Let's Talk about it - August 2025

We Can Talk About Almost Anything!

10;40 EST
I JUST POSTED REVIEW #5,000!!

>2 Carol420: 🥳

>3 genesisdiem: Thank you. My husband says all 5,000 of them are in my bookcases that he just built for me. He's probably close:)

>4 Carol420: wow! Might be time to open your own lending library. :)

>5 genesisdiem: Don't give him any ideas!!:) I'd be too afraid that the borrowers wouldn't return them or pay the late fees:)

>2 Carol420: Woo-hoo! That is certainly something to celebrate. Go you!!

>7 threadnsong: Thank you very much.

Just to let you all know ... our group member LibraryCin has just had a third retina detachment and surgery. She won't be able to read or use the computer for a couple of weeks. But she WILL be back!

>9 BookConcierge: let her know that we miss her and wish her a speedy recovery!

Just found out that we are going to be grandparents again in April. Josh & Jason have names selected but they're not going to find out the sex. If it's a boy he will Joshua Jason, for his two dads'...and they'll call him JJ...if it another girl, she'll be Megan Elaine, for Joshua's mother and me. My middle name is Elaine and Josh's mom's middle name is Meghan...they're leaving the "h" out. Josh says no one ever spells it right on any of his mom's paperwork, so they will save their daughter a lot of trouble. Alisha will be 4 in October and is excited about being the BIG SISTER. We'll see how long that lasts:)

>11 Carol420: Yay! Congratulations!! 🥳🥳

>12 genesisdiem: Thank you. This should be interesting. Our son-in -law is an accountant and has worked from home since Alisha was a year old and she's had his undivided attention. Sharing is going to be an entirely new experience for her. Josh's sister was their surrogate last time and she's going to do that for them again...but she says this is the last time she feels that she can do it, so no matter boy or girl...and they don't really care, that will be their family. Jason, our son takes a lot of time with Alisha on weekends that he's off, and that gives Josh a break. They are such good parents...we're proud of them both. Josh's parents died in an auto accident when he was 18 and he says that Alisha looks just like his mother's school pictures.

>13 Carol420: aw, that sounds like a happy family and I am sure that Alisha will be a great big sister!

>14 genesisdiem: They are a wonderful family. Our son-in-law is an absolute sweetheart. Our son is thinking about moving into a job that is less dangerous. Right now, he's a detective with the Oregon State Police...following in his daddy's footsteps. His Dad and I would both like to see him doing something safer now that there are children involved...maybe private security??? We trust him and Josh to talk it over and do what's right for their family. We are so proud of the way all 3 of our kids turned out. Our first-born...Joseph is making the Navy his career and our daughter works for a company that manufactures defense systems for the government.

>15 Carol420: He might consider teaching. It would still be in the field, offer consulting opportunities, and be safer. :)

>16 genesisdiem: That's a good thought. He absorbs knowledge like a sponge.

>11 Carol420: Well congratulations! What a great bit of news, and I'm sure the new grandchild will be happily ensconced in the world of books from Day One.

And thank you for sharing these tidbits of your children's lives and where they are working to make the world a better place.

All the best to the J's and to Alisha for learning about being a Big Sister.

>18 threadnsong: Thank you. We are so proud of all 3 of our kids and the life's they have made for themselves.

What wonderful news, Carol.

I'm about to become a grand-aunt. My niece is expecting a girl at the end of September. She will be named Luz, in honor of my mother (baby's great grandmother). My mother appeared to my niece in a dream and told her that the world needs more light. "Luz" (my mother's name as well) is Spanish for light.

I've been kinda MIA lately ... my husband was in the hospital for a week, including 3 days in the ICU. It was a rollercoaster of a week. But we're home and he's making steady progress towards full recovery.

Meanwhile ... I had my pre-op physical today and was cleared for shoulder replacement surgery next week. Won't get much reading done in the next week or two. I assume once I'm off pain meds following surgery I'll have much more time to read ... though my ability to post may be limited. It's my left shoulder and will be immobilized for six weeks (!); S E A R T are all on the left side of the keyboard, some of the more common letters we use in English.

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>21 BookConcierge: Hope all goes well and I'm wishing you the very best outcome. Listen to books on audio. If your library provides Hoopla to its patrons, you can listen to books on your computer. Most libraries limit the number of books you can get on Hoopla...usually 10 a month is your limit. Again, good luck and we'll look forward to hearing from you when you can function again.

>21 BookConcierge: Wishing you and yours a speedy recovery!

>22 Carol420: Thank you for the well wishes. I really appreciate it.

My library (entire county system) dropped Hoopla beginning of 2025 due to a 300% increase in fees. Our already tight budgets could simply NOT absorb that cost.

I love audiobooks and can access Libby on my tablet; also have a CD player on the stereo system so CD audiobooks from the library will work. But I expect that for the first two weeks I won't be able to concentrate sufficiently to really listen ... narcotics are pain meds of choice for this surgery for a time.

I expect to be doing a fair bit of dozing throughout recovery. I doubt I'll really get into a deep sleep ... since I'm confined to a recliner chair .. no lying in bed for at least 4 weeks and maybe as long as six.

>24 BookConcierge: I didn't know about Hoopla's price increase. That explains why my library cut the number of books we could borrow a month from 12 to 8,

>25 Carol420: Yes it went from $9,000/year to $27,000/year. I guess that's just a 200% increase. Still ....

>26 BookConcierge: Everything is increasing. Noone's wages increased 200% I guarantee.

>21 BookConcierge: Best of luck on your surgery, and thank you for sharing the news of your husband's recovery. ICU is no easy thing to sit through and wait.

Hope you find some books on CD at the library to at least keep your brain active as you come off the pain meds.