Woke up this morning with a smile on my face. Nothing to do and nowhere to be. Books to read and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee to drink. Bliss. Then I saw my news feed. “When they go low, we go high,” said Michelle Obama. Well, I’m not so sure “going high” continues to be appropriate. Putting someone’s name on something doesn’t keep them from dying and becoming irrelevant at most, or just a historical footnote, at least. don’t get distracted from the real issues.  Support NPR  and PBS.  1,078 more days. 

Wild Cooking Woman  2/6/26

 

A long-time friend reminded me of Barbara Neely’s Blanche White books yesterday. Here they are, in order. I highly recommend them.

1 Blanche on the Lam    1992
2 Blanche Among the Talented Tenth    1994
3 Blanche Cleans Up    1998
4 Blanche Passes Go   2000

Barbara Neely is a highly acclaimed author best known for her mystery and thriller novels. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Anthony Award in 1993, the Agatha Award in 1992, and the Macavity Award in 1993. Neely’s debut novel, “Blanche on the Lam,” which introduced the world to her heroine Blanche White, won three of the four major mystery awards. (more)

 

 

“President Trump posted a blatantly racist video clip portraying former President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama as apes,” wrote  Erica L. Green and Isabella Kwai in today’s NY Times. It has since been removed. “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said in a statement, before the clip was deleted. “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.” (more)

 

 

A University of Pennsylvania professor has built a strict, rules-based classroom cult around reading. And this week in The Atlantic, Walt Hunter, who teaches English at Case Western Reserve University, wrote about his own attempt to buck alarming literacy trends by asking his students to read entire books. (more)

 

 

 

 

Your dog’s sleeping position reveals a lot about their personality, how they feel in the moment, and how they even feel about you. Sleeping in a curled position means that they are protecting themselves. Sleeping up against you means they are seeking comfort and security during sleep. (more)

 

 

On My Reading Table (or about to be)

• The Harvey Girl – Dana Stabenow
• The Last Mandarin: A Novel – Louise Penny & Melissa Fung
• Stolen in Death – J D Robb
• Dog Show: Poems – Billy Collins
• The Goblin in the Sink Drain – Hailey Edwards
• When No One is Watching – Alyssa Cole
• A Glimmer of Death – Laurell K Hamilton
• Murder in the Trembling Lands – Barbara Hambly

 

 

This is from An Elegy for My Washington Post by Carlos Lozado.

The Seven Principles for the Conduct of a Newspaper

 

 

The View will be welcoming some new – and old – guest cohosts to the “Hot Topics” table during Alyssa Farah Griffin’s upcoming maternity leave:  (more)

• Elisabeth Hasselbeck
• Abby Huntsman
• Amanda Carpenter
• Sheryl Underwood
• Whitney Cummings
• Savannah Chrisley

 

 

 

I’m back. Still freezing all across the south. More political bullsh*t.  Bad Bunny IS bad. A version of the Epstein filles have been released. Redacted, except for compromising pictures  of young women. Read about the Buffalo Soldiers and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall here. Support NPR  and PBS. Here is useful information from the Freedom of the Press Foundation for maintaining digital security. Freedom isn’t free.    1,082 more days.

Kintsugi  2/2/26 

 

 

411…

Costco has issued a recall for a popular bakery item sold at select club stores between Jan. 16 and Jan. 30. If you have tree nut allergies, pay attention. The Mini Beignets, which recently returned to the bakery section, were labeled as caramel-filled, but the package contained chocolate-hazelnut-filled beignets instead. 

 

 

The Super Bowl is coming. I can’t wait, well, I will wait, but don’t want to. Bad Bunny, who won a Grammy for album of the year, will be performing. In Spanish. In 2025, the most spoken languages in the USA are English, Spanish, Chinese, and Tagalog (Filipino). This does not account for those who are bilingual.

 

Here is a recipe for entertaining.

 

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ingredients

• Cooking spray

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sweet relish

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) whole-grain mustard, divided

• 1 (12-ounce; 340 g) package Hawaiian sweet rolls (such as King’s Hawaiian), halved crosswise with buns all still attached

• 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham (about 15 slices)

• 4 slices Swiss cheese (about 3/4 ounce; 21 g each)

• 3 tablespoons 45 ml) honey or hot honey

• 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together sweet relish, mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon of the mustard to combine.

2. Place bottom halves of rolls, cut side up, in bottom of prepared pan; spread mayo mixture evenly over bottom halves of rolls. Arrange ham slices in even layer over mayo mixture, and place cheese slices in an even layer over ham. Drizzle honey evenly over cheese. Place top half of rolls, cut-side down, to close the sandwich.  
3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until warmed through and cheese is beginning to melt, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil.  
4. While sliders are baking, in a small bowl, stir together butter, chives, and remaining 1 tablespoon mustard until well combined. After removing foil, use a pastry brush to brush prepared butter on top of rolls. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until tops are golden brown and cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

The Kennedy Center will be closed for about 2 years, starting July 4, 2026. 

 

 

How do NFL players feel about Bad Bunny playing the Super Bowl halftime show? When asked if they liked the choice, 58% said yes and 41% said no.  “I don’t even know who Bad Bunny is,” said an NFC offensive player. “I always think it should be an American (emphasis added). I think they’re trying too hard with this international stuff.” (more)

 

 

Where can you watch films nominated for Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars?

Bugonia (Peacock)
F1 (Apple TV)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (In theaters)
Marty Supreme (In theaters)
One Battle After Another (HBO Max)
The Secret Agent (In theaters)
Sentimental Value (VOD)
Sinners (HBO Max)
Train Dreams (Netflix)

 

 

BOOK BREAKS: February 8, 2026   

Allen C. Guelzo joins us Sunday at 2 pm ET to discuss The Political Writings of Abraham Lincoln

 

Editor and historian Allen C. Guelzo presents texts spanning Abraham Lincoln’s earliest political activity as an Illinois state legislator in the 1830s through his presidency. Together, these documents offer fresh insight into how Lincoln understood liberty, union, and executive power at moments when the nation’s survival hung in the balance.

Allen C. Guelzo is professor of humanities in the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida. His many books include Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment. 

REGISTER HERE   

 

 

 

Do you remember your junior high geography?

 

 

What I’m Watching

Season 4 of Bridgerton is out on Netflix. Harrison Ford is back in Shrinking on Apple+ TV.  The Pitt is on HBO Max, and Idris Elba is back with Hijack on Apple+ TV. Hulu/Disney+ is adding Paradise. 

New series include:

• Wonder Man (Disney+)
• Memory of a Killer (Fox)
• His & Hers (Netflix)
• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Paramount+)
• The Night Manager (Amazon Prime)

 

 

 

 

 

Are you thinking more about AI these days? Join a conversation with UChicago faculty exploring how our deepening intimacy with technology may redefine authentic connections and restructure our social and emotional dynamics.     The Bot and Me: How AI Is Reshaping Human Connection  Tuesday, February 10, 2026
6–7 p.m. (CST)

 

 

See the full list of 2026 Oscar nominations here. Sinners received 16 nominations! Yea!

 

 

Read the full transcript here: 

 

 

Key Dates for the 2025 Tax Year (Filed in 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have someone in your life who lives alone and far away?  Are you going on vacation because you need a break from caregiving? (yes) Here are some free ways to help check on them while you’re away:

• https://buddyhelp.org/     Offers free emotional support through volunteer listeners and also provides access to professional online therapy.
• https://www.snugsafe.com/    A free app that sends daily check-in reminders. If you don’t respond, your emergency contacts are notified.
• https://checkinbee.com/     Sends daily text messages asking for a simple reply. If no response, designated contacts are notified.