#last Thursday before Ash Wednesday

[rabbitcruiser]

Fat Thursday/Schmutziger Donnerstag

Taking place on the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday, which begins Lent, Fat Thursday is a Christian feast that is primarily celebrated in European countries. It is similar to Fat Tuesday, which is celebrated the following week, but in many European countries, it is the more important holiday of the two. It also is associated with Carnival. As much fasting is done during Lent, Fat Thursday is a day for getting together and eating sweets and other foods that are eschewed during that season. Commonly eaten foods include pączki, berliners, and angel wings.

The holiday is given different names in various European countries, where distinct foods are associated with the day. The day appears to be most widely celebrated in Poland, where it is known as Tłusty Czwartek. Pastries and doughnuts from bakeries are eaten, especially pączki. The tradition of eating doughnuts on the day began in the seventeenth century. In parts of Germany, it is known as Weiberfastnacht. People wear costumes, and celebrations in the streets and in pubs begin at 11:11 a.m. It is known as the “women’s carnival” and there is a tradition of women “taking over” town halls. In some parts of Germany, the holiday is also known as Fetter Donnerstag.

Fat Thursday is known as Tsiknopempti in Greece, which roughly translates to “Thursday of the Smoke of Grilled Meat.” Being one of the last times that celebrants can eat meat before Lent, many Greeks grill meat such as souvlaki, and many cities set up grills in central squares and hold celebrations there. In Italy, the holiday is known as Giovedì Grasso, and in Sweden, it is known as Fettisdagen.

In some parts of Spain, it is known as Jueves Lardero. Bizcochos and a pastry called a mona are commonly eaten in the city of Albacete, and in the area of Aragon a special sausage is eaten. The holiday is called Dijous Gras in the region of Catalonia, and marked by eating bunyols and botifarra d'ou.

How to Observe

Regardless if you are planning on observing Lent in the following weeks, you can celebrate Fat Thursday today. It is best celebrated by indulging in large amounts of foods that aren’t very healthy, such as sweets, as well as by eating meat, which many abstain from during Lent. If you are in the United States, you could go to an ethnic bakery or grocery store to pick up some foods that are eaten on the day in European countries. Some foods you could enjoy today include pączki, berliners, angel wings, souvlaki, bizcochos, bunyols, and botifarra d'ou. If you are in a country such as Switzerland, Spain, Germany, or Poland, it shouldn’t be too hard to find celebrations to attend.

Source

[a-wins-a-win]

mouse's attempted B;APO timeline

aka i was writing an irrelevant detail in a silly little fic and it occurred to me that oh wait i could actually think about this!!

credit where credit's due - i am using this timeline right here (from @hearmyvoicee) as a base, but i have some particular thoughts/interpretations of my own + felt like using 2001 dates! (bc why not, ya know? keep it basically of the time it opened) so this whole thing is mostly for my own reference, but if it makes sense to any of y'all as well? great <;3 [keeping it under the cut for my own sanity + yours]

.✨.

Sunday, January 7 [the feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th, or the closest Sunday to that date - in the case of 2001, that's the 7th]

Epiphany

Monday - Friday, January 8 - 12 [ i swear on my life someone mentioned to me once that it's generally accepted that You & I spans several days?? i cannot find who or where but someone tell me i'm not going insane ]

You & I

Friday, January 12 [the friday is entirely arbitrary, just seems the type of day you'd hold auditions - give it a week to stir interest, cast on friday, start up your rehearsals from the next monday onwards] [i have never been in theater though, so don't hold me to that]

Role Of A Lifetime

Auditions

Plain Jane Fatass

Thursday, February 22 [to me the phrase "we'll meet in Tanya's room on Friday night" implies that it's not yet Friday + in theory the song takes place during study hall, so an actual weekday? so to that end it could be any day monday-thursday, the specifics not mattering in particular, but i arbitrarily went with thursday so that Ivy’s birthday lines up right]

Wonderland

Friday, February 23

A Quiet Night At Home

Rolling

Best Kept Secret

Wednesday, February 28 [borrowing from the previous timeline for this one - the Lent + Ash Wednesday significance makes sense] [to that end, Ash Wednesday 2001 was in fact February 28th]

Confession

Portrait Of A Girl

Thursday, March 1 [in Wonderland they reference the fact that "Ivy's birthday's in a week", ergo wonderland date + 1 week]

Birthday, Bitch!

One Kiss

Are You There?

911! Emergency!

Friday, March 2 [peter mentions 911! Emergency as being "last night"]

Reputation Stain'd

Ever After

Saturday, March 10 [generally, the Spring Break week is from March 11 to March 17, so in my head it makes sense for them to be leaving for their spring break the day beforehand - ergo, March 10th]

Spring

One

✨ spring break / intermission ✨

Sunday, March 17 [the sunday makes sense in my head to mirror Epiphany]

Wedding Bells

Monday, March 19

In The Hallway

Monday, March 26 [ as claire says - "gone a week, i miss you already". so if classes started again on the 19th + 1 week is the 26th ]

Touch My Soul

See Me

Warning

[sidenote, easter 2001 was sunday april 15. to that end, to account for the Easter Monday holiday, likely they had the 16th off also]

Friday, May 18 [okay listen!! i know it crowds A LOT of act 2 together but!! the way sister chantelle says here "if you decide you want to get together one more time" implies to me that they aren't going to be having more Official rehearsal time before the play actually gets performed] [it all has to occur between monday may 14 & sunday may 20 for jason's "graduate next sunday" line to be technically correct] [rory's decided that they'll "meet back here. seven o'clock" - which i was always under the impression is the supposed to be rehearsal that sets up Promise] [Nadia's "call me tonight, or tomorrow, or whenever" to me implies that she won't see him tomorrow? so probably they don't have any classes or rehearsal the next day]["i know it's late" in Cross is such a little detail, but to me it just ties it all up]

Pilgrim's Hands

God Don't Make No Trash

All Grown Up

Promise

Once Upon A Time

Cross

Saturday, May 19 [saturday night seems a reasonable time to put on the show, right? like in order to make it accessible to family + friends outside of the school?]

