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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 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
Showing posts with label Organ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organ. Show all posts

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Pieter practicing Bach's Minuet

A happy Pieter on Sunday evening, October 25, 1998 while I was cooking supper...
Pieter points to section where he has to play 8 notes at once and also read them!

ENJOY: 

Monday, July 24, 2023

Pieter In The Mood—My Youngest Brother Will Arrive Next Day

 Yep, after working VERY hard for several days to have home and garden looking perfect for the arrival of my youngest brother Jan and his wife Wilma—Pieter plays on his organ "In The Mood" by Glenn Miller. 
Pieter's 'duck face' tells he is HAPPY!
Sure glad that I captured this moment...


Enjoy!

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Another Birthday for my Pieter is Ending

 Pieter's 94th Birthday started with sunshine for breakfast!
That was the perfect setting...
It does bring you IN THE MOOD!
On Sunday evening, October 25, in 1998, Pieter was in a happy mood so he played Glenn Miller's In The Mood which was recorded in 1939

Friday, September 2, 2022

Sainte Anne de Beaupré Basilica, Québec, Canada

 Beautiful neo-Roman style Church of 300 feet or 100 meters height.
We happened to visit there on August 15, 1998 on the feast of the Assumption of Mary...
Well, with my baptismal names being Maria–Anna–Martha, this was very special!
Sainte Anne was the Grandmother of Jesus and I'm named after her and my Godmother Anna Maria (my maternal Grandmother...).
The original shrine was built in 1658...
The present Basilica is built in the 1920s in a much larger scale, for being able to accommodate all the thousands of pilgrims!
Sainte Anne de Beaupré Québec City, Québec, Canada ←click link for short video explaining more.
Sainte Anne de Beaupré Basilica is the oldest pilgrimage site in North America!
Both of us were so very lucky that at the time we got there, a stretch limousine with bridal couple arrived and we enjoyed the entire French language wedding ceremonial Mass, with organ music and singing in this heavenly Basilica! 
Part of it, Pieter captured in this short video, ending with the Avé Maria.
Unexpected soul food in many ways and we were so grateful.
No miracle happened, except that it DIDN'T RAIN... 😉
Photo by Guy Lessard
Sainte–Anne–de–Beaupré Shrine ←click link.
We ended our day with a delicious dinner at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City. The French influence is so obvious, even in the meat sizes, compared to the USA. And the vegetable servings are more generous—which made us feel like being back in Europe again.
Feeling grateful when we returned to our room by 21:30...
Body and soul well nourished!

Virtual Tour of the Basilica of Sainte–Anne–de–Beaupré ←click for very informative video with original history from 1646

Have any of you had the privilege for visiting there?

Related links:
{Grandma Kurvers' Grass Linen Twin Sheets Repurposed} | previous post by me about my Godmother Anna Maria...

