Fat Tuesday=Mardi Gras=Carnival, which all lead to Lent

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Royalty goes to new levels when Mardi Gras season hits. We have Mardi Gras Kings, Queens, Princesses and Duchesses crowned in festivals across the former Confederate States annually, as well as the grand Carnival celebrations in Europe and Latin America.  Today is “Fat Tuesday”, the eve of the Mardi Gras, and the beginning of Lent in the Church calendar.  How do all of these labels coincide?  Here is a list of definitions:

Lent is the Christian season of preparation prior to Easter Sunday.  The 40 day preparation includes reflection, repentance, fasting, and discipline for the purpose of identifying with, giving thanks for, and submitting to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.  Many “give up” eating certain comfort foods, or doing certain “extravagant” activities in order to penitentially identify with Christ and His sacrifice.

Fat Tuesday is the last day (day before Ash Wednesday) to live it up before giving up your creature comforts!

Mardi Gras is the French literal translation for Fat Tuesday.

Shrove Tuesday is also another term for Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.  Shrove is past tense for Shrive, meaning to hear confession, assign penance, and absolve from sin.  In other words, Shrove Tuesday reminds the Christian that he or she is entering a season of repentance.

Pancake Day is ALSO the same meaning for infamous Tuesday in question!  The contents of pancakes (fat, butter and eggs) were all forbidden foods during Lent.  Great Britain marks Mardi Gras with big plates of pancakes instead of parades and society balls.  But, they are the model for Royalty after all!

Carnival is Latin for “farewell to the flesh”.

Now that we have our definitions in place, let’s explore a few of the celebrations on this Fat Tuesday!

Mardi Gras in New Orleans was a rolling celebration by the 1730’s, with eight elegant society balls established by the then Governor to mark the season.  It was decades later when the colorful parades began in the streets of New Orleans.  Mobile, Alabama hosted the first Mardi Gras in America in 1703.

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2014 Carnival Court, Rex Organization
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2014 King and Queen of Carnival
rexorganization.com

Mardi Gras in Galveston began prior to the Lenten season 1867, just two years after the Civil War.  Young ladies from across the South were invited to be apart of the “royal court” in celebration of the King and Queen of Frivolity for the Krewe, the Knights of Momus.  World War II brought a halt to celebrations across our nation, and even the end of the war could not successfully revive the merriment of Galveston Mardi Gras.  An attempt to bring back the regal Coronations of King Frivolous occurred in the late 1940’s, but the practice would sleep for a few more decades.  In the early 1980’s a small group of men revived the Knights of Momus, and society’s daughters were once again invited be presented in a royal court wearing gowns fit for a queen.  In fact, John Spencer, one of the men who brought life back to the Knights of Momus, arranged for Queen Elizabeth II’s (yes, the real Queen) dress maker to create the elaborate gowns for the first court of the new Galveston Mardi Gras era in 1984 at the historic Galveston Opera House.

King Frivolous XXV, Mr. Harry Black, and his Queen, Miss Margie Beth Spiller, 1949 http://rosenberg-library-museum.org

King Frivolous XXV, Mr. Harry Black, and his Queen, Miss Margie Beth Spiller, 1949
http://rosenberg-library-museum.org

Gown for Margie Beth Spiller, the “Queen of Galveston’s last Mardi Gras” in 1949 http://rosenberg-library-museum.org

Gown for Margie Beth Spiller, the “Queen of Galveston’s last Mardi Gras” in 1949
http://rosenberg-library-museum.org

2012 King and Queen for the Knights of Momus www.houston.culturemap.com

2012 King and Queen for the Knights of Momus
http://www.houston.culturemap.com

2012 Duchesses in the Knights of Momus Coronation Court houston.culturemap.com

2012 Duchesses in the Knights of Momus Coronation Court
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Across Europe, throughout the Southern United States, and permeating Latin America, Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday/Carnival will be celebrated in elaborate, frivolous style tonight, while Great Britain will celebrate with pancakes.  How will you mark the beginning of the Christian season of Lent?  More importantly, how will you mark the next 40 days in preparation for observing Easter?

Laissez les bons temps rouler!  (At least until tomorrow morning!)

