It is almost Thanksgiving!

Wow another week has flown by me. I have been applying for jobs, crocheting, working on Christmas surprises, planning a trip to Alabama in December, watching some good movies, embroidery, framing of some of my kid's art through the years. I will definitely have to share those with you soon. Right now I have a cake in the oven I am making for my mother in law. Today is her birthday. Tim is on the road and may not make it home until Sunday.

I recieved a sweet surprise today. My kids, which is my dauther, Erica, her husband, Brian, and my son, Nick sent me beautiful Fall Thanksgiving flowers! My photography doesn't do them justice. The are so pretty and smell so good.

This next week is Thanksgiving. The time is flying past me. It seems just like it was yesterday and I was picking vegetables in some awful heat!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Kim

Monday morning musings

Happy Monday !

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Last week seem to fly by me and before I knew it the weekend was here. Tim didn't get home until late Saturday afternoon. Friday night I made a rub for spare ribs. Tim has a Bar-B-Que bible and I used a recipe for the rub from that. I let that sit over night in the fridge and then early Saturday morning I put them in the oven on 225 and slow cooked them all day. They were delicious and so tender. So when Tim got home and after a shower and getting comfortable we had the ribs, baked potato and dinner rolls while we started the Alabama vs LSU football game I had recorded on the DVR. Alabama won with a score of 24 to 15. That game was nerve wracking. But even if it isn't pretty we will take the win!

This means we will meet Florida for the SEC Championship!

Sunday we went to Tim's baby sister's house for our niece's 9th birthday. So much fun. 3 out of 4 of Tim's sisters were there with spouses and grandparents were also there.

I have a lot I would like to accomplish this week concerning the house and Christmas presents. Good Lord willing some things we need to take care of will happen this week. One of them is calling the plumber. That is all I am going to say about that......the words "calling the plumber" makes my right eye twitch.

I will leave you with some photos Tim took a couple of years ago back home in Alabama. These are from Maple Hill Cemetary. It is a beautiful place in any season, but fall is extra special. My father and his father are buried there along with some more family and one good friend whom I miss very much. Parts of this cemetary are very old and also many famous Alabama people are buried there.











































Have a great start to the week!
Kim

Something is in my yard!

What is this stuff in my yard?

It is everywhere! I need to do my business but the green stuff is gone!

Did this guy who is just hanging around make this mess?

I think I have picked up trail!

Nope, now I have lost the trail.

I feel so violated. Hold me. Get me a treat, rub my belly, prepare your bed for me....

Easy going days, TV, Crochet and Quilts

Happy Tuesday. My days are mixed up. Tim normally gets home on Friday night or early Saturday morning. This weekend he didn't get home until midnight Sunday. So all day Monday I kept thinking it was Saturday. We had a nice day. We went to the library then had some lunch. After lunch we both crashed. After our naps we headed out for some grocery shopping. Back home we then watched some shows that I record when he is on the road and we watch them together when he returns.



We love the show,"Next Food Network Star". We also love the show "Chopped", also on the Food Network.

There are not a lot of TV shows I really like. But I do have a few. AMC's "Mad Men" and "The Mentalist" on CBS. Other than that I am usually on the History channel or the Discovery channel. Some days I don't even turn it on.....I read. Below is the cast of Mad Men on AMC Sunday nights.

I have been known to get sucked into a movie on LifeTime and before I know it I have watched 3 movies back to back. My daughter does the same thing....it is like once you get hooked with what ever tragedy is going on....you become a LifeTime channel Zombie.

Which reminds me, LifeTime had one of my new favorite shows this past summer, "Drop Dead Diva". The main character played by Brooke Elliot is adorable.

I am currently working a new crochet project. That now means I have 5 projects all going at the same time. I have been wanting a shawl that would be good for church. Below is the beginning of the shawl titled "Have a Heart Shawl" I found the pattern on Crochetville's free patterns. That site has been a blessing for patterns. You actually begin at the top of the shawl and work your way down.

Black is not so easy to photograph.

I have several very old quilts hand sewn by my great grandmother I am going to share with you . The quilts date in the 40's and 50's Some are in really good shape and some are not holding up so well. This one is my favorite. So simple compared to her other quilts. This quilt is in good shape and I am using on our bed. It would fit a full bed or a twin better. But it is enough to cover the top of our queen size bed. I have is sandwiched in between other blankets. So cozy. I makes me smile. The flowers are all with the blanket stitch.

I will share more quilts soon.

Well that is it for me today.....It is raining and dreary. Good day to read and crochet.

