One of my favorite things about Easter (in addition to chocolate of course), is coloring eggs to share with friends. Our first full-time Easter at the Chatette, I got very excited about coloring eggs but then I ran into a huge problem. All of the eggs in the supermarkets are brown. I tried a couple just to see if it might work, but it looked like my eggs should be out hunting or fighting a war somewhere.
I mentioned my problem at one Monday's language class and my friend Jean-Pierre told me that Francine Durand had white eggs, but that they were very big white eggs...goose eggs. When I saw Francine at the village Répas de Chasse, she said she'd be happy to give me some. I rode over "en velo" with my purple backpack and collected 10 eggs that were bigger than anything I had ever seen in my life! My treasures and I very carefully headed home-I got off my bike at the train tracks just to be sure! We made it home safely, but then my other worries began.
First of all, they would have to be boiled in shifts.The next question was whether I had any cups big enough to hold them when it was time to color them. But, as you can see-they worked well.
I had my list of friends who were receiving baskets with the fancy eggs, some Easter Chocolates and other treasures. I hadn't bought baskets at the store, but had hundreds of plastic flower containers that worked perfectly when covered with my medieval gift bags. Add in a little fake grass and we were ready to go. I was able to walk the first two over to Josie and Patrick and then up the hill a bit to Christiane and Jean-Paul. Everyone else was much further, but my bike wouldn't do this time. So, I found a cardboard lid and became my Easter Bunny self-wandering all over the village and leaving my baskets. Christiane put their egg on a pedestal. Jean kept hers in the basket. Months later, I was shocked to see them in their places of honor still holding up well!
I had a lot of fun that Easter of 2007. I must confess that I haven't become my Easter Bunny self for a couple of years now. Last year I was working quite a bit and had deadlines on projects around Easter, and this year my head has been in taxes. I didn't even send out Easter Cards!
This is when I wonder if I'm letting the stuff of the "real world" get in the way of some of what makes this life so special for me in Cadrieu. Taxes and work! Bah, humbug! Where's my magic wand when I need it? Oh that I could just wave all that bah-humbug stuff away so easily! I can't, but I can say that when next year comes and we're still here I'll remember this post. I'll be knocking on Francine's door again!
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