Love is in the air!

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Love.  Valentine’s Day.  What a joyful, easy holiday to “do”!  We have license to buy lots of candy guilt free, we buy cards to verbalize different forms of affection, and we even buy gifts to display evidence of our love for another.  However, the Beatles song, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, is screaming through my mind right now!  Using your purchasing power on these things is by no means wrong, but is that where we stop displaying our love until the next “holiday” buying opportunity?  What do our daily actions, and even random purchases say about how we actively love another?  And, the big elephant in the room: who are we not loving and should be loving, but we “can’t”?  Here are some ways to make your Valentine’s Day happen every day, or at least more often.

1. Love is action and words.  What we say can either build someone up, or tear them down.  Read positive and edifying materials.  That which is on the forefront of your mind is usually what comes out of your mouth.  Biblical scripture is a good place to start.  There are other positive blogs to follow like http://www.dianegottsman.com and http://www.mustbringbuns.blogspot.com.  Read more!  Some edifying book recommendations are also on my home page.

2. Love is a decision.  Feelings come and go.   Communicate real reasons you have decided to love those in your life.

3. Whom do you love?  Whom should you love?  (ugh!)  The first question creates a list instantly.  The second causes my hand to write much more slowly!  We are commanded to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength”, “love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mark 12:30), “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), “love one another” (John 13:34), and “do everything in love” (I Corinthians 16:14).  Who is on your ‘hard to love’ list?  How can you decide to show love to this person?  It may start with forgiveness, and it may be a silent decision within you, which is how your action will grow outward.

4. Buy, write, say, or do?!  No matter how you choose to show your love, do with sincerity (Romans 12:9), do it with the receiver’s perspective in mind, and do it with joy, “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” (Philemon 7).

Here are some ideas to commemorate the “big day”:

Tickets to a show, concert, sporting event, movie, tour, or exhibit.  Consider your mutual interests and create a memory.

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Plan a trip, in town or out, doing things you both enjoy.  Plan what you know you can do so time spent is not stressful in finishing the list, or disappointing because you did not get to a certain “favorite” thing.  Keep it simple and enjoyable.

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Flowers!  Make sure the recipient does not have allergies to your bouquet.  Arrange the flowers yourself, or order from a trusted florist.  Even if he or she “likes” to arrange flowers, refrain from dropping off a bunch of floral selections which will need immediate attention.  Your valentine may not have time for this activity, thus causing annoyance rather than joy.

If floral allergies are suspected, send a fruit arrangement.

Write on paper.  Texts and emails are the norm these days, and the written word on paper seems to be fading to extinction.  A carefully crafted expression on paper can mean more than 100 roses, a five star dinner, or a trip to Paris.  Take time to write your thoughts, feelings, memories on paper to your Valentine.  This piece of paper may be what you find decades later in a treasured place to let you know, in return, how much your expression meant to your beloved.

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http://www.sugarpaper.com

In short, just do what Loves does.  “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”  I Corinthians 13:4-8

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyday!

Mary Ellen

Advent: Feeding body and soul

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Advent is a time of waiting, looking forward, and preparing.  As Christians, we are looking forward to the time in the church calendar when we mark the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We are preparing for His arrival and how He will change the world, and individual hearts.  The preparations seem endless at this time!  There are spiritual preparations to be made, as well as practical and “worldly” preparations.  Balance them.

Queen Elizabeth II hits the floor on her knees first thing every morning.  That is a practical, spiritual example I can follow!  There are many wonderful Advent devotionals out there.  The one I like this year is from Friends of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University.   It is a quick paragraph of inspiration along with the corresponding lectionary scripture for the day.  Making time for God every day, especially during Advent, will make the rest of your days better.  (Or, you will see how God is working in the negatives of your days, which, again, is better.)

Speaking of Her Majesty and looking forward to Christmas, it is fun to take a peek into where she will be, what she will be eating, etc.  Since the fire at Windsor Castle, the royal family has spent Christmas through the New Year at Sandringham House.   They have tea Christmas Eve afternoon, after which they open their gifts.  Christmas morning finds them with a light breakfast before attending church at St. Mary Magdalene on the grounds of the estate.  After the service they are greeted back at the House with the traditional Christmas lunch.  Tea will appear again that afternoon, and finally, dinner.  A change of clothes for each of these events is necessary, at least according to Sarah, Duchess of York, in Chef Darren McGrady’s book, Eating Royally.

