Mardi Gras Day ~ Fat Tuesday ~ King Cake

Today is Mardi Gras Day or as many locals call it:  Fat Tuesday.

My Wife came home with a piece of King Cake and she was lucky to cut a chunk with the Baby.  I guess my Wife is King for the day so, I'll be her Queen!  

A misunderstood fact about the Baby inside the cake representing Baby Jesus is not true.  The Baby actually symbolizes Good Luck and Prosperity.  The purple, green and gold sprinkles or consumable glitter on the white glazed icing is New Orleans lore that stands for Justice (purple), Faith (green) and Power (gold).

Being a King for the day or as some say whoever gets the Baby has to host the next King Cake Party.  King Cake is mostly known for Mardi Gras Day held on the day before Ash Wednesday, but in fact can be partaken during the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings Day that happens January 6th which celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ.

Some also refer to Fat Tuesday as the binge before Lent which starts the day before Ash Wednesday.

Enjoy and eat like a King!

Packard Sign

The Automobile hasn't been in production since 1958, but this sign still stands proud and can be seen traveling North on Interstate 287 in Boonton, New Jersey.  This Packard sign is located on the Kanter Auto Products where there is actually an old Packard sitting on the roof of the building.  I have it featured on the Forsakenly Departed website's intro page as a drive-by.  A beautiful auto long gone but parts are sold and restored here.

"Packard.  Ask the Man who owns one!"

Trucker's Life

They are the Unlucky

Led by the Unqualified

To do the Necessary

For the Ungrateful

Praise the Trucker

Seeing through Eyes of Others

The Angel flutters down and perches herself upon a fence watching you as you watch others flit about their daily life.  The Angel ponders of what you find so intriguing of what others do.  Like the Angel, others take notice of you observing, making those who flit about their daily life feel uneasy.  Yet, you still ogle over what they do.

What is it that you seek?  Is it that you envy others wishing you were like they or is it that you see yourself through others in a way that you don't want to see yourself.  Live the life you live and take notice of your own self and not living through the eyes of others.

The Angel without notice flutters abruptly back up to the Heavens.

Checkers

What a roller coaster of a ride it has been this season Ladies and Gentlemen, and if you're like me, you've been on the edge of your seat with bitten nails and heart palpitations waiting on who will be the champion of this years National Checker Extravaganza.

Well, the time has come and here we are with the Best of the Best as we're now going to see who will analyze and take home the Royal Checkered Crown!  The Blockade is about to begin and only one will capture the other Men in this two for one strategy.  Jumped, trapped and Crowned to be King.

This year our Red Fire is Janus "The Fickle One" Mercurial from Greece and Black Charcoal, Khafra "The Pharaoh" Nectanabo from Egypt.  Who will take the title?  Stay tuned as we take a moment to review the season's results and how they achieved to get where they are today!

Here Lies the Body of

I remember how the story was Told

A Winter's day is now forever Cold

The Bodies that lay and Souls that were Sold

Are now kept locked tight in a wooden Mold

A large stone marked with names that we don't Know

Yet their names echo through the winds that Blow

Summoned upon the cawing of a Crow

Perched atop a tree with a divine Show

Here lay the Bodies of those we don't Know

Tucked in forever underneath the Snow

That is the story and how it was Told

On the days of Winter forever Cold

Stay Beautiful

Your Skin isn't Paper

So don't Cut It

Your Face isn't a Mask

So don't Cover It

Your Size isn't a Book

So don't Judge It

Your Life isn't a Film

So don't End it

Stay beautiful!

Morristown Train Station

Built in 1912 and opening it's doors on the 13th of November, 1913, the Morristown Train Station located in the heart of Morristown, N.J. is a NJ Transit Station serving on an average of 1,800 Passengers on any given weekday.  Inside, there's always a Station Agent to assist you and a wide open waiting area with massive wooden seating for Commuters anticipating the next arrival.

When walking inside the Morristown Station, you might recognize it from the 1994 Cyndi Lauper iconnic video: "Time After Time" where at the end of the video, they say their final goodbye to each other before Cyndi boards the train.

The Morristown Train Station has changed little in it's century plus years of operation.

Future's So Bright

Refuse to do what you Did

What you didn't Do

Or what you should've Done

Effect what you are about to Do

Futur's so Bright

Gotta Wear Shades

Calm Before the Storm

The Sun rises just over the ridge, dissipating the morning's fog rapidly as clouds slowly creep from the west.  The Birds are singing in the trees joyfully as if it were a Spring morning anticipating the glorious day before them.  It's going to be a beautiful and unseasonably warm day to go out and enjoy the outdoors.

Little is known that Mother Nature has something else planned and it's being carried by those calm breezes blowing eastward.  When all are tucked away bed and the nearly full moon is hiding behind the clouds are are drastically being thickened, the Silent White will start to fall gracefully downward coating the Earth.

Don't be fooled by her calmness luring you to frolic and scamper in the forest catching the pure white flakes delightfully onto your tongue.  Mother Nature has much in store later as the winds gust with bitter cold chills as what once was the Silent White now fiercely obliterates the horizon making it impossible to navigate through.

The morning after today will possibly paralyze you and there's nothing you can do about it!

Stay Tuned...

Kids of America

No strollers, no playpens and no carriages to contain curious babies from wondering into the dangerous forest.  Back in the days long before Christopher Columbus allegedly discovered America, the land was enriched with Indians consisting of many tribes.  New Jersey had the Lenape (len-AH-pay) Indians who lived in what is now New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, southwestern New York State as well as a touch of southern Connecticut.

But the babies of back then were hard to monitor from exploring in areas that were dangerous being the forests were abundant with Black Bear, Bobcats and Mountain Lions.  The Lenape were smart and used resources that they had to make things work.  They simply made sacks out of animal hides and fur fastening them on the trunks of large trees.  Slipping the babies into the sack to keep them out of harms way and wondering where they shouldn't.  They were safe, warm and always in eyes view for everyone in the village to see.

Shell, bones and anything else that would chime during light breezes were hung in front of the babies to keep their brains stimulated and amused.

Thought Bubbles

Thought bubbles popping like a popcorn maker at a carnival, I try to keep my thoughts contained, but they always seem to leak out.  Expressing what's on my mind as others hear the words fluidly pour out of my mouth uncontrollably, I speak only the truth without fabrication.

It is not to be rude, only to be honest.  Yet, those who are offended turn their backs against me with muttered words of disgust.  Perhaps it is those who gesture and speak to others of how evil I am are those who are actually living a lie.

Now on Sale

Mother Mary is now on sale at your local discount store.

Only six left, get you figurine now before they are sold out!

I Forever Pray

Headless

Sightless

They look the other Way

Brainless

Thoughtless

They're minds are at Bay

Heartless

Speechless

They have nothing to Say

Powerless

Meaningless

Are the ways they will Stay

Fearless

Cowardliness

They will act when they Play

Tireless

Relentless

The skin that they will Flay

Ageless

Timeless

They will be every Day

Headless

Sightless

They look the other Way

Heartless

Speechless

They have nothing to Say

Aimless

Careless

Still I forever Pray