{Our Fragrant White Paeonia 'Ann Cousins' is Blooming}

Don't we all LOVE Peonies? We have tried over the years so many different varieties, mainly white ones but with the heat we have down south, it proves really hard. Last year no blooms at all...

But this year we got rewarded with a huge white and fragrant flower on our Paeonia 'Ann Cousins'

So I love to share it with you here!

Love this gem! 

Photo is made next morning as it was rather dark in the late afternoon for making any photos.

It is all white, no red specks or whatsoever.

White Flower Farms used to sell these but not any more.

The only place I found this 'Ann Cousins' is at Peony Paradise  ←just click the link.

Too bad Adelman Peony Gardens are located in Salem, OR... Would love to visit them!

Do you grow some peonies as well?

Related posts with peonies:

{6 Gorgeous 'Ann Cousins' Peonies in Baccarat Harcourt Pitcher}

{PEONIES: BRIDAL GOWN & LA TENDRESSE}

{Birthday Dinner at the BEST Restaurant for Healthy & Delicious Food}

Having both worked SO hard for weeks on end, this Dinner the day after husband Pieter's actual Birthday was just PERFECT! 

Me completing the 36 photo albums, before 1999, to make them all digital and Pieter doing garden chores and helping me out with domestic chores as well.
Mega Task done of archiving done!

My upper back was kind of nagging me but fortunately it did not graduate!

So here we are; looking a bit tired but being very happy for many reasons.

Just LOVE this suit, it is more than 35 years old but still perfect and since Pieter never ever gained weight - it FITS!
His Thai silk tie with clovers is just perfect with it.

Yes, aging we all turn gray and maybe bold, skin looks different but important is that our mind is still working and feeling young and positive.

Pieter does have problems with his right knee but the topical (expensive, out of pocket) ointment is soothing his pain. 

So here we are at Dublin Farm "Come Home To The Country" in Lady Chef Maria's Ristorante da Maria

Looking tired... but oh so happy with Mission Accomplished!

Wearing my Escada suit that I could not afford when we saw it at the boutique in Budapest, Hungary but I found it on eBay! 

Meanwhile I did catch up on my sleep and my blood pressure was looking just PERFECT.

First course of five... All made from scratch; using the best and the most healthy ingredients (not the cheapest either!) and therefore it is for our health conditions the BEST.

~

Appetizer:

Oven baked Strudel with Spring vegetables and mozzarella, topped with Parmesan, fresh herbs and olive oil, served over a crème fraîche

Menu is in Italian and in English since Lady Chef Maria is Italian

Also Maître d Heinz speaks fluent Italian - they function as a great couple!

It is hard work together for running this special B & B with restaurant...

First dish:

Pasta 'Mini Penne' tossed with 'Mammarosa' sauce, a tomato based sauce with cream and fresh herbs topped w/basil pesto and Parmesan

~

Note: the reason that I label Ristorante da Maria BEST Restaurant for Healthy & Delicious Food is mainly because she knows how to season with special fresh herbs, instead of over-using the salt! 

YES, that IS an all American SIN...

If I would eat at restaurant chains frequently, my kidneys would go down very fast!

So I'm very, very careful with my sodium intake and never had any problems eating here.

Fish-Entrée:

Pan roasted Steelhead Trout Fillet, served with a lemon/Vermouth/cream sauce

~ 

Both, Pieter being a heart patient himself and me with my 48% functioning kidneys, we ALWAYS select fish!

Chef Maria does not drown her Entrées in a sauce but it is drizzled with it and that makes the taste so pleasant - never overpowering, nor taking away from this quality fish.

Always with vegetables too and I personally love that slice of lemon which is real easy to cut away from its peel and enjoy with the fish.

Lady Chef Maria makes incredible DELICIOUS Sorbets!

This is a Pineapple/Lemon Sorbet

Sorry for having scooped out some before remembering to take a picture...

TADA... Maître d 'Heinz' (seen in the back of the picture) did bring the Birthday guy his special Dessert with candle...

Out of courtesy I did never zoom into other diners' table, only the one table to the left and right of us. One family was arriving late; they could not find the place... 

~

Crema di merano

Meraner Cream with vanilla and mixed berries

Pieter also enjoyed his usual espresso with that, to round off yet another heavenly meal!

Yes, I too did splurge on this delicious dessert; I always eat Lady Chef Maria's desserts! And also I drink one glass of wine along with my meal.

That does not cause any problems with my blood sugar levels.

European desserts use FAR less sugar anyway, instead we often use Vanilla, the real thing; not artificial vanilla.

~

May there be many, many more Birthdays to come; God willing.

Pieter's left eye is also causing him problems as the eye surgeon at the time when he had his retina detached, first wanted to complete his Tuesday cycling... thus waiting too long before doing surgery on Pieter. 

Result was that it was not very well after surgery, mixed up sight with half being far- and the other half of that eye being near sighted.

Hence the enlarged eye due to a very thick lens on that side...

Tomorrow morning he has another eye doctor's appointment but there really isn't much that can be done...

Thanks for your loyal visits and wishing you all a happy week and enjoy each day and all the little things!

{Husband Pieter's Selfie from the Mid Sixties}

Yay; I'm almost DONE scanning!!!

Only some remnants left and the feeling is GREAT.

So many treasures unearthed and relived!

Everyone should do this... archiving their family treasures.

Guess our digital era began with the Millennium year.

But before that, there were fun photos as well.

This Selfie (in a big mirror obviously) by my husband Pieter made me laugh!

Guess this photo has been made at the Open Lucht Museum in Arnhem, The Netherlands or Open Air Museum.

Happy that Pieter did quit his smoking when he turned 50!

This is one of the pipes, his Big Ben Pipo, that we still keep on our pipe rack.

Here, my Pieter is almost 22... A very handsome man, this was at one of his graduations.

Looking at him, he might as well have become a 'Dressman' (male model) with his always impeccable style.

I'm still very proud of him and very much in love as well.

Yes, yesterday my handsome husband turned 87!

Much to be grateful for and we hope and pray that God grants us many more years together.

At least, Pieter too is very happy with all the organized photos now to view as a slideshow on a big screen and reliving many fond moments.

Yes, due to his age also I was in a hurry doing and accomplishing this.

First I've done all his family photos and all of his thousands of slides.

In order to pass them on to his adopted daughter who's also related by blood to his ex, so there is lots of sentimental value in those early photos.

Pieter is the only surviving member of his family and now his Goddaughter and other niece do have that part of history preserved and explained by text.

That was a lot of work; hell it was a MEGA TASK!

LAST I've done our photos and it is amazing what we lived through with our job as International Consultants.

For sure I could no longer do that... not in the health condition I'm in right now, neither Pieter with his heart condition and knee problems. Both of us also do have occasional back problems.

Thanks for your patience and soon I will be catching up!

Happy Easter to my friends in Greece and all others I wish you a Happy Weekend.

Related link:

{Our 6 Vintage Tobacco Pipes and Cheroot Holder} | showing you Pieter's collection
{Royal Wedding invitation + PIETER's Birthday!} | showing a happy husband
 {Dutch King's Birthday Celebration in Atlanta, Georgia} | showing Pieter the day after his Birthday in 2015
{BIRTHDAY} | post from 2013 showing Pieter