by special request,

Photos of the ring:

I'd love to write more, but Lizzy's being a pickle, and I need to get her to bed.

We had an interesting weekend of hanging with church folks on Friday, errands and Cosmic Bowling on Saturday (Lizzy was up waaaaay too late, but loved giving high fives after people took their turns) and a bridal expo in Dulles (Friday was a service project, so there was no church) and housecleaning on Sunday.

Matt's band, which has gotten back together (they 'disbanded' awhile back, heh heh), has a Mardi Gras show on Tuesday night. I'd like to go, but not enough to stay up that late in a crowded bar on a Tuesday.

And anyway, there's something I never understood about Mardi Gras: Isn't the point that it's the last bash until you have to 'give stuff up' for Lent? Before you have to get serious and religious/spiritual (depending on your perspective)? Doesn't it seem like the folks who are loving the chance for a good, let-it-all-hang-out party AREN'T the people who are taking Lent seriously?

My favorite Lenten story: I'd never even heard of giving up something for Lent, and possibly even Lent, aside from a period of time on the calendar, before I went to college and joined a sorority. Lots of my sorority 'sisters' were lapsed Catholics who gave stuff up for Lent. One night, I was standing in line for dinner and heard the following conversation:

SISTER 1: Are you giving anything up for Lent?

SISTER 2: Yeah, I think so. Probably romance novels. How about you?

SISTER 1: I'm thinking about giving up sex.

And she wasn't kidding.