Happy Easter!

It takes forever to make deviled eggs—but given the right occasion, these culinary delights are well worth the effort.

No better occasion than Easter to stand around peeling hard boiled eggs for hours on end. I generally find it therapeutic but when I start to get frustrated that it’s taking too long, my hands are freezing/burning (depending on the ice bath or how quickly the eggs have come from the boiling water), or I keep slicing up the egg whites while peeling off egg shell… I think of my Grandmother and her sister Aunt Betty who taught me how to make them and again I find my Zen. Given that I am now the designated family deviled-egg-maker, I may as well find enjoyment out of it because this honor/responsibly is not to be taken lightly.

I think Annie and Aunt Betty would be proud of my multi-colored eggs this year.

~Happy Holi~

Such brilliant traditions those Indians have. Since returning from India, I have certainly picked up some new habits—most notably the daily making of chai over the stove. Sure, I only make it once a day compared to their 8-10 times and my one cup of chai has been American-sized to equal about 3-4 of theirs… but it is fantastic: slicing and crushing all the spices, boiling the tea and milk, the smell and of course the caffeine.

I digress…. Holi—a fun holiday where you paint each other in vibrant colored powders. Kind of like a giant food fight but with harmless bright color and some water balloons. Not at all related to the Easter traditions—but you do end up looking like a human Easter egg and like Easter, the day is determined by the lunar calendar. Good times.

I was told the reason behind Holi and how it started but am unsure of the details. If someone totally unfamiliar with US traditions and holidays asked me how Halloween started and why we dress up as goblins and fairy princesses then go door to door asking for candy or threatening vandalism… I could probably produce some sort of answer. Don’t know if it would be accurate. At this point I don't know if we need a reason- we just celebrate Halloween and appreciate it for the fund and tradition of it all. Same goes for Holi.

Anyhow- I loved Holi Hai. Mita and Sumit served delicious Indian cuisine for lunch and all-in-all we had a fantastic time playing outside in the beautiful Austin sunshine. Very fun, the kiddos loved it and the powder didn’t even stain my skin! But I did get some really strange looks when I popped into Lowe’s on my way home to pick up some sweet potato vine. I quickly decided to just head back home… that maybe the general population was not ready for human sized Easter eggs.

gratitude

it makes me happy to be thankful. in fact, it's the best feeling I know.

for this reason, i LOVE writing thank you notes. i cringe a little to hear people gripe about writing them, because i hate to think that someone is missing the chance for such fulfillment.

there is nothing better than the feeling of simply overflowing with gratitude and letting some else know that they are the reason. makes me feel full, complete, and all those other wonderful ways to try to describe being content and beyond...

Poopsie

I couldn’t be any prouder of my happy little niece, Madeleine “Poopface” Shrum, weighing in at an impressive 21 lbs at 6 months. I’m doing my best as Auntie Emily to spoil her rotten… so at this past Sunday night family dinner, I introduced her to homemade icing. I started by dabbing just a tiny amount on her little lip and within seconds, she grabbed by finger with both of her hands and pulled it right into her little mouth and tugged away. This, of course, was rewarded with a spatula with icing on it which she managed to smear all over me and herself. It was awesome.

Isn't she precious?

Tyler at our back door...

Bird? What bird? I have no idea what you are talking about.

I'm sorry... did you say you wanted to pet me?

I don't know where the feathers came from... or how one got on me.

UPDATE: The birdy whose feathers appeared on my back porch is still MIA. Meanwhile, Tyler continues to be dive-bombed by blue jays in the backyard.