Saturday, August 27, 2022

On August 29 in 1983 we arrived as Immigrants in Georgia, USA


 Hard to believe that on August 29 of 1983, now 39 years ago, we flew with our Mauzie–girl on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from Amsterdam to Atlanta...
There were no FREE GIFTS upon arrival
NO FREE CELLPHONES
NO BUSES WAITING TO BRING US TO POSH HOTELS...
Sanctuary Cities did NOT yet exist at that time.
We paid our own way, came with a lot of specialized expertise and we came with our legal documents!
And we LOVED to come to the USA under President Reagan! 🇺🇸
We got picked up by a Campbell colleague and set up our bed and by 3:00 we went to sleep...
Happy in front of our new home... no garden yet but we were HOME with Mauzie–girl our Dachshund.
Happy Pieter, wearing one of his Indonesian batik shirts on September 11, 1983.
Happy me on September 11!
On August 30, Pieter put the pedals on his bike and left for the store to find something edible, while I searched for some china and cutlery in the 30 boxes...
The wicker basket on top of shelf in boiler room got used for Mauzie to ride with us on the bike before the real basket arrived...
By 12:30 we went to Dairy Queen with Campbell colleague Ed, who'd picked us up the day before.
He also went with us to Bell South for a phone and then on to Macon to Huckabee, a Honey of a Deal in order to buy our 1st American car.
Buick Century 4–door Sedan
Now we can drive around and start our NEW LIFE!
Mauzie loved our new car and she got to ride in it often.
Pieter had already purchased this Whirlpool washer and dryer set when he was alone in Georgia for two weeks, prior to our immigration.
On August 31, our refrigerator/freezer got delivered and the guy gave a demonstration of the washer.
A favorite Lois jeans from Pieter shrunk and came out too short... MALE😏!
On September 2, our phone got finally connected and I called Mom right away at 11:30.
She sure was glad to finally get a token of life.
Ed had promised to let the phone ring 3 x upon our arrival (would not cost him anything...) but he'd not done so. Mom & Dad could barely sleep after our very first departure; so worried!
We've kept that routine all those years, whenever we got home we let the phone ring 7 x and that way they knew we're home safe!
September 3, shower curtains got hung...
Oh that ugly wall paper in our bathroom and the carpet!
It was a new built home but not 'all' our taste.
Guest bathroom was less wild... 
Of course a mushroom towel!
Also managed to cook my first meal on this huge stove.
Dutch appliances were by far not as big!
On Sunday, September 4, I ironed all newly bought curtains and Pieter hung them.
Mauzie happy in her oak pet bed...
Those wool Smyrna rugs with roses got hand made by me—knotted with a latch.
Two ovals beside the bed and one half round behind the bed.
Our then living room.
A strange construction with 2 steps down into living room area.
Sure glad we don't have that anymore!
Mauzie looks at us from kitchen.
From kitchen looking into veranda with screens — no windows!
We never understood WHY they build like that as the rain came inside and also the pollen and dust...
Mauzie in an empty veranda and me peeking out of kitchen door.
Mauzie in office with organ...
On October 6 our new TV got connected...
Quite a story as I answered the door and a tall black man said in dialect: 'I come to hook up your TV'...
Hook up was strange to me but I'd heard the word TV and knew what he came for.
So the curtains are hanging and a TV but not yet a wood stove...
Also on October 6, my Singer sewing machine got delivered!
Slowly things started to look like being complete and yes, like back in The Netherlands—we had houseplants!
Also on October 6, in one of the 90 total of 40–foot containers that came from The Netherlands to the harbor of Savannah for the construction of the mushroom farm, came Mauzie's basket for on our bike.
Before we had her in a wicker shopping basket but that was not so safe, she fell out once...
Happy with that and ready for a spin! 
Mauzie loved to ride with us.
On Sunday, October 9, I dropped Pieter off at the Atlanta airport, he had to fly to Michigan for Campbell Soup.
Remember, we had but ONE car, so I drove home alone with Mauzie.
Got a phone call next day that our silk rug from Kashmir had arrived at the Customs.
Pieter had ordered it, more or less the same as he'd left behind with Thea, his ex...
She got the house, all the furniture, a brand new car and some cash as Pieter was so happy with finding true love and now he wanted to close the book of living 27 years like brother and sister...
On October 12, I drove to Delta Air Cargo in Atlanta with the photo album from Pieter's trip to Kashmir.
A very friendly female customs agent handled it and I paid a very reasonable fee.
Then I went to the airport with Mauzie and I'd gone to the gate and spread out the silk rug and placed Mauzie on it.
She growled at anyone daring to step ON it...
Pieter smiled when he walked out of the plane and saw us; ONLY you could pull something like that off he said!
Oh, on November 20, when we all three came back from The Netherlands on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Pieter looked puzzled as the same female customs agent hugged me as she recognized me!
Here is our new silk rug from Kashmir, together with some Dutch pewter on our oak coffee table in the living room.
Top right is our Reuge music box from Switzerland; a precious gift Pieter once received for his helpful advice to solve mushroom related problems.
Writer Pieter J.C. Vedder at his oak secretary desk.
Due to his previous 'marriage' of 27 years, living like brother and sister, the world gained the prized 'mushroom bible'. 
Pieter's 1st Dutch edition was published in 1961. 
After 5 Dutch editions, it also got published in English. Now a total of 8 languages and we published our newest, most complete edition in 20020: modern mushroom growing 2020 harvesting ←click it
On October 29, Pieter built this little plastic green house to shelter tender plants for winter cold.
We also purchased some wood for our wood burner that got stacked up against the house.
On November 22, our new wood stove got delivered!
Mauzie loved being in her basket in front of it and I loved to knit.
That huge bottle of 3.7 liter (0.97 gallon) wine was a gift from our mushroom friends in Italy and we emptied that on New Years Eve in the Highlands, North Carolina with 12 friends.
On December 8, another container had arrived, in which our newly bought rattan set also was transported to the mushroom plant's site.
So our kitchen bay window area now also got filled up!
My hand crocheted table cloth on top of rattan table.
We were really having a home again by the end of 1983.


Related links:

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Pieter playing THEME 7th symphony 2nd movement by Ludwig van Beethoven

 Another of my fond memories of Pieter J.C. Vedder playing his organ... 
As an amateur, without a single lesson ever! 


Pieter was very happy on Thursday, July 25, 1999 and played the organ.
Next day, we both drove to Atlanta airport, for picking up my youngest brother Jan Van den Munckhof and his wife Wilma...

