Christmas is Coming Celebrate the Holiday with Art, Stories, Poems, Songs, and Recipes

Powerful, powerful book Christmas is Coming Celebrate the Holiday with

Art, Stories, Poems, Songs, and Recipes wanted by Metropolitan Museum of Art published by Abrams Books. Wonderfully and entirely illustrated using paintings of the most beloved recent or oldest painters, this book will be a wonderful gift for young readers, true but also for everyone else, in particular if in love for the festivity.

Absolutely captivating, it captures the essence of Christmas in many ways. 

If the first part the book introduces the word Christmas, so the arrival of Jesus Christ, the second part Stories and Tales is maybe the most powerful section to my point of view; moving stories, moving tales in grade of opening also the hardest heart of this world. 

I can tell you that: I cried a lot reading most of these stories. I didn't know some of them: I knew

 the fairy-tale of the elves ad the shoe-maker because I read it when very little, but, for example I didn't remember the story of Papa Panov's special Christmas. Translated into english by Tolstoj: this one is a short tale about a man waiting for the arrival of Jesus. Oh: tremendously impressive!

Absolutely stunning the letter written by the staff of the New York Sun, replying at a kid called Virginia; the little girl asked if Santa Claus existed, because people sometimes don't believe at him. Keeping Christmas by Henry Van Dyke is the powerful summary of what Christmas is. 

We will also meet a moving short tale by Lucy Maud Montgomery: Uncle Richard's Christmas Dinner, where we see a man auto-isolated by the rest of his family and rhe compassionate gesture of his niece.

The Third Part it's all about the most beloeved Christmas's songs while the Fourth Part is about Poems. One I loved a lot is

Christmas is Coming 

Christmas is Coming,

the geese are getting fat,

please put a penny

in the old man's hat.

If you haven't got a penny

a ha'penny will do;

If you haven't got a ha'penny

then God bless you!

This poem it's about being grateful for what we have, sharing what we have with people less lucky than us.

The final Fifth Part it's about Christmas's recipes.

What is Christmas of not the joy of sharing with others our love, friendship, compassion, generosity, hospitality? And let's remember that Christmas is not just for a day: it should be celebrated everyday with the same joy of December 25th.

Highly recommended.

I thank Abrams & Chronicle Books for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

The Friendsgiving Handbook by Emily Stephenson, illustrated by Melanie Gandyra

The Friendsgiving

Handbook by Emily Stephenson, illustrated by Melanie Gandyra is a new book by Chronicle Books pretty stimulating. Thanksgiving is the holiday more loved of all the USA. As Constance an American neighbor and friend of mine told me, this festivity is felt, there is not the stress brought by Christmas and people really enjoy to staying together and can you imagine it? For this reason, and for this feast million and million of people return to their hometowns, for a meal, true, but also for sharing some time with the rest of their relatives.

The author experienced a lot of weird Thanksgivings; pretty depressing, in restaurants, weird ones and at least, considering also the distance with her own family and the idea of seeing them during the Christmas's Time, the final decision:hosting the Thanksgiving, calling it Friendsgiving, inviting all her friends. Consider this: the Thanksgiving is an enormous meal with wagons of people ready of eating this world and the other, so, of course it's necessary not to be generous: much more, in terms of food, beverages of every sorta, hospitality. This book won't just offer you 25 wonderful recipes for all tastes (you can find friends intollerant at some food, vegan or vegetarian; no one must be discriminated or left alone) but also practical advice for not getting lost in a day that, for you and for your friends must remain a memorable one.

Written with a friendly and energetic approach highly recommended. 

I thank Chronicle Books for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Fund rising on FB for The Gubbio - Raccolta fondi per Il Gubbio di San Francisco

I know the Gubbio Project till the beginning of its story. I was a reporter, once, and it happened, a sunny day of 2005, surfing the web and searching news of our city, Gubbio, online, of discovering this charity based in one of the most stunning, beautiful and sunny cities of the USA: San Francisco. 

I said to my colleague Carlo, our coordinator and vice-editor: "Look Carlo: in San Francisco a charity has been baptized Gubbio. I would want to discover much more about it. This story sounds amazing." He was enthusiastic like me of this news and so I contacted, at that time, the first coordinator of the Gubbio, Michelle Roder. Michelle was thrilled of being in contact with someone from Gubbio.  Fr.Louie, the founder of the charity decided of creating this reality inspired by our city and the story of Saint Francis and the Wolf, helping some homeless who, in opposite case would have spent the night outside, and without any certainty of seeing the light the day after. Night is pretty scaring and cold.

