And unto dust I shall return

[apple_pathways]

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Though I'm a lapsed Catholic and an atheist, I still believe in the ritual of fasting/denial. I think giving something up, denying oneself, focuses the mind and forces you to examine yourself. And so I want to give something up for Lent.

I'm thinking of giving up meat, but I'm not sure if it's entirely practical. (I've given up meat for a week at a time before, but certainly never for 40 days (46 with Sundays) before. Perhaps give up red meat? Or use the christian definition of meat and give up everything but fish? I'm not sure.

Does anyone else plan on denying themselves? Have any tales of fasting to share with me?

Did anyone eat a Pączki today? I forgot to get one. Hmm, perhaps I'll get a discount if I seek one out tomorrow...

Should I give up sweets instead?

Comments

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

That's the ridiculous thing. I remembered several times that it was Mardi Gras (and then forgot several times), but for some reason that never properly connected with Pączki Day.

I eat meat maybe once or twice a week right now (once or twice a month if you use the "fish is not meat" definition), so being a real vegetarian wouldn't take much of an effort. Maybe I should give up working overtime? That'd be pretty difficult (though the net result would be increased misery during the 8 hours I'm at work, I think). (-;

I usually define sweets as things that are predominantly sugar-based and/or are marketed based on the appeal of their sweetness (mostly I target chocolate). Otherwise I'd have to give up all the fruit I eat (and I basically live on fruit... it's bad). I don't think raisin bran would be a sin, but something like Frosted Flakes would be.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big meat-eater, either: when I lived on my own, I hardly ever ate it! But my parents eat a highly meat-based diet, hence my difficulties in giving it up.

I think I could use your definition of sweets! As long as I could have the occasional bowl of cereal, and perhaps a PB&J sandwich everyone once in awhile, I might make it.

You should give up working overtime, for sure! If you tell your bosses it's a religious thing, they'll be unable to refuse you.

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

I wonder if that's a difference between generations, or if it's a parents thing... My parents are big meat-eaters, too. I can't think of many meals we had at home that didn't involve meat pretty prominently. I kind of gave up meat because it was expensive and I was poor after college, but I rather like meatless meatballs and baked tofu and eggplant parmesean. (It's probably much easier to eat vegetarian now than it used to be, though. I remember when I had my gradeschool vegetarian phase (does everyone have one of those?) and it was all bean soup as far as the eye can see. There certainly weren't frozen gluten-free veggie burritos or anything.)

Go for it! (Jelly might be cheating, but I'm not going to call you on it. Especially if you have preserves or something fancy. In fact, I found wonderful "sugar-free" jelly at one of our farmers' markets here, which used grape juice instead of refined sugar, which certainly means it doesn't count as a 'sweet' right? (-;)

It's a shame I already admitted to my bosses that I'm a nondenominational heathen. Next job I'll know better.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

But Carrie: it is never too late to find religion! (Or so I've been told...) Just remember that! :P (Do heathens have denomenations? I always thought we were just...heathens.)

Yes! Meat is so expensive! A big reason why I didn't eat much of it. (In fact, I'm pretty sure there was a year when I existed solely on cereal, rice & beans, and mac & cheese.)

I think it is a generational thing. My mother's standard meal is Hunk of Meat + Carbohydrate Side + Vegetable. (Which I enjoy, but only once in awhile. I'm a big tofu fan as well.)

I have homemade jelly! Which is...somehow more virtuous than store-bought jelly and therefore allowed. Right? :P

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

I think heathen denominators depend on the point of view. After all, I think pagans are technically heathens from a traditional Christian point of view. Therefore it's important for me to to note the freelance nature of my heathenness.

The evolution of dinners is pretty interesting. My mom likes to go on and on about how her parents never deviated from the meat-vegetable-potato theme, and no one ever thought of making stir-fry, or anything vaguely ethnic. It's just so weird to me. Then again, I live alone and don't have to worry about anyone else's dietary needs, either, so I can follow random whims without regard to anyone else's tastes.

Homemade jelly definitely gets a loophole. What kind do you make? I basically have to beg my mom every summer to send me some of her grape jelly (from our own vines, even. Though we didn't get any jelly last year since our neighbors negotiated a deal to make wine). The jelly I miss most, though, is the tart jelly we used to make from the cherry tree we had in the yard of the house where I grew up. It was wonderful, and I can't find anything like it anywhere (most cherry jelly/jam is way too sweet).

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Therefore it's important for me to to note the freelance nature of my heathenness.

True! We may be going to hell to hell, but we will not be going to any specific hell! (You know, I have a theory about religion kicking around my brain that says the invention of Hell is what led christianity to become the most dominant of the world religions. No one ever gets in your face and threatens you if you deny the existence of Vishnu, and I really think that's where the Hindus dropped the ball.)

I really, really miss living alone and eating whatever the hell I wanted. I used to just grab random items from the refrigerator to make a meal out of. "Hmm, tonight: microwave popcorn, strawberry yogurt, and baby carrots for dinner! Yay!"

I made raspberry jelly (which was the BEST!) and mixed berry, using up bags of frozen berries I had in the freezer, some strawberries I had lying around, etc. I didn't grow the raspberries myself, but went to a "Pick Your Own" farm to gather them. It took FOREVER, as the bushes were rather picked over, but SO worth it!

My grandmother used to make grape jelly from her own vines! She used to seal the jars with a disk of wax. I have a lot of fond memories of that jelly. (She had raspberry bushes, too, which is why I got used to eating them by the handful and am immensely frustrated at how little you can buy in the story for so much money.)

Mmm, tart cherry jelly sounds FANTASTIC! You should come to Michigan: we're the countries largest producer of tart cherries (TRUFAX!) and you always find them at the farmer's markets.