{Dutch American Heritage Day 2005 with Mom & Dad}

On October 22nd of 2005, when Pieter and I flew back home to Atlanta, USA from Amsterdam, we had Mom & Dad in tow with us. We'd gifted them another trip to the USA and they would stay with us in the Rose Suite till December 3rd.

So naturally when we got the invitation for the Dutch American Heritage Day celebration in Atlanta, we did take Mom & Dad along with us.

November 16, 2005 at the Oglethorpe Museum in Atlanta.

We had no clue that just a little over two years later, Mom would be on dialysis...

In this photo Mom already is having body swelling, caused by fluid retention due to kidney problems not yet known.... 

It took the local doctors years to figure out what was wrong. 

So much about socialized medicine in The Netherlands...

Wearing my Escada Leather Coat.

In the back, you see husband Pieter, me, Mom and Dad at the reception table.

The lady with the green vest is the wife of the former Dutch Consul whom Mom & Dad met already on May 1st of 1987, at the Consul's mansion in Atlanta for Dutch Queen's Day.

The very first official Dutch American Heritage Day reception was held in Atlanta at the Occidental Grand Hotel, now Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. 

We went there on Tuesday, November 16, 1993 together with the Director of our Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Willie Paulk.

• The 2-½ hour drive also yielded a nice door price!
• I'm wearing my Escada leather coat and matching leather tote with Escada skirt and blouse.

• The Holland Times in which Dutch American Heritage Day is explained.
• Also is mentioned that in 2005 the Netherlands has become the second largest investor in the United States and the largest foreign employer in the State of Georgia!
• Reason for bringing our Dublin Laurens County Chamber of Commerce director along!
• I'm also a proud Chamber Member; just click on above link to see my listing:
• Jewelry Store | Upscale French Gifts | Boutique

There are even 3 pictures of Mom & Dad with us, that got published in The Holland Times from the Atlanta Holland Club.

See bottom left and bottom center...

Again, husband Pieter to the right towards bottom with his door prize and me at the left center bottom.

This will be always a very special happy memory as we went there together with Mom & Dad!

That literally seals our Dutch American Heritage...

Related links:
Oglethorpe Museum in Atlanta where the Dutch American Heritage Day reception was held
Four Season Hotel in Atlanta used to be the Occidental Grand Hotel in 1993
The Atlanta Holland Club | link
{1903 Ladies Home Journal by Edward Bok - The Mother of America & Dutch American Heritage Day} | previous post by me
{Dutch - American Heritage Day: November 16 since 1991} | previous post by me
{The Dutch 1st to Salute to the Flag of The United States in 1776} | previous post by me
{Mom's 4th Dialysis Anniversary} | previous post by me
{Mom's 5th Dialysis Anniversary} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suite Bedroom} | previous post by me

{1903 Ladies Home Journal by Edward Bok - The Mother of America & Dutch American Heritage Day}

We do have this October 1903 Ladies Home Journal magazine because of its publication by Edward Bok about The Mother of America. 

• Edward Bok, a Duch immigrant who came to the USA at the age of 6, was the editor of The Ladies Home Journal. 
• Edward Bok also was the friend of no less than four US Presidents and other leading Statesmen and Authors. 
• He was a top journalist and changed quite a lot for this nation. "Go to it, you Dutchman," encouraged President Theodore Roosevelt. 
• Edward Bok did just that and found substance in the American dream.

• This October 1903 Ladies Home Journal is quite huge in size, far bigger than nowadays magazines. 
• More comparable with the size of a news paper!
• You also can view this as a PDF by clicking here: Cover of the Ladies Home Journal October 1903

Again, for easier reading this article you can view it as PDF by clicking here: The Mother of America Article by Bok October 1903

• With Dutch American Heritage Day nearing on November 16, it is quite appropriate to understand a bit more about this Dutch born immigrant.
• As a matter of fact, the reading world of America has yet to learn the real extent of the Dutch influences which underlie American institutions and have shaped American life... The Mother of America

IV. A Presidential Friend and a Boston Pilgrimage | excerpt of the book: The Americanization of Edward Bok (1920), which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1921

XXV. The President and the Boy | excerpt of the book: The Americanitzation of Edward Bok 

Did you have any idea about this enormous Dutch influence such as the American Declaration of Independence and the Federal Constitution of the United States and one, the Declaration, is based almost entirely upon the Declaration of Independence of the United Republic of the Netherlands....

See excerpt below from The Mother of America:

Related links:
{Dutch - American Heritage Day: November 16 since 1991} | previous post by me
{The Dutch 1st to Salute to the Flag of The United States in 1776} | previous post by me

{Golden Silk Spider - Charlotte's Cousin}

One more time I like to show you some pictures of our Golden Silk Spider. Even more so because my husband Pieter is momentarily reading his Nook-book: 'The Story Of Charlotte's Web' and that made me think of our Golden Silk Spider as Charlotte's Cousin! Are you afraid of spiders or are you in awe of their webs like I am?

These Golden Silk Spiders sure are fascinating!

See the MALE?

