A LISTENING EAR

What a day. One day last fall, the first stop was a town over from home for a visit to the dentist’s office. Then, a half-hour drive to New York City for a haircut, with my husband at the wheel. Who needs therapy when you have a listening dental hygienist, hairdresser, and husband?

I could almost hear Julie Andrews singing,

“I feel pretty, oh so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and bright
And I pity any girl who isn't me tonight

”I feel charming, oh so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel
And so pretty that I hardly can believe I'm real

”See the pretty girl in that mirror there
Who can that attractive girl be
Such a pretty face, such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile, such a pretty me”

I don’t know about “pretty,” but I definitely felt clean and well-groomed. And I got to discuss all kinds of topics with the hygienist and the hairdresser, and I repeated the stories and reactions during dinner in New York and on the ride home with my husband. At dinner, he kept telling me how nice my haircut was and how good my teeth looked.

It was a very uplifting day. I came home, checked my blood pressure, and it was perfect.

(Note the pictures used in the blog post are not of me—)

Maybe that was what I needed to get through the trauma of my husband's complications from spinal surgery on December 4, 2025. During that time, I ended up "sleeping" in the hospital for 12 nights.

Now that he is on the mend with the help of physical therapy, I could really use another day (or two or three) like that day last fall. On my next visit, I’ll have lots to discuss with my dental hygienist and hairdresser. In the meantime, I'm grateful to have my husband’s listening ear.