Artnotes: they call it Easter Monday

 Easter Azelea   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic on linen  10.5x 16 inches

  Yellow Ranunculas   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic on linen  10.5x 16 inches

Violets   Blair Pessemier  6.5 x 8.5 inches   Oil on linen 

Artnotes:  they call it Easter Monday....

Today is Easter Monday, a strange holiday in my book:  it’s based on a religious event, in a “lay” country, and it isn’t ever on the holiday-day.   Oh well, it gives a lot of people a three day weekend.  In some countries, like Australia, they get Good Friday and Easter Monday off.   In Paris, many people take advantage of the three day weekend and leave town.

We celebrate Easter on Easter.  It was one of my mother’s favorite holidays, and I try to keep up the tradition with an Easter brunch.   This year, I had seven guests, one just arriving that day from New York, and we made a late brunch of it.  We had: two crown roasts of lamb, marinated trout, fois gras with figs, duck and pistachio pate, cumin potato salad, Moroccan carrots,  beet and mango salad, white asparagus with blood oranges, olive tapenade, breads, cheeses, fruit and chocolates; washed down with champagne, red  wine, apple juice, water, tea and coffee.  It was too cold to go for a walk afterward, but we sat around and visited for ages, Harika cadging food wherever possible.   

At least half dozen people (besides Blair and I) makes for varied conversation.   I like to lurk in the kitchen listening to people discuss Nabakov;  the quality of work done in France; toll booths on the Golden Gate bridge; FEDEX; and concierges.   It is wonderful to be a noodle in humanity soup.

There’s been very little business at our gallery, because it is still so cold outside, I think.  Here it is, April, and the chestnut trees have nary a leaf, let alone a blossom.  My painting student of last week cancelled, with early morning temperatures below freezing (-2C/28-30F).   Harika and her dog friends are spending less time in the Luxembourg Gardens, because their owners have freezing fingers and toes.   Without leaves on the tree the sun can peak through, at least and I position my chair accordingly.

The Easter Bunny brought us a hen and chick we used as a centerpiece.  Guests brought me an Easter basket and a big chocolate bunny, which we’ve been consuming madly.  One of the best things about having a party is leftovers:  food and memories.