Kim

Beautiful Fall Saturday

It is Football Saturday! It is beautiful here today. Crisp cool temperatures, sunshine and trees bursting with color. I love fall.

Just some quick pics. Below is a pillow I made last year with felt, embroidery thread and fabric scraps. I wish now I had made a ruffle type edge around the pillow. I may take it apart and do it ....some ....day.....

Below is one of my afghans I finished this summer. Pepper loves it when I put something new on the bed, she has to test it out to see if it is up to her princess standards.

Also, I saw this idea somewhere years ago. We have a corner in our counter top / cupboard area that is deep and so dark. I tried a lamp and it just didn't seem to fit. So I got a jar and put a strand of white Christmas lights in side. It is so cozy and adds just enough light. We enjoy it even more when night falls. I am going to make a simple fabric cover/lid, but right now it is just open.

I have some things to do before kickoff at 2:30. Tennessee is coming to Big Al's house in Tuscaloosa.

Roll Tide Roll!

Havea a great weekend,

Kim

God's Will and protection

I came across a post and the many great comments that followed this morning. (Link below) It caught my attention at a time that I most needed it. In the last several months the more I try to keep my faith and seek God's will the harder the devil seems to jump on me and in my mind causing me to doubt just about everything. I find it scary. I have been spending a lot of my quiet time with God in prayer focusing for him to help me get the devil out of my head and let me find the peace I know is there. Listening to the the enemy is such a waste of time and engery that could be used for good and generous thoughts and ideas. If you throw in behavior and thoughts that I am ashamed of.....no wonder the devil is knocking so much on the door to my mind.

I read several Psalms this morning and though by myself I read them out loud. Immediately the first Psalm hits my heart and tells me to trust and have courage. Psalm 27. Also Psalm 91 led me to remember God is holding me and protecing me.

I am sure someone may stumble onto my post today and think wow, this sure isn't a fun place to visit. No not fun today, but by just sharing I think is helping me already.

I think , no I know the last few weeks I have felt alone. More so than I ever have before. It is not the kind of lonely because you are by yourself or missing those you love. It a desolate type of alone I don't think I have truly experienced so stronly before.

But I know I am not alone......but.....I feel alone. I am sure I am not making any sense. But, just having God's word speak to me this morning has already picked me up some. I think I am in a very important lesson in my life......and like all life's lessons, I usually learn it the hard way. But if I didn't I don't think I would remember the lesson! James 1:2-4 tells us to count is all joy when we fall into various trials. I am trying....and will continue to keep on trying.

But I highly suggest you read the post I mentioned above. I will provide the link below.
If you stayed around reading to this last part, thank you for listening.

http://www.conversiondiary.com/2009/10/so-you-went-against-gods-will-now-what.html#

Take care,
Kim

bad photographer

I don't know why my pictures turn out so blurry. When I up load them from the camera and then on to photobucket they look clear. But once I get them on the blog they are real blurry. I wish I could figure out what I am doing wrong. Anyway, I apologize for the bad pictures.

Happy Birthday Tim!

The house where Tim grew up all decorated for Halloween. I love this house....parts of it are over 100 years old.

Happy Hump Day.

Monday was Tim's 44th birthday and we celebrated at his parent's home on Sunday. We started the day visiting his grandmother for her birthday. It was a full day. We had lots of chili, salad and Tim requested a carrot cake from his mom and oh boy was that thing good!

Here are some pictures. The first one is how things looked after lots of chili and cake. That is Tim's dad on the left and his uncle on the right.

Me earlier in the day seriously looking for some of Granny's chocolate cake. I don't know what was so serious when he took this picture......

Tim getting ready for some carrot cake.

Tim acting goofy. That is Tim's daughter, Lucy, who is a sweetheart and beautiful too.

We had a full fun day. Hope everyones's week is going well.

Take care,

Kim

Faith, Fall and Football.

Wow Tim and I both fail miserably at this blogging situation. LOL I guess we see ourselves as too boring to write about.

I can't believe that summer is over. Fall is my favorite time of year. Today it was cool and very windy. I loved it. Tonight it feels like "football" weather. If you have to put on a sweater I think it is heavenly.

We have accomplished some major things with the remodeling and I just realized Tim's last post about that sink showed just how frustrated he was with the whole process. LOL I love, love my new counter top and sink. I need to do pictures! Trim is starting to go up and hopefully before I end up too old to enjoy my house it will be completed!

