The Eyes Have It

Make no mistake; I am very grateful for my eyesight.  As bad as it is, I can’t fathom life without it.  Having said that....here goes. 

 It really all started several weeks ago…maybe months (some things are insidious and just creep up on you).  I realized I couldn’t see very well.  I’m a well-seasoned contact lens wearer.  Been wearing them since I was 12 or so…all kinds, hard, soft, semi-soft, 30 day, 90 day, daily, clear, duel lenses, navy blue (now they were something to behold) so I feel like I’m kinda of an expert on the subject.  All the while, I had glasses to switch to…single lens, sunglasses, driving glasses, swimming glasses, bifocals, and on and on.  In a nutshell, I have experience.

I’ve been thinking for a while that I just couldn't see -  something wasn’t working anymore.  (lots of things fall into this category these day)  So I’m at the college gym trying to blend in.  That’s really difficult since no-one in there is over 22.  I’m lifting free weights facing the mirror, concentrating on my form.  (you get the picture)  That’s when I notice that my shirt’s on inside out.  Not only that, but also backwards…tag dead center under my neck. 

It just continues to unravel.  I resorted to wearing glasses for a few days.  That got old.  I finally went to see my eye doctor and took his advice.  Stop wearing the dual lenses.  Go back to the regular old distance kind...the kind that requires you to habitually have a pair of readers on your head. 

I did and I’m happy again.  I can see – most of the time.  Last night I tore a contact in half while trying to get it out.  Spent the entire night with part of it floating around in there somewhere. 

It’s a pure tribute to Farmville, that when I called a yellow pages number this morning at 8:30 to Dr. Charlie Wilson’s office, his receptionist told me to come right on over.  Took me straight away and got that stuck remnant out.  He did call for the forceps. (honest)  “Forceps,  good grief."

Glasses are looking better and better.

 

Suits Me Just Fine

Folks are always asking me how I spend my time in Farmville.  If they have ever visited Farmville, they are well aware of Greenfront and its massive footprint on Main Street.  And if you’ve never been to Farmville, its dot on the map and population of 5000 would prompt one to think….not much.   Once you’ve combed Greenfront’s aisles and checked out all the bargains at the Boneyard a few times….what’s next?  I’m here to witness – plenty!

There’s a brand spanking new pottery shop on Main Street that’s a splendid space for artists and novices alike to create and just play with clay.  I’ve signed up and I’m having a good time making everyone’s Christmas presents.  I’m sure my pieces will bring pure delight to my dear family and friends.  On Thursdays I knit with the “KnitWits”  ladies at the Methodist Church.  We’re charged to be making lap robes for veterans, but most of us are working on scarves, hats and sweaters.  I’ve never knitted anything in my life, but I’m getting the hang of it and I have one hell-of-a scarf coming along.  Another great Christmas gift! 

There are two great libraries in town, public and university and I have an official card for both.  I’ve been doing research for the book I’m working on.  It won’t be ready for Christmas…..this year.  I’ve been invited to join a Book Club and we have a meeting coming up this week.  I really look forward to getting to know these ladies and being a part of this group.  I plan on keeping my mouth shut this time….unfortunately I read the wrong book.  I hate it when that happens.  I just joined FAR – Friends of the Appomattox River.  We’re have a meeting and Christmas party in a couple of weeks.  The University has concerts, shows and openings.  Thursdays are $1.85 margarita night at El Patrons.  Wednesday night has local live music at Charley’s where “everybody knows your name”, and Friday afternoon finds half of the Business School faculty gathered at Charley’s for a beer. 

Whew! It’s a good thing I’m making all of my gifts this year.  I don’t have time to Christmas shop.

 

First Visitors

Our girls were here for the weekend.  Jenny’s new sidekick is a beagle named Dixie, who joyfully jumped in her car and took her first road trip.  Woody was awfully glad to see old friends and just plain giddy with delight to hook up with Dixie again.  They go way back.  

