December 2020 Issue

Celebrating the Beauty of the Natural World through Artwork | “Outside and Around Us”

Artwork provided by Aiken Center for the Arts, used with permission Plein air painting is about leaving the four walls of your studio behind and experiencing painting and drawing in the landscape. An upcoming exhibition at Aiken Center for the Arts, “Outside and Around Us,” features plein air artwork by local artists Al Beyer, Bill Daniel, Sally Donovan, and Andrew Murphy from December 3, 2020 through January 29, 2021. For these artists, there is something about being in the environment as they paint that is important to them. It is more than simply painting outside; there is value from being in the open air. They are offered the opportunity to

A CAUSE FOR Celebration

Appalachians tend to be very independent and content with their lives. They live close to nature and have a deeply held belief in God. They are friendly, kind, and helpful to one another, and they take care of the needs of others. Appalachians also have a strong sense of what is right, and of what ought to be. When I was still working as a nurse, we lived in a small town in western North Carolina. The population was mostly poor and set in their ways. Because they did not take kindly to people from “outside,” it took a long time for me to make friends with our neighbors, who

Celebrate Low Interest

There are a lot of reasons to celebrate today. Sure, we are in a pandemic and many people are divided by the who’s who in politics, but there are still so many reasons to celebrate, at least in the real estate industry. Low interest rates, great mortgage incentives — for both new and seasoned buyers — and lower credit scores are celebration enough. When interest rates go down, people qualify for a higher priced home for the same monthly payment. As Chris Marr, a mortgage sales manager says, “Current rates are still low and underwriting standards have also been lowered and modified in order to help first-time homeowners with approvals.”

Be Present

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. – George Washington Carver The Celebration Issue! To tell you the truth, the final issue of 2020 is quite the celebration here at Bella. We made it through the year with innovation, collaboration, expansion, and a positive outlook on the horizon. We were blessed with the continuing support of advertisers and contributors who not only kept our Bella in print but allowed us to spread our mission wider and