“Glasses” by Jones

The package came a few weeks back — flat-ish, in brown wrapping paper with a Gualala return address.  Something from Bruce Jones, Kuzzin Kris’s brother!  “So,” you might ask, “if he’s the same relation to you that Kris is. why don’t you call him  Kuzzin Bruce?”

Well, first of all, neither Kris ‘nor Bruce are real cousins.  Only by marriage (sort of) so they are no doubt fake cousins.  But more to the point, Bruce is one of the brightest, funniest, flirtiest men I know and I think I’ve always had a slight crush on him.  So calling him “Kuz” might be sort of incestuous.  Well, fake incestuous.

Sydney 2014

Bruce is also an artist and so I was not totally surprised when the innards of the package revealed a page from his sketchbook.  There were drawings on each side — on one side, a rather somber looking and very skinny nude with this notation:  “An added bonus from my weekly drawing class, but the real picture is on the other side.”

The real picture, “Glasses by Jones.” was of three women, each wearing glasses.  The glasses on the middle figure were mine!  Definitely mine!  The woman wasn’t me — although I’d love to have her lips and maybe her hair.  My eyes are better, though, even when partially hidden by the specs. And it could have been my nose, but an improved version.

I LOVE those glasses.  I’ve worn glasses (on and off, though blind without them) since I was twelve.  My current ones with the perfectly round rims are my all-time favorites.

Bruce Jones

Furthermore, Bruce Jones, I love it that you sent me this picture of them!  It put me in mind of the saying I grew up with (and the reason I groped around blindly for years until I was allowed to get contact lenses) — “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.”  I know that getting a drawing in the mail isn’t exactly a pass, but still…  When you’re old and hard of seeing, it’s always nice to get a package in the mail!