Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Global Warming?
At 8AM this morning I drove to the church for a retreat..........
I was driving through SNOW FLURRIES.
Global Warming my fat butt.
I was driving through SNOW FLURRIES.
Global Warming my fat butt.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thesaurus Thursday
Welcome to all newcomers!! Take a minute and peruse our "game rules" here, then come back to this post and join in for big fun and enormous laughs!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
izzard - the letter z
mecopterous - belonging or pertaining to an order (Mecoptera) of carnivorous insects characterized by a long snoutlike head with biting mouthparts at the tip, as the scorpionflies.
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
Stephanie D. said...
Izzard--lizzard who lost his head instead of his tail, and it didn't grow back. I guess that makes him dead. Poor Izzard.
SherryTex said...
Mecopterus: Latin for the plea one makes to interrupt and persuade an officer writing a ticket to stop, after being caught dead to rights speeding because you were trying to get three children to three different activities within a twenty minute time period.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
Sorry, no Smarty Pants Winners this week, but try again on the new words!!
The words for this week are:
eidolon
eidetic
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
izzard - the letter z
mecopterous - belonging or pertaining to an order (Mecoptera) of carnivorous insects characterized by a long snoutlike head with biting mouthparts at the tip, as the scorpionflies.
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
Stephanie D. said...
Izzard--lizzard who lost his head instead of his tail, and it didn't grow back. I guess that makes him dead. Poor Izzard.
SherryTex said...
Mecopterus: Latin for the plea one makes to interrupt and persuade an officer writing a ticket to stop, after being caught dead to rights speeding because you were trying to get three children to three different activities within a twenty minute time period.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
Sorry, no Smarty Pants Winners this week, but try again on the new words!!
The words for this week are:
eidolon
eidetic
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
stuff and nonsense
Last chance to play Thesaurus Thursday!! winners will be picked late tonight.
From the email-bag this morning.
Thanks Nona!
THE SILVER SCREW
Once upon a time, a young lad was born without a belly button. In its place was a silver screw. All the doctors told his mother that there was nothing they could do.
Like it or not, he was stuck with it . . . He was screwed.
All the years of growing up were real tough on him, as all who saw the screw made fun of him. He avoided leaving his house . . . And thus, never made any friends.
One day, a mysterious stranger saw his belly and told him of a monk in Tibet who could get rid of the screw for him. He was thrilled. The next day, he took all of his life's savings and bought a ticket to Nepal
After several days of climbing up steep cliffs, he came upon a giant monastery. The monk knew exactly why he had come. The screwy guy was told to sleep in the highest tower of the monastery and the following day when he awoke, the screw would have been removed.. The man immediately went to the room and fell asleep.
During the night while he slept, a purple fog floated in an open window. In the mist floated a solid silver screwdriver. In just moments, the screwdriver removed the screw and disappeared out the window.
The next morning when the man awoke, he saw the silver screw laying on the pillow next to him. Reaching down, he felt his navel, and there was no screw there! Jubilant, he leaped out of bed . . . . And his butt fell off.
The moral to this is:
'Don't screw around with things you don't understand -- You could lose your ass.'
---- Congress is noted for screwing around with things they don't understand - like the economy. That's why we are all losing our asses.
From the email-bag this morning.
Thanks Nona!
THE SILVER SCREW
Once upon a time, a young lad was born without a belly button. In its place was a silver screw. All the doctors told his mother that there was nothing they could do.
Like it or not, he was stuck with it . . . He was screwed.
All the years of growing up were real tough on him, as all who saw the screw made fun of him. He avoided leaving his house . . . And thus, never made any friends.
One day, a mysterious stranger saw his belly and told him of a monk in Tibet who could get rid of the screw for him. He was thrilled. The next day, he took all of his life's savings and bought a ticket to Nepal
After several days of climbing up steep cliffs, he came upon a giant monastery. The monk knew exactly why he had come. The screwy guy was told to sleep in the highest tower of the monastery and the following day when he awoke, the screw would have been removed.. The man immediately went to the room and fell asleep.
During the night while he slept, a purple fog floated in an open window. In the mist floated a solid silver screwdriver. In just moments, the screwdriver removed the screw and disappeared out the window.
The next morning when the man awoke, he saw the silver screw laying on the pillow next to him. Reaching down, he felt his navel, and there was no screw there! Jubilant, he leaped out of bed . . . . And his butt fell off.
The moral to this is:
'Don't screw around with things you don't understand -- You could lose your ass.'
---- Congress is noted for screwing around with things they don't understand - like the economy. That's why we are all losing our asses.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A song thought for you
Here are two versions of the same song. I got so many comments on my post about wrinkles that I wanted to share this with you. This song does a good job of explaining my approach to aging......no matter what age you or I might be.
Just Older
By Bon Jovi
Hey, man, it's been a while
Do you remember me?
When I hit the streets I was 17
A little wild, a little green
I've been up and down and in between
Through all these years AND MILES AND MEMORIES
I'm still chasing dreams
But I ain't looking over my shoulder
Chorus:
I like the bed I'm sleeping in
It's just like me, it's broken in
It's not old -- just older
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I'm in it's alright with me
It's not old -- just older
It's good to see your face
You ain't no worse for wear
Breathing that California air
When we took on the world
When we were young and brave
We got secrets that we'll take to the grave
And we're standing here shoulder to shoulder
Chorus:
I like the bed I'm sleeping in
It's just like me, it's broken in
It's not old -- just older
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I'm in it's alright with me
It's not old -- just older
I'm not old enough to sing the blues
But I wore the holes in the soles of these shoes
You can roll the dice 'til they call your bluff
But you can't win until you're not afraid to lose
Solo
Well, I look in the mirror
I don't hate what I see
There's a few more lines staring back at me
Now the nights have grown a little bit colder
Hey man, I gotta run
you take care
If you see coach T. Tell him (I've) cut my hair
(I've) kept my faith, i still believe i'm (just)!!... (HA!!!)
Chorus:
I like the bed I'm sleeping in
It's just like me, it's broken in
It's not old -- just older
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I'm in it's alright with me
It' s not old -- just older
Just Older
By Bon Jovi
Hey, man, it's been a while
Do you remember me?
When I hit the streets I was 17
A little wild, a little green
I've been up and down and in between
Through all these years AND MILES AND MEMORIES
I'm still chasing dreams
But I ain't looking over my shoulder
Chorus:
I like the bed I'm sleeping in
It's just like me, it's broken in
It's not old -- just older
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I'm in it's alright with me
It's not old -- just older
It's good to see your face
You ain't no worse for wear
Breathing that California air
When we took on the world
When we were young and brave
We got secrets that we'll take to the grave
And we're standing here shoulder to shoulder
Chorus:
I like the bed I'm sleeping in
It's just like me, it's broken in
It's not old -- just older
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I'm in it's alright with me
It's not old -- just older
I'm not old enough to sing the blues
But I wore the holes in the soles of these shoes
You can roll the dice 'til they call your bluff
But you can't win until you're not afraid to lose
Solo
Well, I look in the mirror
I don't hate what I see
There's a few more lines staring back at me
Now the nights have grown a little bit colder
Hey man, I gotta run
you take care
If you see coach T. Tell him (I've) cut my hair
(I've) kept my faith, i still believe i'm (just)!!... (HA!!!)
Chorus:
I like the bed I'm sleeping in
It's just like me, it's broken in
It's not old -- just older
Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I'm in it's alright with me
It' s not old -- just older
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Hey! Look!!! A New Post!!!
Well, the last week has turned me topsy turvy for sure. First I went from nights to days to take that class,....then I went back to nights to work.....except that I didn't go to work...so I kinda stayed somewhere between nights and days....I also didn't pass the class so I got depressed a bit and just wanted to sleep more....then I forgot when I was supposed to eat and actually managed to not eat for about 27 hours.......twas a mess for sure.
I think I'm back on track now though. And it's time to catch up on the old blog!!
I've got a few points to cover here. 1) sewing goals 2) Lenten Accountability 3) parenting update 4) wrinkles 5) prayer requestseseses.
Ready?
1) I have no idea WHAT my goals were but I'm still working on my dress. Due to the scheduling issues of last week, I really didn't sew much at all on it. Someone was NICE enough to remind me that we're now half way through Lent and I REALLY need to get cracking on that dress! -- not to mention the one for Sugars!-- So that's my only goal for this week.
2) Remember all that stuff I said I'd do and not do for Lent? Well, most of the not do's I'm not doing quite well--with just a couple slips. As for the do's I was doing them well till this last week...and well, that's one of the things that went out the window when the days changed to nights and the nights changed to days. I'll be back on track come Tuesday when I'm off again.
