Happy Nowruz and Moby Dick

Happy Nowruz! It doesn’t feel like it because both my husband and I are Covid bound since last Thursday. We managed to escape this horrible thing after being so careful for four years only to get it now - ten days after being vaccinated/boosted. Earlier last week we had ordered  a place holder for two Moby Dick Sabzi Polo Mahi special dinners to celebrate the holiday. Now we don’t even have a sense of taste or smell anymore and it’s a chore to force something down. So last evening we put on our masks and hobbled down to the car to drive and pick up the special fish dinners. Usually we get all sorts of other fixings but just didn’t have an appetite. But we will have enough to cover two meals and not have to worry about making dinner. So we are trying to take this virus day by day, hoping it continues to improve. There are the obvious ebbs and flows and anger and frustration and sense of loss for the simple things. I know it could be a lot worse and we are thankful for that. Unfortunately it started on our anniversary, continues through the holiday and my husband’s birthday, and ruined our planned weekend getaway to visit family in central Virginia. Spring was always such a season of promise. It’s a little different this year. 

Happy Nowruz - LOC Program, City Bonfire, and Moby Dick Sabzi Polo

The first day of spring is glorious - especially with full sunshine - even if it’s only in the thirties. You could say we have been celebrating all week. My husband is from Iran so it’s a special holiday. On Tuesday we watched the Library of Congress Middle Eastern zoom presentation about “The Spirit of Nowruz.” It almost felt like being at the Library, but not quite. But it was the first program we have “been to” since the pandemic. Then on Wednesday we lit our City Bonfire on the balcony and envisioned jumping over the fire. We didn’t have the space nor the nimble ability to actually do it. But it was a great diversion and fun thing to pretend to do. We also preordered Sabzi Polo from Moby Dick and picked it up last evening for dinner. It was a special order for the holiday and was delicious! We have enough for another meal this evening. We don’t usually celebrate the Persian new year, but for whatever reason it just seemed right after hibernating for so long. My second vaccination was two weeks ago so now I am fully immunized. Maybe we will begin to do things that are a little more normal. If nothing else, things just feel better. Happy Nowruz!