Holland on a sunny Earth Day

The white blossoms of the Ornimental Pears on Songbird Lane are in their splendor and so are those of the many other trees of that species scattered around town. The tulip lanes are beginning to show their beauty and in two weeks they will be at their peak. By that time we will be gone, but we are really drinking in the beauty this year. The waterfront area north of 6th street is a bit behind the "lanes" but by Tulip Time they will be out in full aray.

We continued our "lasts" this weekend...The Piper on Friday with its view of the the former Point West; "the" Holland restaurant when we arrived in the spring of 1972. Tom Fairchild took us there to welcome us to the area. Much has changed since then. Incedentally, Leanne reported this week that Tom and Dorothy are in the independent living area of assisted living facility in Sturgus doing quite well. Tom's eyesight is bad, but he is able to cook for the pair and Dorothy has advancing Alsheimer's to the point she does not recognize any of their children, but can function with Tom's guidance.

We visited the new Captain Sundae (the former Southside Dairy Queen) last night for the first and probably last time, too. Then we went to JP's for coffee and sat outside for fifteen minutes before we were inundated by packs of gray haired folks walking around in gangs. They were followed by streams of student-looking people and young families....the downtown was busy last night...whew.

We got home after eight just in time to watch Something's Got to Give. I mention that because usually Aleene will not watch a movie again that she has seen. Last night was an exception...and I think we enjoyed it again. Nostalgia has set in.

No breaks in the condo market. Talked to Larry on the path yesterday and he said the maket still has not broken loose. Nothing is moving around here right now. He had three open houses yesterday and had one looker. That was a reassuring statement.

I said goodbye to my budds at the Center for Dispute Resolution...now Mediation Services. Ted Reimer took my place on the Board there and was in attendance with the other learners who are doing the 40 hour State Court Admin Office training to be mediators. They asked me to come in for two hours on Friday to do my piece on why mediation works which I learned from my mentor from KC. I stayed for lunch that day and we had a round table on mediation. They asked me to come back Saturday for another working lunch. There were other experienced mediators their to share, but Connie was trying to get Board members and in my case former board members to impart our wisdom.

This group has two attorneys in attendance, both of whom represented clients in cases I mediated last summer. We were just starting to do General Civil cases from the Circuit Court in Ottawa County. The cases were court ordered and these gentlemen had not been involved in a mediation before and were taken by the process and success of it all. You never know where things might go. I remember...five years ago...taking the training and thinking where that might all lead.

The training was held at the Library in Zeeland (Dennis Martin's facility) which is beautiful and free to community based groups.

I bet I will have more to add as the day goes on...so check back for new posts later in the day. I will give you other blossom updates from the bursting spring here in West Michigan.