AuburnChick's Adventures

It’s time for the Hodgepodge!  Woo Hoo!  I continue to be impressed at the way that Joyce comes up with a fresh batch of questions each week!  Kudos!!

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

As a vegan for nearly two years now, I do not eat turkey.  The rest of the family does.  Every year, we order a smoked turkey from Sonny’s, a barbecue place in town.  The Mr. and everyone else will eat one or two meals of the turkey left overs…usually as sandwiches or just plain on a plate…before we freeze it (and forget about it).

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?

I’m going to say neither.  In my dreams, I’m running a 10k.  In reality, I’m napping after an entire day of preparations and cleaning up.  As I said…in my dreams.  😀

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

I think that social networking has made my relationships better because people have a better sense of who I am.  Despite what people think, I really am shy, although I appear quite talkative.  I’m nervous about sounding dumb in front of people (which I usually do because of the dumb, blonde comments I make at times).  My posts on Facebook, along with my blog posts, show a different side of me…my tendency to poke fun of myself…what I’d like to think of as a wacky sense of humor.

In addition, I feel as if I know more about others as well, so if I see someone and recently read a status update, I naturally ask questions related to the update.

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

I find gratitude for the hard things in my life by looking back at the crises that God has brought me through and the blessings that resulted from them.  I am able to praise Him because I know that He has always been with me and will continue to be with me through whatever lies ahead in the future.  I always give Him the glory for being my strength and claim nothing of my own.

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 loathe shopping…especially in large crowds.  I tend to feel claustrophobic in small places or when I’m around a lot of people, so I don’t go.  The Mr. loves to, however.  I may venture out to Kohl’s because I just got a $5 coupon in the mail.  Other than that, I’ll probably stay put in the house and spend as many precious hours as I can with my babies before they head back to college over the weekend.  They are a lot more fun to be with than crowds of people I don’t know!!!

For the record, nearly all of our shopping is done in person, by the Mr.  Do I think stores are crazy for opening up early?  Yep.  However, I think it’s a lot easier to stay up late and shop than get up around 3am to get in line.  Ultimately, however, I think our priorities are misplaced.  Next thing you know, we’ll be having Black Friday in July.  Sheesh.

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

Let’s see…it’s a toss-up between my black shoes (I do love my shoes) and my black button down sweaters (yes, I own two).  My sweaters are a staple for me, being a cold-natured person, but I also love, love, love my shoes.

7.  What do you appreciate about your life today?

I am so appreciative that God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams.  I am soooo not perfect and soooo undeserving.  I am grateful that my children have grown into amazing young adults who are making choices in their lives that reflect their commitment to the Lord.  I made a lot of mistakes as a parent, so to know that God protected them and made them grow up straight and narrow despite my mistakes…well…that just makes me feel so grateful.

8.  My Random Thought

This week will culminate in Rivalry Weekend.  If you watch college football, you know what I’m talking about.

Last weekend, the Mr. and I went to Auburn to attend a football game and visit Rooster, who also came home with us for the week.

I had taken the entire day off so we could get there in time for the locker room tour.

It.

Was.

Impressive.

We were even allowed to walk through the tunnel that the football players walk through to the field.

To see the football field at ground level instead of from the stands was IMPRESSIVE!!!

Needless to say, I was awed.

Beyond words.

I couldn’t help but think about the young men who run onto that field each week…the nerves they must feel when they are facing crowds that can number upwards of 80,000 people.

Then, I considered the tough year that my football team has had this season.

In fact, it’s the worst that I can ever remember as an Auburn fan.

The players have been booed by the fans.  The crowds have thinned.

It’s quite sad.

I think about the players…the seniors who are left with a bittersweet taste in their mouths after experiencing the high of being national champions only two years ago.

I think about these kids who are only a few years older than the ones I currently teach, and my heart goes out to them and the pressure they must feel every single week.

So many of them are able to attend college because of the scholarships they received.

I wonder how many of these kids wouldn’t be in college if it weren’t for the scholarships.

Coincidentally, I watched a story on 60 Minutes.  It was about the income that collegiate sports programs generate for their colleges.

The numbers were astounding, as were the actions that athletic directors will take to draw crowds in.

Throughout the story, I kept thinking about the kids…the babies, as I like to think of them (despite their large physiques).

I wondered about the priorities we have in life…how committed we are to developing these kids as INDIVIDUALS…not necessarily football robots.

And I felt sad.

I think of Marcus Lattimore, who endured not only a devastating knee injury last year but also an even more horrific leg/knee injury a few weeks ago.

What pressure.

What disappointment.

I love sports.  I really do.

I’m the mother of an athlete.

However, my priority has always been in how my athlete-child grows as a PERSON…more specifically a child of God.

As the end of football season draws to a close (with the exception of bowl games, which Auburn won’t be going to for the first time in many years), I’ll watch as coaches get fired and new ones get hired.

I don’t think that things will ever change…at least not unless something dramatic in the world happens…to change the priorities we place on winning and the money it can generate.

I don’t know.  It was all just a bit disheartening.

Forgive me for being a downer.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge |