An Easter Celebration in Tennessee

Welcome!

(This blog post is a little late this week due to a portrait commission I needed to finish. It was a multi-people-animal pastel portrait that was rather challenging. However, it turned out well as the person I did it for seemed to be very pleased with it! Sigh of relief! Thanks for your patience. For more portrait info, please visit www.beckyarnottartist.com )

I'd just like to share with you our recent Easter celebration.

Easter Sunday, we were invited to Bonnie and Doug's for an after-church Easter brunch.

When we first arrived at their lovely home, these pretty blooming flowers immediately captured our attention. The weather has been really perfect this spring in this area of Tennessee for an abundance of beautiful blooming trees, shrubs, and flowers.

"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life."-S. D. Gordon

There were flowers gracing the inside of the house, as well.

Everything seemed very festive with Easter decorations such as these balloons-

Preparations were still underway in the kitchen for our Easter meal.

In the meantime, everyone seemed to enjoy the appetizers...

as well as the fellowship-

The food looked really good, and some even had interesting names such as "Mary Magdalene" rolls.

We had the blessing before our meal.

The food was delicious, and healthy!

Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal.

Besides Easter, there was another special reason to celebrate, Mike's birthday!

I bet the dog was hoping for some special Easter treats, as well!

Thanks, Bonnie and Doug for this special Easter celebration. It's one we'll always fondly remember.

Easter question-
"Q: How do bunnies stay healthy?
 A: Egg-xercise!"
-Author Unknown

Positive thought: "...make every day a holiday and celebrate just living."-Sydney Smith
Thanks for visiting! Until next Monday, Becky

Acts of Kindness

And, an especially big welcome to spring! (Photo taken at the Homestead Harvest Restaurant. See the 3/13/16 blog post for more info.)

This blog post was inspired by someone who was kind to me when I needed kindness.

Recently, I was having my own private little pity party despite my best efforts to be positive. It was like a black cloud was hanging over my head. I wished that someone would send me a positive email, and not long afterward, guess what? I received a really cute, lighthearted e-card from a supportive, psychic friend which really turned my thoughts and emotions around. After that, several positive things started happening in my life. I couldn't believe the transformation.

If a simple e-card can help someone that much, just think of what we could all do to brighten each others lives, to make this world a better place, one act of kindness at a time!

"Kindness: the most valuable gift you can give someone."
-The Peace and Love Train

There's another person (among others) that I enjoy being around. She's always saying positive things to and about people. Even when she's speaking to a stranger on the phone, she says something positive to that person, like, "You're doing a great job!" Or, she might say, "You're like a ray of sunshine!" to someone. That sort of thing puts people in a good frame of mind that helps them have a much better day, and it also might even influence the people around them in a positive way.

Another time in my life,* I was helped by strangers. Several years ago, my car hydroplaned off the road on a very stormy day in a rural area. I was by myself on the way to an important meeting. Afterwards, my car wasn't working, and I was badly shaken. An elderly couple stopped by to see if I was okay. They were very kind, and helped me make plans about my car, and my meeting. (It was the time before cell phones!) Everything finally turned out well. Although I got to my destination a little late, and I looked a little disheveled, things could have been much worse. I was so thankful for the kind strangers who came to my rescue when I needed help.

I always thought that the nice couple who helped me must have been angels, but they might just have been regular folks who liked giving others a helping hand whenever it was needed. In any case, they were very special, and I'll always be grateful to them.

You might know, if you read my posts regularly, that I'm a big fan of the wonderful magazine, "Woman's World." Well, just recently, I checked their website,  www.womansworld.com . It has some interesting features like "Feel Inspired" which has articles on kindness, as well as other things.

Also, there's a website I really like that gives some unique ideas for showing kindness to others. An excerpt is below.

