Thanksgiving Hodgepodge

Sharing Thanksgiving with Joyce via The Hodgepodge.

1. Turkey-love it or leave it?  White meat or dark?  What's your favorite thing to make using leftover turkey?

Turkey is delicious; dark meat only for me.  My boys live for leftover turkey made into turkey salad. We usually never have enough leftovers so we buy an extra turkey just for turkey salad. Really.

2. Gotta burn off all those carbs the day after a holiday feast so which would you rather do-run a 10K or climb a mountain? 

Despite the heights issue, I'd rather climb a mountain. Not only would you feel like you accomplished something, you'd get the reward of the view too!

3.  Do you feel like social networking has made your relationships better or worse?  Explain.

Honestly, I'm not a Facebook fan. I keep threatening to quit, but during Dad's funeral it was such an easy way to share the information with such a large and varied group of friends/family, that I've kept it for that reason alone. I have a twitter account and I believe I looked at it once this year. Do you really want to know what I had for lunch? Didn't think so.

I love blogging, but have settled into what it really means to me. At first I wanted a large following and I wanted it to launch into something. (??)  That mindset left me discontent and unhappy.

Once I realized that my target audience was our family who did not live close I then settled into my true blog identity.  I just want to share my life, grammar mistakes and all, with those I love. When life is busy, I don't blog and I'm ok with the living of it and not sharing. When I have time to connect through blogging, I do.

Because I've adopted this mindset, I've met some wonderful blog friends who check in every so often. I would truly love to meet you all in person, with the hopes that we'd enjoy each other's physical company just as much. I talk about you all with my family and say, "my blog friend..."  Whoever thought that would be a category?

So in answer to the question I think I've navigated social networking in a way that works for me.

4. How do you find and express gratitude for the hard things in your life? 

When going through the hard time, I pray and ask the Lord to reveal Himself and I thank Him for His care. I share the Lord's faithfulness and my stories of tough times with others as the Holy Spirit leads.

5.  In the US, the day after Thanksgiving has been dubbed 'Black Friday'.  Is most of your holiday shopping done live and in person, or is it done more through the magic of the Internet? How do you feel about stores opening at midnight Thanksgiving night? Will you be out amongst the masses on Friday? 

I've shopped on Black Friday once and it was a good experience. I'm not much of a shopper so I don't put a lot of time and energy into doing it.  We make up Christmas lists and share them with grandparents.  I usually shop about three times in December purchasing everyone's gifts at retail stores. If there are requested items from catalogs, I definitely take advantage of shopping online.

6.  Speaking of the color black-which black item in your wardrobe would you say is your favorite?

I have a black sweater that is dressy and comfortable. It's a winter staple.

7.  What do you appreciate about your life today? 

We moved out of the rat race of northern Virginia/DC chaos a little over a year ago and I appreciate the calm peacefulness that comes with living in the country on a farm. It's a dream of many people to live the way I do and I am so thankful for what the Lord has provided. I love our way of life.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

All this talk of purchasing gifts reminded me of something I bought online a few weeks ago.  

My daughter, Ashley, and son-in-law, TJ, moved to CO in July and this will be our first Christmas away from each other. Sad. 

To give Ashley a little taste of home, I purchased the same Advent calendar for her family as the one she had in childhood. I told her not to open it without TJ 'cause I knew there would be lots of crying. There was and TJ was a little confused until she explained. 

Here's a goofy picture taken of her putting the last ornament on our Advent calendar tree in 2010.

Shared memories are sweet; passing them on...priceless.

Hoof In Mouth Disease

There are times, especially when I am tired, that the filter on what I say is well, ... short-circuiting.

My son was away for the weekend and today at lunch I caught him up on all that he had missed, including my latest faux pas.

In the span of four days I ended up telling a 6th grader in a class I'm teaching that her mother had lost a baby (many years ago). In the conversation I mentioned how sad it was when that happened. She looked confused and I realized that she had no idea her mom had ever lost a child. Wow.