 The weather was splendid, couldn’t have cooperated any better, so we took full advantage of being outside.  We showed off Farmville and explored the neighborhoods up one sidewalk and down another letting the dogs lead the way.  Bright yellow and orange leaves crunched beneath our feet and Woody took pure delight in charging into every carefully raked pile.   A few antique shops, Greenfront (one must take it on) and dinner at Charley’s completed Saturday with more adventure promised for Sunday.   A lazy morning at home was followed by an afternoon touring Appomattox.  Of course everyone is aware of the historical significance of Appomattox, but I must say I find it simply charming.   An old train station serving as the tourist information   anchors the downtown with active rails humming right alongside.  Antique shops, restaurants and B&Bs fan out to make the 3 block historic district lively.  I’ve been three times and will certainly return.  On the return to Farmville, we drove through Pamplin City (current pop. 219) that was a sad reminder of more prosperous days.  Then on to Spring Creek Wine Cellar, a local vineyard and winery where we partook in a 12 sample wine tasting.  Now that’s a wine tasting!  We packed it in and headed back to High Street to check on our canine friends and the condition of 806.  All was well.  More walks, more food, more wine….some high quality TV viewing and we called it a night.   Jenny and Dixie left at the crack of dawn on Monday.  Two nights of camping on the daybed with two dogs has its tipping point.  It didn’t help any when George crept down the stairs in the semi-dark and tumbled into the dog gate we had fashioned at the bottom.  All hell broke loose….you can only imagine.

Pamplin City - a bygone era

Confounded

I figured out why I walked Woody in dark yesterday morning.  I was bemoaning in my post about losing daylight savings time and the sad fact that we are robbed of early morning sun.  I went on, showing more and more ignorance the deeper I got, ranting on  that it was dark at 7:15.  Honestly, I didn’t THINK that was right…surely I would have remembered that it was NOT dark at 7:15, but I rambled on.  It dawned on me this morning (no pun intended) that dawn is indeed at 6:15.  We wake up most mornings at 6:15.  The dark outside our window is giving way to gray when the alarm goes off.  This morning was a repeat of yesterday.  The alarm went off, George got up and rambled around while I burrowed deeper under the quilt.  After several minutes I heard him exclaim with some confused amazement “damn, it’s only 5:20.”  Not a hint of predawn gray.  It took us an entire day to figure out we truly added an extra hour yesterday.  Got up and got about our day never realizing we were an hour to the good.  Who says there aren’t enough hours in the day?  Not me, I wondered why I ate four meals instead of three.  Not a bad gig.

Fall in Farmville

Fall has arrived and this morning she was wearing a white blanket.   I on the other hand, wasn’t and it was c-o-l-d!  Despite turning back the clocks, it was still dark out at 7:15.  What’s with that?  I never like the trade-off of late sunsets to bright mornings, but I surely felt gypped this morning.  No bright sun to catch the sparkle off the frost covered grass. Woody and I high tailed it up to the park with few lingerings (well, two – both #2 to be truthful) and then made a quick bee-line for home.  By 9:00 the sun appeared and the day didn’t seem so unfriendly.  Fall has always been a melancholy time for me.  Maybe it is the dreaded “back-to-school” syndrome or the fact that my skin begins to shed like a rattler.  More profound is perhaps the absence of the new beginning that spring offers, followed by the sweetness of summer.  Whatever the reason, that reluctance to embrace the fall season has haunted me forever.  It’s time for a change.  I’m going for a new outlook.  There is opportunity at every turn in life to try something new.  So, with that in mind,  I’ll take fall square on. 

Halloween on High

Halloween on High

I have to admit I was leery about all the reports I had heard about Halloween and Trick-or-Treating in our new neighborhood.  In the days leading up to the 31^st, folks stopped me on the street and in my front yard to give me fair warning about what was to come.  I was downright terrified and almost bailed out of the entire All Hallows Eve event.  But I was curious, and my neighbors to the east go all out for the holiday, so I felt a wee bit obliged to give it a go.  I stocked up on the mega bags of candy (times 5), lit my pumpkin and stood watch.  George promised to be home by 5:00 to help assist with the goblins and fairies.  The steady trail of children began to arrive and it never slowed.  Both of us sat on the front steps with baskets of candy and dropped pieces into bags, plastic jack-o-lanterns and (I swear) backpacks.  Almost all the kids were in costume, but even those that weren’t were polite.   Next door they were lined up down the walkway to get an "up close and personal" look at the witch handing out candy.  Our neighbor Leigh played her role Broadway perfect and had ‘um shrieking and screaming and coming back for more.   We closed up shop when the candy ran out, blew out the pumpkin and headed to Charley’s to join friends for dinner.  What a night.  Halloween on High Street was something.  I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.  I’ll buy more candy next year.