The Sound Of Silence

The house has been packed up and empty.  Now I'm just waiting to move to our new home in California.

While a part of me is excited about a new adventure in my life, there is another part of me that worries.  I've settled here on the east coast and am now in a comfort zone.  The same can not be said about the west coast.  I will have to learn new routes, patterns and places to go.  An adventure in itself.  But the organized part of me, or maybe it's the paranoid part, wants to have plans and have everything mapped out.

A Day In The Life: Adventures At Hampton Roads Naval Museum

USS WISCONSIN 

Volunteering.  We all say it's a wonderful thing, but how many of us actually do it?  I mean honestly spend more than two to three hours a month doing something that doesn't pay us.

I volunteer at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk, VA.  I know it's not feeding the homeless, but it's something that I enjoy.  I know kinda selfish, but I digress.  Normally I do administrative work, but that's dull so I'm going to focus on a single event in this post.

Every year in August the museum spends time with the Chief Selectees and gives them a bit of naval history on chiefs. It's called CPO Heritage.  I've been fortunate enough to help in four of these.  My first day of the first year I actually followed a group around and took photos.  What an experience!  The second day had me selling raffle tickets.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens - WOW Garden

Recently I did a post on the Butterfly House and promised to do more on some of the other parts of the gardens.

Today is that day!

Color Me Mine

Once upon a time I was a ceramics fiend.  The ceramic store that I spent many an hour at is now gone and I let my painting hobby fall by the wayside.

Many of my spouse groups have gone here and have lots of fun.  Sadly I missed out on those fun times.

I recently rectified that this past week.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens - Butterfly House

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens is a hidden gem in the midst of a city.

I had been in the past to the Season of Lights (post on that later this year), but I'd never actually gone into the gardens.

So recently a friend of mine took me and I so appreciate it.

Mermaid Hunting

What is Norfolk's obsession with mermaids?  Those half-women/half-fish sirens of the sea have a bad reputation in mythology, where these sea maidens “would sing to men on ships or shores nearby, practically hypnotizing them with their beauty and song. Those affected would rush out to sea only to be either drowned, eaten, or otherwise sent to their doom.” So goes the legend. Then along comes Ariel in Disney's version of The Little Mermaid, and suddenly the sea nymph’s image became all sweetness and light.

Slover Library

Libraries seem to be an asset that really aren't utilized to their fullest potential.  Which is really sad.  There's something wonderful about libraries in general.  I've spent so much time in libraries growing up.  I must sadly admit that my relationship with libraries has waned.  I must get better about that.  Looks like it's time to renew that library card!

But I digress...

I was fortunate enough to get a tour of the Slover Library in downtown Norfolk by Will Hopkins, a fellow author and painter.

Author Appearnace

Did you miss the last book signing?  Never fear my friends there's always a second chance.

Join us this Tuesday at Slover Library in Norfolk, VA to chat about our book!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Branching Out

I've started up something new for the blog.  Hoping that it will force me to work more on my writing and the blog.  Don't want anyone to think I've given up.

So, I thought I'd share things that are happening in my area.  Give you a glimpse of things that are going on in 'my neck of the woods'.

Willoughby Live Oak - Norfolk Naval Station

I honestly didn't know about this until recently.

Funny how you can live somewhere for years and keep learning new things about the place all the time.

I love all the history of the Hampton Roads area.

I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.  I've yet to visit the actual site, but it is definitely on the agenda.