But what did at first the church of Saint Boniface located in the Tenderloin? They open their doors and pews at homeless, letting them sleep in the church, a sacred place. If churches don't help, who should, after all?

I continued to support the Gubbio during the years. When Michelle married her husband, they have two beautiful children now, she also invited ALL the homeless of the Saint Boniface, because inclusion is important, and goodness and being all united, without differences is the best thing to do. The Gubbio Project  is a place where people are treated with dignity. 

Later the role of Michelle was absorbed by Laura Slattery. I met her this past summer to Gubbio. I remember I didn't sleep at all that night, thinking I would have met someone of a charity and a news that marked my reporter-life, because one of the first I discovered on the net and one of the most beloved ones.

I had written during the years various pieces, interviewing Laura, Michelle, trying to understand what the charity was doing for bettering the existence of homeless. Sometimes homeless once were intelligent and brilliant people, with a work, with a family; then for a reason or another they lost everything. Of course we find also stories of veterans, of addictions. 

It's a great charity, and to my point of view is the best example that we could have had in a city, San Francisco, where freedom, compassion, dignity is assured to everyone. And it brings the name of the city where I was bor: Gubbio.

Conosco il Gubbio Project praticamente dall'inizio della sua storia. Fondato nel 2004 mi imbattei in questa notizia, online, nel 2005. Ne fui entusiasta. Ne parlai subito con il nostro coordinatore, Carlo e lui mi disse di procedere. Capii da subito il grandissimo valore che portava con sé la charity. Chiamare una charity Gubbio significava credere in quanto fatto da San Francesco con il Lupo e con le persone: donare dignità agli altri, anche quando questa dignità, per una ragione o per l'altra era andata persa. Donare una nottata al caldo ai senzatetto, permettendogli di dormire in chiesa non aveva prezzo.

Michelle è stata simpaticissima (stupita e meravigliata dall'essere stata raggiunta da qualcuno che vive a Gubbio) e da subito mi ha offerto tutto l'aiuto e il sostegno necessario per comprendere. Noi viviamo in una piccola realtà e capire cosa stesse accadendo a San Francisco necessitava spiegazioni. 

Ho continuato negli anni a seguire il Gubbio Project. C'è stato un momento di riflessione in cui la charity ha tentato di capire come migliorare il servizio per i senzatetto ed adesso non ci sono solo spazi per dormire the sacred sleep, il sonno sacro, lo chiama cos' Laura Slattery ma vengono forniti tantissimi altri servizi: dalle colazioni, alle docce, per passare agli esami del sangue, laddove vogliano essere fatti, al reinserimento nella società tramite un nuovo lavoro, e così via. Gli ospiti vengono seguiti con attenzione. Con gli anni il Gubbio ha coinvolto altre realtà che hanno trovato l'idea più che eccellente.

Perché ho scelto questa charity per le donazioni sotto il mio compleanno?

Ci sono affezionata, porta il nome della città dove sono nata; credo sia un esempio stesso per dirla tutta per la nostra città, di dignità, inclusione,  partecipazione, compassione, reale aiuto verso gli altri. Tutti valori che sarebbero piaciuti da Dio, permetteremi l'espressione, a San Franscesco. Mi ha finito di convincere il fatto che gli ospiti necessitino di un nuovo boiler e coperte, sennò stanno al freddo durante l'inverno. 

Direi di dare tutti quanti una mano, con quello che possiamo. Oggi ho donato 10 euro e spero che anche voi possiate fare la vostra parte. Non so voi, ma quando penso che un piccolo gesto possa far stare meglio qualcuno che magari non conoscerò mai ma che potrà mangiare con gli spicci che invio, potrà riscaldarsi con quel denaro che ho versato, mi sento felice, appagata.

Grazie a tutti e grazie al Gubbio, a Laura Slattery che ho conosciuto con grandissimo piacere e a quanto tutti i volontari e i sostenitori, in modo diverso fanno ogni giorno per migliorare l'esistenza di tante persone.

