Easter egg tree

I'm a big stickler for holidays and decorations and celebrations. My feeling is that life is routine most of the time and grim some of the time, so we should squeeze all the celebration out of it that we can. Back in Ohio, our best friends were physicians from the Dominican Republic. The woman half of the couple, a psychiatrist used to tell me that I was "such a homemaker." She didn't mean it in any pejorative sense. She meant that I love to make my house a home and spend a lot of time and effort creating an ambiance I enjoy and that the family likes.

One of my favorite "homemaker" things I do each Easter is put together an Easter egg tree. I had seen one during a walk in Ohio and waited years until I finally found plastic eggs with holes at the ends (I could have made holes myself, but my dedication to the idea wasn't quite at that level.) I then got some fishing line (thicker is better), knotted it well and strung each egg on a bare tree branch -- preferably a blooming tree such as a fruit tree -- (I use my peach tree). The Easter egg tree is so cheerful and spring-like that I have to do it each year. (I save the plastic eggs from year to year.)

When I went back to Ohio for my grandson Cody's birth, I put up an Easter egg tree in my daughter and son-in-law's yard. It was immediately approved by the neighbors. Everyone who's seen it really likes it and a few have run off to make Easter egg trees of their own -- with more eggs.

I'm sorry but the world of competitive holiday decorating, copying makes you lose massive points that can't be made up by creating a gaudy imitation of the original cheerful, yet tasteful tree. After all, there will be NO inflatable bunnies in my yard, although I couldn't resist a bunny windsock for me and a Hoppy Easter plaque for my daughter. I just love Hoppy Easter -- it's so stupid it's funny. My daughters roll their eyes over my dorky sense of humor.

The delightful irony for me, though, is when I unveiled the Easter egg tree in California, I told everyone I got the idea in Ohio during a walk. (Yes, I lost originality points the first year I did it, but according to the World Federation of Home Decoration, the idea becomes your own if you've incorporated it into your tradition annually for at least three years. Look it up.) And when I was in Ohio, everyone acted as though this were such an original idea. I said they do it in California.

My Easter celebration will be relatively low-key this year, with a Honeybaked Ham, grilled lamb, red potatoes with green onions and parsley and asparagus with lemon butter. I assemble Easter baskets for everyone to take home. I'm trying to cut back on the candy because I've gone totally wild and last year had at least 25 pounds of candy left -- I kid you not. Kaia discovered it one day after Easter. We knew because all we could hear coming out of the dining room was Kaia going, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" Sugarhead that she is, she thought she'd died and gone to heaven.

As usual, I'm excited. I have my decorations out. I'll have to dye eggs this week. It's a good thing there are kids in my life, otherwise I'd just be a weird old lady -- OK weird-er.