{Drunken Spaghetti}

Wow... since I published that post about my Apple Addiction, we lost completely our Internet connection. 

What a fate, not being able to do anything for some 24 hours!

But today it got repaired, there was a kink in the cable that entered the home and we got a replacement. 

SO HAPPY!

Tonight I prepared a very simple but delicious recipe from dear friend Celia M.'s Resilientista in the Kitchen. 

DRUNKEN SPAGHETTI...

Yes, this pasta got cooked in red wine!

TRY IT!
Recipe link was gone but here on my Pinterest you can find it anew!

It was really delicious, topped with grated Pecorino cheese from Trader Joe's and paired with arugula and an olive and white balsamic dressing.

The spaghetti I used was Quinoa and we both loved its taste!

Above link from Resilientista gives you the link to the recipe.

Thanks again Celia M. from Celia M. High Heeled Life - Resilientista; you always have such very special recipes to share with your readers.

{Apple Addiction}

Yes, for quite some time I had been eyeing an APPLE iMac retina display...

We did visit the Apple Store in Toronto, in June.

This photo is from the Apple Store, Fifth Avenue in New York City...
A beautiful glass cube!

Photo taken on August 28, during our sight seeing tour by bus.

Yes, after our June visit to Toronto, Canada, I did study some reviews on Apple iMac...
More and more I got convinced this would become our next choice!

BUT when I got this message on my HP PC, I had to act fast...

Finally saying goodbye to this problem set and all its spaghetti wires...

We had to have the hard drive replaced twice!
This was a display model at Costco Wholesale and the hard drive did not work when we got home.
One more time we had to replace it.
Only 4 years old but I don't regret for letting this noisy tower go!

Driving the 240 km one way, to our nearest Apple Store in Atlanta...

Happy new owner of this iMac...

Setting it up at the Apple Store...
Bluetooth wireless keyboard and magic mouse. -
Goodbye spaghetti junction!

On August 20, it proudly stood on my desk at home!
So happy with it!

So far it works great and I would not want to ever go back to a PC!

Video and photo viewing quality is unexcelled! 

With 2 iPhones, mine being the iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air and now iMac it looks like we're Apple Addicts indeed but we both do LOVE them.

Do you also own an Apple, or several Apples?

{Blossoms in December with Sunshine}

So far our December month is bringing us lots of sunshine.

Let me show you some of our December Blossoms...

One of our climbing roses still was yielding us such beauties.

Shown in a French crystal Baccarat perfume bottle.

Of course, our Camellias are also blooming...

Shown inside a Baccarat perfume bottle.

These white Verbena's happily continue blooming alongside the driveway.

From our garden we yielded 7 stems with white Paperwhites, that perfectly filled this tablet with fixed vases (7).

It was a gift that I received for doing a program about Indonesia, for a Women's Study Club here in Dublin, GA.

They presented me with this precious gift box!

Love the snow crystals...

Are you also having high 60s, 70s and low 80s in your area?

We LOVE this type of weather!

That's our weather forecast, up till almost Christmas.

{Glass Christmas ROSE Ornaments from Anonymous Blogger}

We ALL love parcels in the mail don't we?

~ 

Well, especially if a sweet Blogger Friend is sending such a perfect gift!

Look here: Glass Christmas ROSE Ornaments... and all 8 of them arrived in perfect condition.

A true BLESSING in many ways.

Lavender being my favorite color, together with the teal, these glass roses made for a perfect wreath with some fresh Rosemary sprigs.

Thank you ever so much for this precious gift dear Anonymous!

Someone knowing very well about my addiction to Roses and Angels...

~ 

Took this photo outside in the last rays of sunshine.

We both went with two of our kitties to the Vet, before I could make my photos...

This LED Pillar Candle did just perfectly fit the wreath that I created with some florist wire.

Flameless candle is also kitty-safe!

I've placed them on a large 12.25 inch or 31 cm Pillivuyt serving plate.

Don't you love these colors?!

With the lavender they are also most fitting for the Advent Season.

How very thoughtful in multiple ways...

Wishing you all a blessed Advent Season!

{Mary The Most Powerful Woman in the World}

In this month's NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, Mary is on the cover...

She is also well known in the Koran, named Maryam (Mary) and is the holiest woman mentioned.

She is a direct link between Christians and Muslims.

How the Virgin Mary Became the World’s Most Powerful Woman just click for reading the full story.

Perfect for her Feast of Immaculate Conception on December 8

Wishing you a Blessed Advent Season!

{A Happy Saint Nicholas with Chocolate Letters + Update}

        A very stressful week with a Happy Ending!

Dad is home again and did NOT need any heart surgery at all.

Prayers did get answered big time and we all feel so blessed.

