I’m reading Donna Tartt’s, “The Goldfinch.”
A masterpiece.
Won the Pulitzer in 2014.
And at almost 800 pages, it lasts.

The first chapter takes place on the morning that our hero-storyteller, a thirteen-year-old boy named Theodore Decker, having been suspended from school and, in response to the administration’s directive, is on his way, with his mother, to a disciplinary meeting at the school.
Having extra time before the meeting, they decide to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art where Theodore falls in love with a red-headed girl he spots visiting the museum in the company of her grandfather.
A terrorist bomb severely injures Theo.
He wakens near the red-head’s grandfather, a Welty Blackwell, who, as he dies, gives Theo a ring and an enigmatic message.
The boy thinks the man also insisted that he take the diminutive, splendid painting that had been blown nearby, the very valuable, “The Goldfinch,” by Carel Fabritius, one of Rembrandt van Rijn’s most promising students.
Theo stumbles half-consciously through the museum rubble carrying a shopping bag into which he has placed the ring and the painting.
He finds his way to the street jammed with emergency vehicles, and makes his way home to meet up with his mother.
A great story; a brilliantly-described first scene.

Today’s post is a page from my “Wine by the Glass” manuscript.

Today is Monday, July 9, 2018
Good morning, my friends.
This is my ninety-second consecutive daily posting. 

It’s 1.08am and today is another lovely day, although edging to hot.

Wikipedia’s report of the movie playing: The Scarlet Coat is a 1955 American historical drama and swashbuckler in Eastmancolor and CinemaScope from MGM, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, directed by John Sturges, that stars Cornel Wilde, Michael Wilding, George Sanders, and Anne Francis. The film is based upon the events in the American Revolution in which Benedict Arnold offered to surrender the fort at West Point to the British in exchange for money.
The film purports to tell the story of the creation of the "American Secret Service". It weaves a spy/counterspy tale in which British and American counterparts, played by Michael Wilding as the historical personage Major John André and Cornel Wilde as the fictional Major John Bolton, each unaware that the other is attempting to outsmart him for the sake of their countries, deal with issues of honor, loyalty, and friendship. There is also some rivalry between the men for the love of a beautiful woman, the fictional Sally Cameron (Anne Francis).
While historically André and Major Benjamin Tallmadge, Bolton's historical counterpart, did meet shortly before André was to be hanged as a spy (Talmadge's regiment of light dragoons was charged with guarding André), their acquaintance was not the longer-term and deeper friendship suggested in the film. Bolton betrays this friendship out of duty in the film, but Karl Tunberg's script ameliorates that difficulty by having Bolton make attempts to save Andre's life. Another important departure from history is that during the course of events André saves Bolton when the latter is arrested for being a spy, something that never occurred.
André is treated sympathetically in the film while Wilde's fictional Major Bolton is portrayed as more ruthless, particularly in the brutality he employs to accomplish his objectives. The script is noted for its even-handedness in depicting both sides of the conflict.
As reported by Wikipedia. 

I am a sucker for movies with either the Revolutionary or Civil Wars as the backdrop. I’m pretty well insatiable.

I’m at my desk.
Dinner is a terrific leftover roasted chicken.

A noteworthy web tweak.
I made the recipe a bit larger in serving size and changed proportions of the ingredients.
 

Today’s Post

 7. Random Thoughts

Stemmed glasses
We hold the glass by the stem so our hands don’t change the temperature of the wine.
And so our hand doesn’t obstruct our view of the bowl. 

Large glasses
We use large glasses because we’ll be tilting, rotating and laying the glass horizontally to examine the visuals of the wine and a large bowl militates against spillage.
Typically a glass of wine is 5oz and is usually poured into a glass three times its size.
So a glass of wine fills about 1/3 of a fifteen ounce-glass.

Frame of mind
Permit the wine to civilize us by slowing.
Use the moment to center ourselves.
Swirl the glass and enjoy the movement and the color.

A Caution
Wine is an alcoholic beverage.
It’s mind-altering.
Think.

What impact will it have on ourselves and the family and friends around us.
Drink alcohol staying within our own limits.

Stay aware of that limit always.
How much alcohol does it take to have an impact on our persona?
At what point is our driving ability impaired?
What about tomorrow?  Will we wake up in time for work?  Will we share love with our spouses or children?

Friends
Resist all pressures to drink more.
No person with your interest at heart will encourage you to another glass.

Be a friend.
Never pour alcohol for a companion.
On seeing an empty wine glass, ignore it.
Be assured the owner of the glass is aware of it.

Hydration
Alcohol will dehydrate us. 
Drinking about twelve ounces of water for every three ounces of wine will help reduce most headaches associated with alcohol.

Constant vigilance is the price of pleasure.

Post Scripts
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God bless!
Be good.
Be well.
Love you.