CFBA Review ~ The Christmas Glass

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Christmas Glass
GuidepostsBooks (October 1, 2009)
by
Marci Alborghetti
My Thoughts:
This was a beautiful and touching story. I really enjoyed the large cast of characters and the way their stories all intertwined with each other, held together by 12 pieces of glass. It is a memorable tale, and one that I think will become part of my Christmas traditions from now on. This is the perfect book to read in front of the tree!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Marci Alborghetti has been writing only slightly longer than she's been reading. In seventh grade she received her first writing prize for a zany Halloween story. The prize? A five dollar gift certificate to a local bookstore. She was hooked. The Christmas Glass is her fourteenth book, and she is currently at work on a sequel as well as a non-fiction book about service. Some of her other books include: Prayer Power: How to Pray When You Think You Can’t, A Season in the South and Twelve Strong Women of God.

She and her husband, Charlie Duffy, live in New London, Connecticut and the San Francisco Bay area. While in New London she facilitates the Saint James Literary Club.



ABOUT THE BOOK

In the tradition of The Christmas Shoes and A Christmas on Jane Street, the heartwarming story of The Christmas Glass shows how, today as always, the Christmas miracle works its wonders in the human heart.

In the early days of World War II in Italy, Anna, a young widow who runs a small orphanage, carefully wraps her most cherished possessions -- a dozen hand-blown, German-made, Christmas ornaments, handed down by her mother -- and sends them to a cousin she hasn't seen in years.

Anna is distressed to part with her only tangible reminder of her mother, but she worries that the ornaments will be lost or destroyed in the war, especially now that her orphanage has begun to secretly shelter Jewish children. Anna's young cousin Filomena is married with two-year-old twins when she receives the box of precious Christmas glass.

After the war, Filomena emigrates to America, where the precious ornaments are passed down through the generations. After more than forty years, twelve people come to possess a piece of Christmas glass, some intimately connected by family bonds, some connected only through the history of the ornaments.

As Christmas Day approaches, readers join each character in a journey of laughter and tears, fractures and healings, as Filomena, now an eighty-four-year-old great-grandmother, brings them all to what will be either a wondrous reunion or a disaster that may shatter them all like the precious glass they cherish.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Christmas Glass, go HERE

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It's Not The Cost of the Gift That Matters

For at the least the past 5 years, there's one present that Isabelle has counted on receiving at Christmastime and this year is no different. It's a simple gift, but one that we know she'll use and get immense joy and satisfaction from. In fact, it's probably the only gift guaranteed to get as much use from as humanly possible.

Tape. A simple 4-pack of tape.

It will be used daily until it is gone, and even then, used pieces of tape will be torn in two and used again. It's happened this way for years and I know it will happen again this year.

I'm sure the gift of tape isn't at the top of any gift guide this holiday season. But that's okay with us. Because we know our daughter and we know what she likes. We know she likes having a seemingly endless supply of tape at her disposal for all of her art and craft projects.

And after all, aren't gifts meant to be thoughtful and suited for the recipient? In her eyes, there's no gift more thoughtful.

Oh sure, she'll ooh and aah over the latest and greatest toys in the sales flyers. She'll fill her gift list with all kinds of stuff. And she'll even get some of it.

But in the end, we all know it's the tape she treasures most.

Stop by Amy's Finer Things for more Finer Things Friday and Life As Mom for more Frugal Friday.

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Gifts For Teachers

This is our first year having to buy Christmas gifts for teachers. Previously, the only teacher gifts we had to buy were also called mine. So, it's a bit more of a stretch this year. I can't just buy what I want for myself and I'm not too sure if the kids' teachers would be as crazy about a macro lens as I would be.

I've asked the kids for their input and they have a few suggestions. And Eric is a great big help. His suggestion is that we buy the teachers cars to guarantee our the academic success of our children. Tempting, but just slightly out of our budget.

So, I'm brainstorming and looking for tips. I'd love to hear them if you have some.

And if you're looking for ideas for the teachers in your life (or friends or family members), I've got a little tip of my own for you. How about a 3 month subscription to Stolen Moments Menu Planning?

Right now I'm offering a great Christmas Gift Subscription deal. A 3-month subscription to the basic plan is just $16.50 and a 3 month subscription to the complete plan is $36.00. I hope you'll check it out and cross some names off of your gift list.

And of course, I'd absolutely appreciate your tips on teacher gifts. (Eric has convinced that giving a gift to my own service to the kids' teachers is tacky.)

Don't forget to stop by We Are THAT Family for the themed "gift-giving-tips" edition of Works For Me Wednesay.

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Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of November 30

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week and I hope you all did too! I made the full spread just for our family. I figured we'd have lots of leftovers that I could fill the freezer with. But either everyone was really hungry or I just didn't make as much food as I thought I did since the leftovers were sparse. The only thing I'll really be able to freeze is some turkey. I'll shred what's left and we'll use it in casseroles and soups. I'm planning to make stock with the carcass too.

By the way, if you're looking for some methods and recipes for stock making, check out the Stock Exchange going on at JessieLeigh's place. Her tips are great and there are links to other posts as well. I'll be joining up once my turkey stock is done.

Here are our dinner plans for this week. Breakfast and lunch will just be some leftovers and other easy things. I'll be doing our monthly shopping trip in a few days so I haven't nailed down those plans yet.

• M - Stuffed meatballs, cheesy broccoli and rice
• T - Turkey enchiladas, refried black beans
• W - Tuna burgers, oven fries, peas
• Th - Taco pinwheel
• F - Breakfast for dinner: Butter pecan-banana waffles, bacon or sausage
• S - TBD
• Su - Mushroom barley bisque, tomato basil bread

If you're looking for a great gift for someone on your Christmas list (sister, friend, teacher, etc.), please check out the great Christmas gift subscription sale at Stolen Moments Menu Planning. It might just be the perfect answer!

And then don't forget to stop by Org Junkie to get the rest of your menu planning fix.

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