Cleaning Glasses

My day starts pretty much the same every day. I get up around 7:00 or 8:00 o’clock, I get dressed, always keeping the weather in mind, and venture out into the kitchen. I put on the kettle for tea, feed the dog, then make a quick circuit through the house, opening all the blinds, and letting in the early morning sunlight. Then out the front door, my husband and I are one of the very few who still get the morning paper delivered. About this time the kettle is ready to pour, so I hurry back inside.

Smudges

Then, for the first time that day, it happens. I thoroughly clean my glasses of those annoying, sight-blocking smudges. Myopic degeneration is challenging enough and the dirty glasses dilemma only makes it worse.

With a fresh cup of hot tea in hand and the daily paper spread out on the table, I fire up my iPad for the E-edition of the paper while my husband reads the paper version. Adjusting the font size and lighting on the tablet and reading the paper this way is perfect for me. Browsing through the national and local news, finishing up with the lifestyle section, which of course, has the comics and puzzles, skipping the sports section altogether.

Repeat

Cleaning up after our morning meal takes no time at all, a quick sweep of the counter, dishes into the dishwasher and then I notice it again: the smudges. Trying to clearly see what is left on the counter to be cleaned up and I struggle.

My first inclination is to panic, what’s happening? Are my eyes crashing and burning? Blink and try again and then I remember. The glasses. Yes, somehow they have been re-smudged.

Yet again, I quickly spray them and wipe them, crystal clear once more. It is a constant battle. Glancing at the clock I notice it is still the morning hours, and already the war against smudging has begun.

Day activities

My retirement days are pretty laid back. Unless there are necessary appointments to be kept or shopping to be done or lunch dates to meet up with, life is usually spent at home. There are always chores to be done, laundry to attend to or meals to prepare. Myopic degeneration lends its challenges to all of these activities most every day. I often lose count of how many times I stop and grab the cleaning solution bottle and cloth. The last thing I need is obstructions like this to further hinder my actions.

Winding down

As my day winds down I am anxiously planning my art activity for that day. Using extreme lighting and proper placement of these lights ensures that I can really get into my work.

Seeing clearly each application of paint color and lines is essential for these projects. Making sure that my glasses lenses are crystal clear is also very important, so you better believe I have my handy dandy cleaning regiment at hand to be able to do just that.