Back Home from my 67th Trip to Limburg in The Netherlands

 Just to leave a token of being alive and well...

Yes, on Friday, June 17 by 19:30 I got home with our private driver (in our own car) from the Savannah Airport.

I'd flown in at JFK New York on Delta Airlines 49, earlier and then the Delta flight to Savannah, Georgia.

Pieter was happy and so was I!

And of course our kitties...

This sweet note from my Pieter awaited me:

LL—Lieve Lieverd or Dear Sweetheart in English...

Together with these Red Roses... neatly arranged in our Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color vase.

Detail...

Two days later I'd arranged them in a different Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color compote bowl.

Of course teamed up with our rose linen table cloth...

More about my trip later.

This was the 2nd time that Pieter and I have been separated for some 3 weeks...

When he went in March/April, 1987 to China for People to People Citizen Ambassador Program.

Also then, I went solo to Limburg for being with family and friends.

Related link:

{People to People Citizen Ambassador Program - Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

My Pieter Turned 93

 Yes, today is a very special day as my Pieter turned 93!

Thanks to a great Cardiologist and complete change of medications he lived beyond the grave message we received from our previous cardiologist; who actually neglected him.

Prayers also DO help!

Just to show you our ABUNDANCE of fresh flowers back then...

All varieties of Calla lilies and sweet smelling white Lathyrus.

I used all kind of Baccarat crystal vases for them, also Baccarat perfume bottles.

Below is a 1:33 minute short video from our vases with garden flowers on Pieter's 74th Birthday.

At 0:46 you see our white fragrant peonies.Immediately followed by pink roses in my Rose China with sprigs of Forget–Me–Not.A DREAM! We have no roses left, and if you see how many we had back then...Guess the competition of the now huge oak trees and others is way too fierce.And we miss the spent mushroom compost already for two decades!That was the very best from mushroom cultivation.

A Happy Pieter on his 81st Birthday on Dutch Queen's Day celebration in Atlanta.

This was good 4 months before his heart attack and open heart surgery on September 3. 2010.

Wearing my Escada suit that we saw while in Budapest but could not afford it then, at full boutique price.

Found it later on eBay.

Around Pieter's Birthday, our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold is at its BEST.

One of our Palm Trees is right in front of it in this photo.

Sadly today was the funeral of the late Georgia Congressman, the Honorable J. Roy Rowland who had a special U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for both of us on December 30, 1993...

April 23, was Pieter's 29th Birthday as a United States Citizen!

Post shared on FB Page

Shared also on my FB...Pieter had a very special and happy Birthday!

Related link:Our Garden at the Time we had Access to Spent Mushroom Compost | previous post by me with video from Middle Georgia Magazine{1993 Today, the American Flag was flown for both of us...} | previous post by me 

Extending the Joy of ROSES

 Guess by now, you all know how much I do love ROSES...

Sadly we no longer have our own roses, but once in a while we enjoy a nosegay.

When doing our usual shopping round in Atlanta at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market and Costco wholesale, I grabbed a dozen of these perfect yellow roses.

When this dozen of yellow roses was showing signs of letting down, I salvaged several of the best and placed them inside this Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color compote bowl.

Together with a placemat from Le Jacquard Français they looked stunning!

For best light, I went onto our balcony on the round teak table...

Lovely buds that never fully opened!

Do you love ROSES?

{Our Jardins de Bagatelle Rose & Tea}

As told before, my BLISS is Tea with Flowers! So when we did have some of our Jardins de Bagatelle Roses, I had to capture them for you to share...

This is pure BLISS!

Wish I also could transmit their strong perfume...

They are such perfect roses in color and in shape and even more so by fragrance!

Yes, one of our Gardenias is also put in a tiny Baccarat crystal vase.

Add tea and some fresh pear slices and you create heaven!

Great moments for reflecting on the day and sharing some thoughts during a blissful moment.
Exactly like dear friend Celia M. writes about in her Resilientista

Perfect for recharging body, mind and soul!

Thanks for your visit and are you also daily recharging like this?

{Wearing my Escada Sheath Dress with Jacket}

On January 5, blogger friend Marie-Thérèse from The French Touch wrote about: Something Old, Something New and Something Essential and in the commenting she asked me how many Sheaths I have in my wardrobe...

Okay Marie-Thérèse, here is one of them!

On April 9, it was a rather cool day for Georgia standards so I loved wearing my Cashmere Wool Escada Sheath with Silk Leopard trim + Jacket!

Also wearing my thick Majorica pearls with this outfit.

Here you can see the comments about the very subject and some funny language details as well.

A Classic Sheath Dress in Dutch we call: 'Nauw Aansluitend Jurkje' or Tight Fitting Dress if translated. But if you search for 'Sheath' in Dutch it also will show a condom... only emphasizing the tight fit! 

But let's go back to Fashion...

Just love to wear this soft and warm Cashmere Wool with Silk Escada outfit. It is lined too.

Together with my Wolford tights and Escada suede pumps it works fine.

I also got to wear my Majorica pearls...

Come to think about it, since we both retired, we don't attend Congresses anymore so the need for dressing up is a lot less. 

Frankly, I'm more of a jeans and shorts wearing girl...

What do you like to wear mostly?

This was on April 9, with our Rose Arbor and soon our two white Eden roses will be blooming!

Things are always growing and time is going fast.

Proud for having scanned now 25 of my 33 photo albums; so there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

What looked like a mega task is diminishing now.

With perseverance and will power.

BUT, in tackling this job, I'm a bit too sedentary for my health...

In a week that too will change and we get back to walking and biking together and hope that will improve my health.

