Happy Shrovetide!!

Today's Sunday School Lesson included pancake treats & juice, costumes, beads, masks, pancake races and learning about Shrovetide, Mardi Gras & Lent... and also WHY PANCAKES??

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, forty days before Easter. The four day period before Ash Wednesday is known as "Shrovetide," from an old English word "shrive," meaning "to confess," a name gotten from the tradition of going to Confession in the days before Lent started. Shrovetide is traditionally the time for "spring cleaning," just as we clean our houses in these days in prepation for Lent, we also "clean our souls" through confession so we can enter the penitential season fresh.
Lent was a period of fasting, with meat, eggs, dairy produce & wine forbidden. Shrovetide was a time for a last fling before Lent - a time to play games & use up the meat, eggs & butter.

The Tuesday of Shrovetide is a particularly big party day known as "Mardi Gras" (French for "Fat Tuesday") or "Pancake Tuesday" because fats, eggs & butter in the house had to be used up before Lent began, making pancakes or waffles was a good way to do it.

In many places, especially in England, pancake races became popular & remain popular today. In these races, women must run while flipping a pancake so many times, whoever crosses the finish line first wins. The largest pancake race in England is in Olney, in Buckinghamshire. There, the women must wear a dress, apron & bonnet, and flip the pancake three times -- while ensuring it is intact after they cross the finish line.

The story told to explain the origins of this race is that in 1445, a homemaker heard the shriving bell (rung to summon people to confession) as she was busy working in her kitchen. Not wanting to be late, she rushed & ran off with her skillet still in hand.

Our Church is having it's Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Feb. 24th from 5 - 7 p.m. All you can eat pancakes, sausage, applesauce, juice or coffee or milk. Freewill donation goes toward a planned Youth Event open to the community this summer. ALL ARE WELCOME, please join us! (Contact me for more info.)

Campout with the Grandsons, Eaten by SHARKS & more fun, fun, fun!

This weekend we have two of our grandsons... and last night was campout time in the living room... So we shoved all the stuff over, put in a couple of mattresses, blankets, pillows and had a campout, complete with candles (battery ones).

Then this morning... it was up before the dawn, and after eating breakfast, watching cartoons and pulling out toys, the boys wanted the shark tent put up... after which Jeff, Kasey and Josh all were promptly eaten!! Tasty morsels! *L*

Kasey even made it more realistic with her photoshopped version of one of the photos..*L*

Soooo, here it is, a snow day, but the snow has stopped for now anyway.. and it's almost 11 a.m...time for gramma to get dressed... then out to do errands.

The Absence of Art.....

Empty art...empty frame, empty pedestal...empty, empty, empty...
Absence makes the art......

How like a winter hath my absence been
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!
What old December's bareness every where!
And yet this time removed was summer's time,
The teeming autumn, big with rich increase,
Bearing the wanton burden of the prime,
Like widow'd wombs after their lords' decease:
Yet this abundant issue seem'd to me
But hope of orphans and unfather'd fruit;
For summer and his pleasures wait on thee,
And, thou away, the very birds are mute;
Or, if they sing, 'tis with so dull a cheer
That leaves look pale, dreading the winter's near.
(William Shakespeare Sonnet 97)

I miss doing my art..........*sigh*
Soon, my love....SOON

Be Mine Valentine...

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

I was surprised this morning, when John, who usually doesn't "do" Valentine's Day (and neither do I really), fixed a delicious breakfast for us ...He is turning into QUITE the culinary chef!!

It was DEEEELICIOUS too.. yum!! And besides that, he gifted me with chocolate, a card and a lottery ticket for tonite's drawing! Hope we get lucky..ha! *S*

Now, I wonder if I can talk him into fixing dinner tonite too? *G* Better not push my luck.

Every Girl Needs A Good Bubble Bath Time...

Jorden needed to have a luxury bubble bath... so Gramma accommodated..*L* Complete with candle, book, bubbles and fun.



But even that gets old for babies... Jorden had enough bubble bath fun after about 20 minutes......

Granddaughter time....

We are blessed to be able to have our granddaughter Jorden here for a visit for a few days. So of COURSE we have to take photos! More will be coming today and tomorrow... Jorden is about 10 1/2 months old now... almost crawling, but she seems to want to try to walk more than crawl..*L* Here is one where she's attempting it while hanging on to my fingers. She's such a doll!! and so good!! So much fun to play with too, I don't get much time to do anything else around here... but that's part of the fun of being a gramma!


