FASNACHTS DAY!

Today is Shrove Tuesday which originated during the Middle Ages as a day when food items like milk, lard, sugar, butter and eggs were to be consumed so they wouldn't spoil during the following forty days of Lent when Christians were expected to fast and pray.  In France, the consumption of all fats and fatty foods on this day coined the name "Fat Tuesday."  If your in England,  the tradition of serving pancakes to use the fatty goods gave way to Pancake Day.  In some South American countries, the day is associated with "Carnaval", a festival of dancing, drinking and debauchery, right up your Mistress's alley, but alas, I'm not there yet. Carnival, the English spelling of the word "carne lever" or "meat takeaway" has become another Lenten tradition.  For me, the day is known as Fasnacht Day.  The word "Fasnacht" is German, meaning "fast night," or the night before Ash Wednesday.  Every year, in my youth in Harrisburg, which is known as being in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country,  and which was settled primarily by German Americans, the Fasnacht is the king.

Fasnachts are made to use up lard, sugar, butter, eggs and other rich foods in the house before the austere diet of Lent begins.  The Fasnacht came from southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. A true Fasnacht is square without a hole in the center. I have to tell the Lad this every year as he confuses where is the hole? It's all about the hole to him I tell ya!!! I can still remember my grandmother at her church making tons of these with the other ladies and then opening the doors.  Today they tend to make them with the hole, since they fry more evenly, but if it has a hole, that's a donut to me, not a fasnacht!!!! It has no filling in it, but may come uncoated, dusted in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.  Are they tasty?  Will I eat one of the Fasnachts that I just bought....

 Well, I have too!!  I picked those up last night at the church up the road. After all, I was born in Harrisburg, the epicenter of the Fasnacht and today is Fasnacht Day.  Every store as well as farmer's markets will have them for sale today.  And, tradition says it will bring me good luck. And Yes, I will eat one. Or 4.....dunked in milk!  For, if I'm going to have to fast and pray for the next 40 days, God help us all!!!!And I love my traditions.

You may now start salivating........  

HEY HALLE.......WHITNEY CALLED

I love you gurl, but Whitney Houston is on the phone. She wants her last week of life wig back. OH DEAR....

MONDAY AGAIN???

THIS totally sums up the mood this morning!

If ever Anna Wintour's face matched my mood!!! I really don't have much to complain about. I had a lovely weekend, finally one at my ever loyal Casa du Borghese, who is always there waiting for me when I return, and I  took very good advantage of lounging Friday night and having a nice long snooze in Saturday morning. The weekends home for m have been rare lately, so I enjoyed it. Saturday even found me hoping a train into Philly to have an early dinner at a place I've been meaning to go......Vernick's

This Walnut Street darling has been a hit with Rittenhouse regulars since day one — weekend tables require booking at least a month out. The masses flock here for chef Vernick’s crab-topped toasts, shareable shellfish roasts and scrambled eggs with uni, all of which are available at the bar if you can snag a stool. And it was well worth the wait to go too. It was mouth watering and loved the vibe of the whole place, nice cock-a-tails we had at the bar before hand. I had a old fashioned bourbon, which was a good stiffener for the afternoon, and the bartender was quite easy on the eyes and very friendly.

Sunday was spent in New Hope as I took my neighbor out for her birthday. Sunday was much colder as the temps have fallen once again from the high 60's back to winter again, but the sun was out, and it was a pleasant afternoon. We enjoyed our views of the waterfall at the playhouse and the Delaware River.

On the way into town we drove pass the Black Bass Hotel, a wonderful inn and restaurant here in our hamlet, and is currently filming a movie with Nicole Kidman who is in town for some time. I understand the crew arrived last Wednesday.

I can't remember who all is here with her, but she has since been seen all over dining out and everyone says how down to earth and nice she is. Since most of this area was settled by English, Irish and Scots, it has a European feel to it. I wonder if the movie is to be set in Europe. The director M Night Shyamalan has also filmed all his movies here, and even has a home here. But places in his movies actually do use the real names of the towns here, so it will be interesting to see how they use New Hope in this current film. On Saturday my old flame, and now good friend Gavin, who is part of the police department here had a photo op with Ms. Kidman on Friday! That lucky bastard.

Being a Bucks County hostess, I really should invite Nicki over to the Casa du Borghese for afternoon cock-a-tails and light refreshment, don't you find that would be nice?

MEANWHILE THIS SUNDAY......

......at the Casa du Borghese, I do believe Ms.Moorecock  is once again, forgetting to wash the fruit off before she eats it.

LATE NIGHT WITH NORMAN DORAY

Norman Doray, is a French musician, DJ and producer. Flying Frenchman turned overall house heavyweight, Norman Doray has spent the past decade giving his nation’s knack for filter happy house music an essential reinvention and a passport onto dancefloors across the globe., and has worked alongside the likes of Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta. And how's bout that beat and that sexy sounding voice? But it's this latest ditty, All In, that has the Mistress dancing and giving a shimie, shimie and showing a bit

of what what..........

FROM THE CANDY SHOP

Okay guys and gals, this week in the Candy Shop, I have one of my heavily guarded pleasures, but since the weather is just beautiful and has me feeling gleeful and giving, I WILL SHARE THIS EARTHLY DELIGHT WITH YOU ALL!!!  Caio Cesar!!!

This man has it, boyish, mischievous look, nice tone thin lean body, just the right amount of hair.... and those eyes to put you in a spell. Yep, Caio has it.... this handsome morsel gets my, well areas, throbbing.  To top it all off, the guy is a real sweetheart too I hear. Down to earth, friendly, fun loving and supports various charities. The final thing that makes this guy so utterly adorable is that he’s a veterinarian too. I love animals, and I donate to several animal charities, so having that love of all things furry, scaly and feathered is a definite plus in my book! Now can someone help me get out of this puddle position?

IN THREE WORDS.....

In this new feature, I'll share a picture of a weekly guest and you tell me in only three words what come to mind.

In three words.....

Adele

MEANWHILE AT THE CASA.......

Come join us at the Casa du Borghese and relax and get limber. It's YOGA Night!!!!!

 Now bend over and touch those toes......and breath......... you won't feel a thing....

STILL LIFE WITH BIRDS

Right before I left to help the Lad adjust his, huh, house with the move and such, I had captured these snaps of the birds out the kitchen window. I had just laid the new seed on the sill and already it was like The Birds within seconds.......

One of my favorite to watch is the Tufted Titmouse.....

Titmouse with a Bluejay behind him

I thought these next two shots were sweet of these two separate dove couples.....

I RUN THE RUNWAY

And now, how about a midweek musical interlude with the fabulous Miss Fame and the stunning Violet Chachki, "I Run the Runway" It's a catchy little ditty, and these two know how to work the runway. And then there's that kiss.........

PORTRAIT OF A QUEEN

Prince Poppycock

Acid Betty

Pearl Shaghoople

Bianca Del Rio

Robbie Ross

Valentina

Stacy Spice

Victoria Sin

Olympia

Scarlett Envy