"Positive Christmas Ideas"

 

Although I've been a bit "under the weather" this past week, and I'm running a little late with my blog post, I'm just thankful to be feeling a lot better, and that I'm gradually catching up on everything.

I wanted to make sure that I got to share with you some positive Christmas ideas that I have since Christmas is right around the corner.

~"There's something about Christmas time, Something about Christmas time, That makes you wish it was Christmas every day" -From "Christmas Time," a song by Bryan Adams

Christmas songs and carols are a big part of Christmas, of course.

A couple of my favorite groups, especially for Christmas are these-

~Home Free is an American country a cappella group with beautiful harmony. I was amazed when I found out that they sing with no musical accompaniment. They do an especially nice job with "O Holy Night." (And so does Josh Groban.)

Greg and I really love the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Our favorite song of theirs is "Christmas Canon."

Also, another idea for Christmas music is to go caroling yourself, along with some other people. 

At the Welcome Center in Abingdon, Virginia 

While out, enjoy the decorations, like at the welcome center (above) and at the-

Abingdon Commons (above) which houses a health food store, a coffee shop with goodies, and a brick oven pizza shop, as well as other businesses.

While in Abingdon, you might want to check out-

the Barter Theatre that is now featuring professional live performances of "A Christmas Carol."

Also, there have already been Christmas parades, "The Nutcracker" ballet, and Christmas craft shows, as well as others, but there are still other places to go, other things to see and do, like going to the Appalachian Caverns for their Christmas tour to see the underground caverns beautifully decorated with Christmas lights, as well as other decorations. You can view the caverns through the end of December, with the exception of Christmas Day.

Also, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville are all celebrating Winterfest with beautiful displays of lights now through mid-February.

Here are some positive, unique Christmas gift suggestions-

~Give someone something you have made yourself, to someone who would really appreciate it.

(Not all gifts need, or have to be wrapped, however.) For example-

~Give someone who needs one, a smile. (I feel such a positive connection with humanity when I'm out, in a store, for example, and someone smiles at me.)

~Volunteer your time for a good cause.

~Donate food. supplies. or money to your local animal shelter. 

~Even better, adopt one or more animals to take home with you.

We adopted our Mitzi and Kallie at the same time. They have brought real joy into our lives.

Also...

 our Kit-Cat came to us as a stray, a feral cat. She is our outdoor cat, and she seems to love it that way.

Pets can make a really positive difference in our lives. We help them, and they help us.

Besides the above ideas, you might want to check out this website, not only for this Christmas, but even for next year, etc, as well-

https://www.minted.com/lp/christmas-traditions

On the above website, they had a really interesting  article, "25+ Christmas Traditions in the US and Around the World." One of the Christmas traditions was "Spread Joy With Random Acts of Christmas Kindness." A couple of their suggestions are to pay "for a stranger's coffee," and to tape "dollar bills to items in a dollar store." Fun ideas, fun reading!

"During this season of religious services, majestic music, festive gatherings with family and friends, and sharing with souls in need, living from the heart is especially evident." -www.matthewbooks.com

~Positive thought -"Money doesn't bring happiness, but happiness brings money!" "...if you want to attract money to you, the fastest way to do that is to be happy first." -Rhonda Byrne

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, January 4, 2025, Becky

"Positively Inspirational"

 

Sometimes we feel like we need to have some positive inspiration to help us navigate today's world, so here are some positive quotes and ideas to help us on our journey through life.

~"We've known for a long time...that time spent outside lifts your spirits." -Laura Koniver, MD

Let's connect with nature. If we can't be outside, we can look out the window as Greg often does when he can't go out and do gardening or other yardwork. Even looking at pictures of nature-landscapes, etc. can make us feel a lot better. 

Nature can be so inspirational!

~"Join me on a journey into the infinite diversity of our world. Let us explore the beauty of variety in others and ourselves and enjoy the harmonies of every sound, color, and feeling this journey holds in store for us." -Malte Marten, musician

~"I think if the whole world (saw) this video, the world would be a better place." -A viewer's comment after seeing one of Malte Marten's handpan music videos

Pets can be such a wonderful inspiration. We can learn lessons from them. For example-

Our Kallie was a beautiful example of pure, unconditional love.

