Another Day in the Country
By PAT WICK
© Another Day in the Country
My mother would have nothing to do with Easter — she thought all the chicks and bunnies and eggs were pagan. We didn't get Easter dresses, my sister and I. We got spring dresses and summer shoes. I do remember her trying to do something for me at Easter when I was 11 and still an only child. I'd wanted so badly to color eggs and have an Easter basket — she explained why she wouldn't do that and then said, "How about some goldfish?"
You're not surprised, now, to discover that my sister and I love everything about Easter! We love the surprise of Easter baskets wrapped in clear plastic and tied with a bow. I love coloring eggs and plush bunnies and little chicks.
This year I bought myself 12 baby chicks for Easter! They are peeping away in my guest bathtub like happy little campers. Going to the bathroom has never been so much fun. It's bright, warm, cozy, and there is entertainment!
The first year we came to Ramona and agreed to help with the annual Easter egg hunt in the park, I volunteered to make a bunny suit. Sounded like fun to me. I asked Paul Jones if he would be the Easter Bunny that year. He agreed and I set about sewing this huge bunny suit — Paul was a lanky 6'4" tall.
On Saturday morning, Paul came by the house to put on the suit. He stuffed his hands down into the paws, I put on the cap with ears, we zipped up the back, adjusted his white cotton tail, painted a black nose and whiskers, and tied the bow around his neck. He looked pretty good.
"Hey," Paul suddenly said. "How long do I have to have this thing on? I've gotta have my fingers out of these paws for a smoke!"
Well, the paws were sewn on — they didn't come off — so, I just grabbed a scissors and cut holes in the palm of the paws for his fingers to stick through. The happy Easter Bunny went galumphing down the street toward the park in a cloud of blue smoke to hide eggs. I was a little worried he'd set his paws on fire lighting his cigarette but he managed and later in the day that big old brown bunny was playing basketball with some of the older kids in town — that's a sight you don't see often. It's one of my fondest memories. Paul always loved Easter, he said, because when he was mowing the park later he'd find chocolate eggs that the kids had missed and have himself a snack. I thought of that first Easter in Ramona when I unpacked the bunny suit for another year.
Tooltime Tim has been our Easter Bunny the past six or seven years. About five years ago the Jiraks came to the Easter egg hunt with their new little boy, plunked him on the Easter Bunny's lap for a picture and Elias howled the whole time. The next year they brought him back, he took one look at that big old rabbit and screamed in terror. The third year, he came walking up with his older sister, ready to hunt eggs but he lost all his zeal when he caught sight of the Easter Bunny. (And Tim is such a cute bunny!)
This year, Ramona's park is still a mess from the ice storm so we asked the Easter Bunny if he'd deliver baskets to the houses rather than inviting kids to the park.
One of the first houses he stopped at was Jane and David Staatz's house and their three little grandchildren came running to the door.
"I thought you'd show up," said saucy little Allison with a head full of red curls and lots of authority. "And you're supposed to come by my house later!"
When we were all through. the excitement was over and it was back to being just another day in the country. There was one extra basket left in the back seat of the truck. "You want to drive out and deliver this extra one to the Jiraks?" I asked the Bunny.
"You really want to give that kid nightmares?" said the Easter Bunny, "That's all he needs is for this big old rabbit to come hunting him down at home?" So we didn't!