3) I have discovered that we have moved into a whole new phase of parenting. It's the "don't make me stop this car and come back there..." phase. I knew we had OFFICIALLY progressed to this new parenting phase the other day when we were driving down the road fussing at the boys in the way back of the van as usual. Then as Daddy slows down and pulls into a parking lot I hear from the 2 year old behind me "UT-OH!"
4) wrinkles! I think I mentioned that I've found wrinkles!! I'm sooo excited about them. I love wrinkles. Wrinkles are like stretch marks, they are awesome! I didn't get stretch marks with either of the boys. But after Sugars I finally got some really beautiful stretch marks way up high on my hipbones. One day when she was just a month or so old my husband asked me if I was gonna blame her for my stretch marks. I said "Are you kidding me??? I'm gonna make sure and get a bathing suit cut high enough to show them off!! Took me three tries before I finally got these." Poor man just stood there not knowing WHAT to say next....and not entirely sure if I was joking or not. I'm sure the thought of me at darn near 200lbs in a swim suit cut that high was QUITE the mental picture! hahah
But back to wrinkles. I think wrinkles are sooo cool. Most of my favorite people have wrinkles! I remember sitting next to my Grandma in the backseat of the car. I was about 6. I sat there the whole trip and played with the loose skin on the back of her hand and her roly poly veins. She just laughed and laughed and told me how my "twin" cousin'd done the same thing! She was sooo fabulous because she had this bit of wrinkledly skin that hung down below her chin. When she shook her head a certain way she looked just like a TURKEY!....of course if she was shaking her head that certain way you can bet she was a'cluckin' at the same time--did help the illusion a bit. My hubby has these great wrinkles right in front of his ears. They are the best looking wrinkles! So now I've found some vertical lines between my eyebrows that I'm quite proud of! Make me look all smart like I concentrate a lot!! Plus I've noticed that the little curves at the corners of my mouth don't dissappear completely anymore. Those are gonna be some GREAT wrinkles in a couple more years! HOORAY! Wonder if I'll get that turkey gullet too? I'll have to start practicing my cluckin so I can do it right for my grandkids!
5) prayer requestseseseses. I've got a couple friends who'd rather not be named publically that are fighting battles right now. If you'd just raise up Mightymom's unnamed pals I'm sure Mr. Big-Guy'll know their names. Also, I've applied for a change in position. I'd really like to get away from all these grownups and go back to work with babies. Yet stay with the same company. So if you'd just remind Mr. Big-Guy that I'm waiting to hear back about that internship across town and how wonderful it would be if all the logistics would fall into place.....I'd be grateful.
I think I'm back on track now though. And it's time to catch up on the old blog!!
I've got a few points to cover here. 1) sewing goals 2) Lenten Accountability 3) parenting update 4) wrinkles 5) prayer requestseseses.
Ready?
1) I have no idea WHAT my goals were but I'm still working on my dress. Due to the scheduling issues of last week, I really didn't sew much at all on it. Someone was NICE enough to remind me that we're now half way through Lent and I REALLY need to get cracking on that dress! -- not to mention the one for Sugars!-- So that's my only goal for this week.
2) Remember all that stuff I said I'd do and not do for Lent? Well, most of the not do's I'm not doing quite well--with just a couple slips. As for the do's I was doing them well till this last week...and well, that's one of the things that went out the window when the days changed to nights and the nights changed to days. I'll be back on track come Tuesday when I'm off again.
3) I have discovered that we have moved into a whole new phase of parenting. It's the "don't make me stop this car and come back there..." phase. I knew we had OFFICIALLY progressed to this new parenting phase the other day when we were driving down the road fussing at the boys in the way back of the van as usual. Then as Daddy slows down and pulls into a parking lot I hear from the 2 year old behind me "UT-OH!"
4) wrinkles! I think I mentioned that I've found wrinkles!! I'm sooo excited about them. I love wrinkles. Wrinkles are like stretch marks, they are awesome! I didn't get stretch marks with either of the boys. But after Sugars I finally got some really beautiful stretch marks way up high on my hipbones. One day when she was just a month or so old my husband asked me if I was gonna blame her for my stretch marks. I said "Are you kidding me??? I'm gonna make sure and get a bathing suit cut high enough to show them off!! Took me three tries before I finally got these." Poor man just stood there not knowing WHAT to say next....and not entirely sure if I was joking or not. I'm sure the thought of me at darn near 200lbs in a swim suit cut that high was QUITE the mental picture! hahah
But back to wrinkles. I think wrinkles are sooo cool. Most of my favorite people have wrinkles! I remember sitting next to my Grandma in the backseat of the car. I was about 6. I sat there the whole trip and played with the loose skin on the back of her hand and her roly poly veins. She just laughed and laughed and told me how my "twin" cousin'd done the same thing! She was sooo fabulous because she had this bit of wrinkledly skin that hung down below her chin. When she shook her head a certain way she looked just like a TURKEY!....of course if she was shaking her head that certain way you can bet she was a'cluckin' at the same time--did help the illusion a bit. My hubby has these great wrinkles right in front of his ears. They are the best looking wrinkles! So now I've found some vertical lines between my eyebrows that I'm quite proud of! Make me look all smart like I concentrate a lot!! Plus I've noticed that the little curves at the corners of my mouth don't dissappear completely anymore. Those are gonna be some GREAT wrinkles in a couple more years! HOORAY! Wonder if I'll get that turkey gullet too? I'll have to start practicing my cluckin so I can do it right for my grandkids!
5) prayer requestseseseses. I've got a couple friends who'd rather not be named publically that are fighting battles right now. If you'd just raise up Mightymom's unnamed pals I'm sure Mr. Big-Guy'll know their names. Also, I've applied for a change in position. I'd really like to get away from all these grownups and go back to work with babies. Yet stay with the same company. So if you'd just remind Mr. Big-Guy that I'm waiting to hear back about that internship across town and how wonderful it would be if all the logistics would fall into place.....I'd be grateful.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thesaurus Thursday
Welcome to all newcomers!! Take a minute and peruse our "game rules" here, then come back to this post and join in for big fun and enormous laughs!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
rasorial - 1) given to scratching the ground for food, as chickens 2) adapted for scratching as a bird's foot.
ratite - 1) having a flat, unkeeled sternum, as an ostrich, cassowary, emu, or moa 2) a bird having a ratite sternum
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
AZ hiding in the weeds said...
Oh oh! I know!!!!
RASORIAL: I remember in high school our principal would announce on the PA system every A.M. that everyone must be appropriate in their sartorial affair. Meaning everyone should dress appropriately for school. Rasorial is the new sartorial! Meaning if your raggedy ass underwear is peeking out of your pants you need to go home and change!
Jungle Mom said...
ratite:a new explosive like dynamite but made from Radio Active Tea.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
The words for this week are:
izzard
mecopterous
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
rasorial - 1) given to scratching the ground for food, as chickens 2) adapted for scratching as a bird's foot.
ratite - 1) having a flat, unkeeled sternum, as an ostrich, cassowary, emu, or moa 2) a bird having a ratite sternum
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
AZ hiding in the weeds said...
Oh oh! I know!!!!
RASORIAL: I remember in high school our principal would announce on the PA system every A.M. that everyone must be appropriate in their sartorial affair. Meaning everyone should dress appropriately for school. Rasorial is the new sartorial! Meaning if your raggedy ass underwear is peeking out of your pants you need to go home and change!
Jungle Mom said...
ratite:a new explosive like dynamite but made from Radio Active Tea.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
The words for this week are:
izzard
mecopterous
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Grandparent Magic!
Today is Gator's 4th Birthday!!
originally posted at Extraordinary Mom's Network 12/8/08
Here we are, celebrating Thanksgiving with the grandparents.
Each kiddo has a small helping of meat, veggies, green bean casserole and crawfish dressing on their plate.
I keep trying to encourage the Gator-boy (age 3 1/2) to try his food. He'll eat all the meat but nothing else!
I point out that crawfish is meat....."NO!"
wanna try some off Momma's fork?...."NO!"
I'm gonna steal it if you don't eat it....mmmm mmm...so good....here, you wanna bite? ... "NO!"
OK, fine, I give up! eat the meat leave the rest, at least you're quiet and happy and not starting a food fight in Mimi's formal dining room.
Then I get caught up cutting meat for Sonshine......
That's when I hear it.
"crawfish!...giggle"
huh????
I turn around to see that Grandad is helping Gatorboy search for, find and EAT all the crawfish out of his dressing.
