Looking back on 2023, I recognized that while I shared plenty of my work (YAY!) I didn’t share as much of myself as I would like to. So for 2024, I’m aiming to share a personal blog each month to let you see the girl behind the camera a bit more.
What I’ve been up to:
Honestly…nothing crazy! I feel like I’m just trying to survive the January weather. I know I live in New England and that it gets cold every single year. Somehow, it still always feels shocking, though.
One bonus is seeing Redlen play out in the snow. He loves it! Esmie went out as well, but since she isn’t walking yet, her snow time is quite limited.
In February we will be going on a Caribbean cruise, so we are also slowly preparing for the trip. Redlen can’t wait to go on the “boat,” and I can’t either! We haven’t been on a full, week-long vacation since I was pregnant with Esmie–she’s one already! So we’re super ready to get away!
What I’ve been reading:
Right now I’m in the middle of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment… and I don’t love it. To be fair, it isn’t horrible. I do have a love for the classics, but I also love reading modern stories, YA, and basically whatever suits my fancy at the time. I really don’t like reading things that don’t interest me. As a former English teacher, I feel like I need to pass that on to everyone…read what you want and don’t worry about it. Seriously!
So why am I reading Crime and Punishment if I don’t love it?! Because a group of people from my church also read it, and we’re having a super informal book club. I’m the last one, so I’m holding up the discussion. 🤦♀️ I’m really trying to power through since I am looking forward to talking about a book I’ve read. It’s been too long since I’ve done that. I also have some Libby library loans that I’m neglecting to get Crime and Punishment read, so I’m trying to get back to those, too.
In other book related news, I bought my first e-reader! This is a decision I labored over. When I became a teacher, I fell in love with ebooks. My English majored, multiple English-licensed self could hardly believe it, but it’s true! I love the freedom of digital reading. Standing in an unexpected line? You can power through a few pages. Want to read lying down in the dark? Say no more!
So it’s not like I’m against e-readers, but I was against a Kindle. You’re about to see how nerdy I actually am, but I have a strong stance on which apps are better for reading. 😂
I love the native library app powered by Overdrive, Libby. I can’t explain it, but she (the Libby icon is a girl, so I’m calling it she) just feels suave. Luxury, even. She always works the way I want her to, so she’s intuitive. The publisher fonts are just right. If I do want to tweak something, the settings just make sense. Since she’s hooked up to my library, I never have to transfer books between apps to read. I just love her.
And then there’s the Kindle app. Where Libby is a ray of sunshine providing me with endless bedtime stories, the Kindle app is like a clunky, awkward, uncomfortable, ick machine. The Kindle app is the opposite of Libby. I hate the settings, hate when the fonts get messed up, and hate having to transfer.
So I really, really didn’t want to read on a Kindle ereader since it just feels wrong. I would also lose the ability to read in Libby (this is key for me) on the go and have my spot synced and saved with my Kindle device.
Is this a super niche and minor problem to have? Oh, for sure. But I wasn’t going to spend money on a Kindle when the user experience wasn’t exactly what I wanted.
So after years (I’m not kidding) of thinking about this, I finally found an e-reader that solves all of my problems. It lets me read directly in the Libby app so that my exact spot is synced and saved between my ereader and my phone. So all the things that I love about reading on the go still apply, and I can seamlessly operate between devices.
What’s the magical unicorn of a device I found?! It’s the Boox Page 2. This baby was worth the wait, and I’ve already been putting in the hours with her. Since she’s best friends with Libby I’m assuming it’s a her. I can download all of my reading apps. Libby–you know she’s already there. If you’re a super nerd like me, than you know what Hoopla is. So I can read my Hoopla books. And if I wanted (but why?!) the Kindle app on my Boox, you can even do that. And it’s all e-ink. Love, love, love.
What I’ve been watching:
I’m currently bingeing season 2 of Big Brother. I remember bits and pieces of the original seasons from watching with my dad, but I don’t truly remember them. So I’m doing my own deep dive.
I was so excited to see the infamous Dr. Will, but let me tell you how shocked I am to see how much I hate him*.
(*his show personality. Obviously I have no idea what he’s like as a real person).
Basically, season 2 involves a lot of me yelling about how much I hate Will and Shannon. But I keep watching because Julie Chen was an absolute savage back in the day. Her interviews continually make my jaw drop. I want her to be this ruthless again. Maybe season 26 will be her time to shine?!
And that’s pretty much it!
I can’t wait to share all about my upcoming vacation as well as some other things from behind the scenes!
Christine
Need some photography advice? Be sure to check my other blogs:
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