I swear to you that I have the most remarkable chance encounters.

After I took a wee nap this afternoon, I attended a committee meeting regarding whether or not I should go to the health center. Discussion was heated and laced with chronic procrastination, but I ended up hauling myself down the stairs from my attic aerie, donning a plastic accordion rain hat, and hobbled through a late afternoon sleet shower to drive to the gym for 1 1/2 hours cardio.

Before I get to the juicy stuff, words defy description of me wearing a plastic rain bonnet. I've decided I'm no longer becoming my mother - I've become my grandmother.

As you all might suspect, I have no problem meeting people so each time I venture out, I'm pretty much guaranteed to return home with a story to tell, and that was true today.

As I entered the gym, a kindly women welcomed me. Conversation began dependably with chitchat about the weather. Once we'd exhausted that topic, we had no trouble whatsoever yakking it up for 1 1/2 hours. We talked about interests and families and we both had lots to brag about regarding our children. I learned she'd lost her husband in 1979 to a pulmonary disease. She then described her years of living in Sewanee when her husband had been a visiting professor. Well howdy-me-dowdy, that gave us additional fodder for conversation!

As she was preparing to leave I disengaged myself from my recumbent bicycle to give her a proper farewell. It was then that I realized we hadn't introduced ourselves. Before we exchanged names, she expressed an interest in visiting me on the mountain - and of course I enthusiastically said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

As I handed her my business card, she shyly said, "My name is Helen Tate." At first I thought she said Helen T and was amused because a family member is called Helen T. But she corrected me and repeated that she was Helen Tate.

Hmmmm, my mind scrambled. "You're a Tate? You're one of THOSE Tates?"

She laughed such a cheery laugh and said, "Yes. Allen Tate was my husband."

Well, get out of town!

Below is a link that gives a good overview explaining why I was so wowed. I think you'll enjoy it. This is my kind of rock star.

And you all thought I was going to the gym for health reasons. Just about every time I go, I have another remarkable chance encounter.

Allen Tate wikipedia