Couldn't see the letter

Hey Dave,
I can see the letter that you scanned in but when I click on it I get an error.

Feliz Navidads (Merry Christmas)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello my family,
sorry that i haven't told anyone what i like to read, now it's probably too late. but i think i'll give it a try, I like the Sci-Fi novels, but not the ones like star trek, i like ones that are based on medieval age times, David Gemmel is my favorite author but i have most of his books, so that doesn't really help, but stuff like that is awesome, also C. S. Lewis is cool.

Possibilities for Chris L.

Although this is maybe too late, I thought I'd put something up on the blog about gift possibilities for myself. I've liked history, including current history about the war on terror, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A book that I would like to read that's available on Amazon (but not at my public library) is 48 Liberal Lies About American History: (That You Probably Learned in School) by Larry Schweikart. Another possibility is a book about teaching physics available on Amazon called Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, Active Learning in Introductory Physics by David R. Sokoloff, Ronald K. Thornton. If anyone wants to use Amazon, get my address from Tantie (I'm following the security regs here for posting).

Change #1

Ok I have found through the grapevine that getting my wife the twilight book is off the table. So now you can ask my mom for input. She likes music and movies too.

What books we like

Well I guess its time to tell everyone what kind of books me and my husband like.
John loves books about spies and such. He absolutely adores the author Robert Ludlum, who wrote the Bourne books. But he already has the newest Bourne book, but he would love any book along that same line of writing. David Baldacci and especially Eric Van Lustbader are also among his favorites.
I on the complete opposite hand love historical romances. I've read a couple of Phillipa Gregory books and I really like her. I love when the books mention a lot about true historical facts. But I also really like The Wicked and Son of a Witch books. I would love either A Lion Among Men or Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. But alos, i really like authors such as Lori Wick and Karen Kingsbury. Hope I gave enough info for everyone :)

Forgot about the blog

Ok, so I may have missed a week of updates. I kinda forgot that we even had this. I am willing to put in my input as to what type of books the wife and I would like. I like any books that have to deal with WWII and Vietnam. Not quite like the tommes that David likes. More like books written by the guys that were there. I have a good many books about WW2 so if anyone knows of a good Vietnam book then that would be nice. I am also willing to try other books if someone thinks that I will enjoy it. My wife would like the first book in the twilight series.

Fanfi--Let Walter know that if he wants someone to go to Vietnam with him and that if he lets me know with enough time to save some money up that I would like to go with him. I would have to seek permission from the Queen first though.

So good to hear from our southern kin!! Brandie, Fanfi, Christy and even Katharine C. who keeps inchng her way south.
What a great idea with The Count of Monte Cristo, Brandie, I thought it was a good book too. Have you read some of his others? I've wanted to read The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I haven't gotten it yet. I'm not sure if it's as good.
Christy, it's so good to hear from you! I know you guys must be constantly hopping, especially around Christmas. We are keeping you, the boys and Ryan in our prayers, particularly this Christmas.
Fanfi, are you sending some of your warm, balmy weather this way? Actually, you can keep it, WE WANT SNOW, and lots of it.Thanks for the low down on Walter, but how about you? What do you like to read/listen to/watch?
And now to the important question, Why a lovely, bright eyed giraffe for Tantie? Or is it Tante? Obviously its a Freudian slip, because spots/squares have always been my passion. Why couldn't God have given us squares? But it was the eye that caught my attention. Can't you just see her ready to wink at you? Like she's inviting you to share in the wonderful secret of life.
And Katharine C., I agree that this is a pressing question for those of us who see and speak a lot of our words. I'm still trying to to wrap my head around Katharine C. Should we shorten it to K.C.? I don't know if I will be able to change Tantie, that's what it is in my head. But here's the question, can we just do both? Is there another Tante/Tantie out there? Can't I have two names for me?
Too long a post, love you all!

More on Children's Books

Katharine, the Washington Post Book World this morning has their annual holiday children's issue. It may give you a few ideas. Of particular interest is Michael Dirda's evaluation of Robert Louis Stevenson, which opens like this:

There comes a time in the life of any young reader when nothing but adventure will do. It is the time when the old classics -- The Count of Monte Cristo [great call Brandie! - DC], Journey to the Center of the Earth, King Solomon's Mines -- are suddenly the best stories in all the world. Which, of course, they are -- with the possible exception of those that begin this way:

The London fog rolls in, and out of the darkness emerge two figures. One is tall, eccentric in his habits, always in search of mysteries and puzzles; the other is his brave and loyal companion, clearly a military man. In the course of their adventures together they will fearlessly penetrate the inner sanctum of The Suicide Club, confront more than one master criminal and solve the theft of the accursed Rajah's Diamond.

That's the opening paragraph of Stevenson's New Arabian Nights and it certainly grabbed my attention. I expect that paragraph would grab the attention of most 9-12 year old boys, and probably a lot of the girls.

At any rate, the links above may give you some ideas.

Tante??? Or Tantie???

A very scary thought has been provoked by this blog. How in the world does our family spell Tante?? For as long as I can remember I have been spelling it "Tante"...and now, all of the sudden I see Tante spelling it "Tantie", and David spelling it that way as well. I think we need some clarification on the subject.

Ok, only for the Moran clan would I attempt to use technology like this. Its great to see everyone so active on this site. I doubt I will get to keep up with it much due to lack of time, but on behalf of all the Schrocks we love and miss you all and are thankful to participate in this new family activity. I may be posting for all 4 of us because Ryan and I cannot access these sites regularly on our government networks. I am also anxious to do the exchange. Happy Holidays - Christy & Boys!

Count of Monte Cristo

Thanks Brandie for the suggestion. I had not thought of that book at all - I will try reading it over the break.

Giraffe??

Eugenia - this has been bugging me.... Why do you have a giraffe as your picture? Is this a secret longing to be tall? Do you have some strange affection for spots? Or do you just like to see the world from God's perspective?

Just a thought

Okay, the first time I tried to respond, it didn't go where I thought it would, so here it it again. Forgive me, this if my first blog!

Katherine, have you thought about "The Count of Monte Cristo?" I read it in high school. It was very appealing to both guys and girls and has many moral and religious themes running through it. I think it would be okay for a Christian school, though it's been a long time since I read it. You'd probably want to check it out for yourself. P.S. I LOVE the movie!

About Huck Fin

I thought about Huckleberry Finn - but when I tried to read it over the summer I found it was really hard to get through. I didn't find it interesting at all! (what does that say about me? I really don't want to know) I know it's a classic and everyone raves about it, but I didn't think the kids would like it at all.