Cats

I like these kind of cats. This one happens to be Uncle Archies mouser. I took it last Summer before my vision started to become blurry.

I have Cataracts in both eyes. My right eye has become particularly fuzzy. I no longer drive at night, and if it is a sunny day I don't drive either. I drive on cloudy days only...Far Guy loves to be my chauffeur anyway. Christmas was pretty interesting the nighttime lights were awesome..when you have cataracts every little light at night takes on a starry appearance..and appears larger than normal, sometimes a half a dozen lights seem to appear...it is like your eyes have gone nuts with lights.  Shopping inside a store with overhead lights is almost painful, the light bounces around so much that I have to squint to see. It has been very frustrating for me not to see the television clearly...I have become a good listener..often times just "watching" TV whilst my eyes were closed. I know, I know, I should have been on top of this situation but I had to wait six weeks for an eye appointment, then I had to wait four weeks to see the specialist..then I have had to wait four weeks to be scheduled for the surgery, so from the time I said "I cannot take this anymore" ..three months have passed.  I am looking forward to tomorrow and the beginning of seeing properly again..hopefully. I have heard more positive reports about this Doctor than I have heard negatives..only one negative..it was a big bad negative in that the individual lost her eyesight totally in one eye. I guess that is why they only do one eye at a time.

Doncha just love this green foggy photo..I took it last June. My winter weary eyes search for green.

Am I scared..not really. I am a little freaked out that they are going to remove a part of me that I was born with and replace it all shiny and new.

I was curious what the risk factors were ..of course the first one is diabetes..nope. Family history..yup..both of my parents have had this same surgery, just so happens that this Doctor did their surgeries too.  Working in the sunshine, duh..the years in the greenhouse follow me everywhere. Smoking..yes I guess the free radicals that it creates helped to cause the cataracts, and just because I guit..it doesn't make a difference.   Age..now what can I do ABOUT THAT ONE? None of the other risk factors apply to me ..corticosteroids use..nope, previous eye injury or eye surgeries..nope. Exposure to ionizing radiation..I am not sure what that is..but I probably have not done it. I was first diagnosed with one cataract in 2004.  In 2008 I wrote about cataracts..in a blog post called OLE ( Old Lady Eyes).  

  This is about what I see..everything is blurry.  Good thing I don't drive anymore  ..eh??

The good news..half of you out there in blog land will be joining me by the time you are sixty-five. You probably don't consider that good news..oK OK..I will go first and l give you a full report. I understand that I should see better the day following the surgery.  In time I possibly won't need glasses..except for reading. I have never been able to see without glasses, I am blind as a bat.  They used to call my glasses coke bottles.  Plastic Lenses were such an improvement for me.  I sleep with my glasses on..I have done this for years..Glasses 24/7 ..so this could all be an adjustment for me. My surgery will take place sometime tomorrow..they haven't even called with a time yet.   I will catch you all on Thursday..Wistful Wednesday will go on as usual, thanks to the delayed posting options!  I am going to be just fine..:)  

The BIG Tree

The "Grands" and my handsome and handy Son In Law Andy..helped put up the big tree. The children were impressed with it's tallness and they all helped decorate it the evening before Christmas Eve. Andy is very TALL..he began by lifting the children in the air to hang ornaments..finally he just took the tree apart at the top and held onto it while the children decorated. Noah got to put the Angel on top, because he was the first one that asked me if he could do the honors. When I took out the ornaments I ran onto the Angel..I believe we purchased it in Florida in 1973 or Minnesota in 1974..whatever.. it has been around a long time. I thought the children did great..they kept me busy going through boxes and bags, attaching the little wire hangers until I ran out ..my entire collection never made it on the tree due to a hanger shortage..maybe next year! The antique bell ornaments seemed to be the children's favorites.. everyone wanted to hang a bell..luckily I had enough to go around. They held all the ornaments very gently and oohed and aahed the entire time. I believe that we made a memory.

It was interesting seeing these ornaments on the tree for the very first time. I have been collecting these ornaments since about 1987..one by one. Sometimes lucky enough to find an entire box! I need to purchase some ornament caps and wires..I will have to keep my eye out at garage sales.. I also discovered that I am heavy on the gold and silver, okay with red, purple, blue and pink. Very short of green and orange..I only have two each of those colors. I am particularly smitten with the orange for some reason... I don't quite know why, but I simply must find some more of those.

I did purchase one box of the new Radco Shiny Brites at Menards..I just got the small bulbs a set of twelve multicolor. They are interesting. I explained to the grands about them..they probably won't remember that they are reproductions..but someday they may be collectible in their own right.

What a great place to sort ornaments..on the bed upstairs. Chance came by once and rested his head on the edge of the bed.. but settled on the twin bed nearby for a nap whilst I sorted and thought..I need a Christmas Tree Skirt..and next year perhaps I should take off the huge tags that identify it as sections A, B, C and D. I should also buy more tissue paper to wrap my old shiny brites in..as I stuffed the last three boxes full of ornaments all touching each other..those boxes are an improvement from the old bread sacks that most of them were in previously.

When Far Guy had this huge tree in sections in his cart I should have had him go right over to the huge fifty gallon totes..instead I just walked right by them. When I went back to Menards in DL the other day they were all sold out. I purchased two smaller totes that will have to be returned..but that's okay..I can go by the antique shop! The Tall tree is down, one of it's sections measures 48 inches..so we will have to build a wooden box for it next summer.. I am thinking something out of pine..on casters..that might possibly go someplace upstairs....maybe it could be a coffee table..or a bench with a cushion on top.. shh..no one tell Far Guy that I have another vision:)