Fish Eater

Four years ago, on a cold February day,
I was headed to my job at the university I was attending.

I didn't make it to work that day.

My braked car was rear-ended by a non-attentive driver coming downhill.
He crashed into me somewhere between 35 and 45 miles per hour.

I blacked out for a moment.

I stumbled from my car and wandered into the road.
A man, I believe the one who hit me, grabbed my disoriented body
and asked me to sit down.

When the paramedics arrived they began the drill.
Question after question... I responded, but very slowly.
I couldn't remember the date. What was the date?!

The EMT held my head and told his partner that my forehead was seriously bruised.
I began to cry.

The fellow EMT smiled and said, "That's not bruising! She's a fish eater!"

As I finished wiping my tears I touched my forehead and began to laugh too...

It was ASH WEDNESDAY.

It is moments like these that remind us that we are temporal, and
that this life is passing more quickly than we'd like to admit.
I was shaken that day and reawakened to a deeper faith and trust in my God.

HE knows how many days I will be given.

It is up to ME to be READY when that time runs out.

With that, HAPPY FAT TUESDAY!!! Wooohoo! Party!!! Show me the cookies!
We are celebrating with PANCAKES! It is an old world tradition to make hearty
pastries, pies, doughnuts, etc. in order to purge the house of all the sugar,
dairy, coffee, meat, and other goodies that tempt.

>>> these shots are from a little "mardi gras" breakfast we had over the weekend! <<<

our favorite pancake recipe

How will you be preparing your heart to remember
the passion and death of our Lord this Easter?

How will you be purging and purifying your life?

How will you be meeting Jesus in the desert this Lent? Matthew 4:1-11
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"Lent is like a long 'retreat' during which we can turn back into ourselves and listen
to the voice of God, in order to defeat the temptations of the Evil One.
It is a period of spiritual 'combat' which we must experience alongside Jesus,
not with pride and presumption, but using the arms of faith:
prayer, listening to the word of God and penance. In this way we will be able to celebrate
Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our Baptism."
- Pope Benedict XVI
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Are you ready for Lent, fellow fish eaters?!