Mardi Gras!

It's Fat Tuesday! Mardi Gras! 

Carnivale! Shrove Tuesday!

Yup, it's the last day of Ordinary Time, the day before Ash Wednesday.  So, today is the feast, the fest, the fete...the party.  I love the folklore and history of today, the tradition of pancakes for supper - to use up the fats and dairy stuff in the house before the ascetic season of Lent.  Now, that "using it up before it goes bad" isn't a factor so much, but I love the tradition anyhow.  

Today I am stewing about finalizing my Lenten efforts.  This article is a good one, with a good reminder and perspective...but it has thrown my ideas on their head a bit and now I am rethinking.  It's very easy for me to give up too much of or the 'wrong' food items.  It's so ingrained for me to give up some foodstuff that I feel like a cheat if I don't somehow.  And  yet, I have food issues (Because I have arrested development and am like a 4 year old if told I can't have something......infantile, I know.)  due to my lack of discipline, the effects of said infantile issues on my children (Yes, cranky much? And, yes, again, my failing, I realize that, thank you very much), and being diabetic my body just whacks out easily somehow it seems.  So...not sure if I will do food at all again this year or focus more on this issue, also a struggle.  

Yeah, I think that the bulk of my Lenten consideration needs to be centered around prayer and silence.  I've been crazy distracted lately in prayer, and well, I'm  never very good at silence.  I crave it, but even when I find it, I can't seem to get my whirling dervish of a mind to slow down and shut up.  Really.  So, to that end, I think I need to work on that.  Shush up and listen for pete's sake.  Please.

I will type more tomorrow about this whole Lent thing, and my personal Lent thing (because I know that's keeping you up at night....).  But for today, I once again refer you to the marvelous supersite of all things Lent: questions, resources, history, ideas: Aggie Catholics. 

So, tomorrow: Into the Desert, Lent begins.

Today: 

Laissez les bon temps rouler!