In a stroke of genius, we decided to have Thanksgiving in April.

After all, we have so much to be grateful for. Our family and friends are healthy, including my one-week-old nephew, James. Dan’s job is secure (as secure as any job can be right now, anyway) and my own job is trundling along. We have books and films and a cozy home with a view of the mountains. We enjoy one another’s company.

And so we made a Thanksgiving dinner indistinguishable from the real thing. Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, stuffing from a box, Hawaiian rolls. Dinner at the actual dinner table — every other day of the year, we eat in front of the television. (Don’t you judge me. We have all. day. long to talk.) Conversations about gratitude and abundance.

Because we rarely have cause to use every pot and pan in our house, the holidays are also the only time of year when I see special items such as these potholders that my great-grandmother made. Why should I enjoy these special moments only once per year?

Earlier in the day, we had the good fortune to view an Air Force Thunderbirds flyover from our front porch. The flyover was late in reaching Fort Collins, which meant that we had time to chat (from an appropriate distance) with the many neighbors who had wandered outside to catch the event. Honestly, the neighborly interactions were as lovely as the flyover itself. (See a video by Dan here.)

A final spot of joy from the past few days: date night! St. Vrain Cidery offered a virtual cider tasting, so I ordered a 4-pack in advance. Dan and I logged in, along with about 40 other people, to hear the folks of St. Vrain discuss their Key Lime, Dry Chokeberry, Blackberry Botanical, and Pink Guava.

The event itself was so-so — there were a few technical snags and I didn’t take away any truly meaty information — but it was beyond delightful to sit down with Dan, crack open a flight of new-to-us ciders (my favorite: the Blackberry Botanical), and have a new experience together. After all, that’s exactly the kind of thing you’d be likely to find us doing on any normal Friday night.

(To see previous posts about self-isolation due to COVID-19, see volume 1, volume 2, and an awesome mail day.)