I never thought I’d say this, but “I pulled my back out while brewing pour over coffee the other day.”
Sounds ridiculous, and I wish I could say something a bit more spectacular about how my injury came about – say, climbing Mt. Everest – but the simple move of bringing my Fellow kettle up and over the Chemex for the initial bloom, and boom – I felt the twinge of pain in my lower back, and it quickly became impossible to stand upright.
Knowing my morning coffee brewing wasn’t the true culprit – just the straw that broke the camel’s back – I ran though my recent life to try to determine what was the cause of my ailment.
- In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been lifting and moving boxes for a reorganization and clean-out of the garage.
- Our 6,000-mile summer camping road trip – sitting in a car, sleeping on the ground
- The final clean-out (more lifting and moving of heavy boxes) at my Dad’s house in Ohio so I could get it on the market and sold
- Stress of Covid living . .
A week later, I’m still feeling the pain, but not as constant as it was when it first happened.
The Pain of Cooking
Needless to say, my time in the kitchen this past week has been quite interesting.
- Bending over to retrieve something from the lower cupboards = an awkward 60 seconds of maneuvering myself to get down, grab something and then get back up.
- The reach in the pantry = back spasms
- Grabbing of a jug of milk from the fridge = painful
- Lifting a pot of boiling water with pasta to drain = impossible (and potentially dangerous)
I had to adapt, and ask for help, hand over the meal prep to someone else, and to stop obsessing about how clean (or not so clean) the kitchen was . . I had to adapt, and change my expectations.
That is what we have all have had to do this year. Adapt our working and school schedule, adapt our socializing plans, vacation plans, the way we emerge from our homes, how we exercise, and definitely how we eat. Some of you have taken up bread baking and preparing more meals at home, others may be stocking up on frozen foods and ordering take-out with greater frequency.
I’ve been trying to eat much healthier, and with greater diversity. I’ve been trying new recipes that add a bit more excitement to our usual mealtime playlist.
Yes, it’s been a challenge (especially when you’ve got some back pain), but it has also been satisfying.
I’m adapting to the new way of life, and even though I have also spent lots of time in the kitchen, I am finding that the more I cook, the more I am comfortable with ingredient substitutions; the more I am willing to try preparing something new; the more inspired I am to seek (and prepare) new recipes to add to our mealtime rotation.
I give thanks for every day for this time we are spending together around the table, especially with my oldest embarking on his college adventure next year. And, in some way, I’m thankful for the perils of pour over coffee brewing — it may have added a bit of pain to my week, but it surely gave me a new perspective.
