When Easter Isn't Picture-Perfect
April 20, 2026
What happens when your much-anticipated holiday turns out to be nothing like a Norman Rockwell painting? I can tell you, because my Easter certainly wasn’t picture-perfect. Life had already been moving at a dizzying pace, filled with events and responsibilities far beyond my usual routine. I entered Easter weekend already feeling a step behind. With my children scattered across Pennsylvania, each raising young families of their own, getting everyone together is no small feat. This year, we planned to celebrate on Saturday instead of Sunday, a practical adjustment that still held all the promise of precious together time. I prepared as I always do deviled eggs made, cookies packed, Easter baskets ready to go. Everything was set for a fun-filled day in Mechanicsburg. All that remained was a quick trip outside with our dogs before getting on the road. That’s when everything changed. Learn More
What's Love got to do with it? Everything!
April 20, 2026
Is there anything more important in this world than love? I think not. I believe love is the greatest motivating force known to mankind. It’s what makes us do crazy, generous, and sometimes downright baffling things. It’s why our husbands attempt to enjoy shopping, and why we women nod along, feigning deep interest, while they explain at great length why the newly installed water heater isn’t heating water or why the car has developed that mysterious pinging sound. It’s the reason I’m presently wearing a sweater adorned with a parade of polar bears not because I loved the design, but because he loves polar bears, and I knew it would make him smile. Love is what regularly motivates me to climb into the car and drive to Philadelphia or Mechanicsburg just to spend a few precious hours with my children and grandchildren. Every mile is worth it (even enduring the perpetually congested Schuylkill) when a little one comes running, shouting “Nana!” with arms wide open, or a baby snuggles close and flashes that irresistible smile. It’s why I now know the whimsical book Down by the Cool of the Pool about farmyard animals dancing and splashing at a waterhole by heart, and why I recently ordered two additional copies after one went missing, causing great despair in the lives of my grands. Learn More
The Origins of the Humble Easter Basket
April 20, 2026
Easter is quickly approaching, and I find myself once again in preparation mode. All eight Easter baskets, one for each of my grandchildren, are lined up neatly across the dining room table, like a row of cheerful little bunnies and chicks waiting to be filled. These are the very same baskets they received on their first Easter, a small but meaningful way to create continuity, memory, and tradition. While the contents may change from year to year, the baskets remain the same, white bunnies for the girls and yellow chicks for the boys. As I set them in place, I began to wonder: Why do we give Easter baskets? Where did this tradition come from? Thanks to the ever-accessible internet, I soon discovered that the custom has German roots, much like my mother’s side of the family. Centuries ago, German children would create small nests out of twigs or leaves, often shaping them inside hats or bonnets. On the night before Easter, they would set these “nests” out in hopes that the Easter Hare would visit and fill them with brightly colored, hard-boiled eggs. These eggs symbolized fertility and new life, fitting for the spring season and the deeper meaning of Easter. Learn More
The Strength of the Irish Spirit
April 20, 2026
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, my inquisitive brain began to wonder: why are Americans like me, who carry Irish heritage in our bloodlines, so incredibly proud of our Irish roots? Surely it must be more than shamrocks, leprechauns, and a pint of Guinness. As I dug a bit deeper, a few possible reasons came to mind. Could it be the legendary Irish resilience? Their fierce independence? Or perhaps the unmistakable do-or-die spirit that has defined the Irish people for centuries? Throughout history, the Irish have experienced more than their share of hardship and heartbreak. Many of us are familiar with the Great Potato Famine that struck Ireland in the mid-1800s. It was nothing short of catastrophic. The Irish population depended heavily on the potato harvest to feed their families, and when an airborne fungus settled over Ireland and destroyed roughly three-quarters of the crop, millions were left starving. More than a million people died, and at least another million fled the country by ship, many dying during the journey. Even more devastating was the cruel reality that, during the famine, England, the governing authority over Ireland at the time, continued shipping grain, cattle, and dairy out of the country while the Irish people starved. It is almost impossible to imagine watching ships full of life-saving food sail past while your own family went hungry. Ironically, the fungus believed to have destroyed the potato crops may have arrived in Ireland from England itself. Learn More
