"Every cloud has a silver lining," so the saying goes.

The global lockdown and countless deaths wrought by the coronavirus are certainly a heavy cloud that we are all under. For many people -- those who have lost loved ones, business, and more -- if there is a silver lining, they have not been able to see it yet.

My goodness, we are in a time of rapid transitions and near-constant uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has left us closed off and suspicious of others. Everything we have taken for granted -- work, school, commuting, sports, grocery shopping, visiting friends and family -- has been upended. The Black Lives Matter movement has magnificently captured the attention of Americans, and many nations abroad. That attention is leading to long-awaited changes from the individual level up to the largest institutions of our society.

Today is my older son's 17th birthday. Wow. It has been a journey, an adventure, and a privilege to be his mom. One thing that unites our family - literally - is food. We eat dinner together every night. What we put on the table can be challenge sometimes -- I don't eat gluten or dairy, and have significantly reduced the amount of animal products I consume. My husband eats a plant-based diet. And both boys have their own picky preferences. There's usually a lot of different foods to choose from every night!

We are all under stay-at-home orders. We have cancelled vacations, trips to see family, regular dinners with friends, and so much more. We are eating lots of beans and rice. Rays of hope and sunshine must be sought out, and are appreciated more than ever before.

It's been seven weeks since our world changed. Seven weeks ago, I had a calendar full of plans -- urgent to-do's that had to be taken care of immediately, and plans that gave me something to look forward to. Most urgent of all was the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience. In two days, we were going to be teaching two classes as part of a weekend of events backed by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. I was thrilled and nervous. I had stayed in touch with Julia Child people for four years, hoping to be part of the weekend. It was finally happening. One of our classes would be held at the Saturday Farmer's Market. This was a little unnerving -- we had to build our own little kitchen, and manage 12 pre-teens with knives and open flame. A lot could go wrong.

It's that time of year -- everyone is making resolutions, breaking resolutions, and resolving not to make any resolution ever again. Of course, we are going to weigh in with our list! There isn't really anything new here -- more fruits, veggies and exercise, less meat. But how to get there?