muggle not

Guess what I got for Christmas.

In my youth I used to enjoy a good Martini now and then. Matter of fact I would frequently enjoy more than one.

I believe that I have read all of his books. The Billy Bob Holland series is especially good and is almost but not quite as good as the Robicheaux series. They are definitley worth a read to take a break from Robicheaux. Then you will have 2 different series of books to decide which to read next. If we keep talking about JLB enough maybe we can get some more people enjoying his writing.

Don't you just love them. Sometimes they have me laughing and sometimes so mad I could chew nails and sometimes so sad I could cry. James Lee Burke is one heck of a writer.

Early every spring I would plant lots and lots of spinach and we would have spinach salads every day with our meals. Fresh spinach, some craisins, and a few pine nuts sprinkled in and topped with a homemade raspberry vinagraitte (spelling). I don't know if I will have a garden this spring as I don't have the ground prepared at our new home.

Haven't had time to look for the Ercavio. I will check out Total Wine as there is a store not too far from us.

Friday evening at dinner we had a bottle of Mar de Frade, a white wine from Spain that equals if not surpasses the Nora wine from Spain. It was excellent. A little side note. The wine bottle has a thermo sensitive logo so that when the wine is chilled at the right temperature for drinking a small boat appears and disappears when the wine is too warm for consumption.

The only way to eat spinach is fresh out of the garden with a little raspberry vinagraitte on it.

Rachael Ray is a real gem. Dogmatix (and anyone else), a cook book that I enjoy is "Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie" by Bill Neal.

Country Ham is not something to have every day. Try frying a slice or two for breakfast and have with scrambled eggs. It also makes great sandwiches;) ...... Or just let it hang in the garage for a year or two.

I finished the last of my 1982 Chateau Bon Pasteur not too long ago.

I bought a bottle of pouilly fuisse at wholefoods today in Winston Salem. may have it tomorrow with dinner.

The Moon Is Down is the type book, although very short in pages, that I will re-read again and again. Steinbeck had a unique knowledge of people's feelings. This book was smuggled into some Countries in Europe during WWII and was in great demand, and small wonder after reading it.

two of my favorites that you may not have read but I recommend highly: The Moon Is Down - John Steinbeck The Old Man And The Sea - Ernest Hemmingway

That was an interesting read, thanks maureen.

hehe, I had to look it up. Is it any good? Panettone (Milanese: panet

There are many surprises as you read the series. Each book gets better and the stories make you feel like you are there. I really urge you to read more of the series and promise that you will not be disappointed. Of all the writers that i have read, I believe that Burke's writing has the biggest improvement book-over-book. Thanks pontalba, I was not aware of the book......Soul of Dave Robicheaux by Barbara Bogue. I will have to look it up. It looks interesting.

I have read all, in most cases, of the following series: Recluse Series (Modesitt) Spellsong Cycle (Modesitt) Wheel of Time Series Dark Tower Series Lord of the Ring Thursday Next Harry Potter Discworld Dave Robicheaux (by James Lee Burke) Billy Bob Holland (by James Lee Burke) Earth's Children The Sacketts (by Louis L'Amour - some may not consider it a series) And probably more that has escaped my feeble mind.

My best wishes to you in what I hope is a life of happiness. hehe, did you enjoy the champagne.

Niersteiner gutes Domtal These wines are from the village of Nierstein, which is situated in the Rheinhessen wine-growing region and is bordered on the west by the Nahe River and on the north and east by the Rhine River. There are approximately 62,500 acres of vineyards in the Rheinhessen making it the largest German wine-growing region in vineyard area and second to the in wine production. This region enjoys a moderate climate with warm summers and mild winters. Louiseog, drink it well chilled and enjoy......save a sip or two for me.

I was in Washington, DC on Wednesday and bought 2 cases of wine at the annual fall wine sale at CW. We also drove to MD and visited our granddaughter and took her out to lunch. Nice day and a break from working our tail off packing. Wine bought: Item No... Description.................. Qty .....Price Ea. ..Total Cost 3589..... Las Brisas ......................2........$8.69 ............$17.38 5188..... Marques de Riscal Verdejo Rueda ....2 ....5.99 ......11.98 6081..... Aveledo Vinho Verde..... 3 .........5.99 ..............17.97 5381..... Regnie Domaine des Buyats...... 2 .........7.99...... 15.98 1947 ...Tres Ojos Garnacha Old Vine Calatayud ..3... 5.99 ..17.97 5505 ..Vega Sindoa Tempranillo.... 2 ... ..6.99 ..............13.98 6960 .....Agricola de Borja Borsoa ....2 .........5.99 ...........11.98 5576 .....San Felipe Malbec ..........3 .........6.79 ..............20.37 7412 .....San Felipe Merlot........... 3........ 6.79 ...............20.37 2034 ....Andeluna Malbec, Winemakers Selection...2 ..9.99 .19.98

Lucky you. You have all of his books to look forward to and his writing gets better with each. Sometimes he makes me feel like I wish I was there helping his character Robicheaux. This is an interesting interview of JLB: http://www.jamesleeburke.com/ Jay MacDonald of USATODAY & Life Experiences of JLB Posted 08/29/2006 Fame & Fortune: James Lee Burke Wealth of life experiences brings author big payoff By Jay MacDonald, Bankrate.com He's been an oil pipeline worker in Texas, a surveyor in Colorado, a Job Corps tutor in backwoods Appalachia and a gangland counselor in south L.A. But it was only when James Lee Burke poured his wealth of life's experiences into a best-selling mystery series featuring Louisiana bayou detective Dave Robicheaux that this Jack-of-all-trades became master-of-one.

I do agree with the friendliness here. I don't believe I have been on any forum that is as friendly as this one. However, I was never intimidated by the "child" on the other place. I enjoyed the Nabokov book but I guess I was intimidated a little by his writing. I came to like Nabokov as a person and certainly as a writer, but kept feeling that I was inadequate in understanding all that he was saying in his book. In other words I felt that there was much more to his writings than I was grasping.............am I making any sense at all.

Oh heck, you could "rock" anywhere. I finished Speak, Memory tonight. Enjoyed the book but I do feel intimidated like some others did.

Wow, that is an excellent chart of the Pratchett books. The only part that puzzles me are those designated "Young Adult". I am an old, old, geezer and thoroughly enjoyed them. Of course there is a member that was banned from here that would call me immature for reading such dribble.