(I know, I was fucking adorable)

I don’t really know why, but Easter has always been my favorite holiday.

Maybe growing up in Michigan , I saw it as a harbinger of spring and the end of the (very long) winter.

Easter meant getting a whole new outfit – new dress, new shoes, new coat and hat – and I have always been a clothes enthusiast.

We colored eggs and hunted for them – in the house. And while I like hard boiled eggs, after years of dieting they lost their charm. And there was the candy – until the diet years, when my basket would come with things like barrettes and Queen Size L’Eggs pantyhose.

But what I loved most about Easter were the early years when the whole family would gather at my (maternal) Grandma’s house for a big breakfast. I remember it as always being a happy, carefree time. Those memories just glow with a feeling of being safe and loved.

Those years ended too soon. Once my Mom remarried, Easter breakfasts ended and instead the family gathered at our house for Easter dinner. Nice but not the same.

So I hope you all enjoy whatever spring ritual brings you joy.

And, please, beware of brown jelly beans.