I think September was one of the hardest months for Tim and I since we moved here. Major lessons in keeping faith and also major moments of asking for forgiveness when we both failed at keeping our faith up and going. We both had a couple of pity parties. But one good thing is we were the only guest to each other's poor pitiful me parties.

This was the first time in a long time that I felt my faith was just all talk. Once the Lord brought me back around to see the big picture with a little less drama, I was then left with the feelings of shame that I let my faith shake and fall around me. Thank you Lord for your Grace and for picking us up and dusting us off with a loving shove to keep on going.

I have no doubt I will throw another pity party, but I just pray in the middle of it I remember who is really in charge. Only the Good Lord can do it and do it right the first time (even if to me I think I can do it better and faster.)....(If I was God I would get tired of me and all my stumbling.)

One really nice thing this past month......Alabama Football! Can I get a Roll Tide Roll!!!

Tim's family is learning that during a University of Alabama football game.....don't call unless you have cut an artery or a bone is portruding somewhere on your body. LOL

We don't mess around when it comes to Alabama football.......

I hope everyone is doing well and I also hope October is a good month. Who knows....Tim and I may actually blog on a regular basis.......

Take care,
Kim

THE DAMNED SINK!

Hey! The "DAMNED SINK" is going in this weekend! We are finally done with washing dishes in a bathroom sink that is shaped like a sea shell! Whoo Whoo! More to follow on this later as I am about ten minutes from walking out the door to buy "THE DAMNED SINK"! We have had the counter top for about a month now but it has just been sitting up there loose. Today it all goes together one way or another! Stay tuned to this sporadic web site for more details later.

Slow Going

Hey all!

I know that it has been a while since we posted so I thought that I would give you an update. The garden has been an abundant blessing. We are getting a bunch of Zucchini, green beans cucumbers and tomato's on a weekly basis. our corn didn't fare very well though. we got about a quarter of a crop. The ears didn't develop very well and some of the ears had worms eating the tops of them. No more seed from cheap ole Wal-Mart. Next year I'm going to have to use some fertilizer and pesticide a bit. I don't have the time to do it organically due to being on the road so much. I cook down tomatoes every weekend and run them through a food mill, then freeze the juice. when I have a bunch frozen I will cook it all down and make spaghetti sauce out of it and can it. My mom and I made pickles, sweet and dill, I cut some sideways and made stacker's out of them. Man was that good! We had grilled hamburgers last weekend and I put some stacker's on mine! Better than vlasic I swear! My mom pickled some zucchini and they taste just like sweet pickles! I have a lot of pictures from the garden but don't have them uploaded yet. I swear I will share them before Christmas Ha Ha!

On the home front, not a lot has been done on the remodeling lately other than we got the counter top. Its not installed yet, just sitting up there. It looks really nice except for one small problem. They or I got the measurements wrong and one end is too long. Not a big problem as my carpenter says to just buy a good high speed blade for the saw and a couple of end pieces and he will cut it to fit himself. hopefully if all goes well, we will have it installed next weekend.

work has been killing me lately and that is a good thing. In trucking you beg for more work and it has been slow of late, hence the slow pace at remodeling. Freight is picking up so I feel that we will be moving ahead a bit more soon. We decided not to finish out the dinning room and kitchen until we get the living room at the same point that those two rooms are at. Basically getting all three rooms done to the point of needing flooring and trim and finishing out all three at once. That way we don't have to worry about paint spills on new floors.

Kim is a bit under the weather so I don't know when I will get some pictures up. Stay tuned.

Peace

Garden, Fried Foods, Goodbye Job and Hello Peace.

Some garden photos!

We had a nice weekend. We ate entirely too much! Friday night Tim fried some fresh zuchinni to go with some orange marinade chicken he grilled. Delicious. Sunday afternoon we had homemade fried onion rings. Oh my, they were too good and I ate too much. That is the most fried food we have eaten in so long.

I will get some crafting pictures to share. I have been trying my hand at embroidery and I am loving it. I had fun working on some granny squares with some scrap yarn.

When we moved from Alabama I left behind a really good job. I was an Executive Administrative Assistant for various VPs in the Defense and Aerospace industry. I had a 40 to 45 minute commute in traffic that could make even the best of folks cuss like a sailor. I learned when you got that promotion working with VPs that your job was directly related to them....so if they decide to leave or change positions you are left working to figure out where you stay or go. I got so tired of that. I hate to complain because the Good Lord took such good care of me and my family with that job and the insurance it provided. Plus I worked with some of the best people and friends of my adult life. I moved up quickly and that job was a true blessing. But it seem to just run it's season and I had no problems leaving it behind. My health problems added to this as well.

