The Fourth of July

 

Today, I have a patriotic post for a patriotic day, the Fourth of July, a very important day in the history of our great country, the United States of America!

Through words and pictures, I'd like to help celebrate the liberty, the freedom that we now have for which our forefathers so bravely fought.

Just a few days ago, I came across this post card (below) when I was looking through some old photographs that had belonged to Greg's parents. The post card depicts the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is from a painting by the artist John Trumbull. (This post card is now proudly displayed in our new memorabilia room since freedom means so much to us.)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." -From "The Declaration of Independence" (1776)

Some patriots, including Greg's fourth great-grandfather, John Arnot, are honored on this stone in Bent Creek Cemetery in Whitesburg, Tennessee because they fought in the Revolutionary War. (Please see my related "The Art of Positive Living" blog post, "Honoring a Patriot," on 6/6/21 for more about John Arnot.)

"I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!' -Patrick Henry

Local patriots proudly show their true patriotic colors-

"My patriotic heart beats red, white, and blue." -Anonymous

"Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit." -Ronald Reagan

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me....God bless the U. S. A." -Lee Greenwood

(For real inspiration, check out the Lee Greenwood "God Bless the U. S. A." videos on Youtube.)

"From every mountainside, let freedom ring." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

"From the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam, God bless America, my home sweet home." -Irving Berlin

"And the rocket's red glare, the bomb bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there, O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?" -Francis Scott Key (from "The Star-Spangled Banner," the United States national anthem)

Small Business Feature:

At the Wayne Scott Strawberry Festival in Unicoi, Tennessee in May, I met an artist who owns a small business, Old House Art. Her abstract pieces are really pretty, colorful. She not only paints pictures, but she makes jewelry, as well.

I loved her earrings so much, that I bought a pair. They were reasonably priced, too!

"I believe in America because we have great dreams, and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true." -Wendell Willkie

I'm remembering my parents on their wedding anniversary. They married on the Fourth of July. That day was, of course, extra special for them. And, they were extra special, too.

I've been featuring cats quite a bit lately, so I decided that it was time to feature a dog on this blog post. It's only fair to the dogs and for those who love them!

Dog Feature:

Here's a rescue dog that was at the Unicoi Strawberry Festival that was hoping to be adopted. Bet someone picked up this little guy pretty quickly! What a cutie!

FYI

Did you know that there's another special day in July that is not that well-known? It's "National Ice Cream Day" which is the third Sunday in July. This year it's on July 18. Hope to see you at the ice cream parlor!

Oh, and have a Happy Fourth of July!

Positive thought: "Remember: light overcomes the darkness, good overcomes evil, love overcomes hate, and positive overcomes the negative, always."-Becky Arnott

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, August 1, 2021, Becky

 

Honoring a Patriot

 

I have a very special blog post today about a special person that several of us honored this past Memorial Day, John Arnot, who fought in the Revolutionary War. He was Greg's fourth great-grandfather. He was from New York when he fought in the war. He eventually moved to East Tennessee and was buried in Bent Creek Cemetery in Whitesburg, Tennessee.

It was at Bent Creek Cemetery where the members of  the LTC Felix Walker Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), along with the Ruth Davidson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), presented a grave marking ceremony honoring patriot John Arnot. Many of John Arnot's descendants also attended.

Mike, president of his local SAR and descendant of John Arnot, arrives along with one of his grandsons for the ceremony. Mike is Greg's brother.

We enjoyed our time greeting and...

catching up with seldom-seen family members.

Patriotism was very much on display-

with wreaths and...

Betsy Ross flags...

that have 13 stars that represent the 13 colonies that fought for freedom during the Revolutionary War.

Some even dressed for the occasion.

Mike opened the ceremony with his welcoming remarks.

The impressive, informative ceremony included the histories of the SAR and the DAR, and the origin of Memorial Day that were all presented by members of the SAR and the DAR. Everyone joined in singing our national anthem.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by direct descendants, a brother and sister, who are both in the Scouts.

Enjoying the Ceremony

Comments were made by two of John's descendants- 

Expressing Gratitude for Patriots' Service

Telling about Life in the 1770's

Wreaths Were Placed

The grave marker was uncovered...

and dedicated.

At the end there was a benediction.

Around 30 people attended the grave marking ceremony.

It was a wonderful, unique experience for all who attended, especially for the younger people.

It was time to leave the cemetery and...

to continue our day of celebration in Elizabethton, Tennessee...

with a picnic!

Afterwards, Greg and I explored the park...

and discovered this awe-inspiring statue that was fittingly "Dedicated to the Spirit of the Overmountain Men Heroes of the American Revolution."

We all have our special memories of this special day of honoring a patriot, and the memento above will help to forever remind us of one man and many other brave heroes like him who fought to make our great country free.

Featured Restaurant-

The Tavern

The Tavern is the oldest of Abingdon's historic buildings. It is number two out of 43 restaurants in Abingdon, Virginia according to Tripadvisor. At The Tavern, they serve delicious food including American, steaks, and seafood. I thought that this was an appropriate restaurant to feature on this post since it was founded in 1779, around the time of the Revolutionary War. For more information: www.abingdontavern.net

For a related post on The Tavern, please see my May 15, 2021 blog post entitled "The (Haunted) Tavern." https://spiritphotographs.blogspot.com

Special Cat Update-

Birthday Cats

Our two indoor cats, Kallie and Mitzi, recently celebrated their fourteenth birthday. They were given new toys and a special treat of sardines. A good time was had by all!

Positive Thought: "It is just as important to honor and cherish the living as it is to honor and cherish those who have passed on."-Becky Arnott  

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, July 4, 2021, 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