Tulip Time 2019

It rained all last week, we received several inches of rain and spent our days indoors. But thankfully, fantastic weather arrived with the weekend. This past Sunday was a beautiful day in West Michigan and it was the perfect opportunity to check out this year’s tulip festival in Holland, MI. You can learn all about it here.

We live about an hour and a half from Holland, definitely a doable drive but also far enough that we tend to make the trips over there a day long event. We arrived in Holland, along with what seemed like the entire population of Grand Rapids, at about 10:30 in the morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was super pumped to spend some time outdoors with my sweetheart. It was the first weekend of Tulip Time, so there were several activities happening. There was a artisan market in Centennial Park (and at least one proposal of marriage), dancers, live music, a carnival,  food and fun. Hope College was even celebrating graduation that day. We normally go the last day of the festival as a Mother’s Day outing and it’s a much quieter affair; so it was fun to see what it’s like when things have just kicked off.

Tulip Time is a celebration of Dutch heritage; there are windmills, baked goods, wooden shoes and of course the tulips. We spent most of our time walking around town and the parks looking at all the different varieties that were on display.  Many of the residential streets are planted too, so there are a lot of tulips to look at.

img_0204For lunch, we got some take out from Crane’s. It’s a local cafe that has delicious and fresh salads, sandwiches and baked goods. My salad came with grilled apple butter swirl bread. The nice gentlemen sitting next to me on the park bench while I ate seemed a bit envious.

After lunch, we walked around the artisan market and down a few more streets. Then we decided to walk over to the park on Lake Macatawa. On our way to the park, we stumbled upon the Holland location of HopCat. It is a restaurant/beer bar that started in Grand Rapids and now has several locations. They serve the most AMAZING fries. I got them loaded with cheese sauce, onion and jalapeno…sooo good! They also have an impressive tap list (about 77 in all), and to top it all off (for me), they serve the Impossible Burger.

If you don’t know what an Impossible Burger is, it’s a meat-free burger that looks, feels and tastes like the real thing. A while back I developed an allergy to red meat, so I can’t eat lovely things like burgers and steak anymore. This vegan burger patty makes me feel like I’m getting away with something. I’ve really missed the joy that comes from eating a hamburger and fries. Don’t get me wrong, I love black bean burgers but it’s just not the same. Here’s a link to their website, in case you are curious: Impossible Foods Okay sorry, I got really excited about food there for a minute…back to tulip time.

img_0228After the beer and food  pit stop, we finally made it to the park. One of the reasons we went, was to see the tall ship that was docked at a nearby restaurant. The ship is called Friends Good Will and is a Great Lakes sloop that was built in 1810. It is owned and operated by the Michigan Maritime Museum. We weren’t able to get a very close look at it (Primarily because sometimes I’m a cheapskate and didn’t want to pay for tickets, perhaps another time.) but it was still pretty cool to see. There weren’t many tulips at the park but it was nice to be by the lake and just enjoy being alive for a bit.

After the lake, we headed back toward our car. It was about a 2 mile walk so we got to see more tulips, more adorable children dressed in Dutch costumes and hear more music and laughter along the way.

It was a lovely way to spend a beautiful Michigan spring day. If you’ve never been, I would encourage you to check it out for yourself. If you have been to Tulip Time, what did you like best?

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MI Oh Meijer

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My Local Meijer

If you live in Michigan, you have shopped at Meijer. It is the superstore of superstores up here. It has now expanded into several other state’s, but it used to be just a Michigan thing. It’s pronounced Meyer; we have a large Dutch population in Michigan, but that’s story for another post. Oh, and the people of Michigan add ownership to a lot of business names, so you may also here it referred to as Meijer’s. (I believe this started with the opening of the first Ford factory. I’ll do my homework and update everyone later.)

Meijer was founded in 1934 in Greenville, MI as a family grocery store and has since become a very large chain of stores. Over the years it is has grown to be so much more than a grocery store. Like I said, it is the superstore of all superstores. When I was a kid there was no super Walmart or super Target. As a matter of fact we didn’t even have these stores at all. And I don’t think other places had anything like Meijer. Anytime someone came to visit us from out of state they always wanted to go to Meijer because Meijer had EVERYTHING. The first Meijer Thrifty Acres was opened in 1962 and according to their official website this was “the birth of the supercenter and the springboard for a concept that would grow into a retail phenomenon”. You could (and still can) get groceries, health and beauty items, clothes, sporting good, books, garden supplies, automotive supplies and pretty much anything else you can think of. So it was really quite innovative at the time.

It was a great concept and of course it worked. It’s cold and snowy here a good portion of the year, no one wants to run errands and get in and out of the car to go in and out of buildings in frigid temperatures.  So it’s not surprising that one stop shopping would appeal to Michigan residents. I’ve never known a time without a super center and as a kid I never realized how spoiled we were to have them.

The Meijer family has not only been very successful in the retail industry, they have also been quite generous. You can find their name on hospitals, biking and hiking trails and of course the Fredrick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids.  It’s a lot to talk about in one blog post so I will save those endeavors for another time.

I find the story of Meijer so inspiring. It is what many see as achieving the ultimate “American Dream”. Hendrik Meijer immigrated to this country, worked hard, took risks and achieved enormous success. Before he owned a grocery store, he was a barber. I’m not looking to become the CEO of a major retail chain or anything, but if a barber can start a grocery store that grows to what Meijer is today, I should be able to make something out of the dreams I have if I’m willing to chase after them.

The Age Factor

What is age really? As I have gotten older I have been pondering that question a lot more frequently. And the more I think about that question, the more annoyed I get about some people’s ideas and expectations regarding age; especially when they are directed at myself or others in the form of other age related questions.

