Historic Wytheville, Virginia

 

Welcome!

And...

Greg and I made a resolution to visit the local towns in our area this year (as well as places that are farther away), and we're doing well on keeping that resolution so far. This past week, we made a little trip that took less than an hour to historic and interesting Wytheville, Virginia, and we loved it!

Our first stop was for lunch...

at The Log House 1776 Restaurant.

Someone told us that they'd had several inches of snow during the past week while during the same period, we'd had only a couple of inches. Wytheville's elevation is higher than ours so that could account for the difference.

Inside, the decor was really nice...

and the food was excellent!

In fact, it was so good that we decided to take home dessert.

It was hard to make up our minds, but we finally settled on a piece of red velvet cake, Greg's favorite.

After lunch, we explored the interesting maze of rooms, 

one of which housed these beautiful doves.

We kept going until we came upon one of their rustic gift shops which had all kinds of unique items like handmade soaps that looked like rocks and little metal men made out of nuts and bolts and other metal things.

We'd liked to have stayed longer, but we needed to move on to further explore this unique town.

Not too far away was this neat art shop.

I just had to get a picture of this Big Pencil which is one of the top attractions in Wytheville.

Another must-see is the...

Bolling Wilson Hotel that is named for Edith Bolling Wilson who was the wife of President Woodrow Wilson. Mrs. Wilson was born and raised in Wytheville.

We went inside, and went straight to the rooftop terrace...

for a charming view of the mountains.

The lobby is beautifully decorated, and is complete with a whole array of brochures that arrived just before we got there! More brochures to take home! We can now make plans for our next trip, probably in the spring, to see things that we didn't get to see on this whirlwind trip.

We made one more stop before going home, Snoopers Antique Mall, which had bargains galore...

like this pretty framed cross stitch map of Virginia which was on sale for only $5.00! Sold! We do love Virginia, and bargains!

~NEW! I have added a new monthly feature to this blog: "Making a Difference"

This month's featured idea is: For the United States Congress: Work on something truly worthwhile like making robocalls illegal. We can contact our members of Congress about this matter since they are supposed to be working for us, the people. We can help make a difference.

New for our family...

Kit-Cat

is our new adorable outdoor cat, Kit-Cat, who came to us, looking for a home. It prefers being outside, and our other two cats, Kallie and Mitzi love being inside. They all communicate through the French doors, and everyone is happy.

Greg mostly takes care of our outdoor cat. He's such a wonderful, caring person. He's also kind, supportive, and intelligent, and he has integrity and a great sense of humor, etc.

~"I love you not because you are perfect, but because you are perfect for me."-Unknown Author

 Positive thought: "Spread love wherever you go."-Mother Teresa

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, March 7, 2021, Becky

Small Town Charm

Greg and I live outside a small town in Virginia, and we are surrounded by small towns, and that's the way we like it! Small towns have a certain charm, each one is a little different; there are no carbon copies!

One of our favorite towns that we discovered just last year is Saltville, Virginia. It's just 20 minutes from our house.

The Salt Trail connects our town to Saltville.

 Walking on the trail is fun.

You can meet all kinds of interesting people there,

like talented artist, Nancy.

While you could walk to Saltville, driving is, of course, much faster, which is what we did! 

We were impressed by the neat way this old train was displayed.

We were also impressed by the Saltville Emporium-

They have different people's items for sale here at very reasonable prices. Some of the things are very unique,

like this bench that we bought for only $45.00! 

We're still gradually fixing up our old house and buying a few things that we need at bargain prices. We love the Saltville Emporium. We're planning to go back there soon since they're getting in new things all of the time.

Another place that we really like in Saltville is...

The Lily Pad which is a cafe with sandwiches, desserts, etc.

Great stuff! Yum!

Besides Saltville, there's another small town, Meadowview, where Greg gets our taxes done.

Old Train Depot in Meadowview

Earlier, I mentioned about getting a bargain. Not too long ago, we went to the Country Barn Flea Market and Antique Mall in Hansonville, where I found this beautiful bracelet which was partially handmade for a very reasonable price-

Love the colors!

On the way to Hansonville, we went through Glendale for the first time. Glendale was where my grandfather used to live when he was a boy. His old homeplace is long gone, but my grandmother painted a pretty picture of it from an old photograph.

We're lucky to have that painting hanging in our home.

We do love small towns with their unique charm. Each is special in its own way. 

We decided that in the new year we'd visit more of these towns. Next on our list is Damascus which has The Old Mill Restaurant which we visited many years ago not long after we got married. It must still be pretty good since it's lasted so long!

Positive thought: "What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet." Anne Frank

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, February 7, 2021, Becky

 

An Abingdon, Virginia Christmas

 Welcome!

Christmas is in the air! Evidence is all around us, the sights and sounds of Christmas-Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths, Christmas lights, images of Santa and his elves, familiar Christmas music wafting through the air. What a wonderful time of year!

And, Christmas is nowhere more evident than in the picturesque town of Abingdon which is nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Recently, Greg and I visited Abingdon which is not too far from where we live. We love this quaint town so much that we refer to it as our adopted town.

What's not to love about it? 

The lovely old house above, which is tastefully decorated, even has a colorful Christmas tree on its balcony.

"The best Christmas trees come very close to exceeding nature."-Andy Rooney

 In another old house, the Greenway-Trigg Building, is The Gallery @ Barr Photographics.

We thought it would be a great place to visit, and it was!

We met one of the owners, Dean Barr, who welcomed us and told us all about his interesting shop.

Many talented artists display their work there. There are paintings, photographs, and handcrafted items like soap and jewelry, as well as many others.

