My First Cross Country Skiing and Special Gift for Pieter's Years of Consulting

 

Skiing makes for a very happy Pieter!

We did not travel with ski gear of course... but it worked well.

My very first time cross country skiing on April 26, 1984 and of course falling – but laughing!

Pieter of course knew...

We're having a great time together!

Team Vedder is now better synchronized...

Friend Max and photographer...

Had to close my jeans jacket as we went higher up the mountain...

Friend Max made great photos of this event!

Hans Jörg did bring them to our home on September 19,1984 when he stayed with us for 3 nights.

Precious gift and a valuable memory of great times with Barbara and Max!

Barbara and me as we are more in the wooded and shaded area.

We even heard an avalanche from a distance!

Pieter looking back

We really enjoyed our time together!

They let Pieter drive back home in their Volvo wagon due to Pieter getting easy car sick in the mountains.

We all changed for a formal dinner with the entire family.

Jörg Kuhn himself was still at a meeting but he joined us later at the restaurant where his wife Leny, daughters Marianne and Barbara and Max, husband from Barbara and son Hans Jörg and also the manager from their mushroom farm August Enzler and his wife had come together.

We started out with a regional specialty of Bündnerfleisch with melon.

A thinly sliced dried beef from Graubünden, Switzerland.

At home we did toast on both Barbara's upcoming Birthday, followed by Pieter's.

Pieter got presented a parcel that contained the above Swiss Rado DiaStar watch!

He'd shown it to Hans Jörg when he visited us for dinner in Dublin, Georgia/USA, on January 22, 1984.

Seen in a magazine and Pieter uttered the words: 'If I ever have money, that will be my watch!'

Having just moved into our home with a 15–year 12.5% mortgage, that of course was not possible...

Now, Jörg Kuhn senior presented it to Pieter with the words: 'Here, you have never asked for anything when driving down to Switzerland, from The Netherlands, for solving mushroom related problems, all those years...!' 

Pieter was overwhelmed and shy as a little boy but of course oh so happy with such a regal gift from his mushroom friends!

Pieter still wears it with pride.

Stay tuned for more...

Related posts:

Happy Reunion with Swiss Kuhn Family & United States Consulate for our Permanent Visa

Pieter Co-Speaker at ISMS in Amsterdam-Wageningen 1965 | Mentioning Jörg Kuhn Visiting A.G.

Husband Pieter Doing it ALL | manager August Enzler and Hans Jörg Kuhn on new patio in May 1985

{Are YOU for Cross Country Skiing or for Sun Vacation?} | my 2nd cross country skiing adventure...

Happy Reunion with Swiss Kuhn Family & United States Consulate for our Permanent Visa

 

On Sunday, January 22 of 1984, Hans Jörg Kuhn, the son of Jörg Kuhn whom Pieter knew for decades, was our guest.

I'd cooked a delicious dinner, according to Pieter's writing in our diary...

We surely enjoyed our time together!

Hans Jörg Jr. was visiting Dublin to see the new Campbell farm, that Pieter designed, in operation. 

On April 20, 1984 on Good Friday, we both flew with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to Amsterdam, The Netherlands and friend Jan Thielen picked us up at the airport.

Both of us stayed with Pieter's eldest brother in Horst and walked to garage Timmermans for picking up our rental car.

It was Easter Weekend and on Tuesday, we did rise early for catching the 5:50 train to Rotterdam for going to the United States Consulate in their new building, across from the eye surgery hospital where Pieter was a few years earlier for his 1st implant lens...

We first went to the Dutch G.G.D. (Municipal Health Services) for having lung X-rays made. We had to wait for the results and got the images as documentation. 

By metro to another doctor for medical examination and blood tests. 

By 13:30 with these results back to the United States Consulate. By 16:30 we were done after lots of questions, finger prints and solemnly swearing that we had filled in the truth. 

Finally our long day got rewarded with a heavy, sealed parcel, for our Permanent Visa with a bill for 800 Dutch Guilders!

That was the start for both of us to become a United States Citizen but only after living here for five more years, and paying all our taxes and keeping a clean record as everything got checked.

This was during President Reagan's time, with still very strict rules for becoming a United States Citizen!

We never could vote all that time; now all rules are out of the window...

On April 25, 1984 we both flew from Düsseldorf, Germany to Zürich, Switzerland after first driving one hour...

Jörg Kuhn's daughter Barbara with her husband Max, came to pick us up. 

We had lunch at an old restaurant, high in the mountains with beautiful view.

My FIRST introduction to Switzerland was breathtaking.

Wearing my hand knitted and hand embroidered sweater...

Arriving at the home of Barbara & Max in Waldstatt, Switzerland.

A perfect sunny day... 

Don't you love the lush green meadows, right behind their home?!

I've always said, that IF I have to reincarnate as an animal, I want to be a cow for grazing in the Appenzell area of Switzerland – it almost made me want to stand on 'all fours' for grazing...

With some borrowed shoes we all went hiking...

Resting on a bench...

We climbed up to where snow was still on the ground...

Barbara & Max had somebody pick us up at the road, so we did not have to walk the entire stretch back home!

Doing the hike, poor Pieter got attacked by a German shepherd that tried to bite him!

He managed to kick him off his trouser legs; scary as those were Pieter's ONLY trouser that he'd taken as he'd left his suits hanging on the armoire at his brother's home. 

We got up a bit too late and had to rush, rush...

My 1st day in Switzerland; stay tuned for next post.

Barbara's brother Hans Jörg did stay with us in Dublin, Georgia on September 18 till 21, 1984.

In May of 1985, Hans Jörg Kuhn with their manager August Enzler were our guests in Dublin, Georgia

So we certainly did stay in touch!

Related posts:

Pieter Co-Speaker at ISMS in Amsterdam-Wageningen 1965 | Mentioning Jörg Kuhn Visiting A.G.

Husband Pieter's Design for the Campbell Mushroom Plants in Dublin, GA and Hillsboro, TX

Linfield Mushroom Compost Facility in England | Mentioning Jan Thielen

{My Hand Knitted & Hand Embroidered Sweater} | About the Hand Embroidered Sweater that I wore

Husband Pieter Doing it ALL | manager August Enzler and Hans Jörg Kuhn on new patio in May 1985

Hats and Leather Coats get a Rest

 

Bye Winter and no more leather coats and hats...

How much I love to wear this buttery soft Escada coat from the Outlet!

Also the wool flannel pants from Escada

Do you own a leather coat?

Husband Pieter loves my tweed newsboy cap!

That's why he captured me and in return I captured him in his tweed jacket with leather elbow patches.

Do you wear any hats or caps?