Two Households

Bare

Queen Mab

A Glooming Peace

Tuesday, May 22 [a {catholic} person is buried between 2 and 7 days after their death, typically around 3. i always got the vibes that Absolution was supposed to take place on/around jason's funeral, ergo the play + 3 days]

Absolution

Sunday, May 27 [going with the assumption that they graduate on the last sunday in may, in 2001 that date was the 27th]

No Voice

.✨.

wanna make it super clear that i a) am australian and b) am not catholic and c) have never been to boarding school or in theater so a lot of dates were found via google search, and/or arbitrarily assigned weekdays

also also at the end of the day i'm not sure the specifics of the timeline super duper matter, it was mostly just for fun - but like. feel free to share ur thoughts!

[likerealpeopledo-on-ao3]

First Line/Last Line

Rules: Pick your 5 most recent fics and list the first and last lines, no context.

1. Rose From the Ashes

It smelled like barbecue./This happy ending is just the beginning.

2. Such Great Heights

Patrick probably shouldn’t have read the Yelp reviews for Larry Air before boarding his plane./“I’m fine, David.” For the first time in a long time, it’s true.

3. heat between me and you

This had been the weirdest fucking day./They were going to keep shining, David knew, and in twenty-four, forty-eight, sixty years, they’d still be sitting on that bench, together.

4. Unsaid and Done

It should be a typical Thursday morning at work, but instead Patrick is miles away, listening to the sounds of his parents getting ready from the bedroom next to theirs./He didn’t see it for what it was, for what it can be now: a place he can rest.

5. Bean

“On Wednesdays, we donate kidneys.”/The starkest memories David has of that time are also starting to fade like those scars; today, they’re much less painful to touch.

Thanks for the tag @mostlyinthemorning. Tagging @jamilas-pen @trickiwooao3 @wordthieve @rmd-writes @firstprince-history-huh @tyfinn @stereopticons @obsessedwithdavrick and anyone who wants to play!

It’s like poetry when you read it all together.

[friend-of-giants]

WIP Wednesday Thursday

Tagged by @rainpebble3 thank you! Going to tag @elfinismsarts @mareenavee @paraparadigm @rhiannon1199 @thequeenofthewinter @changelingsandothernonsense to share as well! No pressure!

Have a scene from the next chapter of Ascent from the Ashes. I'm still working on this chapter, and this bit might even change, but here goes!

After lacing up her boots, she reached into a hidden side pouch of her bag and pulled out a small vial no larger than her index finger.  She popped the cork off and took a tiny sip, just enough to wet her tongue, then stuffed the vial back where it belonged.  The liquid nightshade left a burn in her mouth and would likely cause an unsettled stomach later that day, but that would be preferable to the alternative.  There would be no lasting consequences to this little mistake. 

“Let's get moving, then.”  Her words were cold as she rose to her feet, as cold as the blood in her veins.  

Teldryn looked up from where he sat on the edge of the bed, half dressed with his mohawk all tousled, and squinted at her as she bent down to grab her bag and sling it over her shoulder. 

“Are you sure you… want me to go with you?  You don’t seem like-"  

Wren turned around, shooting him a biting glare, and watched as his mouth snapped shut.  She wanted to scream at him, to send him back from the ashen hell that was Solstheim.  She wanted to feel him and taste him again, and never let him go.  Her heart ached.  She didn't know what she wanted.  

“If you want me to leave, just say the word."  

“No.”  Her response slipped out before he could even finish talking.  “No, I don’t want you to leave.  Just… let’s pretend last night didn’t happen, okay?”

Judging from the wounded look in his eyes, her words had hurt him, and they hurt her just as badly.  She didn’t want to go on pretending that they hadn’t done such a thing.  It was exactly what she needed and then some, but she could not allow herself to grow attached.  Allowing such feelings to develop would only magnify the pain if she were to lose him, and she was never going to let that happen again.  

Teldryn finished buckling on his boots and sighed, choosing not to say a word.  

“You are my mercenary, and still my friend."  Wren felt her voice quiver as she spoke, then turned to the door and pulled it open.  She didn’t want to look at him anymore, not right now.  “And nothing more.  Now let's go."

