Still alive

Been quite a while since I bloggers. I have been busy making a baby blanket for one of my co-workers. Would love to be able to sell some pf these!

White Bison Elder's Meditation for September 13, 2012

Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 13
"The most important thing you can do during the course of the day is to pray."
-- Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
There are many things we do during the day that are important. There are many places we have to go and there are many things to accomplish. The old ones say, the most important thing we can do is remember to take the time to pray. We should pray every morning and every evening. In this way we can be sure that the Great Spirit is running our lives. With the Great Spirit we are everything but without Him we are nothing. All Warriors know their greatest weapon is prayer. To spend time talking to the Creator is a great honor.

Great Spirit, thank You for listening to my prayers.

Life is a highway......

Hello my blog friends!  So it's been a little while since I have blogged, but I am not giving up.  The last two weeks were extremely busy for me at work....I put in a lot of hours and worked more then my brain could handle.  Things appear to be slowing down, for now.  I am caught up...and a little bit ahead so now I have time to sit and breath.

So, there are two ladies at work that are having babies...one is having a boy and the other, a girl.  I decided that I was going to try to make a baby blanket for each of them.  I have been working on the blanket for the lady that is having a girl (mainly because baby girl stuff is so cute!).  Well, the other night, I ran out of yarn....and now I can't find the brand and color that I was using!!!!  I went online, looked at a bunch of different sites, even went to the website of the manufacturer of the yarn I was using.....not even on there....beginning to think the color has been discontinued.So, I tried to find a different brand in the closest color possible.  I hope the blanket turns out okay and it's not too noticeable that the yarn is different.  I am only about 1/3 of the way done with it....so we will see what happens.  I would hate to have to figure out how to take everything apart and start all over again.

I hope to be back here later this week.  As always, my love to all of you.

Today's Ramblings

I can't believe how fast time is flying by!  It is the end of August already and we are heading into Labor Day weekend.  Next week will be 1 month since Karey started school and we have officially been in our new apartment in Tennessee for just over a month now.  I just can't believe how quick the days go by. It has been a little bit of an adjustment moving here.  Being away from my friends and family for the first time in my life....it is difficult for me.  I have always been used to being so closed to everyone that I am now starting to realize how much I took it for granted.  

I love Tennessee. It is beautiful here and I do feel "at home" but I am homesick for my family and friends.  I miss them all so much.  Not a day goes by that I am not thinking of all of them, wondering what everyone is doing today...what everyone's plans are for the weekend.  If we were still in Ohio, I would be getting ready to host a Labor Day picnic or Saturday night bonfire....we don't have that here.  It's going to take some time to get used to. 

On the bright side, I am finally getting back into my crafts.  I started a crocheting project on Sunday...and I am just about finished with it. While I am not sure if I am liking the results, I am still working on finishing it and hoping that the final product is to my satisfaction.  I am thinking about starting my candle making again and very excited about making time to work on my scrapbooks.  Life is getting better everyday.  

Life on Life's Terms

I can't believe it is Thursday already!!!  I also can't believe that I haven't blogged in a while.  I am slacking....It has been a long week so far and I am looking forward to the weekend.  I just need a mental break.  I have so many things to get done, and so little time to do them.  Now, Karey wants to have a sleep over this weekend....and my house certainly is in no condition to have house guests.  

I am quickly getting exhausted and I feel totally discombobulated!  I have no organization in my life.  I desperately need to get organized but I am so tired that I just don't want to do anything.  I finally have a "craft" area in my house, but no time or energy to get it organized or even work on crafts!!!

Things will come together...I just have to prioritze and conquer. Things are starting to feel so much better being here. I am happy that Jeff & Karey seem to really enjoy it here.  We have a pool right outside of our building and I have only been there 2 times.  I have to find time for me.  

Trying to still get my Creative Memories business up and running while working 40+ hours a week.  I also dream of building my own craft business.  I just don't have the time to follow my dreams.  I have to make time and I know I do.  I know I can be successful at anything I put my mind to. 

