Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I love Wednesday's & random thoughts

 When I first decided to start a blog my plan was for it to be about country & primitive decorating & redoing thrift store treasures. But two years ago I made a career change and had very little time for thrifting & decorating. Also during the past two years I got sick and had a lot of doctor visits and ER stays so I pretty much blogging.
 At one point I decided to delete my blog because my posts were so few. Had the usual thoughts, what do I talk about, who cares what I have to say, who's gonna read it anyway. But a couple of months ago there was an incident that caused me to give it another try and I will talk to you about that later as well as how I feel that God has been working in my heart and life.
 My posts will probably be out of order and random but that seems to be the way my mind works.
  I love my Wednesday's off from work. Most of the time it's just me and the dogs.
 
Today the weather has been nice, a little overcast and windy, perfect for spending time outside practicing with my camera. So I decided I'd try a few self portraits {yuk} and some random pics.
Finally got my first {but not my last} pair of Lucchese cowboy boots.
Luv! Luv!
Made myself a little snack of colbyjack cheese, black forest ham and dill sea salt & olive oil Triscuits {I'm addicted}.
Practiced taking a few {lot} self portraits.
Okay, I guess, but I need a looooot more practice.
I have decided he who invented the delete button is a genius.
And last but not least I wanted to share wanted to share one of the things I collect with you.
I love old cameras. This one is the first camera I ever owned.
A little Caprice Supermatic, it used a 126 film cartridge {I still have one} that is larger than a lot of cell phones. My uncle Marty gave me this camera for Christmas when I was in the first grade.
I found this little Kodak Brownie Hawkeye at a thrift store for $5!
I also found this one at the same thrift store for only $10!
I now have 13 old cameras in my collection. I'll share more pics of those later.
I'm off now to the new Harris Teeter that opened today less than a quarter mile from my house {they have a Starbucks}!
Hopefully I'll be able to find a parking spot. My bff Melissa text me earlier that at 9:30 this morning there was no parking spots available.
Wish me luck!
Till next time,
Many blessing to you,
Kimberly : )

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Accident update, my weekend & random thoughts

I'm so sorry but in my last post I completely forgot to tell you that the passenger and the driver both walked away from the accident. Thankfully they were both wearing their seat belts.
On Thursday I received a call from an Insurance agent regarding the accident in my previous post. He called me at work and asked if I had a few minutes to answer a few questions regarding what I saw. He said he believed a phone statement was all he would need. After answering his list of questions I asked him "can I ask you a question?" He chuckled and said "you can ask but I'm not sure if I can answer."
How is she? I asked. He seemed to hesitate. I told him that Ashton & I had thought & worried about her every day. I told him that we stayed with Heather until the ambulance left and later called the hospital and talked to her aunt Kathy. He then said "you're the one!" The woman her aunt told me about. He said she was released from the hospital on Wednesday but still had a hard road of recovery  ahead of her.  I thanked him for letting me know. To my surprise he thanked me for what I had done, for staying with her, for my compassion. I told him I did what I felt I needed to do, what I hoped someone would do for my child in the same situation.
I am thankful to everyone who remembered her in their prayers and to God for saving her.
Ashton was off to the Clemson game and Jason was sleeping over at a friends house yesterday so it was just Christopher the three dogs and me at home.
I must confess, the five of us were completely lazy and I LOVED it.
Rarely do we get chance to do "nothing" together. So we spent most of Saturday evening getting caught up on recorded shows and we were both asleep by 9.
Today was much the same. I got up around 7:30 {I'm and early bird} to make coffee and read from my new study bible. A bit of laundry, more shows watched and deleted.
 I always feel guilty for not doing enough around the house. I feel that if I'm awake I should be "doing" something. But I think I have finally realized that I am doing something, spending time with him. Our Sunday's are the one day that we have all day together. Everything else can wait, our time together is most important.
My daughter Tish & her husband Dan celebrated her 27th birthday in New Orleans this weekend.


 
I actually had to do the math to make sure she really is 27! LOL!
Where does the time go??