[throughtrialbyfire]

WIP (not quite) Wednesday ♥

i'm just gonna start calling thursday "wednesday 2" HAHAHHGJKFDHKJG

tagged by @caliblorn !! thank you so much!! ♥

tagging @skyrim-forever @aphocryphas @maldov @thana-topsy @orfeoarte and anyone who wants to join!!

this is a rough draft for a scene that'll happen during the Solitude arc for Cycle of the Serpent. i absolutely love writing these guys

"It's just…" they started, breath snagging their words for a moment, before continuing, "…with everything that's been going on, I'm so fucking tired all the time, I just don't rest like I used to, y'know?" Emeros nodded. "We come here because we wanna avoid the Greybeards, then we get wrapped up with gods-damned Potema, and I don't even know if it's…" He waited for words that seemed to die on the other's tongue with a frustrated groan, the heels of their palms digging against their eyes for a moment. The nightmares had haunted all three of them. Potema, her cruel laugh, the voice that howled against the dreams they once had. For Emeros, it was nightmares of a promise of revival. Her power would knit flesh and bone from ash. For Wyndrelis - gathered from the Dunmer's half-asleep mumbling - the nightmares were a promise of revenge. That whoever had wronged him would know the ire they cast upon him, whoever they were. For Athenath… He only knew that they woke up thrashing, shaking, struggling against the dreams like a wolf pinned in a net. They never told him what Potema's promise to him was. Athenath glanced back at the stone wall, the partition that shadowed the moonlight. They stared at it for a while. "Athenath," Emeros breathed, catching the Altmer's attention again. He rubbed at his brow, trying to find something to say. "I think we're all… Exhausted. Gods know I am. I wish there was more we could do, but for now, we've no choice but to face this head-on."

They watched him for a while, plucked the cigarette from the stone step, and took a long drag. Holding it hostage in his lungs, Athenath waited, exhaling after what felt like an eternity. They set it aside again, and leaned their forehead against the other man's shoulder. Out of words to say, he mumbled, "I'm tired." "Go to bed," Emeros laughed, rising. Athenath pouted boyishly at the sudden motion, staring up at the Bosmer who leaned on the effigy's wooden post. They stared at one another in the night air for a while, the moons hovering above the College. "Carry me." Athenath grinned as they made the small, tired-voiced request. Emeros hadn't noticed how exhausted they looked, even now, as though he'd been awake for days on end. The way he spoke hammered in just how little sleep Athenath was truly getting. Still, the Bosmer scoffed and rolled his eyes, unable to restrain the matching grin tempting his own mouth. "You're too old for that," he replied, watching Athenath roll his big, dark eyes and huff. "I'm only young once, Emeros," he taunted, "besides, I don't want to walk." That was the last straw that sent the Bosmer cackling, pressing his rose-hued palm over his mouth, bent at the middle as he struggled to maintain a standing posture. It was the first time he'd laughed like this since Whiterun, the other smirking and leaning back against the stones. He tried to push the laughter back down, but it came bubbling out of his lips again, and when Emeros caught his breath, he rolled his eyes at the Altmer. "You're a grown man, and your legs appear fine," he scanned them up and down, "you can walk back to your room." "That's not the point, I think it'd be more fun if you carried me." Emeros rubbed at his jaw. "You're not letting me get out of this, are you?" "Nope."

[leeenuu]

A general view of Bakhmut, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, April 21, 2023. (Iryna Rybakova via AP)

People save icons as they clear the rubble after a Russian rocket ruined an Orthodox church in rocket attack on Easter night, a crater left by the rocket in the foreground, in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, early hours Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

A local resident looks at his home, damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, April 14, 2023. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. (Roman Chop via AP)

Players of a women's football team from Mariupol pose for photo before a Ukrainian championship match against Shakhtar in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. After their city was devastated and captured by Russian forces, the team from Mariupol rose from the ashes when they gathered a new team in Kyiv. They continue to play to remind everyone that despite the occupation that will soon hit one year, Mariupol remains a Ukrainian city. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A destroyed apartment building on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 in Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, where 54 people died during a bombardment last year. (Mauricio Lima/The New York Times)

Discarded equipment and rifles from wounded and dead Ukrainian soldiers piled at a medical evacuation compound on the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, in eastern Ukraine, on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (Mauricio Lima/The New York Times)

Thousands of parts of artillery shells, missile fragments and non-guided rockets that have hit buildings throughout Kharkiv since the beginning of the war, in an industrial field on Monday, April 17, 2023. (Mauricio Lima/The New York Times)

Mourners attending the funeral of Mykola Zhezherun, a Ukrainian soldier who died in the eastern Luhansk region, on Thursday, April 20, 2023 in Kyiv. (Brendan Hoffman/The New York Times)

A shell from a heavy multiple launch rocket system is seen if front of a tractor during a sowing of lentils in a field in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Monday, April 18, 2023. (REUTERS/Stringer)

[equallyloyalandlethal]

WIP Wednesday Thursday Game (by @kedreeva)

It’s WIP Wednesday, time for a little accountability, sharing your work, and getting a kick in the pants.

Here’s how it works:

In a reblog of this post (so people can find you in the notes) or new thread (w/ rules attached) if you want to play on your own, post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to play!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event or gift fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. I’ll be searching the reblogs to find people to send asks to!

If you’re reading this, you’re invited!

If you see someone posting a WIP Wednesday Game snippet, send them an ask! Make them write.

Let's try this again, without the long ass post of all the other weeks!

The Titles!

