Back in the 1970s I made Easter eggs with my mother. These were not the typical eggs that ended up in a basket with chocolate bunnies. They also weren’t hidden outside on the lawn or behind a bush.
The usual steps were followed at the start: boil eggs, let them cool, dye them.
But then the magic began. Each egg took anywhere from 2-5 hours to create. We’d be at the dining room table, engrossed in an egg, occasionally looking up to see what the other was doing.
We used our “egg markers,” a big pack of colored markers that were dedicated to only being used for eggs. The marker tips were discolored to the point of not matching their original color, due to the egg dye. Yellow would be brown, red was purple, and so on.
We experimented with new techniques and proudly showed each other. One such technique was creating an almost stained-glass effect. This could be accomplished by rubbing a marker over and over in one area, essentially rubbing off the underlying dye color, leaving a small patch of original egg color shining through. It was beautiful.
Occasionally a friend would join in, but invariably they bailed out after just an hour—our egg sessions were long and intense. Others were always surprised that we hadn’t blown out the raw eggs—wouldn’t they rot?
Over many years, the egg insides mummified and became like rattles, albeit fragile ones. I kept my eggs over the decades, adding to the collection for a few years when my own daughter was young.
Just this past weekend I decided to do an egg photo shoot using natural light with a neutral mat. I selected just 20 from the collection. Someday I may consider more professional shots, but for now I’m pleased.
There is something quite satisfying in taking a simple tradition and allowing creativity to flow. The memories and lasting treasures are priceless.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD is an internal medicine physician who provides telemedicine medical consultation and advocacy support for patients in WA state. Find out more at myMDadvocate.
Her new book, The Menopause Menu, is an all-in-one giftbook, medical guide and recipe book for navigating menopause.