AM~Erica's Beady Talk

So anyway...

As we begin Lent (my take on the season, HERE), we are recovering from a string of celebrating from Super Bowl, Lunar New Year, and Mardi Gras.

Many will prepare to have ashes spread across their foreheads in preparation as we remove celebratory decor that adorned our surroundings for the past few days, even weeks.

I surprised my family by pulling out a lot of my Mardi Gras decor and putting it up around the living room & dining room for our own celebration. Hadn't had a chance to do that in the past few years, so I was glad to be able to have some time, and energy (finally), to spruce the place up to look festive.

But, alas, the party is over, and decor must come down.

And as I was pulling down the masks & beads, it reminded me of something:

The beads really stuck with me, especially seeing them all together in a big bunch. I thought about the large number of beads at the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walks.

I've said it before (from my first walk - HERE, and my second walk - HERE) that looking at the layout of beads seems to have a very Mardi Gras/Carnival-type look at first glance.

These beads you see adorning necks at the Out of the Darkness walks have deep meaning. Each color is representative of someone in your life, as it relates to suicide survivors and the relationship they have with those they lost or with those who struggle (even themselves).

As amazing & beautiful it is to see these colors everywhere, the pain behind them is all-too real.

On any given Mardi Gras, I have no shame in loading up my neck with the green, purple & gold/yellow colors. I'm completely ridiculous like that. This fact really isn't news.
However, when it comes to the AFSP event aspect, the green stays around my neck. My struggle is painfully real. (check out my list of posts concerning my struggles HERE)

Since I know I'm not the only one who struggles, I wear the newest color addition to the spectrum: teal. There's those of you reading this, right now, who I know go through this hurt. Because you've told me. Which is a brave thing to do - to step up & just say something to someone.
I feel weird saying it's a brave thing to do. I say it, however, because I've been told the same thing. And I realize when you tell anyone - whether it's for the first time saying it, or if it's to someone new - it's completely nerve-racking! So it does take some courage to say something. And I'm so proud of you!

Because so many of us do struggle with surviving our own attempt &/or intense suicidal thoughts, I know I never want anyone else to got through that. So I support the cause. That means I wear a blue strand of beads, too.

My bead color combo is very different than anyone else's at the walks. There are so many who sport several of the colors, maybe a couple of the same color. The color combinations are nearly as unique as those who wear them around their necks.

**********

As we enter into Lent, my focus is as different as the sets of beads, between Mardi Gras & AFSP. Though a beautiful time, it is much more solemn. We now enter a journey leading the beauty of Easter, just as the journey each of us who are part of AFSP hope to get to the beauty of no more suicide anywhere.

Anyway...beads. I was just contemplating the difference in the beads, how much they look alike, yet how different they really are. Just like each one of us - some of us may appear to be from the same mold, but we aren't.

Many times, we are all actually wandering through our own wilderness looking for Easter.

Keep going. Sometimes it gets darker before the day breaks. Good Friday was hard & excruciating, but it leads to the beauty of Easter.

Keep going.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica So Enjoys March

So anyway...

I know I've been on my major celebrating kick lately...but, hey! It's March!

March has some seriously awesome & totally fun things to celebrate &/or commemorate, yo!



We have Dr. Seuss' Birthday. (read about it HERE)








We can have Mardi Gras, like this year. (read about it HERE)

Those are now checked off of the list for 2014...and now looking to plan for a crazy run of close-together holidays:

Pi Day is coming...and so is the Ides of March! (read about them HERE)

Then, even though it's not a weird holiday, per se, it does need to have it's celebrating looked at. St. Patrick's Day comes right after Pi Day (3/14) & the Ides of March (3/15). So, we gotta plan ahead to get it all in!

I already know that Pi Day will consist of eat of pie. Yes...it should be about math & other nerdicle things, but math really does hurt my head. So it will consist of at least pizza. Maybe some kind of pie for dessert. Other than that...not sure. But it would be awesome to host a Nerd Party on 3/14/15...so let's all think about this next year! Epicness might happen. Until then...the plan is pizza on Pi Day Friday (my hubby came up with that rhyme).

For the Ides of March, it will be Caesar Salad & a large Italian feast. And no visiting of government buildings with friends. Oh...and togas! Or something Roman-inspired to wear for the day.