Went to see my Nephrologist on Wednesday and learned that both of my kidneys are functioning for 48%.

That hit me real hard; thinking about my Mom who died last year, after almost 8 years of kidney dialysis.

This means that my stage CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) went from 2 to 3A.

Let's hope I will be able to reverse it somewhat! 

At least keeping it steady and not progressing...

Related link to previous post by me showing a Sheath Dress:

{My Lace Crocheted Gloves}

{Blossoms in December with Sunshine}

So far our December month is bringing us lots of sunshine.

Let me show you some of our December Blossoms...

One of our climbing roses still was yielding us such beauties.

Shown in a French crystal Baccarat perfume bottle.

Of course, our Camellias are also blooming...

Shown inside a Baccarat perfume bottle.

These white Verbena's happily continue blooming alongside the driveway.

From our garden we yielded 7 stems with white Paperwhites, that perfectly filled this tablet with fixed vases (7).

It was a gift that I received for doing a program about Indonesia, for a Women's Study Club here in Dublin, GA.

They presented me with this precious gift box!

Love the snow crystals...

Are you also having high 60s, 70s and low 80s in your area?

We LOVE this type of weather!

That's our weather forecast, up till almost Christmas.

{Rosebuds After Heavy Rain...}

Just on our 32nd Wedding Anniversary we had two cute Rosebuds After Heavy Rain for days!

And yes, we did have sunshine as well as you can see from the shade in the final photos.

Just placed them inside a French Baccarat Crystal Perfume Bottle...

With us, also our felines were so happy that the heavy rains stopped!

Even the small rosebud to the left is showing some damage from the pounding rain.

Roses + Sunshine for Happiness!

On November 12, the browning from the rain on the white rose is worse.
This actually is my precious 'Oma Rose' from a cutting of my Paternal Grandmother's Rose in The Netherlands. A Queen Elizabeth, Floribunda Rose.

Related link:

{Mistery Oma Rose Resolved!} | previous post by me

{Tea Rose Jardins de Bagatelle}

On September 10, we happened to have a perfect single (!) Tea Rose Jardins de Bagatelle!

Yes, we are already very pleased with having ONE-SINGLE rose at the time...

Here she is!

Displayed on a Rose Silver Tray on top of my Tea Box

A REAL Tea Rose and very beautiful!

Fragrant too...

Happy Weekend 

Related links:

{Heavenly Jardins de Bagatelle Rose} | previous post by me
{New Rose Arbor on High Heels} | previous post by me

{Heavenly Jardins de Bagatelle Rose}

Even though the HOT summer heat here in Georgia/USA is not very suitable for roses or any flowers for that matter, we did yield some Heavenly Jardins de Bagatelle Roses from the new supply via Roses Unlimited, planted on May 2nd of this year.

Tender leaves have been burned from the hot July 8 sun...

But still, this heavenly perfumed rose is such a joy to have!

We also harvested two perfect Jasminum Sambac - Jasmine Grand Duke of Tuscany buds.

The first, and larger flower on May 5, when it was not yet that hot...

A Baccarat perfume bottle is perfect as a vase.

Such soft pink touches...

Wish we could have them more often in bloom but it is really hard here in the Southeast.

These Jasmines were perfect!

Hope you enjoyed our treasures...

Related link:
{Jasminum Sambac - Jasmine Grand Duke of Tuscany} | previous post, showing you the jasmine

{Rose with Heart Petal}

Mother Nature sometimes is full of surprises!

Like this rose that was blooming with an additional Heart Petal...

Do you see it?

Just below the stamens, a little to the left...

Light is a bit different here, so you get another view.

And a closeup with some back light from the sun!

Have you ever seen such a rose?

{Won-Ton Wrapper Shells + Strawberry Rose Petal Cream Recipe}

Home grown fragrant roses are perfect for using in this favorite dessert!
Important is that you got pesticide free rose petals!

Won-Ton Wrapper Shells + Strawberry Rose Petal Cream (Recipe below post)...
In this photo I did use Perfume Delight Rose petals.
~
Our Chrysler Imperial Rose below is such a large size red beauty and perfect with strawberries!

We had two blossoms to place on this little Baccarat vase (actually a perfume bottle without stopper!).

In comparison with my hand.

Again this is the very fine hand crocheted table topper from blogger friend Susan from: Ava Grace's Closet

Fully opened up...

Such highly fragrant rose petals are perfect for use in the above Won-ton-wrappers with rose petal strawberry cream.

RECIPE:

Romantic Rose Petals and Strawberry slices in home baked shells.
 Using won-ton-wrappers and brushing them with melted butter; than dusting with a mixture of (Coconut Palm) sugar and cinnamon, then place the wrappers, sugared side up, into a muffin pan.
Only about 5 min. in the oven on 200°C or 400°F and voilà.
Take out of the oven and let completely cool.

Next you whip up some whipped cream with a few drops of Rose Water (Eau de Rose) and add carefully the pesticide free Rose Petals and sliced Strawberries... Dust with powdered sugar.

Instead of Whipped Cream, you may want to use Coconut Cream instead.
Place a can of Coconut Cream in the fridge, overnight.
Carefully open up and scoop out the hardened top layer and all creamy substance, leaving the liquid for other uses like in smoothies. Just whip it with the Rose Water drops and proceed like above.

Oh, from the same won-ton-wrappers I did cut out hearts for decoration...

Using a Muffineer or a Sugar Sifter Spoon to dust off with powdered sugar! See in link below.

Related link:

{Antique French 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer, Sugar Shaker, Caster Sifter} | previous post by me