-"Share overheard compliments."
-"When you see something good, share it...."
-"When people are gossiping about someone, be the person to chime in with something nice."
-"Encourage someone to pursue her dreams."
-"Donate your stuff."
-"Put a surprise note or sketch in with your spouse's or kid's lunch."
(And, there are 92 other ideas!)
-From "98 Random Acts of Kindness-Ideas to Inspire Kindness"
 www.bradaronson.com/acts-of-kindness/

Plus, I'm sure we can be creative and come up with some of our own ideas. as well.

There's also a 2002 book that I'm thinking about getting. It's "Random Acts of Kindness" by The Editors of Conari Press. It has five stars on Amazon.

*Just as I was to this point in writing this post, I noticed it was past time to feed our cats after both of them came and reminded me of the fact. I always clean out their litter pans every time I feed them, but I noticed something different this time. I decided to take a picture of it in the litter pan since it was quite unusual, as you can see. Either our cats are very artistic, or something else is going on! It could very well be an act of kindness sent from a heavenly artist! (Love and kindness never fail!)

Happy Easter!

Positive thought: "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless."-Mother Teresa
Thanks for visiting! Until next Monday, March 28, 2016, Becky

Visit to a Park in Late Winter

The weather was so nice here a few days ago that Greg and I decided to go to a park that we've never before visited. Even though it's technically still winter (for just another week!), the spring-like temperatures made it seem like spring was already here.

The park we visited was Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville, Tennessee. It's a beautiful park, even in the winter.

Since we live a few hours away, the first order of business for us was lunch. The park has a fantastic restaurant, The Homestead Harvest Restaurant, "which serves Southern cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere," according to the park brochure.

Greg, Outside "The Homestead Harvest Restaurant"

Inside, the large windows offer "a beautiful view of the lake and dam."

There is a large buffet with a wide variety of food.

Yum!

We were there on '"Crazy Chicken Day" which featured a good selection of different chicken dishes. Each day features different food items.

The restaurant also has a nice gift shop and fine wine.

After our delicious lunch, we enjoyed a stroll around the park, to walk off all of that food we'd just consumed!

The restaurant offers an outdoor dining option, as well.

This is the picturesque dam which also serves as a bridge.

This is The Mill House Lodge which is located near the dam.

There is so much more to see and do here at this fantastic park that we're planning to return this summer. We'll be back to enjoy dining out on the patio and to explore the rest of the park which has a variety of things to do including hiking, boating, swimming, etc.

We believe that any time during the year is the right time to visit beautiful Cumberland Mountain State Park in Middle Tennessee!

F.Y.I.:
Cumberland Mountain State Park
24 Office Drive
Crossville, TN 38555
800-250-8618
www.tnstateparks.com

***Important note: After today, "The Art of Positive Living" blog posts will be published late Monday mornings, starting next Monday, March 21, 2016 unless otherwise noted.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Positive thought: "St Patrick's Day is a enchanted time-a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."-Adrienne Cook
Thanks for visiting! Until Monday, March 21, 2016, Becky

Weather Talk

Welcome!

I actually had another blog post almost ready for today, but I decided at the last minute to hold that post for a few more weeks. So, when all else fails, as you know, one can always talk about the weather!

"Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while."
-Kin Hubbard

"If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes."
-Mark Twain

Although the quote above is credited to Mark Twain, you can find other variations of this saying in several other places in the United States.

For example, where I grew up in Southwest Virginia, I remember Daddy saying the same thing, except that he would refer to the area in which we lived instead of saying "New England."

Where Greg and I live now, in Tennessee, March, this year, came "in like a lion." It was ushered in with a violent thunderstorm. However, the good news for us, then, according to weather folklore, is that March should go "out like a lamb," with mild weather. (Mama also told us that the reverse would be true. If March came in "like a lamb," it would go "out like a lion.")

"March winds and April showers
 Bring forth May flowers."
-Proverb

Here are some more neat old folk weather proverbs and sayings, many of which seem to have some truth to them. You might want to study them and see for yourself how accurate they are-

-"When smoke hovers close to the ground, there will be a weather change."
-"A ring around the...moon means rain or snow coming soon."
-"When leaves show their underside, be very sure that rain betides."
- "Dandelion blossoms close before there will be rain."

