Sunday 1 February

It's cold and cloudy. Damp. We had a good walk. I didn't wear my glasses out for that, because with the way the lenses are, and with me not being used to them yet, seeing where the ground is can be tricky -- not seeing so much as judging -- and it is tricky enough staying on my feet in this uneven, slippery terrain with 2 dogs pulling at me. Sometimes it's better the devil you know --

But the glasses are phenomenal. The clarity and detail I can see -- all the way to the horizon! The trick is they are progressive lenses, which means the closer in vision stuff is at the bottom of my lens, and I am getting the hang of tilting my head the right way so as to accommodate all that. I think with the astigmatism in my right eye, to correct that, the lenses make things concave to me and so I can see that when I first put them on and also when I am at the computer. That accounts for the strangeness with the ground too -- it looks closer than it actually is. And so when I walk outside, I actually feel shorter because the road looks closer! I suppose once I have fully adjusted to the glasses, I won't notice that anymore.

So we went to Petsmart too and then C wanted to go to Barnes & Noble, so I ran into Rite Aid and then met her at the book store. At both of my stops, the cashier had problems with the register and had to call a manager to fix it. Both times! So when C went to pay at B&N, I said I'd stay away so as not to jinx her.

I don't think I'll go to church today. Staying in feels great. I really do plan to vacuum this week -- since I no longer have the flu! And have energy again! Also get laundry done, fish tanks, and some other odd cleaning. The glasses allow me to see just how dirty it is in here!

Oh well, anyway.

So it is Feb 1 and I gave the dogs their Heartguard and changed the calendars. Very exciting.

And now here I am at that stuck place -- what to say next. The dogs are barking. Fergus started it -- he's out back, and Bella joined in -- she's on the couch. Topaz has been hunkered down right here beside me, he just licked my hand. I hear a blue jay calling outside. The feeder was all tipsy when I filled it yesterday afternoon -- I wondered if a squirrel had done that? No bird would, I don't think.

My cousin out west had her baby last Friday. Early. She had a boy. The second great-grandchild, after M. I doubt my boy cousins will have kids. My uncle was of course all rattled by things not going according to plan. That always rocks his world. He's over 70. You'd think he'd have learned by now. But no. Not him and not his wife either. They emailed a photo, and I can see just the smallest corner of my cousin's smile -- she has a shy smile, almost tentative, but truly meant. I don't know her at all.

M sent an email wanting to see me in my glasses. I had already told her I am not pretty in them. Because I am not. It is a change all the way around. I hope L&J are kind about it and don't leave me feeling like with different frames I would be pretty. Because I like these frames, I didn't want the trendy kind, the small ones, plastic and colored. I didn't want them.