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Yesterday, while I was standing in the check out line at Rite Aid, I noticed an area by the register that was already stocked with a plethora of Easter items.

Bright colored baskets, plastic grass, chocolate hallowed bunnies, marshmallow peeps, and my absolute favorite…..bags and bags of jelly beans.

I love jelly beans.

Especially the black ones.

I’ve noticed something about black jelly beans though, people seem to either love or abhorred them.

I happen to worship them.

And when I eat them, I can’t just put one or two in my mouth, no, I like to throw in four or five or ten, so that my tongue, teeth, and lips turn permanently black from the food coloring. I usually end up looking like someone from the movie, The Night of the Living Dead.

Anyway…seeing all the Easter stuff, reminded me of something that I used to do as a kid during the Easter Holidays.

Just like on Christmas Eve, my parents would wait until my siblings and I went to bed, and then they would decorate the dining room table, as if the Easter Bunny had just visited. We each got a big basket, stuffed with green plastic grass and an array of fabulous candy. And in those days, there was such a thing as a REAL coconut cream Easter egg, which would literally melt in your mouth - we each got one of those too.

After my parents finished, and went to bed…I would creep downstairs and go through my sister and brothers’ baskets; taking all but one or two black jelly beans, and then hiding them under the grass in my own basket. I would also switch the different flavored jelly beans around; making sure I got more of the pink and white ones, while my siblings were left with more of the red, green and orange ones. And since I hated peeps, I would give them half of mine, but swapped them for a few of their malted speckled eggs.

This rearranging probably took me a good 30 minutes, so sometimes I would just start eating candy from everyone else’s basket.

But I had a special camouflaging trick that I used, so it never looked like anything was missing.

I would fluff-out the plastic grass in their baskets, so it actually looked like they had more candy.

*This trick later helped me when I attended beauty school and was learning how to tease hair.

So after I finally got my Easter basket filled with exactly what I wanted, I crept back upstairs and slid into my bed like a snake.

And as I fell asleep, I couldn’t help but wonder if my parents ever noticed what I was doing each year.

Naaah…I don’t think so….


34 comments:

  1. Oki Ron!!!

    Black jelly beans? Are they chocolate flavoured or licorice flavoured?! I have three bags of Jelly Belly's that I brought back from Cali last May... Do you think they are still good?! I want to eat them at Easter because in France, they don't sell jelly beans at Easter... They DO have something else that looks EXACTLY like jelly beans but they have a liquid inside... and they are very crunchy on the outside.. Weird, huh? I don't like PEEPS (I've got a TON of those stored away for this year, too. For my students)... But, I'm more traditional- choc. bunnies... and malted egg balls- God, I LOVE malted eggs MORE than any easter candy... Cadbury eggs are good, too... I shouldn't be thinking of candy so early in the morn!
    Have a WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!
    Hugs, Leesa

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  2. Ronnie...how COULD you? Though I don't like the black jelly beans or black licorice, I gotta agree with the white and pink ones!
    Oh and I hate white chocolate (gag)
    Peeps are OK, but you can't eat too many of them. Fat free, but you feel guilty biting the heads off cute widdle chicks and wabbits.

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  3. Hey Ronnie,
    OMG, you little sneak !! You did that ? What an ambitious little fellow to do all that.
    You are bringing back some meories there of American Easter traditions; the woven bakets filled with "fake" green grass,chocolate eggs, and the plastic eggs too !

    I used to dye eggs every year too, and I remember that I love to decorate them, but would have nothing else to do with them after.
    My Mom would eat the hard boiled eggs after Easter; it didn't gross her out to have a green or violet egg white !!

    Thanks for sharing this charming story.
    Is it still snowing today in Philly ??
    warm & fuzzy hugs XXXX

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  4. Ron you were such a bad little boy, weren't you? That is so funny!

    BTW, I hate the black jelly beans. Actually, I hate just about all jelly beans. I don't like chewy fruity sweet candy. Bring on the peanutbutter eggs and I am happy.

