It’s been two years since I wrote about one of Lower Michigan’s
best known and best loved hideaways: Leelanau Peninsula. 
That post was titled, “What if Your Kid Doesn’t Want to March in his Graduation?” and described a sunny June adventure
àla Joel (my beloved lastborn),
but this time I want to tell you about a rainy weekend adventure
àla Alie (my beloved husband). 
As luck (or failure) would have it, the water pump had burned out in our “Sanctuary” (motor home), and the RV repair shop said
they couldn’t do anything about it until the end of September.
As luck (or brilliance) would have it, Alan just picked up another motor
and did the repair himself after we arrived at our campsite at the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, which turned out to be especially wonderful because it was a rustic campground (spell that outhouses and take your bath in Lake Michigan), so warm, running water was a particular privilege.
We arrived as the sun was taking his evening dip in Lake Michigan
and settled in for the night with the sound of waves gently lapping on the shore. 
We awoke to the disconcerting drum of a near torrential downpour. In fact,
it rained so hard that most of the campers left ASAP (some during the night).
It was reminiscent of one of our trips to Disney when a tornado touched down 3 miles from our campsite. That year, Carl and Kathy christened their tent “Pleasure Island” (which it wasn’t…they bailed and went to a motel) because the tent was partially afloat in the midst of a pool of rainwater.
(In fact, that year we consoled ourselves
with the thought that we had lakefront property.) 
Thankful for our motor home, we drove down to Leland’s Fish Town
and took a meander along the boardwalk 
before stopping for an amazing perch lunch at The Cove. 
Later, after the rain cried itself out, we toured the Grand Traverse Lighthouse
and enjoyed the ambience of this northern Michigan haven.
Our favorite dinner spot is Boone’s Prime Time Pub in Sutton’s Bay,
where the steaks are sharable and unforgettable,
and the prices seem like a bargain compared to those in GR.
Usually if we go anywhere on the weekend, we return home Saturday night so we can make it to our own church on Sunday. This time we looked for a church in the area, but finding none that looked likely, we stopped at a park in Glen Arbor and listened to our own service (calvarygr.org) “livestream.”
Our pastor is preaching his way through Romans,
and the message (as always) was excellent! 
We stopped for lunch at the Cherry Republic, after which Alan was more than ready to make a beeline for home. 
His wife, however, mourned the loss of a stroll through Frankfort,
a climb up Sleeping Bear Dunes, and a hike along Michigan’s glorious shoreline.
It occurred to me that I am like Kipling’s little elephant with the ‘satiable curiosity. Bad for me! There’s no end to good things, and I really need to appreciate the amazing abundance I have, not mourn the ??% I miss. 
Do you ever suffer from wanting more than is comfortable for someone you love to give? I hope not. But, if you do, please join me in trying to savor what’s in our cups of blessing, not what’s left in the bottle. 
Perhaps that will leave possibilities for some other time!
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:7-9).
(If you’re actually researching for a possible excursion to the Leelanau Peninsula, it will become even more beautiful over the next few weeks as the autumn leaves color. Here’s more info: https://kathrynwarmstrong.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/what-if-your-kid-doesnt-want-to-march-in-his-graduation/ )
