"A Positive Mini-Blog Post"

 

This is a view of Abingdon, Virginia from the porch of  The Martha Washington Inn & Spa.

 The picture above was taken a couple of years ago, a little later in the year than it is right now. Our leaves are just barely changing color as I write this.

Fall is on the way, though. It officially starts on Monday, September 22 this year.

It's best that we look for the good and the positive, although, at times, it may seem like an impossible task. 

Let this be a day of remembrance for all of those who have passed on, especially those whose whose lives have been cut short in senseless tragedies.

Here are some words that will hopefully inspire us to move on with our lives no matter what happens in our country, or comes our way-

~"You cannot help the world by focusing on negative things. As you focus on the negative events of the world, you not only add to them, but you bring more negative things into your own life at the same time." -Rhonda Byrne

~"You cannot harm another person with your negative thoughts. You can only harm you." -Rhonda Byrne

~"This is a spiritual battle that we are in...good versus evil...." -Julie Green 

For prayers and healing- www.jgminternational.org

~"Love and gratitude can part seas, move mountains, and create miracles." -Rhonda Byrne

Let's all hug, and be thankful for, our loved ones.

I'll have another special blog post later this month, (as well as my usual one next month, which will be around the first Saturday in October) with more positive thoughts and ideas, and some information about some projects that I'm working on that I'd like to share with you.

Here's one of those things that I'm still working on-my new book about Southern Appalachia- 

The following will not be in my new book, but it could have been-

This type of quilt was called a crazy quilt. 

This particular quilt was made during the winter by some of my ancestors. It was finished in 1897. The ladies that made this quilt were sisters, and they enjoyed "visiting with each other" as they worked. They made a quilt for each sister. They had the quilt on a frame, and they'd roll it up as they worked on it. 

There are several initials on the quilt, and one set of initials was for a relative who was a Confederate soldier.

Positive thought- "Your thoughts and your feelings create your life." -Lisa Nichols

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

"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

"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

Do Something Different!

 

Right now, we're having some nice weather for this time of year. Here, at least, spring is in the air! It's a good time to go out and do things, to even do something that's a little different!

Just recently, Greg and I were invited to go to an event that was new to us, a middle school robotics competition in which our young nephew was taking part.

Since we had never even heard of a robotics competition before, we did a little Internet research on the subject before we went. Basically, small teams of students work together on robots that are supposed to perform certain tasks in the competition. Each team member has a specific duty, like to design the robot, which is what our nephew, James, did in his team. Several teams compete against each other, and judges decide which teams win the competition.

We really enjoyed our time there with our relatives as we showed our support for a family member. 

Also, it's good to get out and do something a little different as often as possible.

Book Feature- "Down Memory Lane" by Becky Arnott

A few weeks ago my book, "Down Memory Lane," was republished on Amazon. (For more information on ordering, etc., please see the widget above.) It now contains quite a bit more information, and it also has photographs from my personal photo albums which helps to tell my story even better since you may have heard that "a picture is worth a thousand words."

On each of my new blog posts now, I'm showing a photograph along with a short narrative that is similar to what is in my book. (However, not all of the narrative in my book has accompanying photos.) 

This photograph is not in my book, but it could have been-

The photo above shows Greg and me a few years ago, enjoying the RC Cola-MoonPie Festival in Bell Buckle, Tennessee which is June 17 this year. It has music, contests, games, dancers, a parade, etc. As you can see in the photo, we even got to sit on bales of hay. Also, the refreshments there were great! This festival was something simple, inexpensive, a lot of fun, and- different! 

You don't have to go to Bell Buckle to a festival since there's probably a great festival or other neat event near you.

Restaurant Feature- Luke's Cafe

For a unique place to dine, you might want to try Luke's Cafe the next time you're in Abingdon, Virginia.

"Luke's Cafe ain't it Kool"

This cafe is different from the very artistic sculptures outside to the retro images of movie stars, etc. inside

And, the food is great!

My favorite is the Pimento Cheese Fruit Plate. So good! 

FYI- ilovelukes.com

Why not try something a little different this week! 

Positive thought: 

Thanks for visiting! Until around Sunday, March 12, 2023, Becky

Fun-days

 

We all know we can have fun at home, but since this is such a beautiful time of year, why not go out somewhere and have fun!

That's just what Greg and I have been doing these last few months, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air and going places and doing things, as have many other people.

"Never underestimate the importance of having fun." -Randy Pausch

We have been having picnics-

like at Veterans Memorial Park in Abingdon, Virginia.

We've visited interesting places like- 

 historic 150-year-old White's Mill which is near Abingdon.

