Got Glasses?

This morning I overslept! I jumped—I mean, I rolled out of bed at 7:15, to let all of the dogs go outside. After that, I fed all ten of our dogs, made some coffee, and then sat down at the kitchen table, which was still covered up with envelopes and cards, and I checked my e-mails.

My good friend, the city slicker, from up north, who is coming down in January, with his wife, to visit us wrote this note:

Hi Nancy--- I don't know how much we would be imposing by staying at the Ranch, so for this first visit I made reservations in Kerrville. We picked the hotel that seemed to be the most highly recommended by the Mobil Guide, so I made reservations there for (Sat-Mon). If Kinky gets called away at the last minute, all we need is 24 hours notice and I can cancel without penalty.

I was going to e-mail you right away, but I thought I would check your blog first. Wouldn't you know it---you've shattered my equanimity again! I was just getting comfortable that at least there would be no more surprises when I found my eyebrows rising half way up my forehead.... The MOUNTAIN LIONS are bad enough, but this city boy never even heard of "STICKERS"! Extra thick soles on those thigh-high boots, please. ---your yankee friend

After reading his e, I was laughing out loud as I wrote this:

Hi dear friend, from up above, I am still laughing at your e-mail! I think it is great that y'all are coming down next month, and y’all definitely picked the best place to camp out at. They even provide sheets if you request it! Trust me, it's worth the money, or if you want to save a little, I can loan you a sheet if the Cardinal is gone by then. I will also keep my fingers crossed about Kinky being around when y’all visit. He really does want to be here to see y'all, and I'll keep an eye on his schedule, too. By the way, would you like for me to snail mail you a few stickers? They make good thumb tacks! Have a great Thursday, Nancy

After sending that e, I went to our site: utopiarescue.com, to check it out. The site looked great, thanks to our extremely talented web master, Pat Symchych, but when I scrolled down the page a little bit more, I saw that Harley’s Pet of the Week was Martha Stewart, and that’s when it hit me! I had forgotten to call Harley! At breakneck speed, I turned to look at the clock on the kitchen wall! It was 7:43! I had two minutes before needing to call Harley to talk about the Pet Of the Week!

“Good morning, Cousin Nancy,” Harley broadcasted over the airways at 7:45. “How are you today?”

“Morning Harley,” I said. “I’m fine, but it is still early...”

We chatted about the rescue ranch, for about five minutes—the show, fortunately went well. And I was so happy, that I hadn’t missed calling in.

After breakfast, Maribeth showed up, and then John. Tony went outside to help John feed the dogs, and to clean their pens—leaving Maribeth and me to stuff envelopes.

A couple of hours later, Tony came inside. “Nancy, where’s that little file of mine? John needs it for his glasses.”

“Above the sink,” I answered.

“Why does he need a file?” Maribeth asked.

“Two days ago,” Tony said. “John lost his eyeglasses while out walking the dogs.”

“We looked all over the ranch for them, and we couldn’t find them anywhere,” I chimed in. “He thinks he lost them when it had warmed up, and he took his sweatshirt off.”

“Tell him to go to the Dollar Store, and buy a pair. They’re just as good.” Maribeth stated. ‘That’s where I get my glasses.”

“Me, too,” I said, “but John can’t, because he doesn’t need magnifiers—his problem is he can’t see things far away. In fact, yesterday he told me, that when he started to leave the ranch, the other day, after losing his glasses, he looked out the windshield, and could barely see anything. In fact, he thought he was going to have to ask us to drive him home. But fortunately, when he turned on the windshield wipers to clean the van’s windshield —he could see good enough. The windshield was just dirty.”

“So why does John need a file?” Maribeth asked. “Did he find his glasses?”

“He found them yesterday,” Tony said.

“Kermit must have run over them, and crushed the frames.” I added. “Tony said the lenses were all scratched up, too.”

“So, why does he need a file?” Maribeth, asked again.

“Yesterday,” Tony said. “I suggested to John that he go to the Dollar Store to try to find some frames that might fit his lenses, and he took my advice. He found a pair for five dollars. And, he thinks he can fit his old lenses into them. Where’s the Super Glue?”

“Under the sink,” I answered.

Tony grabbed the file and glue, and then left us to continue stuffing envelopes.

An hour later, Maribeth and I decided to take a break. While she drank coffee inside, I went outside to see if John had had any luck with his lenses.

When I walked up to the barn, I found John in the back—busily filing away. “Hi, John,” I said. “Having any luck?”

John looked up. “Yes, Nancy,” he said, “I think I’m just about there. We’ll know in just a minute.”

A few minutes passed, and then John put on his glasses, turned around, and said, “What do you think?”

I walked up to John, and stared deeply into his eyes. “They look great to me.”

“I can see a lot better, than I did before,” John stated. “Do the glasses look stupid with all of the scratches?”

“No, they look just fine, John,” I said. “I don’t think anyone will notice , but if anyone happens to ask you why they are all scratched up, just tell them, that your glasses are prescription glasses with designer frames.”

“I will. And, I really did design them!” John said. “At least, I can see clearly now. Thanks Nancy.”

I returned to the trailer. “Well, John’s got glasses, again,” I announced to Maribeth. “And he can see again—thank goodness.”

“How do they look,” Maribeth asked.

“Fine, I guess,” I said, as I cleaned my eyeglasses. “I really couldn't tell—I’m blind as a bat.”