April 1, 2020: This is No Joke

Today is April 1, and nothing seems funny.  I don't feel like pranking or being pranked.  I am anxious and restless and too many thoughts and worries are competing for attention in my jumbled brain.   I would normally make a "to do" list to achieve some clarity and purpose, but, really, what is there "to do"?  With all these ideas - and all this found time - I have decided that today is the day to begin something new.

So, here goes.  I have thought about starting a blog so many times I lost count.  When I first exited my law career to stay home to care for my children.  When I was later struggling with that decision and with finding an identity outside of the corporate world.  When my kids first left for college.  When the nest got really, really empty after college graduation.  And then, now.  When the world is upside down and the young adults are back home.  It seems like a good time to try to make sense out of a bad time.

How to do that?  I think each of us spent the 8000 days in March trying to figure out our personal survival plan.  Thus far, I have discovered a few key things for my own sanity.  One:  I savor every minute with my family.  Even if we are in close quarters, I may never have them this close for this extended of a time period again.  Two:  Some type of physical activity every day, even if only walking the dogs around the block, is beneficial (and even better, if done with a loved one).  Three:  Cooking good food and eating together is a luxury.  Four:  Notwithstanding One, Two, and Three:  If I need to be alone, that's ok.  If I want to stay in pjs all day long, that's ok.  If I need to eat carbs all day long, that's ok too.  Calories in quarantine don't count.

Not worrying about calories is definitely liberating (and also necessary when you never know what will be stocked at the grocery store).  We have to be fairly nimble and substitute with whatever is available.  It definitely helps that we are all on the same diet–– and by "diet" I mean we all eat anything and everything.  I spent several years only cooking vegetarian for my teenagers until my oldest went to college and re-discovered bacon.  Then, my cooking had to take an abrupt 180 when my husband decided to give up carbs for a year.  Now that that we are all under one roof (or really two, but more on that later), I am having to readjust to cooking with no restrictions–– and to cooking for five adults as my daughter's boyfriend is also living with us.

As part of this blog, I want to share how my family is coming together around food in this unprecedented time.  I also want to share how we are trying to complement our own cooking while supporting local businesses.  Collectively, my son, daughter and daughter's boyfriend lost five jobs in NYC and Philly, and they are acutely aware of the struggles of small businesses.  There are so many who are struggling right now, and I would love for this to become a forum for celebrating food and the collective entrepreneurial spirit of Charlotte.

As much as I wanted this first post to share a recipe of my own, we were all craving something unique to Charlotte–– fried chicken from Price's Chicken Coop.  If you haven't tried it, you are missing out.  If you haven't had it recently, you are missing out.  If you had it yesterday, it's time to go back.  You won't be disappointed.  Check out the menu here: www.priceschickencoop.com

April 1 is almost over.  It's still not funny.  But I am comforted by my family and my very full belly.