 

And I started reading this book. I'm really enjoying it.
I have a few in the "waiting to be read stack" that I'll share with you in my next post.
But for now I'm off to have an early dinner with my hubby.
Till next time,
Kimberly: )

Sunday, September 9, 2012

What's on my heart lately........

 I have quite a few post topics saved in my drafts but this one kept nagging at me.
There has been going on in my  life and in my heart lately and those posts will come later but I wanted to begin with this one.
 I frequently visit B&N bookstore on my lunch break. I love reading and I can easily get lost walking the through the isles browsing for that cover that catches my attention. Yes, I do notice the cover first. Sometimes it's the color, sometimes it the picture on the front. Only then do I pick it up to see if the story catches my attention also. Anyway, as you know they often move their displays around throughout the store and such is the case with this book:
I don't know why but every time this book was in a different display I always wound up walking past it. So finally after my third or fourth visit to the bookstore and seeing this book on a display table on my way to the magazine section I stopped picked it up, opened it to read the inside. What caught my attention was the question "How do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties?" How indeed I thought?
Hmmm, A dare to LIVE FULLY right where you are? Really? Is it REALLY possible?
So I bought this book. No it is not one that I read in one day, or two days. But what I did do with this book is take my time to read it slowly. So that I could mull it over {so to speak}.
What I found, for me, is that it changed the way I looked at things. I began to view things differently. Really SEE all the gifts we receive on a daily basis from God.
When we take the time to move at a slower pace, even if it's just to mentally slow down we can really see all the gifts around us.
I, as so many that have read Ann Voskamp's book, started my own "One Thousand Gifts " journal.
I am a firm believer and always have been that our Lord works in mysterious ways.
And that we sometimes find ourselves in situations because that is exactly where God wants us to be at that moment.
Such is the case for what I'm about to share with you.
My daughter Ashton & I have been saving for a few months so that we could drive to Tennessee to buy a car for her from her uncle. The timing for the trip never seemed to be good but last weekend, Labor Day weekend, we finally decided would be as good as any. School had just started, she was busy with after school activities and we really needed for her to have her own transportation.
Thursday night Christopher and I were sitting together getting caught up on some tv shows we had recorded and I suddenly had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach and felt very antsy, nervous...... I turned to him and said I feel weird about leaving on Saturday for some reason. He asked if it was my health, the drive possibly that made me feel that way? I wasn't sure.
Fast forward to Saturday, work was slow I was hoping to get off early so we could get on the road earlier than 1:30 as i had been planning. That didn't happen. Then I had to make two unexpected stops before getting home. I hadn't even packed yet.
Needless to say packing & getting our things together seemed to take longer than planned, so of course I was getting myself in a tizzy. We had to stop for gas, drop a movie at red box, grab a bite to eat. One thing after another kept delaying our start time so as we're finally getting ready to head out, Me thinking I'll just take I95 so we can make up some time suddenly get in the left lane and go in the opposite direction. I, of course and asking myself "why did you do that?" Oh well, no biggie, just go with it the voice in my head said.
I made all the calls to my husband, my family in Tennessee to let them know that we were FINALLY on our way.
Ashton gets settled in legs crossed in the seat next me to work on her chemistry homework.
We're driving along listening to music, traffic isn't bad, things are looking good.
Less than fifty miles from home we're coming up on and intersection between Spring Lake & Sanford. We're behind a small blue pickup truck. The light turns yellow so I start slowing down, the truck is going too fast to stop so he goes through the light on yellow........
What happens next will be with me for a very long time. It was like seeing it in slow motion when It really only took a few seconds.
I remember saying oh dear God! Ashton looked up and we sat there at the light as the blue truck slammed into a car turning left from the opposite direction. Ahston started screaming mom stop!
I quickly pulled over on the side of the road, jumped out of the car without closing my door and began running, screaming Ashton call 911!
This is the truck that was in front of us......
He hit the car in the passenger door began to spin and flipped over onto the drivers side and slid over to the side of the road.
I didn't even hesitate, I ran as fast as I could to the car. The passenger side door was completely crushed in. I remember thinking God, please let them be ok. The side windows were broken out. As I got to the car I saw a woman slumped over to the side, I could not see her face. I kept calling "mam, can you hear me?" I ran around to the drivers side and called out to her again. No response. I tried the door, it wouldn't open.
Ashton gave the 911 operator the intersection of where we were.
Finally people began to stop. Thankfully one man was a retired EMT. The car was beginning to smoke so he along with a few others got the car open and carefully got the young woman from the car. Ash got a long mat from a lady who had also stopped to lay under the her. She was so small and looked so young. She was covered with blood and glass from the windows. I remember thinking, "this is someones baby".
She opened her eyes and was screaming let me go over and over. All I knew to do was take her hand and try to calm her. She held on to me as those who stopped to help were asking if she knew her name, where she was, what had happened.
Heather she said, my name is Heather.
I asked "Heather, is there someone I can call?" My only thought was she has to have a phone somewhere. People standing around kept saying "you won't find a phone in there".
I ran to the car, her things were everywhere. I found a small makeup bag and grabbed it, I could feel a phone inside. Thank God, I thought, she wasn't on the phone when it happened. I gave the phone to Ashton and said start calling people till someone answers.
By this time the emergency trucks were there and were working with her. Ashton got Heathers aunt Kathy on the phone for me. I explained as calmly as I could what had happened. I asked the emt's which hospital they were taking her to. Thankfully it was a hospital I knew well so I told her where to go, where to check in when she got there.
Kathy said "ill you tell her something for me"? 
I got down on my knees next to her and said "Heather? The emt said she can't hear you, we've sedated her. I kept talking to her anyway hoping my words would get through. I said "Heather, your aunt Kathy is on the phone, she loves you. She is going to be waiting at the hospital for you. I stood up to move out of their way and as I looked back she was reaching out like she was grasping for something. I got on my knees next to her. they said you can't touch her, she's in a lot of pain. So I did the only thing I knew to do. I put fingers out just enough to touch hers and she seemed to calm a bit.
Ashton and I stayed with her until the put her in the ambulance. Ashton handed her things to the emt and I told them her aunt Kathy will be at the hospital waiting please give these to her.
The rescue workers thanked us for helping. I was shocked. I was only doing what I felt like I needed to do. I  couldn't bare the thought of her being alone. I kept thinking what if that was my Ashton?
We were the only ones to see the accident from start to finish that stopped. We were the only ones there to give a report.
This is the car she was driving....