-"A sunny shower won't last an hour."
-"The higher the clouds, the better the weather."
-"If a cat washes her face over her ear, the weather is sure to be fine and clear."

"Weather is a great metaphor for life- sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella or choose to dance in the rain."
-Terri Guillemets

"Gentle spring's around the corner,
Waiting just to show her face
And bring us flowers and sunshine.
Winter's almost run his race."
-Gertrude Buckingham

Weather humor: "On cable TV they have a weather channel-24 hours of weather. We had something like that where I grew up. We called it a window."
-Dan Spencer

Positive thought: ..."I wish for you flowers and sunshine, gentle breezes and clear skies, calm seas and rainbows...(and) a life that's rich in adventure."-Mike Dooley, "A Note from the Universe"
Thanks for visiting! Until next Sunday, Becky

Living a Non-Toxic Lifestyle

Welcome!

This blog post is about living a non-toxic lifestyle which is something Greg and I are working on right now. For us, it's an ongoing endeavor. It's not for the faint of heart, for it does require some work and discipline, but the results can be very rewarding.

The word toxic simply means anything that is poisonous or harmful. It's anything that might be detrimental to a living organism. It can refer to the physical or to the mind and emotions, as well.

Our world is full of toxins, and in order to live a healthier life, we need to find ways to deal with those toxins.

Greg and I generally try to eat as healthily as possible.* We've been eating mostly organic and non-GMO food for several months. We're now gradually eliminating all white flour and food containing sugar, which is not an easy task. In fact, in order to do this, I've started using whole grains and natural, low glycemic sugar or fruit for baking. (No artificial sweeteners for us!)

Starting tomorrow (2/29/16), Vani Hari (AKA Food Babe) will be featuring an article about sugar addiction on her website. (Greg and I, and almost everybody else are sugar addicts. Even Food Babe has struggled with sugar addiction.) (Did you know that sugar is more addictive than cocaine?) Vani will be discussing how to overcome it. Her information should prove to be very helpful. ( www.foodbabe.com )

However, this being said, an acupuncturist told us that in order to balance the yin and yang, and to keep from feeling deprived, that it's okay to occasionally indulge in a favorite treat. Hers was ice cream. Greg and I do that. We normally eat out only once a week, and make the healthiest selections we can, and then, on special occasions, we allow ourselves a special treat. (However, if the food we might like to eat is truly harmful, such as one that would cause a severe allergic reaction, we, of course, avoid that food altogether!)

As far as environmental toxins go, we're still working on that one. We do try to avoid all cigarette smoke, and we use all non-toxic cleaning supplies. We especially like using baking soda.

Research on the Internet can be valuable for trying to live a non-toxic lifestyle.

Also, letting go of any toxic people in one's life can be valuable, as well.

"It doesn't matter whether someone is a relative, romantic interest...friend...you don't have to make room for people who cause you pain or make you feel small....if a person disregards your feelings, ignores your boundaries, and 'continues' to treat you in a harmful way, they need to go."
-Daniell Koepke

So, try to surround yourself not only with nice, positive people, but it's also good if you can have your home environment as clean, neat, and organized as possible.

Your home doesn't have to be fancy, just comfortable and enjoyable to be in.

Also, much of the entertainment industry has gradually become more toxic. You might want to switch off that toxic TV show in favor of one of your own DVD's that is truly healthier and more enjoyable.

Being in the great outdoors can often help overcome toxic emotions.

Can you think of anything else that might improve the quality of your life, to make it less toxic?

Happy non-toxic lifestyle!

*Disclaimer: Whatever lifestyle Greg and I lead may be great for us, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily right for anyone else. I am certainly not an expert in the field of health, physical or mental. I am not responsible for any harm that might come to anyone as a result of reading this or any of my other blog posts. (B. A.)

Signs of spring alert!-

Here in Tennessee last week, we noticed daffodils were already blooming!

Also, there were several robins.

