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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html
Showing posts with label Blissful Relationship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blissful Relationship. Show all posts

Thursday, February 23, 2023

GONE With the Wind—So Did Pieter's Wedding Band

 On September 26, after having managed to get Pieter's wedding band with diamonds and other diamond ring off—by using a trick with dental floss, Pieter brought his rings to a local jewelry repair man.

For Pieter's open heart surgery on September 3, 2010 they tried to cut it off—damaging the ring.
But it was impossible due to swelling of his fingers due to arthritis.
So now we tried and I did not manage but Pieter did lie down and tried it himself—holding his hand up and he managed it—however painful!


This is my hand on January 26, wearing my diamond ring + wedding band and Pieter's ring...
But his got messed up awfully by our local jewelry repair man!

His wife had written down the wrong size and thus it would not fit Pieter—not even on his little finger as that was his choice due to less swelling there.
Then he called it was ready for pick up but once getting there he said, right after he'd called us, one of the diamonds had popped out...(?).
On January 26, we finally got to pick them up but to us that wedding band did not resemble the same as mine!
We had both of our rings blessed again (as we presumed this was NOT Pieter's original ring) by our Pastor.


Clark Gable from GONE With the Wind seems to have been wearing his ring on the little finger...

BUT after our biking next Sunday, Pieter discovered that he lost his ring!

GONE With the Wind.... but we still maintain a double blessed and Blissful Relationship!

💗 💗

Related link:

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Heart and Kidney Update after Hyperkalemia

 The week before Christmas was the worst one for me...
Suddenly got so weak and sick—vomiting even after three sips of water!
SO, I learned to lay low and REST and pray.
Because I still wanted to make it to Florida—where I'd booked us already in October—those 7 free nights for points.
And YES, I did make it to drive to Florida on December 26, and I only needed REST, vitamin D from swimming, walking and biking.
Eating healthy and finding my way out of this.
Well, my nephrologist had SHOCKED me on December 19, when he delivered the news that from 28% kidney function in June, now it only was 25%... and I had a heart murmur!
~
While I was sick, I called my nephrologist's office twice but no person on the line!
A nurse on a recording and she never bothered to call me back.
But I started analyzing things on my own and learned a LOT.
This by the way is me on the scale before breakfast, on my B'day and in my B'day suit—haha!
49.7 kg or 109.5 lb.
Just wanted to SEE if it was true what I felt...
Yep, only 66 cm or 26 inches.
Aha—that's WHY my 28 inch low rise jeans from Australia (Last Call by Neiman Marcus) FELL OFF MY HIPS!
Pieter solved it, by adding 3 more holes in his former belt that I used...
Guess the week before Christmas I suffered from Hyperkalemia and for that I've drastically changed my diet.
I knew that I had to limit my potassium intake but since my kidney function went down—it is even more serious to strictly adhere to that!
Hyperkalemia from any cause may produce nausea and vomiting... as published by healthfully.com
Guess that was also why it was affecting my heart, causing palpitations when running up and down the stairs and very much I felt it in Colorado at the high altitude pedestrian bridge...
Pieter said, he's having that problem already very long and that's why he alters his pace and needs frequent rests.
Weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness all have been felt.
Sure, as being advised by the Mayo Clinic—I knew already those 3 points:
Avoid products with added salt.
Choose lower potassium foods.
Limit the amount of protein you eat.
The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that as potassium increases, people are likely to notice muscle aches and cramps, fatigue, weakness, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, nausea...
Mayo Clinic about Kidney Disease Symptoms.
Loss of appetite I've never had and I sure hope not any decreased mental sharpness...! 
All the REST—YES except swelling of feet and ankles.
Such lists are helpful in knowing what to avoid!
No more coffee...!
CHOCOLATES! Good grief... and even salt substitutes!
Sure milk I have not taken for quite a while, only Trader Joe's soy milk as that has the LOWEST percentage of sugar—another thing to watch being diabetes type 2.
With fruits I'm fine—still a lot left to enjoy!

