Yesterday was Juneteenth. I celebrated by fixing my pantry. Tomorrow is Father’s Day and the summer solstice.  Get the Dad-person in your life something useful, like aa tree, or heatproof mittens for BBQing. Not a tie or a pair of socks. Watched parts of the opening of the Obama Presidential Library. Class acts. People who are not afraid of dying. I am convinced that is what is wrong with our current president; he’s afraid of dying and being forgotten.  America 250 asks: how great have we been? Juneteenth asks: how free are we, really? Watch and subscribe to Jemar Tisby’s Footnotes Substack.  Don’t forget to support NPR and PBS.  We need them more than ever.  944 more days; check out the Presidential Term Countdown Clock.  

Wild Cooking Woman  6/20/26

Juneteenth offers an opportunity to reflect on and learn from the past, and to consider what freedom, citizenship, and democracy mean in the present.  Check out the Southern Poverty Law Center site.  https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/juneteenth?r=opppp&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

This is an excellent way to celebrate Juneteenth. 

What do you know about the Fourteenth Amendment? This is the constitutional amendment that established birthright citizenship.

Fourteenth Amendment

Section 1:  All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Do you have a shower that has glass doors and tiled walls? I do, and I hate to clean it. Here are some easy ways to cut back on that painful but necessary evil.

1.  Have someone do it for you (my preference).
2. Use something like Kaboom bathroom cleaner or Rejuvinate Soap Scum Remover.
3. Rinse thoroughly after your shower, squeege the excess water away, then dry.
4. Use a paste of baking soda and vinegar on tough stains for 15 minutes, then rinse and dry..
5. Spray with hydrogen peroxide, rinse, and dry with a soft cloth.

 I was listening to NPR and heard this.  In Great Britain, Andy Burnham won a parliamentary seat yesterday, positioning the former mayor of Greater Manchester as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Roughly 52% of Britons say Starmer should step down, and Burnham is the preferred replacement, per recent polling. In Britain, the governing party can replace its leader with another member of parliament without holding a general election. (More) I wonder if this system would work here?

Tomorrow will be the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest in the Southern Hemisphere. The Earth’s axis will be tilted such that the sun appears at its highest point in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere (see visual). After Sunday, daylight hours across North America, Europe, and much of Asia and Africa will gradually decrease until late December. (More)

Aldi announced it is launching ALDI Blind Box, a limited-time giveaway from June 22 through June 25.  Starting at 12 p.m. ET daily, shoppers can visit ALDI Blind Box to try to claim one of the free boxes while supplies last. ALDI is also encouraging shoppers to follow @aldiusa on Instagram, where the retailer plans to tease each day’s upcoming theme before the giveaway goes live.

Today is Sunday, 6/14, and I am back more or less. Let’s pretend it is Monday. Things have been too busy for words. I am moved, just found the single shoes that got separated from their mates, and am finding my way in the new kitchen. I saw the vanilla in passing. There is a fly in my office who will meet its end SOON; I don’t do indoor flies. Lots to talk about. have you been paying attention to sports, like the NBA finals, the World Cup, and the WNBA? Good escapism. Check out the Pew Research Center. Sometimes it is too easy to be concerned about the possible consequences of free speech, particularly when it does not favor vindictive, childish, thin-skinned people in power.   Don’t forget to support NPR and PBS.  We need them more than ever.  949 more days; check out the Presidential Term Countdown Clock. 

Wild Cooking Woman  6/15/26

I have ants in my yard. Lots and lots of ants. They are everywhere, those little hills of strange dirt with holes in the top that look like they are moving when I don’t have my glasses on.  I seriously dislike ants. What to do, what to do? A few suggestions. I really like the cinnamon and coffee ideas because I have both. I know Diacomacious earth also works. As soon as it stops raining, I’ll get busy.

The Pew Research Center just published its ninth political typology, the latest portrait of the groups that make up America’s political landscape. The typology reveals nine distinct groups, each defined by its own mix of values, beliefs, and experiences. Take the quiz and see where you are. (This is an old video, but it is useful for understanding the thinking behind the quiz.) Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank. As a neutral source of data and analysis, Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.

