Can we talk?

Happy Easter!

    This day has so many meanings. It's a rite of spring for many. New clothes, new shoes, new hair-dos. New toys. It's a spring version of Christmas, softened up a bit budget-wise.

    For some, it means a lot of flowers for the cemeteries. I know one woman, a retired florist, who put together nine arrangements and delivered them over the weekend. My father will go to Mom's grave tomorrow with an Easter lily. I have a relative who does twelve grave arrangements for every major holiday, but they're all near her home, not much driving. I'm sure, each one remembers Easters of their past as they place their flowers.

    For some, it's a big church day. Grown children coming home for services with the grandchildren. Special music, communion, even sunrise services.Many churches will have dramas, flower bedecked crosses, or other displays.Special offerings will be collected or canned food for the local food bank. The children will receive a small treat from their teachers.

    And food!! Not all, but many families have the Easter feast, even if they don't go to church first. Ham, turkey, and lamb are the big sellers. We'll have fewer than ten people this year, so we've cut down to just one main course, no appetizers, and only one dessert. (Yes, that's cutting down. No multiple choices. None of us cook like Momma did, so why keep trying?) I did color Easter eggs for the centerpiece, to put out at the last minute. I decorated the dining room mantel with Easter bunnies, rocking plastic eggs, and violets. (Would Martha S. approve?) The cake has green coconut on top with handmade marshmallow bunnies on the side and jellybeans grouped in the "grass". The only child at this meal is one year old, and won't even know what it's all about. But the big kids, from 23 to 82 will like it. We're also having marinated raw vegetables, salad, steamed broccoli, and mashed sweet potatoes, hot yeast rolls. I cleaned the big silver-plated urn with polish to a bright shine for the iced tea. Only a few of us are wine drinkers, so I'm not serving any. I;m trying to coordinate everything, so that I can throw it all on the table about an hour after pulling in the driveway after  church, and have everything hot and ready (it's hard to have everything hot at the same time, even if you aren't just coming home from church).

    And of course, there's the real Easter bunny, who hasn't been to this house in years, and probably won't show up for a few more. Dad likes his jelly beans all year round. Maybe he'll get some malted eggs after the Easter sales start on Monday. These days the bunny gives out a lot of toys and toothbrushes as well as candy.

    When I was young, women wore corsages on Easter. So my grandma gave me an orchid. Each of my younger brothers got a chocolate egg. But I got my orchid the day before, so I could wear it on my suit Easter morning. A few years ago, Wal-Mart still sold them cheaply, but I was the only one I saw wearing one on Easter morning. Of course, when I was young, and through high school, girls wore gloves, hats and new purses for Easter.

      So Easter is a lot of things. It stirs a lot of memories.