Are you giving anything up for Lent?

If so, what?

:hi:

On the one hand, I've got a few vices I could shed and do myself some good -- things like coffee and chocolate.

On the other hand...give up chocolate and coffee? Those are what keep me sane. Relatively speaking, that is.

GAH!

:scared:

sound logic.

:thumbsup:

from what I understand, even the Catholic church isn't adamant. I think a lot of the people who still do it, do it more out of a sense of self-improvement. Kind of like a second chance at blown New Year's resolutions.

Individual parishes might vary. Church doctrine is that you should give something up that is important to you for lent to focus on self-improvement.

Actually, Catholics are still not supposed to each meat on Friday. If they do, they are supposed to give up something else in it's place. Little known Vatican II fact.

As posted yesterday.

at least you'll have something memorable to look back on. If you can remember, that is.


:rofl:

:hi:

Nothing at all.

I could probably be persuaded to give up pairings.

:D

:hi:

:hug::loveya::hug:

:) ;) :hi:

you mean you don't look forward to keeping track of every game in the state so you can add them to the little list and keep track of who's playing whom next?

Go figure.

:hi::hug::hi:

This, too, shall pass. And then...next thing you know...it'll be summer.

And it could be worse. Could be state wrestling.

:P

The darned things are only good for one wash.

But, I read on the Wiki if you rub a bar of soap on a sheet you can reuse it several times.

then you'll have soapy lint on the screen. And dirt is attracted to soap.

I like Downey better.

:hi:

I need to lose some wight and they are so bad for you around I'm hoping a forever thing.

Edit: Sorry posted in the wrong spot.

fewer calories. Although I do allow myself one Diet Dr. Pepper at night before I go to bed.

Usually. If I don't fall asleep before I open it.

The diet ones just make me want the real ones. LOL

you get used to it, I think. Then real ones taste too sugary. Although I have to admit, every once in a while they taste good, sugary or not.

:P

I guess that counts!

how's it going? You hanging in there?

:hug:

It's not too bad! The patch helps a lot, of course. But I also think I was just ready. It's like, no matter what happens, I don't smoke. I made the decision and that's it.

Thanks for asking. :hug: :loveya:

I know it's hard. For me, it's not so much the physical addiction as it is the habit. There are just certain times and situations...

I have to keep my hands busy. For me, that's key.

:hug:

and I know I didn't double-click that time.

x(

It's going to be a rough forty days.

you've got more will power than I do.

:hug:

that'd solve everything, wouldn't it?

Except, maybe, the guilt...

:hi::hug::hi:

Still consider myself a Recovering Catholic. I suppose that never goes away.

I give up every other day of my life: religion. :P

Makes everything much simpler.

:P

I think I may steal that line from you! Even though I'm not religious, I'm planning on giving up candy for Lent. Not for any religious reason clearly but A) just to prove I'm stronger than the power of sugar and B) I've gained 5 lbs in the past month since I moved in with my mother and C) to see if it's true that the longer you go without the less you miss it. I've found the opposite to be true with sex but since eating candy isn't a biological imperative...

;)

what most people are doing. Such good little DUers...

;)

i don't give up anything any more.

maybe i will again someday.

but that's about it. Every year I think about it...then every year I keep all my vices anyway.

One day...

But I don't think I can do it!

You think you can't! You think you can't!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

:hug:

and



Welcome to DU!!!

Good for you!
Give it a shot, maybe try for less
negative thinking.
That worked for me.

:hi:

Sounds like a good place to start anyway.

Imagine if we all gave those up...might make the world a better place.




Okay...now that I've had my philosophical thought for the day...

Where the fuck are my damned slippers? I swear, one of these days I'm gonna grab up that dog and make him sorry -- he must've grabbed them again and he's probably torn them to shreds and now my feet are going to be cold and I'm going to get sick and then have to miss work and...







:hide:

:rofl:

Slow, deep breaths..............

;-)

Hey....and I didn't even get to the part where missing work was going to cost my kid an education at LSU which would land him homeless and destitute and in the gutter and not able to support me in my old age so I'll wind up a dried-up old bag lady who walks around talking to herself and singing show tunes...

:rofl:

Okay. Enough. And now that you mention it, I could use another cup of coffee...



:hide:

and worthy endeavor.