The first question tends to be asked of a third party and not addressed directly to the subject. It’s typically heard about second hand, at a later date. It is usually asked when behaviors  have been exhibited that someone else believes are not appropriate for a particular age bracket.

The Question: “Do you think she will ever act her age?”

My Answer: First of all, why is that any of your business? Besides, I’ve never been this age before so I didn’t know there was a standard set of behaviors. Did I miss a memo? Was there an orientation that I didn’t get invited to? Is there some sort of handbook for being my age? And, do I have to figure this out every single time I have another birthday? Because that sounds exhausting.

That’s the long answer. The short answer is, No, I won’t.

I don’t know where this whole concept started. Where did our society get the idea that because we are getting older we somehow become different people? I may have a few more wrinkles on my face and few more years under my belt, but that does not change who I am. It doesn’t change the clothes I like. (You aren’t getting my Chuck Taylor’s unless you pry them off of my cold dead feet.). It won’t change the music I like to listen to; I’m not going to suddenly turn down the AC/DC and crank up some Perry Como just because I’m a grandma. And I’m not going to stop dancing around in my living room (and sometimes in public) to Bruno Mars or James Brown. Most of all it doesn’t change my sense of humor, my interests or my passion. I am who I am.

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As I’ve aged I have certainly grown and some things have changed, mostly things like my outlook on the future, my compassion, my patience. But my personality has not changed. I still like to tell stupid jokes, I still like to hang out and laugh riotously with my favorite people, I still like to dance like no one is watching, and to do dozens of other things that I’ve always enjoyed. No matter how old I get, those things are not going to change. If Steven Tyler and all those other “aging” rock stars can be unashamedly and completely themselves in front of the entire world, then so can I.

The other question that has been asked seems to circulate around activities that somehow seem inappropriate for someone of “advanced age”. Such as exercise, experiences or hobbies.

The Question: Do you know how old you are?

My Answer: Do I know how old I am? That’s one of the dumbest questions I’ve ever heard. Do you know how old you are? Of course I know how old I am! Why on earth do you think I’m doing what I’m doing? Also, do you know how old I am or are you asking me my age? Because I’m a lady (*tries not to snicker*) and I’ve heard that it’s rude to ask a lady her age. Maybe you should just mind your own business and worry about yourself.

Okay, so the above is pretty rude and I would probably never actually say it to someone’s face. But it is the answer I feel like giving sometimes. The answer I usually give is: “Yes, I am keenly aware of my age, and I’m just doing things while I still have a chance to do them.”  This is essentially the same answer, just a little less offensive.

I really am keenly aware of my age. That’s why I strive to eat healthy, exercise, have good sleep habits and laugh as often as possible. It’s also why I drink good beer, eat good chocolate and stay up too late sometimes.

I would like to live a long and memorable life. I have known and loved too many people that did not get that opportunity. I try to remember not to take this life for granted (most of the time, occasionally I could be mistaken for a giant couch potato).  I also don’t buy into the idea that as we get older we can’t do things. Barring illness and injury (which also happens to young people) I think we can do whatever we put our minds to. It may take more time, energy and determination as we age, but if we really want something we can go after it. I recently watched a video of a 72 year old woman who has been doing cross-fit for five years! If she can pick that up and enjoy it at the age of 67, I’m pretty sure the rest of us can do some amazing stuff  too.

When it comes down to it, I’m not actually annoyed with the people who ask the questions; I am annoyed for them. Because, if someone is asking those questions, it means they have bought into the lie that they have to be something different, something less than they actually are. Some of their joy and their spark, is being stolen from them and they are being cheated out of the chance to be truly alive.

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This is at Michigan’s Tahquamenon Falls and that handsome fella is my favorite person to cruise around the sun with.

My age does not define me. It is not a factor I consider when I am going about my daily life. And, as much as those questions bother me, my age does not. Getting old is not a bad thing. Like I said before, not everyone gets that chance. All my age signifies is the number of times I have cruised around the sun.

Here’s the really important thing to remember about age: The bigger that number gets, the more opportunities we have to really live!

Oy! The Weather Up Here!

I love Michigan (*whispers to self repeatedly*).  Seriously, I do love it here and I love the fact that we experience all the seasons nature has to offer. However, riding out the transitions between them can be a little rough. We get what I would call “teasers”, when it comes to our daily forecast, during these transition times. It’s kind of like someone starting to tell you a really, really exciting story and then just saying, “oh never mind, I don’t feel like talking about that right now” and then going back to whatever tired old conversation you were having before.

This is me on April 7th, laying out on my deck:

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BTW: My shirt says, “Lions, Tigers and Beer, Oh MI! I love that shirt.

Don’t I look happy? The sun is shining, I’m not wearing a coat and I have that big, goofy,  “yeah Spring” smile plastered all over my face. But I was deceived. Spring lied to me.

Here is what that same deck looks like today:

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There is no smile on my face today….trust me.

I can certainly complain (obviously), but I shouldn’t be surprised. It happens EVERY year, and if I’m honest that happy lady laying in the sun knew it wouldn’t last…at least not for long. Spring rarely comes and stays on the first visit around these parts. It dips it’s toe in the water a few times before it jumps in all the way. So yeah, that chick on the deck knew, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She was just soaking it up while she had the chance.

Maybe this crazy weather is part of the reason most northerners seem to be so happy go lucky. We know that, in time, even bad situations usually get better. So we are patient and find our joy where we can. Life is just like our weather; if you don’t like it, wait half an hour, it will change.

Life in the Mitten State: Take Two

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Mighty Mac

I had the idea for this blog almost four years ago. I thought of a concept and a name and I even got the domain name; and that’s as far as I went. So…I’m trying it again because I do really love this state (most of the time, don’t ask me about it in February). I hope anyone who happens to stumble upon this blog won’t be disappointed. Stay tuned for more.