Yesterday I found out that I will need eye surgery on both my eyes. Fortunately, it is a fairly common surgery, with a fairly safe bet of sailing though it with no problems at all. I found out a couple of years ago that I have glaucoma in both eyes, but the eye drops I’ve been using are not bringing the pressure down enough to stop it from damaging my optic nerve. So they propose to cut tiny "trapdoors" in each eye to release liquid and ease the pressure. The surgery will take place on March 19 and April 2 and I will wear an eye patch for a few days after each procedure. Suitably ornamented with sequins, I assure you.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, a season of repentance, reflection and renewal. I wonder how many people caught up in the wildness of Mardi Gras understand it used to be a last hurrah before the stern period of Lent? I consider myself a Christian, but I’m not going to throw myself into all the stern ways of marking Lent – heck not even half of them. But then I didn’t get to go to Mardi Gras, either. :)
I want to take a long train trip early in the summer of 2010, from Minneapolis to Seattle, then down along the coast, then east to Salt Lake City, where I’ll be the speaker at a an Embroiderers’ Guild of America Convention. If anyone out there knows how to go about organizing such a trip – I’d like to stop along the way and do book signings and also take a couple of days to explore Yellowstone – please contact me. Thank you.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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5 comments:
Not stern? You're going to eat fish, yew betcha!
Been to church, been ashed. We have pancakes on Fat Tuesday every year. Obvipousl we don't need to use up the dairy etc in our house for Lent, but it's a family tradition. Just like at the other end, we have hot crossed buns for Eater breakfast.
I like Lent. I do better with Lent than I ever do with New Years resolutions. Besides, the church hasmoved somewhat away from Lenten sacrifices and more toward Lenten service-well a combination of the two really, as well as a call to renew your spirituality.
Yes, I'm going to eat fish. And shrimp and mac-and-cheese -- but those are hardly sacrifices, I like them all. And Caryn, I have the ashes on my forehead this minute. I am going to a meeting tomorrow night for people (probably all women, but maybe not) who want to knit prayer shawls for the sick and dying of our parish and beyond. That's my Lent for this year.
Your proposed trip sounds great. The obvious thing would be to contact Amtrack and see if they have some kind of of rail pass deal.
Good luck with the eye surgery.
In Dead Men Don't Crochet, the Tarzana Hookers crochet comfort shawls to give to a woman's shelter. There's a pattern at the end of the book
I'll echo Betty to contact Amtrack. My mom went from Chicago to Salt Lake City a while back via Amtrack and it was fine. The only issue could be your stops along the way, depending on where you actually want to stop. Good luck!
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