Happy Easter

The picture above shows you what greeted me first thing this morning when I walked into the kitchen. Actually, a version of it greets me every Easter morning--there's always a basket filled with fancy, gourmet goodies and a beautiful card. This was the first time for the eggs--I guess because we now always have a supply of hard-boiled eggs on hand for Steve's so-easy-I-can-do-it-in-my-sleep breakfast. It was just a matter of getting some dye, and then doing the deed after I went to bed. It's one of those little rituals that I love.

Easter always sneaks up on me. Steve's Easter basket really was a surprise for me every year for many years--for the longest time, the arrival of the Spring holiday totally escaped me. For some reason, even though in my family we did the fun things when I was growing up, the baskets and the eggs and the candy, it never loomed large in the year's events. The Easter bunny was a fun cartoon idea but I was never encouraged to believe in him (her?) like I was Santa Claus. The egg-coloring was a family activity on Saturday night--I still remember the vinegar smell of that operation. I only remember one time when my parents hid the eggs. I don't think they did that too often because, depending on how much Canadian Club may have been consumed the night before, my folks may or may not remember where the eggs were hidden. If I didn't find them all, we'd only know where they were by following the smell.

The church part of it was, in my mind, strictly periferal, and only became an issue when I decided the sanctuary was so full on Easter Sunday mainly so the women could show off their finery, the meaning of that particular Sunday being long lost. The place was always too hot, too stuffy and too crowded, and the service was way too long. When I shared these heretical ideas with my parents, they actually agreed with me. The very first Easter morning my parents elected to stay in bed while still insisting that I go to church was when I stopped going, too. Haven't been since.

So. I wish you a happy Easter in whatever way the expression has meaning for you. Eat well!