Plans, pandemics, and pork

My father always reminded us that “man proposes, life disposes,” or, as John Lennon so articulately reminded us: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans.”

When Daniel decided to move here last March, we each had plans. His was buying tools for home repairs; mine was “date weekends,” opera and museums in Seattle, Walla Walla Symphony, the Chamber Music Festival, Willamette Valley wine tasting, Los Angeles trips to scope out trendy new restaurants, and tennis with my friends. But, as we all know, life with a pandemic scuttled everyone’s plans—time to rethink, regroup and replan.

I am...