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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 Down Duvets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Down Duvets. Show all posts

Saturday, February 19, 2022

From Lakeland, to Sarasota via Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida

 After two nights at the Hyatt Place in Lakeland, Florida, I was driving to our next hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota and I opted to take the scenic route over the I-275 South, Sunshine Skyway (tall and long bridge) Bradenton.
It is said that it is one of the world's longest cable stayed, concrete bridges.
With its 6.7 km length or 4.14 miles it goes up 131 m or 430 feet and one of the most spectacular bridges in the world!
Over the years, they now have added a suicide fence on both sides...
Below post you can view my 1.5 min. Relive capture, but bear in mind that it was quite difficult to capture any 'good' images with one hand while driving at a speed of over 50 miles. My husband Pieter no longer can do this for me, as his eye sight is not well enough and especially not at high speed.
Our destination, the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota...
Guess we were having the BEST weather we ever have had over 38 years, driving down to Florida!
Blue skies and no rain.
View from our room #931 at the Hyatt Regency... in the back you see the beautiful Ritz Carlton Sarasota.
Not really that warm on the day of arrival, after a cold spell that reached far South.
But clear and sunny and for all three coming days that we would be here!
18℃ is 64℉ for those that would not know...
24℃ is 75℉
27℃ is 80℉
You also see that the nights are warming up again!
Decided to ride the elevator down from our 9th floor, and go for a walk, while my Pieter was taking his 'delayed' nap!
Wrote him a note for IF he would wake up and not seeing me...
As you can see again from the outside where I stepped out of the door, a picture perfect day at a lovely location.
So happy with our 3 FREE nights on points, that we accumulated over the years.
There was a lot of construction going on alongside the Sarasota Bay area... could not walk further here as I hit a fence.
Picture from the front entrance of the Hyatt Regency
Enjoyed walking on the other side of the road into this lovely Van Weezel Way at Sarasota Bay area.
In the distance you see the John Ringling Causeway Bridge towards Saint Armands Circle on Lido Key.
Photo taken near Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
This was near the spot where I've captured in 2014 the Anhinga: {Sarasota Bay, Florida - Anhinga} ←click link.
Walking behind our hotel, I enjoyed watching these brown pelicans.
Diving ever so fast and when they resurfaced they had scooped up a fish...
Hence that kind of 'bag' under their beak. They then swallowed it down and flew off in order to dive again!
Do you see the pelican in the center, ready to dive?
Right before the entrance door, from the backside of the Hyatt Regency, this juvenile Snowy Egret in residence was greeting me.
My Pieter was still happily napping between the goose down duvet and pillows...
So he had not yet read my note about me walking! 😉
A beautiful sunset on our first evening back in Sarasota Bay...
{Sarasota, Florida - Hyatt Regency} and in 2014 and once before that...
Click in center...

Thursday, September 22, 2016

{Award Nights at Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, Florida}

On July 29, we arrived from Orlando, Florida at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota where we last were on May 1, 2014. 
Again this was for our Award Nights, now for 2 nights.
The Hyatt Regency in Sarasota is such a dream location!
This photo is from my post, linked below.
We had no time for taking photos this visit...
Instead we met with dear friends!
Like a dream!
Free nights at such a location... WOW!
We earn that with each year's anniversary of the Hyatt Visa Card.
One night per year!
This year we enjoyed a swim in this tropical pool, surrounded by Coconut Palm Trees.
It feels like being in paradise...
View from our room.
Again we had a spacious room with a balcony where we enjoyed a coffee/tea.
Wish we could have stayed for at least a week!

Have you ever been to Sarasota?

Thanks for your visit!