~"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." -Anatole France

In my Sunday, August 4, 2024 blog post, "Living Positively," I wrote about a man's pet bird, a white parrot, that he had with him in Sevierville, Tennessee, that he was showing off to some other visitors there. 

I had taken several pictures of this pretty parrot, and I had wanted to put one of the pictures in that blog post, but I couldn't, because all of the pictures on my photo card had completely disappeared! I even went to several photo stores, but no one could help me. 

I never gave up hope, however, and I finally asked a woman who sometimes comes by to work with me on our computer if she could help me recover the missing photos. I told her if she could do so, it would be a miracle.

It turned out that she recovered nearly all of my missing photos! I told her that she was a miracle-worker! People like her are a real inspiration!

And here is one of my miracle photos-

~"Expect a miracle! Miracles happen every day." -Josie Grouse

An extremely important presidential, etc. election in the United States is coming up this Tuesday, November 5, 2024. For the sake of our country and for the sake of the world, please take the time to vote if you haven't already, not just for the next president, but for the others who are running for different other offices, as well.

Greg and I voted about a week ago, and before we voted, we asked ourselves this important question- "Are we better off now than we were four years ago?" The answer to that, for us, was simple.

~"America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea." From "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, positive, inspirational, and blessed Thanksgiving!

Positive thought- "May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door." -Irish Blessing

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, December 7, 2024, Becky

"Positive Actions"

 

Becky Arnott Photography

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."- Albert Camus

In this blog post, the focus is on positive actions.

Even in tumultuous times, we can still focus on the positive. For example, during the recent Hurricane Helene disaster, which was mainly devastating to many of the people who live in our Southern Appalachian area, caring people have been helping other people either through actual physical help, as well as giving donations of food, other much-needed items, and money, locally. (Some of those that volunteered used helicopters, etc. to help rescue people, and some even came from long distances like Texas. One woman we know even had a fundraiser to help out. People like these are heroes!) 

(Giving locally ensures that the donations go to the right places. One of our local small grocery store chains partnered with other local agencies to collect here in our area. Our church, as well as many others, collected for the hurricane victims. Greg and I always give locally.)

Also, Mike Adams (www.healthrangerstore.com) has sent several pallets of organic food to help out areas affected by the hurricane.

(And here's an important message for all of us- "We suggest having on hand two or three weeks' supply of food and water for family and pets, flashlights, and other emergency essentials."- From www.matthewbooks.com)

Oftentimes, in our modern-day world, with our day-to-day activities, we often forget to help those in need. Used to, in the past, neighbor often helped neighbor with barn-raisings, etc. It's good to get back to that instead of being so wrapped up in our electronic devices, etc. and not even knowing or interacting with our neighbors.

However, it's good to know that when the chips are down, good people will come to the rescue of others.

You know, we also need to stand up for ourselves as well as others. We need to take back our power, and to do things such as supporting the things that we care about.

Let's hug and cherish our precious pets and other loved ones-

Mitzi and Kallie

I believe in the power of prayer. Prayer is simply talking positively to God. Prayer can be very powerful. It can help us, our loved ones, our friends and neighbors, and it's especially good for those who are going through an extraordinarily difficult time, like the victims of the recent hurricane. 

If you feel that you need extra prayer help, there is always your local church, etc. Also, there is online help such as www.jgminternational.org .

There is a very positive, important action that we Americans can take now to insure a positive, bright future for our country, and that is to-

Vote for peace, prosperity, and freedom!

May God bless America!

Positive thought: 

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, November 2, 2024, Becky

  

  

"Positive Words, Positive Thoughts"

 

"...September days are here, with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer."- Helen Hunt Jackson

September is a transitional month, with fall right around the corner! (Sunday, September 22, 2024)

This time of year, I really enjoy being outside, sitting on the front porch, enjoying the late afternoon sun, and smelling the sweet fragrance of the last of summer's sweet flowers wafting through the gentle breeze. Birds are singing their little songs. A little later in the day, Greg and I often enjoy spectacular sunsets that help make our Appalachia Mountain area look even more beautiful. (Just like snowflakes, no two sunsets are exactly the same.)

In a few weeks, the green leaves will, of course, give way to the colorful reds, yellows, and oranges of fall.

