"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

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

 

 

Picturesque Abingdon, Virginia

Welcome!

Greg and I had a very busy Labor Day weekend (as I'm sure was the same for many of you), so I'm running behind on my projects, including this blog post!

This is a post that I believe you will really enjoy. It's about a place, a town, that you may or may not have ever visited. If you haven't yet been there, you might want to put it on your to-do list of places you'd like to go and see.

The name of this town is Abingdon which is located in Southwest Virginia.

Abingdon is beautiful, very picturesque.

It is the epitome of art and culture.

Which can be seen on the streets...

as well as at the annual...

 which is held in August.

There are high-quality arts and crafts galore.

There are several refreshment stands with delicious food.

A strawberry smoothie, anyone?

Right next door to the festival is the elegant Martha Washington Inn...

which is also known as...

The grounds are lovely-

You might want to just relax and enjoy,...

the sights and sounds of Abingdon,

or you might want to play a rousing game of croquet.

Later, you could have a tasty supper there, and even spend the night in one of the beautiful rooms.

Before turning in, however, be sure to take in one of the excellent professional productions at the famous Barter Theatre which is just a stone's throw from The Martha.

The Barter Theatre

The Barter has some wonderful productions. "Wait Until Dark" which starred Audrey Hepburn in the movie version is coming soon. Greg and I are planning to go see "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" in October which is one of my very favorite tales of all time. The ad said it was for children of all ages. That's good, because Greg and I are just overgrown children at heart.

(Remember to be true to yourself. Be who you are! You are unique! Don't try to be someone you are not.)

(Please support the Barter, especially right now, as they are going through some financial difficulties.)

FYI

www.themartha.com

www.bartertheatre.com

Positive thought: From a painting on a car parked in Abingdon, Virginia-

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, October 6, 2019, Becky

.