Peeps
No, not your close family and friends. I am talking about marshmallow Peeps.
For several years now, my partner and I have engaged in Peep ritual. I don’t know how or why it began, but every year we each buy Peeps. There is a certain achievement status in being the first to score Peeps…and then it begins.
Peep placement and Peep integration: Integration involves separating colored sets and re-joining them. For example, the sill above the kitchen sink has two of each color (hot pink, bright sky blue, soft lavender and baby chick yellow) lined up smartly like the front row of a marching platoon.
Peep placement is where the fun really begins. Acting independently over the next several days we each place our Peeps. Some placement is standard, like the above mentioned kitchen window sill. Other placement is furtively creative. There are surprise Peeps, they show up in places one least expects. The bathroom and bedroom are favorite haunts of the peeping Peeps. And last, but not least, the artful, aesthetic Peep placement.
I have always felt a uniqueness around our annual Peep ritual, and then I read an article in the newspaper. I learned more than I ever needed (or wanted) to know from The Power of Peeps. Just Born Inc. will churn out 1 billion Peeps this year. There is Peeps pop art, Peeps topiary and Peeps diorama; apparently no end to creative, decorative displays inspired by Peeps. (We are definitely amateurs!).
And then, the last shock…people actually eat them! Right out of the box, smashed, micro-waved, roasted and deep-fried, Peeps are an epicurean delight!
I never thought that my relationship with little marshmallow chicks was anything more than a simple bit of fun. Even though it feels a bit odd to be part of a such a grand movement, I’m sure we will continue our annual amateur Peep show.