Ashes Ch 4

Atlantix (co)

Love Like Hellebores

Let them fight/Shame on yew

TSTMTT thrett

SNIPPET: TSTMTT thrett

Theo started whining again, though his throat was raw, and each sound was like someone was dragging claws over the inside of his trachea. Before Brett made it anywhere near the cave mouth, he smelled the wolf, and the flurry of furious wailing howls in his head rose louder. The pitch of his own whine drove nails through his ribs as they contracted, stabbing into his repeatedly with every breath he tried to take. He sounded lost and scared, sentiments echoed in his chemosignals, as much as he was trying to tamp them down.  Hiding meant being invisible in all ways: sight, sound, and smell. Normally, he was infallible on all accounts, his dark coat blending into shadows while his innate control took over, obfuscating him in the remaining ways. He shouldn’t be findable. For all intents and purposes, he could disappear, and yet, here he was, being tracked by two wolves, cornered in his — Malia’s — den. 

Tagging more friendos because I live to cause chaos!

@chasing-chimeras @theoceanismyinkwell @rd-eternity @fhaf123 @rhyslahey @attempted--eloquence @pansexual-puppy-pack

[lipowanoc]

Tłusty czwartek

Zdjęcie dodane przez Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/pl-pl/zdjecie/chleb-jedzenie-talerz-deser-6794058/

Tłusty czwartek -Fat Thursday is the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Everybody eats pączki (in singular pączek). A lot of them! Even your boss will offer you some pączki!

Pączek is like donut but with no hole. It can be filled with rose marmalade or other kind of filling.

[furmity]

Lent

To better focus on my devotion, I will be absent from Tumblr for Lent.

Hell, Lent snuck completely up on me (should have taken a hint yesterday when the Satanic Mr Smooch said we should have pancakes). And wey- hey Lent is here. I’m unprepared, last year I had oils and ash and everything ready for Ash Wednesday.... This year I’m still recovering from a period of depression (see my law degree tag). This year will contain sweeping changes, exciting plans, and a return to the rigorous devotion I had before the September of Tears. I do need to go gently, in a way that strengthens me. I need to continue processing the grief of losing my father.

Here’s my cue to get a solid practice happening again. I’ve messed up, but I’ll start where I can. Ash Thor’s- day it is! Followed by a weekly cycle of devotion to my most beloved gods. Myths will be read, offerings left.

ᚦ- Thor’s day

Apart from hailing the thunderstorms, I haven’t interacted with Thor since St Olaf’s day. The Godgubben deserves some attention as the first Norse god who ever blessed me.

I don’t know at all if this is a common experience with Thor, but he is my main money man. When prayed and blótted to about increasing my savings and financial discipline, he comes through. This was first done years ago when I first started with Norse gods. They seemed sort of intimidating, but I knew Thor likes people. Prisa den Godgubben! I gave him a homemade hamburger and asked him to oversee some Jupiter- sygils related to finance. He helped me gather the money needed for a short- notice international trip in a time when I was very bad with money. I couldn’t help but be stunned when the best flight prices were Qatar Airways, whose oryx logo makes them the closest to a goat- pulled chariot I will ever see. I felt he was winging me there himself. I sing his praises, he really helped me out of a tough spot. He is always the one I pray to for safe travels.

Such plans are a-brewing again, and I will need to make sacrifices if I am to afford it. He will receive a Thor’s day devotion, and sacrifices of cash will be placed on his altar. Whenever I feel the old urge, I’ll give that money to Thor for safekeeping. There’s no need for the magic, I’ll focus on the discipline. At the end of Lent, a portion will be allocated for a cause in his name.

The first thing to be mindful of is not going out and buying a bunch of new candles for this purpose. I have some, they will do for now (I missed Candlemas because of the depression and recovery from The Coviiiiid). Cutting non- essential spending, by extension, means quitting smoking (tobacco and cannabis), drinking, and most things which are bad for me anyway, obscuring the mind and blocking the arteries. NO little chocolate bars for doing the shopping, I’ll be staying out of op shops and any other place where my money gets frittered away.

I vow to uphold financial discipline and save my money.

Maundy Thursday will involve something wicked. The Devil has more power until the Resurrection. Get all påskkärring until Easter. Wild water to be collected.

ᚠ- Freja’s day

I need to get into some fucking self care. Depression saps me of the urge to wash my face, comb my hair, wear my favourite clothes, eat the right things, and get it on. Let the Lenten Freja’s days be full of green- growing food, bath soaks, grooming, and emotional work. The point is a renewal of my self esteem and sensuality. Let it be sexy.

I get annoyed with people treating Freja as a Norse Aphrodite, but right now I need that aspect. I thank her for the way sheopened me to internal orgasms.  Mr Smooch and I have a long- anticipated hotel stay this Freja’s day to kick things off (we have a housemate and it is affecting our sex life). I want to dress up and go down. 

Association with the F- rune (whether historical or not) reinforces this year’s focus on wealth. No frivolous purchases of skincare, clothing, or drugs are to be made, but I’ll make use of all the lotions and potions I do have.

I vow to take care of myself and enjoy my body temple.

Good Friday the altar will be stripped and three hour’s agony observed.

ᛃ - Saturday

Veneration of Mary. She who exists alone, yet who has absorbed so many other goddesses. Interestingly, my first internal orgasm came with a vision of The Virgin!

I’m toying with the idea of Hell- Mary, as saturday is a day for the dead in the Orthodox church, and there’s the resurrection thing, and Samhain a month after Easter, and ancestral veneration hasn’t been much of a practice for me, and I’m going to Hell whatever I do.... I’ll report back.

I vow to honour the Mothers through time.

Holy Saturday will mark the end of the fast, and the Easter vigil will be observed for nine further saturdays.

