I can't even imagine how magical that seemed to you. I grew up with it so, although I do appreciate the beauty of it, I also take it for granted. I've also noticed my tolerance for the inconveniences of it get shorter every year.
Bad weather really does bring out the best in people here in Minnesota. It's been great to be reminded of that, especially with all of the crime we've had these past few years.
I hope your Mom got through it okay! It's so strange how those pains would just hit out of nowhere and in such random places. I felt it in my lower back/kidneys a lot.
Glad to hear you're baking! I started with artisan-style whole wheat loaves years ago and, after getting used to baking sourdough, this would now seem easy in comparison.
Thanks, I wish you well in your baking too!
Same thing. I think it is human. We live close to the ocean and mountain, and people who visit us say the same thing. “How can you take the ocean and mountain for granted?” They always ask. I think we cannot live a meaningful life by always being amazed at the close surroundings; but we can always appreciative though.
Wow, that is good to hear! Here in South Africa, people are so used to crime. If you need help people are always already sceptical of you.
Yes, mom got off okay! But after almost two years, she still hasn’t gotten her smell and taste back fully. Psychologically she might not be off so well! But she is coping. I hope you and your wife will be okay in that department, I think the new variants are not that bad?
Yes! It is funny how our skills grow and become better and when we look back we cannot fathom why it was so hard at the start. I remember the first sourdough loaves I baked. They were as flat as pancakes. It was rather funny. Now, I cannot think what led to that disaster.
Be well my friend! Stay warm.
We do tend to take what we experience every day for granted! I've heard from others that crime is bad over there. We just watched a Trek Trendy's Youtube channel last night and he took.a lux train through South Africa and my wife and I were wondering how safe it would be.
We learned that zinc can help with loss of taste/smell due to Covid and it worked for us! I guess the virus strips zinc reserves from your body and it's difficult to replenish them without zinc supplements. You may want to suggest that to your Mom. I'm sorry to hear she's struggling. This is such a strange illness with long lasting repercussions.
Sourdough was like rocket science to me at first! Now it's so much easier. We have to etch those neural-pathways when we learn something new, I guess.
Thank you, be well, and best of luck in 2023!
Oh yes, sourdough is a tricky science, but when you snap it, it is a whole new world open and at your disposal! Pizza, pasta (sourdough pasta is awesome) and bread, and everything in between.
The crime is bad in SA, you just need to be aware of that and live with that in your mind, then things are fine in some sense. There are some trains running, but we locals rarely use trains or public transport due to the safety issues. And when they are "safe", they tend to be very expensive.
Oh I will tell her this, about the zinc. That might work, or I hope so! It is really frustrating, because things she used to love are now so bad that she cannot even stand the smell, as thing smell funny to her, the little she can smell.
The crime situation sounds very similar to what we have here. You just have to be aware of your surroundings and know where and when to not go to certain places.
The zinc supplements work well. We just got the Sambucus brand zinc lozenges and have been taking two of these a day. I was afraid at one point that coffee would be ruined for me because it smelled like ammonia. Thankfully that righted itself.
I think most places in the world are like that though. You cannot just go anywhere without being aware of where you are going. A lot of people want to go into the townships here in South Africa, and there are safer areas where you can go on tours in the townships, but the fact remains you are entering a place of poverty and crime; anything can happen.
I was in the same boat. Very funny, just before I lost my smell and taste, the last thing I drank was a chai with espresso in it (we call them "dirty chai"). For the three weeks that I lost my smell and taste, coffee and other foods tasted exactly like the dirty chai. It was so horrible, and still to this day I cannot take that smell. It makes me nauseas.