Random Recommendations

Trader Joe's carries a really nice house brand of beer labelled "Hofbrau Bock". Nicely hopped for a real "beer" taste. And for five bucks last week. Can't beat that.

Vermont Country Store carries these things. They don't seem to have a name. They're wooden tongs for lifting smaller pieces of bread out of the toaster without burning your fingers. Yes, they're over-priced. But wonderfully useful. Haven't dropped a knife in the works, blown a fuse, shocked myself, or burned my fingers in months.

Charles Chevenix Trench's "The Frontier Scouts" is a history of what the ABEBooks blurb calls "(l)ocally recruited tribesmen of the NWF ["North West Frontier"] in 20th Century Frontier campaigns". That is, the north west frontier of India - now Pakistan - on the border with Afghanistan. The very area that the Bush administration and Pakistan are having harsh words about the proper way to pacify. CNN had almost an hour last night on the continual fighting in this province, called Waziristan. Trench's fascinating book is more about 1907 than 2007, but I doubt the current situation would surprise him in the least. ABEBooks has one copy here. $40 does seems a bit steep. I know I didn't pay anything like that for my now-yellowing paperback. But if you're at all interested in the topic, it's an engrossing read and excellent background on the current conflict.

This company makes the most wonderful confectionary. A friend of the family made us a gift of some of their delicious product. I've never had anything like it and I doubt I would ever have bought it on my own. What a discovery. There is a variety of confections in the box. Some are something like baklava but much, much lighter and with more flavour. Others have pistachio nuts. And there is one piece like a little "nest" with spun honey holding a pair of almonds. Heavenly stuff.