ADDED MORE PHOTOS - BY KASEY K PHOTO!!

I have a STALKER!! (And she has a camera - eek!)

Evidently, while I was at work the other day, a secret stalker with a camera roamed my house and in particular, my bedroom! *shudder* I found evidence of the camera stalker at facebook when photos of my bedroom showed up there...





Good thing I happen to know this stalker...*S* ... Love how she captures the things she photographs and makes them look cool.

(photos by Kasey K Photo - check out her website sometime!)

Hawaiian Luau Night

Trying to beat some cabin fever, we attended a Hawaiian Luau at our Church tonite. It was a fun night, good food, and a great way to beat some winter doldrums. Here are a few photos of the fun...









Hawaiian garments were sported by all....some went a bit overboard..*L*

Hula hoop competitions and pineapple games were part of the entertainment.



John and my mom were chosen through a fun game to be the King and Queen of the Luau, and given appropriate clothing for royalty..*L*

ARTslant Juried Showcase Competition - Call to Artists

ArtSlant is your spot for the most up-to-date news on art exhibitions and events in your city and the great art cities of the world. Check them out here.
BASIC MEMBERSHIP FOR ARTISTS & OTHERS
The Basic Free Membership is available to all artists and arts professionals (note: ArtSlant Terms & Conditions apply). Simply Register on ArtSlant and return our verifying email to create or claim your Professional Profile.
Artists, curators, writers, arts professionals, art lovers, and art organizations are all encouraged to open profiles.

I am a member of ArtSlant, Chicago ...check out my profile and gallery photos here.
COMMENT ADDED: The contest has started and my juried entry is pictured on my profile site, scroll down at the profile site and under the juried entry of "Archangel" is a link that says VOTE, click on it and register to vote, it's free, no strings attached. I would very much appreciate your vote on Archangel. Thanks!

Once you register you can find info on the Juried Showcase Competition starting soon. More details on entry procedures, selection, and prizes will be announced in the next week. Each artist will be allowed to select ONE artwork from their Profile slideshow for entry. You will be judged on the quality of your Profile, and the artwork you submit.

Episcopal Church & Visual Arts - New Call to Artists

ECVA Exhibition: Gifts, An Open Studio Call For Art:
"Gifts" is an ECVA open-studio exhibition. We invite artists to submit your best or favorite work that has not been previously exhibited at ECVA.
Exhibition Publication Date: March 15, 2009
Submissions Deadline: March 3, 2009
See the complete Call here.

When I was 55, it was a very good year....

Today reminded me of this song, sung by Frank Sinatra... the words go as follows:

When I was seventeen, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights, we'd hide from the lights
On the village green, when I was seventeen

When I was twentyone, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for city girls
Who lived up the stair, with all that crazy hair
And it came undone, when I was twentyone

When I was thirtyfive, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Of independent means, we'd ride in limousines
Their chauffeur would drive, when I was thirtyfive

But when the days are short in the autumn of
the year
I will think of my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs, from the brim to the dregs
Pouring sweet and clear, it was a very good year.
==========================================

So, today, I am in my fifty-fifth year (plus), I actually turned 55 back in September, but today was when I experienced, for the first time, the SENIOR DISCOUNT because of being 55!

I've reached a milestone... an age stone.... I am in the autumn of my years... I am old vintage wine, pouring sweet and clear.... ahhh yes, it was a very good year..*L*

All because I received a SENIOR DISCOUNT at the grocery store today...I guess I've never shopped on a Tuesday there before (at Piggly Wiggly), but today I was asked as I checked out, whether I was eligible for the senior discount... I hesitated and said, "No, I don't think so?? But WAIT, what age is the discount?" They said, "55". I said, "Well, what do you know I guess I AM eligible!"
So, I saved $4.56 today being 55... at least it's good for SOMETHING, eh? *L*

I SURVIVED THE MONTH FROM HELL...

Hurrah for it being FEBRUARY!! This last month has been the month from HELL... no time for art... barely time for getting the load of year end bookkeeping stuff done... throw in an Annual Parish Meeting, with a ton of bookkeeping things, and other parish reports for the packets... and of course all the W-2's, 1099's etc... and then moving the daughter home here .... I don't even have my Christmas decorations down yet.. BUT, I AM A SURVIVOR... and I am thankful for that!!

Maybe February will be a better month for art... I sure hope so, I miss being creative in that way...number crunching just doesn't do it for me.