The Easter Bunny Tradition also Sprouts from Pagan Soil

The bunny, or rabbit, is one of the most fertile and prolific of creatures and served as a pre-Christian symbol of new life in Springtime.

It appears that the Germans may have been the ones to introduce the bunny as an Easter symbol.  There is evidence in writings in the 1500s to that effect.  It wasn't until the 1800s that the first edible bunnies were made, again by the Germans.  These were not chocolate, but pastries. 

Apparently, the Germans brought the concept of the Easter bunny to America in 1700s when they traveled here with the Pensylvania Dutch.

Please see http://www.easterbunnys.net/easterbunnyhistory.htm  for more information.

Interestingly, it seems that the goddess Eastre, or Eostre, had a consort.  That consort was a Hare, similar to a rabbit, but even larger.  The egg, like the hare, was also a symbol of fertility.  It was believed that the goddess gave the hare the power to lay eggs, but only once each year.

When the Germans came to America, the concept of the Easter Bunny,or Oschter Haws,  came with them.  The children would make nests out of their bonnets and caps, then hide them, hoping the Oschter Haws would leave them colored eggs.

Please see
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/19144/the_origin_and_history_of_the_easter.html?cat=7  For more detailed information.

Sprouts of Love

My son and I have a very good relationship though it's hard to see from the outside.  He's 17 and "I love you" just isn't something that comes out of his mouth.  However, yesterday, I took a tumble and hurt my knees.  It was so stupid; I tripped over a cooler in the kitchen.  I should have put that thing away.  I was in a hurry to get my son's computer set up to print and the cooler was next to the printer.  It was lucky I didn't hit my head on the open dishwasher.  I had been filling it.  It seems my knees took the brunt of the fall, even though I ended up quite sprawled out.  In any event, my son came running and immediately moved the dishwasher out of the way.  Then he held out his hands to help me up.  Unfortunately, I couldn't see them, and he thought I was just being stubborn when I got up on my own.


Later, I made a special dinner for him.  He has been hating everything I fix and not eating well for a while now - very frustrating.  So, I broke down and bought some fish - which I hate - and got a great recipe for it from my sister - in - law.  He loved it.   He even complimented me!  He said he wished I'd cook like that all the time.  Unfortunately, I have no other ideas.  I've tried stuffed steaks, stuffed chicken, backed chicken, burgers, beef and pork tenderloin.  roast (which is too expensive).  Other than steaks, which I just can't afford, and sushi, which I don't know how to make, I don't know what else to do.


In any event, having those kind gestures from my son yesterday meant the world to me.  It just confirms that he really does love me, that the sprouts are there,  and that maybe they just need a little water splashed on them from time to time to shoot up.

Baby Sprouts

When I was a kid, my greatest fear at dinner time, besides liver of course, was Brussels sprouts. I absolutely detested them. My mom loved them, so naturally, we had them from time to time. My parents weren't complete dinner Nazi's, but we did have to eat some of everything.

I remember going to a friend's house for dinner one night. She had those type parents who made you clean your plate regardless. You know the type. Anyway, they served Brussels sprouts. I panicked. I managed to choke down one or two. I tried to feed one to the dog, but he wasn't interested, so I stuffed them in my glove. It was snowing outside and I had full snow gear with me. I don't think I'd ever done anything so sneaky before in my life. I felt terrible, but I just couldn't eat those awful things. When I got outside to walk home, I threw them out in the snow.

Well, many years later, as an adult, somehow I discovered baby Brussels sprouts. Man, dress those up with some butter and they're wonderful. Even my daughter loves them. Talk about full circle! This is a sprout I can love.

Phantom Sprouts

As I sit here writing this, I have so many ideas for the book I've been working on, fleeting thoughts, concrete plot points. Unfortunately, I received the word yesterday that my computer is officially DOA. I'm typing this on my son's uber old Precision M60 Workstation that I got from the Dell warehouse more years ago than I can recall. It is the back-up, back-up computer. The keyboard is lifted up and the screen is wonky. I hope it holds out until I can replace my Dell Latitude.

I'm afraid to work on my book on this machine because I have an older version of Word on here, and although I own the licence, I'm having difficulty getting it registered, so I have only 32 more uses before it shuts down. Fun. I don't want to lose my work.

Luckily, I saved my book to a flash drive every day, so I didn't lose anything when I lost the computer. Plus, the hard drive is okay, so my computer guy can transfer my data to the new computer anyway. Yeah! But it's going to be the end of next week at least before I can get a replacement.

It's just so difficult not being able to put my ideas down on paper. It's as if they sprout and then go back into the ground. I hope they will lie dormant there until I can write again.

Sprouts Colossus

I planted these Amaryllis bulbs last year. At that time, they had a bit of green fronds peeking out from my mother's tender care. I plunked them in the ground and proceeded to water them and I may have given them some plant food.

As you can see, this year they have produced incredible sprouts. I can't wait for the buds to open so I can see what the blooms will look like.