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by Rachel Paxton
Easter is a great time to capture family photographs for scrapbooking.
Even if you don't scrapbook, planning your picture taking ahead
of time ensures you won't miss any of these great family memories.
No family traditions? Then this is a great time to start!
Here are some Easter photograph ideas for scrapbooking:
Photograph spring flowers in bloom. Daffodils and tulips will make a colorful contrast to your other photographs.
Have your kids help you make Easter cookies or an Easter cake. Snap a picture of them working in the kitchen and then make sure to take a picture of the finished product. We made a layer cake and arranged it on a thick piece of cardboard covered with aluminum foil. It was lemon cake with lemon filling and pink frosting. We decorated it with store-bought Easter candy. Around the base of the cake we arranged Easter grass and added chocolate eggs and peeps for decoration. It made a great picture!
Gingerbread houses aren't just for Christmas! Make a gingerbread house and decorate it for Easter with pastel colors and lots of Easter candy. The possibilities are limitless.
If your family attends Easter church services, make sure to get a picture of your girls in their Easter dresses. Dressing up is a great excuse to take a picture.
Coloring Easter eggs never gets old, whatever the age of your kids! They never get tired of showing you how creative they are. Join in on the fun and then take a picture of the finished product.
Easter egg hunts are also fun for the whole family. Take some good action pictures and get a picture of your kids with their Easter baskets.
Easter dinners are a great time to take family pictures. It's a good time to take pictures of relatives you don't often see, and fun to get pictures of the family laughing and enjoying a meal together. Take pictures of any of the good food you want to remember later.
Have fun picture taking, and have a happy Easter!
Rachel Paxton may be contacted at http://www.creativehomemaking.com
rachel@creativehomemaking.com. Click here to view more of their
articles.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author
of the "What's for Dinner?" cookbook, a cookbook containing
more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize
your home, home decorating, crafts, and frugal living, visit
Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com
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 36753 A colorful, fun eyecatcher with the fresh scent of spring! 39-hour burn time. 3" x 4" high. [Spring
Decor | Candles | Colors | Patterns
| April 2006 New Arrivals] |
Click on numbers for larger, detailed images and ordering info
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by Rachel Paxton
Quick breads are a quick, easy accompaniment to any holiday meal.
For the best-tasting holiday quick breads, here are some helpful hints:
- Only grease the bottoms of the loaf pans or the sides of the bread will pull away from the sides of the baking pan.
- Bake in the center of the center rack of the oven.
- When adding liquids to the dry ingredients, stir only until dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
- Quick breads can be made ahead and frozen from 1 to 2 months.
2 eggs, beaten slightly 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 1/4 cups flour 1 cup chopped cranberries 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin, mixing well. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the batter and add the pumpkin. Stir in cranberries. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.
2 cups flour 1 egg 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup cranberries, sliced 1 cup sugar 1 cup nuts, chopped (optional) 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon baking soda Juice and rind of 1 orange 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add water to orange juice to make 3/4 cup liquid. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
5 cups flour 4 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 4 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 1 large can pumpkin 2 cups nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs. In another bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add flour and pumpkin alternately to the egg mixture. Add nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.
3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/4 cups oil 2 apples, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped nuts (optional) 1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well blended. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for about 1 hour.
Rachel Paxton may be contacted at http://www.creativehomemaking.com
rachel@creativehomemaking.com. Click here to view more of their
articles.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author
of the "What's for Dinner?" cookbook, a cookbook containing
more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize
your home, home decorating, crafts, and frugal living, visit Creative
Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
by Susan Dunn
Spring is coming … Easter is coming. I think of my Mom’s
potato salad, dying eggs with my children, the years our bird
dog spent all Easter morning ‘pointing’ the eggs we’d
hidden Al fresco brunches with fresh strawberry crepes which later
gave way to dining rooms formalities of lamb roast with mint jelly,
and fresh asparagus, then evolving back to ham, potato salad and
deviled eggs, like my Mom. The years my sons and I celebrated
in the Florida Keys, now celebrating with my son’s in-laws,
grilling out in the back yard. Religious services, spring bonnets,
orchid corsages and Easter lilies. Customs particular to South
Texas – bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes along the highway,
cascarones and Fiesta - and finally, PEEPS®!
Traditions are what give our life stability and meaning and keep us in the rhythm of life. They give us something to look forward to, something to count on, and something to change when we want to, move, or add new family members! Traditions can always be changed or re-created. In fact, many of our transitions in life involve redoing traditions.
Some of us will celebrate Easter as a religious holiday, others as a secular celebration. It’s simply in our blood to rejoice in the springtime.
