Easter has always been a special time for me. Growing up I didn’t have an abundance of anything except love. No matter that we were poor as church mice, my sister and I always knew our parents loved us. That knowledge sustained us through a lot of lean years. The only time my sister and I got a new dress and shoes was at Easter. If we only had money enough to buy shoes, my mother made our dresses. In fact, I can’t recall too many times when we had a store bought dress. Or an Easter basket. That cost too much.
Here’s a picture that was taken in the early 60’s of my dad, me, and my sister. I’m the one in the middle. We must’ve done very well that year because we’re sporting not only new dresses and shoes, but purses as well. And look at the flowers in our hair. My sister and I thought we were just the cat’s meow. So proud and happy.
We’d get up early on Easter Sunday and get dressed in our finery. It was like Christmas morning. Mama would usually take our picture before we headed off to church. She’d have a roast in the oven that would be ready when we got back home. Those were wonderful times. I can close my eyes now and smell that roast cooking. My mother was an excellent cook and could make a meal on a little of anything.
I sure miss those times and my parents who have both passed on. They left so many warm memories. I hope you’re all making plenty of memories with your children. And I wish you all a very wonderful Easter.
Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
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I know what you mean Linda. We too always had new outfits for Easter. I was luck that though we were not rich, we had enough. Both my parents worked and my four brothers and I would have new clothes for Easter. We would go off to church with our next door neighbours and their daughter and I almost looked like sisters, would have something the same on usually our hats, or maybe the same coat or maybe it was a purse.
I wish my sister in law would dress my niece and nephews up for Easter, but she was not raised like we were.
Those were the days. Thanks for bringing them back to me today.
Linda, Your memories are very much like mine except there were more of us. I am the eldest of 7. My mother made most of the girls’ clothing. Even when I was lucky enough to get storbought, my favorites were the ones she made. Easter was always such a joyous time and I am sure we made quite a spectacle when we would arrive at church. Mom always found the money for small amounts of Easter candy and hid baskets for each of us. Sometimes the baskets were a paper sack with shredded paper for grass but we were thrilled.
Hope you are having a Joyous Day.
Happy Easter, Kathleen!
I’m so glad I could bring back those happy Easter memories for you. Those were fun happy times. Sounds like you had a really close friend in your next door neighbor’s daughter. I’m sure you shared many a happy hour together. I hope you stayed in tough over these years.
I hope you have a great day!
Happy Easter, Connie!
Yes, it sounds like we grew up much the same way. I never knew we were poor until I got in high school. I thought everyone lived like we did. But even when I discovered they didn’t I always felt privileged that I grew up the way I did. I turned out much better than those spoiled rich kids.
I’m really glad I could help you relive some old memories. Have a wonderful day!
Yes I grew up about the same as you ladies! We did get new Easter frocks every year, thats what my mom called them. We would also get up on Sunday morning and put on our new dresses and went to church! There were four of us. I had two sisters and one brother. My father worked and my mother stayed home and cooked and cleaned. I didn’t realize that we didn’t have much until later in life. Then I found out we didn’t have what the other kids had but you know it didn’t bother me. I think it made us better. My son had everything when he was growing up and I didn’t do him any favors for giving him everything. If I could go back and do it again things would be different. I would make him work for what he got.
Aww..thanks for sharing Linda! I love hearing about other people’s holiday traditions!
I hope everyone is having a lovely Easter weekend!
Oh Linda is seems like so many family’s don’t do that for kids anymore. I bought a dress my little grand baby and bonnet and little socks the works but parents are not like that and really didn’t want to dress her up that is to bad but I guess it is their time so they have to do what they want to do. UGH!!!
All the memories we have I sure missed a lot of people this year it is hard to not have some of the people we love so much anymore.
I hope you and your family had a great holiday and were able to make more memories.
Happy Easter everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
Our family & friends gathered for Easter dinner today & several of us told similar stories. Dresses that were home made & would be our Sunday best until fall. Yummy hams, fresh homemade rolls, & for us kiddies chocolate rabbits & Easter egg hunts..sometimes due to the weather the hunts were inside! We didn’t care. Church, family, food, & fun, it all made for good memories! Thanks for sharing yours & the pictures,too! Happy Easter! Happy Spring!
Loved the photo, Linda!
Happy Day after. Didn’t get online yesteray but your blog brought back so many memories. My dad always splurged on a pretty Easter outfit for me, and Mom always boiled a ton of eggs for us to dye. It never seemed enough though LOL. In Girl Scouts, we used to make baskets out of cottage-cartons. They were kind of waxy, like milk cartons, and easy to punch holes in for a pipe-cleaner handle.
Thanks or the memories, Linda.
My mom would buy one large filled chocolate egg for each of us six children. She would decorate them and put our name on one. On Easter morning we would hunt for the eggs. If we found someone else’s, we would leave it alone and keep looking.