This is a catch-all post with a few questions that came in late to my Ask Me (Almost) Anything form during NaBloPoMo (here is my first round of Q&As and my second), along with another assortment of recent-ish queries.
Since this is a grab-bag edition, I’m not linking to who asked what; apologies in advance if you’re not getting credit for your question(s)!
What camera do you and your husband use to take your photos?
I have an iPhone SE version 2. John has an iPhone 13 Pro. We take all our photos with our iPhones and don’t currently own a DSLR.
Do you recommend your Stanley water bottle?
I’ve only had it a month, so I can’t offer long-range feedback, but I love it so far. Having something with such a large capacity that is leakproof is revolutionary. I am drinking more water, it stays cold for hours, and it fits in the cupholders of our vehicles. The only slight negative I could find with the design is that because of the height it doesn’t slide under the spout of our water dispenser so I have to fill it at an angle. This is a minor annoyance. Yesterday John sent me this article and asked if I had been in California recently…and last week he sent me an article about how a specific religious group were a big part of popularizing the recent surge in Stanley’s. Yesterday I also ordered the exact same tumbler in “Pool” for my soon-to-be-teen’s birthday. (Shhhh. Don’t tell.) So Stanley’s are definitely on my mind!
What company do you use for creating photobooks?
Blurb. I used to print books with My Publisher, but when that company was dissolved/taken over by Shutterfly I made the switch to Blurb. My favourite part about Blurb is that they offer downloadable software (Bookwright) which allows me to create my book offline. I can drag and drop pictures from folders on my desktop. When the book is completed, I upload the whole thing in a matter of minutes.
The paper quality is fine, though not quite as nice as Shutterfly (there is a bit of bleedthrough – it’s minor and only when backlit). I’m not overly picky and prefer the Standard paper – the cheapest option – over the other more expensive papers (I’ve tried 3 of the 4 premium papers now).
I find the price point quite good; this year – including shipping and taxes – my 202-page book was $125.
What is the most recent song to get stuck in your head and why?
Oh, so many. I get songs stuck in my head, listen to them a bajillion times, and then start to detest them.
Used To Be Young by Miley Cyrus is a recent earworm. Did you know the reason she has such a raspy voice is that she had to have vocal chord surgery after being diagnosed with Reinke’s edema? I honestly thought she must be a very heavy smoker, but it’s a permanent change to her voice as a result of corrective surgery.
Would you rather be an elephant, a ferret, an orangutan or an octopus and WHY? [Okay, this one was from Kyria…]
An octopus. I always feel like I need more hands, they’re smart, and they are cold-blooded. I would give just about anything to not be bothered by the cold, and an octopus checks that box quite neatly. The bad news is they have a short lifespan; that part is not so great.
Is there a podcast you’d want to be a guest on, and if so what would you want the episode to be about?
I promise I didn’t plant this question – it was part of an AMAA submission.
I *might* have a potential guest spot lined up for the end of 2024 all about my Christmas/holiday prep. I’m not sure what I’d be qualified or interesting enough to discuss. I think I could talk about regular solo parenting – the good, the bad, and the ugly (the beautiful – there are some perks). Maybe in 2025, a reflection on my Year of Shmita.
If I were ever to start a podcast (this is not an announcement; nothing is in the works!), I’d like to co-host something like the Girl Next Door Podcast with my bestie Joy. Speaking of which, if you haven’t heard their most recent episode – 10 More Annoying Things – I almost wet myself from laughing. Erica’s discussion of tween angst was especially hilarious and I made John listen to that section since we are in the throes of tween life.
If you could write any non-fiction book and get it published, what would the genre or topic be?
I think it would be a book of quotes. I love quotes and sometimes wonder if I’d have it in me to write an ENTIRE book of my own material?
What Bible translation do you use?
My day-to-day Bible is ESV. My study Bible is NASB. I think ESV is my favourite, but I like to compare translations and sometimes prefer the cadence and word choice in NIV or the Message. Still loving The Bible Recap as well.
What are “Magic Bags?”
They are a brand name (like Kleenex vs. tissues) that I use to describe any microwaveable grain sack. In short, they are a big part of what makes life worth living in a Canadian winter.
Where is Nova Scotia?
If you’re American, think Maine and then east. Better yet, here’s a map – wave hello to the red province on the far right. That’s Nova Scotia!
This was fun. Your turn. Any questions for me? Could you have identified Nova Scotia on a map before today? Would you rather be an elephant, a ferret, an orangutan or an octopus – and why? Current earworm?
