Monday, I called my cataract surgeon’s office about issues I’ve been coping with lately. Basically, being the good little soldier, I had surrendered to wearing the new glasses I was prescribed there after the second surgery for my double vision in hopes of getting used to them, but it’s not happening. I won’t bore you with my complaints other than to say that while they do more or less correct the double vision I have had for fifteen years, I now have a double vision type halo in my right eye whether I’m wearing the glasses or not. After several phone calls with various people there, I finally spoke to someone who thought they knew what the problem was. Now I have an appointment at the end of the month to see the surgeon again and will probably have to have some laser work done to correct it. In the meantime, I’m still doing the charcoal drawings I mentioned last week. They have taken a step up from being experimental sketches. Not relying on the use of color, the challenge of black on white negative space has been exciting. The trick has been to go bigger. I can’t get the sharp-edged clarity I got in the past with bushes, but the softer lines work well in a large format, and frankly are easier to see. Yes, I wear readers when I’m in the studio, as well as other pairs for books and the computer, all different strengths, but none of them are good for going outside where the double vision is more pronounced or watching TV. That’s what the new glasses are for, but you know, the pesky halo, et cetera. Georgia O’Keeffe took up working with clay when her sight deteriorated, I also keep reminding myself I don’t live in Gaza or Ukraine. And there aren’t bombs going off outside my house. Yet. So yeah, onward.