Thanks so much for coming back with more info. And PICTURES! (I see now why folks talk about the drop-cap difference on Kindle. Are they tweakable?)
Ok, you're making this sound awfully easy, and Calibre conversion is possibly the easiest part of it all. I feel like there are no excuses left to drag my feet.
I guess there's nothing left but to dive in and try, and see where I come out on the other side.