Easter 2020. The weirdest Easter ever.

And so went the weirdest Easter in living memory…

No Easter goodies were purchased save for one large chocolate rabbit that I bought in mid-March and delivered with groceries to our friends who just had twins – in other words, long before Easter. I didn’t think it was worth the time in public or expense to bother buying Easter treats for the people we normally exchange with since we probably wouldn’t see them and, certainly, do need to eat junk food.

In previous adult years, hubby and I exchange Laura Secord’s peanut butter eggs but they don’t make them anymore. I think this is the second year they haven’t made them and I’m still devastated. Not sure why they stopped producing them because every single year they sold out, at least in our area…. I forget what we exchanged instead last year… probably some form of peanut butter cup for me; he likes anything made of sugar, so he’s easy. We would buy one or two of those eggs for my mom, my brother and his gf too. Last year we bought Easter chocolate for a family with whom we spent the holiday – these people are more family to us than most of our biological extended family, TBH. They bought us Easter chocolate too and we had it left over for months. Not good for the waistline! Geez, this is riveting info, eh?!

I didn’t put up/out any Easter decorations this year. I did look briefly in the storage room for our box of Easter stuff but didn’t find it quickly so gave up. I mainly wanted to find this large window hanging of a fluffy, yellow chick bursting out of a colourful egg to display in our living room window. Our local community has been circulating a list of things to display in our windows on certain days during lockdown as a way of staying connected and giving people/kids something special to watch for on the brief walks we are encouraged to take. The 8th was themed Easter; today’s theme was Ocean Animals. Thrilled I was finally able to participate in one of these solitary group activities, I stood on the couch in the middle of the night to set up my huge stuffed penguin and hammerhead shark. I flipped our blue lapdesk on it’s desk part and made the shark “swim” and sat the penguin atop a sea green “iceberg” aka container headed for the donation bin (once we are allowed to donate again). After way too much contemplation, I decided since it was Easter that the shark would not be on the hunt and faced him headed in the opposite direction from the penguin. It’s fortuitous I had not had time  before quarantine to drop off Mr. Penguin to my friend, KMc, who LOVES the lil tuxedo birds. Hopefully, by Christmas I will be able to get him to his new home. This will be the third Christmas I’ve surprised her with penguin paraphernalia, if so! hehehe Anyway, Hubby went outside before I got up and snapped a photo of my little sea display. I’d like to say he did that of his own volition but I strongly suggested it to him on my way to bed.

On my last shopping excursion I had intended to purchase something seasonal to put up in our window at the dollar store but, disappointingly, I didn’t find anything I liked enough to buy and decided it wasn’t worth the time, expense or effort to check other stores – also I went to the dollar store close to the end of my trip and I was getting very, very tired. However, frequently since that trip, I’ve found myself wishing that I had just bought SOMETHING so that I could participate in the community game. It’s very intriguing how much such a tiny gesture of togetherness can make an impact – to oneself and to others. I certainly enjoying noticing people’s houses who have participated in the various themed displays when we go out occasionally for a quick drive to McDonald’s drive-thru to get mom her coffee fix and pickup the mail from the community mailbox. We’re not generally walk people but it’s been too cold for us to attempt that sort of physical activity just yet.

Normally, I put out an “Easter tree” from my mother-in-law that has little ornaments on it, a replica of the one she has in her home which my hubby grew up with. I have a small collection of hollow ceramic eggs in various colours which are meant to be used as candy dishes, I think. I have a few Ukrainian eggs which I got at an auction once – having grown up in Alberta under a big Ukrainian influence, I couldn’t pass them up and like to display them every year. A couple of them, at least, are the genuine article and I’m fearful they will break or that the cat will decide to bat one under the sofa…

In my youth, we didn’t decorate the house but the Easter Bunny left baskets on the dining room table and a note to tell my brother and I which rooms he hid each of our eggs in. For a short while after hubby and I got together, his mother used to fill an Easter basket for us even though we asked her not to since she couldn’t really afford it. She would ask for the baskets back each year and we would protest honestly but ultimately give them to her until one year brother-in-law (BIL) had a tantrum and said we were full of shit that we didn’t really want chocolate but always gave the basket back because we were gluttons and greedy, etc etc. (His tantrums frequently go on and on and on and on… ). That was the end of Easter baskets for us. As a teenager and young adult, the Easter Bunny (my mom) would usually bring my brother and I each something chocolate. One or two items only. It wasn’t a big thing.

In recent history, Easter dinner would be celebrated with extended family on my mother’s side. The hosting family would cook a turkey, someone would bring a ham, someone else would provide potatoes to mash (not whip!) and others would bring the rest of the main dishes. Altogether we could have sit-down dinners ranging from 12 to 30 people. Frequently, hubby and I would host as our space is the most appropriate for such a crowd. I don’t mind hosting; it gives me something to focus on when my social anxiety gets antsy.