I may have to change my name.
signed.....Nolongermighty Mom.
:-) Grandparents have magic!
originally posted at Extraordinary Mom's Network 12/8/08
Here we are, celebrating Thanksgiving with the grandparents.
Each kiddo has a small helping of meat, veggies, green bean casserole and crawfish dressing on their plate.
I keep trying to encourage the Gator-boy (age 3 1/2) to try his food. He'll eat all the meat but nothing else!
I point out that crawfish is meat....."NO!"
wanna try some off Momma's fork?...."NO!"
I'm gonna steal it if you don't eat it....mmmm mmm...so good....here, you wanna bite? ... "NO!"
OK, fine, I give up! eat the meat leave the rest, at least you're quiet and happy and not starting a food fight in Mimi's formal dining room.
Then I get caught up cutting meat for Sonshine......
That's when I hear it.
"crawfish!...giggle"
huh????
I turn around to see that Grandad is helping Gatorboy search for, find and EAT all the crawfish out of his dressing.
I may have to change my name.
signed.....Nolongermighty Mom.
:-) Grandparents have magic!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Overwhelm.
Hi folks.
Just a quick note. I have spent the weekend rearranging my sleep so that I can attend a Pediatric Advanced Life Support class that starts Monday (ie, in about 7 hours). There are currently 132 posts in my Google Reader.
Sorry folks, but I'm wiping the slate clean!
There's no way I can sit down for the 5 or so hours it would take me to read all of those.
If you have posted anything since March 10th that you would like me to read, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Otherwise it will be missed.
I do love you all dearly, and will get back to reading in a couple days.
Sarah
Just a quick note. I have spent the weekend rearranging my sleep so that I can attend a Pediatric Advanced Life Support class that starts Monday (ie, in about 7 hours). There are currently 132 posts in my Google Reader.
Sorry folks, but I'm wiping the slate clean!
There's no way I can sit down for the 5 or so hours it would take me to read all of those.
If you have posted anything since March 10th that you would like me to read, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Otherwise it will be missed.
I do love you all dearly, and will get back to reading in a couple days.
Sarah
Saturday, March 14, 2009
wooops
I forgot to cut and paste the part where it says that Friday Frags are Mrs 4444's brainchild. The link at the beginning of the post will take you to her site where you'll find links to several fun Friday Frag posts to peruse in all your spare time.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday Fragments
Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.
Sonshine Leggo-hands!
First we learned how to help make gingersnaps!
Then we learned the BEST way to EAT THEM!!
nope! not spoiled at all!!
when did the 80's become "Vintage"????? just wondering!
Getting ready to say grace before breakfast one morning. We start by making the sign of the cross. So I tell everyone "Come on now, put your hand on your forehead!"
Sonshine replies with "No Mama! Don't say forehead! It's a FIVE-head!"
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thesaurus Thursday
Welcome to Thesaurus Thursday, 2009.
This game has brought me great joy and taught me many new words! I'm glad to continue it into this new year. Welcome to all newcomers!! Take a minute and peruse our "game rules" here, then come back to this post and join in for big fun and enormous laughs!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
rappen - a bronze coin and monetary unit of Switzerland; centime
rapparee - 1) an armed Irish freebooter of the 17th century 2) any freebooter or robber.
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
Jungle Mom said...
rapparee, Much like Gymboree, it is a place to take your children and learn to 'rap' together.
Stephanie D. said...
rappen--what I'm usually doing the last 20 minutes before we open gifts on Christmas morning!
Linda said...
Rappen - similar to knocking but not as loud.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
The words for this week are:
rasorial
ratite
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
This game has brought me great joy and taught me many new words! I'm glad to continue it into this new year. Welcome to all newcomers!! Take a minute and peruse our "game rules" here, then come back to this post and join in for big fun and enormous laughs!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
rappen - a bronze coin and monetary unit of Switzerland; centime
rapparee - 1) an armed Irish freebooter of the 17th century 2) any freebooter or robber.
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
Jungle Mom said...
rapparee, Much like Gymboree, it is a place to take your children and learn to 'rap' together.
Stephanie D. said...
rappen--what I'm usually doing the last 20 minutes before we open gifts on Christmas morning!
Linda said...
Rappen - similar to knocking but not as loud.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
The words for this week are:
rasorial
ratite
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
TA DAH!!
One completed quilted wall hanging!!
Hello Jungle Mom!!
Hello Half Crazy!
Hello Father Philip!
Hello Everyone else!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Egg Knocking Explained
Okay, I'm definitely going to have to adopt this tradition!! This sounds like a lot of fun!!
Apparently instead of hiding boiled/dyed eggs to find, everyone picks out one egg. Then they go around to each other and knock the eggs together. If your egg cracks you're out. The game keeps going until there is only one uncracked egg left and that person wins the prize. As my aunt says she almost always wins I'm going to have to get her to tell me all the secrets of the game before I play!! :-)
Apparently instead of hiding boiled/dyed eggs to find, everyone picks out one egg. Then they go around to each other and knock the eggs together. If your egg cracks you're out. The game keeps going until there is only one uncracked egg left and that person wins the prize. As my aunt says she almost always wins I'm going to have to get her to tell me all the secrets of the game before I play!! :-)
Goal Post
Last week's goals were:
1) finish the wallhanging Done! First Down, ball's on the 40. It just needs a dowel and pocket for hanging.
2) get the fabric cut for my sister's quilt I"m working on it! it'll be done by tonight!! and I'll have another First Down with the ball on the 30
3) pin and cut out the pattern for my dress Done! First Down, ball's on the 20
4) mail off the last of the Christmas presents to those who I haven't seen! I got them all ready to go and handed them off to Subvet put in the mail. First Down, ball's on the 10.....
I also finally stopped procrastinating and sat down to do all my Continuing Education and get my Nursing License renewed online. Glad to have that done!
TOUCHDOWN!! Yeehaw!
A Good Week! I LOVE having several days off in a row.
Next week.
1) get my dress sewn
2) get started on Sugars' Easter dress
3) make 3 baby blankets for all these super fertile people at work
4) sew the strips for my sister's quilt.
5) mend the bunny book
1) finish the wallhanging Done! First Down, ball's on the 40. It just needs a dowel and pocket for hanging.
2) get the fabric cut for my sister's quilt I"m working on it! it'll be done by tonight!! and I'll have another First Down with the ball on the 30
3) pin and cut out the pattern for my dress Done! First Down, ball's on the 20
4) mail off the last of the Christmas presents to those who I haven't seen! I got them all ready to go and handed them off to Subvet put in the mail. First Down, ball's on the 10.....
I also finally stopped procrastinating and sat down to do all my Continuing Education and get my Nursing License renewed online. Glad to have that done!
TOUCHDOWN!! Yeehaw!
A Good Week! I LOVE having several days off in a row.
Next week.
1) get my dress sewn
2) get started on Sugars' Easter dress
3) make 3 baby blankets for all these super fertile people at work
4) sew the strips for my sister's quilt.
5) mend the bunny book
Monday, March 9, 2009
More Mardi Gras info
I have an aunt who lives in New Orleans. She was one of the Katrina refugees and is still working to rebuild her house. She has given me permission to post this email, which tells a different side of Mardi Gras...from one who's gone every year for a long time. I thought you would appreciate the extra input.
I was on your blog and thought you might find this interesting. Arthur Hardy has been printing a Mardi Gras guide for the past 33 years. His web site has some of what you find in his guide www.mardigrasguide.com Check it out! Contrary to what people see on TV, Carnival is a family event. Tourists are often the ones that think they can let it all hang loose! A big group of my friends and their kids meet pretty much at the same place every year to watch parades together. We all have fun (tossing the football around before parades, cooking, eating and catching up). It is a big party. Unfortunately crime sometimes makes its way to the parade route. As in any city you always have to be aware of your surroundings. There are cops at every intersection and also mounted patrols along the parade route. Kids and adults alike get to pet the horses and the cops who ride are great PR. It's amazing to watch my friends who have never been to a parade in Louisiana. It doesn't take long for them to get caught up in the excitement of not only seeing fabulous floats and flambeaux but also catching the throws. When I lived in Chicago and went to my first parade there it was a big let down. New Orleans will have a parade and festival for any occasion. St. Patrick's Day parades (to catch cabbage, carrots, potatos, and other Irish stew items) and St. Joseph's parades (to catch "good luck" fava beans) are next on the agenda. I have a festival calendar and there is not one weekend after Easter that there is not something free to attend. I just thought I would share my Mardi Gras experiences so you'd know what it is really like, first-hand. It really hurts when the media focuses on what is wrong with New Orleans and Louisiana when there are so many things that are right. One is that New Orleans is a strong, Catholic, family-oriented community whose "joie de vivre" shines! Claudia's parents who are now in their 80's joined us for some of the parades this year. They reminisced about traveling to New Orleans as a family every year starting when Claudia was in elementary school to watch Mardi Gras parades.....sitting in the car, eating fried chicken while eagerly waiting for parades to come.... Now that's the true Mardi Gras spirit. And we still fast, reflect, and honor the lenten season,...looking forward to Easter Sunday to celebrate the risen Lord. I might add that we even have another Easter family tradition here in south Louisiana. We don't hide eggs, but rather have a family egg-knocking contest. I love it here because it is so very different from the rest of the country.
