifel, Germany we received this page from best friend Ellie via WhatsApp. Dad rehearsing for his upcoming performance...
And yes, Dad did manage to perform one more time on May 30, on Ascension Day!
Just imagine, at age 98...

Photo courtesy of Hub Vermeeren of Horst aan de Maas
Notice that Dad is reading his typed text without reading glasses!

Photo courtesy of Hub Vermeeren, also member Fotogroep Horst aan de Maas
Showing where they set up a sheltered podium for eventual rain.
It was adjacent to the St. Lambertuskerk (Church) in Horst aan de Maas
Dad sang a very old Horster Folk Song and in the context of 800 years Horst he performed several times, also in the studio.

Dad after his performance... photo courtesy of Hub Vermeeren.
On Dad's nose they'd removed a skin cancer and created a nasty scar... Here in the USA they do a far better job!
There is a video on YouTube: Horster volkslied Piet van den Munckhof, Jan Joosten en Bas Nellen just click it.

My comment is gone...

The other bitly link above: June 30, 2019 ←click link for English comment by me on FB.

At the end of May, at the opening of the 800 house on the Kerkstraat in Horst, Piet Van den Munckhof, togeether with Jan Joosten and Bas Nellen, sang the old Horster national anthem. A month later, on June 30, 2019, Piet passed away unexpectedly, at the age of 98.

Dad didn't die unexpectedly... We came extra for him on May 21, our 67t trip to say goodbye to him. You could hear it in his voice and also in what he said when we called him, So we had sensed and estimated that very well.

We were on Ascension Day at a 1st Communion party in Sevenum but regularly visited Dad and he enjoyed it and talked a lot!

After the absolute and very emotional goodbye in the hospital on Father's Day, we drove to Schiphol and after a short night back to the USA with a very satisfied feeling!

In the local Hallo Horst aan de Maas, the Horster Mannenkoor (Male Choir) published this very warm text:
On the weekend we heard that has died our honorary member
Piet Van den Munckhof
Piet has been a member of the Horster Male Choir to this day; He joined in July 1938 and was by far the oldest member of our association.
Although he has not been active in our choir for many years, we have been able to enjoy his singing qualities in May during the singing of the old Horster Folk Song. As an accomplished performer, he recited this song adjacent to the St. Lambertus Church.
 "Horst can boast on scholars, sparkle by their great talent ", he sang then.
Piet was as 1st tenor for years our mentor and we are grateful for his contribution and dedication.

Board and Members
Horster Male Choir

🎼

R.I.P. Dad!

Related link:

Taking Mom & Dad to Bad Münstereifel in Germany | previous post by me
Day 11, From Radison Blu Hotel to Bucharest Airport with KLM to Amsterdam  | previous post by me