"...and pretty maids all in a row."

Tulips sing Spring to me, in a lilting aria of color. Delicate ladies wearing their Easter bonnets, shading their noses from the bright sunshine. They remind me of the flowers in Disney's vintage "Alice in Wonderland" displaying a variety of personalities and temperments.

Dutch Village in Holland, MI will be opened next weekend and celebrating Queen's Day on Saturday, April 24. When you swing on up, be sure to snatch up some of the amazing bulbs they have for sale. That's where we bought these beauties. And if you're bringing the kiddies, they'll enjoy riding the Petal Pumper cars, straight from Kiddieland!!

Is there such a thing as "Happy Tax Day"?

Feeling whipsawed over tax day? Blitzkreiged by anxiety? May I introduce a Moment of Zen (hope Jon Stewart won't sue): deer feeding at Santa's North Pole Workshop in Colorado.

Feel the breeze, your hand cradling the food pellets as the gentle deer has a little snack.

Aaaaahhhhhh... Doesn't that feel better?

(Now go use the hand sanitizer)

Gladness and gratefulness.

Pure and simple -- I'd like to share a picture of my happy little family with you. Ivy Beagle (the most photogenic of the three of us, but she hates the camera -- go figure), my darling Ben, and me.

Love and gratitude is just abounding in me right now. Peace to all!

He just might have a better uniform than Mickey.

Many vintage parks have mascots, cartoon characters that kids can identify with and that help with the branding of the park. Mickey Mouse may be the most famous mascot of all, but other parks have other mascots and/or cartoon themes that run rampant through their grounds, like Snoopy and the Peanuts gang at Knott's Berry Farm or Warner Brothers characters at the Six Flags parks.

Conneaut Lake Park is home to Connie. Connie Otter. Say it fast and you'll get that it's a sound-alike for the name of the park. Connie isn't flashy, but he's dapper, friendly, and a super goodwill ambassador, especially in the kiddie park portion of Conneaut.

Ben and I had to peep our heads through the cutouts and go for the photo op. We do this at every park that has such cutouts. It's our way.

Sunday on the Blog with Photos!!

One of the joys of Cotton Candying is finding the hidden treasures in each vintage park. Pictured above is the base of a sundial I came across at Wisconsin Dells' Storybook Gardens. Surprises await around every corner... you just have to be alert and present to find them. That's true for everything, including bright, crisp Sundays.

Enjoy your day!

Uppity up up!

They made their debut at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. I've seen the smallest ones, like the one with the enclosed cages at Kiddieland, and one of the largest ones: the London Eye. Ferris Wheels sweep through the air, delivering grins and giddiness to all who dare to jump on for a spin.

Pictured here is the Ferris wheel at Tuscora Park in New Philadelphia, OH, a community park which houses a small collection of amusement park rides -- and tons of heart. Blink and you'd miss it. So don't blink.

Oh, it's just been One of Those Days....

When my writing coach told me to post blog posts frequently, I mentioned that there would be an "off season" where I wouldn't be visiting parks, so I wouldn't have as much to write about.

"So write about yourself. Make it personal" was her response.

Well, okay then. It was One of Those Days today, where my self-esteem could've been a little higher, where my energy a little stronger, the sun could've been a little brighter and I could've chosen to eat food that was a little better than what I eventually ingested.

It was One of Those Days, where you're not really sure of your direction, you try to blame it on mercury retrograde or sunspots or that bad nutritional choice you made but, ultimately, you just need to breathe with it and let it go and press on and know that, hello Scarlet O'Hara, tomorrow is another day.

"The greatest artistic achievement is how we live our life"

-- a wonderful quote from Michael Bernard Beckwith. And it's a life-affirming thing to focus on when it's been One of Those Days.