Once Upon an Easter…

…years ago, long before Baby Girl was a thought, I broke myself.

Early in the morning, when the boys were approximately 7, 6 and 2, I was, as is usual, completely not prepared for the Easter egg hunt.

I had run to the back of the house because I had forgotten to grab my camera to document the whole affair. As I was hurrying out into the living room, where my family, including my Parents, awaited my return, it happened. Not paying attention to where I was placing my feet, I started to walk through the doorway from the kitchen and swung my left foot too far to the left. I slammed my foot against the wall.

I instantly dropped to my right knee and grabbed a hold of my foot. I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t even breathe! After a few moments of excruciating pain and my family trying to figure out what was wrong with me, I finally was able to take a breath and squeak out a stuttering “I slammed my foot.”

I gingerly released my death grip on my foot to assess the damage. It was quite an unusual and unexpected sight. My pinkie toe was quite literally standing at a right angle to my foot! I couldn’t believe my eyes, but knew by the severe pain that I was in that I wasn’t seeing things!

Spartan lifted me off the floor and carried me to the couch. Placing me carefully down and propping my leg on the coffee table he told me he was going to go get dressed and take me to the emergency room. I grabbed his arm and said “NO! First the boys have to hunt for their eggs!”

There was no way I was going to ruin the Easter egg hunt for the boys, it was just too important to me. We have few enough truly special days to celebrate as a family, especially when our children are young. So I gritted my teeth, tried to smile through the pain and encouraged the boys to find their eggs. I used phrases like “that’s nice honey” and “great job sweetie.”

I confess that we did give them some hints to hurry them along, I wanted to share the morning egg hunt with them, but I wasn’t completely masochistic!!

Being as it was Easter morning, when we arrived at the emergency room, there was no one else there. I have never gotten care so quickly before! Not that they really needed them to see what was wrong with my foot, I had x-rays done so they could see the extent of the damage.

The doctor on duty was awesome! He looked like your stereotypical heavy-set Harley Davidson motorcycle rider. I just know there had to be a motorcycle out in the parking lot that belonged to him!

“You did a real good job on yourself, didn’t y0u?” He said to me, looking first at my foot and then at my x-rays. “We need to set this toe. We can do it one of two ways. I can either give you a shot to numb it, wait for about 15 minutes for the shot to take effect and then set it, or I can just set it with out the numbing agent. It’s your choice.”

“Let’s just get it over with, anyway you look at it, it’s going to hurt.” I replied. He asked me if I was sure and I said yes. “Give me a moment to center myself so I won’t move.” I said. “Just let me know when you are ready.” He replied.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I used a meditation exercise to help calm my self and forced myself to relax every muscle in my body, including and most especially my left foot. Without opening my eyes, I nodded my head and said “I’m ready.” I felt his hands gently take my foot, and then, quick as can be, heard a loud snap and then felt some relief of the pressure and pain in my toe. I opened my eyes as the Doctor patted my knee and said “You were awesome! You didn’t even twitch as I set your toe!”

Soon a nurse came in the room to wrap my foot and give me my care instructions. Then they sent me on my way.

It certainly wasn’t the way I wanted to spend my Easter morning, but there was one positive to come out of the whole experience. I didn’t have to do a thing cooking or cleaning wise for the Easter dinner! Heck of a way to get out of those chores!!

Yesterday we had a quiet, relaxing Easter day. All my children and my parents were there to spend the day together. It’s just such a treasure to have all my family together and healthy.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday!

Writing Exercise

I have decided to add a new weekly challenge for myself here on my blog. My s-i-l stopped by my blog and loved it! I feel so blessed to have a wonderful friend in her and she requested (since she enjoyed it) that I do more writing here. When I was growing up I was sure I was going to write. I wrote poems and short stories...all the time. As often happens, life got in the way and my writing went by the wayside. So, long story short, I am going to do a weekly writing exercise here to try and brush up my skills (or lack there of, you be the judge!) Mostly it will be about my memories or my children or my daily life (which I truely believe to be interesting to no one but me). So sit back, put your feet up and get ready to be thrilled (bored).


My earliest Easter memory is of when I was about four years old. I remember laying in my Mother's bed, all warm and comfy. I loved sleeping with my Mother, she was my everything! It was just the two of us against the world! I can remember how warm she was as I was all cuddled up to her back... and then the thought that it was Easter morning popped into my head! Open came the eyes, off came the sheets and I was ready to bound out of bed. I scooted to the edge of the bed and just before I was about to jump out I looked down and saw the most gorgeous pair of black patten leather shoes...with an egg in them!!! I was more excited about the shoes than the egg, we didn't have a lot of money and these were beautiful shoes. I plopped down on the floor next to the shoes, pulled the egg out and stuffed my bare feet into them. "Oh," I thought, "just like a princess would wear!" I proceeded to hunt for my eggs in my new shoes and nightgown!

After finding the eggs and eating a quick breakfast we dressed in our pretties for church. Bundled into the car and off to Grandma and Grampa's house. I bounced up and down, back and forth in the back seat. Scrambling from one side to the other (we didn't wear seatbelts back then) looking out the windows singing over and over the words: "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go..." Just those words, over and over and over! I must have driven my Mother crazy!

I watched the city buildings give way to mostly housing. Then we turned onto THE road. Sugarbush Road. Down the winding road we went. The elementary school my mother went to came into view as I looked out the passenger window, Green School, it was even painted green! Bop, bounce I went, over to the driver's side window so I could see the HUGE barn that was part of the Sugarbush ranch. Bop, bounce back to the passenger side to see the river and Grandma's house! Into the driveway we pulled, Mom barely putting it in park before I was jumping out. I can still hear the sound of the cinderstones under my new shoes as I walked across their driveway. Up the steps and in the front door. There's Grandma sitting at the dinette table, drinking coffee.

"Hi, sweetheart! Happy Easter! I have something for you."

It wasn't just something, it was SOMETHING! It was the most gorgeous ever (faux) fur white coat. Oh, it felt so good! The best part, it had a matching muff with it. Now I really was just like a princess! I know it sounds strange to get a fur coat for Easter, but it was quite big on me so that I would be able to wear it the next winter (and as I recall the winter after that too!)

My next memory of that day is after church services were over. Standing in the line to say good morning to the Minister. I had a wonderful secret. I had snitched a bunch of the pretty foil wrapped chocolate eggs from my basket at Grandma's and stuffed my pockets full. I had been eating them all morning! It's amazing that I didn't get any chocolate on my beautiful coat!

This is the most vivid memory I have of Easter as a child. I don't remember the dinner or what I did most of the day. But these things stuck out to me the most. It's funny what gets stuck in your head. Most of my memories are just snippets out of time, but this one is a lovely story that plays out in my memories every year at this time.

Here's hoping that you have a wonderful childhood memory of Easter as well!