definition: to kindle

I do not like sounding like a commercial, so ignore that aspect of this post... because sometimes there is a good reason to share a product or service you have discovered and delight in...

For our anniversary, hubby got me a "kindle", which is an ebook reader... but it is not just any reader... it is a wonderfully unique reader, as it also plays my audio books and I can once again read almost all my PDA files (scriptures, lesson manuals, church magazines, the numerous Ensign articles... and the hundreds of ebooks written by LDS authors that I have purchased and saved to my electronic library on my computer over the years...) and it has a very basic web browser that works well with text page loads, so that I can read Conference talks right off the church website even. It is pretty darn cool...

In reality, this tool it's also for my birthday, Christmas, and just about any other gift giving event that will happen over the next months, because it was terribly expense... However I rationalize that this reader is a tool, in that it replaces my PDA, (actually the second PDA in about 10 years,) and which I have been using for 5+ years... we lovingly have called these PDAs *my brain*, [wink] A new reader was something we have been looking at for a while for me... and is a *valid want*, because first and foremost my previous dear old brain tool was dying pretty quickly...

Over the last year the way I have been using my PDA has changed (since I am not working now...) and my vision needed a larger and better reading screen... so this gift meets my needs in a very efficient way. I very much appreciate it, and I was very excited when I opened it... The timing of my gift is not an accident... it came now so that I will be able to read on the road, and together we can listen to audio book files while we are on our trip next week. Also while hubby is otherwise occupied with his brother, and getting his parents' living situation resolved, doing things I cannot help much with... I can follow the blogs and news of the day that I choose, without worrying about a wi-fi connection for the laptop. This new tool really is an interesting piece of technology... I am impressed so far (albeit less than 24 hrs later). In fact I can even post short updates to this blog, if I choose... though I do not think that will happen much... typing more than 15 words on it would be more cumbersome than I like... but there is the possibility... Honestly, just staying informed in the lives of my friends is the point of my interest, and it meets that goal beautifully.

Another thing I have been thinking about since opening my gift yesterday afternoon, are the many definitions for the verb used as a name for this tool... I mean that is really interesting to me:

to build or fuel, excite, incite, start a fire, cause to glow, light up (and those are just a few...)

...according to the website the choice of names was not carelessly made, and while I am sure the reasons are not altogether altruistic, I always think it is good when learning and technology meet, and selfish person that I am... create a good vehicle for my personal learning... and... I keep going back to the information that I can once again access all those great files that my PDA was struggling to display for me... again... wooohooo... my joy is certainly *kindled* in that reality... ~pa