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Karen's avatar

The cookie recipe inspired me. I actually stopped reading the post and made the cookies! They are in the refrigerator while the oven preheats!

I didn't contract Covid during the main outbreak. (2020) I just had it last fall. I was pretty sick because I have asthma and this turning into pneumonia. Covid is still a menace! I had no sense of taste of smell for about 3 months afterwards. I am wondering if we need boosters!

I am also protesting in my area. I am all set for this Saturday. I think everyone has to do their part, as much as they can, to stop us from losing our beloved Democracy. We are lucky to have so many freedoms in this country and we cannot lose them.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Amen to all! Let us know how the cookies turn out!

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Judith Stinson Cowan's avatar

I had emergency gallbladder surgery and a three night stay in the hospital before all hell of COVID broke lose and as a result I concentrated on my health and lost over 50 pounds. Some good came out of the bad. As always thank you for your writing and Good Night Good Luck was excellent!

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Your timing was perfect! Glad your health has improved. Yes, good comes out of bad.

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Karen Stuhlfeier's avatar

The COVID times would have been great had I known that my family would survive it. We both started working from home and our 2 adult children stayed with us for about 6 months. My son had just graduated from college and our daughter stayed with us instead of by herself in her apartment. I had never thought that the 4 of us would live together again and it really was a gift.

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Karen Stuhlfeier's avatar

Also - my husband and I are now protesting for the first time once a week in our neighborhood. Thanks for speaking the truth in your newsletter. We also enjoyed watching Good Night and Good Luck. It was powerful to watch as we watch the government try to dismantle our country. Let's keep fighting.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Absolutely timely!

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Yes, I remember balancing fear with joy. I guess that’s the big moral of life’s story. We don’t know. We do the best we can. 💕

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Elizabeth Graham's avatar

We had our daughter come home from study abroad and our son come home from a dreary basement apartment. It was a gift.

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Lou Ann Brown's avatar

Gotta keep looking for the cracks, because that’s how the light gets in. (Apologies to Leonard Cohen)

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Beautiful metaphor. So right!

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Herbie's avatar

Love this pic! Thank you for this.

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Amie McGraham's avatar

You did such a nice job weaving the memories of Covid with current events; kudos! I also kept a Covid diary, in addition the daily journal I’ve been handwriting for the past decade.

Since Jan 20 of this year, I started making occasional entries to document *some* of the most impactful events of this year. If I wrote about all of them, I’d never leave my desk!

I can’t help but hope that these notebooks we’re writing will be discovered by future civilizations, not unlike Anne Frank’s diary.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Such a great idea, Amie! Time capsules. No one will believe it.

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Julie Buchanan's avatar

Your comments ring true here in the UK and are not without real concern. Your tempting recipes really do add a light touch. Keep it up! Julie

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Thank you, Julie! 💕

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Susan's avatar

COVID had a silver lining for our family. My son and his fiancée moved in with us for 3 months. They lived in Brooklyn in a tiny apartment and were going stir crazy! It was the best time! If it weren't for COVID, we would never have had the quality time we shared. Happy hour, meals, firepit, ghost stories, and lots of adult beverages. :) While COVID did pass through the home, I did not get it till later on after things calmed down. It was nasty!

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Susan, sounds like you really benefitted. That time alone with a child, and his fiancée to get to know, that was priceless. When it comes to adversity, it’s always best to share that with others. And how wonderful your son and his fiancée got to see how you handle stress - with calm and fun!

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Kristin Shannon's avatar

That photo is everything, Anne.

The recipe will get made upon my return to Toronto in a couple of weeks.

Anybody who tosses vanilla into a recipe with abandon is my favourite kind of baker.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Cheers to those of us too busy to measure vanilla! And yes, I think I have reached a level of comfort with you all to share the bathrobe photo. No makeup. No hair color. I was cutting my own hair back then - we all were! - and still do from time to time. Her little smile was cherubic.

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Denise's avatar

The cookies sound delicious.

