Summer Magic

Welcome!

And, welcome, Summer! (on Wednesday, June 20)

"the beautiful season...Summer...
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses.  The sunshine was like powered gold over the grassy hillside."
-Maud Hart Lovelace

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

"Summer afternoon-summer afternoon, to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."-Henry James

"Breathless, we flung us on a windy hill, laughed in the sun, and kissed the lovely grass."
-Rupert Brooke

"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair..."
Susan Polis Schutz

"Each fairy breath of summer, as it blows with loveliness, inspires the blushing rose."
-Author Unknown

"I drifted into a summer-nap under the hot shade of July, serenaded by a cicadae lullaby, to drowsy-warm dreams of distant thunder."
-Terri Guillemets

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."
-John Lubbock

"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows."
-St. Francis of Assisi

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken."
-James Dent

-Happy Father's Day!
-to my dad who is in spirit, to Greg's dad (who is 98 years old!), and to all fathers everywhere.

Positive thought:  For a more magical life, you might want to read Rhonda Byrne's wonderful book,  "The Magic."
Thanks for visiting!  Until next Sunday, Becky

Christy's 6th Street Restaurant & Cafe

Welcome!

Greg and I recently discovered a great place for lunch, Christy's 6th Street Restaurant & Cafe in downtown Columbia, Tennessee.  Not only do they have a wonderful selection of soup, salads and sandwiches from the menu, but they also have a daily buffet (Tuesday through Friday) and a more elaborate buffet, including drinks and dessert, on Sundays.

The day we were there, we decided on the buffet.  Great choice!  We had a delicious meal that included fried chicken, pork barbeque, green beans, greens, loaded mashed potatoes, corn bread, biscuits, apple butter, etc.

We were too full for dessert, but on the way out, Greg got a treat to take home as he was paying at the register.

We enjoyed chatting with the owner, Christy Castro.  We found out that she has ties to East Tennessee, our old home.  Her family once owned Ballis Tourist Home in Kingsport.  As the saying goes, "It's a small world."

Greg with our waitress, Jessica, who's wearing one of the beautiful toile aprons that are for sale at Christy's.

Two words to describe Christy's (to take two words from the web site) "simple elegance", and I might add, great food!

F. Y. I.
Christy's 6th Street Restaurant & Cafe
109 E. 6th Street
Columbia, Tennessee
931-388-7109
http://www.heavenlycreationstn.com/

Fun idea: Christy told us about the pretty new park behind her restaurant.  We took a look, loved it, and decided it would be a great place to have a picnic sometime with a carry-out from Christy's!

                                                            Our Table's Waiting!


Positive thought: You create your own life!
Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday, Becky

Elm Springs, a Part of the Old South

Welcome!

                                                            Elm Springs


Greg and I recently visited a majestic Greek revival mansion in Columbia, Tennessee.  As it says in the brochure, it's "where the old South still lives."  It was a private home, but it now serves as the International Headquarters of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Today, I thought you might enjoy a mini-tour in pictures that we took while we were there.

                                                        Interior of Elm Springs

              Our interesting tour guide, Holly, who makes the history of Elm Springs come alive.

              The house has period antiques, some of which are the original furnishings.

The house has several surprise elements, one of which is this table with a low mirror.  We learned why the mirror was in that position while on the tour.

            The desk in this picture is not what it seems.  We'd never have guessed its secret!

Elm Springs is well worth your time, and the one-hour tour is reasonably priced.  (You might want to give an extra donation as they have plans for a museum, and they need better office space.)

Be sure to visit their gift shop which (to quote the brochure) "features a wide variety of Southern heritage items that are not available anywhere else in the area."  Greg is now enjoying one of the books he bought there.

We plan to go back to Elm Springs when it is part of a Christmas tour.  In November, we're going to check the maurychristmas.com web site which should give all the details of the Christmas tour.

Oh, by the way, did you know that Elm Springs is apparently haunted?  Our tour guide was telling us some strange things that happened there, and we believe they are true, because some paranormal images showed up in some of the pictures we took while on our tour!

(I hope to share with you some ghostly images Greg and I have taken different places sometime in the near future.  Please stay tuned!)

F. Y. I.
Elm Springs
740 Mooresville Pike
(off Hwy 50)
Columbia, TN 38402
931-380-1844

Positive thought: You are special! (To feel even more special, and uplifted, check out Mike Dooley's web site, http://www.tut.com/ and sign up for his free "Notes from the Universe.")
Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday, Becky

A Stroll Through the Parks

Welcome!

Greg and I love being out in nature whenever we can, so we feel very fortunate that there are so many nice parks where we live.

We'd like to share with you a few of the pictures we've taken to showcase the beauty of our area.

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous."
Aristotle

"You will find something far greater in the woods than you will find in books.  Stones and trees will teach you that which you will never learn from masters."
St. Bernard

"Nature is my medicine."
Sara Moss-Wolfe

"The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration."
Claude Monet

"Flowers are the sweetest things that God ever made..."
Henry Ward Beecher

"Nature is the art of God."
Dante Alighieri

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God."
Anne Frank

Photo Feature

                                                         Kid in a Meadow


Positive thought:  You can even commune with nature in your own back yard!
Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday!, Becky

Marcy Jo's Mealhouse & Bakery

Welcome!