My sister Gerd with daughter Lindsay did bring Dad home this afternoon.

Perfect timing for Saint Nicholas!

This is last year's order of Chocolate Letters for Friends and Extended Family...

Most people prefer MILK chocolate; what is your preference?
Mine is DARK...

Husband Pieter's is MILK or MELK in Dutch...

Before my sister Gerd, with her daughter went upstairs to Dad's room at the VieCuri hospital in The Netherlands, Lindsay did IMPROMPTU play at the Grand Piano:
Lindsay's version of Comptine d'un autre été l'après-midi by Yann Tiersen
Just click the above link... ENJOY! Sorry but Gerd has deleted said video...
And last but not least; THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Chocolate letters are great gift ideas for Santa Claus...

Related links:
{Chocolate and Silver Alphabet Letters for Saint Nicholas} | previous post by me
{Since 1896 Dutch CHOCOLATE LETTERS - Have YOU Tried Them?} | previous post by me
{Chocolate Letter LOVE} | previous post by me

{My 22nd Birthday as an American!}

YAY, I finally, after full 7 days could call my Dad in the hospital in The Netherlands!
One of my brothers did turn around and made sure that Dad's package of TV, Radio and Telephone got hooked up. 

He had been deprived of this for SEVEN full days.

The good news is that his heart seems to have been just OVER STRESSED.
Dad is like my husband Pieter a very hard worker and he'd been doing some physical jobs prior to all this.
Prayers got answered and after this medical test, through the vein in his wrist, things look positive and we hope that he can go home on Saturday!

Now his Australian Brother and other elderly choir members can call him as well.
At least he has a very happy American daughter!
~ 
Thank you all for your sweet comments during this very difficult time for both of us.
My Dad in The Netherlands still does not know anything about his real heart condition.
On Wednesday they were supposed to check it out but there obviously was an emergency with another heart patient and the cardiologist had to postpone Dad's procedure.
They have planned that now for Thursday...
BUT there still is no phone connection! It is available at the hospital for EACH patient but needs to be hooked up and then of course relatives and friends need to be informed about the direct number.
Also my uncle in Australia, Dad's younger brother is being cut off from any contact, as well as all those living long distance that can't be there in person..
Let's hope that soon they will start using their brain and heart as Celia from Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista so well wrote on my FB Timeline.

BUT...

December 3rd is my 22nd Birthday as an American Citizen!

Photo is from September 12, when we went to the Dublin Theatre...

My hair is shorter now.
Being an Escada fan, I'm wearing an all black Escada outfit; Spanish style pants, top and sandals.

Related links:

{Today I turned 17!} | previous post by me
{December 30, 1993 U.S. flag flown over U.S. Capitol for both of us!} | previous post by me
{1993 Today, the American Flag was flown for both of us...} | previous post by me
{ME, Turning 20 on December 3!} | previous post by me

{There You Go Again... Update}

SORRY for having been missing in action but this is why:

On Thanksgiving Day, while we were having a lovely dinner at the home of our 'American Family' my Dad was having a heart attack and ended up in the hospital.

This is a photo, taken on Friday afternoon when my brother Piet (he took this photo) with brother Jan and sister Gerd went to visit Dad at the hospital.

Jan used his iPhone 6, for letting Dad do FaceTime with me.

Exactly the same way as he did with Mom during her final days...

This is what I had on my FB on Saturday, asking for prayers as we are waiting about the outcome for Dad's health.

It looks like he has CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) since he had a lot of fluids in his leg and difficulty breathing.

This morning, at Church, I snapped this shot from our Church bulletin where Dad's name is being listed among those needing a prayer.

Both of us do strongly believe in prayer and we are grateful for all that do pray for my dear Dad!

Mom & Dad have both knelt at this Christ Episcopal Church together with us and Dad sang at this Church...

So many memories and people in this town know my Parents.

~ 

Okay, now about the THERE YOU GO AGAIN...

Being over 8,000 km away from home it is NOT easy dealing with a parent that is in the hospital or on his/her death bed.

Dad holding me as baby...

Like in January of this year, when I lost my sweet Mom after guiding her 17 days during her hospital stay.

I owe a lot of gratitude to my sweet and very close brothers (2) and other brother and  sister.

But there are 2 more that are rather toxic!

The brother who thinks he is in charge has completely left me out of the family App so I will not receive any updates or know who is visiting Dad on any given day.

Yesterday, my toxic brother went to visit Dad in the afternoon - no update to anyone!

In the evening my toxic sister went to visit Dad in the evening - no update to anyone either!

Dad 7 days in hospital without phone connected ←click link for Pdf with 70 comments on FB and scroll down a little.

That is living through hell, plain torture for NOT knowing anything.

