It made me think of events that have happened during COVID- happy and sad- and how they’ve changed how we mark these occasions. My neighbor Bernie had a medical emergency on the last day of a family cruise in December 2019. He was medevaced to a hospital, where he lingered for months before finally coming home, and dying at age 90. I felt terrible, of course, but there was no funeral to attend. I read his obituary in the paper and dropped off a card and cookies to his widow Maggie; I couldn’t help but think what an awful time it was to die under these circumstances.

We can’t gather together for comfort, give hugs, or drop off dishes to eat together while sharing stories of loved ones. The coming together to celebrate or mourn, has changed drastically in the time of COVID. It’s not like I enjoy attending funerals (who does?), but I GET them more now. That ritual, that tradition of paying one’s respects to the deceased, seeing them one last time, saying a prayer in front of their casket, causes a finality in our brain that allows us to process the loss as real. Without it, it’s almost like a tree falling in the forest.

By the pool in the Keys yesterday, I was talking to a neighbor about COVID.

“I hate COVID.”

she said.

“Join the club.”

I said.

But we were talking about things we were supposed to do this year that got cancelled- she had her niece’s wedding (postponed, but eventually happened), we had a niece’s wedding in August (postponed till next year). We also had an Alaskan cruise (who knows when that will happen?), two graduations, four birthdays, Zeke’s 40th year class reunion, the list goes on and on.

“Everyone has some story,” said her husband.

Some story of something important that didn’t happen, was cancelled or postponed, due to COVID. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever get that back. Sometimes it feels like 2020 is the year that didn’t happen, a mirage we’ve imagined that will sink into the recesses of our unconscious.

It’s not like sitting in a hot, crowded auditorium for hours with a bunch of strangers, waiting for your child’s name to be called and walk across the stage to pick up their diploma, was something I was looking forward to, but it does mark an occasion. It’s a ritual that designates the importance of four years of hard work and study, signified by moving the tassel to the other side of the mortar board. And then, throwing the caps up into the air in celebration. Having a family dinner at home, even while forcing said graduate to dress up in a black graduation cap and gown, is simply NOT the same. I miss the Pomp and Circumstance, I even miss the song. Who knew?

It’s a perfect example of how you never know the things you’ll miss until they’re gone. Now, a lot of things we took for granted are gone. Retail stores we loved, restaurants we ate at, businesses we frequented, even the Saturday edition of the Miami Herald are finis.

When I flew for Air Florida, we’d been living with rumors of Bankruptcy and Going out of Business for a long time, it eventually just became like the white noise that buzzed in the background on my flights. It had gotten so bad, a friend and fellow flight attendant of mine, Lori, had come up with our own new slogan for Air Florida- “Who gives a f**k?” Then in July, I had a flight (can’t remember where), with a classmate from my training class (Cathy something) and, after that flight, I came home as usual. The next day, Air Florida declared bankruptcy and I never flew, as a flight attendant, again. The only thing I do remember about my flight is that I had breakfast at a Bob’s Big Boy. But, the point is, had I known it was going to be my LAST FLIGHT I would’ve savored every moment of it- the demanding passengers, the crying babies, even that smell of the airplane when you walked onto an empty plane. And had I known that the last time I saw my neighbor Bernie in December, was going to be the last time I would see him ever, I would’ve said something better than “Hey” in passing him on the street we shared, as he walked his little dog Lizzie. Regrets, I have a few.

So that’s why, last week I decided to mark some occasions and not let them slip away unnoticed in this incredibly strange year of 2020. Kate and Tug, my niece and her husband, decided to move back to Portland, Oregon after a year in Miami with their adorable baby Lou, and two dogs Kobe and Wagyu. They’d had a hard time adjusting to Miami, with Kate working at a fellowship at Jackson Hospital and Tug, working remotely from home for his employer in Boston. Then, COVID hit. Tug got offered a better job, with more money that will pay for him to go back to school and Kate got offered another Fellowship by her old boss at her old hospital in Portland. They put their house in the Gables on the market. It sold in one day, with five back-up offers and, that was that.

“Will you ask us over for dinner parties?” Kate asked me when they moved to Miami, last summer.

“Of course!” I said.

And we did have them over right after they moved. But, since COVID, I haven’t seen Kate, since she was being very cautious and worked at a hospital. I asked them over for a final dinner last Wednesday before they left for Portland. She suggested Surf and Turf- the same thing I’d served the last time- because she likes Turf and Tug likes Surf. Dinner was some Grilled Garlic Shrimp (Martha Stewart) with Grilled Hanger Steak (Zeke Guilford), Ina’s Make Ahead Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Brussel Sprouts (Ina). Appetizers were simple- sliced cucumbers, salami and Cheese Crackers (The Splendid Table) and dessert was homemade ice cream with biscotti (The Last Course). Dinner was precisely from 5 to 7, to fit in Lou’s schedule (who was a perfect baby, but started yawning towards the end) and then, just as suddenly as they came, Tug and Kate were gone.

