EASTER SUNDAY
EASTER WAS AS ALMOST AS BIG AS CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE. WE KNEW THAT THE EASTER BUNNY WOULD COME AND THAT WE WOULD GET NEW CLOTHES TO WEAR TO CHURCH AS WELL.
THE FUN WAS DYING THE EASTER EGGS ON SATURDAY. MOM WOULD PUT US AROUND THE TABLE WITH THE DAILY HERALD AND THE TIMES PICAYUNE COVERING THE TABLE AND THE FLOOR. THE SMELL OF HOT VINEGAR WOULD FILL THE HOUSE. WHERE COLOR TABS WOULD BE PLACE IN A CUP THEN THE VINEGAR , WE HAD WIRE EGG PICK UPS TO DUNK THE EGG WITH BECAUSE MOM DIDN’T WANT US TO GO TO CHURCH WITH COLORED FINGERS. EMILY ONE TIME THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NEAT AND PUT A DIFFERENT COLOR ON EACH FINGER. SHE HAD TO WEAR GLOVES TO CHURCH THAT EASTER SUNDAY AND WAS TOLD NOT TO TAKE THEM OFF DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL.
WHEN WE GOT UP ON SUNDAY MORNING OUR BASKETS WOULD BE IN THE LIVING ROOM RUNNING OVER WITH EASTER CANDY. ONE YEAR MINE HAD AT LEAST A DOZEN OF MY FAVORITES, GOLD BRICKS, THEY WERE A THINK BRICK CHOCOLATE CANDY WITH PECANS IN IT. NOW THEY MAKE THEM IN EGG FORM, BUT IT IS NOT THE SAME AS THE BRICK. THE CANDY WAS SOLD ONLY IN THE WINTER AND STOPPED BEING AVAILABLE RIGHT AFTER EASTER. SO I HAD TO MAKE SURE THEY LASTED A WHILE. MOM WOULD LET ME HIDE THEM IN THE FREEZER OF OUR PHILCO REFRIGERATOR WITH THE ROUND TOP. I PUT THEM IN AN ENVELOPE WITH MY NAME ON IT AND MADE SURE I PUT A LARGE “JR” ON IT. THAT WAS SO THE OTHER EMILE (DAD) WOULDN’T EAT THEM.
ANY WAY AFTER CHURCH WE WOULD COME HOME TO FIND THE EGGS THAT WERE HIDDEN IN THE YARD. WE WOULD HEAR THE OTHER KIDS LOOKING FOR THEIRS, BUT BEFORE WE COULD LOOK FOR EGGS WE HAD TO HAVE OUR PICTURE TAKEN IN OUR NEW CLOTHES AND THEN CHANGE INTO EVERY DAY PLAY CLOTHES.
UNCLE GEORGE, DAD’S BROTHER, ALWAYS CAME FOR “DINNER” AND TO RETRIEVE HIS EASTER BASKET. A WEEK LATER UNCLE GEORGE WOULD COME BACK TO THE HOUSE WITH HIS EMPTY BASKET IN HAND SO IT WOULD BE FILLED THE NEXT YEAR. IT WAS SAD THAT FIRST EASTER, AFTER UNCLE GEORGE DIED, TO SEE HIS BASKET. AS LONG AS HE WAS ALIVE DAD FIXED HIS BIG BROTHER AN EASTER BASKET.
WHEN I WAS AWAY AT COLLEGE ON THAT FIRST EASTER SUNDAY AWAY I THOUGHT ABOUT THE FUN WE ALWAYS HAD ON EASTER GROWING UP. ON THE WAY FROM CHURCH TO THE DORM I REMARKED TO KENNETH, MY ROOMMATE, THAT I GUESS THAT I WAS GROWING UP BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE NO EASTER BASKET THIS YEAR….MY ROOMMATE SNICKERED. MOM AND DAD HAD SENT KENNETH MONEY FOR HIM TO FIX ME A BASKET. I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST THE BEST EASTER EVER.