Those are usually pretty well in place. But I like to keep thinking thru & then thinking thru some more about St. Patrick's Day.

If you remember...corned beef & cabbage is NOT an Irish dish! I'm not a fan of corned beef anyway...so that works for me! Last year, I made an adapted Dublin Coddle. (read about it HERE) I like it! Hubby is OK with it...the kiddos are still whiny! So...the search continues for an authentic meal we ALL will try & hopefully enjoy. Oh...and no pork since we have a non-pork eater. I have found a flavorful beef dish to try...a potato side, a cabbage side & will hope to go back to try tradition Irish soda bread. A couple of Irish-inspired desserts are being planned, too. Hoping to take in the KC parade & catch an Irish movie. We usually do "The Quiet Man" since it's my hubby's fave movie, anyway...but would like to work in "Darby O'Gill & the Little People" as a change. We shall see...

OK...off to some more planning & prep for the upcoming holidays. I've turned on some Irish music to get me focused!

Have I mentioned I love this time of year? Cuz I do...I really, Really, REALLY do!

Are you gonna join in? Let's do this!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

It's Time for AM~Erica to Shift Mindset

So anyway...

We have celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday, this week (reminder HERE), and we have wrapped up the Carnival season with Mardi Gras, yesterday. We got to celebrate mostly like I'd hoped (how I wanted to HERE), however there were a couple of changes...

In the wearing of some Mardi Gras colors, I didn't quite get even my own parade done. However...we did do our shrimp & sausage boils, including potatoes & corn:

Since the kiddos don't do seafood or potatoes (whiners), we boiled the shrimp & potatoes in Zatarain's

and then, in a separate pot, boiled turkey & beef sausage with corn in a creole seasoning

...along with some red beans & rice (plus some plain white rice for the kiddos):

Hubby & I mixed the shrimp & sausage boils to have served with the red beans & rice. YUM!

Then we got to follow the evening up with King Cake & Hurricane Mocktails (aka - non-alcoholic):

And guess who got da baby!

One of the babies that was sent to me.
I set the baby back in my cake for a quick pic.
It was actually further into the piece, originally...

~ SIDE NOTE: Lil Guy now wants King Cake for his birthday next year. Hey! It's during carnival season...
OK, back to regularly scheduled programming...

While we enjoyed our King Cake & Hurricanes, I turned on some Mardi Gras music on TV. We have AT&T U-Verse, and this is a provider that uses Music Choice. Their Sounds of the Seasons station was labeled as "Mardi Gras". That was exciting! However, much like their Halloween music, about a quarter of (...like a French quarter of it *snort*) was decent. But we were having fun.

I picked up some things from the Dollar Tree to help out with this celebration, as well as future ones!

Much of that came from the dollar store! Only 2 of the masks were gotten, quite some time back, from Party City for about $4-6. And...some of the stuff in the pic came in the same packaging together! It was a major score! So we have stuff to decorate (even ourselves) with for upcoming years during Carnival & Mardi Gras!

Wanna know what else I got from the dollar store? The hurricane glasses! Yep...they are actually small hurricane vases, but how perfect to use? I also found a package of the super long, super colorful, super bendy straws, too. It was a great trip!

I also imagined what it would have looked like if I had my own All AM~Erica Krewe parade of 1. So...I bring you more AM~Erica Silly-Selfies: Mardi Gras. You're welcome:

Imagine the All AM~Erica Krewe Parade...yeah...it might be something like this
with toy & classroom instrument jazz accompaniment.

Also, a page on Facebook, and also has a Twitter account, called 'Unvirtuous Abbey' (check out the page HERE) that has a geeky & pop culture take on religious thought. It's very well done!

Yesterday, Unvirtuous Abbey brought this up :

"For those trying to figure out what wine goes best goes best with pancakes, we pray. (Hint:  red, white or rose!)"

Then a favorite wine shop of mine, Cork & Barrel in the Englewood district, had a fabulous post about Shrove Tuesday (the same day as Mardi Gras):

"Today is NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY! Time for a celebration don't you think? Come on in and get you some...wine that is. Wine for your pancakes, wine on your pancakes, wine between your pancakes. Oh forget the pancakes...just have the wine."

