Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Lent Arrives

Lent is here... and I figured out my Lenten Strategy 2012... just in time.

Several people suggested to me 40 bags in 40 days (where you get rid of 40 bags full of stuff), and that is definitely going to be a big part of my Lenten goal to simplify.  I'm going to make a big effort to get rid of the things that we don't need.  I've already piled something like 15 bags worth of stuff in the front hall... and I had to stop because we need to clear out the front hall before I can add more to it.  There's a microwave and a giant bag of toys, and I'm pretty sure that we could double or triple the bag of toys without making a dent on the solid coating of play things that are currently coating the living room floor after the girls being awake for all of one hour.  And there's a giant bag full of cream of chicken soup, because apparently I buy cream of chicken soup when I buy cream of mushroom soup, and while we go through a lot of cream of mushroom we apparently never use the cream of chicken, despite my apparent delusions otherwise.

I'm also going to focus on eating healthily and giving up junk food altogether, (with some light exceptions for the week when we are going to be traveling with my parents and I won't have my own kitchen or refrigerator)... although my new found love of Kale (and not just balsalmic garlic Kale chips, which are pretty much the best food on earth... but plain Kale too) makes me wonder if that should be on the "no" list, because I could really eat it, happily, all day long.  Baking cookies will be the biggest part of what I'm giving up... because I make chocolate coconut pecan cookies pretty much every week (the kind that are chocolate, condensed milk, coconut, vanilla and pecans, without flour or anything else) and I think I might have a slight chocolate coconut pecan cookie addiction at this point.

I'm going to try to pray the divine office, at least in the morning and at night, and read along with The Essential Lenten Handbook, which has daily meditations.  I'm also setting a goal to pray the rosary when we walk instead of listening to music (with a small deal that if I make it through 15 decades I will be able to put the earphones back on... since by that point I'll be so tired that a little extra musical motivation won't hurt).  And I'm going to make an effort to do a little more spiritual reading each day.

And so.... here we go!


4 comments:

  1. Of course I am missing the point of your post as I zero in on you talking about cookies.... can you post the actual recipe for those cookies sometime? I can't make them until after Lent, but they sound amazing!

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  2. Ash Wednesday, sure has arrived quickly this year!

    I think one of my favorite aspects of this season is the wide variety of celebrating and preparation that we do.

    and those cookies do sound really good!

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  3. I want your cookies recipe too! I'm always interested in recipes that don't use flour (gluten!).

    Don't give up kale! Kale is so nutritious and healthy, it's a superfood! I love kale chips, they are about the only way I can tolerate any type of cooked greens right now.

    Anyway, for me, for Lent I'm giving up one particular message board. I'm going to try to attend daily mass twice during the week and pray the rosary daily (I'm only shooting for 5 decades though).

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  4. Sorry, I missed the point of your post too... I really want that cookie recipe!!

    I am still trying to nail down what to fast from. (Horrible, I know) I better figure it out before tomorrow! Hopefully something will become very obvious to me at mass tonight.

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