You can take the gal out of Glen Arbor, but you can’t take Glen Arbor out of the gal

“Welcome home, and Saluti, Joanne,” say Funistrada’s Tom and Holly Reay. Painting by Hank Feeley

By Joanne Bender
Sun contributor

“You can’t go home again,” according to author Thomas Wolfe.

I say Oh! Yes! You can …

If you lived in Glen Arbor for 21 happy years!

So we return each summer for two months of tender loving care from so many friends. This happy reunion in this happy place is an annual reminder of lives well-lived in a naturally beautiful environment.

Yes, there are the sand dunes, there is Lake Michigan and the Glen Lakes … a town bustling with residents, great shops and fudgies. And there are multitudes of activities beckoning our attention. Our “welcome home” events began right away following our flight to Traverse City from Sarasota, Fla. (where the heat slams you unmercifully this time of year).

First things first: Pick up our car from the transport company, shop for groceries at the nearest Tom’s Market … then take the joyful ride to our rental cottage on little Brooks Lake, just down the road from the Foothills restaurant. This is year four of our return visit. We sold our lovely home at The Homestead in 2012 and became Florida residents. (You can take us out of Glen Arbor, but you can’t take Glen Arbor out of us!)

A large bouquet and delicious cookies was delivered to us by Joan, and we spent a few hours chatting with her husband, Jay. All so heartwarming it is to return to such dear and long- time friends.

Within 48 hours of being in “God’s country” my husband Tom, and I enjoyed a flurry of fun activities. The Cottage Bookshop- sponsored event at Township Hall was hosted by owner Sue Boucher. Two representatives from Random House reviewed 20 books in a most entertaining fashion. I bought three of them. We all gathered at this wonderful book place for wine and cheese following the presentation. So much fun waving at and hugging old friends that evening. Good to see Lynn, Sue, Bonnie and a plethora of others.

The next day we stopped at the wonderful Glen Arbor Art Association to view the outstanding exhibit all about the storm of the century here last August 2. (Because of that storm we were forced to leave here earlier than planned.) Oh my! This was a colorful and fabulous presentation of art work from some 30 artists. All media was represented and all entries in this juried show were varied and outstanding. It was a privilege to view and a very emotional experience. So impressed were we with the winning entry … a small quilt with falling birch trees featured. This was the entry of Kathy Lubig titled “Blown Away”.

Haunting was the runner-up piece, a hazy view called “Resilience” by Sherry McNamara with a man and his puddled shadow walking forward with a fallen tree behind him. Christine Nettleton’s “Life Abounds” offered a colorful and cheerful reminder of just how nature recuperates.

So content were we to be home again. We caught up with so many. Bobby Sutherland filled us in with many stories all about his favorite topic … his hometown-forever-favorite-place-in-the-world … Glen Arbor. We were living here when his Republic of Cherries first began … and are so impressed with how it continues to flourish.

Of course we support local businesses. A quick trip to Anderson’s Market was wonderfully lengthy. We commiserated with Mike Buhler from the Leelanau Coffee Roasters, with Bunny at the cash register (following welcoming hugs), and with Sun editor-in-chief Jacob Wheeler. We were smiling all the while.

And the frosting on the cake … Tom and I will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary right here in our hometown.

And the beat goes on … We are blessed indeed. All is well in our world. Thank you all for your warm and comforting “welcome home!”