June 8, 2014 by Amy

Issues

Woke up this morning and realized I forgot to post last night. Again. Duh.

Earlier in the evening, hanging out with M and watching the Stanley Cup finals after painting my toes, I realized that I was reading a New Yorker article on my iPhone and an Anna Quindlen book on my iPad at the same time. I have either developed ADD or the Quindlen book isn't quite interesting enough to keep my full attention. It could be either, really. It struck me as funny and so I grabbed M's iPhone to take a picture.

Feeling out of sorts these days. I'm sure it's a combination of getting back into the swing of things after vacation, huge changes as work (that are desperately needed and a long time coming, but which amount to lots of work), and the disconcerting discovery that my close vision is starting to weaken. I've always been short-sighted and have never had an issue with reading, before or after the LASIK. Even though the doctor warned me that I'd eventually need cheaters, starting at around age 40 (which I hit last summer), it's still a startling realization when it happens. A few weeks ago, sitting at Mass, I tried to look at a small cut on my finger that happened during landscaping. I brought my hand up to the customary position and it was blurry, so I had to pull it out, further from my eyes. That's when it hit me. Since then I've been acutely aware of this new deficit, and it's freaking me out. I don't think I'm quite ready for cheaters yet; my arms are still long enough to get things to the right length for my eyes to focus, but it's the beginning of the end, I'm afraid. I have learned from my elders that when I do buy my first pair of cheaters, I ought to purchase eight to ten pairs as along with the loss of near vision comes memory loss as to where I left the glasses. People I know who use them keep several pairs laying about, to avoid twenty minute searches for one.

Today our pastor says his last Mass, then retires. This priest married us, baptized our daughter, presided over her first reconciliation, and gave her first communion. He confirmed two of our friends into the Catholic Church. He has been a fixture for me just as much as the physical chapel, and I'm selfishly sorry to see him go. He deserves a wonderful retirement, and I'm happy for him. I just wonder if our parish will change with the new pastor (of course it will, it's just a question of degrees) and what my reaction will be.

I made a delicious casserole for dinner last night that M loves. It's full of beans. There are the typical reactions this morning that come with eating a lot of beans. Sigh.

Needless to say I'm having some issues this morning. All first world problems, I'm well aware, but struggles for me nonetheless.