"February, a Very Positive Month!"

 

WELCOME!

Besides being just another winter month, what do most people think of when they think of February? If you are like me, you probably think of Valentine's Day on February 14. Most people are probably making plans to have a meal out or to have a romantic meal at home. This year, Greg and I are planning on exploring a nearby historic town after lunch. We'll visit some local shops and other places of interest that we haven't had time to visit in the past.

Many people will exchange valentine gifts and cards, as well. 

I still remember when I was in grade school, how each student would have a beautifully decorated Valentine's Day box where we would all put valentines in each other's boxes.  

As if February 14 festivities were not enough, there are other neat days in February, as well.

Today, February 2, just happens to be Groundhog Day. Every year at this time since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, predicts the weather according to whether or not he sees his shadow. The not-so-good news was that he did see his shadow today, so here in the United States, there is supposed to be six more weeks of bad weather. The good news is that Phil is right only 35% of the time!

Right now, here in the Southern Appalachians, we are predicted to have above average temperatures most of this week, although after that, the temperature will be more seasonable. (We're really taking advantage of these warmer days right now! We're getting to work outside some, as well as having fun!)

February 17 is also a very special day since there are several fun ideas that you might enjoy trying that day-

-One thing you might want to do on this day is to celebrate My Way Day. All you do on this day is to celebrate you and your unique talents and personality, and to do things that you enjoy (that are not immoral or illegal, of course!). 

To celebrate, you might want to stay home and watch several DVD's that you have never had time to see before, while eating several of your very favorite foods. You might even go out and buy a new blouse in your favorite color and style, or you might like to go somewhere you've never been before. The important thing is just to celebrate the real you, the person you really are. ~For more information visit  http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/my-way-day/  .

-Another idea you might want to try after having fun celebrating you, is to focus on other people, and do something randomly nice for others on Random Acts of Kindness Day which is also on February 17. 

Some ideas might be to sincerely compliment someone that you may or may not know. (I remember how good I felt when a stranger once complimented me on my hair, and when someone recently admired a necklace I was wearing.) Also, you could open a door for someone, or just give someone a smile. You could even give a neighbor a small gift.

Being kind to yourself and others sounds like a great idea!

And that's not all for February 17, 2025 since Presidents' Day just happens to fall on this day this year.

With all of the really special things that we might decide to do on the special days in February, we can no longer think of this month as just another cold month to get through until spring, but, rather, we can declare instead that February is a very positive month! 

And do you know what?-We can make every month of this year more positive and enjoyable by just being kind to ourselves and others! Sounds like a plan!

~Animal/Pet Feature-

One of our special family members, Cris, sent us information about what to do if we find a hypothermic animal which might happen if it is exposed to cold weather or cold water so that its body temperature is very low. It is valuable information (Please see paragraph directly below.) that we might need at some time. Cris loves animals, and she supports animal causes. Cris, thanks so much for sharing! 

For more information about this important topic, please search the Internet. Just type in- "What to do if you find a hypothermic animal?"

~ "If we're going to have animals around, we all have to be concerned about them and take care of them." -Bob Ross

~ "Animals are souls, aspects of God just as...we are, and many species are way-showers of unconditional love, loyalty and supportiveness."-  www.matthewbooks.com/january-3-2025/

Our Kit-Cat was a stray, a feral cat, not in the best of health. Thanks to our local vet, she is thriving now-

~"Cats are angels with fur." - Sark

Happy Valentine's Day. and Happy Every Day!

Positive thought- "Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction." -Rumi

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, March 1, 2025, Becky

"Down Memory Lane"

 

Today I have a blog post that is special to me, and I hope that it will be special for you, too.

My book, "Down Memory Lane A Nostalgic Memoir of Life in the Southern Appalachians," was recently republished by Hoot Books Publishing. This book is about the "joys of growing up and growing older and about the people and pets along the way that inspired (me) and touched (my) life in a positive way."

In this republished version of my book, I added more chapters with more memories, and I also added several personal photographs for the first time. A picture does often seem to be "worth a thousand words," so I believe these photographs do help me tell my story much better. The photos were taken not only by me, but also by my husband, Greg, my brother, Nick, my mother, Jean, and my father, Bill, as well as others.

I tried to include as many wonderful memories of my life in the beautiful Appalachians as I could, but even after I'd finished revising my book, and had sent it in, more memories kept coming to me, and I still have hundreds of photographs that I could have included in my book, but didn't.

So, each time I write my "The Art of Positive Living" blog post, I plan to include a photograph, along with a description, similar to what is in my newly revised book. (However, some, but not all of the memories in my book are accompanied by a photograph.)

~"Down Memory Lane" Feature-

Here is a picture that could have been in my book, but isn't.-

(Since we've just had Valentine's Day, I thought that this photo would be very appropriate for this blog post.)