Easter began when the ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival in honor of Eastre, their goddess of fertility and spring. Her symbol was the rabbit! It’s the custom in most cultures to celebrate the vernal equinox with various symbols of fertility and rebirth, such as rabbits and eggs!
Easter is the first Sunday following the first full moon, which falls on or after the vernal equinox, March 21st. Thus it falls between March 22nd and April 25th.
What are cascarones?
a. A waterfall in Northern Mexico
b. A rare species of Easter orchid
c. A large South American rodent
d. None of the above.
The correct answer is d.
Cascarones are hollowed-out eggshells filled with confetti. The tradition in the Southwest and Mexico is to crack them over your friends’ heads. The person with the most confetti in their hair is the most loved!
Check out this great cascarones tutorial.
Each year in April, San Antonio (TX) puts on FIESTA, which often coincides with Easter – weeks of festivities. Roadside vendors, grocery stores and upscale boutiques sell cascarones. I used to mail them to my son when he was in college in Seattle, and wondered what the Washingtonians would think.
The Easter Lily originated in Japan, but today, 95% of the bulbs used for the potted Easter Lilies we give, and receive, come from 10 farms along the California/Oregon border. They’re grown in various other places, including Michigan. Did you know growers can count the leaves to determine when the plants will flower? Is there anything more fragrant?
I eagerly await the annual spring ballotin from Lady Godiva, but if a chocolate bunny’s more your speed, ChocolateVault.com has chocolate bunnies, lambs, crosses, hens, roosters, lolies, Easter cards, you name it!
Some year along the way, “Peeps®” became a part of our Easter tradition. They’re aren’t in the house, we don’t eat them, but they’re v. much a part of the experience. And this year it’s the 50th anniversary of Peeps®.
The “San Francisco Chronicle” noted that over 600 million of these little marshmallow things will be produced, riding on a wave of “kitsch and nostalgia drawn from two influential demographic pools.”
True in my household! I, the Baby Boomer, include them in baskets because that’s what my parents did; my son, the Generation Xer, joins his peers in investigating all that a Peep® is, and all a Peep® can be.
Rigorous trials such as the Bunny Survival Test, April Showers, and the Oxygen Deprivation Test have been devised to test their mettle.
They’ve even been known to teach students (k through2) math.
And occasionally they’re actually eaten! Among the many mouth-watering, eye-appealing recipes for Peeps® is Blue Peep® Pie which calls for blue gelatin, Curacao, and 15 blue Peeps®. “Snip apart each family of Peeps®,” it says. “Arrange in concentric circles atop pie filling. Use fresh blueberries to fill in gaps between Peeps®.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s tried toasting peeps!” writes a list member of Gail’s Recipe Swap Archive. “I recently toasted some over a gas stove burner and got pretty good results. The key is to blow them out immediately when they catch on fire...”
“Creative alternative uses” are listed on epicurious.com: “Pre-Easter fresh Peeps® can be moistened in punch cups and then used around the kitchen window as cheery caulking. You can color coordinate this with your kitchen.”
Eat your heart out, Martha!
Gen Xers may be seeking a Peeps® screensaver or to send a Peeps ® ecard. Peep Central should provide all you need.
Created by Just Born, Inc., Peeps® have been joined by Peeps® Marshmallow Jelly Beans. You’ll understand the “creative alternative uses” for Peeps® when I report that tasters at epicurious.com “found the marshmallow-fruit combo overwhelmingly sweet. Comparisons were made to Pledge® wood cleaner, bad bubble gum, and lavender soap.” Wait a minute. Does that mean someone knows what Pledge® wood cleaner tastes like?
The Peep® Fun Bus is coming to San Antonio, April 14-20! Find out when it’s coming to your town here, or call the hotline: 1-866-270-9638. You can even request it for your special event or festival.
Heck, that’s worth creating a festival for!
Q: What do you have to do to get a year’s supply of Peeps®?
A: Win the Easter Basket Contest.
Q: What’s a “year’s supply” of Peeps®?
A: 365 packages.
Q: What do the contest losers get?
A: 2 years’ supply of Peeps. j.k.
Will it be ham or lamb? Go here to cast your vote. In south Texas, it’s customary to cook out. The public parks are full. Not having done this myself, I don’t know for sure, but I think neither ham NOR lamb is involved.
I think I’ll revert to haute cuisine this year. Rack of Lamb with Spinach Pine-Cut Crust and Minted pea Sauce, Hibiscus-Marinated Leg of Lamb (featuring dried nontoxic and organic hibiscus flowers, Red Zinger tea, garlic, olive oil, red current jelly), Lavender Crème-Caramel Tart, Asparagus Napoleons with Oriental Black Bean Sauce, Hot Cross Buns … ahhh …. sounds well worth the effort to me. Recipes on epicurious.com.
