More eggs :: the Ukrainian kind

Another treasure from Grandma Hardie


Every time I see a Ukrainian egg like these I have this vision of sitting in my grandparents' Grandview home in Dubuque --at the kitchen table-- watching and "helping" her with this art of pysanky, a wax-resist and dye process on eggs.

Her pysanky tool required manual heating of the wax.

It was a laborious, time-consuming process...wax on, dye, more wax on, dye again, and so on until you finally melt all the wax off and reveal your finished creation.

So interesting to watch, admire...I was in awe.

Then Grandma gave me tools to make my own eggs. My wax pen was electric.

I made some feeble attempts at using my new tools, but it wasn't the same making Ukrainian eggs without her around as there were 5+ hours driving distance between us.

I never carried on her tradition.

But I continue to admire some of her eggs that I now have.

I think one of her dogs ended up "enjoying" many of her other ones she displayed--the ones that she didn't blow out that still had the rattling of the yolk inside.

These are a handful of the ones that are left.

A beautiful treasure that I still admire.


The girls are intrigued. Hmmm...pysanky could be in our future!

Thank you, Grandma!