Baby
chicks in assorted colors, cuddly bunnies with wiggly noses, tulips bobbing their heads in the
breeze, lilacs sweetening the air…these are a few of my favorite spring things…to remember. Let’s take a look back in time.
Easter? How much
has yours changed?
Many years ago, baby chicks were dyed pastel colors and available for sale in dime
stores and other places. I know that horrifies animal lovers today but seventy
years ago, it wasn’t harmful to anyone’s knowledge, and those Easter chicks I
got every year were well-taken-care of.
My daddy set up a light to keep them warm and food and water dispensers.
When they needed more room, he built an outside pen and later, we took them to
his sister’s farm where they prospered.
White bunny
rabbits…one Easter my “boyfriend” (we were in fifth grade) brought me a
really beautiful live bunny with a
red bow around its neck. Yikes! What
should I do with it? It was a baby taken
from his family who was given a temporary abode until…Daddy to the rescue. He
built a first-class hutch out back when Sweetie needed more room, and that
bunny appeared to live a long happy life.
Setting the scene…Fragrant blossoms sweeten
the air and bright green grass sways in the breeze. Spring brings new life and
hope. And Easter egg hunts and baskets.
Who doesn’t love dark chocolate rabbits, white chocolate crosses, marshmallow
Peeps, Jelly Bellies, cream-filled eggs. And of course—the unofficial treats of
the season, hard-boiled, beautifully decorated Easter Eggs.
For weeks ahead at our house, onion skins
were saved and eventually eggs were boiled in a pot of water with those
skins. They turned beautiful shades from
golden to mahogany. My family and I were
all convinced they tasted better—some unique aroma or flavor we couldn’t pin
down. Another procedure we used was
pickling eggs to make them gorgeous and piquant. First, peel boiled eggs and
pickle them in a jar of pickled beet juice. And same as most people, we also
personalized Easter eggs by writing names with a white crayon on the shell
before dipping them in a cup of food coloring, vinegar and water
My favorite egg to find in my basket was
the panoramic spun sugar egg. They are
such a work of art. Of course, I didn’t
eat those. They were treasures.
While we’re on the subject and skipping
ahead, there was a family tradition of starting Easter dinner with egg fights. All in fun. You cracked one
end of yours against one of the person’s next to you. It went around the table
and once a participant’s egg was damaged on both ends, he or she was out of the
game. The last “fighter” with at least one end intact is the winner. I don’t remember any prize for that but it
could be added the hilarity. Now we could eat!
Dinner? I doubt this was the highpoint of Easter Day
for youngsters but it was delicious and slowed down the activity level for a
short time. Baked ham glazed with cola and brown sugar topped with pineapple
rings. (My mom made it sound like there was no secret to the way she fixed hers
but no one else could ever make it as good.) I remember candied sweet potatoes,
yeasty hot rolls and who knew what else, but one other memorable thing was the
white multi-layer cake my grandmother made with fluffy 7 minute frosting--and
wait for it—fresh shredded coconut gracing the top with a nest of jelly beans
in the middle.
What do you remember? Isn’t it wonderful to go back to Spring times
of your youth? Thanks for taking this short
trip with me.
Love
seasons and special days in a small town? I grew up in one in Indiana.
LOVE IN A
SMALL TOWN by Betty Jo Schuler
This cozy Small Town is one you'll want to visit, and stay right
to the end.
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