Or you may wish to have a Vegan Easter.
Get your brightly-colored Panama hat here.
Recipe for Easter bonnet cookies.
Attend the Easter Bonnet Rod Run, Oak Ridge Tennessee: “Ladies
bring your finest Easter bonnet, and Men, dress up your bonnet
on your car.”
Attend the Annual Easter Bonnet and Hat Parade in San Diego.
And last, but not least, the songs from our childhood. “Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the bunny trail, hippity hoppin’, Easter’s on its way. He’s got jelly beans for Tommy, colored eggs for sister Sue, There’s an orchid for your mommy, and an Easter bonnet too.
Originally sung by Gene Autry. You can listen to it here.
Surely this is a time to spring clean – your house, car, office, garden, mind, and spirit! Get the weeds out, turn the soil, add some fertilizer, water and sunshine, plants seeds, prepare for blossoms. Rebirth yourself … come back to life!
© 2002 Ron Williams
Two men in Outback Australia are trying to kill off the Easter
Bunny. Going by the names of Chief Ranger Frank Manthey and Zoologist
Peter McRae, they work for the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
They are being aided and abetted in this cause by an Organisation called Rabbit Free Australia. They are actually trying to kill any rabbit including the Easter Bunny, as well as any other feral animals within their disputed territory. Sympathisers to their cause exist throughout the rural and urban communities of Australia.
Rabbit Free Australia claim that the supposedly cute bunnies are feral creatures that damage the environment as well as compete with local animal species including the Bilby, for food and space. These two men are trying to breed up a small colony of these endangered marsupials, behind a wire-fenced compound.
Gulliver Media Australia, Pty, Ltd, (http://www.gullivermedia.com.au/bilbydir/bilby.htm ), is putting together a documentary about these two wanted desperados.
Many people have expressed concern about the future safety of the Easter Bunny, if he ever comes back downunder. While others argue that his annual entry visa should have been revoked years ago.
So what actually is a bilby. Well let me clue you in…Mr Bilby is actually a nocturnal desert dwelling bandicoot, a local native Marsupial. Somewhat similar in appearance to a rabbit, when wearing the better half’s glasses, they have big furry ears, but unlike the bunny they have a long tail. Currently bilbies are a rare and endangered species, quickly disappearing from the natural environment.
Mr Bilby stepped in during the 1993 Easter period, to run the Easter Bunny’s Australian route as a substitute egg deliverer, because Mr Bunny's safety could not be guaranteed. Current opinions are that it is still far too dangerous a place for him this year, and the Bilby will once again have to make the Australian run.
Since 1993, local Chocolate Manufacturers like Red Tulip, and Darrell Lea have been supplying a range of Chocolate Bilbies, as well as the traditional bunnies, with some of the proceeds from the sales going to research into the endangered Bilby populations.
There is a website about a story for children about our new local hero of Aussie Easters to come, The Easter Bilby, called “BURRA NIMU, THE EASTER BILBY”, (http://users.netconnect.com.au/Easter_Bilby/ ), Which is an Australian Children's Story by Jenny Bright
But for a bit of a laugh about the whole situation visit the Bilby Appreciation Society. ( http://members.ozemail.com.au/~bilbies/About_Society.htm )
Me thinks Mr Bunny will have to live with becoming the Ghost of Easter’s Past, as far as the people of Australia are concerned.
Ron Williams may be contacted at http://www.geocities.com/impatients63/
impatients63@hotmail.com. Click here to view more of their articles.
Ron Williams is a Freelance writer as well as being a Horticulturist
and a Rehabilitation Therapy Aid at a Psychiatric Hospital in
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He writes ezines for wz.com.
He runs his own Website called Bare Bones Gardening. He also owns
a discussion group about Australian Gardening, called Austgardens
at www.groups.yahoo.com
by Susan Dunn
Not all Easter bunnies like to put on their bonnets and join the
Easter parade! Some 10% of us are introverts, and holidays can
be stressful -- the family get-together for Easter, then those
spring outings at work -- here come the golf tournaments, softball
games, picnics, and if you live in San Antonio, TX, Fiesta time!
What's a shy bunny to do?
1. Pacing yourself is very important. People energize extroverts, and de-energize introverts. Allow time alone to recharge your batteries.
2. Don't accept every party invitation. This is good advice for everyone, and especially for you! Prepare ahead of time for those you do attend. Sometimes it's helpful to workout just before going to a social gathering, or to take a nap. Whatever works for you.
3. For the office outings, volunteer for some task that can be done alone. Volunteering to be the scorekeeper for the company softball game can get you through. You get to visit with everyone, but then they'll be moving on to play or sit in the stands and cheer while you have "work" to do.
