For Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

a pictorial journal

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

FEBRUARY 16^TH, 2010

It's FAT TUESDAY!

Mardi Gras is a day of carnival, when people dress up, have parades, dance, eat, and stay up late. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. Mardi Gras (also known as Shrove Tuesday) is celebrated by some people as a last party before Lent.

The most famous celebration in the US takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana. It has been celebrated there on a grand scale, with masked balls and colorful parades, since French settlers arrived in the early 1700s

Carnival is obviously the season for parties and family get-togethers. Let us put this day of Carnival to use and learn to dance together, play together, and sing together .

As we prepare to begin Lent, perhaps after a hearty dinner of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, may we take time for an extra prayer or two

THINKING

Just as a seed falls from a tree, takes root in the soil and begins to grow, our faith grows continually, nourished by the foundation of prayer

Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt ... even if you say to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea, it will be done

Matthew 21:21

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

A traditional Mardi Gras dish is red beans and rice. It is one of the easiest and simplest meals and is healthy, nourishing and filling.

It is common to sauté onions and garlic in a pot, and simply to add the beans along with enough water to cover them. This is brought to a boil and then let simmer for an hour. If you are starting from scratch and using dry beans, you’ll have to cook them longer

This is served over a generous bed of rice. The rice is easily prepared by putting a cup or two of rice in a pot, with twice as many cups of water, and a touch of salt. This is brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer for 20-40 minutes, depending upon the type of rice used.

DS#2 passed on this recipe that he makes at his house.

Dirty Beans

2 large cans of Pork & Beans (whatever type you like)

2 lbs Ground Beef

½ Box of Dark Brown Sugar

2 Cans of Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Chilies

1 Package of Taco Seasoning (Hot

½ Jar of Salsa (Hot)

½ Bottle of Honey Barbecue Sauce

Brown the Ground Beef. Drain fat. Mix in the Rotel, Salsa, and Taco Sauce and cook for a short period. Add the beans (for thicker beans, drain both cans of beans). Add brown sugar and barbecue sauce. Cook on medium heat until the beans are tender and warmed thoroughly. Make sure you stir the beans so they will not stick. If you are making this to serve immediately, then cook all of it on the stove, if you are making this to sit out at a party, then transfer contents from the pan to a crock-pot and keep on low heat. Making sure once again that you stir the beans.

I’m choosing to go with MILD seasonings instead of the hot ones shown above.

PRAYERS

Lord, we thank You for the abundance of gifts you shower upon us. We thank you especially for one another. As we give you thanks, make us mindful of those who have so much less than we do

Amen

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in

your loving hands.

Protect them as they protect us.

Bless them and their families for the

selfless acts they perform for us

in our time of need. I ask this in the

name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

AMEN

AROUND HOME

I found a pair of Mardi Gras glasses at the Goodwill store awhile back. These plus the little fleur de leis , which was a gift from DS#6 and his wife when they visited New Orleans, plus a few chains of beads make up decorations I have for Mardi Gras at my house. The fleur de leis meaning is a symbolic drawing of a lily or an iris. You will see it all over in European coats of arms and is really representative of the French. You will often find the fleur de leis symbol in areas that were settled by the French. Those areas were Quebec, St. Louis, Louisville, and Louisiana. The symbol is thought to mean ideals of purity, light, and is floral in its depiction.

Rex selected the official Mardi Gras colors in 1872. The 1892 Rex Parade theme Symbolism of Colors gave meaning to the colors: purple represents justice; green, faith; and gold, power.

Remember to wear the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold during Mardi Gras whenever you're not in costume

FAMILY

I spoke with DS#4 the other evening and he was thankful to be home after a week of constant traveling for work. They had snow at their house too this past week. I think the news said that 49 of our states here in the US have had snow this winter.

I also got to talk with DS#6 and his wife who are expecting that baby any time now. The actual due date is March 1^st and that isn’t far away at all. They’ve got everything ready at their house, now that little one just has to put in an appearance.

DS#1 called Monday evening to let me know that had about 8 inches of new snow on the ground. We have more too, but thankfully not as much as he does.

COUNTING THE DAYS

The special season before Easter is called Lent. The word comes from the lengthening of daylight hours as we progress from the darkness of winter to the new light of spring.

32 DAYS UNTIL SPRING !

59 DAYS UNTIL CAMPING SEASON BEGINS

44 DAYS UNTIL MA RETIRES

Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.

A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,

ma