I found out this week that a friend of mine from Ohio may be relocating to the Nashville area.  That would make me so happy and it would be great to have some friends from home here.  I miss my friends and family terribly.  I am torn because I love it here so much.  It's a slower pace and it's a beautiful place to live.  Yes, as with anywhere, there are things I don't like (like the higher sales tax and the tax on food), but there are so many things that I love.....and we do have some family here.  

I guess it's time for me to start making lists, budgeting and working toward our goals.  The only way to succeed is to have a plan.  And in order to have a plan, I have to write it out. I unpacked all of my books the other day....there are so many books that I have that I haven't even read yet.  I want to find time to read my books too.  

Well, it's late, and again I am extremely tired.  Tomorrow is a busy day at work...then my OA meeting....can't wait, cause I haven't been doing too well lately. 

Fireworks in Mentor,OH

In Memory of Michael N. Howell

For Shelly.wmv

Dreams?

 

Hello out there in cyber land!  I know it's been a few days since I blogged.....just haven't felt much like getting on here for too long.  So life in the Kimbrough home is slowly getting back to a "new normal".  We have in our apartment now for about 2 weeks, Jeff is working steadily at the Hermitage Walmart, I am still working like crazy and today, my baby girl entered Middle School.  Where has the time gone?  It is amazing to me how different things can be in different parts of the country.  Karey brought home her math lesson from school and I pray that the teacher is just doing very simple review.....the stuff she did today in class was stuff she learned in 2nd grade back in Ohio.  I am praying that there isn't that big of a difference between the curriculum here.  I were to go solely on the work she showed me today as a gauge for what 5th grade is expected to learn here....Karey might just be way ahead of the rest of the kids.....and if that's the case, then everything I have ever said about Painesville City Schools being just as good as other Ohio schools would hold true....just saying.  Only time will tell.  One thing that is a little different is Spanish is a required class here in 5th grade...not sure that it is in Ohio...and I am glad that she is starting to learn Spanish now....cause in 7 years when she is out of high school, she is going to need it in order to be successful.  

But I digress.  The topic of tonight's blog is "dreams".  I have been thinking about this all day.  What are you dreams?  What are my dreams?  What am I doing today to realize my dreams?

So here are some of my dreams...I thought I would share them with the world, not for any reason in particular other then I was once told that once you put it down on "paper", they become real. 

1.  For my daughter to grow up happy and healthy. 

2. For my daughter to go to college and choose a career that she is passionate about. 

3. For my husband to finish his degree. 

4. To become a successful business woman - own my own business. 

5. To have a successful business. 

6. To become a professional genealogist - helping people learn about their family history and helping people record that history to share with others. 

7. To become happy with myself again.  

8. To live a healthy (ier) lifestyle

9. To reach my goal weight. 

10. To build a life here in Tennessee similar to the life I had in Ohio. 

11. To make lifelong friends. 

12. To have "girls" weekend with my childhood besties Carrie, Sarah and Jenny - but also have a "girls" weekend with Bean and Julie too. 

13. To travel and give Karey the same experiences I had as a child - see Arizona, Florida, Texas and all the other great places my parents took me and my sister when we were young.  

I part tonight by asking - what are your dreams?

 

White Bison - Elder's Meditation - July 31, 2012

Elder's Meditation of the Day - July 31 Look behind you. See your sons and your daughters. They are your future. Look farther and see your sons' and your daughters' children and their children's children even unto the Seventh Generation. That's the way we were taught. Think about it: you yourself are a Seventh Generation." -- Leon Shenandoah, ONONDAGA The Creator designed us with a free will. That means we function from choices and consequences. It is important that we practice thinking about consequences before we make decisions about choices. Every choice I make is like setting up dominos one after the other that produce consequences. Not just for me but also for my children and for the children that are unborn. My choices and decision today will have consequences for seven generations. For example, if I work on my own spiritual development and I walk the Red Road, the odds are that my children will. They will marry and their children will follow the Red Road and so will my grandchildren even up to the seventh generation. This will happen because of the choices and decisions that I make today. Great Spirit, grant that the choices and decisions that I make today will honor Your laws and values. May I live in peace today that will ripple into the seventh generation. The meditations are copyright of Coyhis Publishing and can also be found in the book, Meditations with Native American Elders: The Four Seasons at www.coyhispublishing.com. Any republishing of part or all of their contents is prohibited.

