#255

[@chelseadraleaus6019]

I remember the first time I got glasses and I was shocked that I could see the individual leaves on the trees.

[@fountainpeninsanity3344]

I had the same experience!

[@chuck8478]

Me too, and bricks. I realized many of the buildings I thought were stucco were actually brick.

[@OhItsJustKim]

it's ALWAYS the leaves that hit hardest. Get an updated prescription and i'm like ?? were trees in 4k before? or..?

[@luzsalas7583]

The leaves!!!

[@myriam8190]

Guys, you forgot the most inconvenient thing about wearing glasses! It’s looking for your glasses while blind, hahaha. I never learn and always leave them in random places and then I look for them for ages. Sometimes I even end up putting my prescription sunglasses on inside the house to help me. 😅 Life’s awfully tough. 😂

[@pettyella6607]

My brother asked for a Kindle kind of as a joke, but I said I would give him one if he read 20min a day for however long it took me to pay it off lol. Now he is on a 13 day streak!! He hasn't touched a book since he was 15!! I'm thinking of gifting him a Certified Reader pin as a congratulations gift now teehee

[@hugoomarianne9234]

Recently my glasses broke for no apparent reason. Like they were on my face and then one of the glasses popped out of the frame. Problem was, I was parked at a rest area on the highway… alone. I had to drive home for an hour with a freaking monocle ! Holding the frame with one hand, I was TERRIFIED.

[@erintrolley3074]

I’m sorry, but this made me laugh out loud 😂. What a horrible, scary experience!!! A very funny memory to look back on though.

[@wasserklaenge3667]

No no, dont tell people contacts are annoying! I thought that for YEARS and when I tryed them, I was blown away! I dont feel them at all and I dont have to worry about breaking or loosing my glasses anymore or them beeing in the way or getting foggy. And i can buy every cheap sunglasses I want. I l o v e them! And for my very bad eyes they are more comfortable than thick glasses. ❤😂🥰

[@Elizabeth-lv3vh]

I also avoided getting glasses in high school and my boyfriend at the time was the one who betrayed my lack of sight to my parents 😂 I also just had an eye doctor appointment yesterday and had an existential crisis that it cost me approximately $500 to be able to just see the world. (Yeah, I live in the US)

[@shareuhlin]

I'm so emotionally attached to wearing glasses I could never do contacts or lasik, but I'm glad they exist for people who love em!

[@millwoodthomas5220]

Love the tales of the glassed-up duo 🤣 ❤🧡💛💚💙💜wonderful episode.

[@KierTheScrivener]

I related to all the glasses talk. I have minus 7.75 and minus 5.75. I'm really blind. I can't even see my phone, read or do make up easily without my glasses but I do wear contacts and they are so freeing for me but I worry about them ripping or breaking or when I get to be 40 and need reading glassses nothing in my world will be clear and I can't get lasik because my eyes won't settle. I think about my eyesight a lot and it was nice to hear others talk about it too.

[@GreenGiant96]

My prescription is very similar, but thankfully mine settled when I was 21 I think. It's always interesting to hear how much even mild prescriptions like theirs can effect people. I definitely cannot drive without my glasses. Colors blur out, so i can't see traffic lights

[@KierTheScrivener]

@@GreenGiant96 yes exactly! Everything is gone. I'm 27 next month so I've lost hope of ever really settling into a prescription. But eyesight is such a big variable of people's everyday life that is barely ever discussed.

[@nickele]

Technically, Animal Farm could count as a farmer book... :D I was just going to say I hope the farmers' market went well, but then saw on Instagram that the little truck had to have another doctor's appointment instead. So sorry for little truck and Ariel, hope all is well again soon!

[@KitKatSam27]

I just got a new prescription too!! Got contacts (BLAH) to wear occasionally so people can see my SPARKLE EYESHADOW 😂 I’m not joking, that was the main reason.

[@myriam8190]

Amazing!!

