We are now one week into the season of Lent.
Remember when everyone always gave up something for Lent?
Usually it was food of some sort.
I haven’t heard anyone mention giving up something for Lent this year.
Maybe everyone is eating healthy, so there is nothing left to do without.
Many Christians use the Lenten season as a time to refocus on spirituality in a culture that is increasingly secular.
After all, Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance.
It is a season for reflection and taking stock.
Lent originated in the very earliest days of the church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism.
Lent, which comes from the Old English word for “spring,” lasts forty days.
The six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted.
Forty is a traditional number of discipline, devotion, and preparation in the Bible.
Moses stayed on the Mountain of God forty days.
And most importantly, prior to undertaking his ministry, Jesus spent forty days in wilderness praying and fasting.
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Bring your family and friends to the Stone Harbor Lions, Bill Weir Memorial Pancake Breakfast on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Uncle Bill’s Avalon Pancake House, 33rd Street and Dune Drive.
This great breakfast includes pancakes, sausage or bacon, juice and coffee.
Donation is only $6 and benefits the wonderful Lions Charities.
Tickets are available at the door or call Bill Keenan 368-4444.
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The speaker at the Avalon Home and Land Owners meeting this Saturday will be Bruce Tell, director of the Avalon Museum.
He will provide information on the museum’s operations and programs.
The meeting will be held in the Avalon Senior Center at 10 a.m. All are welcome.
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Stone Harbor Garden Club is meeting in the Stone Harbor Firehouse Meeting Room on Monday at 9:30 a.m.
At the conclusion of the general meeting they will travel in car-pools to Windy Acres Nursery.
Members are advised to wear sneakers or garden shoes.
Windy Acres is the nursery that provides the beautiful plants and flowers that the Garden Club members and volunteers plant on the Second Avenue islands each year.
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Stone Harbor Seniors’ “Fun Days” take place each Wednesday.
They have temporarily re-located to the Fire House Meeting Room at 96th Street and Second Avenue.
Bridge and bingo begin at 1 p.m. Come out and join in the fun.
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Stone Harbor Book Club meets on the third Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in the library of the Stone Harbor Elementary School to review a book.
Club members will be reviewing “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Niffeneger on Mar. 16.
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St. Patrick’s Day is coming!
One of the best places to be Irish and to celebrate is with the American Legion at their Annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance, held at 6 p.m. on March 17 at the Stone Harbor American Legion Post 331, 117th Street and Second Avenue.
The food will be Irish and so will the music by Frank Brad. Tickets are $25 and you can call Emma at 368-2967 for more information.
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At the general meeting of the Avalon Garden Club in February, Corine Reynolds spoke on the topic of roses.
It was an extensive and very interesting history of the past, present and future on roses and how they developed 32 million years ago.
Garden Club members learned how roses were developed, how to choose, plant, prune, fertilize, pick, cut and condition them.
The Avalon Garden Club Men’s Breakfast will be held on March 21 at 9 a.m. in Avalon Community Hall.
If you are planning to attend and you were not able to sign up at the February general membership meeting, please call Catherine D’Imperio at 967-1646 or Sara McCabe at 967-4131 before March 15.
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Now that both Stone Harbor and Avalon have instituted a trap, neuter and release program to control the feral cat population, the registered caregivers that feed the cats are finding the cost can be a strain on their budgets.
If you would like to support the efforts of the volunteer caregivers, you can donate dry or canned cat food for the TNR Program by calling Judy at 368-0394 for Stone Harbor or Sue at 967-7185 for Avalon.
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The Avalon Museum will present “Paradise Lost” on March 25 at 6 p.m.
Have a delicious buffet dinner then enjoy an interesting program with Rachel Rodgers, Curator/Director of the Cape May County Historical Museum.
Rachel will present a program of places and buildings of Cape May County from times that few of us still remember; a real paradise lost.
This event was postponed from last November due to a scheduling conflict.
Tickets are $20 and are available at the Museum or Sturdy Savings Bank’s Avalon Branch.
This evening usually sells out, so early reservations are recommended.
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Movies on the Marsh, the Wetlands Institute’s film festival, complete with critters, continues March 18 with “Winged Migration.”
On March 25, it’s “March of the Penguins” and wraps up April 1 with a showing of “Microcosmos.”
Showtime is 1 to 3 p.m.; free with regular admission.
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The Lunch and Learn series at the Wetlands Institute continues on Tuesdays, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Bring your lunch; coffee and dessert are provided along with a different speaker each week.
March 14, “Delaware Bay Estuary Restoration” with Kelly Westervelt, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.
March 21, “London Wetlands Center.” Cost is $3 for members and $5 for nonmembers.
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The Avalon Senior Center welcomes all seniors from Avalon, Sea Isle and Stone Harbor.
Sue Keen, 967-5924, can answer any questions you may have about their activities or events. Here are a few of the many activities.
The next monthly cooking class by Natalie Bailey is Mar. 20 at 1 p.m. Please call to sign-up.
Every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. there is an Open Art Workshop, open to adults all ages, were you might paint or sketch, or bring your own art project, and work along with others.
The Senior Center has added a puzzle club, “Piece Time.”
They meet and work together on the third and fourth Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
The completed puzzles are presented to an organization or group associated with the theme of the puzzle.
Spanish classes are taught by Jeanne Sykes.
They are held every Wednesday from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
There is an open bridge game every Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Intermediate bridge classes are held Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Beginner classes continue on Fridays at 9:15 a.m. Register by calling Theresa Montgomery at 967-7002, or Sandy Burns at 368-1979.
Bingo is played every other Wednesday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Regular Bingo will be played March 15 and 29.
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Tracking the progress of our regularly scheduled boards and councils: Tonight, Avalon Council meets at 7:30 p.m.
March 10, Stone Harbor Zoning Board of Adjustment meets at 8 p.m.
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Please send your information to me at least ten days prior to your event.
E-mail me at 7MileNews@comcast.net or call 368-1066.
