An Abingdon, Virginia Christmas

 Welcome!

Christmas is in the air! Evidence is all around us, the sights and sounds of Christmas-Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths, Christmas lights, images of Santa and his elves, familiar Christmas music wafting through the air. What a wonderful time of year!

And, Christmas is nowhere more evident than in the picturesque town of Abingdon which is nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Recently, Greg and I visited Abingdon which is not too far from where we live. We love this quaint town so much that we refer to it as our adopted town.

What's not to love about it? 

The lovely old house above, which is tastefully decorated, even has a colorful Christmas tree on its balcony.

"The best Christmas trees come very close to exceeding nature."-Andy Rooney

 In another old house, the Greenway-Trigg Building, is The Gallery @ Barr Photographics.

We thought it would be a great place to visit, and it was!

We met one of the owners, Dean Barr, who welcomed us and told us all about his interesting shop.

Many talented artists display their work there. There are paintings, photographs, and handcrafted items like soap and jewelry, as well as many others.

FYI

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics

R. Dean & Valerie J. Barr

www.barrphotographics.com

After all of this looking around, we decided it was time for a snack, so we thought we'd try out a new place in town, The Girl & the Raven.

This coffee bar/cafe is in yet another old house which has been recently remodeled. It has been open for only three weeks.

 The interior looked festive with its beautifully decorated mantel.

A delicious cookie and coffee, anyone?

FYI

www.girlandtheraven.com

Wow! The Martha (The Martha Washington Inn & Spa) is all dressed up for Christmas, like never before!

"May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve."-Unknown

On weekends through December 20, vendors in tents on the grounds of The Martha will be selling crafts and kettle corn. This is a great place to find some nice Christmas gifts. As usual, but especially this year, we're supporting small business and buying locally.

FYI: www.themartha.com

Another great idea is supporting the world famous Barter Theatre which is outdoors at the Moonlite Drive-in during this "pandemic." Just got to see "A Christmas Carol," one of my favorites!

"Believe in the magic of Christmas."-Unknown

FYI: www.bartertheatre.com

We'll return to Abingdon soon to stop, shop, and dine some more since it's just a hop, skip, and a jump away! Hope to see you there!

May you have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Positive thought: "May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, the gladness of Christmas give you hope, and the warmth of Christmas grant you love."-Author Unknown

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, January 3, 2021, Becky

Blessed

 

This is the time of year, the holiday season, that we start thinking about our lives, our blessings, the things for which we are thankful.

Greg and I have a wonderful painting that my father did which to me represents abundance. It hangs in our kitchen to remind us to always be thankful for that which we have, not just once a year, but throughout the whole year.

Original Painting by W. N. Botts

Each morning I begin my day with a special thought of the day. I got the idea from "Woman's World" magazine. The magazine has a featured segment, "7 Days of Inspiration" in which there is a different quote for each day of the week. 

I fixed a permanent sheet that has my favorite "Woman's World" quotes on it. For example, on Sundays, my quote is "Life brings more blessings than anyone could ever count." Throughout the day on Sundays, I often think and say, "I am blessed."

I really like it when someone who has waited on me in a shop or elsewhere says, "Have a blessed day." It makes me feel connected, like we are all one.

Also, I have a friend who ends her emails with, "Blessings," and her name. What a kind, thoughtful way to end an email!

"When I'm worried, And I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, And I fall asleep, Counting my blessings."-Irving Berlin

You know, we are all so lucky here in the United States of America. What a great country! With the right leadership, we can all flourish and live happy, fulfilling lives. We can be free to be who we were meant to be in a free society.

"Life without liberty is like a body without a spirit."-Kahlil Gibran

My sister-in-law Betty recently told me about a great women's website that is helping America heal. It's- www.womenfightingforamerica.com .

To contact your politician, the website is, www.contactmypolitician.com .

For those living in Virginia, a good website is, www.virginiaconservatives.net .

The really important thing is: GO VOTE!-for freedom, peace of mind, a return to sanity!

An author that has greatly inspired me to live a happier, more blessed life is Rhonda Byrne. I have several of her books, and I'm looking forward to her more recent book that will be released on November 24 of this year. It's entitled, "The Greatest Secret." (There is an audio version, as well.)