But I'm feeling a LOT BETTER since I've altered my diet.
Not for losing weight but purely to SURVIVE just a little longer...

Maybe this will be helpful for others as well.
My singing with the choir goes better—as I have more breath!
AND on February 1st my housekeeper started and that is super as now I find more time for doing the laundry, the shopping, the cooking + biking!

There is hope and with lots of prayers we have made it this far and even together in a blissful relationship.
May God grant us some more time together—so grateful for everything we lived through and for the fond memories and many friends all over the world!

Related link:
{Cashmere Words of Wisdom & Update} | previous post shortly after Mom died from Chronic Kidney Disease—she had almost 7 years of dialysis...

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Our Biking over 2022

 An overview of our biking in 2022
A very sunny Sunday in November, 2022
It was 21°C or 69.8°F
This was earlier in November. Sunny but chilly...
Wearing gloves and our skull cap under the helmet to protect the ears from the wind as we can go at a rather high speed on those E-bikes when going down hill.
On December 4, was my final E-bike ride for the year!
Pieter more often did run some errands and has biked far more frequently.
Pieter's E-bike rides over 2022:
1,550.5 km or 963 miles
A total of 93 rides... one for each year in age!
My E-bike rides over 2022 was 891.4 km or 554 miles
A total of 34 rides...

A bit more for both of us with the July bike rides at Jenny Lake in Wyoming and also recently in December Biking Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort ←(click link for Relive video) in Orlando, Florida .
And also a few short walks.
Planning to roll my bike again in 2023—did so far twice this month and Pieter five times.

Related link:

Monday, December 19, 2022

Will You be KISSING under the Mistletoe?

 YEP, being Old World Americans we did do this tradition! 
Of course, Pieter and I HAVE KISSED each other under the MISTLETOE as a Christmas Tradition!

HAVE YOU?!

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Bye Bye Biking in Shorts & Lynx Rufus

 Guess we have enjoyed our final 2022 months of warm and sunny weather for biking in shorts...
On October 11, it was a perfect day for getting onto our 'iron horses'...
Wearing a short sleeved top though.
Perfect sky with clouds for capturing those cows and bull with old building.
A look to the left reveals an old barn.
The new farmstead is seen in the back on the right.
Cloudy, but lovely weather on October 11, at 28°C or 82°F.
Another perfect day on October 16.
Just past the bridge, across the river.
That was the weather on October 16, at 29°C or 84°F.
October 24...
That was sunny and 22°C or 72°F.
Me standing at the very end of the bridge across the river.
Lovely blue sky!
Going back across the river, I saw this Bobcat Lynx rufus.
So sad to encounter this beauty of Georgia Wildlife!
I've placed my foot alongside for size comparison next to my size 8 sandal.
I did drag the still soft but limp body off the pavement, into the shoulder in the grass as I hate for trucks to mash up the body.
I've not looked at its head but so far no visible wounds... 
Guess it ran into a car and got knocked out.
For comparison, our own Tiggy–Tiger girl at home in the driveway next to my foot.