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  5. What a wonderful and funny story!!
    I used to try and get my sister to *trade* Halloween treats. Here's a handful of stale penny candies for that FULL-SIZE HERSHEY BAR. I'm sure she went for it a couple of times. I was persuasive. ;) hehe

    And isn't it so weird that today I am working on yet another blog post that probably will NOT get published because it's about that family drama that I can't seem to get away from but still I tinker with drafts anyway.
    So as I'm writing it, I take a break, stop over here and read about you loving black jelly beans. My mumsie-in-law... you know the vicious one who hates me.... loves black jelly beans, and black licorice too. Grrrhhh...ARGGGH....
    Well, she does have a little shriveled up black soul, so I imagine she pictured me as she ripped her big beastly fangs thru the candies I've given her over the years.

    Whoa.... how did I go there???
    Oh that's right... this VENT!!!! I can just do that from time to time. hehe

    Does your Mom or sibs read you blog??? If they do, I'm sure they are getting a real good laugh over this one. :)

    Happy Wednesday. It's still sooooo cold. I'm getting ready for some Spring soon though!!!

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  6. The black jelly beans are also my favorite. Along with good and plenty candy. I too can do with out peeps the marshmallow sicking sugar treat that will make a diabetic go off the Riechter Scale. My parents never decorated the table with the baskets they would always go out of thier way to hide the eggs and candy all over the place and we had to search for them. Once I found two jelly beans in Grandma's glass that held her teeth. No way I would touch those jelly beans !! Now that you mention it I also remember that green plastic grass that would linger in the house for years at a time and what a mess it made. Ok the Easter Bunny did his best to make it a fun time and we always got an Easter Card from the dentist along with more peeps. Now I have a glass of Merlot with the Easter meal and enjoy the day. As far as jelly beans I still love the black ones.

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  7. Oh yuck! Black jelly beans are nasty. I remember getting jelly beans when I was a kid, But I swear my mom bought them just so she could have the black jelly beans all to herself. As she new I didn't really like jelly beans at all.

    I bet your folks new that you were messing with the baskets. My 10 year old does it every year too and she must be thinking the same thing. Does mom & dad know? LOL

    Another great post. You brought back some wonderful childhood memories. Now i am getting excited for Easter with the kids.

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  8. Bonjou Leesa!

    They're the ones that are licorice flavoured, so it's one of those things that people either love or hate.

    oooh..oooh..and Jelly Belly's are my FAVORITES!!! OMG, Leesa...I can eat a whole bag all by myself!!

    And yea...I bet those jelly beans are still good, because they're still sealed in the bag. I would definately go for it!

    eeeew...PEEPS...I DON'T like them either. I'm just not big on anything marshmallow.

    Malted eggs and those Cadbury eggs that you speak about are also some of my favorite Easter candy!!

    Well, you know me...anything CANDY I FREAK over!!

    I just finished that wonderful chocolate you sent me. I had the last piece last night. Thank you again for those...I so enjoyed it!

    Thanks for stopping by Leesa!

    Have a wonderful day too!!!

    X

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  9. Aloha Debi!

    I know...

    ...I'm part of the 2% of humanity that loves black licorice!!!

    We're called VAMPIRES!

    HAHAHAHAHAHA!

    YES! YES! YES!...GAG me with spoon! I'm not into white chocolate either. I used to work for Godiva and even their white chocolate is WAAAAAAY too sweet.

    Dark is my FAV!

    oooh...if you feel like it, go back and read my Easter post last year. I wrote about how I hate PEEPS and the things I use to do to them....like pulling out their EYES!!

    I think I must be the Bad Seed!

    HAHAHAHAHHA!

    Thanks for dropping by Deb!

    HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

    X

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  10. Bonjour Barbara!

    OMG...you totally brought back so many wonderful Easter memories for me too!

    Holy Moly...I forgot how much fun it was to dye Easter eggs!

    eeewww...and you're right, I too remember the dye getting inside the shell and turning the egg white PURPLE!!!!

    Do remember the crayon that came inside the Easter egg dying kit, so you could write your name on the eggs before you dyed it???

    oooh...and those PLASTIC EGGS...LOVED THEM!! We use to play Easter Egg Hunt with those!