Thursday marked the return to UM Football and Zeke and I went over to Justin’s Brickell apartment with A.J. and Justin’s family to watch the game and eat tacos. The appetizers were wiped out before I arrived. I brought fresh salsa and black beans (which no one seemed to eat), but the Lobster Tacos were excellent. I also brought my own Margarita, a version of one I’d had at at Agave, a Mexican restaurant in Delaware, which featured Ancho Chile Bitters. I was excited to see Wyatt’s room, where he’s been living the last six months since the Pandemic hit, and it was nice reconnecting with Justin’s family. We left at halftime. U.M. won.

Friday night we celebrated the last hurrah of Summer (Fall starts the 22nd!) by having Emma and her boyfriend Gui over for “Camp” with Wyatt. She misses Wyatt, since he no longer lives here and neither does Emma, who moved to her own apartment earlier this summer. Wyatt swam, we played Water Balloon Toss (which didn’t really work because the balloons seemed unbreakable) and then we ate a Summery Dinner of Grilled Cheeseburger Sliders, Corn off the cob, Baked Beans, Pasta Salad (Ina) and slices of chilled watermelon. Dessert was S’mores, with marshmallows toasted in the fireplace.

We then told Spooky (G-rated-stories) in the living room and played with some light-up rockets Emma had gotten for Wyatt outside, in the front yard. Emma and Guillermo left, exhausted. I’d mentioned to Wyatt that we might sleep in a tent outside for Camp, but luckily he forgot about that (it was SO hot!). I gave him a bath and put him to bed, in the delicious Air Conditioning.

Saturday, we had Martha and Luis over for Duck Breasts she’d ordered for D’ Artagnan. She also brought a bottle of champagne and I served Fresh Figs stuffed with a gorgonzola cheese and topped with crispy prosciutto for hors d’oevres. I served Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus (Joy of Cooking) with the Duck a l’orange (Martha Stewart), which Zeke scored, then seared in the cast iron skillet. I also made a Watercress and Arugula Salad with toasted almonds, dried cranberries and a honey lime vinaigrette, to add a bit of brightness and acidity to the meal. Dessert was homemade ice cream, this one a delicious Sweet Corn Ice Cream, with a Blackberry compote and a crunchy Rose Water Meringue (all The Last Course.)

I’m glad I celebrated all these events last week. It takes effort, but it’s worth it and I want to live with less regrets and more gusto. And the next time I go to a funeral, I will do so with gratitude that I’m able to properly say goodbye to a loved one, the next time I attend a graduation, I will stand up and clap the loudest and longest and, when I attend Lindsay’s wedding next summer in Massachusetts, I will have my dancing shoes on and dance like there’s no tomorrow, because there may not be.

Like Robin Williams (as John Keating) in Dead Poet’s Society said:

“We are food for worms, lads. Carpe Diem! Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”

John Keating

In other words, give a f**k. Drag out the good china, polish the silver, clean the crystal, make special meals for people you love, celebrate the big things and the small things. Even in a time of COVID, this is possible.

Up Next: My favorite Grilled Shrimp Recipe.

Under Pressure

“I’m counting on you Bop!” Wyatt said to Zeke, who was attempting to put together a complicated Lego’s Avengers vehicle with a 167 little pieces. “I’m trying Buddy!” Zeke answered.

When Wyatt handed me the box, I said “Gigi does not do Legos,” so he went to Bop and asked him to put it together. Surprisingly, Zeke went right to work on it at the kitchen table, while cursing under his breathe that there were no real instructions, just pictures, that the pieces were so small, that it didn’t make sense, etc… Wyatt and I went for a walk, to let Bop have some space and time to construct his birthday present from Hell.

When we returned, the vehicle, an Avenger’s motorcycle, was almost completed. Wyatt moved the box in front of Bop so he could figure it out better. Bop put his wine down and concentrated on the final pieces and finally, it was done, although with quite a few little extra Legos leftover. ??? Since we’re not actually riding in this Avenger’s vehicle, I think we’re safe and Bop, who Wyatt was counting on, came through.

While we’re counting… Florida isn’t doing so good, coronavirus-wise. In every article I read, our Sunshine State is mentioned as having escalating cases and possibly being the next epicenter. Thursday, we had 9000 new cases, shattering by 63% our previous one- day record. Friday more cases and Saturday, beat that record again with 9,585 new cases, a new all-time high. The Global Covid-19 cases hit 10 million that same day, with the Global death toll exceeded half a million people.

Numbers. After a while, they are dizzying and cease to have meaning, especially when they are accelerating at such a rapid speed. More and more cases, more and more deaths. I think it’s apparent that Florida, and other states, opened too early. I think it should be apparent (but for some reason it’s controversial) that everyone leaving their house these days should wear a mask, to protect themselves and their fellow man. And I think our Governor needs to mandate Florida’s citizens to wear masks. He thinks we should rely on people’s good will, which sounds great in theory, but hey- it’s not working.

I had Wyatt Thursday night, so made pasta with red sauce (his favorite) with Ina’s stuffed zucchini and little homemade meatballs (just because I felt like it). I also made some rose water meringues from The Last Course, that I served with sherbert and raspberries.

