Quarantine Life Week 54 – still only kind of

This post is also not going to have a lot of cooking talk. Honestly, I’m proud I even managed to eat. I am still at a loss for words strong enough to describe my grief, but I am just letting myself feel.

Thursday (4/8) – This day was more memorial planning. Owen and I went and picked up 3 boxes of tacos and burritos from Taco Bell and a thing of cheese curds from Dairy Queen for lunch to feed everyone. We spent much of the day editing photos. I did do a team meeting with the law firm I work with by phone. That felt a little normal and helped me get out of my head for an hour. It was our youngest’s birthday, and that was pretty hard for my husband. However, she rolled with it and was a total champ. We sent her a box of chocolates from Edible Arrangements, and we’ll have a celebration next week. My husband and I went out to my brother and sister-in-law’s house for dinner. They picked up Thai takeout, and it was fantastic. It was also nice to just chill and hang out with them for a bit.

Friday (4/9) – My brother had set up a meal-train thing for my mother, and the person scheduled to bring her dinner on Thursday had forgotten. So Friday, when food had not arrived by 6, I went ahead and made some dinner. I did chicken breast in the instant pot along with some green beans, potatoes and a salad. My mother was super impressed that you can cook chicken breast from frozen in the instant pot and have dinner on the table in half an hour. It honestly would’ve been faster except her pot is different, and I had some learning to do. Her meal-train did show up, and we put it in the fridge for lunches the following week.

Saturday (4/10) – Daddy’s memorial service was nice. Well, it was super stressful but nice. I was very nervous doing an indoor service, but we were able to open doors to create airflow, and the seating was arranged some individual families were in blocks. And everyone wore masks. And once the service concluded, everyone filed outside to mingle. Overall, I think it was a very safe gathering. My mom’s church provided food for our immediate family after at my brother’s house. We ate and laughed and were just together. I should mention that all of my siblings and their spouses are fully vaccinate. My mother was also given antibody treatment just a couple of weeks prior.

Sunday (4/11) – It was time to come home. We got up early and drove straight through. We had packed ham and cheese and pb&J sandwiches, and we had chips and cookies for snacks. We only stopped at rest areas for bathroom breaks and gas stations for fuel. When we got home, I had to clean out the refrigerator, which was quite nasty, and the compost bin, which looked like something out of Stranger Things. It was pretty disgusting. I think we did taquitos and mozzarella sticks again. I’m not 100% sure. It was such a blur.

Monday (4/12) – Katie made fried shrimp and tator tots for dinner. We won’t have the kid until next week, as we decided to follow the CDC recommendations for if you have to travel and aren’t fully vaccinated. We’ve each only had our first dose. Although, Owen got his second dose on this day.

Tuesday (4/13) – Katie and I made chicken parmesan served on a bed of spaghetti with a side salad. We made enough and took two portions upstairs to my neighbors, who took care of our fur babies while we were gone. We also made a triple berry cobbler and took them part of it. It was nice to cook again. And it’s great having someone else to cook for!

Wednesday (4/14) – Katie did breakfast for dinner. She cooked up some eggs with cheese and onions, a hashbrown casserole, some of my homemade breakfast sausage, and some canned croissants. It was very good, but the portions were huge! I don’t think anyone finished their plate.

Things are starting to get back to normal. Well, whatever normal is. Katie and I trade off cooking, which is nice. My stomach is starting to readjust to less fast food and take out. But in a few weeks, we will all be fully vaccinated. Well, all but the youngest. We’ll still have to exercise caution, but things may look very different. We all got Covid tests. Katie and I are clear. Owen hasn’t gotten his results. I think the CVS he went to lost them. But since neither Katie nor I have it, it’s a pretty safe bet he doesn’t either. Also, he did not have a reaction to his second vaccine shot.

Thanks for bearing with me telling you about my very long and very sad couple of weeks. I’m hoping to have some happier cooking news to report in the next few posts.