Passover and a Birthday

Passover started on Saturday evening, and last night we joined M's family for a Zoom seder meal - his sister and brother-in-law in one house, us in another, his nephew in a third, and his niece and her partner in a fourth. When we had a Zoom seder last year, none of us imagined we would be doing the same again this year. The seder ends by saying "Next year in Jerusalem". We joked that it should be "Next year in person"!

Today is M's birthday, and the government very considerately decided this was the date on which they would lift another stage of the lockdown and allow gatherings of two households or up to six people outdoors, including in gardens. That meant we were able to invite R and her partner over to have a birthday meal of fish and chips in the garden. I confess we cheated a little as H's boyfriend also joined us, making seven. Having a "normal" evening with the whole family together was the best possible birthday present for M. 

The weather warmed up dramatically today, to the point where I was able to get the hammock out for the first time this year. I quite shamelessly spent the afternoon working while enjoying the fresh air out in the garden. Tomorrow is forecast to be even warmer, so I intend to do the same again. 

This afternoon I had a Teams tea-break (in the hammock) with a colleague who is a close friend and we have arranged to meet up with two other friends on Friday for a walk. We haven't seen each other since last March, though we have been a mutual support group on WhatsApp all through the pandemic. I am so looking forward to us being able to meet in person after so long. Sadly the fifth member of our group won't be able to join us as she has difficulty with mobility and can't manage outdoor socialising. I think this time around the gradual easing of lockdown is even more of a joy, because there is now real hope that this is the beginning of the end.