My favorite meal I made last week was Hillstone’s Thai Steak and Noodle Salad, that I found on La Dolce Vita website. I had leftover steak and a fresh Malika mango from my tree, so I was halfway there. There were a lot of moving parts to this salad, but nothing too difficult is required for this sweet and savory meal. Zeke doesn’t normally like salads for dinner, but with the addition of steak and noodles, it adds up to an entree salad. I didn’t have the arugula and watercress, so subbed with Romaine and spinach, (which was fine) but do try to use the herbs- mint, cilantro and basil, in the recipe. It takes this salad from simple to spectacular!

Other meals were Potato pancakes (made from leftover mashed potatoes) with ham and a spinach salad, Soup with Mushroom Ravioli and take-out (Miami’s Best) Cheese pizza. Friday we went to the Florida Keys Seafood market and picked up some yellowtail filets. Zeke seasoned them with jerk seasoning and grilled it; I served it with roasted fennel, sautéed spinach, cheese grits and lemon wedges. Lately I’ve been craving food to combat this Miami heat. It says 88, but feels like 100! Iced coffee, salads, seafood, curry and stuff on the grill, have been my jam lately.

I was talking to my sister Kelley about where people are in their Pandemic journey. Some people, like a friend of mine, haven’t even gotten take-out food from restaurants and have barely left their neighborhoods. Other people (like Kelley) are just dipping their toe into reintegrating into society as we once knew it. I almost feel like Pandemic opinions are our Civil War. There are family members against family members, debating their opinions about what is acceptable behavior and it is causing rifts. To dine out, or not to dine out, that is the question; one among many. I do feel I’ve been more adventurous than a lot of people, as far as eating out, but I try to do so safely.

Last week, I ate out twice. We stopped at Shiver’s BBQ in Homestead. If you’ve never been, it’s really delicious BBQ with smoked meats like chicken, ribs, sausages, pulled pork, mouthwatering sides and four different BBQ sauces. Portions are huge and come with fat slices of garlic butter drenched Texas toast. We ate inside, which is a large and lofty area with picnic tables, but there weren’t many people. I heard the waitress tell another couple that no one is coming in to eat, out of fear of COVID. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said, sounded quite defeated.

The Keys reinstated wearing masks and doesn’t seem as crowded as it did the weekend before. All bets are off, of course, for Fourth of July weekend. We tried to eat at Skippers, a restaurant outside of the Holiday Inn in Key Largo, but all the outside seats were already taken, so we headed to reliably good Sharkey’s Bar and Grill. We sat outside, drank cold beer from the Florida Keys Brewing company (Iguana Bait for Zeke, Spearfish Amber for me) and ate tacos- shrimp for me, tuna for Zeke.

While I’ve been a bit of a thrill seeker, restaurant-wise, I’m not, however, ready to fly.

You know how, in their announcements while you’re waiting to take off, airlines always say: “Your safety is our biggest concern.” I’m throwing the B.S. flag on that one, especially regarding American Airlines. If my safety is your biggest concern, why are cramming us onto flights like sardines? Obviously, my safety doesn’t really matter to you, making as much money as possible does. I’ve heard American Airlines flights are packed with people; unfortunately they are the main airline out of Miami. If at all possible, I would fly Delta, who is keeping the middle seat empty until September, out of concern for their passengers. That’s what I’m talking about! An airline that is actually concerned about their passengers, not just their bottom line. Actions really do speak louder than words.

Other Foodie News: Johnson and Wales University in North Miami, where Michelle Bernstein graduated from, is closing after 23 years in operation. This was a feeder school for local restaurants. Michelle Bernstien’s own Cafe La Trova, voted one of Esquire’s best new restaurants in the country, has closed. Many other Miami area restaurants have voluntarily closed as COVID-19 numbers rise; others have been shut down for violating rules.

Zeke and I watched The Zodiac Killer the other night on Netflix. It’s about a killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the 70’s and has a great cast- Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Junior, Chloe Sevigny. It was an interesting movie, but, in the end there was no resolution to the case, so that was kind of frustrating. Other shows recommended by friends: Outlander, Upload and Afterlife. My book club has chosen a new book and my Corona Virus Go Away! Virtual Happy Hour has resumed as we were forced to admit, coronavirus is not going away anytime in the near future.

I was watching Chris Cuomo last night and he mentioned that Jesus taught us to “love one another as I have loved you.” So, to show your love for your fellow man, wear a frickin’ mask! We’re counting on you!

Up Next: Hillstone Thai Steak and Noodle Salad, Things to Always have in your freezer and Mango Mania!

“Baby, baby, baby, You’re Out of Time.”