Once Ashton and I were once again on the road we called everyone to let them know we were going to arrive late. Ashton text messages to her friends telling them please never think you can beat the yellow light, the person driving in the opposite direction may be thinking the same thing.
I later called the ER and told them I was trying to get in touch with someone in the waiting room named Kathy whose niece had been in an accident. Thankfully they let me speak to her. I told her my name and that I was the one who had called her to let her know what happened. I told her I was worried about Heather and asked how she was.
 Not good, she said.
Heather has a broken neck, bleeding around her brain, a broken left arm, a broken right elbow and no memory of the accident at all.
Kathy went on to say, "Kimberly let me tell you something about Heather. She's such a good girl with a good heart. She has had a very hard life and I have been praying for her." She said "I believe God spared her today for a reason." She said "I'm so thankful you were there with her." She said, "thank you for you compassion."
We hung up and I thought, "my compassion?" Is that what I was? Compassionate?
Over the course of our 7 1/2 hour trip I thought of that young girl and I prayed for her, I still am. But I kept thinking of all the unexpected thing that caused us to leave later than expected, take a different course than planned. And I couldn't help but wonder, did God put me there for that reason? To be there for her?
He {God} does work in mysterious and wondrous ways. And if it was his plan for me to be there that day, I hope I did what he wanted me to do.
Till next time,
Many blessing to you,
Kimberly: )

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th of July and looking back at June