Related link:
{Sarasota, Florida - Hyatt Regency} | previous post by me

Friday, April 3, 2015

{My Hand with Dupuytren's Contracture - Update}

It is now almost half a year ago, since I had unexpectedly surgery on my left hand's index finger. Due to severe swelling, Edema, they had to open it up and look inside. 
You can see the huge swelling on my left index finger; Edema.
Having a rare auto immune disease could also trigger such unusual reaction.
After my total histerectomy, I even suffered Angioedema because of ACE inhibitors that I took for controlling my blood pressure, which I had to stop using of course.
An orthopedic surgeon opened up my index finger, on the outside and inside.
They started growing a culture but nothing was growing in it and I felt like having undergone surgery in vain... Also I'd begged to have it done by my Hand Surgeon, whom I saw in April of 2012, for my Dupuytren's Contracture. 'No, any orthopedic surgeon can do this I was told!'
This photo is of October 18, one day after surgery while still at the hospital, for a total of 6 days.
You don't realize how handicapped you are with only the use of one hand...
It was a time that I asked husband Pieter to bring me the lap-duvet, my own sewing creation from the left over down duvet that I used for enlarging the European sized twin duvets. I'd sewn a soft duvet cover for it from cable print flannel sheets that were on sale at Garnet Hill 
Don't know about your hospital experience, but I was almost freezing during my stay!
During surgery they had bruised my eyes and nose, making me look like I had been in a fight!
Could they not more carefully place the mask over my nose and mouth for putting me to sleep?
Not my best days...
At the first check up with J. Richter, M.D. he told me that sometimes, surgery does not go following the book... BUT with aggressive therapy, 3 times weekly, I would be able to fully use my finger again.
At Fairview Park Hospital: Rehab Unit they put Kinetix band on and treated me with Ultrasound in order to get rid of the aggressively formed scar tissue.
On November 14, 2014 still a lot of swelling as the Edema persisted.
You can see where orthopedic surgeon J. Richter, M.D. cut the finger open and also on the underside.
Dupuytren's Contracture does cause scar tissue to grow more aggressively...
One more reason I had begged to see my Hand Surgeon in Macon!
Finally, after going to the local hospital's rehab center, for 6 weeks, 3 x weekly, I managed to see my Hand Surgeon in the next city, one hour driving from where we live.
His first question nearly floored me. 'Where did you go for therapy?' I told him at Fairview Park Hospital Rehab. He then asked me: 'Why didn't they send you to a certified hand therapist?'... 
I realized that not only was I told that this surgery was not exactly following the books and now I learned that my first two months of precious healing time had not been fully utilized because, unknowingly, I did not see a certified hand therapist! 
So I committed to driving the long distance from than on. Surgery cannot be redone, sure it would have been a different outcome had Waldo E. Floyd III, M.D. done my surgery to begin with.
At Ortho Georgia, Diana, one of the experienced and licensed Hand & Upper Extremity therapists, provided me with an elastic finger for wearing during the day in order to reduce the swelling.
A gel coated elastic finger to wear at night, all for reducing the swelling...
She got me a splint to wear at home, for some 20 minutes at a time, about 4 or 5 times daily.
This in order to further stretch and straighten my finger.
From the side...
Here you can see my nodules from the Dupuytren's Contracture in the palm of my hand and it has extended out towards that index finger. You also can see where the scar tissue has kind of caused a nodule.
In order to bend the finger again, I had to wear this elastic strap, just simply stapled together and tightened over time, as I progressed.
Needless to say that when having to do all this, the usual household chores like baking, cleaning etc. are very much restricted!
This is on January 19, 2015 and still very much swollen and red.
At OrthoGeorgia I started out each time with this Whirlpool treatment.
Ground up corn cobs, an inert medium, are being circulated by hot air inside.
I had to insert my lower arm and hand and with a velcro sleeved extension it got closed off.
photo courtesy of Ortho Georgia and not my hand!
Next Diana would treat my finger with ultrasound, for reducing the scar tissue.
On January 22, after removing the gel coated elastic finger that I wore during the night...
At Ortho Georgia Rehab I had to work with pegs...
Shooting off these little 1.25 inch porcupine rubber balls, with your thumb and index finger.
Diana custom made me a brace for wearing, so the lowest finger joint could not bend; thus forcing the other two to function on their own.
Diana would stretch, bend, flex and massage my finger; well I could better write that she tortured me but I endured it for the benefits I got out of it. ONLY wish I could have started off with her right after surgery...
This is for bending the finger for a certain length of time.
This is today, still somewhat swollen and red but when I got my check up yesterday with Waldo E. Floyd III, M.D. in Macon, he told me that I better quit the therapy.
First he asked me if I could live with this finger the way it is...
What can I say? I have to accept it and in the almost six months time, I've grown used to it and look forward to normal use of both of my hands without being restricted due to all these things.
He still suggested I use my THERABATH PROFESSIONAL THERMOTHERAPY PARAFFIN BATH for warming up and than continue with the strap etc. at home. 
It has been a very expensive time for us and I often say, paying for hospital bills is far more expensive than being at the most luxurious Resort!
What bothered me was that I was not correctly advised for seeing a certified person and even worse, when comparing the billing between the non-certified, so-called hand therapist and the really professional one!
On December 1, 2014, this was the bill from our local Fairview Park Hospital Rehab.
Ultrasound therapy $ 377.25. Luckily I had reached my deductible of $ 5,000.- at that time!
At Ortho Georgia only $ 47.00
Sure, I'm not finger-pointing but there IS a difference!
With my new insurance, I've paid over 2015 already $ 1,150.83 out of pocket...
~
Life goes on, even after we have had a rough ride this year with also my Mom's death, husband Pieter's Angina Pectoris (heart cramp) after Mom's passing.

But we did enjoy a lovely 6 days in Arizona from March 22 through 27, using our free companion ticket from Delta that would expire on March 31. 

Related links:
{There You Go Again... Update} | previous post by me about bullying siblings that attacked me for NOT going to Mom's funeral while still having rehab and NO financial means for paying the very expensive ticket (short term booking)... I've forgiven them and only pray that they will change. It is up to God to deal with it.
{My Hand and Dupuytren's Contracture} | previous post by me
{Fighting the Water + Scanning Slides} | previous post by me
{Dutch Twin Down Duvets Altered to American Size} | previous post by me


Monday, August 4, 2014

{Duvet Covers 16 Inch Wider Now}

This is how I did solve the problem with my too narrow Dutch Down Duvets and its Cinderella Duvet Covers...
At TJ Maxx we found a nice white all cotton queen sheet set. As I could use the fitted sheet for our bed, the flat sheet got used for adding 16 inch (or 40 cm) of width to the duvet covers. 
Here it is, added on already!
The hard part was the tedious opening up of the seam with the seam ripper.
Once that got done it was easy.
So a total of 32 inches of white cotton fabric for each duvet cover was added on.
To make it real easy, I even kept the flat sheet's folded hem and only added ties for closing at the bottom by stitching white bias tape together.
Had to mark those spots with my pink chalk (still visible here).
Simple and low cost. Learn from Mariette...
Related link:
{Dutch Twin Down Duvets Altered to American Size} | previous post by me with chart about size differences between Dutch & American Down Duvets...


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