Eastover

I love the Denver Post Wednesday food section, even though I'm still lamenting the demise of my beloved Rocky Mountain News. The food section is chock-full of recipes I rarely attempt as I'm a can opener and bake-at-350-degrees-for-one-hour kind of gal. Thankfully, my 7-year-old daughter, Hannah is a chef in the making.

What I love most about the food section is the weekly grocery store circular inserts, especially when major religious holidays overlap. You know Christmas and Hanukkah long since referred to as Chrismukkah. Now that spring is in the air so are Easter and Passover, which I've dubbed Eastover.

The ads boast Easter specials and sentiments left, right and center. Here are just a few examples from today's paper.

"Hop into savings!"

"Easter basket essentials!"

"Easter entertaining!"

"Fill your basket with savings!"

"Buy 1, get 2 free bacon!"

All this begs the obvious question--where are all the Passover deals and salutations?

How about a buy 1, get 2 free tins of coconut macaroons. Or buy 1, get 2 boxes of oh so flavorful matzo.

Neither do you see smoking deals on lamb shankbones to set the Seder plate.

Gefilte fish greetings anyone?!

Guess it's not so unusual for us chosen people to still get the short shift when it comes to supercharged holiday marketing.

Maybe it's because us Jews are simple people. We don't plan elaborate scavenger hunts for chocolate eggs, peanut butter eggs, creme eggs, caramel eggs, marshmallow eggs, robin eggs, yellow chick and pink bunny peeps, jelly beans...

We're just thankful to celebrate our exodus from Egypt and liberation from slavery.

And how does one keep up with the Disney Princess and Clone Wars' egg dying kits? Or the plethora of Easter must-have toys to fill junior's already overflowing pastel basket?

Let us also not forget choosing just the right wine to accompany your ham, roast, turkey or chicken.

Our choice?

Manischewitz wine. Easy. Three flavors--concord grape, cherry or blackberry. Take your pick for that perfect Passover brisket.

Thankfully, my local liquor story is open this Sunday as I'll need it along with a bottle of Easter Excedrin.

Happy Eastover--I'm over it!

R.I.P. Rocky

It's a sad day indeed in the Mile High city. Not just for Coloradans, but for the entire journalism profession--one I count myself lucky to be a member of.

My mornings will no longer be the same. Even though I didn't grow up with you, you rolled out the welcome mat when I first drove across your "Colorful Colorado" borders 16 years ago to pursue my graduate degree at CU's School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Call me old school, but I prefer to turn a page, fold over a corner, stain my hands with fresh ink, clip out a helpful tidbit or two or interesting profile to save for later. I always enjoyed your easy-to-peruse format especially as I was never much good at expertly folding each section like the other newspapers. I'll take old school any day over scrolling online through fine print after fine print.

I still have my original clips for the times I garnered a byline across your pages.

A Colorado native, my husband grew up with the Rocky. When he left to pitch for the California Angels over two decades ago, my father-in-law would lovingly clip every box score highlighting the innnings pitched, hits, runs, earned runs, bases on balls, strike outs along with his earned run average.

When my daughter, Hannah and son, Hunter were born, I created a tradition of saving the front page of the Rocky for every birthday. At least Hannah has seven tangible copies and Hunter four. If only you could have held on until your 150th anniversary Hunter would have had a copy on his fifth April Fool's birthday.

Printing it out from the internet doesn't quite cut it. Again call me old school, but my Tattered Cover escape breaks and park bench outings won't be the same again. I'll miss leafing through each page.

And how do I break the news to my lab, Koufax who will no longer perform his daily ritual of retrieving the news in anticipation of a tasty treat?

Yes, it's a sad day indeed. For readers, writers, reporters, photographers, copy editors...

Farewell Rocky Mountain News.