Storm

Calming My Storm After a Concussion Changed My Life

By Latrina M. Midkiff 2 weeks ago
Woman looking out at a stormy sky.
Woman looking out at a stormy sky.

Honestly, I don’t quite remember my life prior to my TBI. I can barely recall it. I can hardly imagine a time when I lived without problems and limitations. When I asked my mom, she explained that I used to live limitlessly, never thinking twice about trying something new, whether it be surfing, trying exotic food, and going on rollercoasters and ropes courses of terrifying heights. I loved to dance, sing, play the piano, draw, and play tennis without a care in the world. I was witty — my family used to call me a firecracker, because I was the queen of the one-liner. I have longed to return to this life, throughout my concussion and even now. This “normal,” my “normal,” seems so far away, a distant reality I can’t even define. I only know it was better. I had a

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‘I’m Cooking Up A Storm In Quarantine’: Why We’re All Baking

By Latrina M. Midkiff 3 weeks ago

NORTH FORK, NY — One of the universal truths to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic is that, along with the ever-elusive rolls of toilet paper, yeast is harder to find than a winning lottery ticket.

For so many who’ve been holed up in quarantine, cooking — and especially baking — has meant either a return to the comforting recipes of childhood or a foray into a whole new world of culinary creativity. Baking bread from scratch, a long-ago tradition, is suddenly a focus, along with Zoom cocktail parties, Netflix binges, and morning gatherings around the TV to listen to New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo discuss coronavirus strategies, and yes, the meatballs and sauce of his childhood Sundays.

Food. It’s become a central character in the coronavirus saga of so many families. And now, East End readers have shared their stories and photos with Patch, about the recipes and reasons

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