Thursday, March 28, 2013

Friday Flash Fiction 55 - Tax Exemption

"Here ya go", Father Ivan said, handing the church's Sams card to the young cashier.
"The alcohol is tax exempt, too?" She was doubtful.
"Definitely! It's all for the church. We have a refrigerator just for beer, wine, and vodka."
"How can you drink vodka at church?"
"Easy! Ice cold right out of the freezer!"


MMMMmmmmMMMMMM! My FAVORITE vodka! Right out of the freezer, it's sweet, smooth, and NEVER gives me a hangover!

My favorite wine. Not this brand, I haven't tried this brand, but it has a bunny on the label, so it must be THE BEST Riesling in the universe.  

Every Pascha (Easter for you Roman Catholics and protestants), we have a huge BBQ and tear it up after midnight Great Liturgy and PARTAY til the wee hours of the morning. We eat, laugh, joke, get a little tipsy, then go home when the sun rises.  One of our parishioners from Georgia (the country, not the state) walks around to everyone, gives them a big shot of Ouzo. Father Ralph's first question when he walks into the church hall is "Did someone remember to take the vodka out of the freezer?" And he also passes around shot glasses of Presidente' brandy and vodka. There is a sign up in the hall that says "Ralph's Bar".  There will be wine shared from everyone's baskets (also filled with butter, cheeses, eggs, smoked and cured meats, chocolate, etc, all the foods we Eastern Orthodox do not have during Great Lent).  


My favorite beer! 

St. Mary Dormition Orthodox Church
Jones, Oklahoma
While you all will be celebrating Easter this Sunday, our Great Lent continues til the beginning of May. We use the Old Calendar (Julian), while you use the New Calendar (Gregorian).
Every once in a while our Pascha and your Easter will fall on the same date, and it is a wonderful joyous time that we can all celebrate the Resurrection together. 

This episode of FFF 55 is sponsored by:

Beans and Rice - Forty days to a cleaner colon!

And

Tap Water - A Lenten staple for two thousand years!

Also brought to you by:

Tofu! Pretending to be meat and cheese and FAILING!

Along With:


THE G-Man
and of course, Readers Like You! 

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20 comments:

  1. g-manMarch 28, 2013 at 7:52 PM

    Jeevyo!!!
    (Slugs down a Shot)

    ReplyDelete
  2. g-manMarch 28, 2013 at 7:57 PM

    Bunny Girl...
    I loved your back story.
    Great selection of booze.
    Loved your Unorthodox 55
    I've partied with many Greek Russian and Eastern Orthodox
    They do love to party, but they sure hate to shave...:-)
    Thanks for finally playing, and have a Kick Ass Week End

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 29, 2013 at 9:14 PM

      Yeah, and they get very kissy kissy huggy huggy, too!

      Delete
  3. TALONMarch 28, 2013 at 8:09 PM

    LOL - not just any bunny, but a yellow one! :)

    Happy Easter, Brandi. Sounds like a real celebration of the death and the resurrection! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 29, 2013 at 9:16 PM

      After six weeks of Lent, and one Holy Week, one shot of whiskey or one beer on an empty stomach that has shrunk quite a bit will get you a little tipsy. But we all love being together and celebrating Pascha together.

      Delete
  4. Yvonne OsborneMarch 28, 2013 at 9:35 PM

    Thanks for the info. I didn't know. And of course the booze should be tax exempt too! Happy Easter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 29, 2013 at 9:20 PM

      In Oklahoma, the Baptists outnumber the catholics (using lower case "c" here to indicate tradition which includes RCC, EO, OO, Anglican/Episcopalian) and it can be a challenge to have to constantly explain why are not uptight about booze.

      Delete
  5. Little Miss TitchMarch 29, 2013 at 2:39 AM

    Sounds like a great party when it happens but in the mean time happy easter Brandi to you your hubby and son and all your fur babies!from all of us at the house of Speedy!xxx Speedy,Rachel and Nick.
    P.S if you're not working over the week end how about a video chat?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 29, 2013 at 9:20 PM

      You have a great Easter. Don't let my Speedy sneak any chocolate!

      Delete
  6. JinksyMarch 29, 2013 at 4:20 AM

    I'll stick to the tap water, thanks! LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 29, 2013 at 9:21 PM

      In smaller rural towns here in Oklahoma, people get letters in the mail telling them to not drink the tap water due to heavy metal contaminants. Scary, huh.

      Delete
  7. izzyMarch 29, 2013 at 6:55 AM

    It all sounds yummy! can't do vodka anymore, but it is enlightening, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Auntie Jane (It is official!)March 29, 2013 at 7:01 AM

    I am really glad to be included in "and readers like you." I had been wondering about Orthodox Easter. A dialogue in one of my first Egyptian Colloquial textbooks actually said that everyone in Egypt celebrated at the same time every four years, but I had started wondering if I was remembering correctly or if the text was just referring to the Coptic Church.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 29, 2013 at 9:23 PM

      Coptic Church, or Oriental Orthodox as they are sometimes referred, share the same Old Calendar dates as we do. I believe it is every four years.

      Delete
  9. JazzbumpaMarch 29, 2013 at 10:05 AM

    Thanks for the culture lesson.

    Sounds like a great celebration.

    A happy and blessed Easter to you when it arrives.

    Cheers!
    JzB

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ann (bunnygirl)March 29, 2013 at 11:36 PM

    I love the idea of a church that includes vodka! Now if only there were a vodka with a rabbit on the label, all would be right with the universe.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Other MaryMarch 30, 2013 at 7:15 AM

    Hallelujah! Happy Easter Brandi; this sounds like a great celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  12. hedgewitchMarch 30, 2013 at 9:45 AM

    I admire your dedication--tofu is a hard food to like, especially for weeks on end--laughin at your 55--Happy Easter when it gets here for you, brandi.

    ReplyDelete

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