I'd like to share with you some positive words, and some positive thoughts that you might find helpful-

~Open-minded- I generally like the old TV comedy shows, and so does Greg. We tend to have the same sense of humor, but Greg also really likes old adventure shows like "MacGyver." I'd never seen one of  the "MacGyver" shows before, because I didn't think that it was something that I'd be interested in. Then, one day, I was in the living room when his show was on, and I actually watched some of it. Very interesting! I found out that MacGyver uses ingenious hacks to help him be successful against the bad guys, and bad women. I was impressed. 

Greg loves the show so much that I gave him MacGyver-type items for his birthday which included a Swiss Army knife.

Now, I try to be a little more open-minded, and I'm learning to appreciate other people's tastes that might be different than mine.

~Do-it-yourself- Greg and I like to make a lot of the things that we use around the house, and I also like to make some of my own personal items. Between us, we make gnat traps, cleaning products, liquid hand soap, deodorant, hair conditioner, weed killer, etc. Doing this saves us money, and it's also a lot healthier! 

~Optimism- Dr. Bob Martin says that optimism is a key to health and longevity. He says to be around people who are optimistic and uplifting. Also, he says to train yourself if you are not naturally optimistic-to read books that help you to be more positive, and to do positive self-talk.

I'd like to add that I found that it's important to be careful about what we listen to on the radio or watch on TV and the Internet, etc. I ask myself how I feel after watching or listening to anything. If it makes me feel less than positive, I simply don't watch or listen to it anymore. Life is too short to dwell on negativity.

~Joyful- "20 Handpans / Handpan Choir & Malte Marten" This is a joyful presentation on YouTube of  musicians joyfully working together to create a musical mini-masterpiece. It's so inspirational that it makes you want to grab a handpan and join in on the fun! Besides, handpans are tuned to Hertz frequencies which are supposed to be healing.

~Happy- When you're happy in life, the law of attraction will continue to line up even more happy circumstances and events for you."- Rhonda Byrne

Also, "Happiness is a warm puppy." -Charles M. Schultz

~Pet Feature-

John and Ashley have a new addition to their household, an adorable new puppy, Lucy Elizabeth-

Positive thought: "I'm unstoppable...I'm invincible...I'm so powerful...I'm so confident...Yeah, I'm unstoppable today..."- From the song "Unstoppable" by Sia and Christopher Braide

Thanks for visiting! Until sometime around Saturday, October 5, 2024, Becky

"Living Positively"

 

By Annette White

A couple of  days ago, Greg and I went to the annual Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon, Virginia, not far from where we live. We enjoyed seeing the different arts and crafts done by the various talented participants at the festival.

One of the artists was Annette White from Alabama who paints beautiful, unique pictures on pieces of slate from a church roof that was over 100 years old! (See above photo.) 

She started painting to help her cope with a personal tragedy. Not only does she paint well, but she is a really nice person. I think that her inner beauty shows in her lovely artwork.

Here are a few quotes for living positively, which is important, especially now-

~"Surrounding myself with people who don't make me feel good is not healthy, so I avoid those who don't bring joy into my world. I've learned that when you're surrounded by kind people, everything will be okay." -Beth Stern

~"Karma-think good thoughts, say nice things, do good for others. Everything comes back." -Eckart Tolle

~"This is unjust!" -Angela Carini (We need to stand up for ourselves. as well as for others, to right any wrongs for a positive outcome.) 

We noticed the American flag flying in front of The Martha Washington Inn & Spa in Abingdon. Several artists' booths were on the grounds of "The Martha" during the Virginia Highlands Festival.

~"When we honor our flag, we honor what we stand for as a Nation-Freedom, Equality, Justice, and Hope." -Ronald Reagan

~"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." -Willie Nelson

~"Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you." -Mary Lou Retton

~"The power of positive thinking can change your life." -Devin McCourty

~Pet Feature-

A few weeks ago, Greg and I were visiting Sevierville, Tennessee when we saw a man with a pretty white bird sitting on his shoulder. The man with the bird was getting all kinds of attention. No wonder! It is somewhat rare to see something like that.

The white bird was a parrot, the man's pet. The parrot was very tame, as a woman went over and stroked its head like you would a dog or a cat.

When I feature pets on this blog, it's always either a cat or a dog, but this time, in honor of birds, I want to announce that next month, on September 17, it's National Pet Bird Day!

