"Positive Signs and Wonders"

 

      

~"And what is so rare as a day in June?" -James Russell Lowell 

June is a wonderful month; in fact, it is my favorite month. June generally has really nice weather, and it is a romantic month with weddings and beautiful flowers, including the rose which is the traditional birth flower for June. The traditional birthstone for June is the pearl.

Nature helps us live better lives, if we just pay attention to it. Nature is full of  wonders, and signs, to help show us the way. ("Signs and wonders" is from the "Bible" where it is mentioned 100 times!)

Wherever I go, I always carry my camera with me.

One day last year, I was really attracted to a pretty yellow flower that was blooming near where we had been shopping. I decided to take a picture of it-

It Was Goldenrod.

I wondered if it had some special meaning for me, so I looked it up, and it said that it represents good luck, and positivity! No wonder I was attracted to it! What a neat message!

Flowers often have important messages for us, but so do animals, birds, and even insects.

I have a really interesting book, "Animal-Speak" by Ted Andrews that tells the reader the significance of the creatures that come into our lives. 

For instance, just recently, I have noticed several butterflies, and I found out that they were trying to tell me not to work so much, to have more fun. Also, just a couple of weeks ago, a hummingbird flew right in front of me while I was sitting quietly on our deck, which I've hardly ever done before. I looked up "hummingbird" in the book, and its message was that I needed to get more sleep and rest so I wouldn't burn myself out. So amazing! So true! I took these messages seriously, and I'm making important lifestyle changes now. It's truly all because a little bird (and butterflies) told me!

Nature is on our side, trying to help us, if we just let it. We need to heed its messages for much better, happier lives!

I finally finished writing my book about the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and it's now in the hands of my publisher. It should be published in a few weeks. I'll let you know more later. Here's something similar to what is in my book-

Floral Pin

This is a decorative pin that is made entirely of seeds. (Great idea!) Southern Appalachian Mountain craftspeople tend to be very creative!

Positive thought- "One of the most efficient ways you can improve your life is by simply thinking more positively." -Robert Norman

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, July 4, 2026, Becky

Positive Ideas for a New Year

Welcome!

New year, new decade!

Hope you had a wonderful New Year's Day! Greg and I celebrated by enjoying a traditional New Year's Day meal of black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread for good luck in the new year. We added Irish potatoes, as well, since that's Greg's and my favorite food; besides, potatoes are supposed to be good for you.

Traditional New Year's Day Meal, Plus a Potato

Eating a traditional New Year's meal is a positive way to start a new year.  

In addition, on New Year's Day, I made out my resolutions for 2020. My first resolution was to take better care of myself physically which includes getting at least seven hours of sleep every night. Getting enough sleep helps you not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, as well.

Also included on my resolutions list was, of course, to be a positive thinker, feeler, doer, and speaker regardless of what is going on around me.

It's not too late to make out a New Year's resolutions list or to even modify an existing one. Why not do it now, if you haven't already?

Here are some other things you could do to make positive changes in your life for the new year and beyond:

-Believe in miracles! There are miracles, both large and small, all around us, if we just take time to look for them. There's the miracle of life and the beautiful world around us, the trees, the flowers, God's creatures, and much more. 

We all have our personal miracles like finding our soulmate, our dream home, our life's work, etc.

There are even mini-miracles, like my cell phone that seems to have nine lives, just like a cat. It's been through a lot. It's been run over by a car. It rode on the trunk of my car for over seven miles, but it didn't fall off! It fell out of my pocket, and when it hit the pavement, the back fell off and broke which I just taped back on. Otherwise, it was in good shape. It still works perfectly fine. 

My cell phone is a lesson for all of us. It teaches us that miracles do exist, and that we should all be as resilient as this cell phone, and that we should never give up!

-Always remember,

"The more you are thankful, the more you attract things to be thankful for."

-Nelson Mandela

-Don't just tolerate stuff. Make much-needed changes both large and small. 

For example, although I'm a pretty good organizer, and have even organized for others professionally, I still have slip-ups occasionally. For instance, there are my dresser drawers- I had a small amount of stuff in a large drawer and a large amount of stuff in a small drawer for years! And, a few days ago, it occurred to me to just switch the stuff in the two drawers which has made life a lot better in a small, yet large way!

Subconsciously, I was bothered by this chest-of-drawers concern, but I never took the time to make a change for the better. I was just tolerating what was.

How many things are we all tolerating that we could change that might make our lives and maybe even the lives of those around us more positive? These changes might include clearing clutter, house cleaning, buying new clothes, having a new lifestyle, finding new friends, etc. 

Don't just put up with stuff, make positive changes for the better!

-Go with the flow. Sometimes things that happen that we at first think is negative or bad, turns out for the best after all. 

For example, one day, we were delayed leaving our house on a little trip we had planned, but it turned out well because we got an important business call on our home phone that we would have missed if we had left on time. Another time, we didn't get a house we thought we wanted, but a few weeks later, we got a house that was perfect for us.

-Coal is supposed to have positive qualities, just like gemstones. For instance, coal is known to be a good luck stone. Also, it's grounding, protective, stabilizing, stress-reducing, and it may promote peace. It can attract abundance and success. It can turn the negative into the positive!

Greg and I each carry a piece of genuine Southern Appalachian Mountain good-luck pocket coal in the left pocket, and we also place coal with our money. We feel like our lives have changed for the better because of this.

I sell this good luck pocket coal for only $3.50 each, plus shipping. Email me at beckyarnottartist@gmail.com for more information.*

Good Luck Pocket Coal

Good luck!

May this be the happiest and most positive of new years ever for you!

*None of these positive qualities are guaranteed. Not for children.

Positive thought: "Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."-Annette Funicello

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, February 2, 2020, Becky

Positive St. Patrick's Day!

"St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time-a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."
-Author Unknown

My mother always thought that Southwest Virginia, where I grew up, looks a lot like Ireland.  I'll have to agree with that.  That's probably why so many Irish people settled in that region.

Riddle: "What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover?  A rash of good luck."
-Author Unknown

Positive observation: Spring is just around the corner (on March 20!) , and here's proof in the pictures that I took here in Tennessee a few days ago-

Positive tidbit:
Little tricks I use to make daily "chores" more pleasant:
-I make a game out of doing them, like seeing if I can fit all of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher without them touching each other (except for the flatware). (It's somewhat like working a jigsaw puzzle.)
-I sometimes enjoy singing or saying positive affirmations while I work.
-Brainstorming ideas while working can be a positive thing to do.
-I usually give myself a little reward when I get done.  The reward can range from a pat on the back to watching a DVD according to the difficulty of the activity.
-Even going with the flow and being in a meditative state while working can be beneficial.
(However, at the same time, while doing the above, one needs to be consciously aware of  what what you are doing, for the project to turn out well!)

Positive thought:
"For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way-
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day."
-Author Unknown

Thanks for visiting!  Until next Sunday, Becky