4. At "command performances," get there early and greet everyone. Then you can wander! Also make it a point to say "great picnic isn't it?" and "best golf tournament we've ever had!" and smile, lest people get concerned you aren't 'having a good time,' and then you get more attention!
5. Learn to be the official photographer at get-togethers! Or assign yourself as the music-meister for the big family dinner. You can busy yourself endlessly changing CDs if you work it right, have beautiful music and maybe even have some great conversations with other music lovers.
6. Understand your social energy levels, and plan accordingly, i.e., leave before you get tired, not after. When you get home, take a nice bubble bath or something and restore your quietude.
7. Turn it down, turn it off. You don't have to make the sunrise service, then brunch at Aunt Tilly's, then lunch at your dad's, then dinner at your other dad's. Many introverts prefer outdoor gatherings -- more room to wander!
8. Focus on the parts you enjoy, and leave the rest to others. Be proactive and channel things your way. If you'd like to celebrate with someone and/or feel obligated to celebrate with someone, or know an invitation's coming, jump the gun. Invite them to a faith celebration, or back to your house for a cookout -- late Sunday afternoon works well, because everyone has to be at work Monday morning.
9. Establish your own traditions regarding the holidays. Take a week off and go to the Florida Keys. Catch one of the cheap cruises being offered now.
10. If you have multiple family obligations, set the tradition that it's one year here, one year there. It's stressful for anyone to run from house to house to house, and definitely not for you.
11. Respect your boundaries. Often other people are drawn to introverts because of their calm and quiet ways. It's up to you whether you want to interact or not and you'll probably enjoy it more if you choose whom you spend your time with rather than vice versa.
Susan Dunn may be contacted at http://www.susandunn.cc sdunn@susandunn.cc.
Click here to view more of their articles.
Susan Dunn, MA, Clinical Psychology, certified Emotional Intelligence
Coach, The EQ Coach™ . Coaching around EQ for relationships,
career, resilience, transitions, personal and professional development.
I train and certify EQ Coaches, therapists and managers. Susan
is the author of numerous ebooks, including "How to Live
Your Life with Emotional Intelligence," "Depression,"
and "How to Develop Your Child's EQ." she is widely
published on the Internet, a syndicated columnist for WebProNews
and Family-Content, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. (See
"How to Get to Present on a Cruise.") She offers home
study programs through her distance learning school. For marketing
services go here.
by Brenda Hyde
A special decorated egg called Pysanki, which comes from the
Slavic word pysati which means "to write" are a beautiful
tradition for many families. The eggs are "written"
on with hot wax making beautiful and elaborate designs then dipped
into colorful dyes. You can do this yourself with some simple
designs.
You will need:
Room temperature hard boiled eggs
a sewing pin stuck into a pencil eraser
candle
Be sure to do this with children ONLY if adults are present to help at all times. Stick a small needle or pin into the eraser head on a pencil. Light a candle. Dip your pin into hot wax and immediately write on the egg making a design. After making a few designs, dip the egg into a light color dye. Dry the egg by patting gently with a cloth and add more wax designs. Dip again into a slightly darker color. Repeat this process until your egg is decorated as you wish!
Brenda Hyde may be contacted at http://www.seedsofknowledge.com
chuckbrendakids@worldnet.att.net. Click here to view more of their
articles.
Brenda Hyde is a work at home Mom of three, a freelance writer
and editor. For more old fashioned recipes,crafts and free family
newsletters visit http://oldfashionedholidays.com or http://seedsofknowledge.com
by Bob Bassett
The Easter basket is a longstanding holiday tradition, so what could be more appropriate than an Easter gift basket? Whether it's a gift for nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or you simply don't have the time to hand-assemble an Easter basket full of goodies for your own children, an Easter gift basket is sure to be well received.
For younger children, there are Easter gift baskets that contain plush toys like Teddy bears or stuffed bunnies. Look for candy and treats appropriate to younger children as well, with brightly colored wrappings. Of course, chocolate bunnies are always popular, too! You can even hide the baskets and set up a scavenger hunt, complete with clues.
There are also more sophisticated Easter gift baskets available for older recipients. In addition to candy and chocolate, consider a wine or gourmet gift basket. Most online retailers can ship to other locations, so ordering an Easter gift basket online is a great way to say "Happy Easter" to distant friends or relatives.
Easter gift baskets are available in a variety of size and price ranges. Less expensive individual baskets may be a good choice for children, but a large basket with a wide variety of items would make a spectacular family gift. Not only will everyone enjoy the contents, but they will have a charming decorative basket that will last for years.
For friends that may not celebrate Easter, there are also passover gift baskets available. Look for certified kosher items. As passover falls during roughly the same time of year, it can be a nice way to acknowledge the beliefs of friends who don't celebrate Easter.