Positive thought: "Every moment is a fresh beginning."-T. S. Eliot

Thanks for visiting! Until next Sunday, Becky

Words of Wisdom

Welcome!

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."
-Proverbs 25:11

I've been thinking very philosophically the past few days, probably because of the time of year, winter.

I have some positive quotes, words of wisdom, to share with you to help uplift your days, to maybe help you get on the right track:

-"A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition."
-William Author Ward
(We can make our own sunshine, no matter what the weather! There are countless ways to do that. A few are: meditate, smile, say positive things to yourself, do random acts of kindness, be thankful, read positive quotes, watch positive videos like on YouTube, etc.)

"Worrying is like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain."
-"Natural Life"

-"Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway."
-Austin Emory
(I have read that singing can make a person feel better, even if you "can't carry a tune in a bucket!")

-"I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet."
-Mahatma Gandhi

-"Whoever is trying to bring you down is already below you."
-Justin Chase Mullins

-"You cannot spend the majority of your time in the presence of negative people and expect to life a positive life."
-Justin Chase Mullins
(I love Justin's wise quotes because they are so empowering. Justin is a gifted psychic from East Tennessee.)

-"If anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it."
-Rene Descartes

-"There are two types of people-those who come into a room and say, 'Well, here I am,' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are.'"
-Frederick L. Collins
(I've found that those people who seem to be the most liked and are most popular are the ones who would say, "Ah, there you are," because we all like to feel that we are important.)

-"Don't be mean when you've had a bad day. Be nice and your day will get better."
-Terri Guillemets
(Terri is a quote anthologist who has collected quotes since her early teens.)

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
-Norman Vincent Peale
(All of his words and quotes are so uplifting.)

-"The wisest men follow their own direction."
-Euripides
(I like this quote because it's telling us to follow our own hearts, to stand for our principles, to even be free spirits.)

-"Life is not happening to you. Life is responding to you."
-Author Unknown
(So, let's send out the positive!)

-"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate."
-Robert Brault
(We don't need to wait for birthdays or holidays to have a ball often!)

Cute animal-related quotes:

-"Wag more. Bark less."
-Author Unknown

-"Scratch less, purr more."
-Author Unknown
(These last two quotes would be neat to post on the bathroom mirror as a fun reminder!)

Positive thought: "In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."-Albert Camus (Did you realize that it's less than a month until spring!)
Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, February 28, 2016, Becky

A Birthday Celebration at Bruce's Ice Cream Parlor

Welcome!

Hope you are enjoying your day!

Just recently, my cousin Bruce and I celebrated our February birthdays in East Tennessee.

In this area, as in many others, this time of year, you never know what the weather is going to be like so you don't know for sure if you're going to get to have your planned celebration or not due to possible wintry weather.

Last year, we had to put off our birthday celebration two or three times, but this year, we got lucky and had it in between two big snows! Great timing!

It was a really special birthday celebration at-

Cousin Bruce recently set up a really neat old fashioned ice cream parlor where he lives. Years ago, he and his parents had a drug store in Southwest Virginia, and these fixtures, etc. came from that store. In addition, Bruce has added several more pieces to his collection gradually through the years.

Bruce, in His Ice Cream Parlor 

My brother and his family brought delicious pizza for the main part of our meal.

Then, of course, there was the cake which Bruce had bought that cleverly had our edible picture on it of our last year's birthday celebration.

Cake has got to have ice cream with it, so Bruce got to work dishing it out- 

Does this sundae look great, or what!

It was wonderful! Peppermint ice cream with either butterscotch or chocolate syrup! Yum! Bruce works wonders with ice cream!

After the Meal, Were Gifts

Looks Like More Decorations for the Ice Cream Parlor!

Little Table for Two

Everyone should be so lucky to have a nice place to celebrate such as this!

Thanks, Bruce, and to my other wonderful family members who made this birthday celebration at Bruce's Ice Cream Parlor one we'd always fondly remember!

And...

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

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, February 21, 2016, Becky