:thumbsup:

I plan to continue abstaining from such thoughts after lent is over.

:hug::hi::hug:

a woman after my own heart. Now if I could just...

:shrug:

Oh, you already have!

:evilgrin:

at least you'll be warm.

:rofl:

:bounce:

Every cloud has a silver lining and all that. This time of year, that sounds awfully good. We're supposed to get smacked again this weekend.

:eyes:

:rofl:

But it does fit in this thread.:hi:

on the other hand, I was just thinking this morning that I'd like to give up all sugary treats between now and my bd (mar.25) cuz I'm up a few pounds and it's good to have some discipline once in a while.

:D

just happens to coincide...

You gonna try it?

:D

I have no idea. From when to when?

and lasts through Good Friday. Six weeks.

Yes, I'll do it, but with a one-day bd splurge in March. :D That's the best I got, gf.

Okay...now I'm inspired...what's my biggest weakness, besides DU (giving that up is out of the question) and chocolate and coffee (those keep me sane).

Okay...tell you what. I'll give up ice cream. No more until the end of March.

If you can do it, I can do it.

:D

:yourock:
for me, it's always hard to cut out the sweets during the PMS-y phase. This should be interesting....but what keeps it manageable is knowing it's only temporary. We can be strong TOGETHER! :pals:

and ice cream tends to be my crutch when my hormones are raging.

So if I pop up a couple of times in the next six weeks and seem to be insane...don't pay any attention.

We can do this.

:pals:

the first thing I would recommend is getting rid of all the ice cream in your house. It's a no-brainer, I know...but it's also hard to do when one has kids....which I KNOW you have. Oh well.

I can actually be amazingly disciplined, when I want to be. Last year I got into doing something called The Master Cleanse. Have you ever heard of it? It's been around since the 70's. Basically, it's a 10-day, cleansing juice fast, where all you drink for 10 solid days is a concoction of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. It also involves a daily salt water flush of 1 qt.in the morning, which really helps to clean ya out, lemme tell ya. I did it for the first time back in May of last year and was soo incredibly happy with how it made my body feel that I decided I would do it seasonally. I've now done 5 of them, I'm proud to say. I'm planning another one in April. It's a great way to detoxify your body from all the crap we tend to eat. Plus, the other miracle that came out of it was I got completely off coffee, for the first time in 25 yrs!!! I'd always said it would be the last and only remaining vice I wouldn't let go of, but I'm telling you it CAN be done and it's totally worth it.

:thumbsup:

Then there'll be less lent in my dryer.

a win-win situation.

This time of year though, I love my fuzzy sweaters...

I give up something, as a personal discipline. I'm not at all religious.

since I don't eat out much at all. Now that I think about it, I don't eat much fried food, either. But I make some killer fried chicken and if I gave up fried foods, that's probably all I'd think about for six weeks.

:P

But I think I'll manage. The same things happen when I don't eat meat for a while. I want it. Then it's repulsive, when I take try it again.

or booze. It'll get easier as you go?

:shrug:

It's not like a true craving. It's just an adjustment to plan ahead. I go through a lot of Starbucks drive throughs during the week.

...telling people what I'm giving up. Mind your own business!

:thumbsup:

In fact, I wouldn't observe it, if it were up to me. But between the lectionary and the fact that my predecessor was a former Catholic woman (who wasn't all that "former", but couldn't get ordained RC) and made a big deal of Lent, I can't just ignore it.

But I would if I could. I'll make mention of it in worship, but won't observe it in my private life.

it does come to mind at this time of year, though.

or really doing anything differently except mid-week worship...which wasn't my idea. I've nver served a church which did this until I came here.

:rofl:



(someone really oughta make a 'snort' smiley)

'cos I'm moving in to a new place in a few days, so maybe I can claim giving up my old place for Lent. :P

I never knew what Lent was...still don't really. It was one of a number of what I assume are religiously-significant happenings that I used to see in my diaries when I was younger, but the question ("lent what?") never seemed interesting enough to provoke me to do any research on it.

It's the six weeks between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and it has to do with Jesus' persecution and crucifiction and ultimate resurrection.

Something like that.

:o

Okay.

I give up getting married to people. Especially women. :D

That should be an attainable goal.