Easter is a wonderful holiday for family to come together and celebrate. Traditionally, most families have a large Easter dinner. A huge Easter gift basket to share could make a centerpiece everyone will remember.
Bob Bassett is the owner of Unique Gift Baskets Online which offers a wide selection of gift baskets for any occasion including baby gift baskets, food gift baskets, wine and corporate gift baskets. http://www.uniquegiftbasketsonline.com
Bob Bassett may be contacted at
by Mark Bulleit
When Santa comes to town, the underlying lesson of doing something for someone else, with no expectations of anything in return, is understood. I mean, teaching our children the meaning of Christmas, on a level they can understand, is not always easy. But, most of us know the point we are trying to get across to them. But what about Easter? What are you teaching your children and why?
As a parent of young children I have had to recently address this very topic. Daddy, why does the Easter Bunny bring us candy? Hmmm... my initial answer, "I'm going to have to get back to you on this one." So let's take a look at that question. Yep, kids do keep you on your toes.
According to www.adherents.com, the most recent census shows that 82% of all U.S. citizens claim to be Christian. This percentage is even higher in many other major countries around the world. The heart of the Christian philosophy is the remembrance of Christ's resurrection and the promise of his everlasting presence. And, Easter is the time for remembering a completely selfless unspoken bond, between us all, strong enough to withstand an endurance of such pain, suffering and ultimately death, so that all could be forgiven.
But regardless of your religious preference, Easter can mean so many things. It's the beginning of Spring, a time to witness re-birth all around us from the grass below our feet to the birds that fly way above our heads. However, I believe there is one overwhelming gift that Easter brings us all. One concept that surrounds the Easter season above all others... that gift is HOPE.
Why hope? What is it? Arnold H. Glasow said that the most popular form of hope is expecting something for nothing. Perhaps, but that use of the word is somewhat slang. Hope is a gift given to each one of us. It's the possibility of triumph over transgression. It's the strength in knowing that even sometimes, under the most unfavorable odds, you can accomplish any dream. It's the serenity in knowing that at the end of any long dark tunnel is an opening to a whole new beginning. Come to think of it, it's what gets me out of bed in the morning.
Hope is such a powerful asset. We hope for ourselves, our families, our children, our friends and neighbors, just about everyone we meet. From my little girl watching an olympic ice skater hoping that someday that will be her, to my neighbor hoping he gets the promotion he's been waiting for, hope is what makes all our dreams seem possible.
Easter signifies to the Christian community the resurrection of Christ and the origination of hope by every sense of the word. And Easter also marks the beginning of Spring when nature re-creates life giving all things a natural sense of hope's very existence. Easter is a time to reflect on the gift of hope that we all have been given. And think of the the Easter Bunny as an extension of this reflection on a level which our children can somewhat understand.
So back to our original question, "Daddy, why does the Easter Bunny bring me candy?" My answer, "Well, for now, just know that it is a very special time for all of us and the Easter Bunny just wants to make sure it truly is for you too and that you are not left out. Hope is a gift to all who choose to accept it. I hope you understand..."
Mark Bulleit, resident of Santa Claus, Indiana, mails thousands of personalized letters from the Easter Bunny to children world-wide every year through his web site at www.EasterBunnyLetters.com.
Mark Bulleit may be contacted at http://www.easterbunnyletters.com
by Susan Dunn
More than 48% of US households are headed by unmarried individuals. The American Association for Single People projects that by 2010, 47.2% of adults will be unmarried. Being single does not mean being alone, nor does being in a couple for the holidays insure happiness. Let’s dispel some myths!
Myth 1: Single people are lonely at holidays. Reality: No moreso than anyone else. This is a projection of people who fear “being alone for the holidays,” a fear of the unknown.
Myth 2: Single people need you to invite them over to your celebration. Reality: Contrary to perceptions, single people are v. popular at holidays, and we generally receive lots of invitations. If you want us over, invite us, but because you like us, not because you think we need it.
Myth 3: Single people don’t know what to do for holidays. Reality: On the contrary, we are used to planning our social lives actively, good at generating options, and used to making unilateral decisions. We’re pros!
Myth 4: Single people are available to perform certain social tasks during the holiday celebration. Reality: We like to be cherished guests, like everyone else. We don’t like to be the steer among the bulls – invited to get people who don’t get along off of one another’s throats. If you don’t like your family and friends, why would we? “Can you come over and help out with Aunt Edna?” is not an invitation.
Myth 5: Single people are available to do certain physical tasks during the holiday celebration. Reality: Nor is this an invitation: “It’s John’s in-laws and I want to impress them. Can you come over and help with the hors d’oeuvres?” As best-friend, yes; as the only working-guest, absolutely not.