    No...it's no longer snowing here in Philly, but OMG, did we ever get A LOT and FAST! It's actually beautiful here right now. The past few days have been VERY cold, but the sun is shinning bright, so it feels great! I'm hoping for more snow before Spring. I've seen it snow here in APRIL, so you never know.

    Thanks for dropping by Barb!

    It's always so nice chatting with you!

    Have a wonderful Wednesday my friend!

    Love to you and Didier!
    XXXXXXX

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  11. Oh you were a naughty boy! ;)

    I have already bought my grandchildren an Easter egg, though they won't get it until Easter of course I very rarely eat chocolate so I won't be tempted to eat them, though I have to hide them from MWM!

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  12. Helloooooo Nicole!!!!

    I know...wasn't I EVIL?

    That's why my grandmother called me the DEVIL!

    But it was so much FUN!!!

    Isn't it funny how different people love different types of candy??

    I'm a huge candy lover, so enjoy much of it. Also, a lot of the strange stuff too...like DOTS!

    OMG...Dots drive me WILD! Especially the black ones!

    HAHHAHAHHAHA!

    Thanks for stopping by Nicole!

    ALWAYS great seeing ya, girl!

    Happy Wednesday to you!

    X

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  13. Good Morning Crystal Chick!

    ooooh...you just said the MAGIC words....

    ...HERSHEY CHOCOLATE!!

    I've eaten all types of chocolate in my life, but I've got to say...Hershey is still one of my favorites! It's not too sweet, either. However, DOVE is right up there next to it!

    Hey...feel free to Vent whenever you want here. After all...it's called VENT!

    Go M...GO!

    OMG...everytime you share about your MIL, I can't help but think of my fathers' mother. I think she and your MIL would have gotten along FAMOUSLY!

    Yes...my brother reads this blog from time to time, he also has my mother read it too. He called me when I posted I Sit to Pee and told me that he laughed his ass off. He's such a great guy!

    OMG...and can you believe how COLD it is??? Yesterday, I went to the library, and then to Barnes and Noble for some coffee and an oatmeal cookie, so I stopped in Rittenhouse Square on the way home. It felt so good to stand there and have the warm sun shine down on me.

    Before you know it, M....Spring will be here!!!

    It's what comes AFTER Spring that I don't like!!!

    God...I truly need to move to Alaska!!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAH!

    Thanks for stopping by today, M!

    I always enjoy our conversations!

    Happy Warm Wednesday to ya!

    X

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  14. Bwhaaaaaaaa...Dave!!!

    "Once I found two jelly beans in Grandma's glass that held her teeth. No way I would touch those jelly beans !!"

    THAT WAS PRICELESS, MAN!

    OMG...and you're so right about finding the green grass lingering in the house for years!! Shit...you would find that stuff in the oddest places, wouldn't you? And it always clogged up the vacuum cleaner!

    Weren't the Easter Egg Hunts FUN??? And you would sometimes find little toys inside, remember? Things like plastic rings, charms, and even quarters!

    *that's how I paid for my beauty school tuition!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Thanks BUNCH for droppin' by today my Libra Black Jelly Bean friend!

    You always add so much wonderful energy and humor to this blog....so thanks!

    I'll be toasting you on Easter with my Cabernet!

    Happy Wednesday!

    X

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  15. Good Morning Grumpy!

    oh...and I bet you're right!

    I bet your mom DID buy those black jelly beans, so that she could have them all to herself.

    *That sound like something "I" would do!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Yes...years later, I asked my if she and my dad knew about my Easter basket switching and she said, "SURE...you evil child."

    OMG...I was such the mischievious devil!

    And can you believe that I actually thought about becoming a Catholic priest?

    NOT!

    Yes...before you know it Easter will be here, and you'll be dying eggs and getting the baskets ready!!

    I love sharing the holidays with children, it's wonderful isn't it?

    Thanks for stopping by today, Grumpy!

    Always a treat sharing with ya!

    Happy Wednesday to you!

    X

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  16. Good Afternoon Akelamalu!

    Yes....VERY naughty!

    This is why I got coal in my stocking one Christmas!!!!