 It's hard to believe that today is the 4th of July already. Time seems to pass so quickly that sometimes I feel that I've missed a few days somewhere along the way.
I had been dreading the month of June for a couple of reasons. The biggest one being that Ashton would be leaving for Italy on the 13th.
One week prior to leaving she began getting things ready to pack. I remember one day while doing laundry she came downstairs with a hand full of empty hangers. Empty hangers in our house are always in short supply {where do they go exactly?}.
No matter how many I buy there never seems to be enough.
Anyway, she handed me the hangers and said in a few days you'll have plenty of empty hangers. Me, sniffle, sniffle {I cry easily} said well you are coming back ya know. 
I went upstairs to her room and there she was going over her list to make sure she had everything she would need for the next six weeks. Passport, camera, cash {I don't like for her to use her debit card when traveling alone, I always worry someone will be watching her} so just enough cash in the pocket to buy food and snacks, the rest in the purse. One suitcase was for books, laptop, magazines and other girl stuff. The other was for shoes and clothes.
Before I knew it June 13th had arrived.
On the drive to RDU I told her to be prepared to go to the gate alone this year since she was 17. The past two summers I had been given a pass at the check in counter to walk back with her. After handing over the suitcase she would be checking she looked at the lady behind the counter and, pointing at me said "she has to ask you something". I asked about the pass and as soon as the eh hem "nice" lady behind the counter said "no shes old enough to go alone", Ashton immediately started crying which of course made me start crying {remember, I cry at the drop of a hat}.
The lady's attitude then changed and she said "it's ok, your flight doesn't leave for another forty minutes and we have a waiting area over there {pointing to our left}.
We sat together talking and sniffling and that forty minutes flew by so fast. I told her we had to stop crying at least long enough to take a picture together.
So, this is us sitting together in the lounge area next to Starbucks.
As we stood at the end of the line for me, putting off the goodbye, I said to her "you know, last Saturday I got misty eyed driving to work because I knew I would be driving to work alone for a while". She works weekends at the animal hospital with me so we kinda have our routine, breakfast for her at Mickey D's and Starbucks Hazelnut latte for me. So of course we both started to cry again,  we hugged and she slowly made her way through the line. I stood and watched her until I couldn't see her anymore just in case she turned around {which she did several times}.
As I made my way to the car she was already texting me, "you remember where we parked, right"?  "Don't forget to plug the garman back in", "don't get lost", text me when you get home, etc, etc, etc.....
So this is me following the garman, taking a wrong turn and getting lost {sort of}. I guess sometimes when the voice in the little box said take next right, it really means the next, next right. Fortunately before long I was back on track and home within and hour and a half.
This is my birthday gift. After using Ahston's a few weeks ago I knew I had to have one. My little point and shoot that I carry in my purse is convenient but this entry level DSLR is sooo much better. Hopefully at some point I'll graduate to something better, but for now this little girl suits my needs. And I'm loving learning how to use it.
We spent Father's Day at the North Carolina Zoo in Ashboro so I'll be back soon with pictures that I took there. I got a little picture happy using the 55-250 zoom lens that came with my camera kit.
This is my camera bag. It's really the Perfect Pocket Tote from Vera Bradley but it is perfect for my camera and all the extras that I carry. The two front pockets are big enough for a long lens, and inside zip pocket holds filters, manual, cords, extra batteries, memory cards....... you get the idea.
Sorry that this post was sooo wordy, I did try to keep it as short as possible. I'll be back soon. I hope everyone has a safe and blessed 4th of July.
Till next time,
Kimberly: )

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Blog yard sale part 2

 I am finally getting around to a little more cleaning in the garage. I spent part of the morning taking donation items to Hope Harbour and decided to go through some of my primitive Christmas items that I knew I would not be using anymore.
 If you see anything you are interested in please email me with your zip code so I can get a shipping cost for you.
1) Santa with burlap bag {wreath not included}. Measures approximately 29" tall. $25.00 plus shipping.
2) Santa with greenery & bear from Just Country. Measures approximately 24" tall. $20.00 plus shipping.
3) Snow man with scarf {pillow not included}. Measures approximately 27" tall. $20.00 plus shipping.
4) This snowman and the following two are being sold as a set of three for $25.00 plus shipping. The first snowman measures approximately 11" tall.
The second in the set of 3 snowmen measures approximately 7 1/2" tall.
The third in the set of three snowmen measures approximately 8" tall.
5) Standing snow girl from Arnette's Country Store. Approximately 28" tall. $40.00 plus shipping.
6) Santa & Elmer. Approximately 22" tall. $20.00 plus shipping.