Neither have they provided Dad with a phone; so I cannot call him.

Only when my close siblings visit Dad, will I receive any update. 

A photo is so welcome; like the above first photo.

Today it made me very happy to hear again an update. 

Guess what the toxic brother who thinks he is in charge did to me in January?

He forced me to take down ALL photos from Mom.

{R.I.P. Dear Mom} with Mom's sweet photo... (you can click the hyperlink).

I had to take down all the photos that were made here in Georgia, while Mom was visiting us.

My toxic brother threatened me with being left out of my Parents' will if I did not take them down.

Although I never understood WHY, I have given in, hoping it would restore the peace in our family, after first making screen shots of each and every single comment of sweet people from around the world.

Like on my blog above, I had lots of comments on my FB posts.

It was what carried me through those tough times as we could not be at the funeral for two reasons: I was still having physical rehab and also because we were paying huge medical bills at the time.

click to enlarge...

All those comments meant the world to me; they did lift me up and also very much my dear husband Pieter, who suffered heart cramps from all the stress and hurt caused by those toxic siblings who did never consider my dear Pieter's age of 86! That's NOT how you treat the elderly...

At 7:00 PM the 'day' ends on Blogger and Pageviews get counted anew.

On the actual day of Mom's death, up till 7:00 PM, I did have 1,550 pageviews...

From 7:00-9:00 PM when this was taken, it were 102 pageviews.

No words can tell you HOW grateful I am to those that lifted us up.

From so many countries, from all religions and I respect them all.

On FB, I did get again numerous comments and visits on my post: R.I.P. Dear Mom ← just click it to see the Pdf with everything I'd saved before deleting.

Mom is in heaven  ← just click it to see the Pdf also.

 Sweet foster-daughter Anita from Indonesia, did video Skype me from their car, before I went to bed on Saturday evening.

She always has been very loving and supportive.

So, once again I did put Mom's photo back on my blog.

As the oldest daughter, I don't want to be a victim to this kind of useless bullying by those toxic siblings again.

Bitter siblings keep viewing that post very frequently; up from 630 views (see above) to 1763 now...

They have fed Dad with lies and made up stories, trying to cut me off.

That is so rude for manipulating a grieving Dad at his frail age of 94!

It proves of a sick and hateful mind.

Let us hope they will change and above all, letting Dad have a peaceful time till he will join Mom in heaven.

That is very much our prayer!

{French Comptoir de Famille Candle Wreath}

Inspired by the French Countryside, 

nostalgic home décor items by 
Comptoir de Famille.

Needless to say that I feel fortunate for being able to offer you these lovely French Country Style Candle Wreath at my on line boutique: French Comptoir de Famille Candle Wreath.  ←click it.

Adorned with Roses and Berries this is also perfect for a romantic  Christmas Day setting...

Works with the LED pillars as well, for a clean and safe candle setting.

♥ Pour Toi ♥

{Happy Thanksgiving 2015!}

Today, all plans got thwarted due to 7 hours power outage, a broken underground cable in our street...

They did repair it but also damaged first a water pipe, causing a fountain.

And they also struck the cable for TV and Internet!

But after 8 hours; all was back on again. 

Still being grateful for so many things!

Thanksgiving Day: Pilgrims were a surprisingly worldly, tolerant lot

Pilgrims who braved the Mayflower were profoundly shaped by their 11 years in Leiden, Netherlands, where they arrived 402 years ago this year. Deeply devout, they were also some of the most tolerant among Puritan groups who headed to the new world. Read more from source here: Thanksgiving Day: Pilgrims were a surprisingly worldly, tolerant lot

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all US READERS!

Related links:

{Gratitude for Thanksgiving 2014 - Like the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1621} | previous post by me

{Happy Thanksgiving - From Pilgrim to President} | previous post by me

{Trimming up Dogwood Lets Light Back into Bay Window Area}

On November 12, Pieter did start Trimming up our huge Dogwood tree, that almost touched the house.

It really had darkened our entire Bay Window Area!

Twenty five years of growth is a LOT.

After breakfast, those long branches got sawn off...
Done with the hand saw, while standing on a ladder!

From the bay window area it still looks kind of dark...
With our white vinyl picket fence in the back.

One can tell that those branches almost reached the house, while up there...

Those two limbs have to be sawn off completely...

Up on the ladder and with the use of the electrical chain saw...

A better view of the action...

Down it came, with already big buds for the dogwood flowers meant for next spring...

SORRY!

It kind of hurts to murder something living...

Husband Pieter did have constant help from cat-man Spooky.

He walks back and forth when all the branches got hauled off, after they got cut up into pieces.

Hard work and now we got a LOT more light into our Bay Window Area!

Wishing all my U.S. readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.