Yesterday afternoon we welcomed our daughter and her family over for Easter dinner. In most years this would not have been astonishing. However, this April 4 was the first time we sat down together in our house since March of 2020. I had hoped that Charlie and I would be able to complete the vaccination process with both doses and the required 14 day wait afterwords in time for Easter. We passed the 14 mark on March 30 which made it possible to plan this reunion.
While I felt the absence acutely in the beginning of the pandemic, I had gradually become used to a pretty isolated existence. Sure I saw people on Zoom. Yes in warmer weather we visited outside at a fair distance. But there was no hugging, no animated conversation, no sitting around a table. After a while, I am sad to say, it began to feel normal, albeit a new normal. Yesterday deeply reminded me that there is no substitute for proximity, no alternative for hugs, no way to play Jenga six feet away from everyone.
Yes, we played Jenga after the dishes were cleared. A game which looks simple involving a stack of little wooden blocks, turns out to be highly challenging. Each player has to remove one block without the whole thing tumbling. Then the player puts that block atop the remaining structure and the next player takes over. My grandson terms himself a Jenga champion, and that proved to be true. He was able to very quickly extract one block while the whole tower fell into place without falling over.
As for me. Well let’s just say that I cook a better Easter dinner than I win at Jenga.
Saved By Words 
Great to hear you finally got together, and had some lovely family time too.
(The kids don’t know we always let them win. 🙂 )
Best wishes, Pete.
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I couldn’t win at Jenga if I tried. Which I did!
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So happy for you and your family. A special day ☺️
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We are not yet allowed to gather in our homes but it is so nice to hear life is slowly going back to normal elsewhere and that we can look forward to it eventually here too.
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Canada seems to be having its own surge. Because of our new President the vaccine rollout has been amazing.
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So glad you were able to get together at last!
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Me too!
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What a joyous Easter! I’m always curious about the food. What did you prepare? We had ham, spinach casserole, cornbread, sweet potato casserole, Jello-o lime salad, and a frozen cheesecake.
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We had a 4th of July meal for some reason. Probably because we were so happy. We had hamburgers and Beyond Burgers, potato salad, four different kinds of chips(each person has a favorite) asparagus and cupcakes!
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That’s a fun menu.
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We have still not had an in house get together. But hugging outdoors and kibitzing was wonderful.
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Wait until you get to sit indoors. Nothing like it!
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I look forward to feeling safe doing so.
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So pleased you got together,….I still have to rely on zoom, sadly
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They really ramped up the vaccines with our new President.
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Very good
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I’m happy you were able to enjoy a real family dinner. Funny how many ordinary things we used to take for granted. I enjoyed being able to visit my mom in her apartment last weekend so she could beat me at a couple games of cribbage. Her residence was in lockdown for such a long time.
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Wow. I didn’t know you reunited. That is superb.
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Jenga was one of the most popular games when we had rainy day recess, and the kids couldn’t go outside.
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I can see why. It makes kids hold still–a stunning achievement on a rainy day.
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We’ve been lucky in that my daughter, being a teacher, tests herself twice a week and her partner’s on furlough looking after the sprogs, so they’re a fairly safe bet. Not that we’ve been able to travel while hubby was shielding (diabetes and heart bypass) but now he can travel we were able to have a BBQ in the garden.
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That is wonderful. Haven’t heard about your New Zealand girl in a while. How is she?
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Still doing OK. They’re moving this month. Been very lucky to find somewhere they like as they have a dog now, and people are queueing up to rent in NZ.
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I am so glad.
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So nice to know that you finally spent the day with your family. Stay safe Elizabeth. Just like you, I was overjoyed when Obet and Nate stayed with us while Nissa was in the hospital.
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You never know how much you miss them do you until they are back within hugging reach.
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That is true.
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Sounds like a good day, hopefully the first of many. Because here they decided to wait 12 weeks between jabs, it just seems to be dragging on for ages.
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I thought they were supposed to be three weeks apart. What’s up?
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Yay! I’m so happy for your family’s reunion! I am grateful for the technology that has allowed for Zoom meetings, google classrooms, video calls and etc., but there is NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTUAL GATHERINGS!! My grandmother is 103 and her birthday is in July. For the last decade or so, her birthday has been the reason for our family to have a mini annual family reunion – not so last year. Those of us who are fully vaccinated are looking forward to getting together this summer, outdoors, catching-up, grilling, playing cards, singing songs, and whatnot!
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We just celebrated again with a family meal after our dog died. We are also getting to have a service with the kids. Nothing like grieving together in person with lots of hugs.
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