Easter in the pandemic

When I think of Easter, I usually think sunshine. Whether it's Florida or NS, we usually have a bright day and this year was no exception. But it is still pretty chilly. The Easter Bunny must have seen DJ's school class list, including the 30 mins a day of exercise for Phys. Ed., because it took him half an hour to find the eggs that were scattered all around the yard and woods close by, even all the way down the hill!  But the haul was worth is for him and the smile on his face made my morning :)  

Just to be sure we got enough exercise, we also biked/scootered around the neighbourhood, dropping off some easter treats to friends and neighbours. I wanted them to be a surprise but DJ had other ideas - hiding behind trees and bushes to be sure that his buddies got their treats and knew who left them. It's the little things that bring the most joy, and that's the spirit of Christmas, right! (Some days I don't know what day it is, what month it is or what we are celebrating ;) )
  
With most of the prep done the previous day and the turkey in the oven since early morning (Gordon Ramsay's tip to rest it for as long as it cooked, never fails), we had some time to relax after all that fun. So, I was delighted that I remembered to tune in on time for Andrea Bocelli's concert from Milan. His renditions of Panis Angelicus and Ave Maria were very moving and the drone footage of the empty streets of Milan, Paris, London and other Italian cities were strange and sad but somewhat peaceful too. Titled Music for Hope, if you missed the concert, you can see it on YouTube. It's a half an hour that you won't regret.  

 

The warm weather and sunshine were an excuse to bring the garden furniture back out and sit for a bit, chat with the Family and enjoy some bubbles (any excuse, right?!) But it didn't last too long as the warm weather also brings out the flies and they were in fighting form. So back indoors to finish making dinner, which was delicious. Lamb is my first choice for Easter (reminds me of my Grandfather) but this year we opted for turkey and even though it was the smallest one I could find (5kg) there is enough to food to feed us for the week. Stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce complimented the bird, spuds and veggies. Speaking of veggies, I had some brussel sprouts in the fridge, which I roasted with the carrots and onions. An unusual choice for a turkey dinner but it  worked and I love that I still have to fight DJ for them, we both love them. Seriously, we do!    

Rounding off the night was a double bill of movies, Peter Rabbit was DJ's choice - perfect for Easter, right?! Jonathan asked for Oceans 8, which was a pretty good movie too, mainly because of the female cast!

While it is not that unusual for us to have a table of three for Easter, we did miss the Family. Knowing they were all at home in the same city (no-one in Marco Island this year), made it a little strange. But we will party when all this is over. Who knows what will be on the menu but the full table will be appreciated more than ever.  

Something that occurs to me daily is that this pandemic has not affected us as a family too much. We are blessed with space (we live in the 'burbs); we have plenty of food in the fridge/freezer so a bi-monthly trip to the supermarket suffices; we are not church-goers or party people, so we are not missing out on too much social interaction (but we do miss our dinner parties and gatherings with family and friends). But many people are missing much more, especially at times of religious celebration. This article/slideshow published by Reuters has some amazing photos of things that would usually be very different. A reminder to count our blessings every day.