Farmers Family Restaurant

Welcome!

Greg and I just recently discovered a great place to eat, the Farmers Family Restaurant in Columbia, Tennessee.  We're not the only fans, because the place was packed when we first got there for the lunch buffet a few days ago.

Rustic Decor with Several Great Prints of Country Scenes, Many of Which Feature Mules


In fact, one lady who works there, Mary Sackrider, was so impressed with the restaurant that she wrote a poem about it!  (She's even had her poetry published!)

                                                   "A Great Place to Eat"

If you are hungry, come on down
To a wonderful place on the west side of town.
To a restaurant that's fabulous, its one of a kind
With great tasting food, that will blow your mind.
Monday thru Thursday, from 11 till close
You would not believe how the buffet grows
Most of the food, like the chicken and fish,
And barbeque ribs are a regular dish.
Also the lasagna, and the mac and cheese
And the chicken and dumplings are there to please
There's roast beef, turkey, and pork chops too,
And so many vegetables, just to name a few.
Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn casserole & beans
Cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and even turnip greens
Then comes Friday night when the seafood is prepared
The boss tells all about it and then he says a prayer.
Saturday begins the day with breakfast bar at seven
The food is so delicious you'd think you were in heaven.
I know you're getting interested
So I'll tell you if you want
The name of this fabulous place is
The Farmers Family Restaurant!

I couldn't have said it better!  Good job!

                                                 One of Three Long Buffet Bars

                                                         Salad for Starters

                                                  Finish It All Off with Desserts

                                     Amanda Conaway's Creations Are Works of Art!

A lot of good country cooking at a reasonable price in a friendly atmosphere!  Where could you beat that?

F.Y.I.
1918 Shady Brook Street
Columbia, TN
931-540-8989
http://www.farmers-family.com/
Owner-Billy Raynor

Featured photo
Can you guess what this is?  (Answer below)

Positive thoughts:  "April showers bring May flowers." (Proverb)  May is right around the corner!

Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday, Becky

Answer:  It's a peacock flying over a fence.  (Once a day, Mr. Peacock seems to enjoy leaving the confines of his home to stroll around on the outside in search of adventure!)

Inspiration, Illustrated

Welcome!

Today, I'd like to share with you some inspirational quotations which we could all use from time to time (I really got inspired while working on this blog post!) along with some photographs that  hopefully inspire, as well.

Enjoy!

"Stop and smell the roses."
-Unknown

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
-William Shakespeare

"See life through an artist's eye."
-Unknown

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
-Unknown

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So, throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."
-Mark Twain

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
-Robert Brault

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many..."
Charles Dickens

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow."
Swedish

"Optimist: A man who gets treed by a lion but enjoys the scenery."
-Walter Winchell

"The truly important things in life-love, beauty, and one's own uniqueness-..."
Pablo Casals

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.  Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal."
Ralph Vaull Starr

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
George Eliot

Positive thought: "When you wholeheartedly adopt 'with all your heart' attitude and go out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things."
Norman Vincent Peale

Thanks for visiting!  Until next time on a Sunday, Becky

Living on the Right Side of the Brain

Welcome!

As you may have heard, the brain is divided into two parts, the left and the right sides.  Basically, the left side is the logical side and the right side is the intuitive side.  Although we all use both sides of the brain in our daily lives, one side tends to be dominate in each person.

A few characteristics of those that are more left-brained are: They tend to be better at reasoning, math, and speech.  They like to do things in a planned, orderly fashion. And, they tend to be dog-lovers.  Some of their preferred professions are law, banking, mathematics, and non-fiction writing.

On the other hand, right-brained people are creative, imaginative, and philosophical.  They love cats.  A few of their preferred professions are art, athletics, acting, politics, and creative writing.

Although the left side of the brain is overwhelmingly emphasized in the school system, actually, the right side of the brain, in some circles, is now thought to be just as important or even superior in many ways.  For instance, making a decision based on intuition or gut feeling supposedly can give a better outcome than one just based on logic alone.  (Also, contrary to popular belief, people who are right-brained are not stupid just because they are not as good at remembering facts or doing math as are their left-brained brothers and sisters.  Their strengths just lie in other areas.)

In any case, most of us do not get to use the right side of our brains nearly enough.

If someone wanted to practice using the right side of his or her brain more, regardless of which side is more dominant, that person could:

Work on some type of art or craft.  (Don't worry about trying to be perfect.  Just enjoy the experience.)

However, if you really want to learn how to draw better, one good book I used with my art students was Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain  by Betty Edwards.

Try the exercise (found in magazines or even in whole books) which shows two pictures and asks, "What is the difference between these two pictures?"  This exercise is a great alternative to so many of the left-brained puzzles like crosswords, (although any kind of puzzle is, of course, good training for the brain).

Having fun is good for the right side of the brain. An easy, convenient way to have fun can be playing with your pet.  Your dog or cat, etc. should also benefit from the extra attention.

                        You might want to watch you fingers.  Things can get pretty wild!


Everyone has her own idea on what is fun.  I have a "fun list" which I try to consult once a day to make sure I don't take everything too seriously.

Make up a story and write it down, or just tell your own bedtime story instead of reading one from a story book.  Bet your child would love it!

And, the list goes on!  Do research, be creative.  See what right-brained activities you might come up with.

My grandmother was a very creative cook.  She used to put jelly on top of her meat loaf, and it was good!  (I haven't attempted that one yet!)

Sometimes creativity comes from necessity.  For instance, a few days ago, I didn't have enough macaroni for the dish I was preparing, so I decided to use rotini to make up for the macaroni I lacked, and it was fine!

