THE KINDLE

For the past year I have been getting hints from TLW (The Little Woman) about what I should get her for a present. “Maybe for my birthday you could get me a Kindle, Toots II has a kindle, and she is always holding it under her arm, wherever she goes! She can download a few books and says she loves it! You can surprise me with it.”

Now here is the issue. Two years ago I offered to buy her one, said it was the latest thing, and technology can be great! “Oh, no! I need the real thing. I have to have a book in my hand.” So I acquiesced to her need to hold a heavy and cumbersome book in her hand as we traveled, or she read at night in her chair.

Then there is the issue of her downloading anything. This is the same woman who couldn’t retrieve her email once, who looked at me like I had two heads when I got our first computer way back in 1991!

Today, she can successfully operate both a Mac and a PC, cannot only open her e-mails, she can forward them to others!

The presentation of the Kindle was from my daughter and son Michael, for Mother’s Day. I started by getting little Ellen (Who is taller than Mom) home for dinner. Then I stuck the kindle behind me and had just the Mother’s Day card in my hand. #2 Son was away at college, so I signed the card for him.

The Kindle was in a plastic bag, hanging from my belt, behind me, the plan being that I had only the card.

“Why are you crinkling when you walk?” Asked TLW.

Needless to say she was very happy with her present, and vowed to cancel the Doubleday Book Club, then immediately, if not sooner had me configure it and started to download her books. TLW, a modern mom with a kindle to read, the lady who once eschewed anything electronically, was in full swing and knocking them out of the park! Electronically, of course.