Easter

Paul and me 1982

Easter clothes - that were also used for my cousin Amy's wedding 1992

Today I've been thinking of Easters past. Thirty four years ago Paul took me to Webster City for Easter - and to meet his parents. I'd already met his sis Jean and husband Dave - but not their four kids.

Paul had told his sister Jean he was bringing a "surprise" to dinner. Argh - how embarrassing! If I knew him as well then as I do now, I'd have chewed his ass not to have let them know he was bringing an extra mouth to feed. Jean quickly put an extra plate on the table and was very gracious about it. I suppose Goldsmiths were used to lots of mouths.

Me - I was kind of in shock. It was a lot of people and I sure wasn't  used to that girlfriend role. George and Laura Goldsmith were there. "We like ham for Easter and we're pretty easy to get along with" was what I came away with. I'm sure they were all thinking "Is this the one - not what we really had pegged for Paul." He was supposed to be the priest of the family after all.

Other memorable Easters with the Goldsmiths: We usually headed to Paul's folk's place in Earlville way for that holiday because my parents were often still in sunny Florida. I recall watching The Ten Commandments in the "front room" at George and Laura's place. (once we discovered they were also getting the porn channel by mistake!) I remember driving to Earlville for Amy's first Easter. I had purchased a little mint green dress for Sunday to show her off. She looked so cute with her cap of reddish hair. It was hotter than blazes that year. We were so proud to show her off to the family.

When we went to Earlville for Easter, Laura would make sure to have tons of candy. She would dye lots of eggs or buy them from the neighbor girl across the street. After the kids went to bed, Paul and I would hide plastic eggs filled with candy around the living room. Amy and Jud would have a blast looking for them. Paul and I would also take an Easter basket for each kid - usually with some small gift - my favorites were kites and sidewalk chalk. One year we found a long lost Easter egg later that summer. Somebody was a good hider!

The Goldsmith family gathered - mostly the locals, Carol/Irv and kids, Larry/Regina and kids - sometimes Dave and Pat would come over from Freeport with Sarah and Matt. Amy and Grandma Laura would play the organ and sing. If we were there long, our kids always wanted to go out to the farm where Paul grew up. Larry and Regina lived there with their 5 sons. The two youngest, Karl and Kurt liked to play ninja turtles, video games and took the kids out and around the farm. At George and Laura's family members would play cards and Rummy K. Those are such good memories!

On Sunday we'd make the four hour drive back to Creston. One year when we got home, Fabulous Mary Faber (keeper of the kitty cat) had hidden eggs all over our yard. The kids still talk about how fun it was to find them. Easter is a joyous holiday - quiet for Paul and me this year.