I attended my brother and sister-in law's wedding when I was lucky enough to catch my new sister-in-law's bridal bouquet. No wonder I caught it, because I remember how high I leapt up into the air (and I'm not that athletic!), determined to catch the bouquet. It paid off, since only three months later, I was married to my sweetheart, Greg!

"Moments come and go, but memories last forever." -Unknown

FYI: 

"Down Memory Lane" by Becky Arnott (For more information about this book, please click the widget above.) 

Cookie from Our Local Food City Bakery

Valentine's Day may be over, but we can still love and cherish our loved ones every day!

Positive thought: "God loves you. I love you. God bless you, and have a wonderful day." -Julie Green (Ditto! -Becky A.)

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, February 26, 2023, Becky

Celebrate Life!

 

February is a really busy month for us. Besides Valentine's Day, this is also my birthday month. Another busy month for us is August since it's when we celebrate Greg's birthday and our wedding anniversary.

For my birthday this year, we invited the part of our family that lives nearby to our house for a meal. The party wasn't just for me, but it was also for my cousin whose birthday is also in February. To make the get-together more fun, we called the celebration a "Winterfest Birthday Celebration." We got the idea of  "Winterfest" from the celebration in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee that lasts from mid-November to mid-February every year. Having something like this helps to counteract the starkness of this time of the year.

"Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated." ~Osho (In short, celebrate life!)

We decorated our house with a wintery...

Christmassy theme.

We had a pizza meal ready for everyone to enjoy.

The three guys patiently waited to get their food...

while the ladies filled up their plates. (Ladies first!)

Dessert was a festive birthday cake, along with ice cream.

Then, it was time to open birthday gifts-

My gift was wrapped in paper with a cute snowman design.

My cousin seemed to like his birthday gifts.

Our outdoor cat, Kit-Cat, kept everybody entertained.

It was time for everyone to leave, but we made plans for future times to be together.

Greg and I celebrated Valentine's Day with little gifts to each other.

A couple of days later, we went to Rogersville, Tennessee to celebrate my birthday some more.

(We don't celebrate our birthdays just one day. We stretch it out few several days! The more, the better!)

The reason I wanted to go to Rogersville was to go to the Hale Springs Inn...

to have lunch at...

the Sweet Tooth Cafe which is located inside the inn.

The food there is delicious! Each dish is named after either a local person or place. I had "The American Hotel Bacon Melt,' along with a "Simpson House Strawberry Salad."

Our terrific waitress, Jalyn, pleasantly surprised me when she said that since I was celebrating my birthday that I got my choice of a free dessert even though it wasn't the exact day of my birthday. I ordered the salted caramel cheesecake which was absolutely delicious! I told the owner, Jo, that it was one of the best desserts I'd ever had, which was the truth! I shared part of my dessert with Greg and he liked it although he usually doesn't like caramel.

After our wonderful lunch, we looked around downtown Rogersville which has some nice little shops-

We enjoyed this pretty shop which has a message on a sign outside that we think is really important for all of us to follow-"It's a beautiful day to shop local."

The next day, we met part of Greg's family for lunch at Freiberg's German Restaurant in Johnson City, Tennessee since they were in our area on personal business.

Greg, Outside of Freiberg's with One of  His Brothers

The food is great! I had schnitzel which was something new to me.

Enjoying Being Together

Afterwards, since we were in a celebratory mood, we went to Bass Pro Shops in Bristol, Tennessee since we've never been to that one before. Greg and I are not into sports at all, but Greg wanted to go check out their coffee, and I was interested in seeing the beautiful wildlife displays and scenes that they have.

Bass Pro Shops

For our final stop in our several-days birthday/Valentine's Day celebration, we decided to go by the...

Blackbird Bakery in Bristol, Virginia to get a couple of goodies which we enjoyed at home with warm drinks where we rested and made plans for our next adventures. (No more sweets for a while, though!)

"Every day of your life is a special occasion." ~Thomas S. Monson

Positive thought: "A good life is a collection of happy moments." ~Denis Waitley

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, March 6, 2022, Becky

Valentine's Day!

 

This is a mini-blog post about something very special, Valentine's Day, which is, of course, about love. This is a mini-post because Greg and I have a lot to do this month since we'll be celebrating birthdays as well as Valentine's Day!

So, I just wanted to say a few words about Valentine's Day on this post, and I'll have my regular blog post on Monday, February 21 which will be about our February adventures.

The "Bible" says to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31), and the "Bible" also has many other references about love.

In fact, Greg's and my wedding vows had this beautiful verse from the "Bible," 1 Corinthians 13-"Love is patient and kind....Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

It's also important to love yourself as well as others.

If you need some self-love and inspiration, try watching the video of  Mariah Carey singing "Hero." It's simply fantastic!

