My grandparents left Detroit for the sleepy community of Belleville, Michigan (population 3,990) about a decade ago because my grandmother wanted to live out her years near a lake. About 30 miles from Detroit, Belleville is the type of town that folds up after dark. The one main street running through its downtown is lined with potted flowers (petunias, I'm told) and old-timey looking storefronts. The town motto is "Quality Living," an enticement for retirees like my grandparents for sure. Belleville Lake is picturesque in that way you'd expect a body of water in this state to be. I've been here since Wednesday and as this visit will be longer than my typical week-long stays every year or so, I should have plenty of time to acclimate to small-town living. In between helping my grandparents with household responsibilities and nursing my grandmother back to health, I hope to get ample writing done. I think the quiet will help. It certainly can't hurt.