    HAHAAHAHAHAHA!

    Oh...I wish I had more children around during the holidays. I LOVE experiencing the awe and excitement through them...it's MAGICAL!!

    And I think you'd have to hid the chocolate eggs from me too. I'm a chocoalic!!

    Thanks for stopping by today, dear lady!

    Have an awesome Wednesday!

    X

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  17. ronnie: Oh baby...you are so bad. I love that about you.

    see...I knoe you and I are linked somehow. I love the black ones the best too. I would trade with my sister and brothers because they didn't care for them.
    Peep...I could eat a box like nothing and the sugar would keep me up till midnight.

    I miss eating candy. And it's harder during easter...oh the chocolate rabbits...dang.

    I'm not allowed candy anymore.

    I do though love to see people enjoy themselves with it. So I still buy it.

    You know I saw a huge portrait of Ronald Reagan at the Ronald Reagan Libraray...made entirely of jelly beans. Yum. He loved jelly beans.

    I loved your post sweetie...it took me back years when mother had easter baskets for us...

    I do that for my boys too. Funny...I'm just like my mom.

    xioa sweetie...have a fab evening.

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  18. Black jelly beans - GACK!!!!!!!!!!

    In case you missed that I said

    G A C K !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I'm trying to come up with some sort of smart ass comment to go along with this, but my hands are shaking to much from the thought of these nasty little specks of ickyness.

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  19. Dear Miss Black Jelly Bean Jones...

    SEE!!! We are linked!

    Show biz, the theater...and now BLACK JELLY BEANS!!

    YAAAAAY! Black jelly beans ROCK!

    Oh, that's right, I forgot...Ronald Regan was a jelly bean freak too! And wasn't it Jelly Belly's he liked most? I think it was.

    This time of the year is very tempting for me, because I love candy and it's EVERYWHERE!!!

    Oh well...I guess that's what makes me so SWEET!

    NOT!

    Thanks for stopping by and sharing in the Easter memories, Miss Jones!

    Think of me when your making the Easter baskets for your boys. And then eat ONE black jelly bean for me, ok?

    Ciao bella!

    X

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  20. Howdy Mr. GACK!

    So I take it...you hate black jelly beans?

    That's ok...I still like you anyway, bud!

    I know...people either love em' or GACK at them!

    They kind of look like little turds, don't they?

    Well, at least we both hate Peeps, right?

    OMG...they make me want to BARF!

    Thanks for stopping by today my friend!

    And I hope this post doesn't make you have nightmares tonight about drowning in a sea of BLACK JELLY BEANS!!!!

    Wwwwhhaaaaaa!

    Later gator!

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  21. OMG....OMG....like white chocolate is like SO grody! LOL

    You did WHAT to Peeps? You ARE the bad seed. Bad, bad, EVIL Ronnie!
    No, I will not go read that post for fear that I'd CRY!
    NO fake Chanel clip-ons for you!
    (just kidding, you know me wubs you despite your evil anti-peeps, and still eats meat occasionally streak!) ;D

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  22. Yup.....ya either love 'em or you hate 'em.

    If you hate 'em--just means MORE for me!!! :-)

    Actually--I don't GET black jelly beans any more.
    *muttering*

    Stupid corrective diet plan....

    That's okay.
    MORE for you!

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  23. OMG...Debi!!!

    I haven't heard the word GRODY in YEARS!!!

    Do you remember the lyrics in that song, Valley Girls?

    "Grody....gag me with a spoon!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    OMG...I'm having a flashback!

    Well...since you won't read the Peeps Post, I'll just tell you....

    ...when no one was looking, I would pick all the eyes off the peeps in my siblings Easter baskets. It use to scare the shit out of my sister, because they looked like FACELESS peeps!

    HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA!

    Sincerely,
    The Bad Seed

    X

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  24. Good Morn'in Mel!!!

    That's right...I totally forgot about your corrective diet plan!

    So black jelly beans are on that too?

    I wonder if it has something to do with the licorice (anise) flavoring, or simply the carbs?

    Well...if you happen to find any floating around in your Easter basket this year, could you email me them?

