St. Mary Spokane Valley

It is the last Thursday Rundown of November! Next Thursday is Thanksgiving so please forgive me as I watch football and eat pumpkin pie instead of tapping away on these keys. If it is any consolation, I will try and make this rundown good enough to hold you off until the next one publishes in two weeks…

Turkey Bingo – One of the most entertaining Catholic staples is turkey bingo. As I have written about before, many parishes will host November bingo gatherings with turkeys up for grabs. Our version at St. Mary (hosted by my Knight’s Of Columbus council) was held this past Sunday. Even though we didn’t win, we had a great time with friends. We will try to avenge our defeat this weekend when we attend the turkey bingo event at my parents’ parish 😂.

Our crew playing Turkey Bingo at St. Mary in the Spokane Valley.

It’s Peecan Pie, Not Pecaaan Pie – As we approach pie season, just a friendly reminder on how to correctly pronounce “pecan.” To use phonics that I think describe it better than the photo below, it is PEE-CAN, not PEE-CON. Of course, I write this in jest. I hope readers pronounce words the way they prefer. However, “pecan” is a funny story because I changed the way I pronounce it based on the relationship with my wife. She explained that “pecan” should be pronounced the way it sounds and not the western way I had employed for 25 years. I agreed with her 😉.

I took a screenshot of this the moment I saw it on social media.

Hot Chocolate Bombs – On this date four years ago, I tried a hot chocolate bomb for the first time. Although they were a TikTok fad and I had a fun time “activating” the “bomb,” the taste was disappointing. Even though I like hot chocolate that isn’t overly chocolately, the bomb produced a cup of cocoa that lacked in flavor. After I let the disappointment run its course, I wrote a detailed blog post nine days later about my experience.

The hot chocolate bombs I bought in 2020 at the Garland Mercantile.

Tropicana Bottle Change – There is a viral uproar over Tropicana changing the design of its orange juice bottle. The brand switched out its carafe distinctive bottle shape and crown bottle cap with something much more generic. Feedback from fans of the old bottle is that the carafe design seemed to convey the notion of fresh squeezed orange juice a sense of uniqueness. Tropicana responded by saying the new design is more eco-friendly and that it is easier to pour. Okay, I thought, both sides have good points. But then I learned something that tilted my support to the everyday fan: the new bottle contains less juice (four ounces) than the old bottle. Nothing gets me angrier than shrinkflation disguised as a re-design!

The old Tropicana bottle (left) vs. the new Tropicana bottle (right).

Hot Frosty – Netflix has gone all-in on Christmas movies while shamelessly duplicating Hallmark’s sappy formula. It’s recent foray into the holiday space is “Hot Frosty,” a film that reached #1 on Netflix’s top movies. A brief synopsis? A snowman comes to life and becomes the love interest of a young widow. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy watching a super corny Christmas movie with my wife, but “Hot Frosty” was just too unrealistic, elementary, and cringy for me.

Even though it received good reviews, I didn’t like “Hot Frosty.”

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Thanks so much for reading! Remember, start fasting now for the feast next Thursday. Don’t Blink.

I can’t help but feel optimistic. The weather is gorgeous, the days are longer, and the birds are chirping. Summer is on the horizon. But before we get to that point, I want to enjoy the rest of what has been a busy and fun month of May. Let’s go to the Thursday Rundown…

May At St. Mary – Speaking of May, it has been a blessed month for Sloan at St. Mary. She helped with the Mary crowning, participated in a special children’s rosary, and won a class raffle for a Happy Meal lunch. But what really made me proud was on Tuesday when she delivered a reading during the school mass. Proclaiming from the Acts of the Apostles, Sloan stood at the lectern and read flawlessly in front of the entire school and a crowd of parents. I admired the bravery of Sloan and her classmates who also read during the mass.

It has been a busy month at St. Mary School in Spokane Valley. Photos include Sloan and her friend holding Mary’s crown, the group of children who prayed the rosary, and Sloan delivering the reading at the school mass.

Lucky Charms Pancakes – On Mother’s Day, Sidney requested I make my famous pancakes. I happily obliged and in addition to the traditional buttermilk hot cakes I made for her, I whipped up something a little different for the kids. I had a package of Lucky Charms pancake mix that I threw on the griddle for Sloan and Beau. The mix itself had Lucky Charms bits inside it and the box was accompanied with a package of actual Lucky Charms pieces that I sprinkled on top. Overall, the Lucky Charm pancakes were better than the Cinnamon Toast Crunch pancakes I made 15 months ago.

Despite Beau’s scowl, these Lucky Chams pancakes weren’t that bad.

Last MLB Game – It is hard to believe that it has been four years since I last attended a Major League Baseball game. On this date in 2019, Sidney and I visited brand new SunTrust Park to watch the Atlanta Braves host the Milwaukee Brewers. Sid’s parents took care of Sloan as we had a fantastic weekend that also included TopGolf and Cheesecake Factory. Perhaps we will break our MLB drought this summer and go to a Seattle Mariners game.

A photo of Sidney and I from our seats at SunTrust Park on May 18, 2019.

Mother’s Day Photo – During our Mother’s Day celebration at my parents’ house, my siblings and I took a break from the good food, ladder golf, and the metal detector to snap this photo with my mom. We sure owe a lot of gratitude to her for all she has done for us over 3+ decades.

My sister, brother, and I stand with my mom.

7th Grade School Photo – Not much else to share tonight so I thought I would throw in this headshot of a pudgy seventh grader. Let’s hope Beau doesn’t go through this awkward phase 😂