Wednesday Hodgepodge

Joyce, From This Side of the Pond hosts this meme. Thought I'd join in this week. See more hodgepodge at Joyce's blog.

1. Do you like your name? Were you named after someone? If you have children how did you settle on their names?

My mother tells me I am named after Heidi, that yodeling, Swiss with pigtails from the movie of the same name. Whether it was the original film that debuted in 1937 or the remake in 1959 that inspired her, I'm unsure. But I guess she was not equally impressed with all of the characters, as she did not name my brother Peter. "Heidi" has always been fine by me, but it does originate from the longer, Adelheid (Ad-dell-hate), which means "noble kind". This may explain why I am the queen. Somewhere I once read that the name Heidi stems from the name Adelaide, meaning "battle maiden", which actually explains a whole lot more and with greater accuracy.

As for our three kids, unintentionally they all ended up with "J" middle names- the only one with special meaning is Fash's. Her middle name is the same as my mother's.

2. How do you define success?

I define success differently now than I would have in past years. At this stage of the game, for me, success has to do with the solid, everlasting, life saving grip on the truth of the Word- that He made me, He loves me and He gave his life for mine. Success is each and every time that I am unwaveringly persuaded of that truth to my very core. Success is when that truth affects my thinking and my doing and my saying. Success is when Love wins.

3. Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy?

Toughie. I like words and word puzzles. But I enjoy learning overall more. I'll take Jeopardy for 500.

4. If you could own any single object that you don't have now, what would that object be?

Stainless steel, electric frying pan. No Teflon. The one I had belonged to an old lady with one front tooth, who sold corn from her front yard stand- 6 ears for a dollar. She died and her kids held an estate sale. The Farberware fry pan cost me four dollars and it was like brand new. After using it just about every day for the past seven years or so, the electrical parts suddenly fried up in a puff of smoke. At Christmastime I can never think of one thing to put on my list. After Christmas when all the money is long spent, I can't stop thinking of  list items. I wonder why that is.

5. What is something that inspires you?

I am inspired by simple stories of faith that I hear and/or read about: the customer in the bookstore who was searching for the perfect gift for a boy she did not know who was making profession of faith at his church on account of the impact her own son, suddenly and recently dead of a heart attack, had made on that boy's life, the forgiveness that an entire Amish community offered to the family of a man who took the lives of their children while they were at school and then ended his own, the story my friend tells of how she and her husband told little pieces of the Gospel to the ski lift operator every time it was their turn to catch the chair, in response to questions he had asked, which led to a more in-depth conversation over lunch, in the lodge. Or a small woman who went as a missionary to China during turbulent war times, and by the strength of God led many children on a journey out of harm's way and into safety. The miracles from those who have trusted  in the Lord our God- who are trusting in Him now-  are everywhere for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear and nothing compares to the inspiration that comes from them.

6. Meatloaf-yea or nay? If its a yay how do you make yours?

Meatloaf- a resounding yes! Mine is 2/3 venison and 1/3 Italian sausage, is made with horseradish sauce and has two, whole boiled eggs laid end to end in the center, so that when you carve it, every piece has a perfectly round slice of hard cooked egg in the middle. It's a favorite here.

7. Which is more admirable-the ability to organize and be methodical or the ability to adapt and make do?

Oh my. In this household, I.T. has an over the top ability to organize and is the definition of methodical. But I also have never seen a person so adept at adapting and able to make do with what is on-hand. The guy is such a package and I just don't know which parts I admire most. I think when a person can adapt without complaint and be content to make do, that is quite admirable. Personally, I lack in every area. Remember my name- Adelheid, the Queen.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

In my opinion, Mattie Ross demonstrated way more True Grit in the 1969 film than the Duke. He was just better at wielding a gun. The Mattie Ross of the 2010 version had some grit, but Jeff Bridges, he's no gun twirler.