Harbinger of Spring

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:26:56 -0500

The Forsythia is the unofficial sign of spring for me here in Ada Michigan.

Whether we have a cold, wet spring season or a dry, warm sunny one, this

burst of chromium yellow joy from Mother Nature can lift the heart. While

we were out cruising today on our Monday errands, such as putting up

Open House rider signs on our listings for this coming weekend, we got

to see a whole lot of forsythia bushes in bloom. They are hardy here in

the north and can survive our sometimes brutally cold winters. The

most charming aspect of this shrub for me is the fact that the flowers

come before the leaves. This plant likes to party before it gets down to

the business of photosynthesis! You have to admire the show.

The bushes are covered with thousands of brilliant yellow star flowers,

well just see for yourself.

We did a few drive-by shootings today on our outing:

Copyright by Bonnie Westbrook 2008

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photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Forest Hills Foods ~ Community Hub of Ada-Cascade, Michigan

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:18:14 -0600

Forest Hills Foods is THE Local Gathering place for snacks, coffee, lunch,

and your weekly groceries. Located at 4668 Cascade Road, at the

intersection of Forest Hills Drive and Cascade Road, Forest Hills Foods is

more than a grocery store. It has become a fixture in the community. We

have been frequenting this store for over 30 years and have seen its growth

from a small local grocery to its transformation into a community centerplace.

It is a friendly place with just about everything you could need. The grocery

store is small enough that you can get your groceries in about 20-30

minutes, if you don't run into any friends, which is just about impossible.

On a recent visit for a quick pick up of some fruit, we saw our daughter's

former teacher, a fellow golfer, one of my clients (and a fellow golfer), and a

former neighbor. So much for the quick trip to the store!

The groceries are always excellent. They have organic & local produce, a

fresh meat & fish department, a great wine & beer selection, fresh, locally

roasted coffee available, fresh flowers and many specialty items.

Besides the groceries, they have a bakery, a pharmacy, a local bank ATM

Machine, a Deli, a Soup & Salad Bar and Cafe with wifi, of course. The soup

& salad bar and deli are always busy at lunch. They also have a US Post Office

branch at the customer service desk which is very handy. It seems we are there

about every other day buying stamps or mailing a package. The Foods will

also cart your groceries out of the store and put them in your car for you.

This alone brings many customers back. In fact, about the only time the

parking lot is empty is when they are closed.

Let me tell you a little story about "THE FOODS" that gives you a glimpse into

its popularity. When we first moved to this community back in the late 70's,

my wife went to get groceries. We had 2 small children and had just moved -

you can imagine the chaos in our life. Well, she had a whole cartload of food to

restock our larder and when she got to the checkout, she realized she had run

out of checks. For you young uns', this was before credit cards and cell phones,

she was near tears as she told the check out lady she had no checks and would

they hold her groceries till she went home and got one? The kind lady at the

check out said, "OH, that's OK. You can bring it in when you have time." and

continued to check her out. Handed her the receipt as if she had paid and

wished her a good day.

She was flabbergasted!

Well, let me tell you, they won a loyal customer that day.

(And yes, we took a check to them right away.)

If you move to our area, I can promise ~ we'll see you at The Foods!

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Forest Hills Foods Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

I have not received value or consideration for advertising Forest Hills Foods

on my blog or stating my testimonial.

Localism: Grand Rapids's Forest Hills

Harbinger of Spring

Forest Hills Foods ~ Community Hub of Ada-Cascade, Michigan