Wednesday, October 14, 2026

     I always had good eye sight, well at least until I was in my mid 50’s when I started using store bought reading glasses. I expected to have good vision the rest of my life. Now I have distance glasses for TV watching and for driving. I have an astigmatism and without the glasses I frequently have double vision.

      My brain just hasn’t acclimated to using my distance glasses when I am walking.  With the distance glasses on I fear tripping and falling. I have become a hesitant walker and I am not sure what will help me. Time to check google to see if I am missing something.

     It is really cold in my bedroom in the morning and yet I like sitting in this old chair with my breakfast and doing my morning writing. My roommate encourages me to sit in the sunny half of the house. I resist.  I am not sure why.   Our kitchen counters are full of the garden tomatoes and vegetables, thanks to my master gardener roommate.

     We watch a new Apple plus show, THE SMALL PROPHETS, a surprisingly sweet, funny show. And of course we watch the fabulous next episode of SLOW HORSES, full of action and noise and danger. We are all nervous as we wait for the elections to be over, and new competent leaders emerge.

 

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

     The sun is out this morning but the house is really cold.  I am sitting in my chair covered with a blanket waiting for the sun to warm up the house. I still am reluctant to turn on my heater when in just a short time all the doors will be open to the warmth outside.

     I am ready for adventures. What does being healthy mean for me. Is 86 years old really too old, or am I just stuck in the role of the sick one. It is hard to tell if I just have low energy or scared to get out into the world.

     My former long term roommate and his partner visited on Saturday.  He is now a nurse. We never seem to run out of things to talk about, mostly medicine and work. My work is being a patient. His is to be a nurse.

    More TV watching in the evening. Finished EAST OF EDEN and THE MARBLE HALL MURDERS. We watch another episode of LUDWIG, my favorite funny show. No new books started, still in the middle of GHOST EYE. I couldn’t watch another news report from Rachel Maddow.  Too chipper and positive.  I want the news from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I want to see the outrageous humor in our bumbling president and his friends.

 

Monday, October 12, 2026

     The parched oak trees look tired and dry.  Long clusters of moss dangle from the limbs. Time for winter water to arrive. Swarms of moths circle the trees. Perhaps it is also time for the moth worm invasions.

     I dream that I am dying last night.  Now that I am awake and eating breakfast. I feel alive and doing well.

     I am not sure if today, Monday, is really a holiday.  Columbus Day is now called Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Luckily, I still trust google for information. Yep no mail today. In San Carlos Grammar school in the 1950’s. old Italian men, dressed like Christopher Columbus, would come into the classroom with the small paper ships filled with candy for each child. I still remember the three ships. The Nina, The Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

     I am watching EAST OF EDEN. At first I felt it was too melodramatic but now I am liking it. We also watch LANTERN, another series that takes time to like. And I also am reading GHOST EYE by Amitav Ghosh. No interesting news about the corrupt president.  We are all busy with voting season.