The Eagle Has Landed

Actually, it is Bertha who has landed in sometimes sunny Florida. Mind you I am not complaining about the weather. Today was perfect - sunny, low 70's, open golf course. What is wrong with this picture? Nothing.

It was a bit of adventure getting here. After our whirlwind holidays and quick turnaround to get on the road, too tired to cook, we treated ourselves to dinner out in Chattanooga at Applebe's. About 2 bites into his meal Don bit into something that viciously cracked a tooth. I say viciously because this was no ordinary cracked tooth. This was broken in two pieces held in place only by the gum.

Hence we called our son Mike, in Atlanta whom we were scheduled to visit for the week-end and asked him for a dental referral. His Dentist, Dr. Blat, was so obliging that she took him in immediately upon our arrival in town. She temporarily cemented his tooth into a tolerable position for the week-end, and first thing Monday morning she accommodated our schedule and worked on him for at least 5 hours to finish the job so we could be on our way early Tuesday morning.

This isn't really about Georgia dentistry though, it is about Georgia hospitality. It's about a professional who went above and beyond any expectations to meet our unreasonable demands in the most timely fashion. The moment we walked into the office, the receptionists greeted us like old friends. The were warm and cheerful and wanted to know all about our lifestyle. Then, of course there is our Georgia native daughter-in-law, Elizabeth. Even though I make jokes about her being stuck with her in-laws longer than planned, she never fails to make us feel like we belong there as long as we wish to stay. Then there is Drew who is three and just learning his social skills who broke my heart when instead of saying good-bye, he said "Why are you leaving Grammy?"

I have always been proud to come from the Midwest, particularly Chicago, where we have a reputation for friendliness, but since our son became a part of the Georgia culture, we have been subjected to large doses of Southern hospitality and believe me we have a long way to go before we come close to meeting their standard.

By the way, if you ever need a dentist in Atlanta we strongly recommend Dr. Blat for her skill as well as her obliging nature.