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." ~1 Corinthians 13

Have a sweet, happy Valentine's Day!

Positive thought: "Believe that there is still good and love in the world." ~Becky Arnott

Thanks for visiting! Until Monday, February 21, 2022, Becky

A Special Day in Bell Buckle, Tennessee

Yesterday, Greg and I visited one of our favorite places, Bell Buckle, Tennessee. We were celebrating a special day for us. It was my first big outing since I'd been sick. I've been slowly recovering from a rare serious illness the past few weeks. We decided to celebrate Valentine's Day early since the town was already dressed in its valentine finery.

First of all, we had a delicious lunch at the Bell Buckle Cafe. The quality and quantity of the food is amazing. No wonder the cafe is always so busy.

After our meal, including dessert, of course...

Oatmeal Cake (Yum!)

we looked around at all of the interesting little shops and other curiosities.

It was a beautiful, warm day for the first of February so you didn't even need to wear a jacket.

We even worked in ice cream for a snack from the "Bluebird Antiques & Ice Cream Parlor" on February 2, Groundhog Day, 2019.

The groundhog surely saw his shadow in this area, but we didn't care since we were there just to enjoy this day.

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."-Charles M. Schultz

Yes, this was Greg's and my special day that we thoroughly enjoyed, and I want to thank Greg for all of his help and support during my difficult time. Greg, I love and cherish you, my best friend and soulmate. (Also, I really appreciate others who have shown their love and support.)

"The best thing about my life will always be that you are in it."-liveboldandbloom.com

Positive thought: "You don't have to wait until Valentine's Day to show how much they mean to you."-soulfeeljewelry.com
Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, March 3, 2019, Becky

A Valentine's Day Celebration!

Welcome!

Valentine's Day is a wonderful day for a celebration, so let's celebrate with words and pictures!

"Without Valentine's Day, February would be...well, January."
Jim Gaffigan

"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach."
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Pendant with Genuine Southern Appalachian Mountain Coal 

 "The most beautiful view is the one I share with you."
-Author Unknown

"Valentine's is...
a time for love
a time to celebrate life
a time to give and forgive
and a time to say a prayer for
you who have touched my life."
-boybanat.com

"True love stories never have endings."
Richard Bach

Valentine humor: "I love you more than my laptop."
-quotesgram.com

Love y'all!

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you like the paranormal, check out my other blog, "Spirit Photographs."
www.spiritphotographs.blogspot.com

I have written a book on the paranormal, "Photographic Encounters of the Spirit Kind" which is available now in paperback or as a kindle download.
http://amzn.to/2usXWIO

Positive thought: "Love is a perfume you cannot pour onto others without getting a few drops on yourself."-Emerson

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, March 4, 2018, Becky

Celebrating Valentine's Day, Tennessee Style

Hope you've got some Valentine's Day plans, since Valentine's Day is right around the corner! If not, never fear, because in this blog post, I have some suggestions on how you could celebrate Valentine's Day right here in Tennessee.

Might I suggest one of Greg's and my favorite places in the whole world, the small town of Bell Buckle, Tennessee.

The Bell Buckle Cafe is now all dressed up in it's Valentine finery, and...

is serving its wonderful home style country dishes...

including dessert like this delicious fruit cobbler with ice cream!

(The Cafe serves both lunch and supper.)

Another place that would be great for lunch or a snack is Southern's Charm's charming Tea Room-

How about this lovely table for a romantic meal for two?

Besides food, Bell Buckle has several nice little shops to buy all of your Valentine's Day gifts.

Southern Charm which has the tea room, mentioned above, also has really nice gifts, as does Miss Jane's which is one of the newer shops in Bell Buckle.

 Miss Jane's-Is this romantic, or what!

Also, another must-visit place in Bell Buckle is Bluebird Antiques & Ice Cream Parlor.

I have to admit that I am a romantic. I love vintage, Victorian things, handmade things, beauty, nostalgia, hearts and flowers...Guess that's why I love Bell Buckle so much!

If you prefer the big city, how about a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, 

and The Loveless Cafe! (If this is not the most romantic place to visit, it's one of the most enjoyable.)

(Greg's and my personal fave there is the biscuits which is their specialty. Just add butter and their delicious preserves. Yum!)

Need a gift? The Loveless has gifts in their two shops, including food gifts.

I was watching a show on HGTV a few nights ago, and guess what place was on the show? That's right, The Loveless Cafe! It's famous, and many Nashville celebrities have visited there. The walls are just full of signed celebrity photos. Everyone needs to go there at least once!

Well, there you have it, a couple of neat places to go if you happen to be in Tennessee around Valentine's Day.

If these are not your cup of tea, you might want to research some places in Tennessee on your own. You might even discover that not only is Tennessee a great place to visit, but is also a great place to live!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Positive thought:

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, March 5, 2017, Becky