Chanukah, Friends and New Inspiration

This week has been full of life Outside My Window and that fills my heart with happiness. Monday brought the noisy din of happy 10 and 11 year old Girl Scouts to my home. It was our last meeting for 2009. The first half of our school year has passed quickly and we are looking forward to cookie sales the first week of January. I was also surprised by a knock at my door that day. I walked to my door expecting a UPS driver and instead was stunned to see my friend who has moved to New York. We only had a few precious moments but it was wonderful just the same. Tuesday I had a couple of hours with a friend and chips and salsa. The latter was yummy, but the conversation was even better. Together we discovered a mutual passion for books and have decided to join an online book challenge in 2010. (Maybe I will do more than one.) I followed that up with a treat for myself: a new haircut which I love! Wednesday evening was my monthly book club meeting. Pattie, Jamie, Krista, Marilyn, Sara and two newer members. They bring intelligent, insightful and sometimes silly conversation into my life. And then tonight our friends invited us to share the last night of Chanukah with them. The meal was wonderful and because she too is a scrapper I poked through two of her newest albums and discussed with her some online classes she has previously taken. I left with new motivation to challenge myself in my art. Five days full of love, friendship, shared passions and an opportunity to learn more about the beautiful traditions of Chanukah. It cannot get much better.

Love of Books Re-KINDLEd.

I have a love affair with books. I don't just read them; I devour them. You will rarely find me without a book. There are many times when I know it is not likely I will have an opportunity to indulge in the pages of whichever book I am reading at that moment. It doesnt matter, because the idea of not having a book with me when one of those moments surfaces is hideous to me. So, everywhere you find me you are sure to find a book. But as I have grown older my eyes (which have always been bad) also grew older. Last year I found that I needed trifocals. Unfortunately I have not adjusted well to that change. And as a result of being unable to see, my passion for books faced crisis. Yes, you can buy recorded books, but have you checked out the price? Have you seen how small that section of the library is? No, it wasn't a viable option. And so I continued to read... at a much slowere pace than ever before. Then came Kindle! Mine is named Trixie and she has reKindled my affair with the written word. I love my Kindle. Why? I will give you my list. Yes, this is sort of a commercial - sorry for that. But of all the things I own, the Kindle is my favorite, so I have to share it with you.

1. I can carry many books at once. Last summer we went to Rocky Mountain National Park. Due to my foot and ankle issues I knew I would be unable to hike as much as my family. So I packed my Kindle. The first day we chose a trail knowing I would hike in about 1/2 mile, and that Greg and the kids would hike another mile before turning back. I gave Greg my Kindle and he tucked it into his backpack. We arrived at my desitnation and I made myself a comfortable place to sit. Greg dug out from his backpack more than 40 books -- all in a package that weighed less than a poiund! I will say though, that I didnt read very much. I was too busy sharing my Kindle with passersby.
2. I am reading books from genres new to me. Many authors sell their books for very low prices to gain new readers in the e-book world. Who wouldnt download a book for a penny?
3. I can read the classics for free! You can find hundreds of books for free... the classics and much more.
4. No more hand cramps. I tend to read often in bed or on the couch and my hands soon cramp from the weight of the book. The Kindle is incredibly lightweight and in the past 7 months I have not had a single hand cramp.
5. No more lost pages. The Kindle remembers where I left off last.
6. Oxford dictionary and Wikipedia. When I need to look up a word I simply place my curser in front of it and the Kindle automatically opens the dictionary to that word and provides me the definition! If I want more, I can go to Wikipedia in a flash.
7. Immediate download of books.
8. I can listen! If I am washing dishes and in a good place in my book, I just turn on the Text to Speech option, and Trixie reads to me!
9. No eyes strain. I can change the font size to a larger size that is friendly to my old eyes, and the e-ink technology is fantastic. My eyes are never sore, even after hours with the book.

Yep, I am blessed to have back my obsession, my adoration, my immense loveaffair ... with books!

ReKINDLEd!