Easter 2008

Here's a more recent Easter picture.

Easter at Grandma's in NJ!

We spent most holidays at my grandparents' house in Bridgewater, NJ. I remember these events well. The ranch-style house was filled with my relatives and the sounds of laughter and conversation.

For the first 9 years of my life, I was the

 youngest person at these events, so many times I would just sit at my little red schoolhouse desk and color or draw. Sometimes I would sit on the brown couch in the huge dining room and read books (pictured). My favorite things were to read and draw. It was soothing to hear the chatter of the adults and hear my grandmother and aunt moving around in the kitchen.  Later when my sister was born, I ended up taking care of her or playing with her.  

When the meal was ready, we would be herded

 to our seats in the dining room to find our usual seats. I always sat at the end of the table near the kitchen next to my grandma. My mom sat on the other side of me. Easter was different than the other holidays because it usually entailed two meals -- lunch and dinner. This was a lot of work for my grandma, but I always enjoyed. Later, when my grandmother moved into my parents' house, my mother took on this task.

Many times, my cousins and my aunt and uncle wouldn't stay for the second meal. We usually had roast beef and mashed potatoes and green beans with cucumber salad. Oh, and there was always mandarin orange Jello! 

The picture above shows one of the last Easters we had with my grandpa Jules. He's cut off because whoever took the photo (I guess my mom) had some trouble with the viewfinder. A lot of the photos from that camera turned out that way, so it was probably something with the camera. 

Anyway, Grandpa Jules passed away in 1989. I was very close with him, so it was very hard for me. My sister is just a cute toddler and my grandmother isn't sick, yet. She still has that sparkle in her eye.