[@somuchfawn]

Aww that's adorable... I have contacts that I used to wear all the time in uni and stuff but then I just went back to wearing glasses and contacts for special occasions or when my glasses break hahahah

[@franziskafreiermuth1030]

Oh my gosh, please just be hyper hyper hygienic and never ever wear them for longer than advertised. I had those and an eye infection almost took one of my eyes out (I was in hospital for a week and was super lucky to recover 100 percent). I think they are brilliant but am too scared to ever put anything in my eyes ever again. But since I am obviously in the minority the mostly work great for people. So, be careful but enjoy your glasses free life! :)

[@denalipray3652]

I had the sunglasses issue for so long and then found a brand of glasses called Pair online that have magnetic sunglass lenses that click on seamlessly to the glasses “base” I love being able to just pop them on and off during the summer. Also for those who like changing out the look of their glasses they have magnetic frames for the front piece that don’t have lenses and have different patterns.

[@pettyella6607]

@@denalipray3652 Yes!! I kept thinking of this option while they were talking about the glasses.

[@16kaiseama]

Yes I was going to comment this if someone else didn't! They look cute too!

[@jeannareadsbooks8475]

My mum solves the glasses on glasses problem by having a thing that clips onto her sunglasses in her bag, so it doesn't need to be kept as safe, really cheap, and you don't have to do any more offing and onning than people who don't wear glasses

[@jessicasnell7813]

I can't remember when I got my glasses because I have had vision problems since birth. I have found ways around all of the issues Ariel has noted. A lot of people have suggested Lasik but my particular condition wouldn't be fixed with Lasik. Also I save a lot of money because I can't wear contacts either. There are sunglasses that go over glasses and that is a good option for people with glasses. The only time I cried was my eyes finally allowed me to watch a 3D movie. Most times it is lost on me.

[@thoughtsofabookaholic777]

For the sunglasses conundrum I use the fancy glass that is photosensitive which is LIFE CHANGING

[@vivianhagedorn2793]

I’m just going to keep commenting we need a Kyle and Connor episode until we finally get one - it’s been yearssss girls 🥹

[@Anna-ew4bp]

Relate to the glasses struggles! One time I misplaced my glasses while I had mouthwash in my mouth and it was super dark. I couldn't see and I couldn't talk, it was awful. Love the pod, listened to this particular one while reorganising my new bookshelf. Life is good!

[@jefwalte76]

I need more garden updates from Raeleen!

[@meganyoung3180]

Ariel and Raeleen! I’m a Spotify listener and I’ve never commented but this episode you both mentioned something that made me urgently need to comment, so I RAN to KZbin! Ariel - I’ve never met anyone else that’s tried those lenses! When I was a kid I tried them, they were called CRT lenses but they are the same thing. Until listening to you talk about this I always thought the reason they didn’t work for me was because I had the wrong eye shape, but now I realize that’s how it works… the whole point was to change my eye shape, duh! I think I was just a little too wimpy to handle it. I don’t think I made it through one night 😅 I hope you have better luck!! Raeleen: Mina’s Matchbook reminded me so much of Down the Rabbit Hole by Juan Pablo Villalobos. It’s written from the POV of a precocious young boy named Tochtli who is the son of a violent drug lord. He lives in a secluded palace in Mexico and is obsessed with the idea of one day owning a Liberian Pygmy hippopotamus! One of my favorite books!

[@MarijaPavlovic96]

Lol Raeleen and I have the same glasses origin story 😂 I even took out the lenses from a sunglasses pair so I could wear glasses before needing them

[@kimberly1661]

I had prescription sunglasses once and felt like I was living the high life. Then my purse was stolen by a hoodlum out of my brother's car, and thankfully my wallet was not in it. But the sunglasses were 🥲 my only petty solace was that the glasses would be completely useless to anyone else, though that also happens to be the part that hurts the most 😂

[@kristiedeaver]

My husband and I have -6 and -7 prescriptions. We carry back up glasses in our cars and I have back up contacts in my purse.

