For today’s Share Your World, we have a guest host, Tena Carr, from Jottings and Writings, standing in for Melanie. So let’s get to it, shall we?
Do you prefer salty foods or sweet foods?
I had surgery to remove a growth in the middle ear of my left ear in December 2019 that left me deaf in that ear. One of the unintended consequences of that surgery was that I lost my sense of taste. So these days, everything I eat — sweet, salty, savory, spicy, bitter, whatever — taste blah.
Would you rather be in a place where it is excessively hot or excessively cold?
One of the attractions of moving to San Francisco was that it never gets excessively hot or excessively cold there. We have since moved to the East Bay Area, about 35 miles east of San Francisco, and while it never gets excessively cold there, either, it does get excessively hot in the summer. And I hate that!
Favorite mode of long distance travel (bus, plane, train, automobile, or other?).
Unless I have to get someplace far away fast, I won’t fly. I prefer either driving or, if available between my starting point and my destination and time is not a consideration, train.
What was your favorite holiday growing up? (You can also use american holidays or appropriate holidays from your country.)
Fourth of July. I used to love cookouts with family and friends and going to see fireworks. But, since the pandemic, that’s pretty much been a thing of the past.
Gratitude question:
What gave you the most gratification this week?
I got my hearing aids. Now all I have to do is get acclimated to them, which could take a couple of months.
This, That, and the Other 
Good luck with the hearing aids! My father had to get them and never quite acclimatized. I thought he just liked being deaf for various reasons. Now I’m going slowly deaf too, and had an aid for one of my ears while I was working (lost 85% in that ear to ‘noise damage’ – who knew sitting in the front row of bands like Journey, Foreigner and ZZ Top (in the day) would damage someone’s hearing? 😂 I played, and now I pay. I liked all your answers – very frank! 🙂
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I don’t prefer cold — not VERY cold — but I would rather add a sweater than spend my days gasping for breath in oppressive heat. We didn’t stay in New England for the weather. We stayed here because we are a mixed race couple with mixed religions too. There aren’t many places we could afford where we would be comfortable culturally and politically. We already have a home here. In the end, there didn’t seem anywhere else we would like and could afford. California used to be a goal but with the endless droughts and fires, not so much. I’d rather deal with too much snow than fire!
I hope you get comfortable with your hearing aids. They have come a long way in the past decade.
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Bummer that you can’t really taste anything. I would hate that😡. Funny I grew to hate the 4th. Our wedding anniversary was on the 3rd but every Fourth of July we had to go to my in-laws and a small town picnic which was a celebration of Cherry days. All I ever wanted was a romantic weekend not with my in-laws.
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Great answers. I had cholesteotoma as a child and had multiple surgeries on my right ear. I never paid attention to it growing up but it does seem that it might have affected my taste buds to some degree as most foods have no real flavor to them unless heavily seasoned. The only exception is salt,I don’t like overly salty foods. I’m also not a huge fan of airplane travel anymore (funny thing is I use to love to fly as a child). Train travel is a lot of fun, but haven’t been in ages.
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Yes, I had a large cholesteatoma removed, but not before it devoured the tiny little bones in the middle ear that connect the ear drum to the inner ear.
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Your hearing aids are going to be great, they will make a lot of difference.
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I do hope so!
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I’m sure so…..
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The Fourth of July was often spent with my grandparent at their cabin on the Missouri River… great food, family and plenty of nature. It was a beautiful place!
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