Myth 6: Single people are misfits, outsiders. Reality: On the contrary, most of us have highly developed Emotional Intelligence skills; that’s the reason we get the ‘rescue us’ invitations! Outsiders? It’s about half the adult world now. Take another look!
Myth 7: If a single person isn’t part of a couple, or doesn’t spend Easter with a couple or family, they will be miserable. Reality: Come on now. Is it so horrible to celebrate Easter on a cruise to the Caribbean, coming back rested, tanned and relaxed?
Myth 8: The only “happy” way to spend the holidays is if you are a couple or part of a family. Reality: If that were so, half the articles on the Internet this time of year wouldn’t be about how to cope with the annual holiday dinner with the relatives, and the divorce rate in the US wouldn’t be 50%.
Myth 9: Single people have “nowhere to go” for the holidays. Reality: Nowhere to go? We have everywhere to go! I loved my years as the Easter Bunny, and occasionally do hostess the holiday, but this year I’ve got my eye on a weekend of enjoying the Texas wildflowers. Or maybe to the Coast. There are so many places to go I can’t decide!!
In fact I have so many neat ideas for spending holidays on-your-own, if you’re stuck I’ll give you a FREE coaching session. Give me a call – 210-496-0678.
Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc , mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc. Coaching, Internet courses and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your personal and professional success. Coach Certification Program - fast, affordable, no-residency, training coaches worldwide. Email for free ezine.
Susan Dunn may be contacted at http://www.susandunn.cc or sdunn@susandunn.cc
by LeAnn Ralph
It was a Sunday afternoon one year when I was a kid growing up on our Wisconsin dairy farm — the week before Easter, in fact — and I was "bored."
Of course I knew better than to say I was bored, because then my mother would find something for me to do.
Well, all right, I did know of something fun to do, except we didn't have the proper materials.
I heaved a deep sigh and flopped back against the couch.
"What's the matter with you?" asked my big sister, Loretta, looking up from the magazine she was reading.
"Easter is next weekend, and I want to make Easter eggs," I said.
Loretta smiled. "Good idea. I was looking for something to do myself."
"But," I said, "we can't make Easter eggs."
"We can't?"
I shook my head. "We don't have one of those coloring kits. And if we don't have a kit, how are we going dye eggs?"
After all, every year that I could remember before this, we had always used one of those Paas Easter Egg kits.
As I watched my sister's face, I could see she was trying very hard not to smile.
"What’s so funny?" I asked indignantly.
"We don’t need a kit."
"We don’t?"
My sister closed her magazine and went out to the kitchen — with me right on her heels, naturally. She opened the cupboard where the baking supplies were stored and pushed aside salt, soda and vanilla, until finally she located a small box.
"We can use this," she said.
I stared at the box for a moment. "Ummm…we're not going to put frosting on our Easter eggs, are we?" (That's what food coloring is for, isn't it? To make frosting?)
My stomach did a little flip-flop at the very thought of powdered sugar frosting on hard-boiled eggs.
By the look on Loretta's face, I could tell that the idea of powdered sugar frosting on eggs made her stomach do a little flip-flop, too.
"No, of COURSE we're not going to put frosting on eggs," she said. "We're going to use this to color the eggs."
"But I thought we needed one of those kits," I said.
Loretta turned the back of the box toward me and pointed to three little words — "For Coloring Eggs."
Three other words stood out, too — "Color Blending Chart."
"Wait a minute," I said, taking the box from my sister. "Does that mean we can make OTHER colors."
Loretta nodded. "Sure does."
Besides green, yellow, red and blue, I saw that we could make purple, orange, turquoise, toast, violet, and. . .something I couldn't pronounce.
I didn't care for the idea of toast-colored eggs, but…"What's char…charter—"
Loretta took the box from me. "Chartreuse."
"What's that?"
"Kind of greenish-yellow, I think."
Hmmm--greenish-yellow. . .
"Tell you what," Loretta said. "Let's make up a batch of the four basic colors, do some of the eggs, and then we can add the other colors and do the rest. That way, we won't waste any of the food coloring."
Which is what we did after we had cooked a dozen eggs and then let them cool off.
Finally we were ready to start making the other colors, and I could scarcely wait to see what chartreuse looked like. It sounded so different. So exotic. MUCH more interesting than just plain old green or yellow.
I quickly added the proper amount of yellow to the green, and in a couple of minutes, there was our chartreuse egg.
I looked at Loretta and she looked at me.
The egg was DEFINITELY greenish-yellow.
But there was something else about it, too, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. . .
Dad could, though.
"What kind of a color do you call that?" he asked. He had the same look on his face that Loretta had gotten when I mentioned putting powered sugar frosting on hard boiled eggs.
