Kindled ~ Reflections

So far I am enjoying my Kindle. I'm trying to think about what a morning is like with it. In the beginning I was worried about whether I should power off completely or just put it to sleep. Little silly things. I decided after reading up about it that putting it to sleep is a little bit better than just completely powering it off, but that powering it off at least weekly is good for Kindle.

At first I thought I would use Kindle a lot to read the newspaper. Then I realized that it was hard to keep up, just like with the regular paper. I didn't want to spend too much money on new Kindle books, so I tried to find some freebies, and that was exciting. It's always nice to be able to get something for free.

What took me so long?

Not exactly sure what took me so long. I had a deep resistance to buying the Kindle. I think I was afraid that I would ignore my books but that's not the case. I tried to think of excuses to not buy the Kindle, even when I looked at the store model at Target, I tried to convince myself: “Oh, the screen is not really that great to look at, and look the screen is ghostly and the words don’t even look real.” But really in Target those florescent lights make anything difficult to see. At the same time that I was taken aback at the whiteness of the page, I was also in awe—to look at this page that looks so much like a page—this e-ink technology was something special. Of all the e-readers that I’d heard about, by far, the ease on the eyes of the Kindle, and that I love Amazon so much sealed it for me.

Kindle is yet another book on my shelves, a book within books, neatly stored. Here I sit with Kindle, and I still have a few books checked out from the library and I continue to check them out and read them alongside Kindle.

Highlights

Some of the highlights for me are of being able to sample books before you buy them. A big bonus for me is that little did I know that I would start using my Kindle as a sort of CD player. I had previously downloaded audio books from the audible site which is also part of Amazon, and I haven't actually listened to them much because I don't own an MP3 player and I don't have a portable CD player, nor one in my car. Now with Kindle I can easily download or transfer my audios to the Kindle. I’ve been listening to an audio book on my morning drive to work on Kindle. It’s a short drive, yet I manage to chip away at the audio, whereas before it just sat there on the computer or a CD, untouched. The speakers aren't that loud so it's difficult to hear with the noise of the car and the traffic outside, so I tried it with my headphones and now it works much better.

I've always enjoyed reading out loud and being read to. And a book that has come up again is called Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. I own the book and it sits on my shelves. I came across this book many years ago at a bookstore in Berkeley and the idea of it grabbed me right away. I began reading it, and I loved the story and how the author weaved a philosophy course into a story that could easily be read by adults and young adults alike. This is one of the books that I have revisited in audio. The narrator brings it alive in such a way that I wasn't able to get when I read it myself; even though I enjoyed it when I read it, now it’s so much more. There are certain books that I would not choose to listen to in audio, certain books where I choose to be the voice of the book, even if inside of my own head. But with this book there is something about it that beckons to be read aloud, and it could be because to some degree it follows the way a conversation would have gone if you are sitting down with Socrates. So that has been a real treat. It's amazing how much you can read, even in those little moments when you're sitting at the stop light.

Here is the audible.com website if you’d like to have a listen to the sample of this book.

http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B002V5A2WS&qid=1301589428&sr=1-1

One new item that I learned about through a blog called, “A Kindle World Blog” that I subscribe to via the Kindle is an application for the Kindle called Notepad by 7 Dragons. It’s a somewhat raw App. that allows you to tap down notes through your Kindle pad. Many people have Smart phones and other gadgets, but I do not, so it’s an attractive feature for me—to take my Kindle one step further. I can then hook Kindle up to my computer and transfer the note to computer, edit and voila!

http://www.amazon.com/Notepad/dp/B004LSLN0I

The other cool thing about the Kindle is that you can actually e-mail documents or pictures to your Kindle e-mail address and then it arrives on your Kindle, so the you can read it on your Kindle. It does cost a small fee which I learned by surprise, but I didn't go crazy so it wasn't a big deal. And you cannot e-mail from your Kindle so you can only e-mail documents to it.

I like that there is a web browser in the experimental section. It's not perfect, but it’s nice to know it’s there. It works well if you need to look something up, and of course it functions better if there are not a lot of images on the page.

I have not transferred any MP3 music to the Kindle because I don't usually like to listen to music while reading, but that is also a nice feature.

Text to speech is a great option when publishers enable this feature. It would be great if in future generations of the Kindle they were able to improve upon the voice and not make it sound so electronic.

