“A day spent with friends is always a day well spent.” –Unknown
When I realized I wouldn’t be going home to my family for Easter, I was initially quite disappointed (and frustrated at my lack of planning). I decided to make the most of the weekend though, making grand plans with myself to be super productive and spending lots of time with Alice. Instead I found myself quite busy with friends 🙂
I worked all day Good Friday, but upon leaving work noticed a message from my friend, Alex. We met at City Market for dessert, and so he could experiment with his photography reflectors. This meant I was the subject, a subject who was already exhausted from a crazy-busy, long day. I chose to ignore the camera by looking out the window, enjoying my mini chocolate cheesecake, checking Facebook on my phone, and talking while my eyes wandered around the restaurant’s interior. Alex was happy with my natural state of being which was great because I didn’t have the energy for much else. After losing all but a sliver of our sunlight, we walked the few chilly blocks to Vedo’s for a slice of pizza. This was an excellent start to my Easter weekend.
Photo Shoot with Alex (Click for more of his photography)
Despite working Saturday morning, I found time in the afternoon to do a few (shopping) errands before hanging out with friends. These errands are usually unexciting, but finding great deals and having coupons is super exciting; thank you, Kohl’s.
Late Saturday afternoon, I took the bus to visit my friend, Shanna, and her boyfriend, Tony, out in the suburbs. Our friend, Willow, drove down for some quirky fun. We watched some TV (two episodes of Strangers with Candy with a young Stephen Colbert :), an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and the first episode of Game of Thrones) plus a movie (Pokémon 3) while indulging in Chicken and Black Bean soup and a variety of wines. Regarding the selection of shows/movie, so glad I finally finished watching the first episode of Game of Thrones (now to find time for the rest of the seasons) and watching Pokémon was surprisingly entertaining. Overall a superbly relaxing evening.
Watching Pokémon
This wasn’t the end of our enjoyment together. We planned to have brunch together the next morning, but brunch turned into breakfast at lunch; it was noon before we arrived at Café Hollander. After—critiquing the validity of the menu (#francophonesnobs)—and much discussion, we delighted in our food, outdoor seating, and spring weather. The great outdoors came at a cost though: I burnt my neck on the sun. Despite this, I appreciated the pleasant weather, even more than I appreciated my Fresh Fruit Waffle.
Fresh Fruit Waffle at Café Hollander
Expectantly, the waffle was huge—and tasty. There were strawberries, apples, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries arranged on the waffle with a couple spots of whipped cream. I was impressed by how thinly sliced the apples and strawberries were 🙂 I haven’t eaten most of these fruits all winter; their taste (combined with the warm sunshine) reminded me of summer’s joyousness!
Usually, being full makes people sluggish and tired. This doesn’t apply Willow, Shanna, and I; we became—or remained—our boisterous selves 🙂 We decided to leave so as not to disturb those still enjoying their meal. Instead we boisterously hunted down Easter candy across the street at CVS. The chocolate wasn’t hard to find, so bantered about the chocolate options. Willow and I are appalled that Cadbury’s daily deliciousness is limited to certain holidays in the U.S., whereas Shanna was basically satisfied with Peeps. Soon we moved on to terrorize the next aisle over; this led to the discovery of blank VHS tapes being sold in four packs and Lisa Frank coloring/sticker books. Willow and I were ecstatic with happiness. We also find Ghirardelli chocolate in this aisle 🙂 Easter Chocolate Mission: Accomplished.
Contradicting Signs at CVS
I spent the remainder of the day being productive…when I wasn’t outside. Easter Sunday was a gloriously beautiful day. Since Milwaukee has had so very few of these days, I made sure to enjoy it. I opened a couple windows in my apartment to let the fresh air and breeze in; Alice was in heaven having her windows open again 🙂 While my clothes washed, Alice and sat outside exploring and lounging in the sun near my building 🙂 She enjoyed this as much as I did and we went outside—per her request—again on Monday.
Alice Outside on Easter Sunday
I also cooked LOTS! I made enough food for lunches all week and half my dinners. Plus everything contained meat, so Alice benefitted too. I made chicken stuffing casserole which has become a standard meal for me recently, but I also made pasta. Yes, I can’t go more than a day or two without eating pasta, however, this pasta was extraordinarily delicious. I covered penne noodles with two different sauces (the first jar only covered half the noodles), chopped deli maple ham to sprinkle on top, seasoned with a combination of my favorites, and added a subtle amount of sharp Wisconsin cheddar. Something about that mix creates my new favorite pasta (that I cook at home) 🙂
Courtesy of the fun I had, the weekend flew by. Even though I didn’t cause a ruckus at home with my younger sisters or eat a traditional Easter meal, I still a fantastic holiday weekend! This weekend proved to be a learning opportunity and, more so, a reminder that there’s more than one way to enjoy the holidays.
Bethany Blount 