"Chartreuse," Loretta said.
Dad shook his head. "That's an awful fancy name. I'd call it. . .well . . .I don't know what I'd call it, but you know how the barnyard always stays wet in that corner by the milkhouse during the summer?"
And right then and there, it hit me. The egg WAS the peculiar greenish-yellowish of the algae that grew in the barnyard mud. (Which, I might add, also turned the dairy cows' ankles a sickly green when they'd been standing around in it.)
Well, okay, so maybe chartreuse hadn't turned out to be the greatest color for Easter eggs, but at least I could say one thing—
I wasn't bored anymore.
************************************
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books: "Cream of the Crop (More True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" (September 2005); "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" ( August 2003), "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories)" (e-book, April 2004), and "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam" (Oct. 2004). You are invited to read sample chapters, order books and sign up for LeAnn's FREE! e-mail newsletter, Rural Route 2 News & Updates. Visit — http://ruralroute2.com
by Angela Billings
(3/20/06) Here are some easy ways to celebrate Easter
1.Make paper plate bunnies. Simply take one white paper plate and cut 2 ear shapes from it and staple or glue them to the top of another white paper plate and draw a face on it. Glue cotton balls around the edge of the plate.
2.Cut out construction paper Easter eggs and color and paint them to hang around the house.
3.Use rabbit, chick, cross and egg shaped cookie cutters for toast, sandwiches, brownies, rice krispie treats and more.
4.Color your own eggs by making your own egg dye. Try beet juice, kool aid and anything that has color.
5.Make Easter egg holders, cut empty paper towel tubes about 2 inches each and wrap in colorful paper. You can then sit your eggs on them.
6.Cut out construction paper egg shapes and write a Bible verse on each one about what Easter is really about.
7.Make small Easter baskets and deliver to nursing homes to those residents that never get visitors and to your elderly neighbors.
8. Read the Easter story in the Bible and some Easter books.
9. Have an Easter egg hunt and invite children of the community.
10. Decorate an outside tree with plastic Easter eggs.
11. Have a special breakfast, lunch or dinner on Easter Sunday!
Angela Billings publishes a free online newsletter Home and Family Ezine. http://www.homeandfamilyezine.com
Angela Billings may be contacted at http://www.homeandfamilyezine.com or asb68@twlakes.net
by Susie Cortright
(3/21/06)Celebrate this season of renewal, abundance and love with some new family traditions. Here are seven ideas: 1. Create a kindness wreath for your front door. Begin with a small, plain wreath. A week or two before Easter, distribute 10 or more ribbons in bright spring colors to each family member. Whenever someone reaches out to another in kindness during the week, another ribbon is tied onto the wreath.
2. Fill a wicker basket with handmade cards featuring cheerful messages and perhaps a small gift or two. Leave the basket anonymously on a friend's doorstep, along with a request that they empty the basket and do the same for someone else.
3. Sit down with your children and each create a special collage or drawing that depicts what Easter means to each of you. The artwork can become a permanent part of your family's Easter decorations. Before they go into storage at the end of the season, scan them or take a photograph so you can record the artwork in your family journal or scrapbook album.
4. Videotape (or audiotape) young children singing a fun seasonal song. These renditions of "Little Bunny Foo Foo" and "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" will be treasured for years to come. Make copies and send the tapes to family and friends whom you can't be with on Easter.
5. When it's time for your annual Easter get together, present each guest with a 6x6 or 8x8 sheet of cardstock and ask them to handwrite a message especially for the Easter holiday - perhaps ways that they are feeling joy, gratitude, or hopefulness. Snap a photo of each guest and create a simple (and quick) mini scrapbook album as a keepsake, featuring one page for each guest - with their photo and Easter message.
6. Make a Garden Journal. Cover an ordinary dime-store composition book or journal with spring patterned papers or magazine clippings of your favorite flowers. Now record the process of creating your family garden this year. Make sure to include pictures of each of you working in the soil. Don't forget the journaling - and lots of flower pressings.
7. Buy or make handmade Easter greeting cards and send them to friends and family. Make a point to send out at least seven cards this season to people with whom you'd like to create a deeper friendship.
May these ideas for Easter family traditions spark more ideas that you can use throughout the year to celebrate the beauty that comes to us through friends and family. About the Author: Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com as well as Momscape's Online Scrapbooking Magazine and Momscape's Organic Living Channel - all of which celebrate the simple splendor in our everyday lives. Visit her site today to subscribe to her free weekly newsletters featuring fresh new ideas and inspiration.