Greg and I recently discovered a fantastic little restaurant and bakery in Pottsville, Tennessee.  It's got a downhome atmosphere and great gourmet country cookin'.

We were there for lunch on a Saturday, when breakfast is served all day, but we chose from the misc. lunches.

Tuesdays through Fridays they have daily specials.  For instance, on Wednesdays they have fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and green beans.

Greg had the June burger which is a marinated cheeseburger.

I had the blt on homemade wheat bread with tater salad.

                                    (One of the best potato salads I've ever had!)

Desserts include peach cobbler, pecan sticky buns, strawberry cake, and even an Elvis cake!

Our waitress, Heidi, is the daughter of one of the owners.  She is a singer/songwriter and plays the guitar.  Her cd's as well as those of her parents are on sale at the restaurant.  You can find out more about her parents, etc. by visiting their informative web site listed below.

We're planning to go back and try their breakfast next time, as we simply adore the place!  Bet you would, too!

F. Y. I.
Marcy Jo's Mealhouse & Bakery
4205 Highway 431
Pottsville, Tennessee
(931) 380-0968
http://www.marcyjos.com/

Just click on the link below to see Greg's and my latest photos on iStock:
www.istockphoto.com

Positive thought: Life is meant to be enjoyed!
Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday, Becky

An Art Lesson

Welcome!

(And, a special welcome to our newest Follower!  You are appreciated!)

You might remember that in an earlier blog post (Please see the April 15, 2,012 blog post.) I discussed the importance of developing the right side of the brain.  Today, I decided to share some art techniques that not only develop the right side of the brain, but they could help one become a better artist, and they are fun to do, as well! 

Here are some simple exercises that may seem child-like, but, heck, nobody's looking; you won't be judged or graded; just give them a try, and, you might even enjoy yourself!

Also, it would be great to do these with any children that might be in your life (or with anyone, really!)

I've successfully used the following exercises with my students when I taught art classes to both children and adults.  For most of these, you only need plain computer-type paper and a pencil.

In the following exercises, you are to use your imagination:

Get out a piece of  paper and a pencil and divide your paper into eight sections. (Use a ruler, if you'd like, to draw your sections.) You will have eight minutes to draw whatever you think of in these blocks.  In other words, you have around one minute to draw something in each block, using your imagination.  (Use a clock to time yourself.)  Good luck, but remember to have fun!

In this exercise, draw a scene from your imagination.  (No timing on this one!)  Select one, or even all, if you like, of the following:
-Draw your favorite place to vacation
-Draw your favorite hobby
-Draw your pet
-Draw your best friend  (Remember, your don't have to show it to him or her, unless you want to!)
-Your own idea

Draw the best animal in the world.  This is no ordinary animal, for this animal is made up of the parts of several different animals, for example, the trunk of an elephant, the wings of a bird, etc.

This time, you will look at a picture and copy it.  A simple coloring book picture will do just fine.  The important thing is to draw it upside down.  You will be amazed at how much better it turns out than drawing it the regular way!

I learned to draw by drawing pictures of movie stars that I'd found in magazines.  I'd show my drawing to my family members and ask them to guess who I'd drawn.  If they guessed it correctly, I knew I'd been successful, if not, back to the drawing board!

Hope you've enjoyed this little adventure into the world of art, and that you'll join me sometime in a future blog post when I'll share with you some of my art notes about color and design. 

In the meantime, happy drawing!

A special message to a special person (as well as a talented artist!) who's always been an important part of my life. 
Happy Mother's Day, Mama.  We love you!

                                                       Flowers for Our Mothers

Positive thought:  Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere on your special day!
Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday, Becky

The Golden Rule

Welcome!

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matt. 12:35) may seem trite to some, but I believe if we all followed "The Golden Rule," the world would be a much better place!

I personally would steer clear of anyone who didn't respect me or treat me fairly.  This would include gossips, bullies, and other abusers.  For the most part, these are angry, jealous, disturbed individuals who put others down to make themselves feel better.

"Gossiping and lying go hand in hand."- Proverb

"Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you."- Spanish Proverb

"Never spend time with people who don't respect you." -Maori

 These people are not to be hated, but rather forgiven.  I'd send them love and let it go at that.  If you hate others, you are merely hurting yourself.

"If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive." -Mother Teresa

"Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself." -Harriet Nelson

I would surround myself with people who are kind, supportive, and respectful.

I believe if you send out good, positive vibes, you will attract more positive people.

A few days ago, I overheard a woman ask, "Why can't we all just be kind to each other?" I thought how right she was-so simple, yet so profound.

"My religion is very simple.  My religion is kindness."- Dalai Lama

"True religion is the life we lead, not a creed."- Louis Nizer

"The time is always right to do what is right."- Martin Luther King

"Rather than always competing against each other, a far better idea is to work together in a spirit of co-operation."- Becky Arnott

"I will speak ill of no man and speak all the good I know of everybody."- Benjamin Franklin

Featured photo-

                                My Mother's Cat, Angel, Checking Out the Visitors!


Positive thought: Do an act of kindness this week!
Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday, Becky