As a white chick who moved to Montana for the cheap housing and the wilderness, but who really misses the non-whiteness of California, Black Twitter is my salvation. (And I try to be Good Martin Freeman who has learned to shut up, not Bad Martin Freeman who is getting barked at.)

I was burning my bottom crust regularly. Now I take the loaf out of the pan when I take the lid off, and finish it on an insulated cookie sheet — still a tougher crust on the bottom than the top, but not burning so much.

I use my seedling-starter mats in the winter. They’re cheaper than a proofing box, and don’t take much energy, but probably not worth buying if you’re not someone who is also going to start tomato and pepper seedlings ...

Yup. I worked remotely for a Big IT Corp for nearly 15 years, and now I contract. Email/IM/web meetings are plenty of interaction for me — too much even. Me and my dog are good here, getting things done without having to talk to people (until Himself comes home at the end of the day).

During a ... tricky period of my parents’ divorce, my mother had a pump action shotgun under her bed. Her bedroom was at the end of a long hallway. We were told if anything ... odd... happened, to scamper down the hallway, because any bad guy would be deterred by the sound of the gun racking, and if not, she couldn’t…

My grandmother was one of the first American tourists in Big China in the late 70s, on a tour with the Chicago Farmer’s Association. She *loved* the food, and found a really good Chinese restaurant in Dekalb, about half an hour north of our family farm. Years later, my best friend from college (in Wisconsin) marries a…

Bourbon, maple syrup, lemon and a dash of chile vodka and you have my go-to winter cocktail. And cure for colds.

I liked that he played it that way too. Like “not sure why I’m here, but okay. It’s very cool here. Anything I can do to help, even though you clearly don’t need me?”

I can attest how important it is for kids out in the sticks like where I live to see a proud, out athlete getting this much attention. I teach at a land grant institution in the sticks, and I am STILL, in 2018, running into kids whose parents put them through conversion therapy, and have thrown them out of the house…

fewer (cough cough, editor here, can’t help it).

The white Baldwins have never been my jam. Sadly, I’m a chick, so JB would not have been interested, but I’ve *always* thought he was one smoking dude ... (also, Brando not my jam.)

Wrong Baldwins. Go watch “I’m Not Your Negro” for the wonder that was James ...

Who among us would not have fucked James Baldwin if we’d had the chance?

Compliment people in public when they’re wearing something fabulous. I do it all the time (despite it making me feel like my mom) and it’s great. Makes both of us happy. (But don’t do it in the “hey girl! smile!” way.)

Maxwell House French Roast is our go-to everyday coffee. It’s FINE people. (The other “flavors” though, not so good. And Folgers is total shit, people leave it at our vacation cabin.)

Ah, the Lincolnshire Marriott — home of our senior prom ...

We have a vacation rental cabin in Montana, which is far enough from the nearest store that we leave some staples for guests. Including butter. They ALWAYS clean us out of butter, and leave tubs of disgusting whipped margarine product.

My mother’s Midwestern cucumber sandwiches (circa 1962) go like this: Pepperidge Farm thin sliced white bread with the crusts cut off, thin layer of mayonnaise 4 slices of cucumber (one on each quadrant), then cut into quarters. Dust with paprika that is so old it’s become entirely flavorless.

Backyard chicken person here. Mine stay on the counter — the poopiest ones go to the dog, but for the others, a quick swipe if they’re dirty. No issues so far, but have to remind everyone, if you have backyard chickens WASH YOUR HANDS after coming in from chicken chores.

Good for her — now I just hope it earns out so her career isn’t tanked. Big advances can be dangerous ...