Well, it got me thinking...what if I had a pancake or two...and make a syrup with Antioxidant-Fortified Jesus Water? So I did! We had just a smidgen of AoFJW left in a bottle, plus a smaller smidgen of coffee left in the coffee pot. I put those in a pot with some sugar & boiled it to make a syrup! Yes. I. Did.
So...I enjoyed a pancake to try my syrup with. I may want to make a larger batch of that syrup!
Mmmmmm...

Since it's also National Pancake Day, IHOP does offer a free shortstack on Shrove Tuesday. Just FYI for the future...

Pancakes for breakfast, a whole array of NOLA fare for lunch/dinner, King Cake & Hurricanes...no wonder it's Fat Tuesday!

~~~~~~~~~~

Now that we have fattened our selves up, and we now finished with major festivities...it's Ash Wednesday. Time to dial it back, bring it down, and turn the focus on a solemn & prayerful time. It's a wilderness we enter on the way to the cross. It's about focussing on the stripping away of something that turn our attention from God to replace it with the focus on God, or adding in something that will help us keep focus on God to get us thru our journey.

It's a 40-day journey (not including Sundays). It's a spiritual penance we take during this time. It's not a society-driven practice. Click HERE for my other thoughts on Lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Many will have that dark smudge on their forehead or hand. It's usually in the shape of the cross as it's our focus on Christ's destination that saved ALL of us.

Catholic churches do the imposition of ashes thru the day; then there are Protestant churches that may have an afternoon &/or evening service for Ash Wednesday to kick off Lent, and will more than likely include the imposition of ashes on the forehead or hand.

I am one that looks forward to the refocussing. I've already been called for some other things after I entered into a wilderness (reminder HERE).

Well, I'm headed on journey, my friends. I invite you to come with me on it. And, on Easter, it will culminate into the amazing glory of the Resurrection! I take my first step today...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

The AM~Erica Mardi Gras

So anyway...

It's yet another holiday!!

We've already had a very Seussical time this week! (reminder HERE) But today is the culmination of a celebration that has been going on for a few weeks.

Remember when I said part of why I enjoy celebrating things? (here's a reminder HERE) The part I'm referring to, right now, is the researching & learning part! I love finding out new things & about why some of the traditions happen...as well as the fun nuances, timing & terminology of these holidays.

So, today is Mardi Gras! WOO-WOO! Par-tay! Amm-i-rite? However...I love knowing people who are & know the culture of NOLA (aka: New Orleans, LA)...even if they leave New Orleans, they take the culture with them.

Since January 6th (aka: Three Kings Day), we have actually been celebrating Carnival! Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday". So, Mardi Gras actually happens on the day before Ash Wednesday (aka: the beginning of the Lenten season).

So I have a friend, Lisha over at THE LUCKY MOM, who is from that area. We got into a Facebook discussion about sweets for breakfast that led to making King Cake. It got there...in a stair step conversation that really did make sense...I'm just jumping to the bottom step to save you some mental exercise...and extra typing on my part.

Anyhoo...I have, also, talked about Britta, from BRITTA BLVD., too. She does incredible Mardi Gras parties, on top of her Halloween ones (and many other things)!! I do know she makes a bread maker King Cake that was adapted from a by-hand, from-scratch, time-consuming recipe. But I don't have a bread maker...and I don't get a lot of time. So I went researching on how to fake a King Cake, but with the colors & lemon-flavored glaze.

I found a few places on Pinterest that said to use canned cinnamon rolls & roll 'em out. Most of them have a cream cheese filling. I have also seen some, from scratch, that do NOT include the cream cheese filling, but still appear to be a glorified cinnamon roll sweet bread...

In the conversation with Lisha, I said that I wanted to try one. She did inform me that King Cake needed a baby...or it's just "cake". Then she offered to send me some to use...and she did! I had 2 babies delivered So...no pressure, eh? Now I gotta figure out something...so I got researching & planning. So, I decided to take a super-mega-cheater route to trying a King Cake. We had a group coming to the house a few days before Mardi Gras, so still in the Carnival season, I decided I should try it. So I rolled out a couple cans of cinnamon rolls, slathered the top of it with melted butter & sprinkled with brown sugar, rolled back up like a big cinnamon roll loaf, then snaked it into a ring inside a bundt pan...and baked it. I made a glaze that was too runny, then drizzled it on the cake & decorated it in sections of purple sugar sprinkles (for justice), deep green sugar sprinkles (for faith), and deep yellow/gold sugar sprinkles (for power). I also hid one of the babies inside the ring. Then...BAM! Cheater King Cake!

