"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Bookish (and not so bookish) thoughts, March 16th

1. To retire or not to retire? That is the question. At the beginning of the school year I thought I would retire this year, then I decided I would go one more year. Now I am leaning toward retiring. People tell me I will "know" when it is time. What if "knowing" changes every day? Yes. No. Maybe.

2. Jane Austen week. For the past eight or nine years I have hosted a Jane Austen week in the library. I highlight her books, show one of the movies based on her books, play trivia, hand out prizes, decorate the display case with everything Austen. This year, I am not feeling it. For one thing only one student has asked about it. For another, Jane Austen readers have diminished over the years. The only book they know is Pride and Prejudice and that is because of the movie, I'm sure. I am pretty sure this is a sign. Refer to #1.

3. So who knew that there were such different types of book-cover laminates? I opened a new roll today to cover a larger book I just purchased for the library and I struggled, really struggled to get it on the book without adhering to itself and then there were a million tiny air bubbles I couldn't get out. Gah!

4. We found out we are going to be grandparents in September. Yay! And this week I received my first grandma gift, a board book, Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton. It was a favorite when my kids were little. Thanks, Grace!

5. Feast or famine with audiobooks. I place holds on audiobooks at the library and they all come available at the same time. Why do I keep doing this to myself? It happens every time. Currently I have four (or is it five?) audiobooks checked out to me and they all have three week circulation dates. The problem, of course, is that a person can only listen to one audiobook at a time, unlike juggling two or three print books. Therefore more than half will go back without me listening to a minute of them. I will finish one audiobook today, LaRose by Erdrich, and restart another I had set aside, Homegoing by Gyassi. Other than that I am not sure I will get to any of the others. Back in line, to start the whole process again.

6. The JROTC program just gave the library a ginormous book called Long May She Wave, all about the American flag. Although extra big books are hard to store in a library, I am going to keep it and place it on display. It is so cool. (See photo.)

7. On an unrelated and non-bookish note, our dog's tumor started bleeding last night. I had just taken her to the vet the day before and it wasn't that bad. It grew that much overnight. Ugh. Really gross. Time to start making hard decisions. Sigh.

This meme is hosted by BookishlyBoisterous

Anne

9 comments:

  1. Oh, I do recall those days of trying to decide when to retire. A couple of things made the decision for me: a boost in the benefits that came from a lawsuit; and a case that became extremely troubling, and which I was glad to put behind me.

    I have never regretted leaving that 27-year career, although I did work for a private company soon after retirement, for an additional three years.

    Thanks for visiting my blog...and the beach wedding is in California, in Cayucos.

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  2. Good luck on the retirement decision. My hubbie retired and hasn't looked back since, but of course - it's different for every one. Also that book is gorgeous!

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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    1. I know. That book is a true gem. The JROTC people told me I could put it in the library or I could keep it for myself. I am tempted to keep it.

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  3. I want to tell you to retire with me, so we can hang out! But I know that you want to be an involved grandma, and that may drive your decision. :) So sorry about your tough pet decision. It's never simple.

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  4. This post has lots going on! I am sorry about your dog; I know those decisions are not easy ones. I think #4, becoming grandparents, can also help with #1 :-) And number 1! Retirement? That's an exciting and scary decision to make so I wish you luck with the final decision. I do hope retirement won't mean you stop book blogging!

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  5. So sorry about your dog. It's awful. I've been there more than once. And grandparenting is wonderful. I'm sure everyone will tell you that, and it's true. Also, I download my audiobooks to itunes and put them on my phone. Just a thought. And finally, I'm retiring in May of '18. It is a hard decision, and one I didn't think I wanted to make. Until I made it. Now I'm excited... (the new house and grandkid helped that too!) Good luck with your decision.

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  6. I agree: my library books always seem to come in all at the same time. It's difficult juggling books that will expire in 3 weeks. I just get back on the wait list -- if I have to give them back without getting to them. sigh.

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  7. It's so sad about Jane Austen. I've tried to read Emma and it's just not happening, but I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice. Also I'm sorry about your dog :(

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  8. That Jane Austen idea sounds pretty intriguing - I wonder how it'd work in a public library setting. :)

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