[@Talesinmaking]

I recently went for an eye test since my last was before all the covid lockdowns but I'd actually stopped wearing my glasses because I used them for distance but working from home meant things were a bit closer and so I didn't need them as often anyway turns out my eyes have gotten better to the point where I don't need them anymore 😅 I got a little card that said I didn't need a prescription and got sent on my merry way 🎉 it was like getting an achievement haha! Also I have a new way of making my chaotic book reading into a fun game. I use an online wheel spinner and put all the books I'm currently reading and spin it to find out which book I'm reading that day! This way it adds a little silliness to the experience of picking and finishing them up and they all get their chance to be read and moved on. This weekends spin is American Gods and Saga Vol 3. I wanted to share for all those peeps that get freaked out when reading too many books at once make a game out of it! It takes the intensity away a bit! 😊 love the pod as always!! Nessa

[@maevajesse]

I also remember when I was a teenager and starting having eye problems, I eventually had to wear glasses, but I never wanted to wear glasses full-time, so I went straight for the lenses, because I could, you need to have enough tears, and also be able to put your finger in your eyes 😂and the first day I wear lenses outside of my home or school, it was also a revelation I was so moved to be able to see everything that sharp! But I don’t agree, I’ve been wearing lenses from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed, for almost 30 years, and now writing this makes me feel so old, but anyway I’ve never had problems with lenses. It’s so convenient! BUT now that I’ve heard about orthoK, I definitely need to look into it out of curiosity

[@nrivanwrites]

prescription sunglasses or transition lenses are so worth it!!!!! if you aren't protecting your eyes from the sun you're at higher risk for eye disease and degeneration as you age. and most optical have deals on multiple pairs... even an old prescription in sunglasses is better than nothing

[@eli_drottningu]

My mom realized I needed glasses when we went to a museum and I couldn't read the exhibition. But since she also has myopia, now I'm thinking that maybe she should have suspected it and took me to regular appointments xD I'm happy about my glasses rn, but I remember being a bit mortified of having to wear glasses when I was at ~5th grade on elementary school. But now my only struggles are the swimming, and glass on glasses on the movie theater, also, that as my prescriptions high (-6 or so), they can be expensive, unless I buy special packages. And can confirm, every time a buy new glasses is like "wow this it's 4k", but not bc of the prescription changing, but the scratches the glasses inevitably collect. Curious you mention Rainbow Rowell, last month I finished my 3rd re-read of Attachments, it has become one of my comfort books.

[@janeandclementine]

Loved Penance but really LOOOVED The Talisman.

[@mayalemaire]

My glasses story: I was in 1st grade maybe or younger. I was at the dinner table and laughed "I can see two mommies and daddys". My parents were like "that's not normal...". Turns out I had/have strabismus. Aka. My eyes turn in and I see double. 😂

[@wasserklaenge3667]

Can we have a duck update? I kind of miss the ducks. 😊🦆

[@billies5692]

I’m listening to this on the train on my way to get ICL Surgery on my eyes to fix my (-8.50) vision! I wish those lenses were an option for me Ariel because I am very very nervous right now ahaha

[@mayalemaire]

Re- Sunglasses with glasses. A game changer is regular glasses that have magnets on the side so you can clip a sunglasses attachment to your regular every day glasses. It avoids the taking a pair off and putting them back on. You can get them at any glasses store.

[@Weasleykins]

I've been wearing glass since I was 1 years old, I still own my first pair of glasses.

[@MollyRajo]

That is SO cute 🥺

[@Hillary429]

lol Ariel is in her “two week wait” 🤓

[@radhi6765]

Jen is just the greatest!! Long time subscriber of Jen and her thoughts and words are so so powerful. 🩷

[@MJ-in-Canada]

Helpful hint for people who wear glasses:👓If you’re going on vacation, take an extra pair of glasses with you in case you break them or lose them. I found out the hard way.

