ANOTHER EASTER         Easter as a child was a wonderful thing in our home. As you know family came and brought things,helped make things and took things with them for Easter dinner. All had their specialties and all helped each other. Some things were difficult or time consuming to make ,so the jobs were split up.         Pop and Grammy would go to Third St. to the market and buy the ham and the kielbasa and the eggs. (like we didn�t have enough from the chickens?) heaven forbid we ran out of eggs. They were used in the bread,they were hard boiled,to color and eat,they were use for the sirok (I called it egg cheese).         The next trip to Third St was for Easter Clothes. There were many years that Pop and Grammy didn�t buy anything but for me there were always new clothes. Dress,shoes,socks,ribbons,gloves,hat and a hand bag. I wonder how many times they did without so that I looked good?         On Holy Thursday night my hair would be washed and Grammy would comb my hair around her finger and tie it with strips of rags..My hair was naturally curly but..she did it anyway. The process was repeated again on Holy Saturday. Heaven for bid..I shouldn�t look like I didn�t step out of a band box.         Easter Sunday it would be mass. If I was lucky I got to see nina and the girls in church. I loved my cousin Helen so much, and she spoiled me rotten. Sure I liked the others too but to this day she is my favorite. After mass we would stand outside and talk for awhile Grammy proud and tall like a peacock and all the older cousins fussing over me. When we finally walked home I was so pleased cause ..I was hungry! Breakfast was ham and eggs and toast made from the home made bread and butter. That was some breakfast! I would be so full I just wanted to sleep,and I did on the living room floor with my basket. I remember on Easter my basket was small but inside it was a dollar bill! Took my time spending that dollar.         I liked the afternoons best that�s when we would go to visit family and I�d pick up my �loot�. At Uncle Mike and Aunt Edies, always a basket and this year a large chocolate bunny! Never had one that big before. I didn�t even want to eat it until I had nothing else left. Nina and the girls made sure there were treats there also and Nina�s husband was big and scarey to me but he was a gentle giant. He would pick me up high and make me giggle. I loved him but he sure scared me for a long time. He always had a shinny coin for me! I loved the smell of all the Easter flowers in everyones homes and the ones blooming in the yards we passed. Even tho Bethlehem is built on the side of a mountain and a city everyone had a garden of flowers and vegetables but Easter the gardens were at their best! Guess they knew it was a very special time also.!         To this day I value all my family,I hold the moments precious that I spent with them all and I remember what it took for Grammy to come here at age 16 and leave her family behind. Then here sister Anna came along with her father and that was the start of my wonderful family and life with them.!         No one made Easter as special for me as my husband Richard. He knew my familys ways and shared many an Easter in their homes. So every Easter a hyacinth would come in ..or maybe 2 sometimes..more! He even made sure he bought �peeps� that are made in Bethlehem just to make sure I never went with out a piece of �home� at Easter. I would bake grammys bread and make the traditional dishes for our family and he enjoyed that so much. This Easter will be my very first without him. Somehow I know the boys will try to duplicate their father to please me. It will be wonderful of them to do but it just won�t be the same.! You see he never had what I had in family tradition and he adopted mine.That�s what made Easters with him so very wonderful. In my heart I will celebrate Easter with him..but physically with the boys.! MAIN INDEX