Bena Mae's Kitchen

Write-offs or how to deduct an ostrich When my husband was alive he always filled out our tax returns. But when he died, it was left up to me to file them. I approached the task with fear and trepidation and the sense that Big Brother was breathing down my back. I filled in each entry with a shaking hand, wondering if it was correct or not, and envisioning the IRS S.W.A.T. team surrounding my house with guns drawn. If you are filing your own taxes this year, think about the following and give yourself a moment’s respite with the funny things some creative people found to deduct in filing their tax...

Waiting for February to end “Some people are not happy unless they are hating someone with different ideas, different nationality or creed.” This quote jumped out at me because it is a mirror of the attitude that exists in the world today. And I ask myself why. Is hate a security blanket for these people? Does it protect them from thinking outside the box? Would opening up their minds to different ideas, ideologies, differences of opinion, shatter their comfortable little world and threaten their “head in the sand” beliefs? I say this because of the prevalence of hate-filled rhetoric we hear on the airwaves incessantly. And it needn’t be that way. Daily we...

Winter Stories For some time now we have watched in awe as the northeast has been hit by monstrous blizzards. It was an unprecedented force in many ways, below zero degrees, 3 foot snowfalls, closed highways, power outages, cities that were shut down to all walking or driving traffic. And we thanked Mother Nature for sparing us the cruelty that was being felt by our neighbors to the North. You might say that we haven’t had a terrible winter as far as winters go. But it will be a while before we see a crocus popping up out of the ground since we’re just in the middle of February. But even in the...

This is my most unfavorite time of the year. To my way of thinking, the months of January and February are without a single redeeming quality. We can look at seed catalogs, but it’s too early to start planting a garden. Shopping is no fun. Where’s the incentive? We’re not going anywhere to show off our new clothes. Add to that the fact that what the stores are showing have been picked over until they are practically worn out. Seeking a relief from boredom, I spent the better part of January culling my wardrobe, helping Good Will to line their coffers. I made at least six trips back and forth, back...

I am always pleased to hear from readers whether by a phone call or a letter, or as was the case when I received an e-mail from a former Corbinite, now in Seattle, WA. I never cease to be amazed at the wide area this newspaper reaches when you write or call me. Just recently, I received a thank you card from a lady in California thanking me for writing a book. I find it heartwarming when readers from the four corners of the U.S. take time to get in touch. The former Corbinite made some observations about cooking in this area that I completely agree with. When he alluded...

When I received the following email from a friend, my first thought was RIGHT ON! It was voted number 1 email of the year and rightly so. So to my gentlemen readers I say forewarned is forearmed and you should read it at your own risk. The email goes on to say that a man was sick and tired of going to work everyday while his wife stayed at home. He wanted her to know what he went through, so he prayed: “Dear Lord, I go to work everyday and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through, so please...

I don’t do alcohol or pills. I get the same effect standing up. -- Anonymous Being old and ill puts you in an isolation that you never expected during your salad days. Your mind sends messages to your brain but your body refuses to respond. And the law of gravity is constantly pulling you down. Things that you once did without effort and can no longer do leaves you frustrated, helpless. Each day looms large, knowing that you cannot spend it with activities you once enjoyed. Finding myself in this situation, I try to think of others who are worse off than I find myself. And there are plenty of them around...

My mother was not politically correct Being politically correct means avoiding language that might offend someone. Much emphasis has been put on it by politicos in the campaign race for president in 2016. And so far it has not been practiced by many of the candidates. But politics aside, long before it became a by-word for the candidates, my mother practiced political incorrectness in her later years. I guess it was the result of the suppression of holding her tongue while raising a large family through difficult times. Looking back, I would say she deserved the emancipation of feeling free to say what she was thinking. To my way of thinking, old age...

It’s about time This autumn, daylight saving time has us “falling back” — or gaining an hour of sleep — during the wee hours of Sunday, November 1. While that may sound like the perfect way to recover from a weekend of Halloween, it can be surprisingly jarring on the body. It always rattles me. And I’m confused for days, sometimes weeks. And I’d like to abolish Daylight Saving Time altogether. I set my clocks, some on the old time and others on the new time in order to establish some kind of sanity between “leaping forward and falling back”. Besides, I hate the sudden darkness at four o’clock that makes me...