I was on your blog and thought you might find this interesting. Arthur Hardy has been printing a Mardi Gras guide for the past 33 years. His web site has some of what you find in his guide www.mardigrasguide.com Check it out! Contrary to what people see on TV, Carnival is a family event. Tourists are often the ones that think they can let it all hang loose! A big group of my friends and their kids meet pretty much at the same place every year to watch parades together. We all have fun (tossing the football around before parades, cooking, eating and catching up). It is a big party. Unfortunately crime sometimes makes its way to the parade route. As in any city you always have to be aware of your surroundings. There are cops at every intersection and also mounted patrols along the parade route. Kids and adults alike get to pet the horses and the cops who ride are great PR. It's amazing to watch my friends who have never been to a parade in Louisiana. It doesn't take long for them to get caught up in the excitement of not only seeing fabulous floats and flambeaux but also catching the throws. When I lived in Chicago and went to my first parade there it was a big let down. New Orleans will have a parade and festival for any occasion. St. Patrick's Day parades (to catch cabbage, carrots, potatos, and other Irish stew items) and St. Joseph's parades (to catch "good luck" fava beans) are next on the agenda. I have a festival calendar and there is not one weekend after Easter that there is not something free to attend. I just thought I would share my Mardi Gras experiences so you'd know what it is really like, first-hand. It really hurts when the media focuses on what is wrong with New Orleans and Louisiana when there are so many things that are right. One is that New Orleans is a strong, Catholic, family-oriented community whose "joie de vivre" shines! Claudia's parents who are now in their 80's joined us for some of the parades this year. They reminisced about traveling to New Orleans as a family every year starting when Claudia was in elementary school to watch Mardi Gras parades.....sitting in the car, eating fried chicken while eagerly waiting for parades to come.... Now that's the true Mardi Gras spirit. And we still fast, reflect, and honor the lenten season,...looking forward to Easter Sunday to celebrate the risen Lord. I might add that we even have another Easter family tradition here in south Louisiana. We don't hide eggs, but rather have a family egg-knocking contest. I love it here because it is so very different from the rest of the country.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Mass Adventures, verse two
originally posted at Extraordinary Mom's Network 12/15/08
Who remembers the Hooligan Mass Adventure? Well, we have a sequel!
We’ll call this one: “How the kids behave at 8:00 AM Mass before Preschool” (on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is why we went to church before school started).
For the sake of convience we went to a church that was new to us.
The Good:
We had an entire pew to ourselves. This was really good during the prayer intentions, as Sugars decided that the missilette books needed to be rearranged in the pew holder.
Every … single … one….
So each “Lord hear our prayer” found me taking a step further down the pew to keep up with her … and Sonshine moving down to stay by me. During the Gospel reading we made our way back to our starting positions as she decided that all those little books looked better in their original positions.
Just call us the Hooligan Family Pew Travelers.
The (could have been) Bad:
As is our norm Subvet carried Sugars to get in line for communion and I stayed in the pew with the boys. Before I was able to position myself between them Gator-boy went to follow Daddy and got in line too. Five people behind Dad, with Dad having no idea he was in line. Instead of going on up and getting with Dad he stood there, patiently waiting his turn……
Fortunately he looked at me and actually MINDED when I gestured for him to come back and kneel with me and Sonshine. Divine Intervention? I’d say so.
The (not really) Ugly:
There were only a few worshippers there on that early Monday morning … and no choir. It was very very quiet. I was missing the choir and realizing just how much they add to the service. Half way through everyone taking communion in silence, Sonshine must have decided that he missed the choir too … as he started singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in a lovely carrying voice.
Maybe we should start going to Mass before every Preschool day … it’d make for an interesting start to the day for sure!
Who remembers the Hooligan Mass Adventure? Well, we have a sequel!
We’ll call this one: “How the kids behave at 8:00 AM Mass before Preschool” (on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is why we went to church before school started).
For the sake of convience we went to a church that was new to us.
The Good:
We had an entire pew to ourselves. This was really good during the prayer intentions, as Sugars decided that the missilette books needed to be rearranged in the pew holder.
Every … single … one….
So each “Lord hear our prayer” found me taking a step further down the pew to keep up with her … and Sonshine moving down to stay by me. During the Gospel reading we made our way back to our starting positions as she decided that all those little books looked better in their original positions.
Just call us the Hooligan Family Pew Travelers.
The (could have been) Bad:
As is our norm Subvet carried Sugars to get in line for communion and I stayed in the pew with the boys. Before I was able to position myself between them Gator-boy went to follow Daddy and got in line too. Five people behind Dad, with Dad having no idea he was in line. Instead of going on up and getting with Dad he stood there, patiently waiting his turn……
Fortunately he looked at me and actually MINDED when I gestured for him to come back and kneel with me and Sonshine. Divine Intervention? I’d say so.
The (not really) Ugly:
There were only a few worshippers there on that early Monday morning … and no choir. It was very very quiet. I was missing the choir and realizing just how much they add to the service. Half way through everyone taking communion in silence, Sonshine must have decided that he missed the choir too … as he started singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in a lovely carrying voice.
Maybe we should start going to Mass before every Preschool day … it’d make for an interesting start to the day for sure!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Lenten Accountability Post on Sunday
Welcome to this years' first LAPS post! Here's where I tell how it's going so far.
Lenten Goals:
1) improve my health
a - exercise each morning I'm off work - Let's see. I missed one or two opportunities to do this...but otherwise am on track!
b - decrease sugared drinks (specifically, only have them at work...where sugar is a must) - Except for 1 Dr Pepper on my birthday, this is going very well! {Hey! it was my BIRTHDAY ya know!}
2) improve my marriage
a - no more play fighting - doing pretty good at this. I have smacked the man once or twice on the butt...but he deserved it!!
b - take over a household chore I do not usually do -- dusting and vacuuming - So far I have dusted and vacuumed both kids rooms and the hall and I'm just about to vacuum the living room. Once I finish picking up all those TOYS!
3) improve my serenity
a - play piano each morning house is empty - I missed 2 opportunities to do this as I got caught up on the computer...but I've taken advantage of all the others
b - pray short rosary with kids each night I'm off work - Well, we've gotten as far as the first very short prayer and then our regular bedtime prayer. I'll try adding the Apostoles Creed this week...
All in all I feel like I'm doing well. I never expected to be perfect in this observance, but each item that I do for God is pleasing in His eyes.
Also, while I did not put any limits on my blogging...the fact that I have added things which take time to accomplish automatically means that I will be on the computer less. So you may see me catching up on several days' worth of posts at once. I do try to always leave a comment or two but please know that I AM reading!
Now, how are YOU doing with your Lenten observations??
Lenten Goals:
1) improve my health
a - exercise each morning I'm off work - Let's see. I missed one or two opportunities to do this...but otherwise am on track!
b - decrease sugared drinks (specifically, only have them at work...where sugar is a must) - Except for 1 Dr Pepper on my birthday, this is going very well! {Hey! it was my BIRTHDAY ya know!}
2) improve my marriage
a - no more play fighting - doing pretty good at this. I have smacked the man once or twice on the butt...but he deserved it!!
b - take over a household chore I do not usually do -- dusting and vacuuming - So far I have dusted and vacuumed both kids rooms and the hall and I'm just about to vacuum the living room. Once I finish picking up all those TOYS!
3) improve my serenity
a - play piano each morning house is empty - I missed 2 opportunities to do this as I got caught up on the computer...but I've taken advantage of all the others
b - pray short rosary with kids each night I'm off work - Well, we've gotten as far as the first very short prayer and then our regular bedtime prayer. I'll try adding the Apostoles Creed this week...
All in all I feel like I'm doing well. I never expected to be perfect in this observance, but each item that I do for God is pleasing in His eyes.