Crazy enough? After explaining King Cake to our small group...the first cut contained the baby! Go figure!

Britta saw this pic & thought it would be a pull-apart version! That would be awesome! And Lisha said it looked like the real thing. I think I'm gonna stick with it...or try a pull-apart version, even!

With it being Fat Tuesday, I am making another one. This will finish up an awesome meal we have planned!

We have done Dirty Rice the last couple of years...but this year we are going to do a shrimp boil with red beans & rice! Oh yes we are! I'm stoked! And we changed it up since we had Dirty Rice a few days ago.

A pot of the very pretty Dirty Rice we (hubby, Teen Girl & I) enjoy

I'm even planning to make some fake-out mocktail Hurricanes (again).

A couple of years ago, I made a tshirt based on Kate Spade's "Pardon My French" shirt, from her Fall/Winter 2012 runway. I think it's funny. And I made one for Teen Girl, too, to wear for Mardi Gras & beyond.

I have also donned purple, green & gold in outfits &/or accessories, too.

One year, I did a silly-selfie photo shoot based on a last-minute character I had my arm twisted into doing. I was "asked" by the incomparable Kevin McBeth and Ben Nordstrom to help out a variety show act. It was to help move along a rendition of "Copacabana". There's about a 2ish-minute interlude in the middle with nothing happening except music...for about 2 minutes. So...the night before it was to happen, I was "asked" to come in during, at least part of, the interlude as a filler...dressed as a Lola-type showgirl (but appropriate enough for church) to move along this little guy's song rendition. No really...he was vertically challenged, so the thought process was that "Lola" would be much, much taller as a sight gag. In less than 24 hours, I had to put something together quickly...so...here was a goofy pic of Lola:

Leis on the head to create a very tall Carmen Miranda type "hat",
little girl tutus on the arms,
long necklaces & a borrowed dress...
Also had on very tall, strappy , platform heels for extra height.
(pic taken by Gary Ford)

Use what you got or can get a hold of...under pressure, you never know what you can come up with!

So it was this that got me thinking how well it would go with Mardi Gras just a few days later...

I bring you just a few pics from my silly-selfie Mardi Gras photo shoot (which I did do ON Mardi Gras that year)...Lolafied:

I know, I know...just missing a mask...but I didn't have one at that time. So, I just dealt with the over-the-top outfit in Carnival/Mardi Gras colors in a very costumey-form.

These were taken 4 years ago! WOW!! Can't believe it's been that long!

*ahem*

Anyhoo...I really like this time of year! And I love getting to know more about it. I want to find the parades sometime, too. One day...hubby & I may even host a masquerade party. I've always wanted to that...

But now we remember that it's the day before Ash Wednesday. Tomorrow begins the Lenten season. And as we begin to focus ourselves on the coming season, I offer you some thoughts on Lent HERE. Just some focus on what the season is about & how to handle it.

In the meantime...enjoy your Fat Tuesday! Listen to some jazz music, even! (Or listen to Harry Connick, Jr. ... That would be amazing! He's a jazzy-crooner, NOLA guy. He's kind of talented.)

Maybe we'll just throw on some masks, dress crazy, bang on some pots & pans, play a kazoo or other toy instruments while listening to jazz music...and march in a couple of circles in our house. We'll be the Williams Krewe parade! Or it might just be me...not sure how my family would feel about that one. Maybe I'll be the All AM~Erica Krewe...so there!

OK...I have a cheater King Cake to make! And an extra baby to keep going on this new tradition in our house...thanks to Lisha!

What do you all do (or plan to do)?
Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Will Be Your Coffee Surrogate

So anyway...

Today is Ash Wednesday. We begin our journey to the Easter season.

I hope everyone has recovered from Mardi Gras & has prepared to begin their resolve for Lent. (I heard it put that way & love it!)

Let us not forget what Lent is about & some things we can do to help us thru the season for the right reason.

With that being said, I will be happy to give some ideas of things I have done in the past.

* I have given up chocolate before. That was torture & back in a time when I didn't fully understand giving something up for Lent.

* I gave up ALL caffeine one year. That was an ugly, Ugly, UGLY year! I don't think God really wanted that for me. Again, it was before I fully understood the full meaning of Lent.

