On bonny Easter day

Meeting the Easter Bunny

by Rowena Bennett

On Easter morn at early dawn

Before the cocks were crowing

I met a bob-tail bunnykin 

And asked where he was going.

"Tis in the house and out the house

a tispy, tipsy-toeing, 

Tis round the house and 'bout the house

a-lighlty I am going." 

"But what is that of every hue 

You carry in your basket?"

"Tis eggs of gold and eggs of blue;

I wonder that you ask it. 

"Tis chocolate eggs and bonbon eggs

And eggs of red and gray, 

For every child in every house 

On bonny Easter day." 

He perked his ears and winked his eye 

And twitched his little nose; 

He shook his tail -- what tail he had -- 

And stood up on his toes. 

"I must be gone before the sun; 

The east is growing gray; 

Tis almost time for bells to chime." -- 

So he hippety-hopped away.

When I was growing up, my mom would read my that poem to me every Easter eve and in the morning I put on my Easter dress (and frequently tights, which I hated) and got to hunt for eggs!  No eggs this year except for the ones that came out of these chickens, but I wanted a springy, new dress for Easter brunch at Veronica's. I bought this very loud fabric about a year ago to make a dress using a different pattern, but I like the waist shaping on Simplicity 2145.  The fabric is flowy and light - perfect for summer in South Texas. I may still add the additional sash at the waist and/or a cap sleeve.

My contribution to the brunch was casatiello, a traditional Easter bread from Naples, which is basically a sandwich in and of itself.  The dough is enriched with eggs, butter, and milk (tripple-threat!) and studded with  gruyere and crisped up salami.  It is wonderful toasted  and so rich you don't need any butter.  For dinner, I cooked some sunny-side-up eggs and we finished off the loaf.  This bread is so good, I definitely won't be waiting for the next bonny Easter day to make it again.