J
Octopuses (Octopi?) do have short life spans, but only compared to us. Compared to a fly or something, it is long. Think of our life span compared to a redwood tree. I love octopuses. They’re so cool and smart.
I think I would have to choose elephants because ELEPHANTS. They are the best ever. We saw a video in a college class, and it included footage of an elephant being shot in the middle of its herd. All of the other elephants ran to its side, trying to help it. Horses would run away, gazelles would run away, people would run away, lions would run away. I fell in love with elephants that day.
I know where Nova Scotia is, but mainly because of you, and my husband has a friend who lives there as well.
Elisabeth
Fair point; “long” is relative. I suppose if I was an octopus, my lifespan would seem long compared to many other cold-blooded species.
I had no idea your family had another connection to NS (sorry if you’ve told me this before). It makes me happy you knew where NS was <3
Maria
I’ve read for a couple months but I think I’ve never commented. Your blog has quickly become a favourite! I laughed at the think of Maine and keep going east, because that’s very similar to how I tell people where NB is – think of where Maine is and then just keep going. And yes, as someone who lives in NB I know where NS is and can even see it across the Bay many days!
Elisabeth
Hi Maria (*waves from Nova Scotia). My parents live in NB 8 months of the year, so I am very familiar with the route across our bordering provinces.
Sarah
I would to be an octopus— I ALWAYS need more hands. ALWAYS.
You take BEAUTIFUL pictures. I thought for sure you had a mega camera.
Elisabeth
Nope – just cameras that literally fit in our pockets 🙂
And I know – I could really use a lot more hands…
Grateful Kae
I would absolutely listen to your podcast with Joy, and I’d absolutely buy your book of quotes!! And I am so envious of your beautiful photo books. That is one area that I never jumped on the bandwagon. Maybe because my boys are old enough that when they were babies, the whole digital photo thing was still in its infancy! I know I briefly did a subscription thing where I selected I think 25 photos per month and they shipped me a little flip book… I liked that concept a lot, but it’s kind of a ton of clutter then and I didn’t do it consistently, so.. what’s the point! I printed some albums when they were really little, and I made a COUPLE random albums from some of our older trips for the boys. But I would so love to have an entire photo book from each year since we had the boys. I suppose nothing is stopping me from going back and making, um, 15 years’ worth of them. Haha. But whoa that would be a lot of work, and not to mention it would be a big investment to do it all at once! Maybe I could compromise and do some sort of “digital album” where I sort through all the photos and just narrow down some favorites (like what I would put in a photo book), and then just have them in a digital album? I wonder if there are “digital” photo books out there, where you insert photos into online pages like a book, but don’t print it?! Hmm. Anyway! Haha. I’ll stop brainstorming in your comment section now. 😅
And finally, I definitely do know where Nova Scotia is now (I’ve looked it up since knowing you), and while I ALWAYS knew approximately where it was, I will admit I didn’t realize it was so far east! I guess I was thinking that both Canada AND the U.S. ended right around where Maine ends. (Which, thinking of a world map, obviously isn’t true… but I think I sort of had that misconception anyway?) So I thought it was like, Maine and then straight north, versus Maine and north-east.
Elisabeth
It is a LOT of work. If I was starting out from scratch I’d honestly just start with the current year. I combined two years in one the year I started (since the year I had missed was A’s first year), but other than that I do one book per year and that’s it.
I have family members who do a photobook for each trip to they take (but, I think, that’s it – like they don’t do photobooks for “regular” life).
Yup…we are VERY far East.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
Well, all I know is that as soon as the podcast goes live I will be downloading it. How exciting!
I have an SLR and yes there are times when you get that magic photo but for the most part it’s not worth the effort of carrying around. You know what’s easy to carry around? My phone;-) I have a couple of old point and shoot cameras that I bring to the beach as well – they’re a good compromise between my phone and the big camera AND there’s no heartbreak if they get sand or water damage.
My pick for a book by you would be a Q and A book because you always come up with the best questions! And answers as well, but answering is the easy part.
Elisabeth
Aww. You’re too sweet, Birche <3
I've had TWO digital cameras get ruined by sand, so I am wary of taking them to a beach. Both kids have thrifted (like <$10) cameras now, but we've gone through a lot of those by things getting dropped etc. I love that the phone doesn't have any moving parts. That said, when I take photos I'm then more likely to get sucked into my phone, so it's not always a great thing... Ohhh. A Q&A book. I do love asking questions. Maybe if I ever started a podcast it should be JUST guests; like my own little talk show host full of asking friends about their pet peeves and what they'd bring to a desert island, haha.