Anna Maria Polidori

Storie dal Ghetto di Budapest by Giorgio and Nicola Pressburger

Storie dal Ghetto di Budapest

by Giorgio and Nicola Pressburger is a book about a series of short tales appeared many years ago and re-published now in honor of Giorgio Pressburger, disappeared recently. Portraits: portraits of people, in their essence, seen physically and psychologically with their own miseries, their existences, and their human tribulations.

It's a beautiful book this one because these portraits are enchantingly interesting; a microcosm resonating thanks to uits past. 

Jewish tales, they can be short, they can be long won't never leave the reader indifferent, because there is a mixture of magician, wisdosm, religion, and much more in all of them and these ones are not different from the ones I read in the past. 

Thanks to these little biographies, thanks to these anecdots we will touch the ineluctability of existence, the horrors seen and lived by most of the characters, like also their new beginnings, failures, victories.

Budapest knew the Eighth District; it was the Jewish Ghetto. In that place, in particular poor Jewish men and women worked and operated: you will discover that all of them became special, peculiar, at the eyes of the rest of population of the Eighth District as it happen in little communities; they had  special characteristics and a strong unicity as it happen in all little communities.

You will read the story of an enchanting lady in grade of capturing the heart of a little boy, but also the one of Franja, a retarded lady; also once dead she will become a real pest with the living ones; you will discover who Selma Grun was and her bad character; there is the story of another  boy with an important mental retard. For this reason, the story is told with the narrating voice of Roberto Leuchtner, the protagonist, once discovered that her mother and relatives wants to put him in a special place he promises of not giving peace to her mother, if she will accomplish to it, maintaining the promise.

There is a story of love and hate for a relative.

Tibor Schreiber was a man without too much moral values. He earned money always cheating other people with unclear business, but he had a good character after all with her relatives. Being a social man started to be appreciated by his littlest cousin; but one day, when this little boy went somewhere for picking up a caldrum for the sciolet, he met along her way a contemporary of him, this time christian and that boy insulted him. Devastated the boy run away crying alot but met along his way Tibor. Tibor decided that his cousin had to be more rude with the christian, and asked him, (they returned in that place) of hurting him. But his cousin did not it, because simply he thought that it was devastating, that maybe that boy once would have changed his mind; that a revenge was not necessary after all. Why fighting in that way?

Tibor devastated his face with fists and slaps. From there the little boy started to hate with all himself Tibor. Why was he so nasty? And he cursed him, wishing him all the worse.

Pity that people like Tibor, as understood also the protagonist of the story won't never lose because they know how to navigate in this existence and once in Paris seeing Tibor happily together again with his ex companion (I can't tell you all the short tale) will eat all sad another terrible sciolet.

The Green Elephant is a longest tale and it's the story of Isacco, a boy who once made a weird dream involving a green elephant. His dad was more than sure: this one was a great sign of a wonderful future for Isacco and his entire family after generations less lucky for their family. Isacco so, is pretty optimistic, but a lot of misadventures will always change for worse his future and present.

The promise will remain his two children. They ended up in America and Rome, but it will be the actor one who will experience the old frenesy and where possible unhappiness experienced by his dad.

A strong book, with strong tales that I am sure will leave you satisfied, and also with a lot of thoughts in the mind.

This one is a book of no more than 210 pages but its density will remain with you forever.

I thank Marsilio Editori for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Mon Carnet de défis pour un année Zéro Déchet Zéro Dechet Pas a Pas by Monica Da Silva

Mon Carnet de défis pour un année Zéro Déchet Zéro Dechet Pas a Pas by Monica Da Silva is a book by Leduc where you can follow these warriors who have also created a Facebook group inspired by this book and where you will enter using the QR in the ebook. Once you will join it, you will be invited of interacting pretty much with the rest of members telling and sharing your experiences and proposing new ideas.

Each week these ebook will propose you a strategy of action for reducing, drastically reducing garbage, junk, all that unnecessary stuff that we often see around in your house. What do do with them? Of course you can just throwing away what unnecessary, but you can also consider the strategy of the four boxes as illustrated very well in the book: " Faites

un tri que vous allez classer dans 4 cartons : à garder (les objets ou souvenirs que vous n’utilisez plus mais que vous ne vous sentez pas encore prêt à laisser partir), à vendre, à donner, à jeter."

A good work should be done also in the kitchen, where it is always better to prefer ceramic at plastic.

But it's not just this: it's also the perfect pianification of your menu, what to eat because "la planification des menus permet d’optimiser son temps et surtout d’éviter le gaspillage alimentaire." 