Now, if you said you were going to give up WOMEN, I'd be worried.

How've you been, darlin'? Haven't seen you in ages...

:hug:

with (i hope) the money I would spend on such going to the homeless shelter.

Noble endeavor. Very worthwhile.

:applause:

or does my repudiation of gwbush make it impossible now.

makes it all that much more likely, as a matter of fact.

:D

I am probably going to abstain from eating meat on Fridays just because I don't like the looks I get from my family if I break that "rule". I used to give up cake for Lent but would always have to break the rules because my birthday falls right in the middle of it...and I'll be damned if I'm not gonna have a piece of cake on my birthday!

So that one never even occurred to me.

the nutritious snack planning for work might be tough, though. Work is for chocolate. It's what gets me through.

Specifically, peanut butter M&Ms.

:9

:shrug:

For example, I pray to my iPod now.

genufluct to your computer? You can't be seriously superstitious without some sort of genufunction...

:P

NT!

Not religious, so not making a sacrifice.

but health-conscious ones? Would that make a difference? If someone declared the next six weeks to be 'Physical Awareness' whatever?

Personally, I'm weak-willed enough that it wouldn't make much difference to me. I'm pretty bad when it comes to sticking to things like that, but a little push helps some people.

Every year they have things like the Great American Smoke-Out and crap like that, but that's not the sort of thing to make me quit. Shortness of breath works, but not periods of time with preachy slogans attached.

and stuff like that never works for me, either. I either want to do it, so I do it, or I don't, so I won't.

:shrug:

:(
Some things just aint meant to be..sniff sniff

darlin', I don't even see me naked. I like you -- I wouldn't do that to you.

:scared:

All that triple r goodness.
:loveya:

ain't no 'playin' involved. I probably gained 5-10 pounds over Christmas and trust me...it ain't pretty.

x(

One of those things that seems to happen every year?

I guarantee I will probably manage to not eat meat on Friday the whole time. My mother was raised strict catholic, and my dad was raised by an ex-catholic mother (ex-communicated for divorcing), and neither of them ever had meat on Friday during Lent (my mother actually never had it on friday year round). So, even though my parents raised us with NO religious teaching/exposure/indoctrination/whatever you want to call it, we still never ate meat on Fridays. They actually never realized this until I pointed it out to them at age 16 (after they'd been married 23 years). To this day, I'll notice that I unconsciously decide to make noodles or pierogies or fish on Fridays instead of burgers/steak/anything with meat!!

Fish is supposed to be good for you though, so there's that. I don't like it, though.

:hug:

It'll be difficult, but I think I'll manage it.

:hug:

Trust me...you get used to it.

:eyes:

I have a PhD in being used to it. ;)

:hug::hug::hug::hug:

Good to see you back, hon. You doin' okay?

:loveya:

:(

Damn advanced degrees.

:evilgrin:

:P

if writing is your religion, how can you give it up? I don't know about you, but I'd probably have to curl up in a little ball in a corner somewhere....

:P

:crazy:

been a little cwazy with those the last month or so

:rofl:

not unless you want to count all the butter cookies and fudge and cheesecake over Christmas. Or the two German Chocolate cakes I've baked in the past week. Or the double-chocolate pound cake before that. Or the coconut creme kisses that I found last week. Or...

Nah...I'm not bad at all when it comes to sweets.

:eyes:

Been doing that for several years. But then I get to have an Easter basket. :9

it's as good a time as any... :shrug:

and here, I thought you were going to give up ummm...ladder-climbers.

Yeah, that's it. Ladder-climbers.

:P

so I don't have to do the serious lent sacrifices. ;-)


Besides, I thought I could set some sort of an example for the Chimp. :P

worth giving up.

:P

My C code is good enough to compile without help for 40 days

I really need to bone up on tech-speak. That went so far over my head I couldn't reach it on my tip-toes.

Also too mch to do in the lovely real world that is my life,right, now.

Trips to San Antonio, San Diego, two Broadway plays...Oh...the pace that kills.

which plays are you going to see?

left to give!

fuckin' religoids have RUINED this planet.

I need to be detoxed from those.

Athiest/Agnostic here.

(a comedian told that joke on Craig Ferguson a couple nights ago)

Seriously, we've been happily unmarried for over 10 years. ;)