Jenny
These were fun questions! I like Kyria’s, ha ha (octopus is a good answer.)
I noticed Kelsey (from GND) commented on several of your posts (how exciting!) They have a new episode out today, which I’m looking forward to- I’ll be in the car a lot today so it’s perfect.
I looked up Nova Scotia when I started reading your blog- prior to that I had NO IDEA where it was. And, you’re making want a Stanley! Should I jump on the bandwagon???
Elisabeth
I’m excited to listen to the new GND podcast as well! I need to hop on the treadmill this afternoon because FOR THE LOVE all I’ve done for exercise is yoga this week. That will be my motivation. I MUST walk to listen to GND.
Yes, Kelsey very sweetly stopped by my blog a few times.
I am loving my Stanley, Jenny…but zero pressure. I don’t think I’d like the virally famous ones – they’re HUGE and not leakproof. So I’m not nearly as trendy with my leakproof one, but I’ll also never have water in my lap.
Marcia from OrganisingQueen
Aaaahh, I have a big camera but these days I just take more pics with my iphone 11. I do have a goal this year to “play more with my photos” since my kids don’t want to be in anything anymore and for many years, were my main photo subjects. So I bought two teensy cameras just to play with composition, etc. again instead of getting swayed with technical details.
Current earworm – Stuck with you – Huey Lewis and the News 🙂 (you’re welcome)
Elisabeth
I’m off to listen to that song (don’t think I’ve heard of it?)
And yay – enjoy the photography fun. It’s such a wonderful creative outlet and the world is our proverbial oyster just begging to be captured in its beauty.
Rachel
Love this q&a!! And I am glad to hear your year photo album was 200 pages… I just printed our 2023 and it was 160 pages. I figure more pages = more adventures (or perhaps more adventures = more pages)
Your album looks gorgeous!
Elisabeth
200 pages feels perfect; some years I’ve had more (I think last year was close to 300) and it was just…cumbersome to make. That said, I will use multiple similar photos in a spread because I just can’t decide. If I had been trying reallly hard to keep it short and sweet i likely could have stopped at 150? Back when I used My Publisher, it was capped at 100 pages and that was ROUGH. I would always have to go back when I finished and jockey things around and make tough decisions about what pictures to keep since there was a strict page limit.
I’m excited to get the album! It has been printed and shipped.
Lindsay
I am horrible with maps and geography and I don’t think I ever realized how close Nova Scotia was to Maine – my mind is blown, haha! I went to PEI in 6th grade, but I have few, if any, memories of it… it’s on my list to return to, though! My current earworm is an acoustic version of a song by the band Lawrence called The Weather – but only the first few lines…. over and over… I mean, it’s beautiful and I love the song, but I wish I could also have the rest of it in my head, haha!
Elisabeth
Yup. Driving time it would take us 7ish hours (I think) to get to Maine, but there is a high-speed ferry that goes from NS to Maine as well (it’s expensive and I’ve never taken it).
Heading off to listen to that song <3
Ally Bean
Thanks for sharing what you use when taking photos. The ones you share here are so clear and I’ve wondered.
Of these choices I’d go with elephant, they’re smart and know how to occupy a space. Also, despite their connection with a political party in the US, I like them.
I know where Nova Scotia is because I watch Murdoch Mysteries and the main character grew up there. And they say TV isn’t educational!
Elisabeth
My parents LOVE Murdoch Mysteries <3
Diane
I would definitely listen to you as a guest or host of a podcast. I feel like so many podcasts are people being “experts” at things, and once in a while, I want to hear from someone who hasn’t written a book on how to optimize some aspect of life, you know? Just people who are living their day to day.
Though, having said that… I’m sure you’ve posted *at least* a book’s worth of great life musings on your blog, so there could be a book in there somewhere… (I mean Maggie Smith turned her twitter feed into Keep Moving…)
I for sure knew where Nova Scotia is because I was born on Cape Breton Island. 🙂
I have strange earworms right now because I just worked on a series of newly commissioned operas and some bits of them are stuck in my head – not necessarily catchy, but I’d been listening to them every day for a week and it kind of just sticks.
Elisabeth
I actually have Keep Moving on my book stack again; I’m looking forward to having a re-read. I loved it the last time around.
I think it is SO cool you were born in Nova Scotia. Small world, eh?!
NGS
I am a low-key Miley Cyrus fan. I rarely listen to popular music, but when I do and I think “this is a bop,” it’s always Miley. That’s all. I don’t know if I really like Miley Cyrus, but I dig her music and “Party In the USA” can still make me jam.
I knew NS was east, but I thought it was further north. Upon careful inspection of a map of Canada, I thought Newfoundland was Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia was Prince Edward Island. I am obviously geographically impaired.
Elisabeth
Ha. We’re all Maritime provinces and it’s okay to muddle up the who/when/where. It’s a bit like one giant party up here where we complain about the weather and live close to coastline.
SHU
This was kind of funny re: Stanley –> https://www.npr.org/2024/01/22/1226097090/woman-arrested-stanley-tumblers
Love Miley Cyrus’s voice!
Elisabeth
Yeah! That’s the BBC news article I linked to (well, the same story)…and John asked me if I had recently been in California – haha.
And I also love Miley’s voice…I had no idea the rasp was because of surgery!
San
Ah, these are always fun! I generally knew where Nova Scotia is, but I will also admit I have googled it after getting to know you… (don’t worry, I pretty much google everyone’s location just to know where they are in relation to me if I am not sure exactly where it is. It’s nothing creepy, I promise 🙂 As you know, as a geographer, I love looking at maps.
I love your answer why you’d like to be an octopus. I think I’d agree… although the short life span is a bit of a bummer.
Elisabeth
I’m notoriously bad at geography, so I’m sure if I didn’t LIVE in Nova Scotia, I’d have no context for where it was on a map.
Ernie
I think I would choose elephant. Reg’s fav when he was little was elephants and we stopped to see them at the zoo first thing, every visit and he always wore an elephant shirt.
I have not heard of blurb. My photos are in actual photo albums, so old school. I like being able to take a photo out if needed. I use Snapfish, but I do like the sound of Blurb. I should check it out.
I agree with Sarah, your photos are stunning. I have an SLR camera and I do love it for when I want to make sure I get good photos, but dang – it’s bulky.
I don’t really listed to podcasts, but that one sounds like something I’d enjoy. Tween angst – I’m living that one at the moment with the foster girls, so I should give it a listen.
Elisabeth
That bit about tween angst was just…hilarious. Sometimes, in the middle of said angst, laughter is the best medicine!
Lisa's Yarns
Well one of my commonly used phrases in our house is “I’m not an octopus.” So I guess that is what I would want to be since my children often want me to do things for them at the same time. They are hard core mama boys which is sweet but also frustrating at times since Phil is equally capable of meeting all of their needs… but logic does not prevail when you are a child with a parental preference. I just look forward to a time when they prefer Phil. I keep telling them that they are sleeping on dad because he is way more fun/cool/athletic/etc.
That venting episodes of Girl Next Door was delightful!
I did know where Nova Scotia is!
Elisabeth
Wasn’t the episode such a hoot!
I feel like I have one child that prefers mom and the other that prefers dad but overall I’d say it’s mostly even. I think the kids defer to me more often but some of that is because I’m around waaayyy more than John.
Kate
Thanks for the podcast rec! That particular episode sounds very timely for our house too 😉
I was *obsessed* with orangutans as a kid. I even wrote and illustrated a book called Orangutans on the Loose about a troop that escaped the zoo. I think their arm fur is so funny and I like that their names are pronounced with an “ng” but spelled with an “n”. Thanks for prompting a fun trip down memory lane for me!
My favourite Protestant Bible translation is NKJV. I use the Catholic NRSV now; I prefer a more formal, traditional style and I *love* the whispering crinkle of thin pages. Growing up, my parents had a copy of The Message that we used to read and make fun of because it just seemed so ridiculous (there was a line about friends bringing casseroles over after somebody’s death that just seemed a little too anachronistic!).
Elisabeth
Ha – I don’t own a copy of The Message, but the casserole thing is a bit much.
I grew up with KJV and so have a lot of verses memorized in that translation; while I still own a KJV, I really (really!) prefer the ESV or NASB.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Always fun to learn more things. I just done a photo book with our wedding photos to give to my husband on our 10th anniversary. Don’t ask… And I had to think about you and being so good in making a book every year. I wished I had it in me to do that. I bet it is wonderful flipping through your years.
Anyways I am hoping it turns out nice as I spend a lot of money on my book and I never used the company before. My go to company only had books up to 48 pages and I wanted to have more. We’ll see.