Happy Easter!

Easter celebrations are in full swing here today. The easter bunny braved freezing temperatures to bring treats for the children. This was the view outside my kitchen window yesterday while cooking supper....lots of blowing snow but not much accumulation, which enabled my husband's family to come from the north to have supper with us. I didn't make my nephews or children do the easter egg hunt this year...it was too cold...they were greatly relieved. I did, however, torture them by making them watch my old home videos of collecting easter eggs in previous years and that was lots of fun (for me)!

Today I am doing what many other women are doing...cooking turkey.

On the right is a photo of some of the spices I was mixing into the dressing...some people call it "stuffing". I couldn't find any sage, so this year the dressing is sage-less.

While I was working on this, I was thinking about the book I just finished reading called "The Birth House" by Ami McKay. This book is of particular interest to me because it addresses all the issues I work with in my paid job, including abuse of women, poverty, lack of power/knowledge, women's rights, marital and family relationships, and supportive friendships between women. What an interesting book! It takes place in Nova Scotia (a few miles north of where I was born) and tells the story of the two midwives in a small, isolated community. It covers everything from historical facts, such as the Halifax explosion in 1917, to "old wives tales" about how to deal with fertility concerns. The part that relates to the photo here is the herbs and spices listed at the back of the book, which were used by the midwives. Sage is for helping with pains and drying up milk....bay leaves are for writing your wishes on, "burn them and they'll come true the same day". Maybe I'll take out one of my bay leaves and try it!

Anyway, back to my reality and peeling potatoes.

Here is a photo of the cake my mother-in-law makes for us every easter...isn't it cute?!

Back to the kitchen for me...hope I have some time for sewing later!