The Promise of Beach Plums

 Hubby and I went to Sandy Hook just in time to see the beach plums blossoming. In order to have beach plums, we need pollinators. So, I was delighted to see this bumble bee helping out the process. Beach plums are not very big--about the size of a grape, though not as sweet. But the fruit makes a very tasty jam. Of course, other animals like beach plums. For instance, the herds of deer on Sandy Hook enjoy the fruit, too. 

Hopefully, there will be a few beach plums for me to nibble on come fall. But simply seeing the white blossoms all over the Hook was a cheerful site. Kudos to the bees, too. 

LOVE’S GIFT Is the Winner!

LOVE’S GIFT was the First Place Winner in the historical category of the NJ Romance Writers’ Golden Leaf contest. I joined the NJ Romance Writers way back in 1988, when I didn’t know much about writing a book. I learned quite a bit over the years. So, I am grateful to NJRW for helping me along in my publishing journey. 

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The Way Mom Made Pysanky Eggs

 My grandmother was Slovak and my grandfather was Czech. So, my mother dyed Easter eggs in her own Slavic way. At Easter she used a straight pin pushed into the eraser, dipped the head of the straight pin into the hot wax of  a candle, and applied the wax to an egg. Then she dyed the egg. Once the egg dried, she applied more wax and dipped the egg into another dye. There are special wax pens, called kistka, that apply the wax in a more efficient manner. But Mom always used the straight pin stuck into an eraser to do the job. Also, Mom never followed any specific pattern. She was an artist and enjoyed making up her own designs.

I’ve continued to use Mom’s rudimentary approach to decorating eggs for Easter. My daughters usually join me in this endeavor. It’s a slow process that leaves ample time for talk. So, while our eggs are not the fanciest pysanky eggs, they are made with care, following an old tradition. Also, we don’t blow out the inside of the eggs. We eat the boiled eggs. 😁

How do you dye eggs? What are your Easter traditions?

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