Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Mardi Gras Northern Wisconsin-Style

Fair warning - this maybe won't resemble Mardi Gras celebrations as they happen in other parts of the country or world, but this is how we celebrated here in town.

First, it just so happened that we served our breakfast guests oatmeal pecan pancakes on a day that is observed by some as Shrove Tuesday.  As I just learned, Shrove comes from the word "shrive" which means to confess.  I also just learned that pancakes are a traditional food for Shrove Tuesday because they use up rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar. So we were right with the season this morning.

And then this evening we attended a Mardi Gras Wisconsin-Style event at our First Lutheran Church.  The meal served was pretty typical Wisconsin - brats & hot dogs, potato salad, pickles & condiments, bars and cookies. And it was all very tasty.

The room was all decorated with bows and beads and lots of color, but the main reason for the gathering happened after the meal.  It was time for the "Pampered Chef" party and here's the reason why.  Last summer our church took on the challenge of re-shingling the roof.  It's a big roof so it was a big project.  I thought I had a picture from when the guys were working on it last August in all the 95˚ heat and humidity, but I don't so here's how it looked before the project started.
So someone had the idea to have a winter gathering to bring us all together for Mardi Gras, to make us all feel warm and...to have a fundraiser to clear off the books on the roof project.  If you don't know, Pampered Chef parties are kind of like Tupperware parties but for cookware and all kinds of related things.  I had only ever been to one PC party before but I really liked what I bought back then, so with credit cards in hand, we went down and checked it out.   LOTS of cars in the parking lot, LOTS of people buying things, so hopefully it was successful.  

And...I won a prize...something I was going to buy anyway!  Let's flip more pancakes!

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More Swedish - I forgot to mention learning thank you and excuse me yesterday.  And today we added some adverbs - rather, very, quite, a couple important conjunctions - and, but, and a couple good verbs - I think and I speak.

And, even more fun, it was warm enough to take my lessons out on my walk today!  Older Daughter says I'm lucky I have country roads to walk and talk (to myself) on, something not as easily done on busy city streets where she lives!  And all was going good today until my iPod battery died.  Try again tomorrow!







4 comments:

LH said...

This sounds like a v. fun event. Love the picture of your church. When was it built?

Mary Childs said...

It was finished in 1895.

I was happy for you that you know what level you are teaching when you get back to the US this summer. Maybe knowing that will make writing easier? We can't have too many things to think about all at once! :-)

mm said...

A guy at the gym was practicing his Italian next to me on the treadmill. It was v. annoying, so I am also pleased that you have country roads.

Mary Childs said...

Yeah, me to, for so many reasons!