A Year of Blogging: March 9, 2011

March 9 was Ash Wednesday. As a Catholic, Ash Wednesday is a very important part of our religious calendar. It is the start of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter. It is a time of reflection and sacrifice. Growing up, I did not understand the importance of Ash Wednesday. I thought it was an annoyance. We went to 7:30am Mass at our church. It was one of the few days we did not ride the bus to school. We went to Mass with Mom, and then she took us to school. There were not many Catholics in our school, and my sister and I were ridiculed for having ashes on our forehead. My father and the Priest told us it was not a source of shame- and we should not try to cover it with our bangs. Yet, children being children- it was something that set my sister and I apart from the others, and therefore, resulted in teasing. Modern Catholics do not eat meat on Ash Wednesday or any Friday during Lent. Years ago, meat was not allowed at all during Lent, but that has changed. They also now make exceptions for young children, pregnant women, and those with special dietary concerns. However- not liking fish is not an excuse! I know this first hand. I do not like fish, or seafood of any kind. Chicken is considered meat, so it is out of bounds for Friday nights during Lent. I solved this problem by making pizza! Every Friday night while I was in high school, I made pizza. Possibly in Junior High too. My mom worked at a bank, and banks were open until 6pm on Friday nights. Fridays were her late night. To help her, we made dinner. When I was too young to cook, Dad made dinner. Which meant we had hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. Except during Lent. Then it was fish sticks and macaroni and cheese. Once I was old enough to cook (I would say learned to cook, but my family thought I hadn't learned), I made homemade pizza one Friday night. It was a hit, and became a tradition. I made two pizzas each night- one for my sister and I and one for my parents. Dad's had gross things like peppers and mushrooms. He also like sausage and pepperoni. My sister's and my pizza was either pepperoni or half cheese and half pepperoni. I mastered pizza making. It was fun, and a nice dinner for us. Mom didn't have to cook, Dad could eat and go bowling, and it wasn't a lot of effort. Even then, I was about doing it quickly and easily. During Lent, Laura and I shared a cheese pizza and Mom and Dad shared a veggie pizza. But it was better than fish!