Farewell Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and, more than likely, the zaftig and glistening Mrs. Butterworth. You had a good run, but frankly, I’m actually surprised you’ve lasted this long. Also banished from butter (and other dairy products) is the Land ‘O Lakes lass and I believe I heard Miss Chiquita‘s dance party is ending, so hang on to your fruit-filled basket, it’s about to come tumbling down. Colonel Saunders seems ripe for replacement, but monocled Mr. Peanut, who was rumored to have died at the Superbowl this year, is apparently still alive and crunchy. I would bet that the Kool-aid Man is safe (although sugar-haters may disagree), but the Lucky Charms Leprechaun and Chef Boyardee better watch their backs. Eskimo Pie is losing its fur-fringed little Eskimo and the smiling, black-hatted Quaker Oats Man is being reconsidered for religious reasons. It’s only a matter of time before Tall people object to the Jolly Green Giant and short people (like me) to the Keebler Elves. It’s a strange time we’re living in, that’s for sure!

“I’m so worried about all this.”

my friend Martha said the other night at dinner.

She’s worried about her health and her family’s health with the Pandemic, worried about the economic health of our country and worried about the protests and rapid sea change that’s sweeping our country and our world. I can’t pretend not to be worried, but I think these difficult times are here for a reason. Our country is learning valuable lessons and growing; growing pains are painful, but necessary. I think the United States is going to emerge stronger, wiser and better than before, through these experiences. Crises are also opportunities. Let’s hope we make the most of them.

Good news! After weeks of attempting to coddle my sourdough starter into the bubbly white stuff needed to make bread, I finally made my first loaf of (successful) Sourdough bread. Once the starter doubles in size after you feed it a flour/water mixture, the starter is ready to be used. You need to hop to it, or your window of opportunity will pass. When it doubled in size a month ago, I wasn’t “in the mood” to make bread, so it fell and I put it back in the fridge. Mistake! I had no idea I would have to wait another month for this miracle of yeasty bubbles to occur again. This time, when it doubled, I dropped everything to make the holy loaf. It turned out great and came out of the oven just as I was going to dinner at Martha and Luis’s, so I brought it with me. The recipe I used was from The Curious Carrot for Easy Sourdough Bread. Don’t let the name fool you! There’s nothing easy about it.

Martha’s daughter Carolina ordered fresh oysters from #thelazyoyster. Four different delicious varieties were delivered to their door, accompanied with mignonette and cocktail sauces. I would definitely order from The Lazy Oyster again! The variety of oysters varies according to what is flown in fresh. We had Fire Island, Oyster Pond, Violet Cove and Kusshi oysters. Follow them on Instagram at: thelazyoystercompany.

Martha served a delicious lemon pasta with shrimp, which we ate with the sour dough bread and butter. I made chocolate chip cookies with roasted hazelnuts and brown butter for dessert (Oprah magazine recipe), along with lots of champagne and wine. It was a carboholic feast!

The recipe, from Chef Prisinzano, who owns restaurants in New York City, is below. It’s one of the most popular dishes he serves at his restaurant and it’s super easy to make. I got the recipe from Italy on My Mind.

Spaghetti Limone

Dried spaghetti, 14 ounces 6 ounces cold butter, sliced in chunks 2 organic lemons, halved 3 ounces grated Parmesan Cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water (it should be salty) to a boil. While it is boiling, prepare your other ingredients. Squeeze the lemon halves through a sieve. Keep the lemon halves. Finely grate the cheese and set aside. Chop the butter. Have a pot on the stove, on low heat.

When the water comes to a boil, drop the spaghetti in, pushing it down using tongs when soft enough to ensure it’s immersed in water. Heat plates on low in oven.

Cook 10 minutes, or until al dente. Turn the second pot’s heat off and place cooked spaghetti in using tongs, reserving pasta water. Add chopped butter, lemon juice and squeezed lemon halves and stir, using a wooden spoon, until creamy, adding more cooking water if needed. Keep stirring until the sauce becomes creamy. Ladle onto warmed plates, with one lemon half as garnish. Top with grated cheese. Chef Prisinzano says you can add spinach, kale, black pepper, red pepper, or herbs to this dish. Martha added shrimp and this is how she did it.

Martha’s Shrimp for Pasta

Broil shrimp with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder at 400 for 8 to 9 minutes, until they are pink and add to pasta.

The meals I made this week were all over the place, but easy was the name of my game. I made a Fresh Vegetable Soup with homemade chicken broth, that I ate for lunch and snacks during the week from the cookbook From Simple to Spectacular by Jean-George Vongerichten and Mark Bittman. I’m not sure where I picked up this book, but I love the concept. It takes one basic recipe (like chicken broth) and gives you four different ways to twist it. For example, the simplest soup was Chicken Soup with parsley puree, the most spectacular Rich Chicken Soup with chestnuts and mushroom ravioli.

I used the chicken I made the chicken stock with to make Mediterranean Chicken Salad from The Silver Palate, a recipe a friend recommended. It was unlike typical chicken salads, since it had no mayonnaise, but instead a vinaigrette, as well as black olives, chopped tomatoes and capers. You’re supposed to serve it with green beans, but since I had none, served it over Romaine lettuce at a picnic I had in the backyard with Wyatt. He ate a PBJ and yogurt and we swam afterwards. Wyatt loves to swim, but he tends to dog paddle. I suggested we get him some swimming lessons to brush up on his strokes.

