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April Ambitions
 “Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions.  I'm so glad I have such a lot.  And there never seems to be any end to them...  that's the best of it.  Just as soon as you attain to one ambition  you see another one glittering higher up still.  It does make life so interesting.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

I stepped outside with tape measure in hand to search for just the right piece of wood for a new project when my neighbor lady caught sight of me and asked if I could spare a minute to take a look at her undertaking. She motioned me to follow her to the back of their property, where she is forming a slope around her mailbox and sowing grass seed on it. We discussed whether or not this would effectively keep water out of her garage.

From there, we wandered over to my patio and beyond, exchanging ideas on how to make this or how to fix that, and how pleased we both are with our nesting doves. I am blessed with the best of friendly neighbors!

It's April, that time of year …

Saugatuck Sand Dunes
 Upon her first glimpse of sand dunes, Jacquelyn took off running up the slope Delight in every fiber of her being!

The excitement level was rather high for both of us when we finally crested the last hill of our climb up the winding path through the forest and caught a view of this seascape spread out before us. It may be perplexing to some, but a discovery like this can send us into exclamations of delight. It is our very first time to see the dunes!

It's only sand dunes. What is the big deal?

The thrill of a splendid new view  An adventure into unfamiliar lands  The romance of walking in places  We have only read of until now
What can I say? Though it be ever so far away or in the state next door, even right in our own village, Jacki and I find pleasure in the discovery of beauty all around us.

On this morning we were in search of the sand dunes near the cute little lakeside village of Saugatuck, Michigan, less than half an hour from Holland. Getting there took multiple rerouti…

Vacation in Holland, Michigan
 Heading North may seem a little strange at this time of year. After all, it's too early for tulips in bloom, flowering trees, swimming in the lakes, or a good chance of balmy climes. But those were not the deciding factors on this mini vacation. It was scheduled around our daughter's Saturday off work. I threw in a birthday celebration for the children as another good reason to go just now, as we are in between their February and April birthdays.

This is our first Airbnb experience, although we have used sites such as HomeAway or VRBO on previous trips. I found a lovely home in Holland, Michigan, and consider the lodgings excellent for location, price, and charm. The welcoming living room (above) greeted us upon arrival and the kitchen exuded a cheery aura the next morning. A sparkling French press created a strong and bold cup of coffee. We were off to a bright start on this first day of adventure.

One problem we did have (which I communicated to the hosts) was less-than-imm…