I’ve been on vacation. Again. Apparently, I needed it.
I’m thinking about moving to a once weekly blog update. Maybe on Fridays, in time to find a few good reads for the weekend. I’d appreciate your thoughts on that.
As I’ve mentioned here before, I’ve been having eye issues for a few years now. In fact, I’m legally blind in one eye. Fortunately, the vision in my good eye is 20/15. It used to be 20/10 in both eyes. Just like Chuck Yeager:
In addition to his flying skills, Yeager also had “better than perfect” vision: 20/10. He reportedly could see enemy fighters from 50 miles away and ended up fighting in several wars.
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/07/341894780/pilot-chuck-yeager-dies-at-97-had-the-right-stuff-and-then-some
I’m sorry to say that I never did anything the least bit heroic with my superior vision. My husband appreciated it though; he used to say that I could read the signs on I-95 before he even realized there was a sign. It’s really tough going from excellent vision to where I am now. If I bob and weave, I can test out at 20/20 on an eye exam, but the DMV doesn’t let you do that. I couldn’t renew my drivers’ license until I got a note from my eye doctor.
I’m complaining about my vision again because it is taking me a lot longer to read and review than it used to. I’ve been reading Tell the Bees I am Gone by Diana Gabaldon for days and I’m barely half way through. I know her books are dense and not a quick read, and in my best days I never finished one in less than at least two days, sometimes three, but I am not used to having to spend days and days reading the same book. Luckily, I love her characters and the world she created for them so I enjoy spending time there. Good thing, too, since I’m going to be there a while longer.
If you want to make a charitable donation to start the new year, I hope you will consider the Seva Foundation; they are working to restore sight in the Americas. I have a Facebook fundraiser if you ware interested in helping: https://www.facebook.com/stacy.alesi/posts/574264547074800
I would feel remiss if I didn’t say something about this past year. When 2020 ended, I was so hopeful about 2021. I was looking forward to most people being vaccinated and the U.S. achieving that elusive bitch, “herd immunity.” It never happened, thanks to the conspiracy theorists and their moron of a leader, the feckless incompetent who lost the presidential election and built a house of lies upon it. And more Covid. Delta. Omnicron.
Wild fires. Climate change is changing the world in front of our eyes, and again, the conspiracy theorists and those devoid of any kind of common sense are happily ignoring it, leaving the planet a big mess for my children and grandchildren. The insurrection. OMG, the insurrection. People need to be held accountable for their participation. Especially the politicians, including the former president and all his minions.
The people we lost this year, especially the authors: Eric Carle; Beverly Cleary; Eric Jerome Dickey; Joan Didion; Lois Ehlert; Lawrence Ferlinghetti; Maria Guarnaschelli; bell hooks; Norton Juster; Larry McMurtry; Gary Paulsen; Sharon Kay Penman; Anne Rice; Wilbur Smith; Andrew Vachss – to name a few. If you’re not sure who these authors are, they are all worth knowing and easy to look up. The last gut punch to the year, (per my daughter, and she’s right,) we lost Betty White* yesterday.
But I am ever hopeful, however, that 2022 will be a better year. I can’t even fathom of a year that could be worse than the last two we have weathered.
I wish you all a happy, healthy new year, filled with love and joy and lots of good reads!
As always, thanks for reading and stay safe.
*Thanks to the New York Times for allowing me to “gift” my readers with free access to this article, a lovely perk for subscribers.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 
Sorry to hear about your eyesight! Mine has gotten worse as I get older and I find that I need to put glasses on in the evening to enjoy a good read. It sucks! Of course, I don’t have the same issues you do, but I can certainly appreciate how it slows down how quickly you can read a book. Hang in there! Happy New Year! 2022 should be better. Hopefully.
Thanks, Deborah! I started needing reading glasses several years ago, “old eyes” is what my charming eye doctor called it! When the Kindle first came out, my husband bought me one. I thanked him and put it in a drawer, taking it out when we traveled. But I found wearing glasses annoying, especially at night when I was tired. I have allergies that cause sinus issues which were aggravated by the glasses. So I started reading on my Kindle at night. Now I pretty much read exclusively on the Kindle (or more accurately, on the Kindle app on my iPad) and my reading life is so much better for it. Thanks so much for reading & writing!
Wishing you a Happy New Year. A weekly blog sounds like a good idea. We heard about Betty White on the 1st here, my son said – well thats 2022 off to a bad start -sometimes it sux to be a day ahead.
Thanks so much, Rae! I really appreciate your reading & your comment. Happy new year!
Hang in there — I used to read so much, now I am losing my eyesight in one eye – but I will keep reading, as you are. Reading lets us move to another place, planet, room – and feel the feelings of others. I still read your reviews on this site and Goodreads. We can (and are) living with sight in one eye. Be thankful for all the good we have – you are one of my good things. peace, janz
Oh, Jan, Readers like you are one of my good things! Thank you so much. 🤩