ᛊ - Sun day ⊕

Dedicated to the reptiles, with prayers for their health and wellbeing. Upkeep, feeding of the Great Noodle, take him out to soak up some rays. The sun is sloooowly losing its strength, Lent will see the Autumn equinox. The Shelled One must be prepared for his winter sleep. Focus on learning more about my relationship with these creatures, what they teach me. Also, read that snake cult thesis which is burning a hole in my bookcase.

Reptile maintenance is a necessary part of the budget, no fat to be trimmed here! If anything it’s time to spend more money because Mr. Long has groooown!

I vow to incorporate the reptiles into my practice.

Laetare Sunday will stretch for the entire weekend. A new holy oil will be crafted and blessed.

Passion Sunday the icons are veiled and all prayer moves outside.

Palm Sunday will involve a forage.

Easter Sunday there will be a blessing of candles and water at dawn, at the end of the vigil.

☾ - Moon day

Day of letting up a little, instead of sunday (𐕣). No devotion unless one of the lunar quarters coincides.

Holy Monday I’ll clean the temple: body, altar, and home.

ᛏ - Tyr’s day

Last year I dedicated Lent entirely to Tyr because the dates matched the beginning of my academic year. Every new semester is already filled with oaths that “I’m doing it differently this time”, so it worked.  Lent was cutting out everything that distracted me from The Reading. Shrove Tiw- day was grand, my prayers earnest, and I had a UPG when I broke a vow that got me back on track. I’m long overdue to sit with Tyr about all that, and bring myself back around to his worship.

Tyr must receive my prayers. I’ll address the condition of my law degree. I will read my textbooks, work on my notes, and figure out that memory chaplet I was talking about. I will meditate on my new goals and purpose in this sphere, asking for guidance.

I vow to be a tool of Tyr’s will and show him what I can do.

Holy Tuesday will not have a Christian caste, in honour of my patron’s preference.

ᚨ - Odin’s day

My UPG experience of Odin is that he will accept Christian prayers, he will be conflated with Jehovah Allfather and Jesus the Crucified, as well as The Devil. I think I will build this up more as we come to Easter. Pretty juicy.

The Bible, rune poems...

I vow to take up runes.

Holy Wednesday night is full- blown påskkärring.

So....

Tonight I burn the ashes, and begin. A blend of these (undisclosed) ashes and oil will be placed on my forehead for each day this week, and each vow separately made to each god/dess.

The penance for broken Lenten vows will be nine rounds of the rosary and a charitable donation of AU$20 inspired by @graveyarddirt​​.

I’ll be out from Ash Thors- day (23rd) until after Easter. I’ve posted my queue, emptied my drafts folder. I will enjoy today as The Fattening.

Be good, many blessings, don’t burn any churches.

xx

[rabbitcruiser]

Fat Thursday/Schmutziger Donnerstag

Taking place on the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday, which begins Lent, Fat Thursday is a Christian feast that is primarily celebrated in European countries. It is similar to Fat Tuesday, which is celebrated the following week, but in many European countries, it is the more important holiday of the two. It also is associated with Carnival. As much fasting is done during Lent, Fat Thursday is a day for getting together and eating sweets and other foods that are eschewed during that season. Commonly eaten foods include pączki, berliners, and angel wings.

The holiday is given different names in various European countries, where distinct foods are associated with the day. The day appears to be most widely celebrated in Poland, where it is known as Tłusty Czwartek. Pastries and doughnuts from bakeries are eaten, especially pączki. The tradition of eating doughnuts on the day began in the seventeenth century. In parts of Germany, it is known as Weiberfastnacht. People wear costumes, and celebrations in the streets and in pubs begin at 11:11 a.m. It is known as the “women’s carnival” and there is a tradition of women “taking over” town halls. In some parts of Germany, the holiday is also known as Fetter Donnerstag.

Fat Thursday is known as Tsiknopempti in Greece, which roughly translates to “Thursday of the Smoke of Grilled Meat.” Being one of the last times that celebrants can eat meat before Lent, many Greeks grill meat such as souvlaki, and many cities set up grills in central squares and hold celebrations there. In Italy, the holiday is known as Giovedì Grasso, and in Sweden, it is known as Fettisdagen.

In some parts of Spain, it is known as Jueves Lardero. Bizcochos and a pastry called a mona are commonly eaten in the city of Albacete, and in the area of Aragon a special sausage is eaten. The holiday is called Dijous Gras in the region of Catalonia, and marked by eating bunyols and botifarra d'ou.

How to Observe

Regardless if you are planning on observing Lent in the following weeks, you can celebrate Fat Thursday today. It is best celebrated by indulging in large amounts of foods that aren’t very healthy, such as sweets, as well as by eating meat, which many abstain from during Lent. If you are in the United States, you could go to an ethnic bakery or grocery store to pick up some foods that are eaten on the day in European countries. Some foods you could enjoy today include pączki, berliners, angel wings, souvlaki, bizcochos, bunyols, and botifarra d'ou. If you are in a country such as Spain, Germany, or Poland, it shouldn’t be too hard to find celebrations to attend.

