We Interrupt This Chocolate Coma To Bring You the Following….

Our Easter holiday was lovely and not just because I was able to eat my weight in chocolate following my six-week period of abstinence, either.

Saturday morning, Hugh and I took the kids to a nearby park for an egg hunt sponsored by our local Lions Club. At eleven, The Girl was just a tad bit too old to participate although several of the club members urged her to do so anyway. She was content to stay on the sidelines and cheer on her brother who managed to score a decent number of eggs as well as a large number of chocolate covered marshmallow Santas.

Yes, Santas.

A well-known chocolate maker has a factory in our community as well as an outlet store and, they are generous about giving out-dated, imperfect or out-of season candy to non-profit groups as a donation. And, considering that we could very well have had the kids hunting for Halloween pumpkins, I think we got off quite lucky with the Santas. Plus, the kids could not have cared less because, hello, chocolate.

In addition, the Easter Bunny made an appearance which easily distracted the children from the absurdity of St. Nick’s presence at an Easter Egg hunt.

The rest of Saturday was quite busy for us. The weather was gorgeous and Hugh, finally freed from his weekends of servitude at the hands of Pee-Wee wrestlers, High School wrestlers and work commitments, was able to start on his most ambitious project yet; preparing the back yard for landscaping.

To that end, Hugh and a friend hauled in six dump truck loads of freshly composted cow manure mixed with fine soil. And, yes, the neighbors absolutely love us.

After depositing each load, Hugh filled the dump truck with debris from the remodel and hauled it away, making room in the yard for the new soil which he will spread once the lines for the sprinkler system have been put in.

Hugh’s efforts did not go unnoticed by our newest neighbors, a young married couple who purchased Neighbor Bob’s house not long after his death last year. They ignored the aroma of the cow manure and bravely made their way over to visit and to get advice on the rather ambitious remodeling project that they are taking on in their house. Of course, they had Hugh at “demolish and rebuild” and he offered the use of the million and one tools that we purchased during our three year renovation as well as any labor that he might be qualified to provide. He had them at "nail gun and stud finder", I'm certain.

For my part, I offered Frog Eye Salad, a vat of which I had made for Easter dinner. Sarah, the lovely female half of the couple, invited the children to help her make cinnamon rolls and it was the beginning of what will certainly be a beautiful friendship.

Later that night, after Hugh had showered off the stench of cow dung, we dyed eggs. Then, we tucked the children into bed so we could prepare for our visit from the Bunny. We hid chocolate filled eggs around the house and, as testament to my dedication; I managed to eat not one single piece until the following morning when the kids woke me at six a.m. to check out their loot.

Of course, I might as well have hooked up an I.V. line with a slow chocolate drip then, considering how much of the stuff I ingested throughout the remainder of the day.

In addition to the chocolate, I indulged in spiral glazed ham so tender, it actually fell off the bone, no knife required. Then there was the giant-sized helping of Sinful Potatoes, a small army of sweet dinner rolls, Frog Eye salad in enormous quantities, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting an inch and a half thick and a giant cinnamon roll, courtesy of the neighbors and which I could not refuse considering the fact that my children helped make them.

Gluttony is my favorite of the Seven Deadly Sins or, could you not tell?

In an effort (although not much of one) to work off some of the caloric damage done by dinner, Hugh, The Girl and I engaged in several rousing games of Clue with Oscar and Emily, who had joined us for dinner. Proving once and for all that I would make a terrible detective, I failed to win even one game and was instead pounded by my daughter (three wins) and my husband (four wins).

I finally admitted defeat and joined the Man-Cub on the couch with a large chocolate bunny shared between the two of us.

The day ended with kisses from my children, the smell of chocolate still on the Cub’s breath, and a viewing of The Sopranos. I have high hopes for the last nine episodes. I hope I’m not disappointed.

Today, I am hard at work. Also, Operation Hottie by July, although slightly derailed by my Easter O’ Gluttony, begins again, anew.

Farewell, sweet chocolate, it was sweet while it lasted.