7 Life Hacks I Like During Covid

This pandemic has been long, sad, scary, dark — and limiting. But more than a few good things came out of it.

Do you know how to cook with nettles? Me neither, but I will learn on Monday, when I prepare indigenous Thanksgiving foods—virtually—with Ethnobotanist Linda Black Elk.

1. Remote church. We’ve gone in person several times (masks and sanitizer required, no shaking hands for Peace), but I like the convenience of virtual Mass, streaming live on Facebook. No need for gas in the tank or shoes on the feet; it’s a blessing. On Easter, I saw the lilies and sang the hymns, my Rose Gold MacBook balanced on a mixing bowl. Yesterday, I sat on the sofa and caught every minute without distraction, from Father Marc walking up the aisle to that gentleman in the first pew on the left, the last person standing, shrugging on his jacket and slipping his scarf around his neck. Likewise, remote PTA meetings at our middle school have been far more popular than in-person ones— you don’t need a sitter, a ride, a coat — and on Zoom, we all seem to have an equal voice.
2. Outdoor book club. We seven women are Covid-conscious. At first, we switched to Zoom, but have since gathered outside, in Karen’s beautiful garden, on lounge chairs placed 6 feet apart; on Kate’s pretty patio, again at social distance, where she plated warm, melty brownies; in my backyard, with baked Brie and Prosecco by the trampoline; and most recently, four of us on Julie’s deck with hot cocoa, coffee, frothy steamed milk, thickly whipped cream — and a splash of Baileys. My…