Recently, several of us attended an impressive pre-Easter service.  A highlight was the minister's daughter performing a lovely interpretive dance.  Afterwards, I told the minister how much we'd enjoyed his talented daughter's performance, and I asked him where she'd gotten her training. Much to my surprise, he answered that she'd just made up the dance on her own!  She was just using her God-given gift, doing something she apparently enjoyed.

Seeing her performance reminded me of myself when I was about her age and older.  I used to love putting on beautiful music and dancing to my heart's content, creating my routine as I went. 

Being creative can bring real joy into your life, and it can also bring joy into the lives of others, if you decide to share your creativity with them.

If nothing else, its great to be outside in nature, maybe looking for interesting shapes in the clouds, or just daydreaming.

And, the next time someone tells you to "go fly a kite," you just might decide that's a pretty darn good idea!

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

A Tennessee Spring

Welcome!

Greg and I love this time of year, and we would like to share some of our spring pictures with you that we took right here in Tennessee.
                                             

                                         Our Wildflower Garden (How Easy Is That!)

                                                       

                                                                             Pals


Featured Photo

                      Several of us recently gathered to help celebrate Greg's father's birthday.


Positive thought:  Happy Easter, happy spring!

Thanks for visiting! Until next time on a Sunday, Becky

Mule Day in Columbia, Tennessee

Welcome!  

And, a special welcome to our newest Follower!

You know what a mule is?  It's a cross between a male donkey and a female horse.  They come in many different sizes, shapes and colors.

Greg and I feel as though we know a lot more about mules now that we've been to our very first Mule Day in Columbia, Tennessee.  It's an annual event with a wagon train that leaves from Leiper's Fork early in the week of Mule Day and gets to Columbia in time for the festivities to begin.

The parade is perhaps the highlight of the Mule Day celebration.

We also enjoyed the food, the live music, and the arts and crafts festival at Maury County Park.

The stars of the event, of course, are the mules themselves.  Not only are they in the parade, but they are also in several shows and competitions.

Mules weren't the only animals at Mule Day.  Several dogs came to enjoy the festivities!

                     Tired, but happy.  Everyone seemed to have a doggone good time!

F.Y.I
http://www.muleday.com/

Positive thought: Happy April Fool's Day!
Thanks for visiting!  Until next time, Becky

Retro Living

Welcome!

(Please note, because of all of the projects with which I am currently involved, I have decided to write my blog posts only on a limited basis for a while.  I'll either have an abbreviated version of the post, or no blog posts some weeks.  Any blog posts I publish will still be posted on Sundays.  Thanks and love, Becky)

                                                      Preview of a Future Blog Post

Recently, Greg and I enjoyed watching one of our DVD's that featured comedies of the '50's.  One of the shows depicted a family of four at mealtime, gathered around the dinner table, discussing the events of the day.  The mother was wearing a dress, partially covered by a pretty apron.  She was serving a meal she had lovingly prepared herself.  The father was in business attire, since he'd just come home from a day at work.  The two children were clean-cut and polite.  This charming scene was perhaps somewhat idealized, but, actually, not too far from the truth.  It was so refreshing to watch this show from the past, because it made us feel so good.  There was gentle humor and a respect for others.  There was even a moral to the story.  What an example shows of that era set for their audiences!  (At the risk of sounding negative, moralistic, and "square,"  the truth is, in my opinion, that, unfortunately, most of the comedies of today are nothing more than junk, and smut, passed off as sophistication!)

I began thinking more about how wonderful that time period seemed.  It was a simpler time without all the high-tech gadgets, etc. of today. 

There are, now, however, some modern conveniences in our lives that most of us would not give up for anything.  For example, I'm so thankful for the dishwasher, because without it, I'd never get the dishes done!  I am also attached to my computer, cell phone, and improved household appliances.  (I don't believe I need to elaborate on the benefits of those items!)

Beyond the above-mentioned items, however, most of the newer high-tech items are not for us.  In many respects, I guess you'd say that Greg and I actually live somewhat of a retro lifestyle.  For instance, we don't even own a microwave.  (When I mentioned this fact to one of my relatives, she compared me to Tasha Tudor [an American artist who lived a retro lifesytyle] which I took as a compliment!)  Most of the meals I fix are more or less from scratch.

 Greg says he enjoys my meals, but, believe me, I'm no (Fill in the blank with the name of your favorite TV chef!).

We take herbs instead of medicine and use natural cleansers instead of the usual toxic ones.

During warmer weather, we open our windows instead of turning on any air conditioning (which is cheaper!).

I still enjoy sending people note cards and greeting cards.

We don't do text messaging and aren't interested in owning any of the latest high-tech, constantly-evolving array of hand-held devices that quickly become obsolete only to be replaced by other short-lived devices.

Instead of video games, we prefer Chinese checkers and card games.

                                   Sometimes Kallie even enjoys getting in on the fun!


Instead of watching TV, we'd rather sit on the front porch and enjoy the natural beauty of our area and check out the animals across the road.

We take long walks instead of being slaves to the modern lifestyle.

However, I still don't bake my own bread from scratch or make my own clothes, and probably never will   (I'm afraid I'd never have made a very good pioneer or even a home ec. major like my aunt!), but I don't have to.  Greg and I do what we feel is right for us.  We make our own personal rules which anyone can easily do.

The way we live our lives may not be for everyone, but it suits us just fine.  In fact,  living retro is not going backwards, for us, it's simply going in the right direction.

Featured Photo:

   Several of us recently helped Mike celebrate his birthday at a wonderful party after having supper out.

Positive thought: Be yourself, not what others expect you to be.

Thanks for visiting!
Until another time on a Sunday, Becky