Then last night I met a woman who will be serving as one of my volunteers at church. I asked her where I had seen her before and she mentioned that we had met on a Sunday morning and that I had gotten her husband confused with a man whose picture is on a camera that was lost at church. We were trying to locate the camera owner. I then mention that I remembered the man on the camera and her husband's face because they looked like my first fiancee. Yes, I said that to a woman I had just met. Seriously, I need a psych evaluation!

Those who know and love me know that I am all sweet and gooshy inside and that I would be mortified by hurting someone with my words (excluding close family...there might be some intention every once in a while).  A part of what makes people laugh at with me, is that I get myself into these sticky situations innocently and then in a panic to rectify the situation, I usually snowball them to an even greater degree. Think Michael Scott. How it pains me to think there is a bit of Michael Scott within.

Somehow I will have to mend a friendship with a big 'ole apology for telling about a miscarriage and over time, hopefully, convince my volunteer that I'm not creepy and that I'm not thinking her husband reminds me of a lost love every time I see them. Oi Vey!

By the way, Michael Scott looks like my first fiancee too.

Joinin in the Hodgepodge

1. I included this quote (attributed to William H. Danforth) in my blog post yesterday... "The best cure for a sluggish mind is to disturb it's routine." When was the last time you 'disturbed your routine' and how'd you do it?

My routine has been disturbed all summer, but the mind-challenging activities have included organizing props and costume closets at church, learning new quilting techniques and designing my own curriculum for a home design and decorating course I will be teaching in the fall. (And you wondered why you haven't seen me in bloggy world much!)

2. What's your favorite fried food indulgence?

I usually don't indulge in much fried food, but within the past few weeks I've had TWO funnel cakes (one at Six Flags and one at the county fair).  That should hold me over for a few more years.

3. Did you have an allowance as a kid? What did you do with it? Do you give your own kids an allowance?

I did have a small allowance and some of that had to be tithed and saved.  I spent what I could as fast as I could...on what I can't remember.

Mark and I chose to pay our kids for their chores. They understand that we do chores because we're all apart of the family, but I wanted them to enjoy earning money. We have weekly chore charts that we faithfully follow and they get paid for each chore they accomplish.  We encourage giving and saving and they have hopefully learned a lot.

4. What's something you wish you knew more about?

Computer programs/software. I would like to have a great working knowledge, in general.

5. Is there anything you feel too old to do anymore? If so, what?

I am too old to ride roller coasters. I call that wisdom.  Adrenaline rush? No thanks!

6. What's a song you think has a great first line?

I have heard so many songs,
listened to a thousand tongues,
but there is one that sounds above them all.

The Father's song, the Father's love,
You sung it over me and for eternity it's written on my heart.

(The Father's Song by Matt Redman)
This first line of the song immediately brings peace to my mind and body. I have often cried through this song.

7. Who are you writing to/for when you create a blog post? In other words...as you write, who is the audience in your head?

At the beginning of Angie's Ad Lib, I began writing for myself. It was a way to remember the ordinary days, the devotional thoughts, the funny moments; a journal of sorts. However, if I were just doing it for myself, I would have quit long ago. Now the audience in my head is often my sister-in-law or my married daughter. They both live too far away!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I recently read a post from a widely read blogger who takes time off every once in a while. She said she just has times where she doesn't have anything to write about and/or doesn't have the motivation to write everyday. She's accepted this about herself and graciously lets her readers know when she will be taking a break. She doesn't set a length of time, she just dismisses herself and unplugs for awhile.

I identified with her and admired her honesty. If you've been a faithful follower of mine for any length of time, you know I fall off the blogging bandwagon every now and then. Life gets busy and I just have no motivation to sit and share it in a post. However, I go and "live" a little and then come back ready to share what's been happening, hoping to connect with my friends and family who are blessed by my Ad Lib ponderings. Thanks to all who stick with me!