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St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, Norfolk, England
http://www.sandringhamestate.co.uk/sandringham-church/

Lovely to know where they will be celebrating Christmas, but what will they be eating?  According to Princess Diana’s private chef, Darren McGrady, it is much like our Thanksgiving meal of turkey, bread sauce (stuffing), sausages wrapped in bacon, chestnuts, glazed carrots, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy, followed by desserts and assorted cheeses.  Chef McGrady gives lively accounts of his time with the royal family in his book, Eating Royally.   Amazon might be able to get it to you in time for your stocking to be stuffed!

Back to our living royally today, what you are serving for Christmas lunch and what you are wearing for each of your meals (pajamas for breakfast, skirt for lunch and jeans for dinner:) are two ways to show your reverence for the occasion.  If making these things happen to meet a certain standard gets in the way of being able to prepare your heart for what God has in store for you, AND show the love of Christ to others, then stop your meal prep and wardrobe alignment.  Take these few days before the kids are out of school and decide what must happen, how it can happen, and delete the rest.  You can do those things next year!

Daily time with God can look many different ways:

devotional

prayer (on your knees, in your favorite chair, on a walk, in the car)

Bible study with a neighbor or friend

Do it!

Preparing the worldly things can be overwhelming, so:

Pray

Plan you meal (I am still considering several options for our meal.  The recipes “on the table” are posted on my recipe page.)

Make you grocery list and pick when you need to go

Get out your serving pieces, table linens, etc.

Choose your prayer (freestyle, or prepared, plan it)

Get those gifts wrapped!  If you have not shopped, get out there or get clicking.  (and, have the store do your wrapping.)

If you have not decorated yet, skip it, or skimp on it.  We are too close to get everything out now, so choose to make this part easy on yourself.  A few poinsettias or white hydrangeas will give the punch you need.

Pray

And, pray again!

The Lessons and Carols service at my church is truly beautiful.  It transports me to what I think heaven must sound like.  One song in particular caught my attention as a wonderful prayer for our Christmas day lunch:

“Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne” by Mark Patterson/Philip Doddridge

“Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne for soon the Child of Light will come. Let ev’ry voice prepare a song to welcome Christ the Promised One.  Let every hand reach out with love to greet this gift from God above.  Make ready now, the Savior comes, the Prince of Peace, the Promised One.  So let the flames of Advent grow, each candle shines that all may know the hope we need, so long foretold will soon be here for us to hold.  Let every hand reach out with love to greet this gift from God above.  So let the flame of Advent grow, each candle shines that all may know the hope we need, so long foretold will soon be here for us to hold.”

May this Advent season and Christmas day be the one you cherish because of the gift God places in your heart.  Merry Christmas preparation!

Giving Thanks: Five Prayers for our day of thanks

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Thursday will be here soon, along with the turkey, dressing, and cranberries, none to be tasted until the prayer is said!  If you are the host, you will pray over the meal, or will you ask an unsuspecting guest to do it?  Gracious guest, won’t you want to be ready IF you are called upon to return grace over the bountiful meal?  Below are a few prayers to properly praise the Lord who blesses us with our daily bread, our freedom, and our relationship with Him.

Thanksgiving Dinner Prayer

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You’ve done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.

-Mary Fairchild  

Abundant Blessing

We thank you for the turkey,
The gravy and the dressing.
Dear Lord, this table overflows
With Thy abundant blessing.
Let us always be aware
That all gifts come from You,
And may we serve Your heavenly will
In everything we do. Amen.

-Joanna Fuchs

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Moravian Blessing

Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be
And bless these gifts
Bestowed by Thee.
And bless our loved ones everywhere,
And keep them in Your loving care.

A responsive prayer (from the Book of Common Prayer)

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so
freely bestowed upon us.For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and
sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women,
revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and
our friends,
We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering
and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and
promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the
Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer, A Litany of Thanksgiving

What is the best prayer?  Since prayer is really talking to God, the best prayer is a simple audible conversation with God.