Also, while I did not put any limits on my blogging...the fact that I have added things which take time to accomplish automatically means that I will be on the computer less. So you may see me catching up on several days' worth of posts at once. I do try to always leave a comment or two but please know that I AM reading!
Now, how are YOU doing with your Lenten observations??
Friday, March 6, 2009
Friday Fragments
Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.
Welcome to my (kinda late) pictoral Friday Fragments Post!! I take a ton of pictures and sometimes they just don't get into a post of their own! I'd like to thank Mrs 4444 for granting me her Favorite Friday Fragment a couple of weeks ago...she got a kick out of my cold toilet seat dilemma! :-)
My little flowerbed from this week. Spring is a commin'!!
Hello New Friend! (bye bye $$$)
Food Art!
Inventive Cleaning........
Trying to figure out why I bought THREE beds....
Remember: I LOVE comments!! hint. hint.
Thesaurus Thursday
Welcome to Thesaurus Thursday, 2009.
This game has brought me great joy and taught me many new words! I'm glad to continue it into this new year. Welcome to all newcomers!! Take a minute and peruse our "game rules" here, then come back to this post and join in for big fun and enormous laughs!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
job lot - 1) a large, often assorted quantity of goods sold or handled as a single transaction 2) a miscellaneous collection; quantity of odds and ends.
jodhpur - 1) riding breeches cut very full over the hips and tapering at the knees to become tightfitting from the knees to the ankeles 2) also called jodhpur shoe, jodhpur boot, an anklehigh shoe worn with such breeches, having a strap that encircles the ankle and buckles on the side. (Congrats Smarty Pants Stephanie and Lori!!)
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
Stephanie D. said...
Job Lot-- A store similar to Big Lots, only they sell jobs instead of merchandise.
Lisa said...
jodphur - n. the noise a congenial sleeping cat makes when you nudge it with your foot.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
The words for this week are:
rappen
rapparee
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
This game has brought me great joy and taught me many new words! I'm glad to continue it into this new year. Welcome to all newcomers!! Take a minute and peruse our "game rules" here, then come back to this post and join in for big fun and enormous laughs!
Are you ready??
Last week's official definitions were:
job lot - 1) a large, often assorted quantity of goods sold or handled as a single transaction 2) a miscellaneous collection; quantity of odds and ends.
jodhpur - 1) riding breeches cut very full over the hips and tapering at the knees to become tightfitting from the knees to the ankeles 2) also called jodhpur shoe, jodhpur boot, an anklehigh shoe worn with such breeches, having a strap that encircles the ankle and buckles on the side. (Congrats Smarty Pants Stephanie and Lori!!)
Congrats to these Silly Geese:
Stephanie D. said...
Job Lot-- A store similar to Big Lots, only they sell jobs instead of merchandise.
Lisa said...
jodphur - n. the noise a congenial sleeping cat makes when you nudge it with your foot.
APPLAUSE!!
APPLAUSE!!!
APPLAUSE!!!!
Thanks! y'all cracked me up!!
The words for this week are:
rappen
rapparee
For those of you who are new this year, all words and definitions come from my 1992 Random House Webster's College Dictionary. I do not pick proper nouns or words that I know the meaning of.
For all winners, the Awards will continue to be found on my sidebar to pick up at your leisure.
Now don't forget to leave your comments for the new words!
sheweeeee!
Okay, I really didn't intend to do a whole series on Lent. And I'm certainly NO EXPERT. But as long as y'all keep asking questions I'll keep searching for answers.
And Linda, you're right we always need to remember the reason behind the actions. Hence the "Keep Christ in Christmas" among others. This is the job of the pastors and parents. The pastors of each church need to teach the meaning behind the traditions...and the parents need to raise their children, not only to follow the tradition, but also the history of and meaning of the tradition. Every single tradition. I have to say, though, all of the people that surround me, while they may not be able to quote you chapter and verse for each detail of the traditions of their church (I'm not talking just Catholics here) most folks have a good idea of WHY the tradition is part of their practice. As in, most people know that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birthday....but they may or may not make His birthday the FOCUS of their Christmas celebrations. Again, fixing this is the duty of the pastors and the parents.
What I have found over and over is the perception that "it's a Catholic thing and isn't in the Bible anywhere" about many Christian traditions. I held the same belief myself till I started to learn about Catholicism. I held that belief because that is what I had been taught. So, what other questions do you have? Doing the research to come up with good responses to your questions helps me probably more than it helps you!!
Now, in other news. I have 5 nights off starting tomorrow! yipee!! I will do Thesaurus Thursday sometime tomorrow morning as I need my dictionary from home :-)
I also have a Friday Fragments post that I'm working on which is going to be almost entirely pictoral. teeheehee.
So far my LAPS and goals are going well.
We're even getting to where we can understand about 2/3 of what Gator says!
And I found wrinkles!! I'm so happy about that! I'm gonna try to get hubby to take a couple pictures and I'll put up a post next week telling you all about them and why I love them so.
Never forget....... I LOVE COMMENTS!
hint.
hint.
And Linda, you're right we always need to remember the reason behind the actions. Hence the "Keep Christ in Christmas" among others. This is the job of the pastors and parents. The pastors of each church need to teach the meaning behind the traditions...and the parents need to raise their children, not only to follow the tradition, but also the history of and meaning of the tradition. Every single tradition. I have to say, though, all of the people that surround me, while they may not be able to quote you chapter and verse for each detail of the traditions of their church (I'm not talking just Catholics here) most folks have a good idea of WHY the tradition is part of their practice. As in, most people know that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birthday....but they may or may not make His birthday the FOCUS of their Christmas celebrations. Again, fixing this is the duty of the pastors and the parents.
What I have found over and over is the perception that "it's a Catholic thing and isn't in the Bible anywhere" about many Christian traditions. I held the same belief myself till I started to learn about Catholicism. I held that belief because that is what I had been taught. So, what other questions do you have? Doing the research to come up with good responses to your questions helps me probably more than it helps you!!
Now, in other news. I have 5 nights off starting tomorrow! yipee!! I will do Thesaurus Thursday sometime tomorrow morning as I need my dictionary from home :-)
I also have a Friday Fragments post that I'm working on which is going to be almost entirely pictoral. teeheehee.
So far my LAPS and goals are going well.
We're even getting to where we can understand about 2/3 of what Gator says!
And I found wrinkles!! I'm so happy about that! I'm gonna try to get hubby to take a couple pictures and I'll put up a post next week telling you all about them and why I love them so.
Never forget....... I LOVE COMMENTS!
hint.
hint.
Another question.
Fr. Benedict Croell OP, another Dominican Friar has answered the question "Why is fish okay?" for me.
used to be that Fish was the cheapest food...not the case any more or in certain parts of the world...also the Lenten fast is only Ash Wed and Good Fri when it is obligatory...Fridays of Lent there is obligatory abstinence from meat
see Fr. Serpa's note on this page: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=137581
Thanks Father.
used to be that Fish was the cheapest food...not the case any more or in certain parts of the world...also the Lenten fast is only Ash Wed and Good Fri when it is obligatory...Fridays of Lent there is obligatory abstinence from meat
see Fr. Serpa's note on this page: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=137581
Thanks Father.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Lent Information
Fr. Philip Powell, a Dominican friar currently studying in Rome, is a friend of mine. He has written a wonderful sermon about the meaning of "giving stuff up" for Lent. Please go and read it here. Let him know I sent you, and let me know what you think!
Ash Wednesday and Mardi Gras
I've been asked to explain these two celebrations. (scroll down for my Goal Post)
First off, neither of them are "Catholic traditions". Just like Lent they are Christian and come from Biblical origins. --Well, Ash Wednesday does anyway, Mardi Gras is a reaction to Ash Wednesday...but we'll get there later--
Protestant churches celebrate Ash Wednesday also, for example, all the Methodist churches I've been to as an adult had an Ash Wednesday service with the placing of ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross.
To help understand Ash Wednesday I will take a couple quotes from this very good article that my Subvet found for me. (Thanks Hon!) This article was written by Fr. Saunders and I encourage you to go and read the whole thing for a more detailed history of Ash Wednesday.
Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria.
Copyright ©2005 Arlington Catholic Herald. All rights reserved.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Which is to say, it's the celebration that marks the beginning of our time of fasting and sacrifice known as Lent. As we move from "business as usual" into our time of remembering Jesus' sacrifice for us we also remember how we are undeserving of that sacrifice because of our sin.
The use of ashes originates in Old Testament times. Ashes symbolized mourning, mortality and penance. You can see them used in Book of Esther by Mordicai, also by Job, Daniel and the people of Nineveh (after Jonah finally showed up).