Random Ramblings.....

Wow!  I can't believe it is Saturday already!!! Just one week ago we were in Ohio celebrating my big sister's 40th birthday party....and now we are in Tennessee chillin' with the dog, watching TV together as a family.  I just can't believe the way my life has changed in the last 7 months.  I am still adjusting to my new home and my new job.  It's going to take some time for me to realize that this is my new life.  

None of this would have ever been possible if not for my faith in a power greater than myself.  None of this would have ever been possible if not for my commitment to building a better life for myself, my husband and my daughter. I miss my friends and family back in Ohio, but I still very happy.  I am nervous about how things will turn out, but I have learned that I don't have to worry about the future as long as I make the best of today.  

Thank you to those who have stood by me through thick and thin.  Thank you to everyone who loves me for just the way that I am and who believe in me and support me in my goals and dreams. Several years ago I would have never dreamed that I would have a place to call my own again...let alone that place being in the city I always dreamed of visiting....now I live here and it's truly amazing.  

Life is not going to be easy and I know that there are going to be times that I feel homesick and lost.  But thank Goddess that I have the internet!

 

A House is not a Home.....

The weekend is over.....the week is almost over...where the hell has time gone?  Went back to Ohio last weekend to move Jeff, Karey and Flintstone to Tennessee.  Had a great time on Saturday, spending one last evening with my sister, family and some of my sister's friends.  We had a surprise 40th birthday party for her.  She was really happy and I am glad that we could surprise her like that.  Then spent all day Sunday finishing the packing and loading the moving truck.  We left Painesville at about 12:30 am on Monday morning.....arrived in Hermitage, TN on Monday afternoon at around 1 pm. (Tennessee time).  It was a long, hot drive, filled with some wrong turns, snags and aggravation.  

Tuesday, I ended up with some kind of stomach bug....spent the day sleeping.  Had to run to the local Walmart to get some kind of food in the house....wasn't much we could afford after spending all of our money trying to just get down here and have a place to stay.  But in the end, I think the sacrifices we have made will be well worth it in the end. 

Right now our place is a jumbled mess.  There is no organization and boxes are laying everywhere.  Trying to get unpacked, but also find "new homes" for everything is a huge chore....especially since I am working 40 hrs a week.  But it will get done and eventually we will settle in and get used to being away from our family and friends in Ohio. 

This is a nice place.  The surrounding area is beautiful.  The upstairs neighbor is pretty nice...he came out to greet us the first night.  I haven't really met anyone else other then those that I work with.  In time, things will get better. 

I am happy that we have a place of our own.  I am happy that I have a great job and Jeff will be going back work in a couple of days.  We now just have to figure out what we are going to do about Karey and school.  I can't get ahold of anyone at her old school to get her records which is aggravating me.  But hopefully things will work out soon. 

Well, I think we are going to try to get to a meeting tonight....Jeff's first one in TN....will be interesting to see how he likes it. 

Hellllooooo Ohio!

This is it!  It is finally here....all the sacrifice of the last 2 weeks has come to an end.  I landed at CLE at 11:15 pm.....and back in Painesville by Midnight.  My lovely daughter and goofy neice made welcome home signs and greeted me in the driveway with sparklers.  My dad picked me up from the airport - Thank you Dad I love you!

Now I am just sitting here waiting for my husband to get home.  Tomorrow morning we pick up the moving truck and from the looks of things I am going to be busy as hell trying to finish the packing that didnt get done while I was gone and cleaning the upstairs so that mom doesn't have to worry about it.  There is way to much to do in too little period of time.  I am a little frustrated, but nothing I can do about it at this point.

