Leisure World News

Leisure World News • Community • December 2021 A9 By Charlene Ingerson ‘Tis the season of lighted trees, parties and family gatherings. ‘Tis the season of nostalgia and holiday traditions. ‘Tis also the season of hope, giving, gratitude and reaching out to others. After the constraints and bad news of so many months, we really need this season, and it is here at last! Book Sales Keep Giving The Leisure World Library’s holiday season opened with the Fall Book Sale on Saturday, November 20. It is one of our two major book sales during the year which helps raise needed funds to purchase new books. We appreciate everyone who stopped by to browse and buy. Your purchases are a fiscal lifeline for the library since we do not receive any funds from Leisure World. Thank you! Please also consider coming to our smaller December book sale held inside the Leisure World Library on Thursday, December 9 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. This is an excellent time to pick up last-minute Christmas gifts for the readers in your life. Low-Vision Magnification Unit Although we have hundreds of large print books in the Leisure World Library, some of our residents need even more help with seeing the words. Did you know that there is a desktop low-vision magnification unit in the library? This device is located in the last computer cubicle near the Rec. 1 western entrance. A low-vision reader enables people who are severely visually impaired to read printed material easily and independently. Our low-vision reader is operated in a similar fashion to a normal scanner. The printed material is placed face up on the plate, the reader turned on and the screen displays a magnified version. Our volunteer librarians are not trained in operating this low-vision reader since this is beyond their scope of duties. Although the librarians will not be able to demonstrate the equipment or answer questions about it, this easy-to-use low-vision magnification unit has a clear set of instructions beside it for those interested in using it. An Irish Village Christmas For a healthydose of nostalgia and tradition, I recommend Patrick Taylor’s, “An Irish Country Christmas.” This large print book is one of Taylor’s heartwarming tales about life in Ballybucklebo, a fictional small village in Northern Ireland. Although the book is part of a series, “An Irish Country Christmas” is easily read as a stand-alone novel. Taylor gives enough backstory along the way for you to know who everyone is in the grand scheme of things. At the heart of the novel are two village doctors, Dr. Fingal O’Reilly and Dr. Barry Laverty, who have a practice together and are admired throughout the community. The winter of 1964 brings the usual cases of sniffles and coughs and more dire medical emergencies. There are medical terms and descriptions of treatments which are accurate for the time and locale, but you will not drown in technical terminology. Love, Fellowship and Santa The medical practice is only part of the story — our doctors are also in the throes of romantic quandaries. O’Reilly, an older widower who never expected to fall in love again, is challenged by the reappearance of an old girlfriend. Laverty, has been eagerly awaiting the Christmas visit from the love of his life, yet she keeps putting off the visit with weak excuses. He is heartsick, but better times are ahead for him! Throughout thenovel,we are treated toawonderful cast of quirky, good-hearted characters gearing up for Christmas amidst their different circumstances. Thankfully, the Protestants and Catholics get along in Ballybucklebo, so the entire village is working together to prepare for the Christmas pageant (this one’s hilarious), the arrival of Santa (Dr. O’Reilly) and other annual parties. “An Irish Country Christmas” is full of small-town, character-driven humor, which is reminiscent of the Yorkshire world of James Herriot. Taylor does an excellent job of weaving medical and community realities together while providing a charming slice of Irish life from 50 years ago. It is a great read for this time of year. It has a little action and lot of heart — and an ending you want to read by a cozy fire! Pay it Forward Christmas is a time of giving. Yet, at our age, many of us have all the “stuff” we need. Instead of sharing physical gifts this holiday, please consider making a financial gift to the Leisure World Library in honor of someone you hold dear. Your donation will be a gift that extends the holiday season by giving the joy of reading throughout the year. Best wishes from the library volunteers for a wonderful and healthy holiday season! -Charlene Ingerson is Publicity Chair of the Leisure World Library. A DOSE OF PROSE ‘Tis the Season for Reading and Giving! October 2021 Memorial Donations Donor In Memory Of JoAnn Savelkoul Duanne Jenner JoAnn Savelkoul Trudy Artz Books Checked Out October 2021 Large Print Hardback: 537 Regular Print Hardback: 626 Paperbacks: 65 Volunteer Hours: 405.5 Exams and Cleanings | Porcelain Crowns and Veneers Dental Implants | Dentures | and so much more! 215 South Power Road | Suite 101 | Mesa, AZ Only 1 block from Leisure World with extra parking $ 59 * cleaning, exam and x-rays for new patients 480-981-8698 citrusvalleydental.com ACCEPTING NEWPATIENTS! Book your appointment today! We accept almost all PPO insurances. 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