It will be indispensible to using products in grade of being re-used for other dishes also for not throwing them away and for saving.

TooGoodToGo.fr will permit you of buying food still good at a very cheap price; you shouldn't avoid of preparing with fruits and other seasonal legumes some jars for enjoying the food during the rest of the year.

Do you want to save money also for cleaning your house? No problem; you will learn how to use: "vinaigre blanc, bicarbonate de soude, percarbonate de soude, cristaux de soude, acide citrique, savon noir et savon de Marseille."

In this way you will also help the Planet.

Vinaigre blanc c'est tres bon, ops, it's very good for cleaning the bathroom but also your electric coffee machine. There are many tips and advice for wagons of other voices, so that you can save money and at the same time you can keep economically "cleaned" your house from excesses.

An intelligent book, I guess a good blog.

Enjoy this ebook, indispensible for everyone.

I thank Leduc Editions for this ebook.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Just Dessert by The Tall Poppy Writers

Just Dessert by The Tall Poppy Writers is a book written by various writers of Tall Poppy Writers Association. 

As remark the contributors, in general they write, but when they don't, they also love cooking and baking. What is cooking and baking if not a natural extension of what we all do for a living? Cooking means giving pleasure to other ones. These recipes are old ones, favorite ones from generations or newest ones, discovered for casualty or for work, writing some books, and shared with the readers and let me add...bakers.

Cooking adds Sheehan introducing us her apricoat ginger scones is "The transference of energy from the chef, to the food, to the customer".

I was impressed by the story told by Nicole Baart. She loved to share a lot of time with her grandma and grandpa and Julia, her granny was a great baker as well. Nicole adored whatever she baked, but her favorite treat were her gingersnaps because spicy and sweet at the same time.

Eileen Goudge will share the best recipe of banana bread you have ever tasted, directly from her book: Something Warm From The Oven: Baking Memories, Making Memories but also the Heart-Shaped Cake.

Grannies were the best bakers, for what you will read. It's also the case of the Chocolate Pie's recipe shared by Kathryn Craft. This recipe is transmitted from generation to generation.

There are delcious Jewish recipes and Julie Cantrell will introduce is her Louisiana French Apple Pie, a quick recipe while Susan Gloss will share with us the Plummy Rum Blackberry Buckle.

Do you want a different breakfast surrounded by chocolate? So, goes for this dessert from  Sonja Yoerg plenty of proteins: Chocolate Chia Pudding.

Ann Garvin proposes her Lemon Mousse recipe and  Amy Impellizzeri the Homemade Grape Jelly.

Kelly Harms arrives with a delicious recipe good for thermos and for what I read absolutely delicious! and with a great story behind. Perfect for winter, it's the hot irish malted.

Delicious cookbook for sure. It must be yours!

I thank Ann Garvin for this cookbook.

Anna Maria Polidori  

Lotion Bars in 1 Day Learn how To Make you DIY Lotion Bars in 1 Day and Use Them for Healthy Skin, Beauty and Gifts by Hollie Thompson

Lotion Bars in 1 Day Learn how To Make you DIY Lotion Bars in 1 Day and Use Them for Healthy Skin, Beauty and Gifts by Hollie Thompson a wonderfu

l ebook about the creation of Bars. The first one I saw one of them, I was 6 years I was at Rome and some cousins presented me that. To me it was a novelty. It was a precious gift for sure. We used lotion bars but simply we bought it, and we still buy it (I sell them telling to you the truth and they are wonderful). Recently the children of my cousin Irene launched themselves in this adventure, creating wagons of lotion bars of all possible shapes. So: what is this about this hobby, activity and why can it be important?

Well, let me add this: every creative activity is great, plus, it works also when you plant some veggies in your garden, you know what you will put in your lotion bars.

Lotion bars are nice because they are portable everywhere. Trip, distant or close; you can add any kind of scent, from lavender to chocolate passing through arnica and menthol. You must understand your own exigencies. If it's just for fun or for also, for curing some physical disturb, for repelling bugs, for calming your nerves (see at the voice: lavender.)

This ebook and Hollie will guide you through important steps: what you need for the creation of your Lotion Bars, including many delicious "recipes" for sunny, funny, absolutely stunning lotion bars.

Highly recommended.

I thank Hollie Thnposon and LibraryThing for the copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori