Thursday, January 7, 2010

This and That in the New Year

I just have some random bullets today for my first blog of 2010:
  • I’m finally feeling like I’m back into a good routine. A LOT had piled up in my email inbox after a week off for Christmas and then another two days off for New Year’s, so it was a little overwhelming to get back in the swing of things. How about you? Was it hard to get back to work after all the fun and chaos of the holidays?

  • I’m curious if anyone got (or maybe gave?) a Kindle for Christmas? A good friend from our small group bought one for his fiancée, and she was sure thrilled! I also had a couple people ask me about mine at my OB appointment on Monday. One of the docs even stopped to chat about it, saying she’s tempted to get one but she loves going to book stores and checking out all the “real” books and covers and shopping for and reading books the normal way. I agreed that it’s definitely a different experience to buy and read from a Kindle, but I like having regular books and e-books, too. And mostly I just use my Kindle for work, when I’m reviewing new Heartsongs or reading proposals and possible new acquisitions. It’s wonderful to have manuscripts so portable when I’m waiting places like the doctor’s office, and I love saving (and not toting around) that stack of paper!

  • All seemed fine at my doctor’s appointment, and we are excitedly awaiting the arrival of our second baby girl sometime around March 30th. Only 12 weeks to go. Time is flying.

  • Have you checked out the new Heartsong Connection blog? It’s up and running! Check it out and be sure to participate.

  • This past Sunday, our pastor told us our new theme for church this year, “God Can in Twenty Ten!” So simple, so true, and so encouraging. I hope that you, too, are confident that God is able to do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine in 2010 (Ephesians 3:20)!

9 comments:

Tiffany Amber Stockton said...

Oy! Yes, email sure piles up when you're away from the computer for more than a day or two. I'm finally down to under 30 messages that need my attention in my inbox.

No Kindles here. Still not 100% sold on them. I know...I know. I'm slow with the "new things." :)

Great to hear about your OB appt. Coming down to the home stretch. I was where you are this time last year. My little girl was due March 23rd and came on April 2nd. Hmm...perhaps they'll have the same birthday.

I've seen the new blog and will be featured in 2 weeks. Looking forward to it!

As for themes, our church is doing "30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family" for the next 5 weeks. It's fantastic and high time the churches got involved in building families again to fight the attacks of the world to break them down.

Joanne Sher said...

Hi JoAnne! (Love meeting folks with my name, even if the capitalize the wrong letter )

It took me a while to get back into my schedule too, but it seems to be happening.

I actually gave my husband a Kindle for Christmas, and he is absolutely, positively ecstatic! He has vision struggles because of some health trials we've been going through for the past dozen years, and the large print (and text to voice) have literally changed his life. He LOVES to read, and hasn't been able to do much since all this started.

And believing in God's power - we'd be in a bad place without it - no doubt!

Rose said...

I don't have a Kindle but I know a young college student who received a Nook for Christmas and he was very excited about it!

Rose

Myra Johnson said...

Hi, JoAnne! Yes, I am the proud new owner of a Kindle, a Christmas present from my husband. If you could see the sagging bookshelves all over my house, you'd quickly understand why I seriously began thinking toward a Kindle.

Not that it will ever take the place of having my favorite authors in hard copies, but for reading on the go and keeping the bookshelves under control, it will definitely have advantages. Also, I have the Kindle App on my iPhone, and Kindle automatically syncs to the farthest page read in whichever venue I'm reading.

The problem is, it's just too easy to order books that I still don't have enough time to read!

Ronie Kendig said...

We are struggling to get back into our homeschooling routine, and it's complicated because my twins have Asperger's and they are writhing against the rigid structure I must incorporate again. LOL

And YES!!!!! I got a Kindle from my husband and in-laws--a total shock, since my budget-Nazi husband totally broke budget to get it. LOL

I love it! At first, I wasn't sure I'd like it, but it's really grown on me. Love the ease and convenience, but I will still buy some books so I can put them on my shelves. :-D

CatMom said...

Happy New Year JoAnne! Although I do not own a Kindle, I keep hearing "rave reviews" about them. ~ SO glad your doctor appointment went well, and I pray the remainder of your pregnancy will go smoothly. Another sweet little girl to love--what a blessing! I'm sure Jodi will enjoy having a little sister. Blessings from Georgia, Patti Jo :)

Janet Spaeth said...

We have a Kindle and love it. I find I read much more quickly on it. Why? I have no idea.

But I have yet to figure out what else I can do with it beyond reading a book on it...ah, that's why I have teenagers, so they can tell me What's What. They're so technologically beyond me it's crazy!

One of my favorite things is the picture that comes on when it goes idle or is turned off. I especially like the one of the birds.

Myra Johnson said...

Janet, I just saw the bird today! Those pix are so cute! I have to agree, I seem to read more AND faster on the Kindle. It's just so convenient.

As for other uses, you can send yourself PDF documents to read, which is what I've heard some editors doing with ms. submissions. And you can also add notes, highlights, and bookmarks to your pages.

Carole said...

I just wanted to say that I love my Kindle. When I'm reading a book for research, it allows me to make notes, highlight, and perform searches.

Another important factor is choosing between 6 different font sizes. The print in many paperbacks is too small to comfortably read, but I'm not ready for large print yet, so this feature is a blessing.

All e-readers use the same e-ink screen at this stage, so the main reason I prefer Kindle to Nook or Sony is Amazon. Things may change next month, but they currently have the best pricing, customer service and tech support.

Now if Barbour would just make their anthologies, Heartsong Presents, Romancing America and Heartsong Presents Mysteries available for Kindle, I would be very pleased. The Love Inspired line is available, but not the ones I mentioned.

I wanted to buy Mary Connealy's "Cowboy Christmas" in December, but it wasn't available for Kindle. Barbour lost a sale there, because now I'll wait until next fall and check it out of the library.

Like others have nentioned, it's very easy to click that little button and buy more than you have time to read, but reading is a pleasure.