I'm exhausted and have so much important news I want to report, but it will have to wait for another day. I'll just focus on today and the gratitude that nourishes me.

(I started this post last night and was too tired to type another word.)

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Lee and I were in Nashville today. I had an appointment with Colin Armstrong the amazing therapist I discovered last winter while I was living in Nashville. His specialty is counseling people with terminal illnesses. I think of all the time I've spent with him we've talked about my illness 23 seconds, give or take. I guess I've always felt I had more important stuff to talk about, clean up, reconcile.

Colin has been the best medicine ever for me. In the past, I've tried to give him credit, but he always hands it back to me - observing that I'm the one doing the *work*.

I hadn't seen him since last May. I was long overdue for a tune-up though life has been humming along splendidly. Today I had nothing but *happy* to share with him. Truth is, he's good medicine for me in good and bad times. I've decided to schedule visits every other week. *Happy*

After my appointment, Lee and I hit Hillsboro Village, which is shoehorned with oodles of humble landmarks.

Our first stop was the Pancake Pantry. It's a favorite destination for locals and tourists, and with its proximity to Music Row, lots of music-types come in for a flapjack every now and then. Lee had a sweet potato waffle with all the usual trimmings of bacon and eggs and slabs of butter and gallons of syrup. I had buttermilk pancakes and sausage and eggs and all the same accouterments.

After downing that embarrassing amount of food, we hit the streets. We needed to walk off some of that butter... and shopping seemed the perfect solution. We stopped by three of my favorite stores. Bookman Bookwoman and Davis Cookware have been in Hillsboro forever. The third stop was A Thousand Faces - one of the best gift shops ever because they carry artists near & far.

Below is a photo documentary of our after-lunch workout... and boy-howdy did we flex those shopping muscles.

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Pancake Pantry, a popular Nashville destination where the lines often circle the block.





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If Davis Cookware was the only destination for a visit to Nashville, it would be worth it - even if only to meet the owners who are always on site. The merchandizing technique they use could be likened to hoarding. I loved the look on Lee's face as we squeezed down aisles that were buldging with pots and pans and knives and every imaginable gadget and coffees and teas and... name it, you will find it here.







These are the three owners - father and two sons

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Bookman Bookwoman is another legendary destination in Hillsboro Village. The owners must've gone to the same school for merchandizing that the good folk of Davis Cookware attended. Shelves and stacks of books meander throughout the shop with unexpected little cul-du-sacs and barely visible nooks. Their entree is used books with side dishes of new releases.

The past year I've sprinkled my reading selections with classic favorites from my youth. Today I was delighted to find used copies of Orwell's Animal Farm and Wharton's Ethan Frome. Then, with a dependable lead from Bex (a dear Journalscape friend) I also purchased Trollope's Barchester Towers. I have no clue if I made a good choice because I've never read Trollope. The edition I purchased was issued in 1945 and has the most marvelous illustrations.

The interior photo of the shop is a bit of a fraud... too organized.

I should add I enjoy bookstores that are a bit jumbled. There's a heightened sense that a hidden treasure will be discovered... something precious.










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A Thousand Faces is a dependable place for me to find a gift for someone else... or myself.









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Though my energy reserves were low at this happy point, we then stopped at Harris Teeter to replenish our provisions of beautiful foods.

Lee and I then headed back toward the mountain. I usually get us to Nashville, Lee gets us home. We beat rush hour traffic and zoomed under an umbrella of clear skies - all was uneventful until we started to climb Monteagle Mountain and discovered 2-3 inches of snow frozen to the roads.

We arrived home safely.

It was a good and happy day.

Below is a fuzzy photo of Lee. She's beautiful even in a fuzzy photo. She moved in when David moved out. Lee has become such a delightful addition to my tiny life. I finally found my Golden Girl... or she found me. It's been a mutual blessing.

After we unloaded our day from the car, Lee delivered a delicious quinoa dinner to my kitchen.

*Happy* *Grateful*