I remember my MIL was at MSK for cancer surgery, and there was one week where we were allowed to visit from out of state (some states like NY & NJ monitored levels and whether people could visit). We drove non-stop--a stop would have prevented him from visiting (we're ~ three hours from NY). He was able to visit for two hours, our teen and I had to stay in the hotel. We could walk in NY wearing masks.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

That was a journey of love, for sure, Denise. It must have been incredibly frightening for patients and their loved ones to go it alone.

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Lisa B's avatar

Thank you for the reminder that we have been through tough times before and we can get through them again. I saw George Clooney on Broadway. I was impressed that he is using his star power to get out an important message. Thank you for the cookie recipe. They sound delicious and will be a nice alternative to my cowboy cookies. I look forward to baking them.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Thank you! 💕

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Kim Mastrianni's avatar

Ann, thanks so much for your post - really needed it today. I am craving the comfort of oatmeal cookies...I have a great old recipe from my father's cousin, but might try one of yours. Dreaming of the chewy ones we used to buy from Freihofer's here in upstate NY. Take care!!

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Thank you, Kim! The chewier the better when it comes to oatmeal cookies. I have found brown sugar helps as does underbaking them. Don’t know Freihofer’s!

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Karen's avatar

Some of the cookies are out of the oven and smell delicious. I will wait for them to cool off and try one. I did pinch a piece of of one of them and they are sooo good. Thanks for another great recipe.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

It was a very fun recipe to test! And so easy. Almost every ingredient called for is 1/2 cup or 1 cup. I didn’t measure the vanilla, just tipped the bottle over into the batter.

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Jeanette Ziolkowski's avatar

Thank you for this beautiful post, from a Los Angeles County resident. It is heartbreaking that the federal government has caused such upheaval in a city where people went about their lives without a problem. Not to mention, with the horror of the area fires still fresh from January. Our younger son works downtown, and I am worried for his safety, not from protesters, but from the heavy military and police presence.

As both Karen's below commented, my husband and I will be protesting the federal administration on Saturday in our area. This will be our third attendance at a protest, and it definitely makes one feel empowered to congregate around like minded people. We highly recommend attending one to everyone who is able.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Thank you, Jeanette. I hope your son stays safe. Marine and National Guard presence is a bad combination, and for what? To make the administration’s case that they are tough on immigration? It smacks of racism to me. Kudos to everyone who speaks up and resists.

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Deborah Lanius's avatar

Wonderful post as usual!

My Covid story is: I was living in South Carolina working and I remember early on how fearful everyone was. We just didn't know what this was. I would get up very early when I needed to grocery shop (I was usually the only one in the store). I think the fear of just not knowing how things were going to work out can be compared to our political life today (so unsettling).

I had heard about the George Clooney play but did not know it was available on the internet. So thank you for that information.

The cookies look so good so I will definitely try those this summer (along with the other things I want to make...I have a list.. I was reading a book set in Bath, England and a character was eating Sally Lunn buns. I had heard of these a long time but realized I have never actually eaten them so I am going to try those along with a recipe I saw in The NYT for "Crusty Dinner rolls". AND when I was on a plane recently (Air North) they served a Cinnamon Loaf that was So GOOD. The cinnamon was uniformly mixed throughout the bread (unlike a cinnamon swirl I am used to). I am going to try to find a similar recipe. And also will becontinuing to make my way through the biscuit recipes in your cookbook.

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Anne Byrn's avatar

Thank you Deborah for these thoughts and memories. You are right - we didn’t know and we don’t now. PS, the Sally Lunn recipe in my book is super yummy. Cake meets bread, gets married, lives happily ever after.

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Mary Elizabeth Lewis's avatar

My COVID story began on March 13, 2020. I contracted COVID but did not make it to the hospital u ntil

March 28. I was convinced it was just my asthma acting up. My husband got me to the emergency room and my blood ox was 76 - almost in deaths door. I was put in a ventilator for weeks and was in the hospital for a month. I came home the day after Easter that year and had to learn to fine writhing over again. I had no taste or smell for 5 months and I had long COVID until 2023 where I had trouble remembering words and events. I slept a lot and then one day in 2023 everything got clear - the fog lifted. I wish I had lots of stories like everyone else but my story is I almost died but i made it!

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Anne Byrn's avatar

That is A STORY we are glad you survived to tell. Thank you for sharing! 💕

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