photo by Ember 5/20/23

December 23, 2025
I just like this photo of my drooping eye   It used to get infected quite a lot., too.

When my mother was 19 she played for a traveling California state orchestra.  She was 1st flutist and they traveled throughout the Northwest.  She met her first true love in that orchestra. Owen was a cellist.   He was an eye doctor and they stayed close friends and loved each other for over 50 years.  

I was born with a lazy left eye and my Ct. eye doctor thought I should have surgery on it in about 1960.  Owen recommended that I not have the surgery and to do eye excercises instead.  Mom took Owen's advice and I did not have that surgery.  I had really good eyesight and the left eye was a target for humor throughout my life.

I've been trying to have eye surgery for over a year because the muscles around my left eye have basically stopped working all together and I shut my eye most of the time.  My brain has stopped trying to focus the eye, it puts most of its effort into seeing with my right eye, which still does pretty well.  Now I've never had bifocal vision so I don't experience it very often, although night driving is a little harder these days.

Today the eye doctor asked me if I had a lazy eye as a kid and why I had never had the surgery.  I didn't explain to him that my mother's first love suggested I not, I just said she was encouraged to not have it done.  He shook his head, and said it was early days of eye surgery.  But he told me I had to start forcing myself to use my left eye before it just stopped focusing at all.  I'm sure Owen''s advice was right for the times.  I think when I was 13 and went out to California to stay with Aunt Lois  I went to Owen's office and he checked my eyes then.  I don't know what was said.  I didn't see Owen again until after Daddy died, he came and visited in 1974 and stayed for a couple of days. He'd come to New York to buy a new cello.  He was a lovely guy,  but 66 years later I need eye surgery.  Oh well. 

A year ago today I took some good hawk pictures. But today I had no eyesight while the sun was out so I didn't go for a ride.  It was also just king of bleek and spitting snow all day. So once again, a day in December, I did not shoot any photos.  I went for my nap early and slept most of the afternoon and had very "end of the world" dreams.  My trip to the eye doctor's seemed to have been tiring. 

I burnt number 3 intention tonight.  It is really hard not to look at them.  I'm kind of surprised at myself.  But I'm also enjoying the possibilities.   

I want to look into that watercolour class.  

I want to finish the paperwork on this house.

by Thomas Ratte