Happy Friday! On Wednesday, K went over a friend’s house to paint some eggs. She made the one above for me — isn’t it perfectly neutral? What can I say, the girl knows her Mama. The pre-Easter party was hosted by K’s friend’s grandmother, and at pick-up time I was politely half-listening as I gathered stray socks and zipped up bags when she told me that she had prepared seven dozen eggs for the girls. Seven dozen eggs?
It turns out that she saves the shells every time she makes an omelet or bakes cookies or poaches up Eggs Benedicts throughout the year, washing them out and stockpiling them until Easter. “My mother did the same thing, and I painted eggs like these as a child,” she said. Her mother upheld this tradition for 81 years with kids, grandkids and great grandkids!
The egg shells are filled with jelly beans and bits of tissue paper, and hearing the backstory makes them all the more endearing.
In my family, my mom boiled a dozen eggs, and using pens and acrylic paint, my brothers and I spent hours drawing and painting intricate designs on them. They took so long that we each completed two or three at most. I tried to do the same last year and promptly dropped all the eggs I was working on. A steady hand and a gentle yet firm grip are required, none of which I possess, it seems.
Anyway! Happy Easter weekend to you all! We’re gearing up for an egg hunt bonanza followed by a hearty outdoor brunch. It’s our own annual tradition we’ve created with our neighbors, and it’s going to be loads and loads of fun! Let’s hope it doesn’t rain…
Haiku by K (she loves coming up with them):
They have hidden eggs
Filled with candy and money*
I will find them first
*Our neighbors must be overly generous — I’ve never stuffed the plastic eggs with money.
P.S. The winner of the giveaway is Amy M, congrats!!
I think that when your Mom sees K’s egg, she is going to move up to your house to take over K’s art instruction!! K paints like a pro and her haiku’s are delightful. Little girls are very wonderful. Happy Easter!!
The eggs have a Nani Iro flavor to them, don’t you think?
Thank you, and happy Easter to you, Greta!
Wonderful tradition; this makes me want to save my empty eggshells through the year, too, although I don’t celebrate Easter
It’s mainly about the egg hunt for us, and the food, of course :-). I loved that K got to participate in a tradition that had been going on for 81 years in her friend’s family. Have a wonderful weekend, Jeannie!
What a wonderful tradition! To take the time and care to carefully crack each egg throughout the year rather than just artlessly smashing them as I do . . . my hat goes off to her! Hope you enjoyed a wonderful egg hunt – traditions are so fun, aren’t they?!
I know!! I was so impressed by the resourcefulness. When chatting with the friend’s mom (daughter of grandma who hosted the party), she told me that their family is so large now that they need name tags to keep things straight, and they need hundreds of eggs!!