This is what I call the "Russell Stover Coconut Nest Fiasco". For decades, young and old alike loved the pale green coconut nest with the cute jelly beans nestled in the center. The tradition seemed to be eternal.

Suddenly, things took a dark turn. First, the green nest began to be usurped by the chocolate nest. Gone was the springtime charm, but the green nest was still available to those who looked long and hard. Then, it vanished altogether. All that was left was the chocolate nest, which, quite frankly, did not evoke springtime or any of its glory.

Still, the worst was yet to come. In the Easter of 2010, the jelly beans were taken from the chocolate nest, leaving us with just... an empty nest. Could we get more depressing?!

Take a look at the box below... you see a depiction of the so-called "nest". It looks more like... hm... a dainty cow patty? I don't know, but there isn't even an indentation for holding a precious jelly bean egg, even if one was offered.

My friend, Donna, is one of the many who mourns the loss of the original nest. This year, she took matters into her own hands and made them herself ! She did a masterful job, and shared them with family and friends. Thank you, Donna... you saved us from "empty nest syndrome" this year!

Russell Stover says on their website that they have brought back the green coconut nest by popular demand (why was it destroyed to begin with?), but we Southern Californians have yet to find one, no matter where we search. I guess we don't count. I guess our happiness is not important. Thanks for the memories, Russell Stover.