* There was the year I gave up caring. I wish I was kidding about that. I'm not. I guess you can tell that this was also before I really understood the whole Lent thing.

* Oh! I gave up meat one year. Not so bad, but there was a misunderstanding with my hubby where he thought I said he should give it up to. But it wasn't clear why he was mad, so I would save up my dinner meat, hide it in the fridge & eat it on Sunday. Not the best approach either. Still...not the understanding of Lent then, either.

During those times, I was like many, many others announcing what I'd given up for Lent like I was a saint, martyr, or victim. All the wrong, Wrong, WRONG approach to take!

So, I do plan to offer some help. For anyone who is giving up their coffee (hopefully for the reason that you felt it draws you away from your Christ-focus & it is truly a spiritual decision), then I have been known to step in a few times for those, for various reasons, who need a jolt of coffee/caffeine & cannot consume it right then. I, essentially, become a Coffee Surrogate. If you are in need of my services, please Facebook message me, direct message me on Twitter, or email me (erica.williams74@gmail.com). Do NOT comment on your needs here or on my Facebook wall. I will keep your needs secret & am always happy to step in with some coffee for you.

If it is not coffee you are resolving to give up, then I hope you prayerfully enter your resolve to bring you closer to God. In secret...as possible.

Have a blessed Lenten season, all. Enter in for the right reason.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Gives a Lenten Reminder

So anyway...

As you know, Mardi Gras celebrations are going on right now. And...Mardi Gras is actually Fat Tuesday, which is...THIS TUESDAY!

So let's do some planning ahead & thinking as we prepare for Ash Wednesday & the Lenten season.

Last year, I put out there what Lent really is & why we give things up. You can read it as a reminder.

But, I want to add something to that: it's sometimes more that just giving something up. There are times when part of what you do thru the season is adding something to do that brings you closer to Jesus thru the Lenten journey. Sure, it can totally be prayer, but I challenge you to do this anyway.

So, if you add daily prayer on top of whatever it is you are going to sacrifice or add to your daily life through Lent that brings you closer to Christ, then you are truly participating & in the understanding of what Lent is truly about. You can even change it up week-to-week. Just do it for the right reason.

It is a holy season. It is NOT a mainstream, society-based thing you do. There is a purpose. If you want to take part in it, then GREAT! But do it with understanding of why you are doing what you are doing.

Have a fun & safe Mardi Gras. And refer to my other post as to what Lent is truly about.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica on Lent

So anyway...

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras...Fat Tuesday! It's the day that is supposed to be your last big shot at the stuff you love to do or eat before Lent kicks off with Ash Wednesday the following day.

Lent is a season of preparation in Christianity to get ready for the culmination of the prophecy of the Christ on Easter - it lasts 40 days, minus Sundays. It's the time when we remember that Jesus [the] Christ sacrificed himself for the sins of ALL people. It's a solemn season where we fast/sacrifice something to focus on Christ in meditation & prayer instead of the consumption of whatever it is that takes our focus away from Him.

Now here's my reminder:
Everyone tends to make a big deal about what they are giving up for Lent. Some people even give something up without even knowing what Lent is about. It's a spiritual thing & not meant to be a popular society-trend tradition of "something you're supposed to do." With this in mind, there is no need to announce & make public what your personal sacrifice/giving might be. When we do that, we have become like the pompous Pharisees that told everyone what they were doing because they were so "holy". Do NOT be the Pharisee, but instead make it known to only you & God. If it is something that you need to let someone else know because it is for dietary reasons, etc., then do NOT make it a big ordeal; instead quietly make your current needs known when necessary. It might effect dinner with the family, or watching a TV show with friends. But keep in mind the true reason of the piety behind what you are doing instead of turning into a Pharisee during the Lenten season.

I hope everyone has had or is having a fun & safe Mardi Gras, but remember what Lent is truly about. And may you truly have a thoughtful & blessed Lenten season.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica