An egg-cellent collection
As we move through Easter rituals – from solemn Ash Wednesday, through introspective Lent, to joyful Easter Sunday – we punctuate our devotionals with plenty of fellowship. Families decorate colorful eggs, the Easter Bunny hides candy-filled baskets, and children scurry in search of hidden treats. We love our traditions. But sometimes it’s OK to give tradition a little extra spin.
Susan Variakojis, a resident of Concord Reserve in Westlake, does just that with her unique Easter egg collection. Susan began her collection nearly 40 years ago. Her display has an interesting history.
The eggs are from an Easter egg sale that was established to benefit Children’s Hospital in Columbus by their Woman’s Auxiliary. Artistic and imaginative members of the group created the eggs. The designs for the eggs came from whatever took the fancy of the artists or was popular at that time. Susan added to her collection until the Auxiliary’s annual sale was discontinued around 15 years ago.
All the eggs in Susan’s display are real. Most are hard-boiled but not all. Time has taken its toll. Some cracked and gave off a rotten egg smell, so were discarded. One year a few actually exploded, sending egg bits all over Susan’s living room.
Many have been lost over the years. What you see is what remains of a once much larger collection. Time has taken Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Muppets, Minnie and Mickey and many more Disney characters. Goofy is still with us, as is Donald Duck. Only one Smurf is left. Ernie is gone, but Bert is still here. A witch from Wizard of Oz remains; Scarecrow is missing. The Clown has survived; it is one of Susan’s favorites. In the off season, she stores the eggs in a Christmas ornament container.
Keeping close watch over Susan’s precious collection, and substituting for Easter Bunny who is quite busy right now, is celebrity guest host Energizer Bunny. He and his two Bunny assistants are courtesy of fellow resident Dave Clash. Dave also presents an engaging display for residents during Christmas season. His miniature North Pole village, filled with tiny figures and charming shops and homes, is a joy to see. The Eggs, the Bunnies and the Concord Residents send warmest Easter wishes to all!
Julie Feagler with Susan Variakojis
Julie Feagler