FYI

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics

R. Dean & Valerie J. Barr

www.barrphotographics.com

After all of this looking around, we decided it was time for a snack, so we thought we'd try out a new place in town, The Girl & the Raven.

This coffee bar/cafe is in yet another old house which has been recently remodeled. It has been open for only three weeks.

 The interior looked festive with its beautifully decorated mantel.

A delicious cookie and coffee, anyone?

FYI

www.girlandtheraven.com

Wow! The Martha (The Martha Washington Inn & Spa) is all dressed up for Christmas, like never before!

"May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve."-Unknown

On weekends through December 20, vendors in tents on the grounds of The Martha will be selling crafts and kettle corn. This is a great place to find some nice Christmas gifts. As usual, but especially this year, we're supporting small business and buying locally.

FYI: www.themartha.com

Another great idea is supporting the world famous Barter Theatre which is outdoors at the Moonlite Drive-in during this "pandemic." Just got to see "A Christmas Carol," one of my favorites!

"Believe in the magic of Christmas."-Unknown

FYI: www.bartertheatre.com

We'll return to Abingdon soon to stop, shop, and dine some more since it's just a hop, skip, and a jump away! Hope to see you there!

May you have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Positive thought: "May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, the gladness of Christmas give you hope, and the warmth of Christmas grant you love."-Author Unknown

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, January 3, 2021, Becky

Blessed

 

This is the time of year, the holiday season, that we start thinking about our lives, our blessings, the things for which we are thankful.

Greg and I have a wonderful painting that my father did which to me represents abundance. It hangs in our kitchen to remind us to always be thankful for that which we have, not just once a year, but throughout the whole year.

Original Painting by W. N. Botts

Each morning I begin my day with a special thought of the day. I got the idea from "Woman's World" magazine. The magazine has a featured segment, "7 Days of Inspiration" in which there is a different quote for each day of the week. 

I fixed a permanent sheet that has my favorite "Woman's World" quotes on it. For example, on Sundays, my quote is "Life brings more blessings than anyone could ever count." Throughout the day on Sundays, I often think and say, "I am blessed."

I really like it when someone who has waited on me in a shop or elsewhere says, "Have a blessed day." It makes me feel connected, like we are all one.

Also, I have a friend who ends her emails with, "Blessings," and her name. What a kind, thoughtful way to end an email!

"When I'm worried, And I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, And I fall asleep, Counting my blessings."-Irving Berlin

You know, we are all so lucky here in the United States of America. What a great country! With the right leadership, we can all flourish and live happy, fulfilling lives. We can be free to be who we were meant to be in a free society.

"Life without liberty is like a body without a spirit."-Kahlil Gibran

My sister-in-law Betty recently told me about a great women's website that is helping America heal. It's- www.womenfightingforamerica.com .

To contact your politician, the website is, www.contactmypolitician.com .

For those living in Virginia, a good website is, www.virginiaconservatives.net .

The really important thing is: GO VOTE!-for freedom, peace of mind, a return to sanity!

An author that has greatly inspired me to live a happier, more blessed life is Rhonda Byrne. I have several of her books, and I'm looking forward to her more recent book that will be released on November 24 of this year. It's entitled, "The Greatest Secret." (There is an audio version, as well.)

Here's an excerpt from the introduction of the book- "This book reveals the greatest discovery a human being can ever make, and show you the way out of negativity, problems, and what you don't want, to a life of permanent happiness and bliss."

It sounds like a winner to me!

Have a blessed, happy Thanksgiving!

Positive thought: "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."-Willie Nelson

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, December 6, 2020, Becky

                                                                                                                                

 

Special Days

 

During the last few weeks, we have been busy doing different things, going different places. We had some really special days.

On Saturday, we had a yard (but mostly an inside-the-cabin) sale since it was rather cool.

We did really well for this time of year. We met some nice people, and we also reconnected with others that had been to our previous yard sales.

Another day, we enjoyed the warm fall sunshine on the pretty Virginia Creeper Trail which starts in Abingdon.

Yet another time, we met Mike and Betty at the Muster Grounds in Abingdon where we walked and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It is a Revolutionary War site.

Some people dressed in Revolutionary period attire had a meeting there. 

After the Muster Grounds, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Luke's Cafe in Abingdon.

So good!

Greg and I had been working pretty hard on our semi-fixer-upper house and our business projects, so we decided to take a bigger break and go on a little trip to the beautiful Kodak/Sevierville/Pigeon Forge part of East Tennessee 

A nice-looking dog was on its way there, as well!

Our first stop was the Great Smokies Flea Market in Kodak.

While there, we saw something really cute in one of the booths, Sugar Glider Alley-

It was a sugar glider!

This little fellow can be yours for $300.00. I'd save up my money and get one, but I don't think that would be very wise since we already have two cats.

Lunch was next on the agenda.

As we drove by, we spotted Tony Roma's Smoky Mountain BBQ & Grill in Pigeon Forge. We decided to stop since Greg loves barbeque. We're glad we did because the food was excellent! We enjoyed our food outside since it was such a nice day.

We went farther into Pigeon Forge, to the Old Mill shops and restaurants. First, we stopped at the Creamery and had ice cream for our dessert. We then explored a few shops and...

enjoyed the beautiful scenery around the Old Mill.

(Painting on a Local Transit)

It was time to leave, but we really enjoyed our special day in East Tennessee, and vowed to return again soon to further explore this fascinating area.

We can still all have very special days despite all of the challenging, uncertain things going on around us right now. We just need to keep the faith, and to keep our President, our country, our world, our loved ones, and ourselves in our (positive) thoughts and prayers for an even brighter future.

Positive thought: "Every day is a part of life, so make it special."-Siddhant R. Shinde

Thanks for visiting! Until sometime between October 27-November 8, 2020, Becky