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the Easter BAT

April 10, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Way before parents spent too much time trying to create magical memories for their children, my Momma (the BAT) made holidays special by just being herself and keeping life simple. Halloween involved homemade costumes, birthdays included handmade invitations, and 4th of July meant driving over the tracks to buy Roman candles we set off across the cotton field. Christmas was pure-dee-lightful from the moment the Sears Wish Book arrived in the mailbox to the dreaded morning we returned to school in January.

Easter Eggs

via morgueFile

And Easter? Easter was fun too. There was the all important Brinkley Chapel part with Brother Brown’s resurrection sermon, and although Daddy never once attended Easter service with us, he seemed to be in an okay mood (except the Easter Sunday our house was robbed but that’s a different story).

During the week leading up to Good Friday, our house smelled of Easter—white vinegar and PAAS dye. Easter egg dyeing was an important part of our tradition.

But my first spring semester in college, for whatever reason, I wasn’t planning to drive home to Arkansas for Easter break. Not enough time? I don’t recall. But I do remember thinking what about Easter eggs? We’d always dyed eggs together. Oh well, things were bound to change eventually…

Not really.

Momma and Aunt Lavern loaded up the Cadillac and brought Easter to Baylor University complete with THREE dozen hard-boiled eggs. My sister, cousin and I dyed those eggs while staying at the Best Western across from campus.

That, my friends, is the definition of a fun Momma.

Baylor 1981

And yes, I’m wearing a tube top.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Musical Pairing:

The Power of Love, Huey Lewis

Filed Under: Family, Holiday, Memories Tagged With: Baylor University, Easter, Easter eggs

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Comments

  1. Anita Davis says

    April 10, 2014 at 7:31 am

    Love your momma! I remember she threw great birthday parties!!!!

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      April 11, 2014 at 6:37 am

      Thanks Anita! I love your momma too. And your daddy!

  2. Barbara Tate says

    April 10, 2014 at 8:19 am

    Yes, we did have fun growing up, didn’t we? Loved the blog.

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      April 11, 2014 at 6:38 am

      Yes we did:)

  3. Colene says

    April 10, 2014 at 8:42 am

    I don’t think ‘fun with Momma’ ended with your youth. It is obvious that the fun continues in your adulthood! Love the BAT stories!

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      April 11, 2014 at 6:39 am

      very true!

  4. Julie says

    April 10, 2014 at 8:42 am

    What a wonderful Mom! Our Easter always consisted of dying eggs, too. We don’t do big Easter baskets for our kids. Just some candy, dying eggs, and hunting eggs.

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      April 11, 2014 at 6:41 am

      You sound like a wonderful mom too!

  5. Helen says

    April 10, 2014 at 9:18 am

    That is so wonderful! I love doing the homemade, make your own decorations, make your own treats for holidays. we’ll be decorating hard boiled eggs again this year and I can’t wait!

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      April 11, 2014 at 6:41 am

      Fun! Thanks for commenting.

  6. mrs June Graham says

    April 10, 2014 at 10:08 am

    I love your mom—-never a dull moment with her around!!!!!

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      April 11, 2014 at 6:52 am

      Very true Ms. Graham!

  7. vishalbheeroo says

    April 10, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    Looks you had awesome fun with Momma. Love having specially made choco eggs during Easter:)

  8. Jennifer says

    April 10, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    What an amazing memory! I always loved dying eggs with my mom and siblings 🙂

  9. Ronda Chesser Porter says

    April 10, 2014 at 4:44 pm

    Okay, I’ve got to ask Tayla, when were you in college? The outfiits and the music selection seem reminiscent of my college days – early to mid 80’s. Love the story about your Mom. That’s what we moms do!

    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      April 11, 2014 at 7:06 am

      Yes Ronda, I graduated from high school in 1980 and attended college in the early 80s graduating from Baylor in December 1983. Fun times!


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: 11.23.25
  • Maggie and Miss Ladybug: My New Children’s Nature Book
  • Sunday Letter: November 9, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: Oct 26, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: Oct 5, 2025

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