That sounds like a horrible idea!

Wyatt

A friend at The Sanctuary gave us some grouper from a recent fishing trip on Sunday. So, on Monday I topped it with a mayonnaise, pesto, lemon and parmesan cheese blend and baked it. An All Recipe’s recipe, the topping kept it moist and flavorful. I served it with rice and Brussel Sprouts. We met friends at Riviera for Happy Hour on Tuesday for chicken wings and pasta. It was my friend Sharon’s first venture out of the house since the lock-down began.

This is the first time I’ve put on pants that aren’t yoga pants in months. And the first time I’ve put my wedding ring back on.

Sharon

We also met other friends at Riviera for dinner Thursday night, although they had been out before. I feel I’ve been experiencing a lot of people’s “First time out” with them, since the Pandemic descended. Does that make me a dare devil? Or an idiot? According to Emma, who sent me an interesting text about masks, probably a bit of both. The bottom line on the text is if both people wear masks, those with Covid and those without, there’s only a 5% chance of it being transmitted.

I made an Oprah magazine recipe for dinner Wednesday- Pasta with Buratta, Pesto and Asparagus. It sounded better and looked better than it tasted. I love pasta, buratta and pesto, so figured I would love it and even added some toasted pine nuts to give it some crunch, but it was kind of just meh. I think it would’ve been better if the pasta was tossed with the pesto, instead of plopped on top. Zeke was not impressed.

Saturday night I made a really good, and easy dinner of Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter and Shishito Peppers. It called for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but mine had the skin on. While chicken without skin usually tends to dry out, with this recipe it wouldn’t because you sear the chicken, then add the butter sauce to the top. I served it with Jasmine rice, something bland because the dish has a lot of flavor. I always like a variety of color, so a radish salad or sliced tomato would’ve been welcome here. Recipe below, from Eating Well, July August 2019.

Sunday, was of course, Father’s Day. I made Zeke Eggs Benedict with a grapefruit half for breakfast. Zeke made a special trip down south to Mainzer’s in the Dixie Belle Plaza (probably soon to be renamed), to get Bratwurst and Knockwurst sausages. The owners are older and worried about COVID, so you have to call them, tell them what you want and they’ll bring your order outside. Zeke’s Dad Mort used to serve these sausages, grilled and sliced, at many parties at his house on the Riviera Golf Course, so the sausages were a tribute to him.

Zeke is a meat and potatoes kind of guy so dinner was dry aged Bone-In New York Strips (from Meat and Bone ) grilled on the charcoal grill, Cabernet sautéed mushrooms, baked potatoes with toppings, Caesar salad and garlic bread. Zeke, Emma and I enjoyed dinner in the Family Room (where the roof’s not leaking) and Emma made some Cheesecake bars (The Best and Easiest Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars from thedomesticrebel.com) that were decadent and yummy for dessert. Zeke got a rotisserie for his grill (Rachel), Golf Bag (Emma) and some socks and a book, The Lincoln Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer, from me.

Bad News! Coronavirus is spiking across the US and experts are saying Florida has the making of the next epicenter. According to the reliably sane Dr. Fauci, this is not the second wave but a continuation of the first. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, said this is happening because: “We didn’t complete the social distancing period that we needed to do.” In other words, most states (including Florida) opened up prematurely. According to Hotez, stay-at-home orders should’ve been extended through May. And it’s not just more testing causing the rise in numbers, despite that theory being pushed. “That’s new cases. That’s community spread,” he said.

Monroe County, home to the Florida Keys, reinstated a mandatory mask rule last week, after the free-for-all over the weekend. Florida Covid-19 Cases rose by 4,049 on Saturday, June 20th, the most during the Pandemic, not a distinction we want to have. And it was a record high for the third day in a row in Florida. It makes us look Flori-dumb all over again. So what to do? Wear a mask when out and about (duh!), wash your hands frequently and try not to be out and about at all.

Ugh! Easier said than done, for sure. After months being cooped up like caged birds, most of us are ready to spread our wings and fly free. But we are seeing more and more cases, so weary as we are, this isn’t the time to let our guard down. I am still worried, but I know there are things I can do to protect myself. I love this quote from the Bible.

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin….Be not therefore anxious for the morrow; for the morrow will be anxious for itself.

Matthew 6:28-34

And, if you’ve never seen the movie Lilies of the Field, starring Sidney Poitier, watch it! He won an Academy Award for it and when I met him, I mentioned how much I loved him in that movie. Everybody knows him from To Sir with Love, but this story, about a traveler who helps a group of nuns, is a true gem and an upper. Wyatt and I watched Finding Nemo Thursday night, when he slept over. “What’s this movie about?” he asked. “It’s about a Dad who loses his son and does everything he can to find him,” I said. Now that I think about it, an appropriate movie for Father’s Day. Also, the song from top of this blog was in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, another movie (Quentin Tarantino) I love, that I watched the other night.

