Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter Memories & Johnny Jump Ups

Tomorrow is Easter, a time for rejoicing & remembering & being with the one's we love.
Easter always brings me some of my happiest memories.

{Susie & Johnny, Easter 1962}
As a child, Easter was a time for new dresses, white patent leather Maryjane's, a matching purse, crisp white gloves, a hat that I usually didn't like to wear, hidden baskets & Johnny Jump Ups.
My older brother Johnny & I {Johnny & Susie, it doesn't get any more 50's then that} would dress-up in our fancy new clothes, have our picture taken on the front porch, jump into the back seat of our family car & head off to Belmont Height's United Methodist Church in Long Beach, where we'd spend the morning at Sunday School.

{at Mission San Juan Capistrano 1963}
My most nostalgic Easter memories are of how excited I was to go to Sunday School on that particular morning. When we got there, we'd all be given crayons & little paper cups to decorate with bunnies or eggs or flowers. We would then be given some soil that we would carefully add to our cups trying very hard not to get any on our new clothes. Then each child was given their own tiny, Johnny Jump Up to plant ever so tenderly into their cup.

 {I couldn't wait for my Mommy to get her McCall's Magazine so I would get this}
And as the teacher would talk to us of spring & the renewal of life, of our sins & the Gift that our Father had given us in his son, I would look at the bright purple & yellow faces of my pretty flowers & smile. When my parents came to pick us up, I would proudly show them my very own flowers that I had planted myself. I would take my flowers home & keep them next to my bed. I watered them & nurtured them & loved them. Is it silly that I remember that so clearly? I have adored Johnny Jump Ups for as long as I can remember & now you know why!
What are some of your favorite childhood Easter Memories???
I would love for you to tell me...
Sweetest of Hearts,
May your Easter Joy & Chocolate Eggs be Abundant.
Happy Easter!

XOXO
vintagesusie

9 comments:

Blessed Serendipity said...

Wishing you a joy filled Easter along with many blessings.

Danielle

Charlene said...

Great post Susie! And I am wishing you a Happy Easter sweet friend. CUTE photos of you & Johnny all dressed up. My favorite Easter memory was when my precious Daddy bought me a flower wrist corsage to wear with my new Easter outfit. I was soooooooo proud & my Mom was so peeved because "She's just a child why would you buy her that".... I just LOVED the fact that my preciou Daddy would treat me so special & protect me from Cruella Deville! :) And Johnny Jump Ups are one of my favorite flowers too. As you know I have a huge flowerbed out front & I have them come up on their own every year. The best part is they come up where they want to... I love flowers that color outside the lines don't you? Kind of like us Susie Pearl! Happy Easter sweet friend. Love Ya
Charlene

Sue said...

Oh my- haven't thought of Johnny Jump-ups in a long, longtime!! :-) I think we all must have gotten our new outfits complete with patent leather Mary Janes, and those awful hats that had an elastic band that dug into our necks! I had all but forgotten the paper dolls in McCall's Magazine! How fun that we gleaned so much from our memories! Happy Easter, Susie girl! hugs, Sue

trash talk said...

Do you remember the sugar eggs that had the 3D scene in them? I would be thrilled when the Easter bunny left one in my basket. E.B. (Mother) always filled our baskets after we went to bed for us to find the next morning.
Hope you have a wonderful Easter!
Debbie
P.S. I still love patent leather shoes!

Suz said...

Susie,
There are four kids in my family...and two were Susie and John! I, also, loved those Betsy McCall paper dolls. I have them all copied now on my computer...and don't have a clue what I will do with them! Lovely post!
Hugs,
Suz

Lily's Lace said...

Oh the best part of easter.....the candy. The Russell Stover bunny rabbits, jelly beans and whatever else my mom could find! It was like Halloween lite. We did have to dress up in our new Easter outfits but it was so much fun Easter Egg hunting and eating all the candy I could. Which, let me tell ya' I still do today! The best part is my mom still sends me an Easter box every year! I send her one too but it's usually late and looks so plain in comparison to all the work she puts into hers for me! Hopping you have a great Easter, love ya more than frito pie-xooxoxxoxo-cin

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

This is such a sweet post, Susie! I have many Easter memories of dressing up in my new dress, straw hat, gloves, purse, and patent shoes and going to church...and all the ladies in their lovely spring hats. So long ago...but only yesterday...

Trisha said...

What precious memories!! Happy Easter to you!

~Trihsa

Tins and Treasures said...

Good Morning, Susie,
I love the photos of you as a little girl. Great memories, I'm sure!!

Easter Blessings to you and your family. Have a wonderful day. ~Natalie