Another Monday. It’s my turn, whether I am ready or not. DST kicked in early, early this morning. Moving my office around (sigh). Looking for a new abode. Keeping the dog from eating chocolate cake. So much going on. Honey is back. The Middle East continues to be a powder keg, and we are contributing mightily. Lent continues for 25 more days. Today is International Women’s Day. When was the last time you went to Target? Get your taxes done. Do NOT wait until the last minute. Support public radio and television. Only 1,048 more days.
Wild Cooking Woman 3/9/26
I am here to tell you that ovens are serious business. I made bread pudding, and the butter dripped over. I didn’t notice until I put my cinnamon rolls in the oven. I put baking soda on the spill and kept baking because I only have 1 oven. The rolls were delicious. I wiped out the baking soda and left the oven overnight. So, I thought I would use the self-cleaning feature. Wrong decision! Between my raise-the-dead smoke detectors, the dog holding her ears, and the thick gray air, I made a promise that I will never use the self-clean setting again. Tomorrow, off to the store for some Easy-Off.
Here are 7 medications that don’t mix well with coffee. Note: I drink coffee every day. “Coffee can alter how certain medications are absorbed, metabolized, or eliminated by the body,” says Jennifer Bourgeois, Pharm.D. (more)
40 Days of Good Shit (a lenten discipline for cranky people) by Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber Here God, I got you this basket of my candy bars for Lent
Looking for a new place to visit? Madeira, a small island (technically part of a tiny archipelago) that belongs to Portugal, was just named as Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Destinations’ Trending category in the 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards.
Want free and bargain-priced Kindle books? Check out Pixel of Ink.
Another day, another food recall:
- Barbecue sauce from Savannah Bee Company due to mislabeling and undeclared allergens
- Great Value cottage cheese, sold at Walmart stores in 24 states
- eight-ounce bags of Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle Potato Chips
- 15 products sold under the following brand names: Ajinomoto, Kroger, Ling Ling, Tai Pei, and Trader Joe’s, sold at various retailers nationwide, including Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and Sam’s Club
- (MORE)
Discover creative products sourced from women-owned businesses here.
What is the “Grandmother Hypothesis” and does it hold up? Yes. (This was not at all what I expected.)
Does your electric company have peak-hour pricing? Mine does. Peak hours are times when you should avoid using energy-intensive appliances, because they will charge you a firstborn child for your single highest hour of usage during this period. Our hours are: Winter (Nov–Mar): 6 a.m. – 9 a.m.; Summer (Apr–Oct): 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Watch out.
Research suggests that having a pet keeps you healthier. But there are some caveats. (more)
How well can you recall colors? Take a quick quiz here.
The set of documents assembled here extends a different invitation to understanding the Revolutionary/Constitutional period. Dated from 1774 to 1798, these 26 letters, petitions, poems, essays, and declarations were authored by contemporaries of the Founders. Unlike the founding documents, these belong to people who might fall under the common 18th-century expression of “the many-headed hydra.”
On my March reading table…
- On Bullshit – Harry G. Frankfurt
- Spiritual Hygiene – Iyanla Vanzant
- Atmosphere – Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Blindfold Game – Dana Stabenow
- The God of the Woods – Liz Moore
- Black AF History – Michael Harriot
- Better to Rest – Dana Stabenow
- Stolen in Death – J D Robb
This is from An Elegy for My Washington Post by Carlos Lozado.
The Seven Principles for the Conduct of a Newspaper (and news media)
- The first mission of a newspaper is to tell the truth as nearly as the truth may be ascertained.
- The newspaper shall tell ALL the truth so far as it can learn it, concerning the important affairs of America and the world.
- As a disseminator of the news, the paper shall observe the decencies that are obligatory upon a private gentleman.
- What it prints shall be fit reading for the young as well as for the old.
- The newspaper’s duty is to its readers and to the public at large, and not to the private interests of its owners.
- In the pursuit of truth, the newspaper shall be prepared to make sacrifices of its material fortunes, if such course be necessary for the public good.
- The newspaper shall not be the ally of any special interest, but shall be fair, free, and wholesome in its outlook on public affairs and public men.
Key Dates for the 2025 Tax Year (Filed in 2026)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Start of tax year | January 1, 2025 |
| End of tax year | December 31, 2025 |
| IRS begins accepting returns | January 26, 2026 |
| Tax filing deadline | April 15, 2026 |
| Extension deadline (if filed) | October 15, 2026 |
Do you have someone in your life who lives alone or 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.