I haven’t really watched any series on Netflix, or been reading any books. I mostly check my phone constantly for the latest dire predictions; lately, I’ve had the attention span of a gnat. Something is eating my cucumber flowers before they have a chance to become little cucumbers. Despite my hyper vigilance, the flowers keep dropping off. I’m not sure if it’s snails or something else. I will not give up on you cucumbers!

I’m sad about people moving away, from neighbors and aquantainces, to some in my very family, also I’m sad about businesses and restaurants that I loved that are closing; in general life seems to be changing at a rapid pace. But, as they say, change is the only constant in life and when I can’t stop worrying, I need to look at the quote above and, like Dory in Finding Nemo: Just keep swimming.

Up Next: Mango Mania, Food and Wine recipes I Love and Items You Should Always Have in Your Freezer.

Ruth Chris, where we went to celebrate our anniversary, was my first indoor dining experience since the Pandemic lockdown. We always celebrate our anniversary with another couple (Jay and Catherine) who got married the same year, one day earlier. When I asked if they wanted to go out to dinner this year and they said yes, I was a little surprised, but happy. Ruth Chris was, as usual, very good and it seemed a safe dining experience for us celebratory dare-devils. “Don’t forget, we have a curfew,” reminded Catherine. Oh yes, the curfew. Can’t we just have one crisis at a time? We left before it began at 9 p.m.

Friday night, in the Keys, we celebrated our actual anniversary in a more casual manner, at Sharkey’s in Key Largo. We were seated, with Doug and Heidi, upstairs at a table outside by ourselves. Doug was the best man at both of Zeke’s weddings and they’ve been friends forever. Doug and Heidi were celebrating 30 years of marriage, to our 16. Seared tuna, fish tacos, wings, sliders, beer, wine and multiple shots later, we left. Again, this felt like a safe bet- outside, by the water with no viral load to contaminate us.

On Saturday, we went out on Doug and Heidi’s boat. Their gift to each other for their anniversary had been new engines for their boat, so they wanted to break them in. We were thrilled to be out on the water for the second weekend in a row. We motored to the Tiki Bar at Postcard Inn to have a drink and some lunch. The only table alone was one in the sun, so we sat at a high top with some completely random couple from Boca. The guy seemed like a coronavirus-hoaxer, asking: “Do you know one person who has had it?” Before I could answer, he said, “Because I don’t.” “Actually, I know four,” I said.

The couple was recently engaged and, as he passed around his phone to view a photo of the smallish diamond ring, I reluctantly took it to look, just to be polite. I immediately (hopefully discreetly) squirted my hands with hand sanitizer. Phones are the germiest devices around! I sat next to this guy for at least an hour, so when I woke up with a sore throat, I immediately thought of him. Imagine the insult it would be to get coronavirus from some guy that doesn’t even believe in it!

I’m tired of living in fear. Tired of thinking a tiny sore throat or stray cough is the coronavirus, come to roost. I vacillate between trying to avoid it at all costs and wanting to dive in, head first, into a coronavirus-filled pool, to just get the damn thing over with. Like a convict on the run, I’m tired of always looking over my shoulder, thinking it’s eventually going to catch up with me. Come and get me! I surrender.

As a nurse in my bookclub said:

It almost would be better if we all could just get it, if we were sure we would handle it well and recuperate.

Nurse Vicki

But, of course, we don’t know that. It seems there is so much about this virus we don’t know about. On the good news front, doctors are making progress in understanding the disease and apparently it’s hard for asymptomatic carriers to spread it. On the bad news front, according to Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Edinburgh University: “Essentially we are six months into a lifelong relationship” with the Pandemic. I don’t want to be into a lifelong relationship with the coronavirus! I want to break up.

And… the vaccine, the vaccine everyone’s anxiously waiting for (and over 100 drug companies are working on) is apparently not going to be the magic bullet we’re praying for. Once it’s available (and the thoughts on when are all over the place) there’s that pesky little matter of manufacturing and delivering it to the billion people on earth. Health Care workers and elderly are first in line, so don’t hold your breath.

On my daily walks lately, instead of the normal trash of Tito’s mini bottles, Red Bull cans and fast food wrappers, I’ve been seeing masks and gloves. I’m trying to understand the mindset of people who discard their PPE in the middle of the sidewalk, on the street or in the grass. Like, your’e walking down the street and can’t breathe? Or can’t stand the feel of gloves on your hands anymore? A pandemic doesn’t give us license to litter! Wait till you get home and throw your s**t in the trash, people!

A Second Wave? In Miami-Dade, gyms, summer camps, AirBnbs and dog parks opened Monday. Bars and Movie theaters are not yet open in Miami. This is the new stage of opening in Florida, despite a rise in cases in the state. Since June 2nd, Florida has reported more than 1000 new cases every day; of course, the most cases are in Miami-Dade.

Some South Floridians rushed back to restaurants, businesses and beaches as soon as they reopened, possibly causing the rise in COVID-19 cases. Others, like my friend Ellen, are staying safe in the cocoon of their homes, venturing out only for the bare necessities. Everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with. I probably fall into the first category, but access what locations/activities feel safe to me and avoid the ones that don’t. Like the sign at an unmanned pool or beach says: “Swim at Your Own Risk.” Or stay ashore.