If you'd like to join the Hodgepodge,
 join us over at Joyce's From This Side of the Pond.

V - Variety

I don't know about you, but I like variety! I like a variety of foods, movies, crafts, colors, styles, and even blogs!

I was thinking about "V" today and I wondered what other A-Z bloggers might write for "V."  I enjoy a variety of blogs, but I've found that my favorite blogs are ones that don't necessarily focus on one thing like cooking, decorating, writing fiction, etc. I tend to most often visit those blogs that spice up it's content with VARIETY!  A little humor, travel, creative endeavors, family stories, etc is what interests me. I think the one thing this A-Z Challenge has taught me is that I am on the www (world wide web) to make new friends. With that as my reason, I want to know all about the variety in your life, not just one facet of you.

I have followed bloggers who blog about one subject (I hear that's one way to make money blogging), but I get bored OR I don't want to read about organizing, decorating, cooking, or crafting EVERY day so I only visit occasionally. However, other ladies who just share their lives online, those are the ones I will visit everyday. I want to know what's happening...what's new.  I have dreams of meeting some of my fellow bloggers someday in real life. They feel like real life friends already so why not?!

How about you? Do you enjoy blogs that only serve up one topic? Do you feel like your fellow bloggers are friends? Would you enjoy meeting someone you've followed someday? Do you enjoy a blog that writes about several different topics?

As they say, Variety is the Spice of Life!

U - Ukulele

I have been helping my son prepare music he wrote/arranged for his Shakespearean Acting Troupe and one of the girls in the show is playing a ukulele. We have several guitars in our home (and a few players), but I've never really been interested in learning how to play the guitar. I play the clarinet and a little piano, but guitars...eh. However, when I hear the ukulele I always think to myself, "I'd like to learn to play that!" It might be because it reminds me of the beach.

One of my favorite CD's that Mark picked up at Pier One in the late 90's is Calypso Cafe. I don't know if it has ukuleles in it, but I really go for beachy music! A lot.

So when my oldest daughter and I were watching American Idol a few years ago (2008) we both fell in love with Jason Castro! He became our new guy to root for mainly (for me) because I like any boy who can teach himself how to play the ukulele in one week and then perform on national television. Plus, I like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."



Did you know the ukulele is from Hawaii? ;) It originated in the 19th century as an Hawaiian interpretation of small guitar-like instruments taken to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

Think Don Ho. Hello, anyone out there?

I loved Don Ho.

I guess I do have a beach sensibility about me.

All I know, I love ukuleles. A lot.

Got any hidden loves that fit U?

T - Ten Things To Tell

Many bloggers have lists of 100 things they share about themselves.
I thought I'd use "T" to share 10 things about myself today.

1) I am the eleventh generation in a southern family, but my mother delivered me in IL...the first "yankee" born.

2) I can't remember eating a canned vegetable until I got to college.
(I grew up with a two acre garden and we grew all the vegetables we ate.)

3) When I first heard my voice on a answering machine recording, I burst into tears because I thought I sounded like Nellie Olson (Little House on the Prairie.)

4) As a girl I used to spend hours cutting clothing models from the JCPenney catalog to use as paper dolls.

5) I am the only 45-year-old woman I know who has experienced a home with a two-seater outhouse, hand water pump on the back porch and a wringer washing machine. (at my great-grandmother's house)

6) I grew up singing in church and in the school choir. During my senior year of High School my small ensemble won a National Singing Competition at Bob Jones University.

7) I once dated my high school teacher (I was a freshman in college.)

8) I've been engaged twice.

9) I've had 4 c-sections, which resulted in 4 amazing kids!

10) I married someone my parents didn't like, but now I sometimes think they like him more than me!

* There might be a few stories in there, don't you think?

I - Input and Intellection

Tom Rath, Gallup's Global Practice Leader, is the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author of Strengthfinders 2.0, as well as many other fantastic books.

