Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

It's Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lent season.  TSO began emailing this story to me year and years ago and did it for a couple of years, I too now pass this on. This story has become an Ash Wednesday tradition of sorts, and something I look forward to. The tradition continues as now I share it with you. Taken from  Jacob the Baker  by Noah benShea. "...It was Mr. Gold who counted time and eventually spoke first. 'Jacob, where do you find the strength to carry on in life?' 'Life is often heavy only because we attempt to carry it,' said Jacob.  'But, I do find a strength in the ashes.' 'In the ashes?' asked Mr. Gold. 'Yes,' said Jacob, with a confirmation that seemed to have traveled a  great distance. 'You see, Mr. Gold, each of us is alone.  Each of us is in the great  darkness of our ignorance.  And each of us is on a journey. 'In the process of our journey, we must bend to build a fire for  light,...

Happy Fat Tuesday ya'll! Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent--the season leading up to Easter for Christians. As Catholics we are marked with ashes on Ash Wednesday, as a reminder of our journey toward conversion and renewal. We Catholics abstain from certain things and sometimes give things up as a reminder of conversion, but also to aid us in letting go of things which get in the way of God in our lives. Lent is all about working towards renewing our commitment to our faith and baptism. I like the idea of Lent, but it always feels like a spiritually fitful time for me, a dark time, made worse by the fact that I am so damn stir crazy for spring...yet, as I get older I am trying to focus on how all of those feelings make Easter day and springtime so much more glorious. So, today--pre-Lent--we celebrate. Fat Tuesday means paczkis in the MidWest (and other parts of the country). Fat Tuesday means enjoying one last hoorah before the time of moderation ...