Since the Middle Ages at least, the Church has used ashes to mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, when we remember our mortality and mourn for our sins.
In our present Ash Wednesday liturgy [service] , we use ashes made from burned palm branches distributed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year. The priest blesses the ashes and imposes them on the foreheads of the faithful, making the sign of the cross and saying, "Remember, man you are dust and to dust you shall return," or "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." As we begin this holy season of Lent in preparation for Easter, we must remember the significance of the ashes we have received: We mourn and do penance for our sins. We again convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died and rose for our salvation. We renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ. Finally, mindful that the kingdom of this world passes away, we strive to live the kingdom of God now and look forward to its fulfillment in heaven. In essence, we die to ourselves, and rise to a new life in Christ.
You know, the whole "ashes to ashes, dust to dust"...which, by the way is scripture. See Genesis 3:19.
Knowing that Lent was a time of solmness, remembrance, and fasting, folks started having a huge feast on the night before Lent began. Which would be the night before Ash Wednesday. The reason was two-fold. Back in the day meat was forbidden during ALL of Lent, not just on Fridays and this was before refrigeration/deep freezers folks. So here we are...Lent's around the corner and we won't be able to eat meat for 40 days........ what are we gonna do with all this food in our kitchen? PARTY!! Invite the neighbors and let's chow down. And since I'm giving up chocolate for Lent I think I'll bake a huge chocolate cake to eat too!!
I don't know if it originated in Louisana or if New Orleans is just the biggest group of partiers. But this pre-Lent celebration came to be known as "Mardi Gras" which literally translates to "Fat Tuesday". Meaning you got as "fat" as you could on the Tuesday before the fast would begin on Ash Wednesday.
I'm not positive but I believe a lot of the breast baring and kissing of strangers etc is an outgrowth of people getting their last kicks in before Lent too. Oh, and alcohol plays a big part in any Louisana party. Remember too that South La has a very large Creole population, whose origins are in the Carribean. They brought their native religion (voodoo etc) with them and incorporated it into the Christian celebrations of the "New World". (as did all native peoples worldwide when Christianity was introduced). Some of the "traditions" of Mardi Gras have been derived from this pagan influence.
Today it has blown out of all proportion and reason and has become a totally secular event. I actually think there are parties and such that continue even AFTER Ash Wednesday...completely missing the point of the original celebration. I do know that the parades start a couple weeks before Ash Wednesday and the drunkenness rivals any Spring Break. I've never been to N.O. for Mardi Gras and I never plan to go. But my family and friends who have gone came back with quite a few entertaining stories....to say the least.
If you have any questions or any corrections or additions to this please leave them in the comments. If there's something you don't believe or want to discuss go ahead and leave that in the comment too. But please remember to be respectful of me and of each other during the discussion!
First off, neither of them are "Catholic traditions". Just like Lent they are Christian and come from Biblical origins. --Well, Ash Wednesday does anyway, Mardi Gras is a reaction to Ash Wednesday...but we'll get there later--
Protestant churches celebrate Ash Wednesday also, for example, all the Methodist churches I've been to as an adult had an Ash Wednesday service with the placing of ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross.
To help understand Ash Wednesday I will take a couple quotes from this very good article that my Subvet found for me. (Thanks Hon!) This article was written by Fr. Saunders and I encourage you to go and read the whole thing for a more detailed history of Ash Wednesday.
Fr. Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria.
Copyright ©2005 Arlington Catholic Herald. All rights reserved.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Which is to say, it's the celebration that marks the beginning of our time of fasting and sacrifice known as Lent. As we move from "business as usual" into our time of remembering Jesus' sacrifice for us we also remember how we are undeserving of that sacrifice because of our sin.
The use of ashes originates in Old Testament times. Ashes symbolized mourning, mortality and penance. You can see them used in Book of Esther by Mordicai, also by Job, Daniel and the people of Nineveh (after Jonah finally showed up).
Since the Middle Ages at least, the Church has used ashes to mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, when we remember our mortality and mourn for our sins.
In our present Ash Wednesday liturgy [service] , we use ashes made from burned palm branches distributed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year. The priest blesses the ashes and imposes them on the foreheads of the faithful, making the sign of the cross and saying, "Remember, man you are dust and to dust you shall return," or "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." As we begin this holy season of Lent in preparation for Easter, we must remember the significance of the ashes we have received: We mourn and do penance for our sins. We again convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died and rose for our salvation. We renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ. Finally, mindful that the kingdom of this world passes away, we strive to live the kingdom of God now and look forward to its fulfillment in heaven. In essence, we die to ourselves, and rise to a new life in Christ.
You know, the whole "ashes to ashes, dust to dust"...which, by the way is scripture. See Genesis 3:19.
Knowing that Lent was a time of solmness, remembrance, and fasting, folks started having a huge feast on the night before Lent began. Which would be the night before Ash Wednesday. The reason was two-fold. Back in the day meat was forbidden during ALL of Lent, not just on Fridays and this was before refrigeration/deep freezers folks. So here we are...Lent's around the corner and we won't be able to eat meat for 40 days........ what are we gonna do with all this food in our kitchen? PARTY!! Invite the neighbors and let's chow down. And since I'm giving up chocolate for Lent I think I'll bake a huge chocolate cake to eat too!!
I don't know if it originated in Louisana or if New Orleans is just the biggest group of partiers. But this pre-Lent celebration came to be known as "Mardi Gras" which literally translates to "Fat Tuesday". Meaning you got as "fat" as you could on the Tuesday before the fast would begin on Ash Wednesday.
I'm not positive but I believe a lot of the breast baring and kissing of strangers etc is an outgrowth of people getting their last kicks in before Lent too. Oh, and alcohol plays a big part in any Louisana party. Remember too that South La has a very large Creole population, whose origins are in the Carribean. They brought their native religion (voodoo etc) with them and incorporated it into the Christian celebrations of the "New World". (as did all native peoples worldwide when Christianity was introduced). Some of the "traditions" of Mardi Gras have been derived from this pagan influence.
Today it has blown out of all proportion and reason and has become a totally secular event. I actually think there are parties and such that continue even AFTER Ash Wednesday...completely missing the point of the original celebration. I do know that the parades start a couple weeks before Ash Wednesday and the drunkenness rivals any Spring Break. I've never been to N.O. for Mardi Gras and I never plan to go. But my family and friends who have gone came back with quite a few entertaining stories....to say the least.
If you have any questions or any corrections or additions to this please leave them in the comments. If there's something you don't believe or want to discuss go ahead and leave that in the comment too. But please remember to be respectful of me and of each other during the discussion!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Goal time again
Last week's goals were:
1) finish the wall hanging Getting there!! the quilting is done. Instead of making binding I decided to cut the backing fabric an inch larger than the front and batting, then I'll just fold the back to the front and sew around the edges. Then I'll attach a pocket for the hanger and dowel and it'll be done. Probably get it done tonight
2) hem the curtains we haven't had a chance to get to this. I have 5 nights off next week so we'll work on it then
3) cut the fabric for my sister's quilt that's next!!
4) Thesaurus Thursday glossary working on it
5) finalize my Lent plans done! and I've been doing good so far.
Next week's goals:
1) finish the wallhanging
2) get the fabric cut for my sister's quilt
3) pin and cut out the pattern for my dress
4) mail off the last of the Christmas presents to those who I haven't seen!
only 4 this week because I know that each of them will take a fair amount of time.
now, what are YOUR goals??
1) finish the wall hanging Getting there!! the quilting is done. Instead of making binding I decided to cut the backing fabric an inch larger than the front and batting, then I'll just fold the back to the front and sew around the edges. Then I'll attach a pocket for the hanger and dowel and it'll be done. Probably get it done tonight
2) hem the curtains we haven't had a chance to get to this. I have 5 nights off next week so we'll work on it then
3) cut the fabric for my sister's quilt that's next!!
4) Thesaurus Thursday glossary working on it
5) finalize my Lent plans done! and I've been doing good so far.
Next week's goals:
1) finish the wallhanging
2) get the fabric cut for my sister's quilt
3) pin and cut out the pattern for my dress
4) mail off the last of the Christmas presents to those who I haven't seen!
only 4 this week because I know that each of them will take a fair amount of time.
now, what are YOUR goals??
Monday, March 2, 2009
Happy Birthday!!
note: scroll down for an explaination of the season of Lent.
To me and my girl.
She's two, and I'm thirty-four today.
