{March 2, 1809 and My French Connection}

While working with husband Pieter in Australia in June of 1988, I did visit my uncle Louis (Dad's younger brother) and aunt Gerd in Broken Hill, NSW. Pieter had a program at the University of Melbourne on Saturday, so he dropped me off at the airport on Saturday morning and I flew solo.

Talking about our family heritage, my uncle Louis handed me three copies he had from a distant relative. We had been talking about the French influence in our southernmost province of The Kingdom of The Netherlands; Limburg. 

Napoleon Bonaparte ruled the French Empire, including The Netherlands.

Strasbourg 2 March 1809

French Empire

The mayor of the city of Strasbourg Department of the Lower Rhine

To Sir Mayor of the municipality of Horst Department of the Roer

Sir,

According to the article 80 of the Napoleon code, I have the honor to pass on to you a copy of the death certificate of Pierre Van Munckoff who died at the military hospital of this city and who had his place of residence of right in your municipality.

I have the honor to greet you

The officer of the State – Civilian

Pierre, was the elder brother of my great great great Grandfather and he died at the age of 19. There was another brother, Nicolaus, who was one year older than Pierre who got dismissed from war, due to wounds. He did live to be 66.

This is the extract of the registers of death certificate for Pierre van Munckoff and below is the copy of the envelope. Funny for receiving this while in Australia at work consulting and visiting an uncle...

My 4th cousin, Fred Van den Munckhof from Venray in Limburg, has put together our family tree from 1560 - 2000

My Dad gave it to me on my 50th birthday.
Fred did contact my Dad for the info and that did not work out very well...
Dad told Fred over the phone: Peter Fedder instead of Pieter Vedder and he did NOT mention our adopted daughter Liz...

Here is the mention of Nicolaus who got wounded while serving under Napoleon... He got dismissed and managed to live till age 66.

This was Pieter the one year younger brother of Nicolaus.

He was registered as Pierre van Munckoff while serving under Napoleon and he died in Strasbourg.

Since there are no other Van den Munckhofs in the USA, I was keen enough to keep my maiden name as I am very proud of it.

Related link:Having Egyptian Feet I knew but I'm also 0.2% Broadly Sub–Saharan | Showing my 61% French and German

{Cashmere Words of Wisdom & Update}

It is now over one month, since my Mom went to heaven and I want to THANK all of you for your sweet comments, emails and any support that we have received. It feels good for having such an extended network of friends that do care and are there for one another during times of trial.

YES, I am doing fine! Photo from February 8, when we went for a walk around the neighborhood.

Success - Realization - Compassion - Divine - Reality - Present - Courage - Awakened - Enlightened - Beauty - Love - Patience - Thrive - Temple - Vibrant - Spiritual -  Pure - Truth - Joy - Karma - Immortal - Dharma - Soul - Kindness - Meditate - Simplicity - Laughter - Discipline - Fortitude - Dream - Passion - Sacred - Faith - Calm - Serve - Trust - Create - Prayer - Peace - Grace - Liberated - Reborn - Focus 

When I did see this Cashmere knit top on sale at Last Call by Neiman Marcus, I had to have it...

Waiting long enough, it went down from $ 298.00 to $ 89.50!

Love its Words of Wisdom; like Life's Complete Poetry!

Aside from that, this very Cashmere top I will treasure forever, as I wore this during the last FaceTime call with Mom; 2-½ days before her death. 

Here I am wearing it on my black Escada jeans from the Last Call Neiman Marcus Outlet in Orlando, Florida and with my sleeveless black cashmere mock neck underneath for added warmth.

Suede boots are also from Last Call.

Yes, I have lost weight, all the way down to 50.9 kg (112 lbs) I went back up to 51.7 kg (113.7 lbs) on January 21 and now I'm around 52 kg (114.4 lbs) and feeling great; which is important!

Mainly I have been worrying about his guy... Husband Pieter had heart cramps or Angina Pectoris.

Guess it was from all the stress and emotions from the last couple of months.

On February 17, Pieter got all the results from his Cardiologist from the Electrocardiogram, Nuclear stress test and Echo and he does not need surgery. On March 10, he is seeing his Heart Surgeon. We were so happy! 

It is only 4-½ years ago since Pieter had his quadruple bypass + stent placed in his neck—and these heart cramps did scare us.

Ironically, his previous appointment with his Heart Surgeon on January 27, got cancelled... that was the day Mom went to heaven!

I want to keep this guy next to me for many more years; God willing!

Continuing our Blissful Relationship...

On the day that my youngest brother did FaceTime, while he was visiting Mom in the hospital, I did walk outside with my iPad, so husband Pieter too could see Mom and talk with her. 

It was when Pieter almost had finished the 57 m (187 ft) long Wood Trail from the greenhouse up near the house.

Huge tree roots had lifted it up, so Pieter did take it up entirely, put new wood beams underneath and took all rusted nails out and drilled in life-time warranty screws. 

He also put side boards alongside, for keeping the soil from getting washed by rain onto the trail. 

Pieter did treat it with a wood preservative.

Here I proudly stand on the finished Wood Trail on January 28, the day after Mom went to heaven, together with Speckie–girl).

Just iPhone pictures but you get an idea...

Love this quote:

'I wear the key of memory, and can open every door in the house of my life'. - Amelia E. Barr

Thanks again! ♥

{Shocking, Tragic and Horrible untold story of Kashmiri Hindus}

Some readers were writing comments about husband Pieter's Trip to India and especially Jammu & Kashmir State, hoping that meanwhile life has improved for them.

NO it has not...!

Only some 7-½ years after husband Pieter did go there, tragedy happened to those poor Hindus that lived there for some 5,000 years peacefully.

This is the message towards the end of the video about: Shocking, Tragic and Horrible untold story of Kashmiri Hindus...
The Media in general is yet to cover this and awake the conscious of the world!
Cowardly, most look away from it and pretend it does not exist.

Slaughter of Hindus Images of Jihad (Kashmir) Retelling the tragic story of Kashmiri Hindus January 23, 2015 The Kashmiri Pandits: An Ethnic Cleansing the World Forgot | Freedom from Fear

MASSACRE OF KASHMIRI PANDITS | link to above... WHEN will the world wake up?! Related links: A Rare Video from 1990 on Kashmiri Hindus Forced Exodus {Part XI Husband Pieter's Trip to India - Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir - Daily Life} | previous post by me {Part X Husband Pieter's Trip to India - Srinagar, J & K Silk & Wool Rugs - Pashminas} | previous post by me
{Part IX of Trip to India - Lal Mandi Srinagar, J & K People - Living} | previous post by me
{Part VIII of Trip to India - Lal Mandi Srinagar, J & K State - Mushroom Village) | previous post by me
{Part VII of Husband Pieter's Trip to India - Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir} | previous post by me
{Part VI of Husband Pieter's Trip to India - Shimla, Himachal Pradesh} | previous post by me
{Part V of Trip to India - Chail Himachal Pradesh & Highest Cricket Ground in the World} | previous post by me
{Part IV of Husband Pieter's Trip to India -  Solan, Himachal Pradesh} | previous post by me
{Part III of Husband Pieter's Trip to India - Maharaja Amarinder Singh, Patiala Punjab} | previous post by me
{Part II of Husband Pieter's Trip to India - Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh} | previous post by me
{Part I of Husband Pieter's Trip to India  - Arrival in New Delhi} | previous post by me
{The Mission of H.R.H. Prince Claus - Husband Pieter's Trip to India} | previous post by me