In a few short days we will be beginning our new life together as a family, in a new home, in a new city in a new state.  I hope that we are successful and just as happy there as we were here in Ohio - if not more so.

Ohio and Cleveland will ALWAYS be my home.  No matter where I go and no matter what I do in life, nothing will ever change the fact that I am born and bred a Buckeye.

Rain ... Rain .... Rain.....

The end of the week is drawing near!  Yay!  It is storming here in Nashville tonight...and it's putting a calm over me.  I don't always like it when it rains, but everywhere in the US right now, rain is so badly needed that I see these storms as a blessing from Mother Earth.

Nothing too exciting happened today...other then I got a good laugh when a customer called in complaining that the rental company, which shall remain nameless, refused to rent him a vehicle because he smelled like weed....AND when confronted about it, he admitted that he just smoked before he went in to get the rental.  WOW!  Kudos to the person at the rental agency for their keen sense of smell....saved him from potential getting a DUI and saved them from a HUGE liability. 

With some of the things that people say or do throughout the course of my workday when they are trying to handle an accident claim, I can see why it feels like sometimes that our world is in shambles.  Not that I think smoking weed is bad --- cause to each his own, but for God's sake - that's not the kind of stuff you should be telling your insurance company or the business you are trying to get services from.  Wake up people!

In about 24 hours I will be touching down at CLE (Cleveland Hopkins International Airport) My dad is picking me up from the airport and then back to Painesville I go for the last time until November.  I am a little nervous though, cause I had to resubmit my request for time off in November...I haven't gotten confirmation of approval yet....but I am sure I will get the time off needed.  November is important....our 7th Annual Holiday Open House and Craft Show is on the 10th and then we get to watch our dear friends Jeff & Cindy get married on the 11th.  I am so excited.  Not only for the wedding, but because the craft show has become something that I get to do with my sister and we get to help children in need.  It's the best kind of service work in the world!  I would like to establish something here in Nashville eventually, but I have to get out there, make friends and build a customer base here.

I hope that my friends and family in Ohio don't forget that I can still provide them with quality candles, handmade gifts and of course, Creative Memories.....thank God for technology.

Well, it's time to sign off tonight....Jeff will be calling soon for our nightly chat.  :-)  I love hearing his voice.

Ilene Meckley - Secrets of Success

Was just checking out her blog.  Some really good stuff!

Wednesday Already?

I can't believe it is Wednesday already!  Today was my sister's 40th birthday.  I am sad that I wasn't there to celebrate with her...but from I can tell, there wasn't any big celebrations or pomp and circumstance.  I feel horrible for that.  I can only hope that she will understand that I had to take this job in Tennessee.  For me and for my family.  Being the breadwinner of my household, I am responsible for making sure that my daughter and husband are provided for.  Not that Jeff doesn't contribute, because he does, but when more money and a better job are offered...I can't refuse it.  Admittedly, I am happy in some respects to be away from Ohio.  I was beginning to feel like we were stuck, like we were never going to get ahead there.  There appears to be a lot more opportunity here in Tennessee, and I know that once Jeff and Karey are here, they are going to fall in love.  

It is so laid back here...a much needed change from the fast-pace and chaos of living in the Greater Cleveland area.  I also dont know that physically I would have been able to handle another cold Cleveland winter....everyone says the winters are much milder here....I have been told that it gets cold, but there isn't snow like there is in Ohio.  The snow is really what kills me.  I can handle cold as long as I bundle up....but the snow storms from the Great Lake Erie Snow Machine is something I don't think I will miss anytime soon. 

I have a lot of fears about this move.  I fear sometimes that we won't make any friends here.  I fear that financially it will not work out for us, but with the fact that I am making more money now and hopefully Jeff will end up with a promotion to a supervisory role with Walmart, I pray that I can put aside all my financial fears and be successful.  

