Can You Hear Me Now?

I so wish I had taken a picture of Andrew, the audiologist who tested my hearing today. He was a hoot and made me feel comfortable immediately. I wasn't worried in the least about this appointment. I knew I had hearing loss and I also knew it was starting to really bother me. Forget family gatherings in restaurants. That's the worst case scenario. I also have a harder time hearing what some of my grandkids say than I'd like. And there's a woman in pottery class who is a very soft speaker and I have to ask her to repeat things. So I haven't really been fooling myself about the fact that it was time to get this situation checked out but I probably would have put it off forever if I hadn't made the promise to Mr. Moon that if he got his hearing checked, I'd do the same. I was rather shocked when he DID finally go and get tested. I think something must have triggered him to do that, perhaps while he was in Canada, but whatever the reason, I am so glad he did. 
After his test, he showed me his results but they're rather hard to parse and he insisted that really, they weren't so bad. 
I knew this was bullshit. This has been going on for years. But he stubbornly insisted that it wasn't necessary for him to get hearing aids and that he'd probably lose them if he did and, and, and...

So when I went into the little room at Costco with the glass door and Andrew began the process of testing me for all sorts of different hearing losses, I was more curious than anything. The exam didn't last very long but felt adequate to me although what do I know? 
Not very much. 
When it was over I told Andrew that it had not been the least enjoyable thing I've ever done. And it wasn't. It was pretty interesting, really. 
And yes, I do indeed have losses and yes, I should get hearing aids and instead of being upset about that, I'm excited. I remember how much my world changed when I was in the third grade and got my first pair of glasses. Suddenly, I was able to see what I had never realized that I couldn't. I think everyone who gets glasses at an early age knows what this is like and almost all of us say the same thing- I could see the leaves on trees!
That was some pretty amazing shit right there. It literally changed my life and the way I saw the world. I still do not take this for granted. 
So the thought of having a similar experience with my ears and hearing is sort of thrilling. I honestly don't give a shit if wearing hearing aids makes me look older. I AM older. I am at the appropriate age to wear them and as Andrew told me, virtually everyone over the age of forty has begun to lose their ability to hear what they once could. He told me that I'd hear more birds, that conversation would be so much easier, that I would not need closed captions while watching TV.
Now that doesn't bother me. I like closed captions. But hey! A new world! A world with more birdsong, more understanding of what my grandchildren are saying. A world where I don't have to keep asking what someone said when the family is gathered. A world where I'm not having to ask someone to repeat what they've said. 
This all sounds (haha!) very, very good to me. 

And perhaps the best news is that when I told Glen that yes, I needed hearing aids and that yes, I am ready to order them right away and was very excited about that, he was suddenly far more positive about doing the same. It's like he needed that one tiny push and I was there to give it with my whole heart and not in a way that implied he was being a stubborn old man who wouldn't listen to reason. 
Although he is. 
And I am a stubborn old woman who needed to stop and think about how much richer my life will be if I can hear better. 

So today's experience may turn out to be a life-changer for both of us. I hope so. I really do. 

I made a soup today with yesterday's broth and some of the leftover meat. It's also got all the vegetables that didn't get eaten from the veggie tray including broccolini. I picked turnip, mustard, and kale greens from the garden, chopped them up and added them to the pot along with onions, a lot of garlic, and some leftover green beans. The pot is so full I should probably make rice separately to spoon the soup over. I hope it's good. And...more for the freezer! The flautas last night were every bit as fine as I remember. Glen was so happy. 

And tomorrow we may eat hamburgers. 

Want to see a cute picture?

That is not just a random photo of eight adorable puppies. There is a story to it. 

Of course. 
Details to follow as the story unfolds. 
And NO! I am not getting a dog. Not now, not ever. 
But it looks like someone may be.
Love...Ms. Moon