The morning is damp. I think it rained during the night because the sides of the street are wet. Though it is 46˚, it feels colder with no sun and a bit of a breeze. Rain is predicted for later. I have no errands today so rain is just fine with me.

On Saturday afternoon, I filled then hung the new bird feeders. Almost immediately the bright male goldfinches were back. They dined at the thistle feeder and the mixed seed feeder, both new. I kept watch out the kitchen window and saw the return of the chickadees, a couple of titmice and some mourning doves who were enjoying the seeds which had fallen on the deck. They are my only ground feeders. I also potted the small succulents I had bought last week. Saturday was a busy day.

My dinner yesterday was superb. The potato gratin was my favorite followed closely by the pork tenderloin. I have a couple of slices of pork and some potato left-over for lunch today. I’m yumming at the thought.

My morning ritual revolves around animals and getting my coffee perking. Henry is first down the stairs, but he waits half-way down to make sure I’m coming. He then races to the back door for me to let him out. This morning we both had a surprise as I hadn’t closed the back door last night. Henry went out. That’s Jack’s cue. He comes running into the kitchen for some loving and for some treats. When Henry comes in, he sits waiting for his treats. He takes one biscuit then goes down the hall where he munches his treats on the rug. Henry always takes his treats down the hall to the rug. That way he doesn’t miss a crump.

When I was a kid, I hated to feed Duke his dog food. Out of the can it was gross looking and smelled the way it looked. Duke got two cans of what back then was horse meat. Henry gets beef or chicken or duck. He enjoys them all. Henry is a chow hound.

On the Monday after Easter, my lunch box always included a bit of Easter candy, not from my depleted basket but from the cache my mother had hidden in the cabinet. When I walked to school, the jelly beans rattled against the sides of my metal lunch box. I used to shake the box for effect. I figured I was practicing the tambourine talent I had developed in my first grade rhythm band. Much later I realized many tambourine shakers in rock bands probably didn’t play any other instruments, but that’s okay. Just look at Davey Jones in The Monkees. He played a mean tambourine! I like to think I played a mean lunch box.

Happy Easter! Today is beautiful with sun and the deepest blue sky. It is a bit chilly. I was delighted to see so many flowers have bloomed. Today it is the biggest grape hyacinth.

I remember waking up on Easter morning when I was a kid and seeing my basket filled with goodies protected by a giant chocolate rabbit taller than the rest. I always reached for that rabbit. His ears were the first to go, easy pickings. I’d munch on them while I checked out the rest of my basket.

We all wore our Easter clothes to church, the first official unveiling of our new outfits. Everyone was fancy at Easter Sunday mass. The women’s hats had veils, flowers and even birds with feathers. I can still remember the sound of my new shoes tapping on the stones below the church steps when I made my way upstairs for mass. I sat in the back of the church for a quicker exit when mass was over.

Dinner was always around two. We had a ham which would later become the basis for pea soup, one of my favorites. We, of course, had mashed potatoes. I think we probably also had carrots, a sort of honoring of the day, and maybe some green beans. My father had his canned asparagus.

Unlike other holidays, we had no specific dessert for Easter. We ate sugar cookies we’d decorated, and I know there was more, but my memories of dessert are overshadowed by the chocolate rabbit and the rest of the candy in my Easter basket.

I used to out for Easter dinner with my friends, but that seems like a memory ago, someone’s else’s day. Today I will have Easter dinner at home. I am starting with crackers and cheese and roasted vegetables for appetizers. For dinner I am having pork tenderloin, potato cake with too many layers to count, seasoned carrots and green beans. Dessert will be cheesecake with chocolate sauce. I figure to eat around two. I’ll wear my Easter fascinator. Despite everything, some traditions last.