I have lived in Grand Rapids since 1971 and in all that time, I have never ventured out to Holland for Tulip Time! Isn't that crazy?! The only time in my life I have seen the tulips in Holland was in the fifth grade, when my class from Grant Elementary School (in Livonia) took a field trip to see the big tulip parade that year! 
I'm not sure I caught the tulips in their prime this year ... it's been a really cold week here ... but just look at them! Aren't they gorgeous? (to steal my great-nephew Matthew Owen's much used expression)
Mr. Jones and I drove out to Holland right after lunch today. Our destination was Windmill Island. This is the De Zwaan windmill. The name is Dutch for "The Swan" or graceful bird. This grain mill is over 240 years old and was brought here (in pieces) from the Netherlands.
This picture was taken from the fourth floor of this working grain mill. Most of the parts on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors are the original wood (Norwegian Fir). The brick portion of the tower was built locally. We took a guided tour. My favorite part was the outside gallery which runs around the outside of the fourth floor. The view was really nice from up there. We met an old gentleman taking the tour who was wearing a hat that declared he was a survivor of Pearl Harbor! He was on the USS Sarasota when the bombing happened!
This is the whole wheat graham flour which is packaged into three-pound bags and sold over at the gift store.
I couldn't decide which color of tulip was my favorite ... there were so many to choose from! I was preoccupied with taking pictures of them and my glasses kept getting in the way, so I took them off and draped them onto the V-neck of my shirt ...
We walked around the whole park, in and out of shops, up and down rows and rows of tulips and returned to the car before I realized that I no longer had my glasses ... they were gone!
Since I was driving, and I can't see to drive without my glasses, it was kind of serious that I didn't know where they were. I searched my bag, my pockets, my camera case ... no glasses! It was time to retrace my steps and see if I could find them. I went back to the Post House where we had gotten our map of Holland and asked if there was a Lost and Found. There was one right there, but my glasses had not been found. I had a sick and sinking feeling ... so as I re-walked everywhere I had been on Windmill Island, I started praying ...
I was SO thankful to find my glasses, sunglasses attached, lying on a stool outside the entry door to the windmill. They must have fallen from my shirt while I was taking an interesting shot and I never noticed! Someone was kind enough to pick them up and just place them right on that stool! Whew! Thanks, Lord!
Can you imagine how exhilerating it would be to have the power to create such beauty, with such array of color, sizes, shapes, fragrance ... God must have had such a great time making all of it, don't you think? But even more than that, listen to what is said about US ~"...we are God's masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so that we can do the good things
he planned for us long ago." EPHESIANS 2:10
4 comments:
oooo, I love the pink ones!
Hi Emily! I love the pink ones too. Thank you for the funny card ... it DOES look like Adam! :)
Ohh I love all of them... I can't pick a favorite one! They are all beautiful! What a fun trip out to see the Tulips! So glad that you found your glasses too.
It was my first Tulip Time this year, too, although you have me beat on the years you missed it! I didn't really see much of it, though--just a few of the dances. But WOW. Two city blocks of people (mostly women) dressed up to do these dances!
Isn't it amazing that the same God who crafted the tulips kept your glasses safe for you?? I love that He cares so much about "small" things that loom big in our lives. :)
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