Friday, November 11, 2022

After 34 Years Back to Cherokee, NC and Chimney Tops Overlook in Gatlinburg, TN

 Long before the Internet or GPS, on July 16 of 1988 we both went to Cherokee, North Carolina and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Just to show my Pieter the breathtaking views I'd seen when taking Mom & Dad up there in 1987.
Campbell Soup forced us to move within a couple of months—so we took our CHANCE.
Picture taken from Pieter on July 16, 1988 near Gatlinburg, along highway 441...
BUT back then there was no location indicated on our photos or slides.
AND there were hardly any signs at the locations...
But, I did find this old postcard on the Internet with the mention of Chimney Tops Overlook near Gatlinburg, Tennessee!
Complete with the huge rocks we were standing on...
We at that time did NOT know about Chimney Tops and it was rather hazy when we visited as you see from our photos.
But now we knew where we were heading towards and on Sunday morning, October 30 around 9:15 AM we started our journey up north—hoping for nice autumn colors as well.
A Rest Stop at Sanders Knob, North Carolina.
It looked rather cloudy but in the end it would turn out to be a perfect day.
We even started out with drizzle rain in the morning...
Once we'd crossed the state line from Georgia, going into North Carolina it was so beautiful.
I'd passed this old Water Mill and I turend quickly to come back for making a photo.
This was in Cherokee, North Carolina alongside the Oconaluftee River.
We spotted a restaurant, across from this water mill, so we drove there and after parking the car we walked a bit.
Lots of gift shops but no other restaurants on that side.
Now we view from the other side across the Oconaluftee River.
We had a good lunch and not even salty—at El Cajelito Mexican Restaurant on 1681 Acquoni Rd, Cherokee, NC 28719.
A much needed break for me as well!
We continued and saw the sign Elk viewing...
WOW what a very special BONUS was that!
The elk is the largest mammal in the Great Smoky Mountains!
They had become nearly extinct and got reintroduced.
Male elk or 'bulls' weigh around 600–700 pounds and the female or 'cows' weigh average 500 pounds.
Those trees had shed already lots of leaves during a week of rain, before we went there.
Yes, not far from the Oconaluftee River on Highway 441.
Then all of a sudden I was driving IN THE CLOUDS...
Made me feel sad as for having come that far in vain—with no view.
BUT that was only at the highest points!
Towards Gatlinburg Tennessee on the Newfound Gap Rd, I told Pieter, wow, this road almost makes me dizzy. 
Pieter replied that we'd made a full circle!
You can see that here above!
Chimney Tops Trail starts to the left...
This is LOOP–OVER base of Chimney Tops as seen on this old postcard.
You see that there is a small tunnel going underneath the LOOP-OVER!
Image got taken from the jagged peaks of the Chimney Tops—giving you this bird's–eye view of the Loop–Over on the spectacular Tennessee side of the Newfound Gap Highway — which crosses the center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Around 16:00 o'cock I'd parked the car and we arrived with the most glorious light at Chimney Tops Overlook!
Pieter standing here in front of a tree with glorious autumn leaves... 🍂🍁
Turning to the other side—Chimney Tops is visible to the left!
Now you can find this huge information board—none was there in 1988...
Chimney Tops
Can you imagine smoke wafting from the chimney–like formations on this ridge? Nearly vertical holes in the tops of these jutting rocks make them look like natural chimney flues, and mountain people named them so—Chimney Tops. The Cherokees called the mountain Duniskwalguni, meaning 'forked antlers.'
The half–billion–year–old Chimney Tops, made of slates, schists, and phyllites, sit atop even older rock (Anakeesta Formtion) is softer than the sandstone, allowing rain, hail, and ice—over hundreds of millions of years—to fashion its chimney–shaped likeness.
Giving you an oversight of this beautiful Overlook...
It was rather crowded on Sunday—guess due to the weather.
But at a higher altitude the trees are already bare...!
Again an old picture postcard showing the rock formation on the other side of the road...
Those big rocks on the right were no longer there!
So I captured that side of the road as well.
SO happy for having reached our goal for the day and with perfect autumn leaves still visible and sunshine! 🌞
Pieter captured me standing behind the car.
Couldn't get enough of the light + autumn leaves...
We still had to drive a short distance to our Hyatt Place in Downtown Knoxville, TN
Enjoy short Relive Video below:
That was still a long drive of 493.8 km or 306.8 mi and a total of 6.5 hours solo behind the wheel...
But now I could REST for one day!

Related links:
SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me when we climbed Clingmans Dome—the highest point on April 03, 2019

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MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS © 2009. All rights reserved - Text and images may not be copied for distribution or sale.

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