Kindle Date Recap

I spent an hour at Starbucks with a lovely lady who let me paw over her Kindle on Friday.  And paw I did.  Best thing...Kindle has the Oxford built into it.  Need a definition.  Scroll to it and the meaning shows up.  Seriously.  I love that.  I read with a dictionary as a companion .  I need to know what words mean.

The next thing I noticed.  No glare and no eye strain.  It's like reading paper.  How Amazon did that, I don't know.  But it's wonderful.  

I left Starbucks determined to buy a Kindle.

Friday night I snuggled into bed with a wonderful book...Gardens of Delight....can't remember who wrote it (sorry!).  But as I was reading and turning the pages...and well immersed in reading.  I thought...ut-oh I can't get a Kindle.  I love books...actual bound print on paper BOOKS.

Saturday...same thing.  I'm a paper girl.  It's got to be books or nothing.  Saturday afternoon.  I was spring cleaning.  As I shifted books off the nightstand, kitchen table, moved totes filled with books, moved stacks piled on the floor.  I stopped.  Stared at the books.  Had a mini-breakdown.  Came to the conclusion that I either needed a bigger house or I absolutely no more books can be purchased.  A bigger house means more to clean.  I hate to clean.  But not buying books.  Not so much an option either.  Soooooo......

Sunday afternoon I came back to work.  Did a little billing.  Then logged back onto Amazon to read the forums about the Kindle.  There is a 30 day money back guarantee.  I have Amazon credits from the Coin Star and gift cards so that brings the price way down for me.  Which is great.  There are a ton ...... I mean a ton of free books....and books under a $1.  Pretty much all the classics are free.  So by converting those ...... much room will be freed up on my bookshelves

Monday morning....I ordered it.  I have 30 days to try it.  I'm going to download a bunch a freebies.  And read for a few days on it...not switch back and forth between real books.  See if I can get into it.  I'm also interested in having my Grandpa try it.  He is an avid reader and it's hard to get him to the bookstore/library.  He depends on us to pick books for him.  If we both had Kindles we could share an account.  I like the 'sample' the book option....so he can read a bit, decide if he likes it...before we buy.  

I'll let you know after I read on it a while.

Date With A Kindle

I have a date!

Amazon has a service that lets you search for someone in your area that has a Kindle and who is willing to meet you and let you paw the gadget!  

So today at high noon...I meet the Kindle.

Ohhh-Awww!!!!

To Kindle or Not To Kindle

SIGH....By now you've heard of Kindle right?  I read.... a lot of books.  Like 2 to 3 books a week sometimes more.  I like big books.  The bigger the better.  But big books even in paperback are expensive.  And honestly....I'm out of room.  I have books on shelves, night stands, boxes stored at the house, boxes stored at the office... I leave books at the coffee shop when I'm done with them and I don't think it will be something I'll read again anytime in the future.  I send books to friends.  My new closet will be faced with built in bookshelves.  And still I need to de-book.

I need an intervention, or do I?  Maybe what I need is a Kindle.  It holds like 1500 books.  And if you run out of space apparently you can delete them cause Amazon keeps a record of what you purchased...forever.  

At first I was a bit miffed at the price....but then I added up the cost of the new book shelves and trust me...they don't hold 1500 books.  So as a bookshelf....Kindle is cheaper.  eBooks for Kindle are anywhere from 6-10 bucks.  And there are tons of classics that cost nothing. 

Then I thought....hmmmm does the Author make the same money?  Diana Gabaldon (Queen of the big arsed book) posted that she makes more money on eBooks.  Her royalty is 50% on eBooks.  So that assuaged that pondering.  There is also the ease of trying out brand new writers.  There are places out there in cyber land where you can buy 'unpublished' work (meaning...self published) in .txt format which is supported by Kindle.

Think of the trees....the paper, the wood for bookshelves.  I'm all about saving trees.  What do you think folks?  Anyone got a Kindle?  Anyone want one?  Anyone vehemently opposed to eBooks?

Dirty Boy

My lovely dirty boy!

The paddock is a muddy disaster area. A perfect rolling ground. Every morning Obie goes out and rolls to his hearts content. And every evening I bring him in the barn and curry the mud and loose hair off. This process makes my heart sing. It says spring to me as much as the greening grass, chirping sparrows and budding trees.

P.S. Batten down your bonnets and your toupee's.....The inner 'tree freak' is starting to kick in. Lookout for wacky tractor posts and dirty big ball talk.  What? Huh? Your blushin' already? Come on .... you know you couldn't wait for digging season to start!

The Shy Side

I decide to give Macro Monday a go!

Nature's First Green Is Gold...

One my way home from dinner last night with Sisterella and the Munchkins...We saw the the most amazing sunset: orange, purple, pink, yellow. It filled the horizon. It was breathtaking and I didn't have my camera. I went to bed thinking about that sunset. Thinking that it would be a long time before I saw another such spectacular natural display.

I woke this morning tired and in a hurry to get to the office. Just as I had my hand on the doorknob, the memory of something that caught the corner of my eye as I was getting dressed came to light. I set my bag down and walked back to the bedroom. There on the sill in the most perfect morning light was this beautiful Orchid flower, reminding me that natures little displays are equally as spectacular and awe inspiring if only we take the time to look.