We were required to be six feet apart, and that did something amazing. It stretched our Easter into a great three-day celebration.

Neighbors Shawn, Bob and Logan (9) came for dessert on the porch on Saturday. It was surprisingly warm for late afternoon. For the foodies — we had Caribbean Fudge Pie. I thought something dark and sinful would be appropriate to mark Christ’s full day in the tomb. We enjoyed the easy chat that marks our gatherings, something we have really missed for the past several weeks.

Easter Sunday’s weather was uncomfortably cool and windy. We worked out a safe plan for eating at the same table. We held the front door open so that neighbor Joyce wouldn’t need to touch it. She handed us the dessert she had brought, after which we all washed our hands. She sat at one end of the table, and we huddled at the other end. Remember, our hands were all washed at the same time. I placed dishes beside Joyce, and David brought them to us after she helped herself. I used a spatula to put rolls straight from the oven into a bowl, and we used tongs to serve ourselves. If anyone remembers the terribly tasteless rolls last Thanksgiving, I’m happy to say these were much better. I enjoyed hearing about Easter when Joyce was a child growing up in this area. She remembered the church always had an Easter egg hunt, but it had to be in another location. The church property was much too steep to accommodate children and roly-poly eggs. It was a long day for a child. They began with a sunrise service, followed by Sunday School, festive Easter service, and dinner with lots of relatives. When Joyce left, we opened the door so that she wouldn’t need to touch it.

Foodies, we had ham, crust-less quiche, broccoli with Hollandaise sauce, sweet potato casserole, rolls, spiced peach salad, and chocolate cake.

Neighbors Connie and Marla came the day after Easter. The big storm passed through during the night, resulting in tornadoes through much of the South. Our area was spared. Despite severe flood warnings, Jonathan Creek stayed in its banks. We had our dinner on the back porch with plenty of space between families.

We all talked loud enough to be heard, so distance was not a problem. There are only days left until they move. We enjoyed hearing more about their new place and how they feel it is the best place for them. How we will miss them!

This Easter was a strange one because of the COVID-19 virus, one that will be remembered. I’m sure there are many stories of how people shared the day with loved ones.

Were you able to connect with your favorite people?