And, people are traveling again and planes (at least American Airlines) are not social distancing. My stepdaughter Lauren went to visit her boyfriend in California last week. The first leg of her flight was empty, but the second leg was packed with people.

Here are some tips if you are flying, that I passed along to Lauren:

• The front of the airplane is the least germy, with the window seat being your best bet (least amount of contact with other passengers).
• Wipe down the tray table, seat belt and armrest with disinfecting wipes, then toss the wipes and sanitize your hands.
• Be aware of your surroundings, taking note of the passengers around you. If someone is coughing repeatedly, ask to be moved to another seat.
• Avoid the bathroom, if possible. (This is good advice for any flight, pre-pandemic.)
• Keep snacks and drinks to a minimum.

My Pinecrest Garden Club normally helps with the Pinecrest Pioneer Luncheon, serving meals to Pinecrest residents 80 and older. Since we couldn’t have the lunch this year, normally held at Evelyn Greer Park, we distributed lunches in a reusable bag instead last Friday. I went with my sister Kelley, Pinecrest Garden Club President, in her van to deliver meals and a potted plant to about twenty Seniors. It felt good to be contributing to the community, even in a small way, by delivering the meals and flowers. Most of the Seniors we encountered were very grateful for the deliveries, and maybe even more, for human contact. Of course, we wore masks and Social Distanced.

On a sad note, my daughter A.J., who owns Ashley Jordan Events, closed her office in the Gables this week. She had just opened the office on Coral Way, with a photo booth photographer, in November of last year, but obviously, with the Pandemic, there are no in-person events that can be planned in the near future. So, her office, which opened with balloons, food, Prosecco, photo booth photos and high hopes, ended with her quietly returning her key to her landlord. Luckily, she is working on a living wall and other projects to keep her afloat, as she works out of home. The New Normal.

Half my meals last week (Friday- Wed) were in the Keys. Zeke cooked for the girls here at home while I was gone, so by the time I got back, he was ready for me to take over the cooking reins. We had chicken breasts in the freezer, but wanted to do something other than grilling them (boring). Zeke found a really good recipe online for Chicken Breasts in Mustard Sauce that I made. I served it with pureed turnips, a green salad and French Bread to sop up the sauce.

“This is divine.”

said Zeke.

Zeke loved it. It has cream and butter, which is not the way I usually cook, but every now and then, it’s ok. Besides, boneless, skinless chicken breasts need all the help they can get. Alas, neither one of us can remember where the recipe came from, so I can’t pass it along.

A super easy meal you can make if you have leftover pasta is spaghetti pie; this is also a favorite of kids. Just mix a beaten egg and some parmesan cheese (add chopped fresh parsley if you want to get fancy) with your leftover pasta till it’s combined. This works best with plain pasta, or pasta with butter or olive oil, but I suppose you could do it with pasta with red sauce. Heat some olive oil in a skillet, cook till it’s brown on one side and flip to finish cooking on the other side. Slide onto a plate and cut into wedges.

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I go, there will be trouble

And if I stay it will be double.

So come and let me know.

The Clash

“Well, I’m still alive,” my mother said. “I haven’t got it yet.”

She said she was finding plenty of things to keep her occupied, painting a wall workers had recently fixed, which led her to painting her lanterns “while the paint was out”. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie scenario, and working in the yard and taking walks. Bob, on the other hand, is “like a caged lion”, according to her, since he’s not going to work.

“Are you going to the grocery store?” I asked.

“No!” she said.

She’s using Instacart for Publix deliveries.

“I’ve had some strange experiences,” she said. “The first person who shopped for me seemed like someone who had never been to a grocery store before. I don’t even know what some of things they got for me are or how to cook them.”

It sounded similar to my first experience, where they crammed five bags of food into two paper bags and put the rolls on the bottom of the bag. Who does that?

The second time she ordered Instacart she requested a turkey breast to cook and instead they brought her something that looked like it came from the deli. It would be good for sandwich meat, she agreed, but she wanted to roast the turkey herself. She said one store she ordered from was going to take days to deliver, but another only hours, so she cancelled the first one.

My second Instacart experience was better, but they replaced a Buy One Get One free (BOGO) can of 15 ounce refried beans for one huge 32 ounce can. I also asked for whole mushrooms, but got sliced. Not the same, the sliced mushrooms go bad much quicker. Anything pre-sliced, like lettuce in a bag, is more perishable.

My third Instacart experience was last week. I ordered it Tuesday and was told it would be filled between Tuesday and Saturday- kind of a long range of time, but I guess a lot of people aren’t going into grocery stores and needed supplies for Easter and Passover. They also charged our credit card for the items before they were delivered, which I found strange, especially since they were apt to be out of items.

