Not that we normally entertain, but somehow Pesach feels especially isolated this year.  Even if I had hordes of family or friends around to invite, I couldn’t.  I can just imagine how strange it will be for folks for whom it’s usually a major gathering, as it was meant to be.  Nevertheless, time to go slave in Egypt, making my superior drunken Charoset and so on.

I planted marigolds, zinnias, and assorted sunflowers this morning.  I hope to be able to look out my office window one day soon and see masses of flowers.  For now, I’m always pleased to find any new specimens, however tiny or common.  I’m especially excited about my native columbines reseeding and blooming this year.

Well, we took our lives in our hands early this morning, donned our hazmat outfits (masks and gloves), armed ourselves with antibacterial wipes, and entered the danger zone (Kroger) for supplies.  I was pleasantly surprised by others (though not all) wearing masks and keeping their distance.  But unsurprisingly, we again found all toilet paper, disinfectants, wipes, etc. completely decimated.  No accounting for ignorance.  The employees were tired but trying hard to stay upbeat and avoid conflicts.

We thoroughly decontaminated ourselves and all purchases, surfaces, clothing, etc. when we got home.  It’s a strange world out there.  I won’t deny we were nervous to venture out after weeks of sheltering at home.  Hopefully all our precautions paid off.  The numbers of deaths keep escalating by the thousands.

And now back to less menacing nature.

It’s 80º out!  It feels like summer.  So I decided to transfer my tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings to the back porch to acclimate.  Pretty soon I’ll transplant them to the garden, and direct-seed the rest of my veggies and flowers as well.  I notice more people are suddenly discovering grow-your-own-veggies for the first time!  I guess sometimes it takes a deadly pandemic (or war) to return to basic survival skills.

I was gratified to find more native wildflower seedlings and trees coming up, some for the first time, out in the field.  Not much is blooming out there yet, just perennials around the house.  I was excited to see the first bearded iris of the season blooming, a lovely pale yellow.  Lots more to follow.

I just want to say to anyone bored enough to be reading this, try not to get too discouraged or hopeless.  Part of the reason I keep this journal is to chronicle our attempt to maintain some semblance of normal, healthy life during this traumatic time.  Getting outside is very hygienic as well as therapeutic, if you are able to do it.  It reminds you that the natural world, though sometimes destructive, goes on living and breathing, as will we if we continue to stay home and stay safe for the sake of all of us.  One day this too will be behind us.  Hopefully we will retain the lessons learned and incorporate them into our lives.

I’m also trying to psyche myself up for tomorrow, when we must leave our quarantine to pick up necessities.  You take your life in your hands, literally, just going to the store.  We’ll wear face masks, gloves, and disinfect ourselves and everything.  We’ve made it this far, I’d hate to get sick now.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

It could almost be an innocent spring day, if you don’t watch the news.  It’s a sunny 75º, and more flowers are appearing, including some native wildflowers I think.

I started my Pesach spring cleaning, and the obligatory consuming of hametz (non-Pesach foods and drinks).  Such a hardship!  E is making yummy oatmeal/nut/raisin cookies, and somehow I must bring myself to drink more beer and bourbon!  (To make up for the coming week-long deprivation of living on cardboard matzah and crappy booze; what we sacrifice for tradition!)  Still, it beats the alternative–dying of a deadly virus.

You’ll notice Misu is doing her part, “supervising”.

Ten years ago this season when my father died, no one who had lived through the Great Depression and WWII could have ever imagined a world crisis such as we have today.  I’m glad he didn’t have to live to see this.  Here is his yahrzeit memorial candle, which I lit last night on the Jewish lunar anniversary.

And here are more flowers blooming on this deceptively pleasant spring erev, with Passover coming up this week.  It will be a very sober Pesach, with everyone sequestered away from their families.  I say “sober” in the sense of “sobering”, not in the sense of the traditional sacred drinking oneself under the table.  I predict a little more of the latter this year, for therapeutic purposes.

I figure while I’m waiting to die (it being TN, after all, so business as usual), might as well take advantage of this seriously spring weather and plant more stuff!  First, I planted some herb seeds indoors.  Then I went outside and planted violas, nasturtiums, and lupines.  All my salad greens and veggies are coming up.  Hopefully somebody will get to enjoy all this!

I was really happy to see one of my self-seeded native columbines blooming, and also the first of the native woodland dwarf irises.  Dogwoods and many perennials are in full bloom, and bees are getting down to work.  I feel bad for Misu, who longs to join me out there, but I know it’s for the best, especially right now.  She finds many ways to be compensated for her loss.

This is the first time I’ve seen no April Fools Day posts.  I think we’re all too traumatized to make whimsical seasonal jokes. I could say something about our fool-in-chief, who thought the whole pandemic was a joke, and was going to open the country back up in early April, but it’s all been said, and nobody with a brain is fooled.

I got to have a video chat and drinks with my son yesterday, once I figured out which way was up, so-to-speak.  It’s not quite the same as in person, but it helps to fend off the sense of isolation.  Vid confs are the new visits.

Outside, it’s back to cold.  I planted one veg row, then shivered back inside.  The few new flowers were shivering, too, so the photos are a bit unfocussed.  No, it wasn’t from the “magic mushroom”.  Or was it?