He is so tiny, at the top left...

Look at their web!

They use dry, tough and sticky threads for building their huge webs.

Through the book: 'The Story of Charlotte's Web' Pieter did learn more about how they manage to bridge their web over such a vast distance.

We had several of them in September but now they seem to have disappeared.

Those females die after they lay their eggs so probably their life's cycle has been fulfilled...

Related links:
{Our Golden Silk Spider aka Giant Wood Spider} | previous post by me
Charlotte A Cavatica: Bloodthirsty, Wise and True 
Barn Spider | for A. Cavaticus

{French Côté Bastide FLEURS D'ORANGER Toilet Water, Bath and Shower Gel}

If there is ONE blossom that is like pure perfume, it is the Orange Blossom or in French: FLEURS D'ORANGER! No wonder that the people from the renown French Côté Bastide company have used it in their line of products for years on end.

• Do you love to enjoy a bubble bath in the fall and winter time? 
• What is YOUR favorite flower for fragrance?

Here they are together in the sunlight...

Côté Bastide FLEUR D'ORANGER Gel Moussant or Bath & Shower Gel and Eau de Toilette or Toilet Water

It is such a heavenly scent!

When our orange tree (in a pot) blooms outside on the greenhouse patio, one would love to bury one's nose in them. But be careful; those orange trees have mean thorns!

Far better to take the perfume from such a 6.6 oz or 200 ml bottle of Toilet Water.

• Works also great for spraying on freshly laundered and ironed bed linens for creating a romantic touch in the bedroom...
• As we learned from our consulting work in Asia, after dinner it is a great gesture for offering wet, rolled up wash cloths that are sprinkled with this Toilet Water... 
• A total of three of those Côté Bastide FLEURS D'ORANGER toilet water bottles are available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique Mariette's Back to Basics: French Côté Bastide FLEURS D'ORANGER Toilet Water. 
• My pricing is VERY compatative as you can see when comparing to stores you find below my post.

Sorry Sold out...

Those blossoms are also full of pollen for the bees.

Have you ever tried orange blossom honey?

Also available for sale at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique are two Côté Bastide FLEURS D'ORANGER Bath & Shower Gel bottles of 24 oz or 750 ml.

French Côté Bastide FLEURS D'ORANGER Bath & Shower Gel. 

Wish such a blooming season could be extended over a three month period!

All we can do is, enjoying it from the bottle...

Like +Maria Cecilia from Chile did in her post about Côté Bastide; just scroll down to see this FLEURS D'ORANGER

This great product is available all over the world.

Sorry Sold out...

Below are some links from stores that are selling it worldwide.

Related links:

Côté Bastide | FB Fan Page

Oprah | Oprah Winfrey had Côté Bastide Fleur d'Oranger Crème de Corps as January's best beauty buys

Sumally | Japan - Côté Bastide line, just scroll down for Fleur d'Oranger

{Miami Hyatt House & Date Palm}

The Hyatt House Miami Airport does have quite a garden. Even on rainy days there is always a dry moment for taking a nice walk around. This is how we did discover those tall, Phoenix dactylifera or Date Palm.

These Date Palm trees look quite Regal...

Zooming in on the Date Branches where those Dates are ripening...

Blogger friend Ria from 'It's Me' does sell those Date Branches from their store in The Netherlands, see link below post.

Quite a sight those Date Branches against the sky... 

However not a blue sky, but pregnant with rain.

The Hyatt House Miami Airport has quite a number of Date Palms on their property.

Related links:

Phoenix dactylifera | More information about this special Date Palm
THE DATE PALM: Phoenix dactylifera | More interesting info about this basic, fundamental food for North Africa, Arabia and Persia's people.

Ze zijn er weer...Dadeltakken !!! | Blogger friend Ria is selling Date Branches from their store

{My 30 Years of FRIENDSHIP with Natacha}

My FRIENDSHIP with Natacha is one of over 30 years and we have always managed to visit each other, also after she moved away from Dublin, Georgia to Miami, Florida. Distance doesn't really matter!

Rain or Shine; when we went to Miami Florida we did visit each other!

From our Hyatt House Miami Airport it is only half an hour driving south to Natacha's home.

Here we are, happy together once more!

Wearing my very beautiful 925 silver pendant with Brown-Red Zirkon on a black silk necklace  with small Zirconia on the bale and around the Zirkon crystal. GIFT from Georgia in Greece from Armoniaart.blogspot.com

Life is ALL about FRIENDHIPS...

When we first traveled to Curaçao for our sun filled vacation; we met Natacha at Miami Airport!

That meant 'Sunshine', even before arriving at our Curaçao beach hotel...

Before moving from Pennsylvania to Italy, we managed to fly down from Philadelphia via Cincinnati to Miami to visit with Natacha and family again...

Happy times!

Happy FRIENDS!

You can read more below post via link about our EVERGLADES ADVENTURE

Natacha and family did drive up from Miami, the ten hour drive to Dublin when we were constructing our present home... We were working and living in Indonesia.

FRIENDSHIP MATURING...

