Whatcha Giving Up For Lent?

Are you about to start your Lenten journey of giving up something? Yeah, me, too. My wife's family has done some interesting one's over the years including drawing your choice out of a hat. "Look, no hot showers until Easter." That's not for me.

 For the last couple of years I have given up coarse language. Not that I have a terrible mouth, but it does need to be reined in on occasion like beating a curved piece of metal straight again. Nothing makes you realize how fallible you are by not being able to hold a promise and reminding yourself of that fact each time you break it. Currently I've been writing on the sequel to my rural detective story, No Signal. The characters, I hope, are portrayed as being real, and therefore they use bad words on occasion. So, I decided to choose something else.

Will Gilmer, a daiyman from Alabama, has suggested that people give up their soda habit and replace it with some delicious dairy. That's a pretty good idea. Get rid of a bad habit and do yourself something better. As a dairy farmer, I think it is a great idea. However, I begrudging admit, sinner that I am, that in addition to my more than three times a day dairy habit, I do do the Dew sometimes. So, I'm going to pass on this one as well. Go ahead, call me a dairy sinner on this one.

I decided to go with something way less original, but nevertheless difficult. I'm going to give up Dove Dark Chocolate.

Now, you might say that wouldn't be very difficult, but for me this is a habit I enjoy. I love to savor a couple after lunch and supper. If I'm going out to eat I try to pack a couple in my coat. I look at the Sunday ads to see if they are on sale...umm religiously. I'm sure there are other better dark chocolates out there, but this is my favorite in its price range.

Goodbye, you delicious dark chocolate candy. See you again in April.