All in all Kindle works well for the ways that I read which is to dip in and out of books. On the other hand, I become stuck because there is such a variety to choose from that I've downloaded that it's almost hard to really keep up. I'm glad that I bought a Kindle and as I said, and as I'm sure most people feel, Kindle does seem to act more as a supplement, not a replacement, to regular books and reading.

Happy Reading!

Little Drops of Writing

I am trying to get my writing out, even if in little drops. I have written snippets in my little notebook. I’ve noticed that the last two times were in the doctor’s office, a time and space where there is quiet, and rather than flip through a magazine, I unzip my pouch, pull out pen and notebook and just go—write and write what will come out. I wrote a few snippets that I had intended to post because it’s nice to share and it’s nice to have a place where I can find things more easily than on my computer in the many folders and many documents that become muddy and forgotten. Just yesterday, I reread a small free write that came to me. It felt like it was only months ago that I wrote it and intended to post it. Had it been that long? It was dated 2009.

This morning, I sit here. I began by looking through the writing prompts on my new Kindle—another topic I’d like to write about: My reaction to being Kindled. I sit here typing to Bossa-Nova playing in the background. It is my morning groove into each day, my cup of coffee close at hand.

The writing prompt book didn’t help this morning. I flipped through the e-pages and decided to set it aside and write, tap out whatever thoughts came to my mind. I knew that the music was calling me, coaxing me to do what I haven’t done consistently in so long, to get those words out, to keep sharpening the edge. I have still been true to my passion for writing and reflecting, but it has mostly stayed in the notebook in my head; now I must start clearing those crevices and revisit some of the thoughts in the notebooks that I kept. There are still many more to toss out—that will be for another day.

Happy day and Happy writing.

A Tiny Musing & A Little Light

It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve written any words on the page. Today, I’m running late for work, but I want to post an image that brings me calm and lights me up inside and maybe will offer a little light to those out there who happen upon it.

Plan. Don’t “they” often say to have a plan? Yes, plans are good, but sometimes, one doesn’t know until the very moment. There is no plan for sudden death; there is no plan for natural disaster. Sure, there may be certain things we can do that will help, but all we have is that point in time when it occurs and then, the plan is tossed aside because it becomes irrelevant and plans don’t always cover the detours that life takes.

From my little spot over here, I send out white light and positive vibrations to the world.

I took these photos at the California Academy of Sciences. I have always been fascinated with Jellyfish and I could watch the fish swim all day.

A Few Small Images ~ Valentine's Day

Our morning began here on Valentine’s Day amongst the beauty of the botanical garden and its many meandering pathways. My senses remember the hot sun beating down on my back, warming my whole body; and of the different woodsy scents and the faint spray of floral tones that would sneak into awareness. The quiet, the peacefulness, the caresses and soft kisses; of looking into each other’s eyes and feeling…feeling the moment, the moments—of appreciation of one another—thankfulness, of living for the moment, the moments, and those to come.

 

 



Ground Turkey and George Foreman

I once had a Turkey burger in a restaurant and it was OK, but not great. We’re trying to eat healthy and delicious.

Whenever I would hear people talk about the George Foreman grilling Machine, I rolled my eyes. I thought it was just another gadget to own. Well, even when I reject something, I am still fair and give something a try before my final judgment. We did buy one—the small version for two. I tried to justify all the reasons in my mind of why this could be a good thing. I also had a George Foreman grilling cookbook with recipes. The book was given to me some time ago. This was the impetus behind the purchase.

A month later, and I’m having my doubts. As I suspected, it’s a bit of a pain to clean. It’s time consuming and if I use honey in a sauce to pore over the meat, it is even harder to scrape off the grill. You cannot submerse the grill in water. All cleaning must be done by hand, careful to get in the grooves and get all the little bits out.

It’s a novelty that the meat cooks from the bottom and the top. For the most part the meat or fish stays tender inside, leaving a slightly tough and dry outer skin. I have a feeling that after a few more uses, we are going to retire Mr. Foreman. I think what I like most about it is that it doesn’t spatter oil all over the place and I don’t have to have all the stove burners running.

We’ve cooked chicken, salmon, sole, and turkey burgers on the grill. If not for the grill, I may not have ventured into the world of ground turkey, thus, I prepared a dinner last night that was light and delicious.

I knew that I was going to prepare the small package of  artichoke with cheese and olives raviolis. I didn’t want to pair a heavy sauce with it, so I decided to use what I had in the kitchen. The idea came to me after looking through a few cookbooks. To make the simple sauce, these are the ingredients I used. It’s not so much a sauce as a dressing. I ran out of garlic; otherwise, I would have added it too.

