Herself and I ventured into town yesterday to receive Ashes on the first day of lent. The night prior a fine Roast Beef dinner was served to our daughter and her husband and two of our grandchildren, it was a great evening. Whenever they come around to check on the elderly we are blessed. You always splurge on Shrove Tuesday and Tuesday night was no exception.

A blogger I follow (https://madhatters.me.uk/2017/03/02/ashes-guide/) had the below chart posted on his site, it is so true and I’m sure should you have been Catholic for a number of years (50+ years for me) you’ve seen them all. I never did get ashes so many years ago back in my Methodist days. If I remember right I couldn’t play cards, get dirty or have fun on Sunday either, reverence was the way of the day back then.

The day did remind me of a time back in high school, 1961 in fact, when a group of us guys came to school late after getting ashes. We, five or six of us went to one member of the group’s house and hung out for several hours during the same time the Ash Wednesday service was going on in town. When it was time to get back to school, Father Fiddler dipped his thumb in the ash tray we had filled up and placed the sign of the cross on each heathen’s forehead. I’m thinking that must be some kind of sacrilege and someday I’ll pay for it.
Thanks Mike McVeigh for providing the venue on that day.

So now we Catholics spend forty days of suffering, giving up something we enjoy until Easter Sunday. My brother in-law Bobby gave up beer for 6 days each week of lent. Somehow it was OK to partake on Sundays. Some will give up candy, some soda and of course some will give up nothing at all. As for me, I shall give up staying home on Sundays and get my sorry ass to church.

Oh, and by the way, we never got questioned for being three hours late to school. I’m guessing I did a good job being the forehead scribe.  It was a Lucky Strike we never got caught.

Several years ago I got to spend Shrove Tuesday in Munich, Germany with my son in-law Jeff and am providing the attached site for those who may be interested in The German Way and more. (https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/fasching-and-karneval/)

What will you give up over the next forty days?