We had appointments with the eye doctor yesterday. Time for new glasses, I’m afraid. For years, I only bought my eyeglasses through the optometric clinic. Sometimes I had really great insurance that provided a new pair every year. Other times I had none and paid out of pocket whether I could really afford it or not. We didn’t have much of a choice of buying options. Now we live on a fixed income with Medicare and Social Security. We’re back to being careful with our money. As they say…watch your pennies and your dollars will watch themselves.

Mr. FixIt is the one who turned me on to buying my glasses online. He had used Zenni for a few years so I gave it at try the last time I needed a new pair. While they weren’t the greatest quality…certainly not what I had become accustomed to…they were perfectly adequate. The prescription came back accurate and they were delivered in a couple of weeks. And, I was able to buy a pair of glasses and a pair of sunglasses for less than one pair would have cost had I gone my more traditional route.

The key to getting glasses online is to tell the optometric office when you check out that you would like to have a copy of your prescription along with your Pupil Distance measurement. They won’t like this, of course. They are banking on you spending a delightful hour or two trying on frames and fawning over your choices then dropping some serious coin in their store. I head them off at the pass by looking them directly in the eye, smile and say, “I’m retired and live on a fixed income. I buy my glasses online, so I will need a copy of my prescription, please.” I’ve never had any trouble save for a slight shift in demeanor which doesn’t bother me a whip. Mr. FixIt ordered his new glasses and sunglasses last night and they totaled under $200. I’ll fiddle around with mine later today. 

I received a gift from a friend yesterday. Kindness doesn’t grow on trees. Kindness is a choice. And it is one that far too many people have forgotten to make anymore. It doesn’t take much to be kind. My friend lives in a teeny, tiny magical cottage and she is forever having to curate what she can keep and what she can send on its way to bring joy to another person. She didn’t go out and buy these treasures for me new. She poured her love into them for a while, then she sent them on to me. She does this for people all the time. 

I’m going to start doing this. This isn’t “re-gifting.” This is spreading love with tangible items that were carefully selected for a specific person and a specific purpose. It doesn’t cost as much as buying a gift and shipping it. And it reduces waste while it spreads kindness into the world. So, thank you to my sweet friend. You are so special and so loved!

I was writing this post when Mr. FixIt called to me to come look at the sunset with him. The sky was streaked with peach, yellow, pink, blue, and indigo as the sun headed west for it’s final hurrah of the day. The creek was roaring from the heavy rain we had in the afternoon. The frogs were serenading from the creek beyond the far field. Bats dipped and dove over our heads, feasting on the early evening treasure trove of mosquitoes. The catbird in the maple tree out front was putting up a fuss as we were invading her turf. The lightning bugs were rising from their daytime hideaway in the field grasses…on the search for summer love. I turned to my sweetheart and smiled. He wrapped me in his arms and held me close, kissing me on the forehead. And for that moment…we were safe and all was right with the world.

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“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.””

Hebrews 13:5 ESV