January Flowers: Nature and nurture, originally uploaded by gurdonark
Lately I focus on the phrase "incremental progress". This phrase is my mantra, mandala and masking tape for efforts to tackle big jobs (like the meaning of life, or personal organization)one step at a time.
Today incremental progress led me to the optometrist and to the clothing store.
Dr. Amy Davidson, the optometrist, proved to be very good. She explained the various considerations with a poise and assurance I found both down-to-earth and professional. She answered questions posed by my wife and I with aplomb. She did not go out of her way to sell me pictures of my eyeball, though in the event, I wanted to get a digital image done of my eyes, and did so. This procedure now has a product name more catchy than "picture of your eyeball', but less catchy than, say, "Lucky Charms" or "Count Chocula". I figure that any procedure that costs me 35 dollars but might provide early warning of a variety of evils is a good procedure.
After the eye appointment, we adjourned to Eye Masters to get new frames. I am very rough on eyeglass frames. Sleeps finds me sometimes prior to the time I find my frames a secure seating on a bedside table. Also, my wife voiced a feeling to the general effect that my glasses could be more fashion-forward. I had agreed to let her ken-doll the situation, that is, to allow her to select the frames according to her taste.
The manager who assisted us, a fellow named B., proved to be one of those fashion-forward fellows who could in a glance advise us on what was in and what was out in the plastic lens holder field. we made incremental progress, because we found two pairs of glasses. I reluctantly even agreed to get the anti-glare treatment, though this meant the lenses would not be ready in an hour (and would cost incrementally more).
We then adjourned to J.C. Penney and Dillard's at Collin Creek Mall.
My dress socks require replacement. We determined to replace them en masse, so that we could use one brand and style for the entire set. We found just the items to meet this and another basic clothing need.
We went to Jersey Mike's for a very late lunch sandwich. The outlet we visited was out of roast beef at 4 p.m. The scowl on my face registered with the kind-hearted staff, who "comped" me my turkey sandwich. I left a tip in the tip jar, and will write them a note of praise.
In other news,after church, I went for a morning walk at Allen Station Park. I saw a small violet-ish flower in bloom on January 30. I post that photo above, as well as a morph using fx of that photo.
My second best photo was of a turkey vulture near a coyote corpse.
During my walk, I was intrigued by the blue jay who flew overhead, emitting that curious jay imitation of a hawk.
In church this morning, the youth choir sang selections from the show "Godspell", while the morning hymn was "Morning Has Broken" in its original finery. The hymns were all very good, with a youth orchestra hitting nary a wrong note.
The sermon was quite good, except that it ended with a call to come to the front of the church and receive little plastic wristbands as a sign of renewed purpose. I am not much for movements to convert church into a pep rally, but I donned my wrist attire with only incremental resentment.
I am eager to have an incrementally good week.