[@myriam8190]

Good advice, but I don’t have the money for two pairs haha.

[@MJ-in-Canada]

@@myriam8190 Yes, I forgot to say "if you can afford to buy two pair of glasses." Luckily, I was able to get a deal on two pair of glasses, otherwise I wouldn't have bought two separate pairs.😀

[@Elizabeth-lv3vh]

I highly recommend Little Girls in Pretty Boxes. Gymnastics books are my niche interest. Rachel Denhollander’s What is a Girl Worth is also an excellent look into this topic (I think I may have recommend this before on the patreon but I can’t stop recommending this book if I tried- it’s one of the most powerful books I’ve read in the past few years)

[@marthacampbell6188]

Question for Raeleen: did you do anything with your friends to celebrate Lammas? I've been excited to here about what you did since discovering that it's basically the festival of bread!

[@Inez-2002]

Loved the glasses talk! Personally I like wearing contacts, I do buy the ones that are less likely to dry out your eyes. It's just so easy for sports and not worrying about losing or breaking anything. I do own a pair of glasses, but I only wear them when I am sick. They do have a blue filter. Meanwhile my mother owns 6 pairs of glasses and they are all scattered around the house. So whenever she needs a specific one (they all have different purposes) it is like a treasure hunt. They are always in the weirdest places, most recent one was in the laundry basket.

[@tortoasa5]

I have just read Letters to a young gymnast because of Rayleen and while I felt it started slow, it got me in the heart starting halfway through and by the end I was ugly crying. I automatically added to the to read pile your new gymnastics rec!

[@CR-br6wb]

Speaking of glasses, watch the Twilight Zone Season 1 Episode 8 'Time Enough at Last', it's very relevant 😂

[@estellepeterson7015]

Ariel, love your hair like that!

[@aleamajz]

Ah I have never felt so seen in a podcast episode before. I’ve worn glasses since I was 7. My big issue with glasses is when the frames are too small. My current pair are so small that they’ve created a dent in the side of my head! I’m also bothered by how thick my lenses are. They always stick out of the frame as I am very blind. Despite these issues, I really like my glasses and do enjoy wearing them. This episode has open me to the thought of getting lasek or getting ortho-k lenses or maybe just investing in larger, cuter frames. Whatever I choose, the future looks visible.

[@savannahhutcheson8909]

The true crime book sounds like it’s the same micro genre as PLL!

[@Itsgeorgiakh]

Ariel, do you think you'll do any mini truck events in September? I'm visiting Canada from the UK next month, and you've ✨influenced✨ me with how great life in Nova Scotia looks, so I'm working on a farm there for a couple of weeks !! I'm also visiting Toronto, so any other Canadian bookish recommendations from you both are very much welcomed - I'm currently hunting for good bookshops to visit and cosy Canadian reads for my downtime on the farm. I literally never comment, but thanks for continuing to be my favourite podcast year after year 💛

[@Larissa_KD]

Ahahahaha I shouted along with the Twisters quote, looooved that movie!!!

[@Kate-mp3du]

Pair eyewear needs to sponsor these ladies asap

[@jazzgirlie]

I absolutely hate wearing glasses. I’m a contacts girlie but honestly I wish i was less scared about getting lasik

[@TheMagicalBeard]

Throwback but I tried the Yorkshire biscuit tea and loved it and now they have a caramel biscuit version!

[@gabijaziemyte]

Raeleen! If you do end up playing The Quarry I would love to hear your thoughts! My friends in grad school and I have been going through those games (ie. The Quarry and the games in the Dark Pictures Anthology) since they can be played multiplayer and it’s been so much fun seeing where the games go and trying to theorize with everyone. Anyway I love you both and I wish nothing but the best for y’all

[@georginachard8604]

I'm loving all the poetry reviews lately! Ariel I think you would love "Manorism" by Yomi Sode, described as "exploring family, survival, generational trauma and the complexities of belonging, Manorism is an examination of the lives of Black British men and boys". I thought it was phenominal, definitely goes to those deeper places you're looking for

[@rosea570]

I don't like my glasses but touching eyeballs.... *shudders*

[@sallys.2707]

My parents have glasses that darken with the sun (in french they're called "verres transitions") and also protect from blue light, maybe it would be a solution for the sunglasses problem?