1.   Begin with praising Him for who He is (All powerful, Almighty, Provider, Healer).

2.   Thank Him for what He has done for you/your loved ones/our nation (a new baby, a new marriage, a healed grandparent, safely bringing some troops home).

3.   Ask Him for blessings (continued protection for our troops, restoration of the Philippines, heal a loved one, provide a job for a friend in need).

For the Kids

Kids sometimes embrace conversing with God best.  You may set their special table in a way to draw out their Godly desires.

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Visit itswrittenonthewalls.blogspot.com

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Visit lifewiththecrustcutoff.com

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Visit mirabellecreations.com

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Visit everydaycheer.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary Ellen

Giving Thanks: Dressing (your table and you!)

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Thanksgiving is next week, giving little time to even utter the words “Thank you”.  Whether you are hosting the Thursday meal, or going as a guest to another table, you will want to give proper thanks for those who surround you.  Here are some ways to convey your love in how you dress your table, yourself, and offer hostess gifts.

Dressing your table

Just as dressing with your wardrobe signifies respect, reverence, or excitement for a person or event, so it goes with how you dress your table for your guests.  This does not mean it has to be fancy to convey respect, reverence or excitement, but it should be special, well planned, and creative.  A thanksgiving celebration at the ranch with a tartan plaid throw as a table cloth would set a special picnic feel, and lends itself to all sorts of shelf laden accessories to add to the personality of the hostess through her table.  Or, take a plate of your fall china to the florist to create the perfect centerpiece for your table, along with family heirloom serving pieces to serve the meal.  The fruits of your garden serve as wonderful party favors your guests cannot buy themselves!  A small posey of flowers at each  place setting would be a lovely remembrance of the special day in your home.   See more holiday tablescapes on my Pinterest board.

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Tartan throw as tablecloth
from Pinterest

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Autumn tablescape
Texas publication

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Autumn lunch place setting
Texas publication

Dressing yourself

How you present yourself sets the tone of how you feel about the occasion, about those with whom you will dine, and the respect you afford to each.  If the meal has been announced to be casual, dress casually, but with some flair.  Even at the ranch one can take a western scarf to tie around your neck, pony tail, or waist to elevate your reverence for the occasion.  For a more traditional affair, add something more special than you would to the office, a charity luncheon, or  church.  Your hostess, has gone to a tremendous amount of effort in preparing her table, her house, your meal, and will clean it all up once you leave.  Give her the respect due to her by spending some extra time in choosing an outfit, finishing your hair, preparing your nails, etc.  Think of your hostess as the Queen!  Prepare yourself, your clothes, makeup, and jewelry as if you were, indeed, having lunch at Buckingham Palace.  If you are the hostess, dress for the occasion you set forth.  Give yourself the time necessary so that you enjoy the day along with your guests.  See more Kate looks.

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cute jacket with jeans makes for a “dressed up” feel at the casual Thanksgiving table.
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The extra bling adds to the casual ranch jeans, and you can take it off before the afternoon hunt.
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Tailored blouse and skirt, probably has on her signature nude pumps!
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To church or an elegant celebration, this is a perfect nod of thanks to your hostess.
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Love the hat! The dress and heels certainly show your reverence.
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Hostess gift, don’t walk through the door without one!

As we have established, your hostess has knocked herself out for you!  Bring her something to enhance her holiday experience, and do not bring anything to add to, or worse, conflict with her plan for this day.  Check out dianegottsman.com for more hostess gift etiquette.  Respect for your hostess’ time is shown in your punctuality.  Do not be late!  Only the Queen can rationalize that “she is never late, everyone else is simply early”!  (quote from the Princess Diaries)

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A gift that had to be ordered ahead of time is most thoughtful.
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For the culinary queen! Rosemary “trees” are easily found this time of year. Dress it up, and go.
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Your hostess may need this after you leave!
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Remember, you and all those around you are royalty in the kingdom of God.  Give Him thanks first, then your hostess.

