I can see again! Fa-la-la.

This past weekend I tried to start knitting a scarf, but I kept experiencing nothing but frustration. I raveled it four or five times after knitting several rows and finally ditched the pattern altogether.

Ken said maybe it is a pattern that requires TWO eyes for knitting.

He had a good point, because I've been "knitting with one eye" for several months. (These socks, finished last week, are from the one-and-only sock pattern I've ever used, by Yankee Knitter. http://www.kyarns.com/product/yankee-knitter-classic-sock-pattern I used Red Heart "Heart and Sole"super fine yarn and size 2 needles, so they took awhile to knit, but as I've said many times before, there's nothing like a pair of handknitted socks to make the feet feel cozy and cared for.

Anyway, on Tuesday I finally had the obstacle to happy knitting, the cataract in my right eye, removed. This creepy photo is me the evening following the surgery. I can hardly believe how much better my vision has become already. I thought it might take several days or even a few weeks before my sight was much clearer, but yesterday, the day after surgery, was like a dramatic scene from a movie for me: images grew sharper as the day went on, and colors grew richer. I was practically skipping with joy. I had all I could do not to run through the fields, my arms outstretched, singing a happy tune. I'd known for some time I had a cataract, but the thing developed so quickly over the past year that I thought maybe I was just being a wimp in saying I could barely see anything from my right eye. The ophthamologist said the cataract was a "doozie" and he wondered how I was able to see out of that eye at all. I said, "I couldn't."

So that's that. Cataract surgery, which was fairly simple from my perspective although no doubt requiring expert skill by my surgeon, is behind me and it's time to move on....(I should admit I felt the need to go to YouTube.com and witness a cataract surgery yesterday, just to understand exactly what had gone on while my face was under a sheet. I can't imagine daring to poke into someone's eye to correct a problem. What skill and knowledge!)

Let me introduce to you the very first blossom (above) from my Christmas cactus, which was given to me last year as a slip from my mother's Christmas cactus. My mother could make anything blossom.

I was so glad to get this slip, because I'd neglected to get one from my mother years ago.

And my African violets are enjoying the return of spring, if this particular one is any evidence.

They're coming into bloom again after a short rest. I discovered finally, after years of neglecting African violets but not realizing I was doing so, that the secrets to successful care are...
1. a North window
2. never direct sun
3. watering from the bottom of the pot (This alone immediately resulted in dramatic improvement in my violets' health) I put each pot in a plastic container with some water and..
4. a light dose of African violet food with each and every watering
5. light misting daily, and perhaps most important of all,
6. not overwatering  I touch the soil to make sure it feels dry before watering a plant, and I know it's sufficiently watered after sitting in the plastic container (margarine tub, whatever) when I touch the soil again and it feels damp. This can take a few hours on watering day.

Ta-dah! Happy violets.

The Easter chick in the header photo is from here: http://www.skiptomylou.org/
It's a quick and easy project requiring some felt pieces, a sewing machine, and a bit of your time.