I knew I was stressed, but just recently I realized just how stressed. Days like today are gifts to me. I accomplish my tasks at a comfortable pace. And no more traffic! This move has had some problems and things we didn't plan, but I am so thankful to be here. Tim's family is the biggest blessing. I am an only child and Tim has 4 sisters! They are fun and hilarious with some of the cutest kids you can find. Tim's Mom and Dad are like my parents and treat me like one of their own. Tim's daughter, Lucy, is a sweetheart and I love being able to get to know her better. Tim is always thanking me for wanting to move "home". But I want to thank him for helping me find a new home.

I love this little old house and I love, love the huge shade trees in the front yard. and we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel as far as remodeling goes. I just need to remember how blessed I feel on these days that are so peaceful. I would like to find a part time job. But right now I couldn't imagine having to support a VP no matter how much money they paid me.

I hope your Tuesday is a peaceful as mine today.

Kim

Around the yard

Some views around the yard in heat that I did not sign up for when I moved NORTH! My husband was laughing while asking me this morning if I thought the state of Illinios didn't have summers? My reply: Not like Alabama summers!!! Ok, I will shut up about the heat now.....

I didnt' have the ability to hang clothes out until I moved here. And I love it. The poles are old and rusty so I planted some morning glories and I am now training them up the poles.

My pictures of the garden just didn't capture it as I would like. Tim is much better at photography than I. He will be home later this evening, so I will get hime to take some garden pictures this weekend. But here is one showing the corn.

My tree face......that sounds like a medical problem...I have a bad case of tree face!

Say goodbye Kim....Goodbye Kim

(Happy Friday!)

Kim is alive and well......

I knew I had been quiet for awhile, but I didn't realize just how long! While taking Pepper out for her morning "walk" I thought I really need to take an updated picture of the garden. Which then brought me around to blogging. You know how you start on one thing and then while in the middle of that one thing you go off on other things....

I went to the picture files and the next thing I knew I had been looking through pictures and almost an hour went by! Then I decided until I can get a garden photo later today, I would share some older pictures I ran across this morning.

The picture above is my son and I nearly 3 years ago on a 3 day cruise to Kozumel Mexico. The food was wonderful. They had this chocolate dessert that was pure sin.

My daughter and her husband on their wedding day last November. I love this picture.

My daughter. I wish the picture was better, but you can still see how beautiful she is......if I do say so myself. :o)

The weather here in Carlyle has been HOT. I told Tim I clearly made it known that I was leaving the hot behind in Alabama. I hate this type of heat. It looks as if I brought it with me. I hope to see cooler days soon.

I have been crocheting, painting, sewing, reading and entertaining Pepper.

I am currently once again reading Sense and Sensibility. I love that story and I love the movie as well. I would be embarassed to tell you how many times I have watched the movie. Willoughby is very dashing, but I have always preferred Colonel Brandon.

I am off to get some laundry done I will return soon with garden pictures.

Have a great day! Kim

Been A While

Hey!, It's been a while since I was on here so I thought that I would check in and let you know what has been going on here at the Crimson Kitchen. The garden is really looking great! We have pickling cucumbers coming on strong along with regulars, the corn is starting to tassel, the Zucchini is looking great along with the tomato plants. It looks as though there will be a bountiful harvest this year. I will try to get pictures this weekend but no promises as I just got in this very evening. It has been a long week, I had to go to Orlando Fl. to unload then down to Miami to reload. I feel wrung out and put away wet.

The house is coming along, a little slow but coming along. I got most of the kitchen cabinet doors hung and Kim painted them one last time. Most of the hardware is on them and we are hoping to get the counter top paid for in July. We are kinda in a holding pattern as the floor has got to be installed before we trim out the kitchen and dinning room so we are saving up money for that. Once that is done then it will be time to call Sean our carpenter back and finish it. Then it will be time for the living room.

Well thats about all for now. Look here later to see if I got the camera out and updated this post.
Peace
Tim

Cooking and Growing

Well, we are finally cooking in the kitchen. We don't have a sink or counter top yet but we are making do with a little plywood for now.

Here are a couple of shots of the walls in the dinning room. Just imagine a gloss white chair rail running across between the red and the gray.

This one is showing up a lot brighter than it really is, the one above is closer to the real color.

What a difference a week makes in bean production huh?

The sweet corn has survived the onlought of the rain.

We have one tomato plant that is just going wild. I don't know why but I like it.

Cucumbers after a week. I am going to build a trellis for them to climb next weekend.

Zuchinni