Food, Fast, and Lent.

The memory of Lent, for those of us raised Catholic in the 50's and 60's, is surrounded by a gray hue. Lent was to be endured, like the end of winter itself, before one reached the joy, sunshine, and candy of Easter. On Lent's first gray day, appropriately named Ash Wednesday, a commitment was made to give up some food-related snack. For the kids of my parish school, St. Mary Magdalen's, it meant giving up something sweet.

A certain amount of pride was taken in putting aside for those 40 days something especially liked, something special. Conversation between friends on Ash Wednesday centered on comparing the difficulty of competing items like popcorn or chocolate. A particularly delicious choice, say ice cream, got a certain amount of cachet. But one had to temper the desire for good-standing with the long 40 days of deprivation.

I decided, on the first Lent that I can recall, to give up peanut brittle -- not sweets, not chocolate, just peanut brittle. Why, I do not know. I loved peanut brittle, I know that, and I guess being too specific in the sweets category would have eliminated Hershey Bars, jaw breakers, and ice cream. I saw no sense getting too carried away with this fasting thing. But I fasted those 40 days of Lent and made it all the way. My friends who gave up ice cream or some general category item rarely made it to Easter before giving in to temptation.

I'm sure my parents had a few good laughs over this, but the old nuns weren't as dumb as you think. In good years and bad for the rest of my life, Ash Wednesday begins this obligation of some self-denial.

What's the point? What good does the sacrifice do besides knocking off a few pounds?

I do not know for certain. I mean, I feel no better or worse at the end of Lent, than I did before.

But I remember, a few years ago, meeting a family in a hospital waiting room whose 21 year old daughter had contracted a staff infection. She was close to death in a room just yards away. The father, mother, sister and boyfriend took turns waiting -- around the clock, someone was always there. The sick girl was not conscious, the family was not noticeably praying, they had little reason to be there. But they were -- there. Probably without understanding all the reasons, they were, for certain, identifying with the suffering of one of their own.

Kind of like Lent.
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Ash Wednesday

In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It falls on a different date each year, because it is dependent on the date of Easter; it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_wednesday

Cowtown Marathon and Dining Afterward.

This Saturday, February 28, is the day of one of Fort Worth's premier events, the Cowtown Marathon.

Last year the Cowtown attracted over 13,000 runners. Not bad for an event that started in 1979 with 200.

Visitors can look at the marathon website for the standard suggestions of "things to do." Visitors who run and like a good meal afterward should look at the Food and Forth Worth sidebar ----> for some suggestions. If you want more specific suggestions, leave a comment and someone will certainly share some local advice.

http://www.cowtownmarathon.org/

Good luck to all runners from the 5K to the Ultra marathon.

I hope you enjoy Fort Worth and the area.

Good Bread in Fort Worth?

Rambler's last comments got me thinking about bread. Not that I need a comment to get me thinking about bread, but his mention of Brueger's bagels on Camp Bowie brought back fond memories of them and of the old, original La Madelaine's down the street. If asked to give up a category of food, bread would be the last that I wanted to give up. I like them all: whole wheat, rolls, biscuits, cornbread, bagels, french bread, sourdough, rye, pumpernickel, you name it, if it has flour and yeast, I like it.

Bad news: it is also the one category I think needs improving in Fort Worth. I have talked about this before, and talked critically about what used to be a real bakery, La Madelaine's, and was criticized by some for it. Bit in my opinion, La Madelaine's hasn't made a good loaf of bread in years, or since the original owner and founder sold it. Corner Bakery is only slightly better. Panera's is a great store, I love it, but their bread is average, at best. Central Market? They have a loaf or two worth buying, but do they have a local bakery style killer loaf? Not IMHO. Whole Foods has good bread for certain items, whole wheat especially. Yogi's has a good bagel. Einstein's is okay -- but we really do not have a knock your socks off bakery of any kind.

What if someone could put together a hundred thousand dollars or so and buy a little warehouse off Magnolia, put in some good bakery ovens, and start baking breads for the public and for restaurants? Put a little coffee shop in. Open at 7 close at 2. How many local Fort Worthians would find it and how fast?

I think it would be an instant success. Maybe, I'm wrong, maybe, the supermarket's inexpensive, all-taste-the same-breads drives quality out. The business of restaurants is different than the aesthetics. It could be that there just isn't enough demand for an old fashioned bread bakery.

Any thoughts?
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Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Prophet Obadiah

James Tissot /1888

First Reading from the Book of Prophet Isaiah

Thus says the LORD:
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The people I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob,
for you grew weary of me, O Israel.
You burdened me with your sins,
and wearied me with your crimes.
It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.