So this year has been quite different… Hubby made sure mom was all set up to watch Catholic mass on her computer this morning with ear buds cuz her speakers need replacing. The Easter Bunny did not pop (hop) by. Exactly zero treats were exchanged. Saying Happy Easter felt very hollow and strange…

For dinner, we had decided to order Chinese food from a local restaurant to support the community but even that didn’t go as planned: On my big shopping excursion around March 20th, I drove by our fave local Chinese chow place to see if they were still open or had any new signage — their sign said they would open April 13th. On Good Friday, we drove by to make sure they would be open for us to order for Easter (they don’t have a website and no answering machine) but, unfortunately, their sign now says “closed until further notice” due to Covid-19. I do hope they come back from this… I don’t even know if I can say I’m optimistic about that, though. Sigh.

The search was on, then, to find a “second best” place where, sadly, we have found none. Neither of us felt like ordering from The Mandarin – usually a buffet outlet with “okay” Chinese food on a regular day; plus, the chain doesn’t have the most stellar reputation for cleanliness and hygiene in my experience — also, it’s a chain so not what we wanted to put our money towards. We chose a little place that mom had ordered from once before (it was “okay” she said) and we phone in shortly before they were scheduled to open to place our order for pickup as we didn’t want to worry about paying at the door and more people than necessary handling the food/package. There was one other customer in the shop when I pulled open the glass entry door. Thankfully, he immediately moved to the far end of the place — about 8 feet away — which still surprised me at first even though covid-19 and not touching my face was all I was focusing on as I went in. Their check out space was literally taped off with grey duct tape and a sign that said “Stay Back”. The cashier asked my phone number, standing as far behind the cash as possible, away from me (I also tried to stand back from the cash on my own side). I gave it and he went into the back to retrieve our order which he placed on a chair near the door, under the “Stay Back” sign. Then he asked how I would pay; I responded “debit” (interac) and he asked if I had “tap” (place the card on the machine to automatically transfer payment). Thankfully, I did. It all felt very surreal even as I was experiencing it, not just as I look back now. He held the machine at the other, far end of the counter, out from around the desk and the till through this small cubby; I briefly put my debit card against the screen. It beeped, I said thank you, did not take a receipt when offered, picked up my order (secured closed in a single-use plastic bag) and, literally, backed out of the establishment, pushing open the doors with my back. I wished the other customer a Happy Easter as I left. Not obviously a non-Christian religion, I suppose I should mention, he replied in kind but I could tell he also felt rather strange. I got in the car which hubby had hesitated outside the door and immediately applied antibacterial hand sanitizer to my hands, forearms and debit card before I put my seat belt on.

On the drive home, we were happy to see a dog wearing bunny ears being walked by his humans. We paid way more attention to a fight between two birds than we normally would… There were only a few cars out and about. Grocery stores were closed today giving their workers a much-needed respite. There were multiple small groups of people out walking, walking their dogs… people seemed fairly happy from a distance.

As soon as we came in the house, we both washed our hands with soap. Then I took the Chinese food down to give mom her portion and to eat with her. Hubby is on a special diet from the doctor so he didn’t even get to eat (he is on meal replacement shakes) but he did come down with me to take a photo of our “Abnormal Easter” experience. We also Facetimed? /video chatted with my brother and his girlfriend who are sequestered in their apartment about a 10 minute drive away. Mom e-transferred them $40 so they could have a “special” Easter dinner too. It was the first time I’ve ever Facetimed and I can’t say that I enjoyed it. It was awkward. It was hard to hear if someone talked while someone else was talking. Plus, nobody is doing anything so nobody has anything to talk about. There is nothing, or almost nothing, Not Horrible in the news to discuss. And your friggin arms get sore holding up the damn device! I wanted to take a screenshot of all of us on screen “together” to commemorate this Easter experience but no one could figure out how to do it… Anyway, we got to see some different faces at least.

In conclusion… I am very okay with not having to host extended family for dinner this year. I’m kinda sorry we don’t get to see the Friends-Who-Are-Family in person. Dinner was okay – not good, not bad. There is leftovers, so that’s special. The fortune cookies were losers lol but we did our good deed and contributed to the community. Hubby talked to his mom and brother on the phone to wish them a happy day; and I didn’t have to. Now, he is watching Krypton on some streaming service while painting miniatures (tiny figurines he plays games with… Dungeons & Dragons Nerd Stuff) while I write this. I am thankful we are all still healthy and safe. I think we will watch a movie before heading to bed – and that, my dears, is it. Easter 2020. The weirdest Easter ever.