Here's an excerpt from the introduction of the book- "This book reveals the greatest discovery a human being can ever make, and show you the way out of negativity, problems, and what you don't want, to a life of permanent happiness and bliss."

It sounds like a winner to me!

Have a blessed, happy Thanksgiving!

Positive thought: "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."-Willie Nelson

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, December 6, 2020, Becky

                                                                                                                                

 

Special Days

 

During the last few weeks, we have been busy doing different things, going different places. We had some really special days.

On Saturday, we had a yard (but mostly an inside-the-cabin) sale since it was rather cool.

We did really well for this time of year. We met some nice people, and we also reconnected with others that had been to our previous yard sales.

Another day, we enjoyed the warm fall sunshine on the pretty Virginia Creeper Trail which starts in Abingdon.

Yet another time, we met Mike and Betty at the Muster Grounds in Abingdon where we walked and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It is a Revolutionary War site.

Some people dressed in Revolutionary period attire had a meeting there. 

After the Muster Grounds, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Luke's Cafe in Abingdon.

So good!

Greg and I had been working pretty hard on our semi-fixer-upper house and our business projects, so we decided to take a bigger break and go on a little trip to the beautiful Kodak/Sevierville/Pigeon Forge part of East Tennessee 

A nice-looking dog was on its way there, as well!

Our first stop was the Great Smokies Flea Market in Kodak.

While there, we saw something really cute in one of the booths, Sugar Glider Alley-

It was a sugar glider!

This little fellow can be yours for $300.00. I'd save up my money and get one, but I don't think that would be very wise since we already have two cats.

Lunch was next on the agenda.

As we drove by, we spotted Tony Roma's Smoky Mountain BBQ & Grill in Pigeon Forge. We decided to stop since Greg loves barbeque. We're glad we did because the food was excellent! We enjoyed our food outside since it was such a nice day.

We went farther into Pigeon Forge, to the Old Mill shops and restaurants. First, we stopped at the Creamery and had ice cream for our dessert. We then explored a few shops and...

enjoyed the beautiful scenery around the Old Mill.

(Painting on a Local Transit)

It was time to leave, but we really enjoyed our special day in East Tennessee, and vowed to return again soon to further explore this fascinating area.

We can still all have very special days despite all of the challenging, uncertain things going on around us right now. We just need to keep the faith, and to keep our President, our country, our world, our loved ones, and ourselves in our (positive) thoughts and prayers for an even brighter future.

Positive thought: "Every day is a part of life, so make it special."-Siddhant R. Shinde

Thanks for visiting! Until sometime between October 27-November 8, 2020, Becky

Life Is Meant to Be Enjoyed!

Start your day with a smile and a positive thought.

Hope you had an enjoyable, fun Labor Day weekend!

However, the fun doesn't have to stop now just because the holiday weekend is over.

Drop your cares,

and follow along for some fun ideas, for life is meant to be enjoyed every day!

Photo by Nick

Of course, there will still be special occasions like birthdays (above)...

and anniversary celebrations which might include high tea at The Martha in Abingdon, Virginia,...

or simply an ice cream treat at Southern Scoops & Sandwiches in North Carolina-

"Life is like an ice cream, enjoy it before it melts."
-www.ourmindfullife.com

Get-togethers with family or friends-

Or, just have fun with the special person in your life-

Be a kid again!

Look through photo albums and reminisce about the good ol' days-

like when festivals were allowed.

Enjoy a walk in the park.

Pursue a hobby.

Watch a funny DVD.

Make someone's day-send them a funny email.

This is a great idea! Why didn't I think of that!

Listen to music.

"Music is food for the soul. Our moods...can be elevated with...suitable music...."

-"Enki Quotes"

"Singing in the shower is all fun and games until you get shampoo in your mouth; then it just becomes a soap opera."
-"Pinterest"

"Dance like nobody's watching, because they are not; they are all checking their phones."
-"Good Housekeeping"

Hug your pet-

Happiness is a warm kitty.

Cats just wanna have fun!

Count your blessings.

"Be the reason someone smiles today."
-Anonymous

Have an enjoyable, fun fall, y'all!

Positive thought: "When fun gets deep enough, it can heal the world."-the Oaqui
Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, October 4, 2020, Becky