Pieter started practicing on the organ again last year, after having had topical surgery on his right hand's ring finger at Ortho Georgia in Macon.
Day after surgery, looking bruised and blue... You can still see where they went inside for doing the topical surgery.
No anesthesia... just an injection and it did not prevent him from feeling the pain.
Yes, his ring has been cut... when he needed open heart surgery they tried to remove it and started cutting it! No success and now it is damaged but still cannot be taken off.
For several hours each day, Pieter had to wear this splint.
It worked out well and his finger moved again!
So... the organ downstairs got visited again.
Pieter had somehow lost the music of THEME 7th symphony 2nd movement by Ludwig van Beethoven but I found it  on line for him and he is happy again.
Our old, Dutch organ, is no longer in the home... it died after over 30 years of activity.
Pieter did once perform some brain surgery on it, by soldering tiny wires on its back board, with the actual builder on the phone. He lived in Florida at that time, during his retirement.
And it worked; Pieter always has been quite a handyman and tackled almost everything himself.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Pieter playing Silver Threads Among the Gold by H.P. Dank 1873

 Another song that husband Pieter was practicing to play as an amateur (without ever having had one single organ or piano lesson): Silver Threads Among the Gold by H.P. Dank 1873


At clickable 2:43 I zoom in on my dried Brizia grasses (Bevertjes in Dutch...), my Mom's favorites!

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Our Rose Suite Freshly Painted

 Our Rose Suite also got freshly painted by painters Stanley Jessup and Randy Slaughter...
They also did the exterior painting, see link below post.
On Thursday, January 13, I'd finished cleaning the Rose Suite living room and placed a Wedgwood bowl  with white Camellias on the coffee table...
This was on November 9, 2021...
A mix of Nuccio's gem and White by the Gate Camellias
Handcrocheted DMC doily with roses was a gift of my best friend Ellie.
They are perfectly arranged in this Wedgwood vase bowl Cream Color on Cream Color.
Other side of the living room with Pieter's electrical organ.
A Thomas Cabinet organ in walnut.
Thomas organ
Cabinet in Walnut
We found this end of 2017, when Pieter's heart condition was critical...
He still loves to play once in a while.
The painters Stanley and Randy had the bed covered... the rest got moved out.
Awaiting guests...

Related links:
{Our Rose Suite Living Room} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suite Bedroom} | previous post by me
Our Home Freshly Painted | previous post by me

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Pieter playing Get Into the Dream Boat of Love by Heinz Dietz and Kurz Felz 1955

 Pieter actually played this very song one day in April of 1980 during lunch time and via the phone...
Get Into the Dream Boat of Love by Heinz Dietz and Kurz Felz 1955
Or in German: Steig in das Traumboot der Liebe 


As mentioned before, Pieter never had a single lesson in organ or piano playing...
This song has a very special meaning and it was right at the start of a blissful relationship.

Happy Saint Valentine's Day!

Friday, December 10, 2021

Pieter playing Plaisir d'Amour from Jean Paul Égide Martini 1784

After a  long hiatus, Pieter started practicing on his organ again...


Here Pieter is playing Plaisir d'Amour from Jean Paul Égide Martini, 1784, in an oboe sound and towards the end, even with more oboes.
Keep in mind, that Pieter never had a single organ or piano lesson in his entire life.
Only for accordion...
But his love of music made him play.

Monday, November 22, 2021

Thinking about Mom and Dad on Saint Cecilia

 Saint Cecilia is the Patron Saint of Musicians


Above video from Easter Saturday, April 6, 1996 is a nice musical medley with Mom & Dad and Pieter first playing the keyboard and later playing the organ.
Keep in mind, this is just IMPROMPTU...
The video can best be viewed on YouTube, so you can read the text below, where I've better explained with clickable points.

Songs being partly sung are: Thank You Lord (Dad) with Pieter playing the organ.
Dad with Mom and our friend singing 'Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe', a German song 'I pray to the power of love' by Russian composter Dmitri Bortniansky (1751 - 1825) and text by Gerhard Tersteegen (1697 - 1825).
Next is Guten Abend, Gute nacht (Good evening, good night – Brahms lullaby (1868).
German – Strophe 1:  
Guten Abend, gut' Nacht,
mit Rosen bedacht,
mit Näglein besteckt,
schlupf unter die Deck':
Morgen früh, wenn Gott will,
wirst du wieder geweckt.

Strophe 2:
Guten Abend, gut' Nacht,
von Englein bewacht,
die zeigen im Traum
dir Christkindleins Baum.
Schlaf nun selig und süß,
schau im Traum 's Paradies.

English – Stanza 1:
Good evening, and good night,
With roses adorned,
With carnations covered,
Slip under the covers.
Early tomorrow, so God willing,
you will wake once again.