Dressing a la ground Turkey

-Splash of olive oil

-Pat of butter

-Small handful of ground turkey

-Dash of salt and garlic salt

-Pinch of parsley

-Few shakes of basil

-1/2 handful of walnuts crushed up

-Bunch of fresh baby spinach leaves

Brown the ground turkey in the olive oil and butter, using the spoon to break it down into fine pieces. Add all but the spinach, stir. When all ingredients have married, add spinach.

Keep warm. Cook pasta, add a bit more olive oil, and toss with turkey spinach dressing.

We also had a green salad with dried cranberries, gorgonzola cheese, and cherry tomatoes, tossed with an olive oil vinaigrette; and tortillas as our bread.

I must say this was one of my favorite meals so far and all thanks to the George Foreman Grill.

Sensation

My senses are usually in a state of heightened awareness, feeling the honey rise from the droplets of imaginary mist that wrap around me and ground me. I feel my way through a department store, touching the material of different pieces of  clothing, especially the textured linens—they speak to the tips of my fingers and swirl images of the clothes and my body interacting. I usually have these highly tuned experiences, but now my perception and awareness is further heightened by Helen Keller’s book, The World I live In. We are reading it together and it further makes us appreciate our own senses as they dance together in the world and with each other.

Some time ago I read Keller’s The Story of My Life. I recall fragments of it and am moved by her overall story and what she accomplished in her life. I feel closer to The World I live In because she speaks to us on a more personal level, an invitation into her sensory world—her relationship to her environment. She writes poetically and stimulates the imagination.

The Midnight Globe Spins

I’ve been collecting books for years now and at certain points in my life, I have taken sections of those books and sold them, clearing space for new books. As I moved from place to place, I seemed to accumulate more books. Sometimes I would lose track of what I had on the shelves and end up with two copies of the same book. Recently when I moved into my new space, I felt for the first time ever a prisoner of my books, of the books that meant so much to me sitting on the shelves, many unread, but waiting, teasing, serving some purpose unknown to myself. Were they a placeholder to fill some void all these years of rummaging through second hand stores and used bookstores? I had never felt that or maybe I didn’t want to believe it, but for the first time—and it could have to do with also finding love again—but for the first time in my life, I don’t feel the need to keep all of these books. Even if I had the space, which I currently do not, I would not be too sad if I gave up many of them. I don’t have tons of books like many here, but I have enough boxes of books that they are a sort of nuisance because I don’t have the space. They stay hidden from me. If I don’t peek inside and just throw the box to the sea, I would not miss what was inside of it. The moment I lift the lid, however, is when I have second thoughts.

I have not moved many times, but the few times I have, there was much to let go. I wondered how I accumulated so many objects, so much paper, so many words. I was especially selective this time on what would come with me and what would be donated or thrown out. It was difficult. Each trip I made to donate my things, I felt that I had gotten rid of a lot of stuff, but it seemed that there was still so much. I felt it pressing down on me, my stomach in tangles. There were moments I sat and stared at everything tossed about on the floor in piles. Piles to keep and piles to give up. I took my time, not wanting to make the same mistake I did last time, which was to box everything up and deal with it later. I needed to make choices now, conscious choices that would leave the unneeded old energy behind.

Even though I am now settled into my new space—our new space, there is still a small chunk that I need to release. The bulk of items that this applies to is books, old school work, my journals, and clothing. I realized that some journals go back so long ago that they no longer have a place in my life. I also realized that by hanging onto these journals, they are merely sitting there collecting dust and not being used productively. Part of me wants to select how far back I want to go and find the glimmers of light, the pieces that I can use or glean inspiration from; the other part of me wants to take all those journals and toss them to sea and start anew.

I am happy to have unloaded of many items I no longer needed that didn’t move me, but rather seemed to keep me in a sort of limbo. As the weeks and months unfold, I would like to continue releasing these objects and live with the very minimum. It feels good not to feel a prisoner to these things, and I feel more at peace with my books and know that I will slowly release many.  I don’t feel a deep attachment where I can’t let certain items go, but when I see them, they may speak to something deep inside of me that thinks I should hold onto this or that.

In life it is important to live without regret.

In life it is important to feel free, yet learn how to navigate through the spots that feel constricting.

Life is amazing.

Life is that great midnight globe that spins and spins and lights up and sparkles. I thank you dear Universe for smiling down upon me, and I forever ask for your guidance in all that I do.

Peace and love to all.