Procrastination Friday

Do I have time to write a blog post? Nope! What am I doing? I am procrastinating. I have two "papers" to write, but then I have to record myself presenting them. I have my ideas for both, but I have a headache that neither motrin nor tylenol nor peppermint oil has affected. Actually, they have knocked the edge off, but it is still there . . so I think I'll write a blog post.

On Tuesday night, we hosted our weekly group of Young Adults and we celebrated Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday or the last day of Mardi Gras. You choose! I made TONS of pancakes. I cooked 1 pound of bacon and Mark cooked 3 pounds. I made sausage squares. We had cookies and king cake for dessert.

I even decorated a little.

I had beads and candy and moon pies on the table and one of the young men went to Mobile over the weekend and brought a huge bag of beads from the parade (to share). Just FYI, New Orleans is not the original King of the Mardi Gras. Mobile, Alabama, is recognized as the birthplace of Mardi Gras in the United States, with the first organized celebration held in 1703, more than a decade before New Orleans was founded. Founded by French settlers in 1702, Mobile brought the tradition to the area, starting the oldest official Carnival celebration in the U.S. I have given you a fun fact to know and tell! haha!

I love Gerbera Daisies!

Here is one pan of the sausage squares. I made two pans. It is such an easy recipe and soooo delicious! You brown 1 pound regular breakfast sausage (I like Jimmy Dean) and one pound hot breakfast sausage (also Jimmy Dean). When meat is no longer pink, drain the fat. There will be a LOT of fat. Put meat back in skillet and put two 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese in the skillet. Stir until melted and mixed well with sausage. Spray a pan (9 X 13) with Pam and place one roll of Pillsbury crescent roll sheet on bottom of pan. Spoon meat/cream cheese on top and smooth out to the edges. Place second roll of Pillsbury crescent roll sheet on top. If you can't get the "sheets," buy the roll of crescent rolls and smush the seams together. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and until filling is hot and bubbly.

Wednesday was Ash Wednesday and I talked a little about Ash Wednesday on our Hodgepodge post. Here are some photos from the worship service. It is SUCH A POWERFUL service.

In the photo below, the couple in the bottom right corner of the photo - see them? That is Mark's identical twin brother and his wife! George has a beard and Mark doesn't and many people still confuse them.

Below is my boss, pastor, friend, co-worker. He is an amazing preacher and pastor.

We all went forward and had the sign of the cross placed on our foreheads. All of our pastors participated. Imposition of ashes is not a sacrament, so even a lay person can do it, but we have lots of pastors on staff.

I snapped the photo below in the car after the service.

On Thursday, we had several special guests with us. We travel with EO - Educational Opportunities and Brian and I have been to Israel/Palestine 4 times together. The Mayor of Bethlehem came to visit us. He shared about the unemployment rate in Palestine and how the people are suffering. The unemployment rate is soaring and they are not allocated enough water per household. Did you know that by law, 17 Palestinian cities must have a Christian mayor and a majority of Christians on their city councils? In 2020 and again in 2023, we were blessed to eat dinner in a Palestinian Christian family's home - a meal cooked by them and served by them. The conversations were rich. Just let me say that sometimes what we hear on mainstream TV . . . is not the way things really are.

Maher Canawati, mayor of THE Bethlehem and Brian Erickson, Senior Pastor at Trinity UMC Homewood, AL

I love this hug photo!

He presented a gift to Brian and he brought all of us

a small Olive Wood cross from Bethlehem

Here is the gift he gave to Brian

I cannot make this photo turn right side up and with this headache . . . Below is a specialized, symbolic medal. It consists of two side pieces made of olive wood from the roof of the Church of the Nativity, surrounding a large central "coin" featuring a mosaic from the original Basilica. The side pieces look like the space where you kneel down in the Church of the Nativity. (I've posted a stock photo of the medallion in the church below)

See how the side pieces are similar!

Anyway . . .I still have the headache. Pollen is beginning its fun for the season - the trees are all having sex this week (that is a phrase a friend's husband says and it is so true). I might need to take a 20 minute snooze to see if that helps!

I hope you are having a great Friday!