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

Back to Nature

"Evergreen Home and Garden Showplace," Kingsport, Tennessee

"And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days."

-James Russell Lowell

What a wonderful time of year! June is my favorite month, and I try to embrace its beauty for as long as it lasts.

Being in nature is good for us, and we need its influence throughout the year. Being indoors too much can be detrimental to our mental and physical well-being.

You don't have to go far to enjoy nature. You could just open the door and walk outside.

Notice how this tree is not perfectly symmetrical, and yet it has a graceful beauty. In fact, nothing in nature is perfect, including people, yet in our own unique way, we are beautiful, too, part of God's world.

One could go to a park and sit on a bench and contemplate nature, walk, jog, or ride a bike.

The "Greenbelt" in Kingsport, Tennessee

Some parks have neat playground equipment.

Some parks are educational, like this "Veteran's Memorial Park" in Abingdon, Virginia.

Dining outside might make your food even tastier!

Visiting "Evergreen" in Kingsport

Planting Flowers

Growing Vegetables

Working on indoor projects outside can make the project more fun.

Even having a calendar with pretty nature scenes like this "Wild & Wonderful Virginia" calendar can make life more enjoyable. Also, nature DVD's and videos on the Internet are good.

However, nothing is as good as being in the great outdoors because it helps our "chi" or life force.

"Today, just take time to smell the roses, enjoy those little things about your life, your family, spouse, friends, job. Forget about the thorns, the pains, and problems they cause you and enjoy life."

-Bernard Kelvin Clive

Positive thoughts:  

(At "Evergreen")

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, June 5, 2020, Becky

A Tennessee State Park, Plus a Side Excursion

Another month, another park! Several blog posts back, I mentioned that Greg and I intended to visit one park a month throughout the warmer months.

So, a few days ago, we went to Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. The 1,500 +-acre park is on the old estate of Henry Horton who was the 36th governor of Tennessee.

It has an inn, cabins, and a restaurant. It also has an 18-hole championship golf course, a skeet and trap range, a playground, and a swimming pool.

Since the park is located on the scenic Duck River, swimming and canoeing are also available.

When we first arrived at the park, it was lunchtime, so we headed over to The Governor's Table for their lunch buffet.

It looked really great as we were starved!

It was good. We ate almost every bite!

After our meal, we took off to explore the park...

One thing we noticed right away was the abundance of picnic tables. I've been to a couple of parks that had a shortage of tables during holidays like Memorial Day.

No shortage here! Many tables had a nice view of the Duck River.

And what a beautiful view it is!

F.Y.I.
www.tnstateparks.com

After thoroughly exploring the park, we decided to visit the nearby small town of Chapel Hill since I needed to mail an important letter. While there, Greg spotted a monument in honor of Civil War general, Nathan Forrest, who lived there as a boy.

We saw a sign about his boyhood home, so being the Civil War buff that Greg is, we decided to go check it out.

The house is rustic and attractive, outside...

and inside...

We took a tour which was only $5.00 each, and the money raised goes to the restoration and upkeep of the house. They also have periodic fundraisers. It was in bad need of repair when the Sons of the Confederate Veterans took over the house which is on the "National Register of Historic Places", and they have done a great job thus far, but there's more work to be done. Kudos to the dedicated men working on this project!

We had a wonderful afternoon at Henry Horton State Park, plus an unplanned side excursion to General Forrest's boyhood home.

We can hardly wait until our next trip! You just never know what adventure awaits!

Happy Father's Day to fathers everywhere, including my dear father who is in spirit.

Positive thought: "If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere."-Vincent Van Gogh
Thanks for visiting! Until next weekend, Becky