Olga Cluff neé Tereshko is one of four children born to immigrants from the Galicia region of the Ukraine. Living in Rosemont and Lambertville, NJ her mother, Kataryna Tereshko, made sure to pass on her family traditions to her children. Preparations for Easter typically began in winter when several dozen eggs would be decorated to be given as gifts to friends. In Galicia, the eggs would have been used for a variety of purposes - to cement a romantic relationship, express a wish for a good crop or for fertility.
In the Tereshko household, the dye colors were made using traditional methods - orange skin for yellow, beets for pinks and purples. Eggs came from the farm, not the grocery store, and were made with loving care. Instead of the modern electric stylus Olga uses now, her mother used a pin dipped in wax to draw her lines on the eggs. She taught her children the geometric designs commonly used in her childhood home.
To Olga, the time spent making pysanky with her mother, brother Joe and sisters, Lillian and Primrose, is a treasured memory. She has passed down the tradition to her own family - including a certain nephew's wife.
I dedicate this website to Olga, with much love and the hope that we have many more years to "talk eggs".