You Should Be Triply Gratified

Depending largely on what you think of my frequent blogging propensity as of late, you guys are in for a treat:  I’ve decided to try my best to tackle three worthy, photo-filled updates in a morning! It’s admittedly a bit of an undertaking given the amount of time I’ve spent before on just one, but since Kath and I have returned victoriously from the hospital on Wednesday, we’ve both been filled with such positive vibes that we really want to share.

On Friday, I was headed back to Nashville with the family for Kath’s second treatment of some really potent stuff to which we’ve been attributing so much of her recent positivity. This wasn’t at the main Vanderbilt clinic, but at their offshoot in the old 100 Oaks mall building (built in 1967, it was the first in the state!), so our immediate surroundings consisted of a TJ Maxx, a Michaels (I’ve been wanting to peek in at their new autumn stuff for some time), and a few other such places.

One of the advantages of locating a hospital in a mall building? Easy access to edibles, of course! I had always wanted to try a bagel from the small chain Einstein Bros, so imagine my delight when we reached the top of the escalator and found a kiosk! Mine was cinnamon-raisin with just the right amount of cream cheese, along with some milk from Nashville’s area dairy. I thankfully finished just in time for Kath’s appointment, but Kath and her mom were forced to finish their mouthfuls and surrender the rest of the doughy goodness to her dad while he waited outside.

 

The nurses on call for Kath’s treatment were as cordial as ever and made us all feel somewhat at home with blankets, snacks, and TV. She, her mom, and I were able to wind down while we flipped through the channels and munched some mini Lorna Doone shortbread cookies. The treatment itself (about two hours) left Kath feeling quite pleasantly energized, and we finished just in time to have the slightest edge over the lunch crowd at the local Rafferty’s – another chain I’d been meaning to try.

Kath couldn’t believe it when she saw our waiter reaching for a kids’ menu and crayons for her as he prepared to seat us! In her dad’s sage words, “the rabbit” (I have a name, you know!) probably didn’t help matters any concerning his evaluation of her maturity. Ah, well. I was able to find a slightly more comfortable seat against the wall this time, and by the time our food came, I was thankfully enough out of the way to remain on the table and join in the conversation.

In the meantime, though, I thought I’d take advantage of the waiter’s youthful gesture and try my paw at a placemat signature. I must admit, I’m beginning to develop a way of making myself known when out and about.

 

“Emmi the Great [no relation to the indie-pop chanteuse who spells hers with a “Y”] was here!” Not exactly a John Hancock, but I think it gets the point across. I’m getting better with my bunny caricatures, too! Prudence is always fussing that I’m by far the better artist, but hers aren’t bad either.

For the rest of the day, I generally relaxed and read. Tomorrow would mark our lunch date with Kath’s kindred spirit Mira and her ursine companion, Patricia Bear. Little would they know that Kath and I had a surprise in store for them – handmade beaded bracelets and Perler-bead coaster charms! We decided we’d get up early the next morning to start on the gifts.