Back in October, I made an appointment with my eye doctor for the Saturday after Thanksgiving (#13 on my 18 for 2018 list). It had been a little over four years since my last eye exam. While seeing distance was still fine, my close up vision had changed slightly. I was having to hold whatever I was reading a little farther than usual. My goal for this visit was to examine my eyes, purchase new glasses, and inquire about contacts that would allow me to see close up and at a distance. During the glaucoma part of the examination, he noticed that my eye pressure was a little high and there was slight cupping of the optic nerve. While he was not overly concerned, he requested that I schedule a 30-2 test. That test is scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday afternoon. I did pick out some new frames, and my glasses should be ready on the 13th of this month. Unfortunately, I did not order contacts. I am not a good candidate for the distance/close-up combo because of my horrible astigmatism. I had a feeling the answer would be no, but I remained hopeful all the same. The last time I purchased contacts, they were for distance only. It was not a wise purchase since I read so much. I constantly had to use reader glasses which was a pain. The point of wearing contacts is to not wear glasses. However, I have been wearing glasses since the 4th grade, so I quickly built a bridge and got over it. I guess it boils down to vanity and the fact that I personally do not think I look great with glasses unless they are sunglasses.
In Other News:
Coach Levy and Andrew
Andrew’s Swim Banquet was held on Tuesday evening at Le Fleur de Lis in Ponchatoula. The food was delicious, the slideshow was wonderful, and the presentation of the awards was enjoyable. I am super proud of Andrew and the STA Swim Team. They are an incredible group of young people who swam well this year. They all lettered and were acknowledged for working together and putting in 100% at practices and the meets. Andrew received the Coach’s Award. He was both surprised and honored that Coach Levy chose him. It was a proud mama moment watching Andrew receive this award. Even though Andrew’s high school swim career has officially ended, he is still connected to the friends that he made, the accomplishments that he earned, and the satisfaction of being a part of a team. I’m happy that he went out for the swim team his junior year. I not only enjoyed watching Andrew and his teammates swim, but I also enjoyed becoming friends with the other moms. Thankfully, there is Facebook to keep up with them.
Over the Thanksgiving break, Andrew visited his ENT doctor because he has been struggling with congestion on and off for the last couple of years. She prescribed him two nasal sprays (one for the morning and one for the evening), ordered x-rays of his nasal area, and requested allergy testing. He took x-rays later that day, and I scheduled his allergy testing for this past Wednesday. Thankfully, the x-rays showed his nasal area is clear. No sign of infection. Sadly, the allergy testing revealed that Andrew is allergic to 15 of the 17 tested allergens. UGH! Of the 15 allergens, two are cat and dog. Double UGH! This means that he will start getting weekly shots for the next year. In addition, changes will need to be made at home, especially in his bedroom to help alleviate some of the allergy triggers. Thankfully, there are measures that can be taken to keep the allergens at bay. And, he does not come in contact with some of the allergens. Hopefully, with adjustments at home, the nasal sprays, and shots, Andrew will be less congested or not congested at all in the near future.
Today marks the first day of December and the last month of the year. This month is the last leg of my 18 for 2018 journey, and I have just seven items left on my list to complete before the end the month. Can I do it? I’m hopeful for completing all but two items which I’ll write about later this month. Did you, dear reader, fulfill the goals you set for yourself this year? You might want to create a 19 for 2019 list or something similar. Happiness!
“The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man’s foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.” ~ Thomas Henry Huxley
We enjoyed Korean food for her birthday lunch followed by rolled ice cream from Roulé for dessert. Other highlights of July were going to the movies (The Incredibles 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, The Equalizer 2), a museum visit, a concert, a scrapbooking evening with my BFF Shelly, and a lunch date with my friend Kelly Parker LeGrand. This was the first time Kelly and I had seen each other in over 20 years. We talked for hours. My only regret was that we didn’t take any pictures together. Hopefully, it won’t be another 20 years before we have lunch together again.
While I enjoyed much happiness this month, there was also some sadness. My extended family in Utah said good-bye to my sweet Uncle Charles. I feel blessed to have known him and grateful for plenty of fond memories of times spent with him. I can bet he is well established in heaven telling stories and jokes. Rest in peace, Uncle Charles!
Another tidbit about me, the scrapbooker, is I am as slow as a snail when it comes to scrapbooking. Depending on the project, it takes me some time to think about the layout. If the project has an overwhelming amount of photos, choosing the best ones can slow me down. I act as if I am preparing a layout for a prestigious magazine, and my career depends on the finished product instead of making a memory keepsake for the members of my family. HA! Even though I did not get as many layouts completed as I had hoped, I still had a terrific time with my friends, and I learned some new techniques using supplies (embossing enamel, antique brilliance wax, rust effect paste, and gel pens) to make my scrapbooks more interesting. I have all summer to finish working on this project for Andrew. I will have more time to make decisions about the layouts, the photos, and what I want to say or rather what Andrew wants to say about his recent adventure in Europe.
In addition, my scrapbooking weekend has inspired me to get better organized in my scrapbooking room. Yesterday, I cleared everything not related to scrapbooking out of my room with the exception of a file cabinet. Then, I vacuumed, dusted, and mopped. My goal now is to organize all of my supplies. I bought a new sticker binder, while at the event, to house ALL of my stickers. My old binder can barely zip, and I have stickers in various places. I want them all in one central location divided by category. I also need to reorganize my paper by color/pattern and clear out old page kits of completed layouts. This will allow me to create new page kits with all of the necessary supplies, so the next time I want to attend a crop, I can grab and go. Getting organized will take awhile; however, in the end, the time spent will be well worth it. The organization will create time and space for me to actually scrapbook…hopefully, more than once a year.
The Kat Files 