This morning Rosebud popped up in bed, looked at my face very closely and said, "mama, are my ashes still on my forehead?"  "Yours aren't there anymore."  "Is is still Ash Wednesday?"

"No, it’s Thursday."

"But is it Ash Thursday?"  I said Yes it was Ash Thursday, deciding that making up a new family celebration would bring her so much happiness that it was worth the effort.  We will do something special. 
Like not have treats. 
Rosebud gave up eating snowballs for Lent.  So committed she is to making some sort of meaningful penance that she even gave up eating ANYTHING with snow in it.  After her week in Ontario, you can imagine how she gorged herself on snow, and so giving up that glorious treat is truly penitential.

I'm glad she is giving up snow, because I was starting to worry that she was addicted to it.  I understand that can happen in snowy places.  Where there is snow on the ground for more than three days at a stretch.   I, myself, am probably addicted to rain, without even knowing it.  This would neatly explain why I never use an umbrella.