Oooh, Yes Virgina there REally Is a Santa Claus is a wonderful story. Shelley L. Rhodes and Judson, guiding golden juddysbuddy@xxxxxxxxxxxx Guide Dogs For the Blind Inc. Graduate Advisory Council www.guidedogs.com The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs. -- Vance Havner ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Mangis" <suemangis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 5:23 PM Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: Holiday books Well, Last night I downloaded a couple of Christmas books. I have two books with stories and songs, a collection, and a paper bak called "Yes Virginia". I'll try to start scanning at least one of them. and let you know when it's ready for validation. Sue Mangis ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jana Jackson" <jana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: December 12, 2004 11:58 AM Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: Holiday books > Hi, Mike! Very well-said! I've been enjoying the holiday movies so much > this year, for some reason. I was thinking last night about how this is the > one time of the year when you can find TV programming that consistently > communicates good things--sacrifice, unselfishness, overcoming obstacles, > changing a cynical perspective, etc. So, now I'm off to eat lunch and at > least start scanning another Christmas read to add to that growing > collection. <Smile> > > Jana > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mike Pietruk" <pietruk@xxxxxxxxx> > To: <bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 5:38 AM > Subject: [bookshare-discuss] Re: Holiday books > > > > Jana > > > > So there's a Mitford Christmas book with Father Tim? I gotta find time to > > download and read that? > > > > A lot of good books have been mentioned. Perhaps what impresses me about > > Christmas literature is a recurring theme of the underdog prevailing, poor > > > > more important than earthly wealth, values triumphing over possessions, > > and similar themes. Out of whack priorities are replaced by substance, > > and a sense of right replaces pompousness. > > We see this in all sorts of titles from the classic Christmas Carol to > > even in Rudolf the Red-Nosed Rheindeer where the much laughed and scorned > > animal becomes the prized lead team member on the sleigh. > > It is too bad that we cannot maintain that same theme in our lives the > > remaining 49-50 weeks of the year where seemingly earthly messages > > dominate the biblical one. > > Perhaps the message in these books, some straightforward and other > > subliminal, can become internalized in how we treat each other,, choose > > what we choose, and all the rest from Dec 26 on. > > > > While I don't recall in which of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books it is > > described, there is a sobering picture of Christmas in one of them. > > The treat of eating an orange, simple homemade gifts, no 4-figure costing > > gifts, et al. > > > > > > > > > > > >