7) Snowman with greenery approximately 13" tall. $6.00 plus shipping.
8) Primitive Santa with candy cane approximately 23" tall. $15.00 plus shipping.
9) Orange & black crow hooked mat from Raghu Exim Trades. Approximately 8"x10". $7.00 plus shipping.
10) Black sturbridge runner and set of two place mats from Park Designs. Runner measures 54" long x 13" wide, each place mat measures 22" x 13". All measurements include fringe on ends. $7.00 plus shipping.
11) Snowman with cob pipe. Measures approximately 16" tall. $10.00 plus shipping.
12) Set of 4 prim wood bowls. Top left mustard painted bowl approximately 8 1/2" in diameter, top right natural finish bowl {good for painting} approximately 10 1/2" in diameter. Bottom left black wood bowl approximately 10" in diameter, bottom right dark finish wood bowl approximately 13" in diameter. $25.00 plus shipping.
Please feel free to email me with any questions regarding any of the above listed items. I will be back soon with more country/prim items as I clean through more boxes.
Thanks for stopping by,
Till next time,
Kimberly: )

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Junior Prom

 A few weeks ago {after many months of preparation} Ashton & Sean went to their junior prom.
My pictures turned out okay considering this was my first time ever using Ashton's digital camera I had gotten her for Christmas.
I did get a little picture happy: ) but what can I say, that's my baby.
I have to say a big thanks to my friend Loretta who let us invade her back yard for the pictures. I would love to go back one day and snap a few pics to show you of all the vignette's and separate covered seating areas. Each one is decorated beautifully country style. She does have the "magic" decorating touch.
This is the group shot back at Sean's house before heading off to dinner.
After using Ashton's camera I've gotten the bug, maybe I'll get me one of these for my birthday. You know, to me from me: ).
Till next time,
Kimberly; )

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Ellington

I've been wanting to share the story of Ellington for quite a while but there never seems to be quite enough hours in the day to get home from work, do laundry, cook dinner, feed and walk the dogs, do all the things around the house that never seem to get finished and take the time alone at the computer to tell you about him.
But something happened yesterday as our work day was ending at the animal hospital that reminded me of him.

This is a picture of a dog like Ellington { I did not have one of him to share}.
One of the most difficult decisions a pet owner has to make is letting them go. Some hold on as long as possible, some too long, because letting go is never easy. I took the call for Ellington, put the information in the computer, euthanasia, body care or cremation, they would let us know when they checked in. When the two sisters arrived with Ellington {one with him in her arms}you could see that he was tired, weak and not able to walk on his own. He stared at me with those piercing brown eyes as I asked all the routine questions and got a signature on the consent form. The waiting room had several clients seated with their pets waiting their turn to see a doctor and there was quite a bit of chatter and barking, phones ringing. The sisters, both teary eyed told me the story of Ellington. He had belonged to their parents. Their father had passed away several years ago so it had been just their mother and Ellington. He was a wonderful companion and great comfort to her. She then passed away two years ago and Ellington went to live with one of the sisters. He was now 15 years old and in very bad health and though it hurt them to let him go, they knew it was time.
They stood up front to say their goodbye's, they did not want to watch him go. They each held him in their arms and thanked him for taking such good care of their mother and father and for being such a good brother. They each kissed his little black nose and told him softly it was ok to go and to tell mom and dad that they said hello when he got there. The room by now had grown quiet, everyone touched by what was happening, even the phones were silent. There were no dry eyes in that room and though I did not know them personally I hugged each of them and told them I was so sorry for their loss.
I love my job and most days it is routine appointments, dog barking, cats meowing, cleaning up more puddles & piles than I can count and lots of puppy kisses. We do see a lot of sadness. See a lot of pets go but a select few stand out, stay with you.
Such was Ellington.
Till next time,
Kimberly