Our Library, c. 1940

I’m not much into changing décor. Once I get a room furnished the way I want it, I’m not likely to move things around, substitute one knick-knack for another or re-do the color scheme. In fact, much of the furniture and its arrangement in our house of today is as it was in my childhood.  It probably is some character flaw to do with lack of imagination or being overly satisfied with the status quo, but that’s just the way it is.

Our Library, 2012

Ditto my clothes. For as long as I can remember I’ve worn basically three colors – black, red and white. I do wear navy blue on occasion, usually when I’m wearing Levis which is usually when I’m working at home. Not only do I limit my color choices, but I tend to wear the same sorts of outfits – trousers, mock turtleneck, sweatshirt. If I need to be a little dressy the sweatshirt gives way to a snazzy jacket. I even tend to wear the same jewelry (read: earrings) day in and day out. Basically, I think I’m lazy. And probably boring.

So, it’s probably not a surprise that I don’t color my hair. Nor, even back in the day when I wore contacts, did I ever change lens colors. Clear was fine with me. I’ve never wanted a tattoo or multiple piercings or any other decorative ‘enhancements’ though I’m not a completely what-you-see-is-what-you-get sort of woman. I do work on controlling my frizzy hair and I do wear a bit of make-up.

My Closet

Still, when my ophthalmologist called yesterday, it wasn’t the news that I’m beginning to exhibit glaucoma that alarmed me most; there are eye drops that should slow that down. No, what worries me is the information that one of the side effects of the drops could be an irreversible change of eye color.  I’m not tempted to avoid the drops, of course. There is no question there. My beloved Grandmother Espy was blind due to a combination of glaucoma and cataracts. If I can prevent the effect of those conditions, I will – eye color be damned.

Sydney’s Eyes, April 2, 2015

My eyes are a sort of medium blue. Apparently, this medication could cause them to become a darker blue or even a shade of green. I keep thinking about what a friend told me about eye color some years ago: “Blue eyes say ‘love me or I’ll die.’ Brown eyes say ‘love me or I’ll kill you.’ There was no mention of green eyes, but we all know what they mean! I’m sort of used to my ‘baby blues’ no matter what the color indicates. I’m hoping I’m one of the ones who doesn’t exhibit that particular change-of-color side effect.

On the plus side (sort of) my eyelashes are likely to get thicker, longer, and darker! I took a close-up photo yesterday before I began the medication. For comparative purposes. We’ll see… so to speak.