Source

[everythingwhateverblog]

I captured these photos at a traditional carnival ("Fašnik") in Baranja, Eastern Croatia. It is a centuries-old tradition and is still cherished today. There are several legends about "buše." One legend says that the "buše" (people in costumes) drove the Turks from this area with their noise and clamor. In contrast, according to another legend, the "buše" chased winter away. The event lasts for several days. A large parade is organized that goes through the village. People are lighting a fire in the streets, and at the end of the event, people burn a giant knitted sculpture. In some countries known as a "Wickerman." - Carnival riding ("Pokladno jahanje") has its roots in the time of the Military Frontier. It is an event where we can see horse riders dressed in traditional attire. Carnival riding is traditionally held in Slavonia, Baranja, and Srijem. The' event's goal is to preserve the tradition and love for horses, without which the life of the inhabitants of this area couldn't have been imagined. The event takes place every Shrove Thursday before Ash Wednesday. - Nikon F100 (with manual focus because my autofocus stopped working that day -.-) + Sigma Art 50mm 1.4 and @kodak Portra 400. - #portra400 #nikonf100 #traditional #traditionalart #traditionalcarnival #carnival #Baranja #EasternCroatia #filmphotography #personalproject #photoseries #analogphotographyph #photofilmy #broadmag #OpenTheme2022 (at Gajic Baranja) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcpYoXTohhe/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[umichenginabroad]

Week 6 in Limerick

Hey, guys, it’s Katie again, here to talk about my last full week at the University of Limerick.

Monday: Nina figured out over the weekend that the acid was causing an exothermic reaction in the sludge, so it was nice to know that for today. I started the reactor as usual, but it was making the same weird clicking noise, so Nina looked at it and determined that the stirrer was the problem. She managed to fix it, but also let me know that it’s not a major problem for the experiment. I collected my sample from today’s experiment as usual, but I also had samples from previous trials that were put in an oven to test for ash content, so I could weigh the crucibles and find the ash percentage in each one. It was great to have this data for the three procedures I’ve used the past few weeks because I could finally compare them to each other.

Tuesday: I took the day off to go to a concert in the evening, which meant I didn’t have time to run a full experiment that day with the time I have in lab. Pascale and I left for Dublin around 2:30, then hopped on a train to Malahide to see Florence and the Machine perform. We got dinner and drinks while we watched the opening acts, Nell Mescal and CMAT. Florence started performing around 9:00, and we went into the crowd to get a better view and dance to the music. I don’t listen to them much, but they played a lot of good songs, including a few I know. Florence was also so passionate about performing, and that energy was very invigorating. We left the concert around 11:15, and that’s when stuff got difficult. Pascale and I did not realize that the last bus from Dublin to Limerick was at 11:45, so we missed it and had to stay overnight at a hostel in Dublin. This was nerve-wracking, but we were glad to have somewhere safe to stay at the end, and the concert was definitely worth it.

Left: The hydrochar samples from the past few weeks. Right: Florence and the Machine concert.

Wednesday: Today was a bit more difficult in lab because I was tired and feeling some residual stress from the past night. I got the experiment done okay, with some new white sludge that has a higher phosphorus content, but I felt tense and down on myself for making a big mistake with transport after the concert, which made my smaller mistakes from today feel a lot worse. After lab, I went for a short run, which helped clear my head and make me feel a lot better. 

Thursday and Friday were pretty similar in that I ran the same procedure both days, using white sludge at 190 degrees for 30 minutes, then adding acid and running the reactor again at 80 degrees for 30 minutes.

Saturday: Today, Pascale and I went to Cork and Blarney. We left early so we would have time to explore more. First, we went to the English Market, which is basically an indoor farmers market. We got lunch there and looked at the different vendors, then we hopped on a bus to Blarney Castle. We didn’t go inside the castle because the line to kiss the stone was way too long, so we explored the grounds instead. Near the castle, there were the Poison Gardens, which had some carnivorous and poisonous plants growing in the area. Then, we checked out the Rock Close, a wooded area set on an old druid encampment. There were a lot of cool landmarks here, including a stone which, according to legend, traps the Witch of Blarney during the day. I liked this area a lot because it felt very mystical and connected to the pre-Christian roots of Ireland. Afterwards, we went on a hike along the trails, which took us close to a pretty lake. At the end of the hike, we went into a cave system right next to the castle, which was once used as an escape route during one of the castle’s sieges. After getting back to Blarney, we explored the area near the bus stop for a little while before catching the next one back to Limerick.

Top left: Blarney Castle. Top right: View of Cork City. Bottom left: Pascale and I by the lake. Bottom right: Witch's Stone.

Sunday: Today was a more relaxed day until the late afternoon, when the four of us went to meet Grainne, the director of Arcadia Abroad in Ireland, for dinner. It was nice to catch up with her and tell her about how the program went for the past few weeks, since we are now at the end of it, unfortunately. We went to a nice restaurant named Coqbull in Limerick, which had good food and a nice atmosphere. I am super grateful for all the work Grainne and the rest of the Arcadia crew have done to organize this program for us.

Grainne and the Arcadia STEM crew at the goodbye dinner

[pastorsperspective]

All You Need For Me To Be Is Still...

It’s Friday! A beautiful, sunshiny Friday! One that makes us count the days until summer and look forward to much needed time with our families. Nothing reminds us of how much we need that quite like the busy weeks we’ve just come through leading up to Easter. There was a lot, and I do mean a lot, going on. While this is not new for most of you, I am new to the Methodist traditions and I, of course, have questions. Usually, a lot of them. In lieu of a sermon interview this week, I sent Pastor Chad an email and that exchange went like this:

I really have no questions regarding Easter service or the whole concept of Jesus' death and resurrection that was preached far and wide. What I do have questions about is Holy Week. Oh, my word. First, I have never been involved in any denomination that made an entire season out of Easter. (That's not a bad thing, just a shock to the system.) I was wondering if you could explain a little bit about the history behind the various events that took place leading up to Easter for those of us not raised in the Methodist faith? 