I do love my job...not many people can say that.  I love the company I work for.  I love my co-workers - everyone is so helpful and they care.....I love that kind of environment.  Even the "big boss", whose name happens to Kari and she has a sister who celebrates her birthday the same day as my sister, is awesome.  She is so down to earth and friendly.  She is serious about her job but she has fun doing it and she portrays that happiness to everyone in the office.  I haven't met everyone yet, I am sure I will in time. 

I have to say though, that I have to find out if I am related to one of my co-workers.  His name is Will Kimbrough and he was born and raised in East Tennessee.  I told him that in some way or another he is likely related to my husband....he laughed...but I don't think the name is very common.....at least from what I can tell and am pretty sure there has to be some relation somewhere.  I gotta get together with my cousin-in-law Becky - she has been working on the Kimbrough family tree.  I really would like for she and I to work together on it.  I personally think it would be a great gift to my father-in-law and Jeff's aunts and uncle.  

Well, that's my rant for today.  

Welcome to my world!

Wow!  So, I found out that it is super easy to start a blog!!!  Why didn't I do this before?  For anyone reading this, I want to thank you for stopping by.  I don't know what direction this blog is going to take me or what my vision for it is yet, but I thought it would be fun to share my "world" with you.  I always wanted to write, but never knew how to get started...I guess this is as safe a place as any to share my thoughts, likes, dislikes, interests and feelings.  

I am going to start my blog by sharing what has been happening in my life.  First, I have to start by saying that I have lived the last 35 years of my life in NE Ohio.  I was born and raised a greater-Clevelander...my heart is in Cleveland and I do actually love that place.  But I had dreams and goals for me and my small family (my husband, Jeff, daughter, Karey, our cats, Smokey & Shenita, and our dog, Flintstone.)  In order to reach those dreams and goals, I found myself looking for a new home.  I work for a Fortune 500 company that operates in all 50 states and Australia.  Australia wasn't in the cards (even though it would have been fun to have a kangaroo or Koala for a pet), so I decided to apply for a promotion in Tennessee.  In May, I flew to Nashville for the interview and landed the promotion....this turned our world upside down!  I had 6 weeks to find a new home, pack our belongings, finalize personal business in Ohio and say goodbye to the place that I called home for my entire life.  Talk about stress!  As it ended up, our apartment will not be ready for move-in until July 23rd and I had to start my new position in Nashville on July 9th...this meant being away from my husband and daughter for 2 1/2 weeks.  I arrived in Nashville on July 5th....now staying in a hotel until our apartment is ready so that my husband and daughter can join me.  Nashville is a beautiful, southern city.  Lots of southern hospitality.  People here are extremely nice and I couldn't ask for a better area to live.  I have had struggles though, being here by myself.  My closest friend is in Knoxville - 2 1/2 to 3 hours to the east and my husband's family is in Pulaski - in Giles County, TN about 1 1/2 hours to the southwest.  There are days that I feel extremely alone.  I know this is only temporary and that is giving me hope.  Soon, we will all be together and we will begin this new life as a family. Until then, I have to make the best of the situation. 

I am a recovering alcoholic and also recently sought recovery from an eating disorder.  These two things provide me with a unique opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.  But I have been uncomfortable and it's not easy.  I am searching for AA meetings and OA meetings that I feel comfortable in.  Trying to open myself to meeting people who are different from me....but are they really that different?  Aren't we all there for a common purpose?  I have to remind myself that this is a new adventure, and things aren't always easy and I have vowed to myself that I am not going to give up on any of it.  If I don't give new things a chance how am I ever supposed to learn and grow?

When making the decision to move to Tennessee, we were faced with the reality that we would not be able to bring my cats with us.  Thank God we found a friend in Ohio who lives on a farm and she agreed to take our Smokey and my mom is going to keep Shenita.  At least I know my babies will be well taken care of.  

Here's some pictures I found online of Nashville: 

 Isn't it a beautiful city????  I have fallen in love with it already....and I haven't even seen the entire city yet!