Easter Memories

A colorful Easter basket made of cheap dyed wooden reeds overstuffed with plastic green "grass." Jelly beans lost within the "blades." Pluck them out and greedily suck on them until they are colorless jelly. Brilliantly wrapped foil chocolate crispies--eat them slowly and then lick the melted chocolate off each finger. Hollow bunny with missing ears, blue candy eyes and a pink tasty nose. White chocolate cross (Doesn't Mom know how I detest white chocolate and that Craig doesn't like it well enough to trade for something else with me?). A beautifully sugared egg with a spring scene inside. Why can't it be edible?


Church. The family spans the length of the wooden pew. Craig and I stand on either side of Mom because we will inevitably elbow each other until we get into trouble. It's better to avoid getting caught. Mom's "look"--eek!


Desperately hunting for more penny-filled eggs than Craig in Auntie and Uncle's Anaheim-sunny enclosed back yard. Stacks and stacks of empty Pepsi six-packs on the back porch (Auntie is addicted.). A fuzzy bunny piggy bank with quarters rattling inside. Spiral sliced ham and mounds of buttery mashed potatoes. Noisey conversations, laughing, and smiling faces. Dad tells Auntie a joke in French. She laughs so hard no sound escapes and a tear rolls down her face. Craig and I never understand what they talk about. Why didn't Dad teach us French? The trash compacter in the kitchen. Why does Auntie throw away all the leftovers? Mom would like to take them home, but the drive is two hours long. Stacks of comic books my cousin lets me read--Archie and Jughead, Veronica and Betty. Cool hand-me-downs she has outgrown; stuff my mom cannot afford to buy and I cannot wait to wear to school. (Remember Luv-it jeans?)



~Mama