The countdown has begun.

Friday, April 2, 1999

The countdown has begun. In a little less than 48 hours, Lawrence County residents like me who would do just about anything to keep chocolate in their diets will not have to come up with an excuse.

In fact, this time of year, chocolate is not even something you have to sneak off to buy. At Eastertime, sweets come home-delivered.

And boy are there a lot of chocolate treats to choose from when Easter rolls around.

In the olden days when I was a youngster, the big draws were marshmallow chicks, jelly beans, chocolate eggs and the chocolate rabbits and chickens.

A walk down the candy aisle these days reveals everything from Nestle Crunch eggs with crisped rice to marshmallow bunnies in a rainbow of colors. There are jelly beans that mimic every taste from caramel apples to buttered popcorn as well as chocolate bunnies that could fill a large Easter basket on their own.

My favorites, however, are the filled Easter eggs. Cadbury’s eggs are the most famous. The insides of these chocolate wonders are a syrupy candy that looks like egg white and a yolk. I could eat those until I had a real cholesterol problem.

But, this year, I discovered my undoing. On a recent stroll through Easter wonderland, I spotted dozens and dozens of eggs arranged in rows. Their labels included such words as "peanut butter," "truffle," "caramel" and "chocolate cream."

I bought a few dozen, fully intending to share them with my fellow staff chocoholics.

That was, of course, until I put my first Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Dove Truffle eggs in my mouth.

OK, so now you are probably thinking – "at the same time?" No, of course not. They are too big. I tried.

If you have ever had either of these confections, you will sympathize immediately. They are positively addictive.

I shared a truffle egg before I had a chance to taste one for myself. I did not share anymore, forgetting completely the true meaning of the Easter season – sacrifice.

No one got one of my peanut butter eggs. I had one of those in the car on the way home, so I knew how precious a find they were.

I dabbled a little in other forms of candy this year, although a marshmallow chicken never passed my lips and jelly beans were similarly few and far between.

So, it has been a pretty good Easter season so far.

In a couple of days, I will get to see my parents. My dad’s birthday just happens to fall on Easter this year.

I have already called home with instructions on what types of chocolate I want.

Of course, I want a chocolate bunny, but I am really craving a special marshmallow, caramel egg that comes covered in dark chocolate. They are my favorite.

I’m just not sure if a dozen will be enough.

Happy Easter!

Renee Carey is the managing editor of The Ironton Tribune.