{Mom's 4th Dialysis Anniversary}

On March 18, 2008 was Mom's 1st day of having her kidney dialysis. She seems to be the oldest patient among the two regional hospitals in my birth area in The Netherlands. Even though the statistics, according to the American Association of Kidney Patients, state that an 80 year old may expect less than five years of additional life from ESRD treatment. ESRD being End-Stage Renal Disease. It truly is a blessing for having her still around at the age of 88 as of February 12, 2012

Life changed drastically with this three times weekly treatment of the dialysis. She did have some problems like fainting and being nauseated after the treatment but for the time being, she has overcome that. Let's hope and pray that she will be granted some more time with us! When we did hug Mom & Dad goodbye in September last year, it was quite emotional, given her condition. Will I ever see her back alive...? But we have peace of mind with our 63 visits back home from the USA to see her. What more can we do besides the weekly calls, after getting home from Church on Sundays.

Mom looking happy upon seeing us back in The Netherlands...

Photo taken by husband Pieter upon our arrival in Horst.

Our Sunday routine, back from Church with a coffee, calling Mom & Dad...

One of our feline girls is on the window sill...

Mom as a little girl between her Dad's knees, next to her younger brother.

How sweet Grandpa is holding their little hands...

Thanks to my 1st Cousin Thea, from the blog: CREA by THEA I have this precious photo of Mom.

She's shown in the center with her older sister to the left. 

Their Mother knitted them some identical sweaters...

A leap in time. 

Mom with 1.5 year old me and she's pregnant with my sister Diny.

Mom at the 60th Wedding Anniversary of her Parents.

She proudly wears a green brocade dress, one of my sewing creations for Mom.

Mom and I, when we just got back from Church together, where Mom sang with the elderly choir 'Levensvreugd' (Life's Joy) for a 40th Wedding Anniversary Mass.

We were flying back to the USA the next day.

Mom wears again a beautiful brocade suit here that we bought the same year in the USA while they were visiting us. 

Mom did visit us in the USA a total of four times. 

While visiting us in the USA, our Thai-American friend Somai did invite them for dinner at their home.

My husband Pieter on the left, Dad, Mom, Somai and me. Somai's husband Bob took the photo.

Mom and I, in The Netherlands during one of our visits for her Birthday...

2009 Februari 27 Dialyse Venray—Moeke opzoeken met Pieter J.C. Vedder ←click link for video

During that visit I obtained the photos from below—very friendly staff!

Jan Mauriks was very helpful.

2

Mom in the hospital during her dialysis. She gets flowers for their 60th wedding anniversary.

A publication about Mom in the Dutch Kidney Foundation's magazine as she was one of the first patients being treated in the other regional hospital. 

On my birthday in 2009, she receives flowers for their 60th wedding anniversary which was the next day.

Mom had a long-time wish for being able to see her birth place and their current place from the air. So all of the children, including me, did present them with a half hour helicopter flight. Last year on February 24 they realized that wish. You can read about it: Helicoptervlucht voor Piet en Gerda

Related articles:

Mother's Day & Pelargonium Childhood Memories | previous post by me

Like to see my own Everlasting Silver ROSE? | previous post by me

{Trupial or Orange Breasted Oriole - National Bird of Curaçao}

While staying at the heavenly Santa Barbara Resort ←(click it) in Curaçao on the Santa Barbara Plantation, we together did stroll around in the beautiful tropical gardens. One day, along the beach of the Hyatt Regency, we did view the Trupial or Orange breasted Oriole, National Bird of Curaçao ←(click it). One of the Hyatt staff members was actually feeding them fruits as to lure them out of their hiding. Also the Iguanas did come out from underneath the rocks. I was however more interested in the Trupial so I stayed behind with my camera and did get some shots of this beautiful bird. 

I had to laugh at the way this Trupial is holding its 'prey' with one foot!

Those colors are incredible, as is the marking around the eye...

Trupial or Orange Breasted Oriole is a proud National Bird of Curaçao!←click it.

Holding on to the chunk of water melon...

Holding a chunk in its beak...

Great pose for more eye and back detail...

Another one perched on top of the rocks where also the Iguana lizards hide.

Zooming in and trying to keep up with those fast moving birds was tough but this still shows its incredible coloring. Look at the eye 'shadow'...

That was my great encounter with the Curaçao Trupial!

As a child I had the 'Wielewaal', Dutch for Oriole, in one of my most prized books that I got from saving Rama, margarine receipts. This very page I had forever on my retina as one of my most favorite birds!

The title of the book: Zo leeft de Hoge Veluwe

So lives the High Veluwe, a special natural park in The Netherlands.

I've passed this book on to my brother Piet Van den Munckhof, who is a Biologist and writer of several nature books. Hope he still has it!

1960 and published by RAMA (margarine company)

Written by A.B. Wigman and illustrated by Frida Holleman and Rien Poortvliet

~~♪♫♫♪~~

Quite a highlight for viewing this Trupial!

For an Iguana lizard photo, click the lower link below.

Related links:
{Hyatt Regency - Santa Barbara Plantation Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Back Home from Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Our Curaçao Vacation} | previous post by me

{March 14, Written Life Message for me by my Favorite Great–Uncle}

On March 14, 1963 my most favorite Great–Uncle and Priest, Dr. Sjang Nelissen (brother from my paternal Grandmother) or in Dutch 'Heeroom', wrote the following words for me in my (poezie) poetry album:

Lijk op de Zon,

Look like the Sun, ☼

Straal licht en warmte uit,

Radiate light and warmth,

Altijd en overal,

Always and everywhere,

Waar ge ook zijt.

Wherever you will be.

Horst, 14 maart, 1963

Horst, March 14, 1963

Heeroom

Priest–Uncle

♥♥

Heeroom became a priest in 1929 and he studied Church Law in Rome. This photo shows him, to the right, in Rome.

For 4 years he had been a professor at the seminary but that asked too much of him. In 1938 he left for Indonesia where he stayed a total of 30 years, in Kupang on the island of Timor. He was a pastor, spiritual head of the seminary, leader for the regio Timor and adviser to several Bishops. He died in Manilla, Philippines, while at a conference there. Heeroom did marry my parents in 1949, while on his first leave from Indonesia. Times were tough for Priests at that time, they were not allowed to go home soon; nor often... Kind of cruel I think. 

How I would have loved to speak with him, while ending up working and living in Indonesia; HIS country. But in my heart I know that he has been with me very close, always. 

Heeroom on his horse in Indonesia

How I longed for his letters with beautiful stamps that I did study with a magnifier. I was so in love with Indonesia's flora and fauna. Heeroom must have lead me there...

While on his leave from Indonesia for the Second Vatican Council in Rome, Italy, he did write this message in my poetry album. He also presented me with a special gift, as a thank you for all those years that I'd written letters to him. That was a package with Second Vatican Council stamps for my collection. I have no idea where they are now... I've always lovingly passed everything on to my siblings and thus I lost them. Hope that someone is still keeping them as they were very special.

Heeroom's Dutch Memoriam Card.
Father Dr. Sjang Nelissen SVD

♥♥

Certainly Heeroom was a male role model for me and I guess I inherited his love for languages and writing... So far, I've followed him to two countries as well: Italy where we worked and lived for one year—speaking the language and Indonesia where we lived and worked for about three years—speaking the language. Even adopting a foster daughter from his beloved country...

~~☼~~

Finally manage to write this post in honor of my Heeroom: In Memory of my BEST Role Model EVER