See that PREMATURE foot?? At less than 36 weeks gestation her foot was 3 inches from toes to heel. (the same as Sonshine's was when he was born at 37 weeks gestation) Is it any wonder she now wears a size 7 Extra Wide shoe??
The color change is in honor of Sugars! Girls gotta stick together, we're outnumbered 2 to 1!!!
To me and my girl.
She's two, and I'm thirty-four today.
See that PREMATURE foot?? At less than 36 weeks gestation her foot was 3 inches from toes to heel. (the same as Sonshine's was when he was born at 37 weeks gestation) Is it any wonder she now wears a size 7 Extra Wide shoe??
The color change is in honor of Sugars! Girls gotta stick together, we're outnumbered 2 to 1!!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Lent more or less explained....
Linda asked me about the whole giving things up for Lent idea.
First off, Lent is not a Catholic thing....it's a Christian thing, Protestants do it too!!
And yes, it's actually started in the Bible..more or less.
Quick overview. -- in hindsight, as I proofread this post...it wasn't exactly "quick" :-)
Palm Sunday Jesus rode the donkey into town in triumph. The palms we use represent the palms and clothing that were laid down on the street by the crowd for his donkey to walk on. This was the equivalent of a ticker tape parade. He was hailed as a hero. The story of Zacheeus climbing the tree to see Jesus cause he was too short to see over the crowd comes from this event. The point being that EVERYONE wanted to see this man, who had performed miracles and healings and taught in God's name.
This however, posed a problem for the religious leaders of the day. Because what this Jesus of Nazareth was teaching didn't jibe with what they focused on. Matter of fact, he was saying that those religious leaders had, in essence, missed the forest for the trees and weren't gonna be getting into Heaven unless they opened their eyes.
Religious leaders got ticked off.
They then started looking for ways to get Jesus to admit to breaking the religious laws of the time...which would give them a way to get rid of Him. So they got busy asking Him trick questions and working up the crowds.
On Holy Thursday, the Thursday after Palm Sunday, Jesus had his last meal with his friends, the Apostles. (Known as the Last Supper, it was here that Jesus gave the example for what is known as The Lord's Supper, The Eucharist or Communion...depending on the church)
Then Judas told the police which of the group of men traveling together (the Apostles) was actually Jesus and they arrested Him. Taking him to the Judge trying to get him convicted. the judge (Pontius Pilate) realized that Jesus really hadn't done anything wrong...but he also realized that he'd have a riot on his hands if he didn't do what the crowd wanted. He tried a couple of ways to appease them which the crowd rejected and finally allowed Jesus to be given a death sentence to be carried out on Good Friday (the day after Holy Thursday). (There was no process of appeals back then)
Death row at the time consisted of being whipped with a whip braided from several strands of leather...each with a piece of sharp stone tied at the end. (this is called a scourge). Being publically ridiculed in whatever way the police guards saw fit. (crown of thorns...purple cloth mocking the claim that He is "king of the Jews") Then being striped and made to carry a large wooden cross from the town to the place of execution. Through the streets so that everyone has a chance to spit on you as a convict sentenced to death.
Once you got to the place where the death penalty would be carried out you were executed. Convicts sentenced to the death penalty at that time were executed not by electric chair or firing squad...rather by crucifixion. Crucifixion is the act in which a convict has both wrists naied to a large crossbar...think long railroad tie--more or less...this is the same wooden stake that the convict has carried through town. (yes, wrists, not hands...hands wouldn't hold the weight of the body but placing the large iron nails in between the 2 longbones of the forearms and above the wrist bones creats a sturdy area that would keep the convicted person upright on the cross) The crossbar is then attached to the upright pole and the person's feet are nailed in place. This creates the cross on which the convict hangs until they are dead. Now death is a slow drawn out process. As the person tires the body will sag on the nails in the wrists....which makes it very difficult to breathe...then the person will push up with their legs to get a breath...(getting innumerable splinters in their neck, back and butt)...till they tire. Eventually they basically suffocate from being too exhausted to hold themselves up.
There was a law saying no one was to be hanging on the crosses during the sabboth (which is from sundown fri to sundown sat) So the guards would go and break the legs of anyone still alive as sundown approached.. this would speed up the death. However, when they got to Jesus he was already dead. (which they found out by stabbing him in the side with a spear...and "water and blood" flowed from the womb, ie His blood had already started clotting-- I'm guessing those still alive would scream when stabbed making it more effective than trying to take a pulse).
Before sundown on Friday Jesus "gave up the ghost" and died on the cross, alongside two other convicts also executed by means of the death penalty. His body was removed from the cross and placed in a tomb (if I remember right it was a borrowed tomb?? someone correct me if I'm wrong...--if I'm right the borrowed tomb reminds us of his birth in a borrowed food trough...). On Sunday (the 3rd day) ladies went to weep at his gravesite. But found the stone which had sealed the tomb moved and his body gone. The angel revealed that he had in fact risen from the dead and been resurrected into Heaven. (probably NOT in order to participate in a Heavenly Easter Egg Hunt...but who knows??)
OKAY. Now, back to Lent.
Here's the deal. Crucifixion as outlined above was THE form of execution for all sentenced to the death penalty. Jesus knew what was coming. More than likely He had witnessed other public executions. He knew God's plan. He knew that His life was to be sacrificed for all mankind, so that we might be saved, ie so that we'd have a way to get into Heaven too. He also had the power, as God, to not go through with it. Jesus made the decision to allow himself to be sacrificed in this brutal way.
Knowing what was next and knowing that the time was near Jesus went into the desert to FAST and PRAY for 40 DAYS. (did you catch that Linda??) This time in the desert was a time of preparation, of temptation (and resistance of temptation), and of total submission to God's plan. This time in the desert was also a form of teaching. Jesus used everything he did to teach us.
During Lent we, as Christians follow Jesus' example and spend 40 days (from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday...not counting Sundays) giving some sacrifice to God in recognition of the sacrifice of His life that Jesus gave to us. We use this sacrifice as a way to honor Jesus and as a way to bring ourselves closer to God. It's not just a "giving something up". It can be a sacrifice of time...ie, adding something to your daily routine. But whatever you do should remind you that it is only by the grace of God and the sacrifice of His only son that we are given eternal life in Heaven. Catholics (and some but not all Protestants) not only sacrifice during Lent, they also -- in keeping with Jesus' example-- fast. This is why the "no meat on fridays during Lent" thing. It's actually a bit more complicated than just abstaining from meat, there's also a no snacking rule as well as a rule that there is to be only 1 regular meal with 2 smaller meals. ie a fast.
But the POINT of it is to remember Jesus' time in the desert, fighting temptation and preparing to die for you while you're following his example in fasting and sacrificing.
If you have any questions or any corrections or additions to this please leave them in the comments. If there's something you don't believe or want to discuss go ahead and leave that in the comment too. But please remember to be respectful of me and of each other during the discussion!
First off, Lent is not a Catholic thing....it's a Christian thing, Protestants do it too!!
And yes, it's actually started in the Bible..more or less.
Quick overview. -- in hindsight, as I proofread this post...it wasn't exactly "quick" :-)
Palm Sunday Jesus rode the donkey into town in triumph. The palms we use represent the palms and clothing that were laid down on the street by the crowd for his donkey to walk on. This was the equivalent of a ticker tape parade. He was hailed as a hero. The story of Zacheeus climbing the tree to see Jesus cause he was too short to see over the crowd comes from this event. The point being that EVERYONE wanted to see this man, who had performed miracles and healings and taught in God's name.
This however, posed a problem for the religious leaders of the day. Because what this Jesus of Nazareth was teaching didn't jibe with what they focused on. Matter of fact, he was saying that those religious leaders had, in essence, missed the forest for the trees and weren't gonna be getting into Heaven unless they opened their eyes.
Religious leaders got ticked off.
They then started looking for ways to get Jesus to admit to breaking the religious laws of the time...which would give them a way to get rid of Him. So they got busy asking Him trick questions and working up the crowds.
On Holy Thursday, the Thursday after Palm Sunday, Jesus had his last meal with his friends, the Apostles. (Known as the Last Supper, it was here that Jesus gave the example for what is known as The Lord's Supper, The Eucharist or Communion...depending on the church)
Then Judas told the police which of the group of men traveling together (the Apostles) was actually Jesus and they arrested Him. Taking him to the Judge trying to get him convicted. the judge (Pontius Pilate) realized that Jesus really hadn't done anything wrong...but he also realized that he'd have a riot on his hands if he didn't do what the crowd wanted. He tried a couple of ways to appease them which the crowd rejected and finally allowed Jesus to be given a death sentence to be carried out on Good Friday (the day after Holy Thursday). (There was no process of appeals back then)
Death row at the time consisted of being whipped with a whip braided from several strands of leather...each with a piece of sharp stone tied at the end. (this is called a scourge). Being publically ridiculed in whatever way the police guards saw fit. (crown of thorns...purple cloth mocking the claim that He is "king of the Jews") Then being striped and made to carry a large wooden cross from the town to the place of execution. Through the streets so that everyone has a chance to spit on you as a convict sentenced to death.