Father’s Day is next Sunday. We all have them, even if we don’t know them (sperm donors), dislike them, love them, are afraid of them, share them with step families, whatever. Give the father person (whoever that is) in your life a great gift: one hour of your time, uninterrupted, non-judgmental, funny, not shared with social media, just you.  You both will be winners.

From coffee grounds to household cleaners, here are nine things plumbers say you shouldn’t pour down the drain. Pay attention. Do you know how much plumbers cost these days?! For a standard plumbing house call, you can expect to pay a diagnostic service fee between $75 and $150, which covers the plumber’s time to drive to your home, assess the issue, and provide an estimate. Some companies waive the fee if you get them to do the repairs immediately.

I need a new passport. I don’t want to travel and find myself sent home because I have less than 6 months left before it expires. So…I need a new passport. I saw these tips about taking acceptable photos.  I also saw a link for renewing my passport online. Watch out for companies that promise to do it all for you, and fast, too! Here are the criteria:

• Age: You are 25 or older.
• Passport Validity: Your current passport was issued for 10 years.
• Expiration Date: It is either expiring within 1 year or expired less than 5 years ago.
• Possession: The physical passport is in your possession, undamaged, and has never been reported lost or stolen.
• No Changes: You are not changing your name, sex, date of birth, or place of birth.
• Location: You are physically located in a U.S. state or territory.
• Travel Timeline: You are not traveling internationally for at least 6 weeks

BTW, given our current international political and economic relationships, don’t forget to check for visa requirements immediately!

What Is Castile Soap?  My mother used to make it. Out of coconut oil. In a shoe box. Lined with waxed paper. Using lye. Without a slow cooker.  Anyway…

• Safety goggles (to protect against lye splashes)
• Chemical-resistant rubber gloves
• Long sleeves and pants
• Digital kitchen scale (essential for precise weight measurements)
• Immersion (stick) blender
• Slow cooker (Crock-Pot) 

• 16 oz Pure olive oil
• 3.5 oz Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) flakes (90% purity)
• 10.5 oz Distilled water (for the initial lye solution)
• 40 oz Distilled water (warmed, for the final dilution phase) 

• Place your slow cooker outdoors or in a highly ventilated area.
• Put on your safety goggles, gloves, and long sleeves.
• Weigh 10.5 oz of distilled water into a heat-safe glass or heavy plastic container.
• Weigh 3.5 oz of KOH flakes into a separate dry container.
• Slowly pour the KOH into the water (never pour water into lye, or it can volcano). Stir gently with a stainless steel spoon until fully dissolved. The liquid will get very hot and release strong fumes. Do not breathe in the fumes. Let it sit and cool slightly. 

• Pour 16 oz of olive oil into your slow cooker.
• Turn the slow cooker on High and let the oil warm up to roughly 140°F–160°F. 

• Carefully pour the hot lye solution into the warm olive oil inside the slow cooker.
• Use your immersion blender to mix the liquid. No blender? Stir fast enough to mix it but not fast enough to make a mess.
• Blend in short bursts for 15 to 20 minutes. The mixture will slowly separate, look creamy, and eventually thicken into a pudding-like consistency known as “trace.” Keep blending until it holds its shape and cannot be easily stirred. 

• Put the lid on the slow cooker. Reduce the heat setting to Low.
• Cook the paste for 3 to 4 hours, checking and stirring it with a heavy spoon every 30 minutes.
• As it cooks, the paste will transform from an opaque, milky cream into a translucent, shiny, amber-colored gel that looks like thick petroleum jelly. 

• Boil a small amount of distilled water.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of your soap paste into 2 tablespoons of hot water until dissolved.
• If the liquid is clear or only faintly cloudy, your paste is fully cooked. If it looks milky, cook the paste in the slow cooker for another 30 minutes and test again. 

• Turn the slow cooker to Warm or turn it off entirely.
• Pour the 40 oz of warm distilled water directly over the hot soap paste.
• Stir gently to break up the chunks, then put the lid on.
• Let it sit for several hours or overnight. The paste will completely dissolve into the water on its own. 

• Once fully dissolved and cooled, skim any thin foam from the top surface.
• Pour your clear, amber liquid castile soap into glass jars or plastic pump bottles. 

A Class Act

James Cone and the Invention of Black Liberation Theology. Watch here.