[@catherineflusche8935]

Re: glasses and sunglasses. I LOVE transition lenses. I will never get a pair of glasses that don't transition to sunglasses.

[@puffmaggie]

i am a half a year contacts wearer 😂 i wear contacts during the summer for swimming, but in my day to day i don't like them - plus i find glasses cute! i know someone who tried the contacts Ariel talked about and she got an eye infection from them sadly 😥 so she had to stop trying them out and went back to normal contacts.

[@arobinreads]

I have had glasses since I was 4 so I don't know anything else and don't want anything else. It is inconvenient at points for sure though

[@oliviauzquiano7392]

I recently tried a new brand of contacts and could not deal, I need the most hydrating kind because the dryness was out of control!! But I’ve never heard of ortho k! I just bought new glasses and contacts… so NEXT year is when I look into ortho k!

[@heather4142]

OK, my glasses story that no one asked for 😂 I was like Raeleen and always wanted glasses when I was younger. Even to the point that I would fake my eye exams... I think all the adults knew that I was and got me a pair of glasses that I don't think were even prescription 😅 But now, in my 30's I actually need them (for quite a few years but I kept putting it off). I was over at a friend's house and trying to play a video game and I guess I was squinting pretty heavily because she noticed and pushed my chair right up to the screen so I could see 😂😂 I went to the eye doctor after that and got some glasses. My prescription is like Ariel's and not that bad, but bad enough to just make everything suck.

[@salts8tr]

I have sunglasses that are specifically for going over glasses but the only options are ugly tbh esp bc i like bigger glasses so i only use them in the car

[@savannahhutcheson8909]

Trying to order Leena’s book for my kindle but I like in the US. Do you think she will make it available for Amazon US??

[@sarahfolger5232]

I told my sister about the nighttime contacts. She's like a -10.

[@cruelaz]

meanwhile as someone who doesn't wear glasses but sunglasses due to high light sensitivity I can never get used to wearing them. My friends with glasses find that so confusing because they wear glasses 24/7 but for me having sunglasses on i feel them on my face the whole time. My brain never gets to the point where it ignores them and ugh I hate it. probably another neurodivergent thing funny enough I do not mind wearing masks at all I find them even comfortable to hide behind but many people describe what I have with sunglasses with masks 😂

[@arobinreads]

Loved this episode ❤

[@silvercookies]

It is so strange that getting your eyes checked/tested isn't a regular thing when you are a kid. Maybe it is in certain countries, but it's funny hearing stories of people realizing their eyesight is poor from other people discovering it and not from a check-up at the eye clinic.

[@suecarol1563]

When I was in school the school would have regular checks. Just a simple eye chart to read.

[@fountainpeninsanity3344]

I’m betting the chicken stuffed animals are going to sell well at the Farmers’ Market.

[@abi_rose]

According to the man himself, Tomine is pronounced “toe-MEEN-ah” (although he says it differently from his family apparently). One of his comics is about how his name always gets mispronounced haha

[@estellepeterson7015]

I’ve been a patron for months now. I know I should be able to watch Movie tub, but I can’t find it anywhere and it doesn’t come up in my notifications. Do I need to do something to get it?

[@rosea570]

I reckon the talk about the weather is a consequence of you drinking copious amounts of Yorkshire Tea... definitely some British cultural assimilation here

[@savannahhutcheson8909]

Trying to order Leena’s book for my kindle but I like in the US. Do you think she will make it available for Amazon US??