Osprey neighborhood hops for joy over Easter decorations

They were not gathered together at church, but the residents of Meadow Sweet Circle in Osprey felt the Easter spirit anyway. 

On Sunday, Easter bonnets lined the neighborhood's streets, sitting atop mailboxes and lamp posts. Wooden, bunny-shaped cutouts hung on doors and sat on porch tables. There were even nests filled with painted eggs to spot. The decorations created a scene to behold, and behold the neighborhood did, walking the streets to take in everyone's work.

The idea stemmed from resident Margaret Barrington, who phoned neighbor Deb Holton-Smith last week and asked if she thought it was a possibility.  Holton-Smith said she loved the idea and posted it on the neighborhood's private Facebook page and in a community email blast, encouraging people to have fun with it. 

The response was overwhelming, Holton-Smith said. Come Easter morning, The vast majority of the community's 84 houses participated, she said, each adding their own personalized touch. The mix of colors was a wonder to behold, she said. She wandered the streets, taking pictures of everyone's displays. 

"We kept at least six feet apart, but there was a constant stream of people coming through," Holton-Smith said. "People walking, people on bikes and motorcycles, people in cars. A lot of them were from outside the neighborhood, too. I still had people going by my house at 8 p.m. It was a lot of fun."

While the holiday celebration was small, it was meaningful to Meadow Sweet Circle residents. The community is tight-knit, Holton-Smith said. Under normal circumstances, everyone often comes together for coffee hours, cocktail parties and other events, like to watch the Kentucky Derby. Missing out on those gatherings for the past month has been difficult, she said. 

"It is all about the community here," Holton-Smith said. "We miss having our clubhouse open. We do so much together. Regaining that sense of camaraderie (on Easter) was nice. We don't know how long social distancing will last, but we are blessed to have each other."