~"Birds are the best pets around." -Bird

~"God loves you, I love you, God bless you, and have a wonderful day." -Julie Green

Positive thought: "Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may be actually falling into place." -Unknown

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, September 7, 2024, Becky

"How to Be More Positive"

 

Sometimes, it seems hard to get and maintain a positive frame of mind, but there are things we can all do in order to be more positive. We just have to do those things that feel right for us.

I feel more positive and uplifted when I occasionally get to hear "The Constitution Minute" on our local radio station. Also, I can always go anytime to www.constitutionminute.com to hear the same messages that are on the radio.

"The Constitution Minute" is a positive, patriotic message from Dr. Larry Arnn, the president of Hillsdale College. "The Constitution is key to securing liberty for all Americans..." In addition to an uplifting message, you can also request a free pocket-sized copy of our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. These documents contain important information that all Americans need to know.

Greg and I recently went through about two weeks of challenges that began when our television suddenly stopped working. We're thankfully getting everything satisfactorily resolved, and as we're looking back on everything, these so-called negative events actually turned into something positive. 

("Every problem has a gift for you in its hands."- Richard Bach)

For instance, Greg discovered some skills that he didn't realize that he had. Also, we got to take a break from our usual routine of busyness, and as a result, we got to go and do some enjoyable, relaxing things that we hadn't made time for in a while, like walking in the park.

(Let's have some fun!"- Jesse Kelly)

You can meet the nicest people and pets in the park-

Get a best furry friend, like Iris.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."- Roger Caras

We also recently enjoyed our town's fireworks for the first time since we've lived here-

Finally, if you'd like a super-easy way to be more positive, etc., be sure to "Immerse yourself  in soothing, healing sounds of the handpan infused with a pure frequency of 528 Hertz."- Malte Marten

528 hz handpan music my favorite healing meditation. It is supposed to promote positivity as well as other good qualities.

Also, please check out my memoir, "Down Memory Lane" by Becky Arnott. For more information, just click the widget above.

~Positive thought- Positive thinking is "only thinking thoughts of what you want. And it makes sense because negative thoughts hurt us. Negative thoughts attract what we don't want, they make us feel bad, and they harm our health. So why on earth would anyone indulge in them? ...think only of what you want!"- Rhonda Byrne

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, August 3, 2024, Becky

"Some Positive Ideas"

 

These days, especially, it's important to get and stay as positive as possible. Being positive helps us to better handle anything that comes our way.

In this blog post, I'll give you some positive ideas that have helped me be more positive.

One thing that has helped me be positive is to read and apply the ideas of author Rhonda Byrne. For example- "When you direct your thoughts to the positive-which are simply the thoughts of what you want-you will be in awe of how the Universe lines everything up for you, one thing after another."

Try to be around people who are positive. There are three people in particular that I know who are really nice to be around. They all have the same traits- They are kind, thoughtful, and respectful. They make you feel special. They have a positive outlook about things. 

Also, it's good for us to try to find the good in everyone. Look for the good, and you will find it.

If you are positive, you tend to attract more people and situations into your life that are positive. 

Having the kind of pet that is right for you can help you be more positive. Greg and I are cat people, so having cats is right for us.

"What greater gift than the love of a cat." -Charles Dickens

Taking care of your health, like getting plenty of sleep, and eating right, etc. should help you on your road to positivity.

On the Road to Positivity

A positive emotion is happiness, and to feel instantly happier, I found an easy way is to put some nutmeg into a small empty jar that has a lid. When ready to use, just take off the lid and sniff the nutmeg for a minute or two. You can do this throughout the day. Doing so should help you feel happier, and also more focused! It's a type of aromatherapy. (Helpful hint: Be careful that you don't sniff the nutmeg up your nose, and don't use it if you are allergic to nutmeg.)

"Knowing the Power of Words"- www.jgminternational.org

Words are so important. Are our words positive or negative? How do our words affect other people and ourselves?

Being positive instead of negative is a lot more enjoyable, a lot more fun!- "Try it, You'll like it." -From a popular 1972 Alka-Seltzer commercial

"And what is so rare as a day in June?"- James Russell Lowell

 Wishing you a happy, positive June!

Positive thought- "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade."- Elbert Hubbard (These words encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity." -From Wikipedia)

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, July 6, 2024, Becky