Dinner in Miami after their second son graduated from University of Miami.

We did drive down the ten hours again for being together.

Coincidence that both of us did wear our HEARTS...

I wore my Escada cotton top.

FRIENDS through THICK & THIN...

This was a visit right after I got out of the hospital when I got paralyzed early 2010.

We stayed in Miami and visited our FRIENDS before driving down to Key West to stay at the Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa where we spent 5 FREE nights for our Hyatt Platinum Points.

Wearing my Escada matching outfit...

Our previous visit to Miami was in June of 2012 when we visited Friend Natacha and her family last...

We at that time said our final goodbye to their handsome eldest son Carlos, or Carlitos as we always called him.

He lost a brave battle with brain cancer.

So this visit was one of those moments that we shed some tears together...

Tears shed on a rainy day and after the Evening Social at the Hyatt House, we did stroll through the gardens... 

Ending an emotional day.

A rather gloomy ending of the day, walking in the damp gardens...

Wearing my special Gift from Georgia in Greece with my burgundy Escada top and gray Last Call Neiman Marcus Outlet jeans with Georgia Rebel Flag belt and Escda sandals.

My favorite back pack from TJ Maxx is so handy!

Guess what?

Next day we had SUNSHINE so we finally could swim and relax around the pool!

Like a sign from heaven!

Related links:
{Our EVERGLADES ADVENTURE with friend NATACHA} | previous post by me
{ LOOK - I won this IRIS GOLD Jewelry from Georgia in Greece} | previous post by me
{Our Citrus Aurantifolia - Key Lime} | previous post by me showing +Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa 

{Muscovy Duck in Miami, Florida}

Already in a previous post on October 24, I did mention about our recent vacation to Florida. We always book at the +Hyatt Place Orlando/ Universal, and at the Hyatt House in Miami which is like a complete home away from home. My 4 hour drive from Hyatt Place in Orlando, the one where they had drained the pool for the 2 days we were there, to the Hyatt House in Miami was not a pleasant one. I hit a severe tropical storm and it was very exhausting to stay on the Turnpike with such heavy rain... Arriving with a headache, I opted for a walk around our hotel. Look what we encountered...

This very heavy and strange looking water fowl... A Muscovy Duck as it turned out!

They are from South America, you can find more about them via link below post.

The Hyatt House Miami Airport is at the Blue Lagoon, a kind of lake that extends from behind the hotel.

Here Pieter is at the parking lot and behind him is a kind of canal that ends into the Blue Lagoon...

This is me sitting on the guard rail behind the hotel, overlooking the canal.

I was so exhausted from driving through this tropical rain.

A walk and fresh air, after the rain had stopped, did me some good!

This Muscovy duck was standing there and staring at me... guess it was begging.

They are huge!

Have you ever seen this type of duck with a head full of red warts?

Related links:
{Do YOU Like HIGH HEELED Platform Shoes?} | previous post by me about our Florida vacation where the pool was drained at the Hyatt Place...
Muscovy Duck | More information about this black and heavy duck from South America

{Antique French 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer, Sugar Shaker, Caster Sifter}

French Antiques are often of a unique beauty. So is this 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer, Sugar Shaker, Caster Sifter. Use it for sifting powdered sugar over your pancakes, waffles or other desserts. Also great for using as Cinnamon Shaker!

Voilà!

A very rare beauty and in PERFECT CONDITION!

Only ONE availabe for sale at my Zen Cart powered boutique on line Mariette's Back to Basics: Antique French 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer.

This Muffineer is quite tall with its full 13 cm or 5.1 inch in height.
The rich antique patina on the solid pure silver I leave for the new owner to be removed.

PERFECT CONDITION; no dents, no chips or whatsoever!

A unique piece and it will look great on your Dessert, Brunch or Tea Buffet.
Again I have used it with our large Gardenia flowers and the beautiful hand crocheted lace table topper done by Susan from Ava Grace's Closet's Mama.
A most treasured Gift from Blogger Friend!

Showing you where the French Goddess Minerva head is being punched.

It is sideways...

Next photo you will see it better...

A perfect French Minerva is visible here.

French Minerva means it is 1st standard silver, showing the Goddess Minerva with a number 1 (which I have circled red) beside her forehead.
This number 1 denotes a silver content of 950/1000 or almost PURE silver and higher than the usual 925 sterling silver content!

Signature Antiquite - Les Poinçons (link to above screen shot)

Sorry Sold out...

My private collection of Silver Muffineer and Sugar Sifter Spoons with WAFFLE
see link below post

Muffineer used for this romantic dessert with Strawberry Rose Petal Cream...
Do you use powdered sugar often?

Related links:
{1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon'} | previous post by me showing Silver Muffineer
Christies Danish Silver Muffineer | Christie's Auction of Danish Silver Muffineer 1919-1927
English Heavy Silver Sugar Shaker or Castor | Example of Silver Muffineer
French cristal argent massif saupoudreuse | French 19th Century Crystal and Solid Silver Muffineer
Saupoudreuse en cristal taille et argent | French cut Crystal and Silver Muffineer