Stanza 2:
Good evening, and good night.
By angels watched,
Who show you in your dream
the Christ-child's tree.
Sleep now peacefully and sweetly,
see the paradise in your dream.                            
                     
Pieter also gets summoned by our friend to play How Great Thou Art (which Dad never had heard...).
Video is ending on Easter Sunday at home and it shows that Pieter could not refrain from pulling some weeds!!! 

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Pieter Plays Organ in Bandung Indonesia

On Sunday, June 24 in 1995 while doing consulting work in Indonesia we went with one of the staff people to visit Retreat House Pratista, Cimahi, near Bandung, Indonesia.
There was a Dutch speaking pastor at this Crosier Monastery or Monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross (Kruisheren in Dutch).
When Pieter spotted the organ, he just started playing... without any music, just by heart!
Hope you enjoy this 1:37 minute video.
Starting video with the different Cross they use, not one of the suffering Christ!


The staff member seen in this video became our house guest end of August, the day after my sister and significant other left, after staying four weeks with us.
On Saturday August 26, 1995 he flew with us together to San Francisco. 
On Sunday we got picked up, for going to Santa Cruz where Pieter did a Phase I and Phase II seminar for Campbell Soup for 54 participants. 
Those were tough one-man shows for Pieter doing it solo for two days and half a day a farm tour towards the end.
Pieter did wear a Batik shirt, my sewing creation. The late Pastor Vermuilen was looking on...

Related link:
{My Batik Creations} | previous post where I show Pieter's batik shirt as my sewing creation

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Day 4, Kalocsa Baroque Cathedral with Organ Music and Puszta

On day 4 of this Viking River Cruise we still remained in Hungary and went to Kalocsa where we got onto a bus for making a walk towards Kalocsa's Baroque Cathedral
Such a beautiful Baroque Cathedral!
It is called the Assumption Cathedral.
Looking back from the shore at our docking station where we disembarked our Viking Lif...
A pleasant walk and we enjoyed the irrigation canals for this very fertile region.
Kalocsa is also called the Paprika Capitol of the World!
So we enter this jewel of a Baroque Cathedral...
Admiring so many almost heavenly pieces...
Also this pipe organ where Franz Liszt, the great Hungarian composer once played himself!
It is built by József Angster, a Hungarian organ making master from Pécs.
We were fortunate for getting a very nice organ performance.
Just click here to go to my Pinterest and enjoy a full video with the organ music: A little taste of our program in Kalocsa
You can listen to such same organ music played here as the Grand Organ plays Fugue.
Heavenly Angels...
Such a feast for the eyes while the ears enjoyed the organ concert!
After the Organ Music we walked outside and as you can see, still a lot of renovation is going on.
The Bishop's Palace which was next door was not suitable for photographing right now, it had scaffolding around so in coming years, tourists will be able to get more out of this stop!
Our bus continued with us deeper into the Puszta area.
Clouds hanging but we had no rain!
We ended here in the Bakod Puszta...
HORSE SHOWS
Horse-riding show in Bakodpuszta on my Pinterest for viewing it.
Indeed, oxen, donkey and horses...
There also is a clarinet player to the left!
BAKODPUSZTA in Hungary - Clarinet player see my Pinterest with link.
Showing us all the levels of transport from the poor, like the yoke of oxen, to the more affluent...
Even a cute donkey was included!
The cracking of the whip did not bother those horses!
Here comes a guy with 10 horses!
He is standing on the last 2 and there are 4 in the 2nd and 4 in the 1st row...
Transport for the more affluent...
They were all riding in circles so I did not have them constantly before my lens... here comes the guy standing on the 3rd row of 2 horses with 2 rows of 4 horses each in front!
Called: the Puszta ten-in-hand...
A short iPhone video is showing you the horseman with his 10 horses, standing on the last 2.
We were allowed to roam around freely after the show was over.
Also entering the stables and here husband Pieter is petting these two for a job well done!
Back on the Viking Lif, Pieter took this photo of all the cable work and hydraulics for the retractable Captain's Wheelhouse,  lowering it when having to pass below certain bridges!
Video of 1.5 min: Lowering the deck on Viking River Cruises Freya to prepare for low bridges just click link.


Clever minds that work this all out.
Standing on the deck around 18:30 and on the Danube at Draž, in Croatia already...
That evening for dinner I wore my Hungarian blouse from Szentendre that I bought at my previous trip, see link below post.
Relive video of the walk to the Kalocsa Cathedral and at the Puszta
Our Kalocsa walk...
Relive video of Kalocsa visit followed by the Puszta and then the Viking Lif reaching Vukovar, Croatia before the end of the day...
When there was NO SIGNAL the line got connected straight to the point where the Relive App picked up the signal again... Funny, as it goes over-land at times!

Related posts:

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