I can only remember two visits to the Easter Bunny when I was a child. One was with my parents. The other was with my two older cousins, Maryann and Dianne.
My cousins and I walked to downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey and saw the Easter Bunny at a local department store. I couldn't have been more than three years old.
The only thing I clearly remembered from the excursion is that the Easter Bunny was a lady - because I noticed that she was wearing a woman's wristwatch.
The above photo was taken during the bunny visit accompanied by my parents.
Here Comes Peter Cottontail was a fairly popular Easter song when I was a kid. I disliked it then, and now - three hundred years later - I still dislike it. BUT, once I hear it, the song keeps reverberating in my mind over and over like a mesmerizing demonic chant.
So......I decided to make a video of it, as an annoying memory of my childhood Easters.
Do you know how difficult it is to make a video of Peter Cottontail with any plausible or logical content?
In exasperation, I simply slapped together a mishmash (I hate that word) of bunny gifs and cartoons. My incredible creativity at work....
Strangely enough, I recently found two Easter toys from my early childhood. Both are made of metal (ah, the good ol' days) and both played Here Comes Peter Cottontail when the crank was turned.
Neither of them play tunes now - they're completely worn out - like myself.
This Peter Cottontail toy used to have two big plastic ears.
This metal egg was my favorite of the two.
I've noticed that when I write absolute crap (like my previous blog post) I get comments.
When I post decent things, nobody comments at all......
When have you ever posted "decent things", Jon?
Look carefully. You'll find them.
Lately I've been extremely depressed - - over physical ailments and personal problems (which never ever cease). Blogging and making inane videos helps keep me from going over the edge......
sort of.....
I enjoyed the video and the Peter Cottontail and seeing the picture of you with The Easter Bunny, it was so Cute! You looked like you were enjoying the Easter Bunny. That was a cute bunny. I never did like the ones that looked like demon bunnies. I loved Easter when I was a child. My bunch of cousins came to my house and we would hide and find plastic
ReplyDeleteEaster eggs over and over. One person hid them, the rest of us found them, with coaching from the hider of "Your hot, your getting hotter, no, cold, you're freezing". I was the only kid in my family, my sister was 19 years older than me, and she didn't live at home in my lifetime.
I have always loved everything about Easter, not in churchgoing or religious
ways, but just in the fun of all of the Easter eggs, my cousins coming to visit and hunting eggs with them, the Easter bunny, I believed in the Easter Bunny past the time I would have ever admitted it to my friends. My Mom always made the most beautiful Easter basket for me. Huge, with candy, toys,
plastic eggs, that green grass stuff, some kind of gold coin candy (which I think is actually for one of the Jewish celebrations), but I guess my mom thought I would like them, and I did. I would wake up and there the giant golden plastic covered basket with a big bow on it would be on the landing to the back door. It looked magical with the morning sun shining on that golden plastic wrapped basket that the Easter Bunny had snuck in the back door and left for me
I had both of the toys you showed, except my bunny had its ears and the musical egg I had was so pretty with a bird painted on it. If I had an a** kicking machine, I'd be using right now. I sold both of them in a rummage sale of my toys in the 1960's for very cheap. I sold so many of my toys that would be collectibles now, because I didn't like to mess up my toys. A neighborhood fake friend loved having rummage sales and talked me into it.
Sorry I haven't had a chance to comment on some of your posts lately. I have been upset and worrying about an eye surgery I must have, where after the surgery I have to keep my face facing down for several days for many hours, variable on which doctor I choose to go to. My degenerative disc disease in my neck and some problem in one of my legs is going to make this face down positioning a living Hell for me.
Your video and post cheered me up tonight. Thank you for posting, especially
the Peter Cottontail Song which I haven't heard in years. Maybe, after I finally have that surgery, it will drown out thoughts of sitting with my face down for days on end.
Your detailed comments are always delightful to read. The Easter Bunny was always portrayed as happy and sweet when I was a child. I don't know why they have become so sinister nowadays - and terrify a lot of children. My memories of Easter are all positive - it's such a lovely time of year. I remember Easter egg hunts in my grandmother's yard.
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about your upcoming eye surgery. I'm sure the anticipation of waiting is far worse than the surgery itself. Having to keep your head down for days is a horrible ordeal - especially when you have neck and leg problems.
Glad that my video helped cheer you up. Take care.
Well, I thought your video was delightful. I don't recall being fond of Peter Cottontail so much as Gene Autry. (Roy Rogers, too.) Good thing, since I've got that song stuck in my head.
ReplyDeleteThat song has been stuck in my head for days - and I know the lyrics by heart. Truth to tell, I always have fun making these videos. It's a therapeutic pastime.
DeleteI like the metal egg. I don't remember Easter bunnies being a thing, but perhaps my mom avoided taking me. I don't blame her at all.
ReplyDeleteI think that metal egg was a gift from my grandmother. It seems like a lot of kids were scared by creepy Easter Bunnies. Perhaps it's best that your mother avoided them (lol)
DeleteIn reference to your comment, Jon, that when you write crap, you get comments, it could be because people can identify with some of that stuff. At any rate, I comment on both types, crap and non-crap. I have no childhood memories of seeing the Easter bunny and no photos to show so it must not have happened, but then It’s the same story with Santa Claus. Also never had either of those metal toys or anything similar so maybe I had a deprived childhood?
ReplyDeleteI'm probably being too hard on myself, since I often dislike my blog posts. I only remember seeing the Easter Bunny twice and Santa two or three times - it wasn't particularly memorable. You didn't miss very much (*smile*). I doubt if your childhood was "deprived".
DeleteAdorable - both the sweet pic of you as a little boy and your video! The toys are cool and really cool that you still have them. I have a large wooden bunny with a cotton tail that you push it in and it plays two songs - "Peter Cottontail" and "Easter Parade."
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to fill a basket every year for my brother and I with Hershey Kisses, and mashmellow chicks, and a little toy for us she placed in a decorated plastic egg.
I was fortunate to have such good childhood memories. :)
I'm surprised that I still have those two Easter toys, since my father was notorious for throwing things out - or donating them to Goodwill. I have good childhood memories of Easter. It's such a pleasant time of year - and seemed even better when we were kids.
DeleteSorry Jon. I refuse to play that song and get those ear worms stuck in my head. ( They are already there! ARGH!) But I don't wan to encourage them. I now will have to play "Come sail away" by Styx so I can have an alternative demonic melody in my brain.
ReplyDeleteI remember the cartoon that used to come on every Every Easter when I was a kid. The One where the Eggs turned green and he couldn't give them away... Until St Patrick's Day.. Everyone is saved! Including Easter. And it ended with that song.
I never visited the Easter Bunny at the Mall. Come to think of it, we never visited Santa either. I imagine it was because my Parents didn't want to waste their time scaring the bejesus out of us! ( Santa is scary as a 4 year old...)
Once you hippity-hop down the bunny trail with Cottontail there's no turning back. You are ruined for life.
DeleteI was a shy and timid child - always afraid of my own shadow - but for some strange reason I was never afraid of Santa or the Easter Bunny. I would probably have taken candy from a stranger....