This experience was better. My paper bags of groceries were left on the bench by the front door, as requested. My Instacart shopper must have been new, because she took a photo of the bags on the bench. They keep you informed when they are shopping via text and let you know if they replace items or if they are out. So, no Easter jellybeans, Cadbury chocolate eggs or marshmallow Peeps (my favorite), but they did have Lindt Easter Chocolate Bunnies, although I found out later they replaced 2 milk chocolate for white chocolate. Also, I got a spiral ham, seeded rye bread (they were out before), asparagus and a fresh pineapple. Who knew I would appreciate simple, basic food so much?

I’d ordered three dozen eggs, one to hard boil, one for Lauren, but only got one as I think they’re limiting them to one per family. My whole mushrooms were substituted for sliced again, despite my note that I didn’t want sliced if they didn’t have whole. She replaced my Reese’s Eggs with Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. The Sargento pepper jack cheese slices were replaced with pepper jack sticks (not the same!) and since they were out of Cascade dishwashing detergent, I got the pods. I also had to substitute Tide liquid for pods. I never buy pods because I think they’re wasteful and lazy. But desperate times-

Instacart shops at these stores:

Publix, Aldi, Total Wine, Cotsco, CVS, Petco, Milams, BJ’s, ABC Wine, Fresh Market.

Prices tend to be more than if you shopped yourself and there is a delivery fee and service fee. I was happy to see, however, that Publix was offering BOGOs and honored coupons, but these items seem to sell out quickly. There’s also an option to join Express that gives you free delivery for $99 a year or $9 a month.

Some tips for InstaCart:

• Busy days are Sundays and Monday, so try to order on days other than that.
• Keep a list and order all your items at once.
• Order bigger packs (like family packs of chicken) and break it down to save on frequency of ordering.
• Choose your preferred replacements. If you don’t want a replacement, note it on your order.
• Choose Leave at my Door delivery. You can also tell them where to leave it.
• You can also send groceries for friends and family in a lot of different cities.
• Thank your shopper with a tip, especially in these times.

I talked to my friend Tami, who’s been using Instacart for two years (on the advice of her hairdresser) with much success.

“You’ve got to take Instacart these days with a grain of salt,” she said. “They’re not doing so well in the Pandemic.”

She sent me an email from Publix basically apologizing to Instacart customers for the difference in their shopping experience these days. Tami told me: “There’s a bit of a learning curve, but after you master Instacart, it’s great.”

The first time I ordered on Instacart, I went through the departments one by one and ordered. I found it time consuming. I did better with a list, but pay attention to the packaging. I ordered my Siggi’s yogurt, but got 9% fat instead of 2%! I didn’t even know there was a 9% fat yogurt. And my sister Kelley recently ordered all-purpose flour from Cotsco, only to have a 10 lb. bag delivered. That’s a lot of banana bread being made.

According to Tami, shopping during the Pandemic is “a whole different ballgame” and stores are out of many items they would normally have. And even though she’s requested a specific place to drop the groceries, saving her from lugging heavy items like dog food, the Instacart shopper doesn’t always follow these instructions. This could be due to a language barrier, or the influx of new, inexperienced shoppers hired by Instacart during COVID-19.

Another thing Tami loves about Instacart, is that they can deliver to different cities. This came in handy when her son, who goes to college in Boston, got sick. She was able to send him chicken soup, medicine and snacks, via Instacart.

Another friend uses Instacart to Host a Hero. With this non-profit charity, donors with a second home offer their places for an active duty military person and their family to vacation. Since my friend likes to have the fridge stocked for the family, she lets Instacart know when the family arrives and they deliver groceries to the door. For more information on this worthy charity, check out their website hostahero.org.

The last time I checked Publix via Instacart , they were out of Clorox Wipes, 409 and rubbing alcohol, but they did have toilet paper, including my family’s preferred brand, Charmin.

Her three important tips on Instacart shopping are:

1) When you’re ordering you can choose a replacement (like Publix butter for Land ‘O Lakes) or you can put “Do not replace.”

2) Once your Instacart shopper starts shopping, pay close attention. They will text you, let you know if they are out of items at the store and if they are replacing them with something else. There’s a window to chat with your shopper while they’re shopping. This is the time to tell them if you’re ok with the replacements they’re making.

3) Tip well. Instacart automatically adds a tip, but that can be adjusted and she believes it is reflected in the shopping experience you receive.

I wanted to report a problem with my purchases, but when they sent me an e-mail saying “How was your Instacart experience?”, it had a photo of my shopper, with a star rating. I didn’t want to get my shopper in trouble, so didn’t bother with that, but when they forgot my cauliflower, they did refund me right away. Tami told me there is another area on the website where you can report a problem, other than the star rating.

She also said if they give you the wrong item, they will refund it for you.

“I know they’ll refund me, but I’d rather have the item I wanted and that they read my notes.” There is a section to leave your shopper a note (like don’t substitute my whole mushrooms for sliced) but obviously, they don’t always read them. Despite that-

“Overall,” said Tami, “I love having Instacart.”

Instacart can be a lifesaver, literally, in these uncertain times.

Up next: Week in Review and Foods to fight Viruses