Once you got to the place where the death penalty would be carried out you were executed. Convicts sentenced to the death penalty at that time were executed not by electric chair or firing squad...rather by crucifixion. Crucifixion is the act in which a convict has both wrists naied to a large crossbar...think long railroad tie--more or less...this is the same wooden stake that the convict has carried through town. (yes, wrists, not hands...hands wouldn't hold the weight of the body but placing the large iron nails in between the 2 longbones of the forearms and above the wrist bones creats a sturdy area that would keep the convicted person upright on the cross) The crossbar is then attached to the upright pole and the person's feet are nailed in place. This creates the cross on which the convict hangs until they are dead. Now death is a slow drawn out process. As the person tires the body will sag on the nails in the wrists....which makes it very difficult to breathe...then the person will push up with their legs to get a breath...(getting innumerable splinters in their neck, back and butt)...till they tire. Eventually they basically suffocate from being too exhausted to hold themselves up.
There was a law saying no one was to be hanging on the crosses during the sabboth (which is from sundown fri to sundown sat) So the guards would go and break the legs of anyone still alive as sundown approached.. this would speed up the death. However, when they got to Jesus he was already dead. (which they found out by stabbing him in the side with a spear...and "water and blood" flowed from the womb, ie His blood had already started clotting-- I'm guessing those still alive would scream when stabbed making it more effective than trying to take a pulse).
Before sundown on Friday Jesus "gave up the ghost" and died on the cross, alongside two other convicts also executed by means of the death penalty. His body was removed from the cross and placed in a tomb (if I remember right it was a borrowed tomb?? someone correct me if I'm wrong...--if I'm right the borrowed tomb reminds us of his birth in a borrowed food trough...). On Sunday (the 3rd day) ladies went to weep at his gravesite. But found the stone which had sealed the tomb moved and his body gone. The angel revealed that he had in fact risen from the dead and been resurrected into Heaven. (probably NOT in order to participate in a Heavenly Easter Egg Hunt...but who knows??)
OKAY. Now, back to Lent.
Here's the deal. Crucifixion as outlined above was THE form of execution for all sentenced to the death penalty. Jesus knew what was coming. More than likely He had witnessed other public executions. He knew God's plan. He knew that His life was to be sacrificed for all mankind, so that we might be saved, ie so that we'd have a way to get into Heaven too. He also had the power, as God, to not go through with it. Jesus made the decision to allow himself to be sacrificed in this brutal way.
Knowing what was next and knowing that the time was near Jesus went into the desert to FAST and PRAY for 40 DAYS. (did you catch that Linda??) This time in the desert was a time of preparation, of temptation (and resistance of temptation), and of total submission to God's plan. This time in the desert was also a form of teaching. Jesus used everything he did to teach us.
During Lent we, as Christians follow Jesus' example and spend 40 days (from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday...not counting Sundays) giving some sacrifice to God in recognition of the sacrifice of His life that Jesus gave to us. We use this sacrifice as a way to honor Jesus and as a way to bring ourselves closer to God. It's not just a "giving something up". It can be a sacrifice of time...ie, adding something to your daily routine. But whatever you do should remind you that it is only by the grace of God and the sacrifice of His only son that we are given eternal life in Heaven. Catholics (and some but not all Protestants) not only sacrifice during Lent, they also -- in keeping with Jesus' example-- fast. This is why the "no meat on fridays during Lent" thing. It's actually a bit more complicated than just abstaining from meat, there's also a no snacking rule as well as a rule that there is to be only 1 regular meal with 2 smaller meals. ie a fast.
But the POINT of it is to remember Jesus' time in the desert, fighting temptation and preparing to die for you while you're following his example in fasting and sacrificing.
If you have any questions or any corrections or additions to this please leave them in the comments. If there's something you don't believe or want to discuss go ahead and leave that in the comment too. But please remember to be respectful of me and of each other during the discussion!
Just say NO to Mommy Guilt
originally posted at Extraordinary Mom's Network 10/20/08
The number one thing I've found about being a Mom is the colossal amount of GUILT that I carry. I'm not talking about things that I just wish I'd done different...I'm talking about true haunt your dreams..cry in your pillow guilt.
Now, friends. Here's my advice to you.
Just Say NO to Mommy Guilt!
To help you gain perspective and win the battle over guilt, I'm gonna share with you things that I've felt guilty over.
1) Lifting my 2lb weights while pregnant (surely it hurt the baby and caused the miscarriage??)
2) Those 2 Advil I broke down and took during the 8th month of pregnancy when my hips hurt so bad I couldn't move or sleep.
3) I drank Chocolate Milk every morning I was pregnant...and over the last 6 months my 4 year old has refused any kind of milk EXCEPT Chocolate Milk!!
4) My 4 month old breastfed baby CRIED FOR 20 MINUTES before my stepmother realized that the bottle I was trying to feed him needed to be warmer.
5) I hadn't changed out the extra clothes in my son's backpack so when he got his long sleeved shirt all wet the only thing he had was a short sleeve shirt...and he was COLD ON THE PLAYGROUND!!! (please note that it was NOT cold enough for me to have sent him wearing a jacket)
6) In my battle against cradle cap I scrubbed all my 1 month old's hair off.
7) When walking in to put the baby to bed for the night I found the cat asleep in the crib....and didn't change the sheets!
8) I realized that my kids were watching movies (Berenstain Bears) that I HADN'T previewed!!
9) I have 3 kids, the oldest of which is almost 5 and I've ONLY ever made 3 pair of shorts. No other kids clothes!
10) All 3 kids have had to wear those shorts so I can say they wore mommy-made clothes.
Now, folks, I hope you see how not a one of these things will amount to a hill of beansprouts in 5 years. Not a one. As a matter of fact. When I think of how guilty I felt over every one of these (and many more) I just laugh. I mean REALLY!!
So, the next time something happens and you feel that stomach-clenching-guilty feeling stop and ask yourself: "Is anybody other than me gonna remember this in 5 years?" Most often the answer is no and you can then stop the guilt train we seem to ride way too frequently.
The number one thing I've found about being a Mom is the colossal amount of GUILT that I carry. I'm not talking about things that I just wish I'd done different...I'm talking about true haunt your dreams..cry in your pillow guilt.
Now, friends. Here's my advice to you.
Just Say NO to Mommy Guilt!
To help you gain perspective and win the battle over guilt, I'm gonna share with you things that I've felt guilty over.
1) Lifting my 2lb weights while pregnant (surely it hurt the baby and caused the miscarriage??)
2) Those 2 Advil I broke down and took during the 8th month of pregnancy when my hips hurt so bad I couldn't move or sleep.
3) I drank Chocolate Milk every morning I was pregnant...and over the last 6 months my 4 year old has refused any kind of milk EXCEPT Chocolate Milk!!
4) My 4 month old breastfed baby CRIED FOR 20 MINUTES before my stepmother realized that the bottle I was trying to feed him needed to be warmer.
5) I hadn't changed out the extra clothes in my son's backpack so when he got his long sleeved shirt all wet the only thing he had was a short sleeve shirt...and he was COLD ON THE PLAYGROUND!!! (please note that it was NOT cold enough for me to have sent him wearing a jacket)
6) In my battle against cradle cap I scrubbed all my 1 month old's hair off.
7) When walking in to put the baby to bed for the night I found the cat asleep in the crib....and didn't change the sheets!
8) I realized that my kids were watching movies (Berenstain Bears) that I HADN'T previewed!!
9) I have 3 kids, the oldest of which is almost 5 and I've ONLY ever made 3 pair of shorts. No other kids clothes!
10) All 3 kids have had to wear those shorts so I can say they wore mommy-made clothes.
Now, folks, I hope you see how not a one of these things will amount to a hill of beansprouts in 5 years. Not a one. As a matter of fact. When I think of how guilty I felt over every one of these (and many more) I just laugh. I mean REALLY!!
So, the next time something happens and you feel that stomach-clenching-guilty feeling stop and ask yourself: "Is anybody other than me gonna remember this in 5 years?" Most often the answer is no and you can then stop the guilt train we seem to ride way too frequently.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)