Psalm 100:4-5 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise to his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Giving Thanks: To Our Veterans

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November 11, today, is Veteran’s Day.  Although World War I, “the Great War”, officially ended on June 28, 1919 at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, fighting between the Allies and Germany ceased (armistice) “at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh month” of that year, 1919.  To pay Respect to those who fought in what was thought at that time to be “the war to end all wars”, President Wilson signed a proclamation creating Armistice Day as November 11.  In 1954 Congress changed the name from “Armistice Day” to “Veteran’s Day” in order to include those who fought in World War II and Korea in the day of Respect.  Today, we have many more war heroes to honor.

Great Britain instituted “Armed Forces Day” in February 2006 as a day to honor her veterans.  Military honors given by the Crown have deeper roots.  Queen Elizabeth II, having served in World War II as a mechanic of all things, has a first hand glimpse at the dedication and sacrifices military veterans give to their beloved country.

How can we Live Royally on Veteran’s Day?  Unlike Queen Elizabeth II, we do not have authority to give honorary medals.  But, Today, we can express our gratitude to a Veteran personally.  If you have a family member, friend, neighbor, or co-worker who has served in our military, write them a note Today!  Tell this person what their specific service means to you, how you value it, or how you give thanks for the result of freedom.  Because Today is the day, and mail will not even go out Today, do call this special person in support of how this day has been set apart.  Ask this person if they would share with you what their service means to them.  Your interest in their work is a gift of Respect.  Receiving a note in a few days will be that extra pat on the back your Veteran richly deserves.

What you write is important, and equally so is the paper on which you write your grateful words!  See my Pinterest “Veteran’s Day Note Card” board for some beautiful Crane note cards, as well as some whimsical ones from Etsy.  As lovely as these note cards are, the finest gift of a note you could give would be a hand drawn card from a child.  If you have a child in your house, or in your neighborhood, set aside a little bit of time to tell them about Veteran’s Day, the Veteran in your life, and have the child draw a patriotic card for this hero in your midst.  The sentiment and the implied education to the next generation will mean more to this hero than we can imagine.

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Anchor Note from Crane.com

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Hand Engraved Fleur de lis Note from Crane.com
A nod to the Treaty of Versailles

God Bless America Flag Boxed Blank Note Cards from Etsy.com

God Bless America Flag Boxed Blank Note Cards from Etsy.com

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Hello!  A friend recently encouraged me to share a little bit of myself in how I express my “fun creativity” in everyday life, the occasional event, and relationships.  After a few conversations, here it is, Living Royally Today!  I am drawn to the British Monarchy, the Anglican Communion, what the Duchess of Cambridge is wearing, menus the royal chefs have prepared, travel with a crown but on a budget, the Bible, and the list goes on.

The four pillars that hold up my definition of Royal are:

Order – Get organized, evaluate what is on your plate, prioritize, and get to it.

Respect – have high regard for yourself, and others.

High Standards – set your goals a little higher, expect more from yourself, and deliver a better product to those in your midst.

Glorify God – in all you do, direct others to God in praise.

By taking these words as a new attitude AND into action, I will begin to act in ways that glorify God more often, more fully, and more meaningfully.  Does it have to be time consuming, expensive, or require tremendous effort?  No, but it can!  This wide array is the fun part.  Here are few examples.

I enjoy making snack time after school into a “high” tea for my two teenage girls.  Their schedules do not allow this very often, but when the opportunity knocks, answer the door!  Serving food they like on china plates and pouring tea from a tea pot in the living room as opposed to the kitchen table creates a different atmosphere where conversation flows at a quicker pace.  For the few extra minutes it took to prepare and clean up, I learned lots of interesting stories of life in the halls of their high school!  That is a profitable payout.

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Living Royally is also charitable.  We are still giggling about our sip & see for Prince George, and sit in amazement that 2000 diapers were raised on top of the incredible amount of fun we had as hostesses. (Read “Prince George’s Sip & See” for your dose of entertainment.)

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Whether it be cooking, entertaining, traveling, reading, giving or enjoying family and friends, I hope to examine my endeavors with a new lens of Living Royally Today.  As November begins to take off, the priority of giving thanks is quickly making its way to the top of the list!

“Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8 King James Version