I hope everyone is having a wonderful, happy and safe Easter.
But when I got to thinking about Easter, I had some difficulty. I found it hard to remember a lot.
For example, do any of you remember the “Easter Parade” song?
It was written by Irving Berlin back in 1933.
It went, in part, like this:
“In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,
You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter Parade.
“I’ll be all in closer and when they look you over,
I’ll be the proudest fellow in the Easter Parade.”
Well, after a co-worker emailed me the words to this long-forgotten song, at least long-forgotten by me, it got me to thinking.
I started thinking, or questioning, or wondering really, if anybody still wears Easter bonnets with frills upon it. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m having a hard time imaging what frills would look like, yet along exactly what a bonnet looks like.
You see, I’m really not a hat person.
I can’t imagine a time when wearing a hat was standard fare, like, well, shoes, but I believe it was at one time.
But then it got me to thinking about today, well, about Easter and other Easters long past.
And I couldn’t think of many.
Few others I talked with could either.
And, if they could, all the memories seemed to be about the same.
A new outfit.
Coloring eggs — vinegar and food coloring — and making a big mess in the process.
Ham at grandma’s house.
Easter egg hunts.
Going to church, especially sunrise service.
Just about everybody seemed to have the same memories.
Just a couple seemed a little different, but not a whole lot.
Just two memories stand out with me. Oh, my goodness, I remember now. I did have a bonnet! A white thing with a blue ribbon around the base made of straw-like material. I remember only because I remember seeing pictures of me dressed up in a blue, polka-dot dress that had that stiff mesh under the skirt to make it stick out.
But I wouldn’t have remembered it if I hadn’t seen the picture.
Also now that I am thinking about Easter I remember just one Easter egg hunt out in the background with my cousins Fred and Martin. I don’t remember anything more about it. I just remember it happened — again because I saw a picture of us all dressed up carrying Easter baskets. But I again don’t actually remember the event myself.
I know it was a different Easter though because the outfit was different — and I wasn’t wearing a “bonnet.”
Maybe some wore “bonnets” for Easter because they always remembered it raining on Easter Sunday.
One lady originally from Iowa remembers hiding and hunting for eggs inside her house because the snow was too deep to hide Easter eggs in her backyard.
That was pretty smart, I’d say, because another lady remembered seeing her backyard dotted with pastel-colored spots of forgotten Easter eggs when someone tried to have a traditional Easter egg hunt in the snow and most of the eggs disappeared until the Spring thaw. Musta looked pretty! But probably smelled bad.
Not as bad as the lady’s house who had a really bad smell coming out of her hall closet a few months after Easter. This lady tore the closet apart. Everything was taken out and all boxes were searched — to no avail. Until she put her hands into the green “straw” inside her son’s Easter basket and, lo and behold, found the culprit — one lone forgotten Easter egg that smelled like, well, a rotten egg!
Another lady fondly remembered visiting all three of her grandparents on Easter Sunday, but not so fondly the three meals she also had to eat at each and every one of their houses.
One fellow remembered the traditional Easter festivities, but with a twist. He went to sunrise service, but on a beach in Florida, really watching the sun rise above the ocean. And for an Easter meal, he and his family went to a seafood brunch. No ham for him!
And, like Santa, the Easter Bunny left a full and beautiful Easter basket by the bed of another young lady every year. Maybe we should call this little bunny the Easter Santa?
But no more vivid memory of Easter could be found than from a lady who received the same paper maché bunny rabbit in her Easter basket every single year!
She also remembers this one particular Easter when she thinks she was about 2 years old. She remembers that particular Easter for a couple of reasons. One, she has a picture of herself. She is wearing a yellow dress her mom made for her. And, she remembers being really unhappy because she didn’t want to pose for the picture of herself, in the little yellow dress her mom made, in front of the church.
Now, however, she is really happy she has that photo.
She’s not sure whatever happened to the paper maché rabbit, however.
Again, Happy Easter — and take lots of pictures!
