A strange Easter. I struggle with Easter a bit anyway. We don't really celebrate it in a religious sense although we respect those beliefs, and the childhood Easter traditions have fallen away. It's still a holiday, a marker, for me, however. Some years we have had people over and I think that's when I'm happiest. This year, of course, is unique because we can't share it with friends and other family. We do have a ham, thanks to my beloved BIL, Dennis. So we will have ham, and I think Owen will probably insist on making mashed potatoes (he's very good at it). I wish I had asparagus but I have other green vegetables so we will make do and we will celebrate the resurgence of spring.
Ernie and I went for a long drive in the country yesterday. It felt good. The new normal starts to feel normal. In the old normal we would have had Eric Brace, Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz playing at our house on Friday, and been at the symphony last night.
I can't complain about our personal new normal though. After our drive we came back and had a virtual happy hour with some friends. We came back downstairs feeling more relaxed. It was starting to get gray and the thought of rain had seeds on my mind. I asked Owen if he would help plant some kale seeds so (I try not to subject Leo to too many outside activities) he joined Ernie and I. This is the bed where all my coneflowers died last year. I'm been trying to transform it to all perennials but that is not to be, at least for now, so I (uh, Owen) planted a row of lacinato kale and a row of purple ruffled kale. I'll plant the Swiss chard with the zinnias in the other bed. I checked on some of the other flowers. Our Lenten roses were appropriately enough, blooming…and our beloved bleeding heart has started as well.
This morning I woke up in a pretty good mood. I tried to help Owen file for unemployment but it seems he doesn't qualify. I thought part-time workers were covered now. Anyone know? Leo filed and got his first check, with the $600 bonus so he's now making more than he did working. Owen is heartbroken. He'd downstairs playing drums and guitar though, so hopefully, that will help a bit.
Ernie made me kale and eggs, and happily enough, Bob is back in his box. Life is good. Not a jelly bean in sight (sorry, Ernie) but happy Easter to all.
Onward.