Larry,
I hope you are feeling better :) What a cute picture!
- Melanie

I'm sitting here feeling worse than I've felt in years. I have one of the various flu bugs that have been circulating our area. Right now I feel somewhere between " What was the make of that bus that hit me?" and " Do you have a gun? Please shoot me." Anyway, not having anything to do I thought I'd peruse the blog. The picture attached is a culmination of a day in the snow with Moriah. We went sledding, cleaned the sidewalks,made snow angels, built a snowman and finished off with a mug of hot chocolate. Kids really do keep you young. Later--Larry

Valentine Poem

Kerry. Who's the author? Craig.

A Valentine Verse from Anthony and Kerri

Happy Valentines Day everybody! Here's a love poem by one of my favorite poets.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it
anywhere i go you go,my dear
and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)
i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

My $0.02

I've been finished with White Noise and have been thinking about what to post. I agree with Jennifer that while many of the major themes are at times overstated and slightly tedious, the writing is amazing. It took me a little while to become acclimated to Delillo's style - as Craig said, you spend the first chapter or two just trying to figure out what is going on and who is who - but I think what really helped get me going was simply "reading through." Not stopping if something didn't completely make sense or fit in. The result was a really neat sense of this story happening, but with a constant background of white noise - "Corolla, Acura, Celica", and other such stuff (there is always a TV on in the background). I am wondering though, if the themes may have seemed less cliche and overdone in 1985? I don't know. The ridiculousness of Jack's chosen field (and his academic "armor" - the robe and dark glasses) and the fields of his colleagues is hilarious, though, and just as true today in academia as I'm sure it was in 1985. In order to create a niche for themselves, people go into the most ridiculous specializations. "Hitler Studies" is especially funny, given that he didn't even speak German! His friend Murray's was pretty ridiculous too - basically his area was modern life. Go figure.
However, while the ridiculous and cynical are amusing, the most enjoyable element of this book I thought was the characters, especially the Gladney family. Craig mentioned that they were neurotic, but I disagree (at least I disagree that they were any more neurotic than anyone typically is). I appreciated that none of them were perfect or too cliche - they were all very realistic and complex people, with realistic strengths and weaknesses. This made me really want to root for them, especially Babette when she is having a tough time of it. My favorite passage by far is when they are "jammed into the car on our way to the Mid-Village Mall" having a conversation (beginning of chapter 17). I think this passage is hilarious; it makes me laugh every time. "The family is the cradle of the world's misinformation." I just think back to being a kid and having dinner as a family with conversations not altogether unlike this one.
Anyway, I am really looking forward to our next book!
Melanie

Holiday Happenings

Things are just getting back to normal here at Craig and Chans' abode. It was great to see our kids at Christmas. Sam and Megan came the weekend before Christmas, while Erin and Tyler were here on Christmas day Steve and Melanie's schedule allowed them to visit in the middle of January, for one week. We all had fun...catching up. It seems most of our "get togethers" revolve around coooking together or an eating event. It's great. I believe I gained five pounds.

Chan and I did get a strong "hint" for our Christmas gift from Steve and Melanie...a restaurant and travel guide to New York City. I would love to visit. Right now, it all depends on my "back" healing. Attached are some holdiday pictures I enjoy. Craig.