About Me

Hi! My name is Marta Gladden, aka Garbonzobeenz.

I’m gonna “spill the beenz” about myself here. I may tell you more than you ever thought you needed (or wanted) to know. But who knows, you might even learn something new about little ol’ me here. This is gonna be long, so grab some refreshments!

So, this is me. . .

Can I tell you right off that I HATE to have my picture taken! And there aren’t a lot of me because I am always the one behind the camera.

Here’s a little bonus info about Me. . . .

*I am going to be the BIG 5-0 this year!!! How did that happen? I can’t even shop in the woman’s dept. – I am still stuck in the juniors dept.

*I am a recovering neat freak! I still like things that way, but I have decided there are more important things to take care of. (I used to wash all of my light bulbs and vacuum my ceilings when I was in 30’s – sick- I know)

*I am still a complete germ-a-phobe though. Don’t come near me if you or anyone you know has been sick in the past 10 days (or at least don’t tell me). I won’t come visit you at the hospital if you are hurt either. Not because I don’t care, just freaks me out! I’ll send flowers or call.

*There is always an ice cold Pepsi within arm’s reach of me. Doesn’t matter if it is 7am or midnight. I love me some Pepsi!!!

*I am an only child and the baby of the family all at the same time – really! I am 10 & 11 years younger than my sister and brother. My brother was killed in a motorcycle accident when I was a kid, and my sister couldn’t deal with it and left home and never really came back. I haven’t seen her in 15 years. So, from 10 on I was raised as an only child.

*I lived in the same house from the day I was born until the day I got married (7 days shy of 21 years)

My mother lived in this house until she moved in with us almost 6 years ago!

Okay that’s enough about me for right now. We will come back to that again real soon. Let’s talk about the people I spend my life with for a bit.

I am happily married to the perfect guy– God hand-picked him just for me.

Here’s a little bonus info about Gary & I. . .

*When I met Gary he was in full drag! Long black, sleeveless gown, hat with a black net veil, and full makeup! (It was the day before Halloween 1983) I really wish I could find that photo. I think he burned it a few years back.

*God told me the night I met Gary that I would marry him within one year! I never told anyone that until after we set our wedding date. I didn’t even tell Gary!

*We got married the day before Halloween 1984, and Gary picked the date!

*Gary and I lived in our first home for almost 19 years (just 7 days shy of that 19 year mark)

*Now we live here. We have no kids at home anymore and live in a house twice the size of the one we raised our kids in!

I am also the mother to the two most perfect daughters in the whole world – God hand-picked them just for me too!

 

Here’s a little bonus info on my motherhood experience and my super cool daughters. . .

*I had my first daughter Bryanna when I was just 18 (not recommended). SURPRISE!!!   

                               

* Gary and I tried for almost four years to get pregnant. When we had just about given up, our miracle baby Lizzy came along! I was 25.

*I never really wanted kids – I was too selfish. But once I had Bryanna, I wanted another. What a gift!

*My favorite time was when they were teenagers – I LOVE  teenagers!

*I let my kids ditch school. I have even been known to call out for their friends too! I figured why make them leave the house just to ditch school all the while thinking they were safe at school. I would rather know they were home safe with me.

*My daughter Bryanna is the sweetest thing and is the best wife and mother I have ever seen. It is silly, but sometimes I cry a little when I think of how great she is at this! She has just started being a SAHM this year and loves it!

*My daughter Lizzy is the smartest, funniest girl you would ever want to be around! She amazes me constantly! She is graduating from ASU this May and I couldn’t be prouder of her! She is graduating Suma cum lade and has put herself through school all on her own! GO LIZ!

*As much as I loved raising my girls and living with them, I love this time in our lives the most. I love that they CHOOSE to be with me now. I love that they WANT my advice now. I love that we can truly be FRIENDS now – I don’t have to worry about raising them anymore, I just get to enjoy them!

Okay here is the really great part. . . I am the Amma (that would be Grandma to most people) to the two cutest little girls EVER!!!!!

I highly recommend Grandmotherhood!

Here some more bonus info. . .

* I got to take care of them 5 days a week until this past August. That was the first five years of their life!

* I live less than a mile from my granddaughters and get to see them all the time. I am extremely blessed to get to be such a BIG part of their lives!

*My oldest granddaughter – Monkey is just like her mother! She is so sweet and kind; I just adore her. She is in kindergarten this year and doing great. I was a little worried since she never attended day care or pre-school, but no worries – she is doing FANTASTIC!

* The baby – Bug (short for ladybug), is just like her Aunt Yo (that would be my daughter Lizzy). She is smart, funny and rotten! She is 2 ½ now and just a bundle of energy. Her mom calls her “The Evil Genius”.

*The first time I ever went trick-or-treating with my daughters was after my granddaughters were born! I have gone with them each year now. (These girls are corrupting me!)

So these people are who make me ME! These are my reasons for getting up each morning. I love each and every one of them, and I am so glad we all live so close and see each other every week. (several times a week for some of us)

Here are some other things in my life that make me ME. . .

My art! I have always said that I am not truly happy unless I am creating something each day. That could be anything from a new canvas or mixed media piece, to a new book, taking some pictures, sewing a quilt (or now Halloween costumes), baking some cookies or homemade bread, doodling or working in one of my art journals. I just NEED to create! It is built in me like the fact that I am right handed and green eyed! (2 more little bonus facts for you) I was always the little girl with colors and a stack of color books handy, along with some play dough and some scraps of fabric and buttons. It was magic to me, taking something and making something new and special out of it. Something that was all your own!

My Classes! That’s right, classes! I LOVE teaching my classes at the store. I love sharing the things I have made with people and helping them to get excited about the creative process. I love seeing their faces when they have finished a project and how proud they are of themselves! I love all of the great friends I have made because of my classes. So many of these people I would never have met if it weren’t for teaching. And selfishly, because I haven’t “worked” in almost 13 years this gives me an opportunity to be with people besides my family and gives me some money to spend creating art and memories (my classes pay for a family vacation each year). So I THANK YOU ladies for trading your time and your money for one of my classes. I cannot tell you the joy that brings me and how humbled I am that you come!

My Faith. Actually this should have been before My Art and Teaching. It is not last on my list by any means. It truly is who and what I am before any of these other things. Before my being a wife, a mother an Amma, or anything else I am. I am a child of God! I was raised in a Christian home and raised my girls in one too. I believe that God wants us to love each other and serve each other. He wants us to use our talents and live a life full of peace and joy!.

Okay, just a few more random facts about yours-truly. . .

*Calla Lilies are my most favorite flower ever. I think God made them just for me!

*I never went past the 12^th grade. I graduated from High school and that’s all

*I was a waitress (and a darn good one) while I was raising my kids. I never held an “important” job, but I loved what I did and how flexible the hours were while I raised my kids.

*I quit waiting tables the month before Bryanna started her senior year. I didn’t want to miss a minute of that important school year!

*I was the youth pastor at or church at the time – my ministry there lasted about 4 years. It was the happiest time in my life! I had the Jr & Sr high kids – my favorite age group and my oldest daughter was in my youth group.

*I ate ketchup sandwiches everyday when I was a kid.

*I wanted to be a marine biologist/oceanographer when I was growing up, and Jacques Cousteau was my hero! I even own one of his red scarves and beanies!

*Fall is my very favorite time of the year. For our 20^th anniversary Gary took me to Arkansas to see the leaves change. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen!

So this is me – flawed and crazy, happy and thankful, and excited to see what happens next!