{The Surprising Power of our Social Networks}

Quite interesting book and subject in general...
Reading with a cup of coffee, fine chocolate and fragrant paperwhite flowers is such a bliss!

Connected

The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives

This is the book that I purchased after reading about it in the Dutch Nouveau magazine from June 2010...

Connecties hebben grote gevolgen - Connections have large consequences

 How Your Friends' Friends' Friends Affect Everything You Feel, Think, and Do 

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives ←(click it) by Authors: Nicholas A. Christakis  James H. Fowler  

Excerpt from the above link; just click the pink line above...

"Quite interesting how everything we do or say tends to ripple through our network, having and impact on our friends (one degree), our friends' friends (two degrees), and even our friends' friends' friends (three degrees)."

"Instead of simply knowing who our friends are, and perhaps our friends' friends, we can peer beyond our social horizon and see our place in a vast worldwide social network."

This book is available in many languages:

TRANSLATIONS ←click it

{The Mission of H.R.H. Prince Claus - Husband Pieter's Trip to India}

With special permission from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs I am allowed to use this photo from His Royal Highness Prince Claus

His Royal Highness Prince Claus

Page 53 of the book: The Royal House

Prince Claus 1926-2002 was also a Diplomat in the Dominican Republic for 3 years.

The Kingdom of The Netherlands...

The Royal House is a book that we received from the Dutch Consulate General in Houston, TX for use at local schools when we had to do programs about our birth country.

It is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague 1996 

Available at Amazon: The Royal House: Kingdom of the Netherlands ←click it.

On September 25, 2014, I received permission, shown above... translated below in English.

Dear Mrs. Van den Munckhof-Vedder,

Thanks for your mail message. As long as the source is mentioned, you can use the pages.

With kind regards,

Merle Tip

Editor in Chief

Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 

Dutch Parliament States General

As you know an official delegation headed by H.R.H. Prince Claus, as Special Adviser for Development Cooperation, has visited India in February/March.

Clausgate 

In early 1981, Claus went as officer of the Ministry for Development Cooperation to India, as the leader of a delegation who was going to speak about Dutch development projects.

Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal pages 4 and 5

Based on the visit of an Indian horticulture mission to the Netherlands, discussions are going on about a joint program for cooperation in horticultural areas. This will result in a number of projects, of which currently a project in the area of seed production and a mushroom cultivation project is in an advanced stage of preparation. Also in the field of animal husbandry cooperation will come into being.

~

So now I finally can start with the story about my husband Pieter's trip to India, for the Dutch Government, following the Mission of H.R.H. Prince Claus in 1981.
On September 9, it was exactly 45 years ago that in The Netherlands the 1st and ONLY practical Training College for Mushroom Growing in the world, had its official Grand Opening by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, a branch of the Dutch Government. My husband Pieter founded it and he was the Principal and one of the active Teachers for decades until he became Vice President Training & Development for Campbell Soup Company in charge of their Mushroom Division in the USA, Canada and Australia.
Stay tuned for the story of the actual trip to India...
A trip that greatly impacted both of our lives!

Related links:
{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me

Pieter J.C. Vedder | LinkedIn profile

{How to Install Your Own Flag Counter}

Per request from Italy, in one of the comments on my previous post about: {201 Countries Visited - Welcome Saint Barthelemy} - How to Install Your Own Flag Counter...

Just click on FlagCounter and follow example here below...

Be VERY careful to scroll down ALL THE WAY, the drop down window behind Maximum Flags to Show 250! That cannot be changed later - or you might risk losing all your flags.

I had that happen to me when I first put it on in April of 2010, but made that mistake...

On September 14, 2010, I had this and only 3 rows of flags... 

In my new setting I did not want the Flag Labels be shown, making it more simple.

~

My new counter is from July 10, 2011.

You can select your own date for the window to show in: Label on Top of Counter and select custom.

A popup window will show, requesting your Email

You also can skip... and select Continue

Here you get the Code for websites (HTML) and you copy and paste it into your own blog.
If you ever want to enter your Flag Counter, just click on it anywhere and it will open with all the info for you.

GOOD LUCK!