There is Something Fishy Going on Around Here

It is March in the Midwest.  Besides the calendar, we know this by forecasts of rain turning to snow and snow turning to rain.  If it was a bad winter, the banks of streams and rivers are overflowing from snow and ice melt.  And a very obvious sign that it is March in the Midwest are the potholes everywhere.

Another sign that it is March is when you see this in Friday's newspaper everywhere:

Lent.  The period of 40 days of prayer, penitence, serving the poor and giving up green jello. (Just kidding!  A friend of mine went to parochial school and when the nuns would ask what she was giving up for Lent she said green jello because she hated it. LOL!)

And during this time you will see in our local paper lists on Fridays of fish fries being held at various Catholic and Lutheran church halls everywhere.  People have some strong opinions on which ones have the best perch or walleye or cod.  And living on the shores of the Great Lakes gives us a bounty of which to choose.

With it being the first Friday of Lent, we were looking forward to going to this parish hall for perch and shrimp.

We arrived not long after they opened and it was already difficult finding a parking spot.  But after waiting patiently in line and getting a seat at one of the long tables set up in the hall, here is what you feast on:

Yum!  Perch, shrimp, scalloped potatoes, green beans, cole slaw and roll.  If you are not a fish eater, then  grilled cheese and mac and cheese is offered. Then you have a choice of a bounty of homemade desserts made by members of the church to round out the meal.  They even offer seconds.  Next week we are thinking about going to the local VFW hall to feast on some walleye that they are known for.  See what I mean?  We have five more Fridays to pick and choose and we look forward to it each year.

****I want to also make a point on this post to please pray for those in Japan affected by the earthquake/tsunami.  It is a tragedy that keeps unfolding as we turn on the news.  I cannot imagine what the Japanese and anyone over there are going through.  Our hearts and prayers go out to them.****