I first heard Tom at a leadership conference and my interest was peaked as he talked about working in your strengths instead of working on improving your weaknesses.  His premise is that we're all good at something. Shouldn't we be working on trying to share what we're good at, making improvement in the areas we already shine, instead of working on things, that quite frankly, we'll probably never be good at no matter how much effort we put into trying to improve our weaknesses?  It was an interesting idea, certainly one that deemed further investigation.

Well, it didn't take long for me to get further into Mr. Rath's idea of working within your strengths. At work we were given the Strengthfinders 2.0 book and asked to take the online assessment (a code is included in the back of the book to access the test). As employees we took the assessment and then shared our results within our department, talking about whether our positions fit our strengths and how we could work our strengths into being more productive in our areas of responsibility.

I took the test and was amazed at the results! (Don't I sound like an infomercial! Heehee!)  The Strengthfinder's test nailed my personality and honestly, gave me confidence. I realized that my strengths could be leveraged for good at work and at home and that I could embrace the needs that I had to feed my strengths, significantly alone time.

Have you figured out two of my strengths? Input and Intellection.

Someone with the strength of Input:

• collects physical and/or virtual stuff they find interesting

(I have a paper problem!)

• enjoys information, words, facts or quotations, books or collectibles. 
• finds many things interesting (Have you visited my Pinterest?)
• Inquisitive

Someone with the strength of Intellection:

• enjoys solitude - in fact, needs it!
• introspective, likes to think
• mental hum is a constant part of life
• must schedule quiet time to "just think"
• thrives on mental activity (maybe that's why I try lots of crafts!)

I am a thinker. I love learning and collecting information. It makes me happy! 

Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about "I." :)

If you're interested in reading Strengthfinders 2.0 and taking the assessment, click here. (BTW, don't buy a used copy if you intend to use the online code in the back.You could pick up the book to peruse and make guesses as to your strengths, but you'll be tempted to take the test, I promise!)

If you take the assessment, please, share your strengths with me. I'd love to know what makes you unique! 

F - Family

Have you ever read a blog and wondered who the writer was talking about? You knew it was someone close to them and that maybe if you followed better you'd know, but you know...their life is not your life, etc. :)

I've often written about my family and wondered if the reader would know who I was talking about. We give incomplete pictures of who we are on blogs, sometimes out of security, sometimes from a lack of time to share it all, sometimes we just don't want you to know! Am I right?

Today I thought I'd share my family with you so that way if you follow, you'll know a little more about this crazy gang.

This is me (Angie) and my husband, Mark.

Mark was born and raised in the San Diego area (a true CA boy) and I was born and raised in central Illinois (a true Midwesterner). We met at a small Bible college in Wisconsin in the 80's and had a terribly interesting romance. (That's another post...R?)  We've been married 23 years and as the President of our College said to my Dad one day (when my Dad called to find out about this boy), "Life will always be an adventure with Mark." It's true! It's been an adventure, but one taken with my best friend. I couldn't imagine life without him.

The first addition to our family was Ashley. Ashley has Mark's temperament - easy going, quiet, with a touch of mischief/adventure. She was the easiest child to raise and I'm pretty sure the Lord knew I'd need that first if I were to have any more. Ashley is now almost 22 years old and will be graduating from college next month. She is married to her best friend, TJ, and they will be starting seminary this coming fall.  When I look at this picture of her I'm proud of the woman she has become. She's the sweetest person I know and I wish you all could meet her.  She writes over at Ridges and Ripples.

Ah, Rhett! My only son is very dear to my heart. This boy, in some ways, is a clone of me. We're both talkative, emotional, silly, and always working on a project that we probably won't see through to the end. Sometimes we will; it's a crapshoot.  Rhett's name means enthusiastic and he is that about everything he does in life. It's never dull when he's around!  Rhett is an eagle scout and can hang with the boys, but he's just as comfortable with the girls since he's had three sisters.  His passions are music and writing and he will be taking some general studies courses in college in the fall so he has a little more time to figure out what direction he wants to go with his major.  This 18-year-old boy loves the Lord and loves discussing spiritual things. I am a very proud mom and if you ever get to meet Rhett, you'd like him right away.  He writes at  My Imaginative Scribbles.

This sums it up!

Katie (Katherine Grace.) Katie blessed our family when Rhett was 8 1/2 years old. We didn't think we'd have any more children so her name, which means pure grace, was a perfect fit.  Sometimes we think it means we're supposed to give her pure grace 'cause this little girl is a dynamo. She has a firstborn's personality! She is a little planner/campaigner. She goes to sleep with plans and wakes up with plans. She likes to lead her crowd of friends, which includes other first born personalities so it can be challenging at times. We love Katie's drive and think that she will do something special in life. Besides wanting to take on the world this little girl, who is 10, has the softest heart. She is compassionate to others when they are hurt and remorseful when she's in the wrong.  I wish I could be more like her. She's a sweet blessing from the Lord.

And then there's Tara. Tara is the stereo-typical baby of the family. She is 15 months younger than Katie and will turn 9 this month.  She has a quick wit and an adventuresome personality. She is also very much like her Dad.  She dreams of becoming a Veterinarian and she also dreams of jumping out of a plane. She is easy to get along with (so she often goes along with Katie's plans), but she has her own mind and stands firm when needed.  Tara was born to live on the farm, but you'd have to pull her off the computer to get her outside. She just loves action/adventure wherever she can find it.  Tara has a special place in Momma's heart as my baby girl.

Here they are. Silly kids!

Thought you'd like to meet TJ before I close. TJ is a foot taller than my daughter, but is a gentle teddy bear of a guy. He loves the Lord and loves his family. He is good to Ashley and their first year of marriage has only deepened their bond. TJ has gotten Ashley into rock climbing and skiing and Ashley has expanded his food repertoire. TJ gets our family's goofy humor and fits right in. I couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law. I'm so thankful that the Lord has been gracious to give us a son so easy to love.

Do you feel like you know us any better? 

The Lord has been gracious to the Martens' gang and I am thankful for my family!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I'm joining Joyce this week in the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2011?

change, peace (beyond understanding), recovery

2. Do you like shrimp? What's your favorite way to have it prepared?

I LOVE shrimp, but can't eat it anymore. The last time I ate it, I went to bed for the night and woke an hour later in hives. Yikes!

3. Is your house de-Christmased? If so when did you tackle that job? If not, when will the decorations come down?

My home is 99.8% de-Christmased.  We started on Sunday night and finished up tonight. I still have some linens/towels to wash and put away; then it will be done.

4. Do you like to watch scary movies?

Uh. I don't like horror movies (Halloween, Friday the 13th, etc). Hate those. I do like intellectual thrillers, usually once.  I like Sci-fi shows like Fringe (although I gave that up this year...just got too weird.)  When Rhett and I would watch Fringe I would sit curled up on the couch and freak out during the commercials. So I guess, I don't do "scary" well.

5. ice skating~sledding~skiing~snowboarding~of the four listed which wintertime activity do you most enjoy?

Ha! Curled up in a blanket, reading a book and drinking hot chocolate - that's my fave wintertime activity. However, if you want an active answer, then I choose scraping snow off the car, shoveling the sidewalk and having a snowball fight with my kids. I actually love all three of those things. Go figure.

6. Did you have a childhood hideout? Describe it.

My room.  My grandma worried I spent too much time in there. :)

7. What's a place or space that motivates you?

The public library. I can get poetic talking about the library. I come alive amidst the books. I fantasize about getting locked in over night; what fun that would be!  So many things to learn. I love the smell of the books, the quiet hum, and the tables tucked into private corners. Love it!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm fixated on my New Year's goals right now. (It's only day 4!) I have been using this new form to organize each day and it has been very effective. Having blocks of time organized has helped me keep focused; I'm loving it!