Stay home. No family gatherings. No big Easter meal. Corona virus and unseasonable cold combined to make it possible to descend into deep funk.

Instead, I decided those of us sheltering alone (me, Gary and the two dogs) should have a nice meal anyway.

“I’ll roast that other chicken,” I said.

“We ate it. There’s no chicken in the freezer. I can get another one.”

“No. There’s a pork roast. We’ll have that.”

So yesterday the menu was pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, cole slaw, peas and carrots. As I mentioned to my son (who made a spectacular meal for his kids), “Your Dad likes boiled vegetables. The peas and carrots will be a hit and I can’t handle a lot of spice and heat myself.”

The apple pie featuring our own backyard variety was labelled 2017 but I baked it anyway. It looked good and smelled good.

Time to eat. And of course, the critique.

“The roast is dry,” said Gary.

Well, yes, it was. We tend to overcook pork. A hold over from the days when trichinosis was a danger. But the meat was still tasty.

The peas and carrots? (Boiled and buttered)- pronounced “Delicious.” Can I call it???

And the pie? It may have been less juicy, but honestly, there was nothing wrong with it. I was glad the three year old label didn’t put me off. As you can see, I dug out a candle that had resided in a cupboard for years, too.

So we stayed home and there was no family gathering. We did have a more simple meal but I paid more attention to its preparation than I would for an ordinary supper. It made Easter a bit more normal in this serious new reality. And the dogs?? No they didn’t get to sit at the table. That’s something I’m contemplating but I’m not there yet.

Happy Easter.