Pussy Willows and Grapevine Nests

Do you have childhood memories of pussy willows?

I do.

I don't remember finding them in the wild, or even cutting them. The pussy willows of my childhood days were already cut and ready for crafting.

The buds of male pussy willow branches are called "catkins". As an adult, I appreciate their whitish grey colors because, well, not only is it natural but when I think about it, the same color as most of our barn cats. The name seems appropriate.

In our area, pussy willows are one of the earliest "blooms" for winter-weary eyes to enjoy. But grey? C'mon. The days are still grey enough. And, think about it: the little catkins are shaped like mini-eggs, right?

Since Spring is also Easter Egg Season, we children were given pussy willow branches and colored chalk, and let loose to "pretty up" the kitten-fur soft buds. This craft is simple and old-fashioned, and nearly forgotten by me until yesterday when Jim brought in a huge bouquet of pussy willow stems that he had trimmed from his aunts house. One look at them took me right back to grade-school and colored chalk. :)

When my children were small we lived in town and had a neighbor who introduced us to another old-fashioned Easter tradition. She grew up in a large farm family during the Great Depression. With nine kids to support, her parents did not give them each an Easter basket filled with stuffed toys and candy. They came up with something even better. Their children's  Easter Egg hunts were not limited to finding colored eggs, but by finding the egg nests themselves.

Katie told me that her parents made the nests by twisting up grapevines. The grapevine nests were tucked into nooks and crannies in their yard. Each nest was home to pretty hard-boiled eggs, colored with onion skins.

Katie did not have children of her own. Each year, she fashioned three grapevine nests, tucked them in nooks and crannies of my yard and put an onionskin-colored egg in each one for my children to find. I well remember the first year that she did this; Kerry was our only child at the time. Katie's eyes twinkled as she helped Kerry look for the nest that the Easter Bunny had made for to lay its egg. I don't know who was more delighted when Kerry found it, Kerry or Katie. But I do know this; Katie's thoughtfulness created a warm and lasting childhood memory for my children (and me, too!)

Katie is getting up there in years. She's a widow with no children of her own; her loving niece and nephew are the "new generation" who keep their eye on her. But, they still work, and Katie is alone most of the time.

Today, the day before Easter, I plan to take a small vase of pussy willows to Katie. Maybe we'll color the catkins with chalk to make them look more like tiny Easter eggs.


Marcheta *Wishing everyone a Happy Easter