Spring Started at the End of February

 Yes, Spring did ARRIVE...

On February 20 I made my rounds to capture the Spring Beauty around our Home.

Pieter had planted these lovely snapdragon plants.

Some of them ended up residing on the steps to our front door...

Some Japanese Magnolia blooms were fully open before we left on our 10-day trip to Florida.

Despite the cold–spell with some frost, they continued to bloom.

Only a few brown ones from frost damage, seen bottom left...

We love our patio with pot plants!

They are quite a show, every spring!

Golden Pansies have been planted by Pieter, inside our Fiberglass Window Boxes.

This shows the bay window area of our kitchen, where we enjoyed breakfast in the sun just before I captured these photos.

Closeup of the golden pansies in the Fiberglass Window Box on our bay window with the gazebo visible in the back.

Our Camellia Sinensis or Tea Plant

We can just see those from our bay window.

With 'half' of the other Japanese Magnolia tree above...

Once a big tree fell into it and ripped off the other half.

Now with more light, big oak tree limbs that hung overhead being cut off, it might recover even more.

View back towards the house

Forgot to capture this planter with violets, residing on the huge oak tree stump.

Have you planted some spring plants already?

Related links:

{Our Camellia Sinensis | Tea Plant} | previous post

{MORE BLOSSOMS IN OUR BOTANICAL GARDEN} | previous post

Breakfast at Hyatt Regency Sarasota and off to Fort Lauderdale/Plantation in Florida

 We continued with our 10-day stay in Florida...

Now we were driving from the West coast of Florida to the East coast.

We enjoyed our final breakfast at Currents Restaurant of the Hyatt Regency, on February 3...

Rye toast with avocado, cherry tomatoes and micro greens with balsamic.

Yummy!

Continuing our healthy living just like at home.

For our Hyatt status we could opt for late check out at 14:00 so Pieter could enjoy his nap before driving across the state to the East coast.

Bye bye Hyatt Regency Sarasota with its excellent courtesy!

You can see it here: From Lakeland, to Sarasota via Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida

Around 17:30 I pulled up at the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale/Plantation where we've been before.

We stayed there in April of 2011, from the 16th-18th.

Perfect spot for parking near the exit door, which operates with room key!

Bye bye Sarasota with the lovely weather...

Hello Plantation with even warmer weather. We only had rain on Saturday night...

Enjoy short 1:40 min Relive video:

Carnival the way Pieter's Mom Celebrated it

On February 27 starts the Carnival in Europe... 

Here, Mardi Gras will be on Tuesday, March 1, it is mainly celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Also called Fat Tuesday, the final day of the Carnival Season and the day before Ash Wednesday.

Horst aan de Maas, my birth town with their VERY FIRST CARNIVAL PRINCE:  Prince Rinus I (Janssen) and jester Teng Jeuken in the front.

Pieter's Mom is standing to the right of Prince Rinus I.

Remember my previous post: The Silver Bond Pin was awarded to Mrs. Vedder-Peer ←click link.

Pieter's Mom was the 1st secretary of the local Catholic Association for the Elderly, started in November of 1961...

SO, she was deeply involved in the Carnival for the elderly as well!

Strange to see all 65+ women dressed in black, versus what we wear at present.

Pieter's Mom was not yet 68 in the above photo.

Stepping back in time...

Photo by Studio in Arnhem, Pastoorstraat 9 in The Netherlands.

 1898 when Maria Margaretha Peer (seen on the left) was just three years old.

She is in this very old picture with her cousin Gerarda Uffing who seems to be almost identical in age.

Well, after some research I found out that Grada was 1.5 years younger... hence her kind of 'baby–hair'.

A cute three year old that had to live through so many hardships. 

Being the eldest of 11 was already tough.

Then WWI came and the Depression Years...

Next WWII and all their greenhouses got shattered.

They had to evacuate with very little what they could take with them on the horse wagon.

Their house got bombarded and severely damaged...

Husband Pieter recalls that for weeks they had to collect the glass shards from the fields and then start all over with new glass that they obtained from Belgium.

A woman that worked hard, alongside her market gardener husband.

Out in the fields and in the environment.

She also overcame colon cancer and enjoyed her life for some two more decades.

1968 Pieter's Mom, now being a widow, with Prince Jan II Keijsers.

1968 in the center is Pieter's Mom and to her right (for viewer) is my Paternal Grandmother.

My Mother-in-law and my Paternal Grandmother, Oma Lamberdina Van den Munckhof were best friends!

Both of their husbands served as border guards during WWI when The Netherlands remained neutral, hence no military service during those years...

Here, Mother Vedder is seen to the right.

She wears a sign that reads 1971...

It is the very same hat she wears as in 1968 but we have no information.

This is the famous 'Boeren Bruiloft' or Farmers Wedding that is celebrated when the new Prince has been elected.

1967 Pieter himself... probably when his friend Frank (Boekesteijn) became Prince Frank I and also Jan Keijsers his Adjudant. Jan was the architect of the Practical Mushroom Training College and personal friend of Pieter.