Today is Ash Wednesday, which start the first day of Lent. I'm not preaching any religion or anything, but it's a good time to sit back and evaluate your life and see what you can 'give up' for Lent, since Christ gave up his life for us. I consider myself to be Catholic, but I do not practice it regularly. I do not go to Church every week, or even on some holidays. And when I do, it's for my mother, not for myself. I did get married in a Catholic church, again b/c of my mother and father. DH and I wanted to go to Vegas to elope. When I was younger, I was a ton more into religion, but I guess as I grew older, my viewpoints changed. Sometimes on Christmas I will go to midnight mass with my parents (dragging DH the entire way). We normally go on Easter morning as that's been a ritual in our home since I was little. I can remember getting all dressed up Easter morning (bonnet and all!) and off to Church in the 'boat' (my parent's had a Lincoln Town Car that my friends nicknamed the boat). My dad would slap on WAY too much cologne and I remember feeling sick to my stomach from smelling it in the car. Then after church, on the ride home, my dad would put on the Polish music. When we got home, we'd sit down for a traditional Polish Easter Sunday breakfast - Keilbasa and babka and hard boiled eggs and my dad's home-made horse radish, ham etc. When DH came over for his first Polish breakfast, he was totally flabbergasted...eating kielbasa for breakfast! HA!
So, today I woke up, rolled over and told DH, "No meat today honey!" And he laughs, "yea right" He's worse then me. On today and Fridays during lent, no meat and you're supposed to fast between meals, so no snacking. That won't work with me b/c if I don't eat, I'll get lightheaded and pass out. Ok, I've never passed out, but it feels like I will if I don't get sugar in me. But I try hard during Lent not to snack between meals. So, I kept telling DH that he can't have meat today, so he looks at me and says 'Okay, then I'll have to spend $2,40 a slice for pizza on lunch, so I'm going to go over my lunch budget' I felt like throwing my brush at him. I told him do 'whatever you think is right' So he will most likely be at Wendy's on lunch scarfing down a burger and nuggets. Ugh. Today I brought in a salad from home. I had no fruit at home as I ate the last banana yesterday and I haven't yet gone food shopping this week....yes, I have NOT gotten and produce, bread, etc. and it's already WEDNESDAY! And Thursday (tomorrow) starts a new week in our budget cycle. I may head out tonight after work to get some fruit to bring in.
So to the point, what to give up for Lent. NO, I'm NOT giving up poker! Don't even say it, keep it to yourself. Poker is my escape from the world and it's the ONLY thing DH and I do. We don't drink (well, at home we will), we don't go to clubs or bars anymore, we're too old. It's the only thing we do, and we're NOT giving it up. So, I was thinking soda. i did this last year, lasted a week, then I had ginger ale as I had a little tummy bug. But now I'm thinking of giving up dark soda (like pepsi) so that way, if I need a swig of ginger ale, I'd be in the clear. But I'm supposed to be sacrificing, right? I was thinking of giving up sweets, but my body does not agree with that. I've tried that in the past, and within a week, I need the sweets. I can't give up work (darn! haha!) so I need something to give up. I may give up the dark soda thing, and also give up procrastinating on getting my business up and running. I've been gung ho with getting debt paid off, so I'm keeping up with that.
So ,what's everyone else giving up for Lent?
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6 comments:
I don't consider myself Catholic (my family & DH and his family are, though), but I do honor Lent. Since I'm not a fan of soda, alcohol, etc. (all the easy to give up vices), I will do like I did last year.
I'll go meatless 2 days of the week. If I gave up chocolate or sweets, it would be a greater punishment to those around me than it would be to me, I'd make everyone miserable!
Now that's a good idea! Hmmmm, I wonder if DH could get on board? I'd have to up his weekly lunch budget to account for the $2.40 a slice of pizza (what happened to a buck a slice? GEESH!)
Hmmmm, so two days of the week DH would have to get pizza for lunch and I can do ziti or pasta. Good idea! I may steal it!
Do you do set days like tuesdays and thursdays? Do you count Fridays, so then it's one other day?
I think that specifying the dark colas makes sense. I use ginger ale for tummy bugs as well. I would not count that as a cola if that makes sense. Unless you have access to ginger tea which can serve the same purpose as ginger ale.
I'm episcopalian & lent is a big event to us. Although it works a bit differently for us though. We do not go without meat during Lent. Only on Good Friday. This is when we have pickled fish & hot cross buns. Fasting is a voluntary thing. I'm giving up alcohol for Lent. I don't drink much, but I can do without it for a month.
Pubbler:
That's great that you're giving up alcohol...it's not good for you! (well, that's what everyone says LOL)
I wish you luck with giving it up...it's only been a day....but it's one day down, 39 to go!
I count Friday as one day, and I'll set Wednesday as the other day. Don't count out Taco Bell for lunches. I adore the Cheesy Bean and Rice burrito. Pasta is always good, omelets are great too. DH gets to take mac 'n' cheese for lunches too. I'd give alcohol, soda, etc., but I rarely use them anyway.
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