{February 21, 2014 Tornado in our Subdivision}

While we were still in The Netherlands on Friday morning, February 21, there was quite a strong tornado in our subdivision.

We were having dinner with our Goddaughter as I got a message on my iPhone from our cat-sitter, back home in Georgia.

I called her right away and learned about her ordeal that morning as she could not even enter the subdivision... The police had blocked off all entrance roads!

But they graciously let her pass via a different route so our kitties could get fed!!!

This is what we still found 5 days later, after having returned from The Netherlands from Mom & Dad's 65th Wedding Anniversary...
We did drive around our neighborhood for taking some photos...
Of course, most of the chaos had been cleaned up and hauled off already.

Yes, our Winfield Road is mentioned above in the newspaper article from Friday, February 21...

It also had rained excessively, still puddles of water after 5 days!

We are so blessed that our home and garden had no damage at all.

Our 6 felines were all found safe inside by our cat-sitter, once she could get through.

The heavy equipment from the county and the city also caused quite some damage...

We can only imagine how it must have looked right after the tornado came through.

Huge trees snapped off like matches...

 Most has been hauled away...

Sad sight in our neighborhood...

So muddy...

Wet - wet...

No wonder; 4.69 inches or 11.9 cm of rain in the time that we were gone!

How blessed we were for having finished all the water projects in time!

Our home stayed dry so all the back breaking hard work did pay off!

The force with which huge trees got uprooted...

Unreal...

Our entire subdivision in a way still has been blessed; only one injury...

Related link:
Severe Weather Hits North and Central Georgia | National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
{Water Control Project Finished} | previous post by me about 4 projects to protect our home
{Fighting the Water + Scanning Slides} | previous post by me about Flood Water problem last year
{Our Damage from Tornado spin off of Hurricane Earl, 2003} | previous post by me

{Mom & Dad's 65th Wedding Anniversary}

As mentioned in my previous post, we did go for a very special reason to The Netherlands, this 64th trip for family and friends.

 It was my dear Parents' 65th  Wedding Anniversary!

My siblings had decorated the front door prior to an official visit by the Mayor.

Here Mom & Dad enjoy a serenade by the elderly choir 'Levensvreugd' or Life's Joy in English.

Mom has been singing with them for some 30 years and Dad joined at a much later time.

Mom filled the void of my Paternal Grandmother's soprano voice...

This photo I took on the day of celebration with the entire family of 51 present.

My husband Pieter is looking on, behind Mom & Dad.

Since this is such a rare occasion, my Parents did receive some Royal Mail...

From the King and Queen of The Netherlands...

Also from the King's Commissioner of the Province of Limburg...

Such an embossed seal is quite impressive!

We all together celebrated this remarkable and very rare milestone of a 65th Wedding Anniversary.

A Blissful Relationship with its usual ups and downs.

Even the day after the celebration with dinner in the restaurant, Mom & Dad had a special Mass at Church to say thanks for God's Blessings for such a long Marriage together.

Heeroom, my Great-Uncle Priest, did bless my Parents' marriage, when he was on leave from his mission in Indonesia.

This photo above and below is taken right after Mass with Mom & Dad.

Funny that Mother and Daughter did wear the same colors...

This would be the VERY LAST TIME with Mom together (alive)!

Both in Royal Blue!

St. Lambertus Church in Horst

Our German Son and family did pay Mom & Dad a visit with a large basket of regional foods from the Eifel area.

Below I show you some Dutch Government statistics about the approx. 7% of marriages that will last 60 years or more, as of 2001.



 Almost 14,000 of the entire population of some 16.7 million reached 60 or more years of marriage.

Over 200 couples reached 70 years or more... so there is still hope from Mom & Dad!

Below you see that it did drop for 2010 to only 6,000 couples that reached 60 or more...
Image is from Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek
Image below is also from page 68 in Pdf from CBS

Very proud of both my Parents!

They do belong to a very rare group of couples that stayed married for 65 years together.

Quite some role models - through thick and thin...

The fruits of a simple lifestyle and hard work together!

Related link:

{March 14, Written Life Message for me by my Favorite Great-Uncle} | previous post by me

{HAPPY Mom on her 90th Birthday - THANKS TO ALL OF YOU}

As some of you already knew, I have been away for 15 days. Flying to The Netherlands once more, actually our 64th trip to see family and friends in those 30 years as immigrants. A long journey home and this time it was very much in honor of Mom, for her 90th Birthday!
In the morning we'd stopped by Mom & Dad's home to see her and later we visited her during her dialysis in her with garlands decorated room.

Pieter took this photo from my Mom in bed, during her dialysis while she is reading all your comments on my {Happy 90th Birthday Mom} post. 

Which indeed made her so happy and lifted up her spirits as you can clearly see from this photo! 

It was very touching for her to see that 863 people from around the world had viewed this post about her and several left a comment. As well as 264 viewers with several more that had left a comment on my FB Page. This was for my dear Mom quite a milestone; it meant as much to her, as to those winning the olympics at the same time...

We'd picked up Dad at their home and spend the time with Mom at the hospital. Dad treated the staff to yummy birthday cakes. Such a visit makes her boring dialysis session pass quickly.

Next time when we did visit her, without Dad, our daughter Anita made a video call from Indonesia with her Oma in The Netherlands. What a joy for both! 

Our daughter Anita did actually visit her Oma several times, with us together in 2008, when she went with us to The Netherlands. This trip we did visit Mom five times during her dialysis. 

Wish I could keep doing that as it makes the time go so pleasantly fast for her...

Everywhere they had Mom's photo with the magical number 90 hung on the walls, above the door etc.
For a 90 year old dialysis patient she still looks mighty good!

  Flowers everywhere as this is quite a Dutch custom to 'SAY IT WITH FLOWERS!'

This is on a table in the veranda... 

Table cloth is being embroidered by my dear Mother-in-law.

Yes, it was worth our 64th journey home to The Netherlands; sitting on our butt for 8,500 km or 5,281 mi one way...

We came this time for a very, very special reason (more to follow in my next post!) which made us very proud.

Fond memories in our hearts forever!

And once more; THANK you all so much for giving Mom such a special day!!!

Bloggers are the most caring and loving bunch.

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