Grand Slam

We are all creatures of habit and I’m no exception. But I like to take the next step into Ritual, a conscious habit that refreshes and rejuvenates. In 50 years of coming to the same summer place in upper Michigan, our family has a long list of “must do’s.” In four short days, we already walked up the Sugar Bowl sand dune, hiked to the larger Baldy dune and walked back on the beach looking for Petoskey stones, canoed and walked to the Outlet, played basketball in town, went to Mystery Hill (a place that seems to defy gravity), ate at the Cabbage Shed (where I first played cornhole!), got ice cream at The Cool Spot.

 

Yesterday was unique because we did four of them in one day! Grand slam! Breakfast at Watervale Inn, miniature golf, walk to the Frankfort lighthouse, movie at The Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theater (Freakier Friday). There are still a few more that we’ve often done—bike riding on Rails to Trails to Crystal Lake, walk the beach to Elberta, lunch at Arcadia Bluffs, visit to the Frankfort Library and sometimes, a trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. (Of course, this all means nothing to most readers, but if you’re ever up this way, you now have a great list of things to do!)

 

I generally enjoy each and every one of these traditional activities but enjoy yet more sharing them with others. The things I did with my own children that I now do with my grandchildren I also love to share with others coming to Michigan for the first time. In the past few years, that includes Zadie’s friend Zulia and my sister Ginny, this year Talia’s boyfriend Matt and the ex-head of the SF School Terry and his wife Kathy. And of course, all of this includes shopping at the Farmer’s Market, cooking great meals, ball games on the beach, board games/ card games/ jigsaw puzzles at night, watching the sun set over the lake. Oh, did I mention swimming? Reading? Hanging out and talking? 

 

Yesterday Talia and Matt flew home to begin their next year of teaching, my two brother-in-laws Barclay and John also left and tomorrow daughter Kerala and grandkids Zadie and Malik head home to Portland. Then on Monday, Terry and Kathy arrive and I’ll trot out the must-do list again to share with them. 

Gratitude to Frankfort for the best of conservatism, keeping things that bring happiness alive and ongoing. In this fast-shifting world, it's somewhat of a miracle that the Cherry Bowl Drive In Movie Theater and the Garden Theater are still open, as are the Frankfort library, lighthouse, laundromat, bookstore, ice cream places, various restaurants. That the beach areas (thanks to the Nature Conservancy) are wholly preserved and protected. That it's possible to keep traditions of a half-a-century alive and be able to count on them each year. May it continue!