The Magical Little Claw Foot Tub

All I could think was “flat tire” even though it didn’t sound or feel like that.  It sounded and felt like we were dragging something.  But what could I have run over between stopping at the ATM and leaving the bank parking lot?

I pulled the car over and a man walking his dog across the street yelled that we had a construction cone under our car. I bent down to look and there it was, bright orange and bent into an awkward shape.  I reached under the car to pull it out, but it wouldn’t budge.

Back in the car I looked at Jon thinking what next? We’d already had to turn home because we forgot to set the thermostat and had gotten sidetracked by a detour.  We were so looking forward to our night away, especially since the snowstorm and holidays had thrown us both into a panic in the past week.

I pulled into a shopping mall parking lot to get a better look.  When I realized the cone was wedged under the car I laid on my back feet first and started kicking the cone.  Jon was standing next to me, getting ready to call triple-A. He later said I was cursing the cone too.  I don’t remember that, but I wouldn’t doubt it.

I was able to kick the cone toward the back of the car, most of the way out. When I got up to readjust my angle, a man was walking over to us saying ” I guess you don’t want that cone under your car”.  Then he bent down, reached under the car, and pulled the cone out.

Bless him I thought.   I believe I could have done it, but I didn’t really want to get back down on the icy pavement.   And I knew I didn’t have the strength to just pull the cone out like he did.

We thanked him and the man vanished as quickly as he appeared.

Jon and I had a good story to tell the woman at the front desk when we got to the Inn.  She wasn’t surprised by our story, it seems she had run over a cone or two also.

When she gave us the key to our room we found out that it had been upgraded to a suite, at no expense to us.   They had redone the bathroom since the last time we stayed there and in it was the sweetest clawfoot bathtub I’d ever seen.

One of the things I love about this Inn is the big clawfoot soaking tubs.  Big enough for Jon and me to get in together. But even though this tub wasn’t long enough for me to stretch my legs out, I couldn’t wait to get in it.

It was like a sleigh or a swan boat or the chariot in a carousel.   Like something that belonged in a dollhouse. It was charming and magical.   Soon after we settled in, I squeezed the personal-sized body gel into the hot running water and stepped into a bubble bath.

I came out a long time later relaxed and a little giddy.

Jon couldn’t figure out the bath tubes appeal or effect on me.  But the Inn Keeper as well as the woman at the front desk understood it.  “It’s a girl thing she said.”

I couldn’t explain it any better to Jon except to say that it’s like looking into a doll house and actually being able to sit in one of the chairs.

Then Jon suggested we come back for a night for my Birthday which is in January. But that seemed too soon so we pushed it back until March.  Jon insisted we get the same room, with the little clawfoot tub. He liked seeing how happy it made me.

And our one night away really worked.  My mind actually stopped spinning for the whole time we were there. And when it started to get going again as we drove home at least I was able to see what was happening and try to deal with it.

I still smile to myself when I think of that little bathtub.  Like a magical sled, It really did transport me to a quieter calmer place. Maybe I can hold on to that feeling for a while.  It’s a good reminder that a calm place exists inside of me.