For instance, I have heard of Ash Wednesday, but thought it was something only Catholics did and really don't know much about it. I had never heard of Maundy Thursday, or Lenten Lunches. I have heard of Walk the Passion events (Station of The Cross), again, I thought it was a Catholic tradition. I have also never heard of a 7 Cries From The Cross Service, though I am familiar with the standard Good Friday services that are offered in some places. What a massive undertaking the last couple of weeks have been! How do you do it? I’m exhausted.

So, if you can, briefly describe the history behind each service or event and its purpose. Why do we incorporate all these events still today? The overall question being, why do we/you/us, as Methodists, do all this? What do we have to gain? To give? What is our purpose throughout these events? 

So, Holy Week traditions stem largely back to the original roots of the Methodist movement coming out of the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church, being so close to the Roman Catholic church in history, has very similar traditions and this is where we get the Ash Wednesday service, Maundy Thursday Service, and practice of a Good Friday service of some sort. Ash Wednesday is a marker of the beginning of the Lenten season (we are a liturgical church meaning we go by the liturgical calendar of seasons in the church life) and it centers on our humanity and the fact that outside of grace and the love of God we are doomed to mortality. It is also a key point in calling for our repentance as we enter into the preparation season (Lent) for Easter. Maundy Thursday celebrates the Last Supper and washing of the feet with an emphasis on servanthood in ministry and faith. Good Friday services are a tradition and these range from anywhere to a typical Sunday-style service focusing on the death of Christ to reenactments of the crucifixion. All the way back to Joseph Hayden, the 7 Cries of Jesus from the cross have been an emphasis in Christian communities, especially on Good Friday. The point was to bring out the visceral and important themes portrayed by Jesus in these last words. Many different traditions have their own versions of this service and I first encountered it while attending an AME church back in seminary. The service was so moving and powerful and I loved the collaborative spirit of bringing other preachers from different contexts, backgrounds, and traditions together for a service around Jesus' crucifixion before we celebrate his resurrection.

The main point of all of this is to focus intently and deeply on these specific parts of the Christian narrative to allow the Holy Spirit to move and flow in ways that draw us closer to God. When we take the time to stop, deeply contemplate, pray, and experience these important moments in our Christian story, God can move in our lives in powerful ways. In essence, these services and traditions are a means of grace. They are a means by which we experience God's grace that empowers us to grow stronger in our faith journey. They heal, they convict, they empower, they bring new life, they end old hurtful pasts, and they allow us to be filled with all that God is working to fill us with. 

At this point, I do wish that I could have asked more questions, however Pastor Chad was heading out to lead the Women’s Emmaus Walk that is currently going on in Gainsville so I didn’t get the opportunity to dig any deeper. If you are reading this, likely you sometimes have questions as well. Please feel free to let me know some time and I will get your questions answered! Also, please be in prayer for all the leaders and participants, I believe they are called pilgrims, over at the Emmaus Walk this weekend. God is moving mountains that we don’t see. Which, or course, reminds me of a song.

Still by Hillary Scott

[venicexplorer]

Venice Carnival

Among all annual events in Venice the Venice Carnival is the most famous one. Venetians descend on the pre-Lent feast of Carnevale. The festival traditionally marks the wild celebration preceding Lent, the period of penance and abstinence before Easter. Carne Vale - literally - 'farewell to meat', lasts a maximum of 10 days, culminating from the Friday to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Carnival officially starts 10 days before Shrove Tuesday (or Maundy Thursday), the dates vary depending on when Easter 'falls'.

[nobertsales]

National Paczki Day! The paczki’s roots date back to the Middle Ages, when they were filled with pork fat and fried in lard.   In Poland, paczki are eaten especially on Fat Thursday (the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday). Many Polish Americans celebrate Paczki Day on Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday).   Traditionally, the reason for making paczki was to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house, because they were forbidden to be consumed due to Catholic fasting practices during Lent. #NationalPaczkiDay #Food #FoodSolutions #FoodService #FoodServiceSolutions #FoodSales #WeKnowFood #FoodConsultant #FoodDude #FoodOfTheDay #NobertSales @NobertSales (at Germantown, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co7g0u_AxbJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kevinscottgardens]

29 août au 4 septembre 2022

We moored up in Calgiari around 10.00. Lucien and I decided to take a minibus ride around the city before alighting at the top of the town. From there we meandered down, and finally stopped for a bite to eat. Disappointingly, this was a short stop, so we were back aboard by 14.30 and were sailing by 15.00. It was our last port-of-call for the cruise.

Goodbye Sardinia. I made my way to the naked suntanning area for one last time. As we sailed up the coast of Sardinia, back towards Civitavecchia, we were blessed with a stunning sunset.

Jody and Steve kindly offered to give us a lift in their taxi the short ride to the train station in Civitavecchia. Thankfully we had bought our tickets ahead of time as the machines were out of order. The train ride home to Antibes, with Lucien, took twelve hours. There was a lot of lightening with heavy rain between Genoa and Ventimiglia which slowed the train to a snail’s pace. Lucien had the foresight to call ahead to a sushi place near the Antibes train station. So as soon as we arrived I ran over to collect it then we took a taxi home, enjoyed a late dinner and slept very well.

