Mike and I got up early and went to Brstol this morning.  We haven’t been going to church for about the last six months.  I think we’ll start again in the coming weeks, but, for me–and I realize there are many who might debate this–a bit of time away from church is necessary on occasion.    At any rate, we were out and about on a Sunday morning.    We went to downtown Bristol seeking breakfast.

We landed at Bristol’s Manna Bagel.   This bagel company is owned by a rabbi, and it’s open Sunday thru Friday.   Mike has eaten lots of bagels in lots of different places, and he said these were very good.   I have  only eaten bagels from the grocery store or Brueggers’s in Raleigh, so I don’t know the difference.    I can tell you these were yummy.  I had a plain bagel with veggie cream cheese which is my favorite.  It was very pleasant.  We read the paper and ate our bagels in companionable silence.

This guy went with us.  For you dog lovers, isn’t it fun to see their faces and ears “blowing in the wind” when they are riding in the car?  It’s pure joy for them!

On the way to Lowe’s, we drove by one of two of Bristol’s new breweries.     Not all breweries have food but I believe this one does.   My friend, Danea, made the statement last year that “Bristol has gotten cool!”   I agree!

Another thing I like about downtown Bristol is how old buildings are finding new lives.  We need to do more of this everywhere.    What was once Central Warehouse Corporation…is now Bristol Virginia Public Schools!

We went the “back way” to Lowe’s from downtown Bristol.   We drove by VI College.   I remember when being a VI girl meant you were really “up there.”    I was more of a UCLA girl–Upper Corner of Lower Abingdon–which translates to Virginia Highlands Community College (for which I am forever grateful).      If you believe in prayer (and I do), pray that something good will come of the VI campus.

Here’s the president’s house.  It’s up for sale, too.  All the buildings are up for sale.

One of the problems facing VI is that it is in a “shaky” part of Bristol.  There are beautiful, old houses in disrepair.  If I were a rich developer, instead of finding farmland to put my subdivision on, I’d buy a block of Bristol and redo each house.  People who bought could walk downtown.  Wouldn’t that be fun?

And this trip was not without a prize…from a pile that looked like this on the side of the road near VI College…

Came a treasure.    Mike and I were in the truck (so handy), and I screamed STOP!!   Because I saw this…

This chair, like those old buildings being re-purposed in downtown Bristol, is going to find new life.  It will look something like this in the spring…only better.  I’ll trick it out with fancy duct tape if Mike can’t fix the back slat.

Won’t that be grand?    I hope you have a great week.  This week I’m going to try and achieve one of my  2016 Goals.  I’m going to get my ears pierced!    Do you think I’m old enough?