About the author: Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking. Join her scrapbooking club here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrapbookclub or learn more about starting your own scrapbooking business with Susie's help: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm
Susie Cortright may be contacted at http://www.momscape.com or susie@momscape.com
by CD Mohatta
(3/27/06) Jesus died on the cross. Jesus was nailed on the cross. Yes, He was nailed. How many of you have taken injection shots? Do you remember the feeling of pain that comes with a very thin needle? That also is taken away within few seconds. Now imagine getting hit with a nail and the nail crossing your palm, a thick nail and you are left to bleed. Now imagine the pain. Christianity teaches us about how to bear our pain and still try and make others happy. Please view these wallpapers on Christianity.
Pain, intense pain, yes, death by intense pain and Jesus died with that. By laws of science, I don't know how much of His weight was taken by His palms, but even if the weight taken was a fraction of his body weight, the pain would been much more. And Jesus died on the cross, bearing his own weight with his palms, bleeding. Left to bleed in the afternoon sun.
Good Friday was the day He died. I read somewhere that earlier it was called God Friday. And He resurrected on Easter Sunday. Here is a collection of Easter Wallpapers and Easter Screensavers.Coming back to our thoughts, if one goes through the work and the teachings of Jesus, one finds nothing but selfless giving and miraculous cures. Jesus could cure miraculously because He was Son of God. But did He enjoy any material comforts? Any pleasures? His life is nothing but a chronicle of a man who suffered, but took away sufferings of others. Even His death was a very painful death.
What does Jesus' life teach us? It teaches us not to give suffering to others but take it ourselves. It teaches us to comfort others. It teaches us selfless giving. It teaches us to forgive even if extreme pain is inflicted upon us. It teaches us to love all and hate none.
Let us celebrate Easter Sunday. Let us remember the teachings of Jesus Christ. Let us spread peace in the world. Let us start giving selflessly. Let us live selflessly. Let us all spread goodness, happiness and cheer in the world. Let us all work to remove hatred and vice from this world.
Screensavers with text are a different joy to watch. Mohatta writes for screensavers including those on success , Daily thoughts and Love thoughts
CD Mohatta may be contacted at
by Kacy Carr
(3/10/06) What is it about spring that brings the goodness out in people, could it be waking up to our feathered friends whistling their morning tune? Is it to do with the buds on the pink cherry blossom trees or the lemon daffodil trumpets standing tall with pride? How about the spring lambs or the hatching of yellow fluffy chicks. Could it be the coming of Easter bonnet parades - is our sense of feeling on top of the world encouraged by chocolate Easter eggs or is it the rising of our lord Jesus Christ that gives us all the reason behind why we feel as good as we do bringing out the goodness in us all?
All these pleasant happenings and events contribute to how we celebrate the spring seasonal months. How do we do this? By spring cleaning of course where no stone is left unturned, it is where every inch of the house is cleaned right through from top to bottom - no cobweb goes unnoticed or scum mark on the bath ignored.
Spring cleaning can be a health hazard if you take on to much at once or it can have its advantages where you can treat it as a form of exercise workout. Who knows you may get to enjoy it to an extent where it gets done on a regular basis, therefore you keep in shape and into the bargain a spotless home.
Spring cleaning is time consuming so the best thing you can do is to sit down and plan a time schedule for each job in advance. Allow yourself tea breaks in between. Spring cleaning can be very fulfilling and rewarding if not rushed. If there are certain parts of the house that need more attention than others then direct all your energies on those rooms. Get the heavy work out of the way so that you do not have to face these as you begin to tire from other tasks performed.
The only ammunition you need for this battle against dirt and grime is a checklist carefully mapped out. Allies, bleach - disinfectant - feather duster and a little elbow grease then you are well on the way to winning this war. Choose a day preferably when you are not likely to have visitors, if kiddies are on the scene call the grandparents to baby sit. Older children send to the cinema in another country if need be. Take one room at a time do not have two or three on the ago at the one time you may lose control.
Consider doing the laundry a couple a days before i.e. sheets curtains. If your list of your jobs on your checklist are followed through the way you intended then all should run smooth. Cutting corners can cause misery.
Throw open every window in the house to let some fresh air in. Have your favourite music playing in the background and sing along at the top of your voice to let the neighbours know you are feeling on top of the world as you dust away. As the day draws to an end run a hot bath, fill with bubbles, light a few candles and relax. Send out for a take away meal pizza or curry we don`t want to dirty the pots now do we.
A great way to keep yourself in good shape as well as the home is to relax. http://www.want2yoga.com. Before the home we have the wedding, all essentials found here http://www.your-wedding-planning-help.com
Hi Kacy here, a thank you for reading my articles I hope to continue to provide pleasure and at the same time help people with their problems on some of my chosen subjects.
Kacy Carr may be contacted at http://www.benidormbeaches.com or kacycarr@yahoo.co.uk
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