    I swap you for all my pink ones!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA!

    Thanks for stopping by today, dear lady!

    Have an awesome Thursday!

    Hopily,

    The Easter Bunny

    X

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  25. RONNIE!! you are going to need so many prayers said over you when you die for being such a sneak!!!! there's is beginning to be an over-arching theme to your past life, you little piggie... and guess what, my dear little past life brother, I DID THE SAME THING! I couldn't believe it when I read this, hahaha.... thanks for the memories and the belly laughs...this post is hysterical and I so identify....those coconut eggs and the malted eggs were my favorite and those weird candy eggs in the circus colors-so good for you! my mother used to actually put little presents in the baskets too and so it was extra special lovely and I was such an ingrate too! and we even had a bunny or three running around because said mother is out of her mind...sigh....

    try microwaving the peeps...they are delish that way- but don't explode them, hahah! love you much, dear man~~

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  26. Hiya Linda!

    OMG...I know, so PLEASE start praying for me NOW!!!

    And this is only ONE of ONE THOUSAND sneaky little things I did!

    Oh well...I guess I'll see your brother in HELL!

    HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHA!

    OMG...your comment reminded me that my mother would always get us a few adorable LIVE baby chicks at Easter too! But by the time Spring was over...we would take them to the lake at the park and let them go.

    I always cried.

    Hey...I don't eat Peeps, but I like your idea about putting them in the microwave and POPPING them...how fun!

    Thanks for stopping by, dearest Linda!

    Hope you had a wonderful day!!!

    Peep..peep!

    X

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  27. I have a wee one who likes to snitch carrots in the dark of night,
    perhaps she is related to the easter bunny? or the Black jelly bean bandit?
    She always tries to make it look like there are more in the bag..
    I am not sure why she thinks I would care...
    You OCD types are so much fun...
    insert evil "mwah ha haha" here

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  28. Hellooooo Lady Sorrow!

    How are ya???

    So GREAT seeing ya!

    OMG...that's so damn funny!

    Carrots???

    And I LOVE how she tries to make it look like there are MORE in the bag!!!!!!

    You GO, girl!

    YES!....it truly must be an OCD trait!!!!!

    HAHAHAHAHHAHHAA!

    Thanks for stopping by, Sorrow!

    I think of you often and share "good energy" with you always!

    X

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  29. OMG, Ron, you're too funny! I think we must be long lost relatives. I LOVE black jelly beans! And, yup, they can only be experienced when you shove 10 or 12 in your mouth at once.

    THANKS SO MUCH for making me one of your "features"!! That just made my day! Now I really am a Starr. :-)

    MWWWAAAHH!

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  30. Hi Chrissy!

    When I read your post earlier this week, I LAUGHED, because I was thinking about this post and saying, "She and I are TRULY meant to be blogging buddies!"

    Black licorice ROCKS!

    Oh, and you're so very welcome!

    I LOVE your sense of humor and blog Chrissy, and wanted to share it with everyone who comes here.

    So it was my pleasure!

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    And thanks for stopping by!

    X

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  31. Black jelly beans are my favorite, too. Stale "Peeps" are ambrosia, Ron! They have to be stale, though.

    I still like making up baskets for my kid, even though they are way too old. My Jewish son-in-law loves his Easter basket almost as much as his Christmas stocking! LOL

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  32. Howdy Nitebyrd!

    See...and yet another thing we have in common!

    I think liking black jelly beans have something to do with having a GOTH SOUL like you and I!

    Maybe they're the candy choice of all us VAMPIRES!?!

    Hey, I'll try eating a peep stale and see if I like them any better. And that makes sense, because the only way I could eat them as a kid, was if I put them into the refrigerater for an hour and then ate them hard.

    *I was a sick child!

    Thanks for stopping by, Sis!

    Always great sharing a bit of goth with ya!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!

    Love ya!

    X

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  33. mmmmm black jelly beans! love em!

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  34. Hey Daniel!

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Nice to meet you!

    aaaah....another black jelly bean lover!!!

    Black jelly beans ROCK!

    Please stop by anytime!

    Enjoy your day!

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