So, I would not hesitate to visit friends and family fully vaccinated. Neighbors, restaurants, or cook for friends and family. Across town or take a road trip for a few days. Visiting Mom and Pop after a year and a half...priceless. Cooking for them....beyond priceless.

We were on the Delaware bay about 8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest breeding ground for horseshoe crabs in the world. Right outside our beach rental. They are crucial to making vaccines and medicines safe.

"...That’s because these animals’ milky-blue blood provides the only known natural source of limulus amebocyte lysate, a substance that detects a contaminant called endotoxin. If even tiny amounts of endotoxin—a type of bacterial toxin—make their way into vaccines, injectable drugs, or other sterile pharmaceuticals such as artificial knees and hips, the results can be deadly."

Top three pics are mine. A female laying eggs....males are smaller and lock in to the female. The hight tide surf can flip them over and also a larger predatory bird can flip them over...(did not know the eggs are blue like their blood)

With the locals, we spent our sunrise and sunset walks flipping them over and setting them into the water....freedom. Migratory birds need the eggs for long flight...other birds need the flipped ones for fuel...but declining numbers is troubling.

I grew up in the area but DH grew up in Corvallis, Washington. PNW. I spent my youth flipping horseshoe crabs....we need this species. DH went whole hog on reading and learning.

2020 I did not miss cooking for others. But what an invigorating chance to do just that. Loved it, missed it!

First full day of apps and salads prepped in NY was to test their palates. Cod cakes and lots of sides....big appetites so no problem.

Rental kitchens are always lacking for good reason. I packed pantry choices...and a few knives. A small cast iron and a small enameled dutch oven...they only had a cheap RachelRay three piece set, scratched up teflon. And not a cutting board to be found. Possibly a recent previous renter trashed it?...grabbed one from my mothers stash...she has many in the pantry as I do. I would have left it behind for the rental but some would possibly put it in the dishwasher and destroy it?.

So glad I packed salt and pepper....did not want to spend the time shopping being in such a beautiful place. (what?, no salt and pepper!?)....

I've looked at renting again in October. Have a list for needs from home, NY...

(all properties are booked until then)

Great report! Thanks! I almost went visiting (fully vaccinated both sides of course) but had to cancel for mundane reasons. Have fun filling your folks' freezer, and just getting to be with them!

What a stunningly beautiful experience. We got our second jabs yesterday. We held hands coming out of the hall we were so happy! Already planning times with friends that we've missed. It's still too early to plan trips to see my daughter and sister in England..... rates still too high. Sigh. We'll get there. Like you, I'm longing to cook for loved ones and do a lot of squeezing!

What fun!! To be honest, I'm so used to grabbing my mask when I leave, and putting it on prior to entering stores, it will feel weird shopping without it. You're so excited to be doing the things you love, with the people you love most. Congratulations!

I agree. We feel odd without a mask. Nice to see full compliance in masking indoors without a single sign posted. That was my only concern about traveling.

My second Pfizer was such a relief and just a bit sore. England still has a return quarantine from many locations I just read in the NYTimes. I think just knowing we are on the mend, with caution, is comfort enough for now to ease back into gatherings. Did not realize how tense I've been until I was not.

Did not realize I've been cooking for so long out of basic necessity until I spent a week cooking for others.

England has the terrible Indian variant - the vaccines, after one dose ( ours need 2 doses) are only 33% effective. So, France tells Brits coming here to self isolate, Brits tell French to self isolate, countries desperate for the tourist money are accepting Brits with no safeguards like Spain, Greece... whereas Germany tells Brits to self isolate. There's no coherent organisation and it's all one big mess. There was a European football final in Portugal last weekend - 2 English teams!!! Why oh why did they travel to Portugal? Madness.

We are heading up to northern Minnesota tomorrow for my nieces wedding. I have no idea how many wedding guests there will be. Just the bride's side of the family will be about 30-35. Most if not all have been vaccinated. No idea if masks and social distancing will followed but I doubt it.

Near record highs are forecast for the three days we will be up there. Sunny and 95 the day of the wedding and of course it is Cocktail attire so everyone will be in dresses and monkey suits. Ugh!