I started at 06.45 Wednesday morning. It was tough going. Several more plants in pots succumbed to the heat in my absence, especially the ones in the nursery. Lucien had coffee for me around 10.00 which was nice. We ordered Chinese for lunch then took a siesta. We headed to the airport to collect Susie around 19.30 then headed directly to Biot for dinner.

Thursday I fed the pelargoniums and did some watering. Heavy rain is forecast for all day Saturday, let’s see if anything materialises. I took Lucien to the train station before having a physio appointment. I then joined him at a nearby boulangerie for a coffee before accompanying him to his train at 16.10. It was sad to say goodbye after two weeks travelling together. I then headed to the market for a much needed stocking up of food for the house. Poor Susie must have been starving. That done, I headed home and Susie and I enjoyed apéros before making dinner.

Friday I worked until I headed off for an MRI on my left elbow. The scan confirmed tendonitis.

Susie and I headed into Antibes for a late lunch then walking around I ran into Christoph and Jean Noel, two guys I met while Chuck was here. I always running into people I know unexpectedly. I propagated some Salvia candelabrum in the afternoon.

Then we both needed a good siesta before apéros. In evening we headed up to O’Sarracino in Biot. We were ecstatic when we discovered the same singers were performing again this evening, just like our last visit here last October. It was a fun evening of dining and dancing.

Saturday was a grey, overcast yet still warm day. We headed up to Vence to visit Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Mæght. It started to rain as we drove away so we headed home for a snooze and apéros. Sadly, none of the rain made it to the domaine. I have a lot of watering to do Monday.

In the evening we headed into Antibes where we enjoyed a lightning show from the marina before stumbling upon a cosy restaurant that served us good comfort food at Le Brulot.

Sunday morning I went into old town and picked up some pastries for a late brunch. Then we decided to drive over to Cap Ferret and do a walk along the sentier du littoral.

It was a very nice walk and I’ll definitely do it again. There were many little areas to tan and jump into the water. There were a lot of people scuba diving too. The MS Azura was anchored off Villefranche-sur-Mer. It was anchored with us in Mykonos. We enjoyed some nice aperitifs before making a delicious risotto for dinner.

Plant of the week

Scrophulariaceae Leucophyllum frutescens (Berland.) I.M.Johnst.

common name(s) - Texas sage, Texas ranger, Texas rain sage, Texas silverleaf, Texas barometerbush, ash-bush, wild lilac, purple sage; español : senisa, cenicilla, palo cenizo, hierba del cenizo synonym(s) - homotypic synonym(s)* : Terania frutescens Berland.; heterotypic synonym(s)* : Leucophyllum frutescens f. albiflorum Clover; Leucophyllum frutescens f. albineum Lundell; Leucophyllum texanum Benth. conservation rating - none native to - SW Texas to Mexico location - Domaine de l’Orangerie, chez moi leaves - silvery gray to greenish, soft to the touch, tapering more gradually to the base than to the rounded tip, margins smooth flowers - solitary axillary pink flowers are bell- or funnel-shaped, with five lobes and two lips; violet to purple, sometimes pink, nearly bell shaped, appearing intermittently from spring to autumn fruit - small two-valve capsule habit - evergreen shrub to 2m tall by 1m wide habitat - grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biomes in rocky, calcareous soils pests - generally pest-free disease - generally disease-free hardiness - to -10ºC (H4) soil - well-drained sun - full sun propagation - seed, softwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings pruning - trim growing tips to encourage full, bushy growth nomenclature - Scrophulariaceae - scrophula, breeding sows were said to be prone to this glandular disease, signature of the glands on the corolla, many plants were used to treat scrophulae, the King’s disease; Leucophyllum - Greek words λευκός (leukos), meaning white, and φυλλον (phyllos), meaning leaf, referring to the trichome-covered foliage; frutescens - shrubby, becoming shrubby NB - Leucophyllum shrubs are legendary for their ability to ‘forecast’ rain, usually blooming several days prior to a rainstorm, apparently in response to humidity. It is believed to be a survival trait in the plants' semi-desert habitats.

*In botanical nomenclature a homotypic synonym (nomenclatural synonym) is a synonym that comes into being through a nomenclatural act. When a taxon gets a new name, without being included in another taxon (of the same rank). The old name becomes a homotypic synonym of the new name. In botanical nomenclature a heterotypic synonym (or taxonomic synonym) is a synonym that comes into being when a taxon is reduced in status (reduced to synonymy) and becomes part of a different taxon.

References :

Gardening Know How [online] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/texas-sage/rooting-texas-sage-cuttings.htm [3 Sep 22]

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] http://www.iucnredlist.org/search [3 Sep 22]

Missouri Botanical Garden [online] https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287024 [4 Sep 22]

NCSU [online] https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/leucophyllum-frutescens/ [3 Sep 22]

Plants of the World [online] https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:139187-2 [3 Sep 22]

Wikipedia [online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucophyllum [3 Sep 22]

Ibid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucophyllum_frutescens [3 Sep 22]

Wildflower Center [online] https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=lefr3 [3 Sep 22]

World Flora Online [online] http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001136787 [3 Sep 22]