They have a great gift shop with crafts, souvenirs, jams, etc.

We really enjoyed the recent-

in Abingdon which is an annual event.

There are arts and crafts and all types of unusual things at the festival.

There was a lot of food, like delicious hand-packed ice cream which is a cooling treat on a warm day.

And, I pulled out my old-

Fun Fest tee shirt to more fully to enjoy Fun Fest!

Fun Fest in Kingsport, Tennessee is a really popular event. It features hot air balloons, an outdoor food court, races, live music, as well as other fun things to do.

Some people bring their own seats so they can be more comfortable eating the great local food.

Bet this cute dog hopes he'll get some of this yummy food, too!

The person who painted the barrel above has an inspiring message.

"We didn't realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun." -Winnie the Pooh

Remember to make every day of the week a fun-day no matter what the season!

Featured Business-

The Arts Depot in Abingdon

It was wonderful to visit The Arts Depot and see artists creating their pieces of art. One man was painting portraits and others were painting landscapes and still lifes. There were also collages and mosaics. There was something for everyone. Most things were for sale, and others were just on display, like the unique guitar with its front covered in pieces of mosaic. 

Also, they have classes, galleries, and consignment space.

If you enjoy art, you would love this place.

Please remember:

Especially small business!

Positive thought: "Today is waiting for you. Enjoy!" -"Woman's World"

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, September 5, 2021, Becky

 

 

A Celebration Tour

 

Greg and I have had some recent good news, so we decided to celebrate by doing something we had been wanting to do, but had never made time for, which was a more in-depth visit to downtown Abingdon, Virginia. This would be our celebration tour.

Abingdon has so many wonderful little shops that it's unbelievable! We spoke to one girl who has lived in Abingdon all of her life, but she said she had never seen many of the shops until she started working in one. We suddenly didn't feel quite as bad, since we have lived near Abingdon for less than two years, and had never seen most of the shops. Better late than never!

Before visiting the shops, we decided to have lunch. Greg noticed an old house with with someone sitting on the large porch and a sign in the yard, and we decided to check it out. It was, thankfully, a restaurant.

The Peppermill

WE found out that this house was built in 1908, and that the small house to the right had been a children's playhouse.

The chicken salad sandwich and sweet potato fries are the best!

From our vantage point on the porch, as we were enjoying lunch, we noticed this beautiful piece of artwork on the building across the street. As I've said before, Abingdon is a very arty place.

After lunch, as we were walking down the street, we passed by the impressive St. Thomas Episcopal Church...

which is made of stone. As one visitor said, it looks as though it should actually be located in England.

Greg and I love antiques, so we decide to go into Zephyr Antiques.

We're glad we did since they have so many nice things!

This sign looked intriguing, so we thought we'd go in and check it out.

Salt of the Earth is a place you can go and "Relax-Restore-Rejuvenate." They offer massage therapy, infrared sauna, salt therapy, etc., and they have several healing types of items you can buy such as salt lamps, essential oils, etc. Looks like a great place to go and unwind! 

I went into this cute little women's clothing boutique, Forget Me Not, which had some really neat things, including...

this cute cap advertising the nearby Virginia Creeper Trail.

Greg was waiting for me outside the next shop I was going to see, Market on Main, where I enjoyed quickly looking around the 65 booths that had a large variety of things including clothes, jewelry, household items, toiletries, pet treats, etc.

I didn't feel sorry for Greg, waiting outside, however, because apparently he was enjoying his time watching girls walking their dogs, etc.!

We decided it was about time to go home, but first, we needed to stop by Anthony's Desserts to get take-home snacks. Greg got a brownie, and...

I got this delicious sugar cookie.

On our way back to our car, we noticed that this restaurant which used to be a hardware store was being remodeled, and will be open by Memorial Day weekend.

This building which used to be a furniture store is being turned into a restaurant, Foresta, which is "upscale Mediterranean with an Italian flair." 

Things are looking up in Abingdon!

Although we visited several wonderful places, there were others that will have to wait until later.

The Tavern is one of those places that we want to visit on a future trip to Abingdon. It's the oldest building in town, and it's a popular place to dine.

This shirt sums up everything nicely-

An adventure awaits!

Kit-Cat update:

Our little partly-feral cat recently had to have emergency surgery since she could not have her kittens due to a damaged pelvic bone. The vet said she only had a 60-70% survival rate even with the surgery. Several of us were praying for her, and thankfully the surgery was very successful! We credit our prayers and Dr. Jay at VCA Animal Hospital in Abingdon for saving her life. Now, she is fully recovered and better than ever!

Positive thought: "Prayer changes things."

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, June 6, 2021, Becky