If this is Tuesday, it must be England #92

What Kate Wore shared this great photo - parking restrictions outside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital Paddington.  Although the barriers are up, journalists, photographers, and television crews are not able to set up until the Duchess of Cambridge is admitted.  You can bet they are camped out in their vans in the neighboring streets!

N is for Norfolk

This is our third time to live in Norfolk.  The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point and is home to the world's largest military base, Naval Station Norfolk, as well as a bustling international port and airport, and is connected to its neighbors by a variety of bridges, tunnels, interstate highways, and railroad lines.  As the middle class residents moved from the city limits out to suburban areas, in particular the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake areas, much of the city fell into disrepair and the families on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum lived in crumbling neighborhoods.  Much has been done in recent years to re-attract businesses to the downtown area, and to revitalize the residential areas surrounding it.

Norfolk is home to a thriving arts landscape with venues for concerts, the theatre, the symphony, and opera.  There are two universities and a community college.  Numerous shopping centers are located around the city and an outlet mall recently opened with IKEA coming soon.  Major roadway construction is doing much to cope with the notorious traffic.

This has been our favorite time to be in Norfolk.  We have taken advantage of the cultural offerings and explored the many eclectic restaurants and small business owner shops.  The city has a host of festivals and events for all tastes and the marine emphasis means that there is always something to do on the water.  It's an up and coming place to visit.

Life Last Week 2018-14

The weather:::

 After a night of severe weather with buckets of rain and tornado warnings, it's finally dry outside.  Temperatures this week range from 59 to 77 but on the whole, the days are clear.

On my reading pile:::

And I'm STILL working my way through the top book on of this pile, with the second one as my next book.

On my TV:::

Rebinged The Crimson Field and ANZAC Girls on PBS and Amazon and Vic and I are still in Midsomer.

Checked off the list:::

• Still catching up on the A to Z; I'm a supreme cheater, writing a bunch of posts and backdating them to the days they should have been posted.  You do what you've gotta do.
• Gift shop volunteer luncheon was lovely with an amazing Javanese Salad on the menu and everyone walked away with a 25% off one item coupon (we usually get 15% off when we work so this was a nice bonus).  I'll share the salad recipe as soon as I get the link.
• Spouses' group board meeting - lots going on this year and in the planning stages for next year.  So wish I was going to be here.
• Participated in the Navy Family Framework webinar.
• Manicure on Thursday followed by a spouses' group fashion show event at Talbot's.  Beautiful clothes.
• Spring Craft Market - can hardly believe I left empty-handed.  Lots of floral and beachy things, not really my style.
• Vic and I went to see Tomb Raider - don't go if you have a weak heart, there are scenes that will really make you JUMP!

Crafts roundup:::

Loveseat still coming along - I'm in search of a yo yo maker and will be heading to Joann's and Hobby Lobby today.  Yo yos are those little fabric circles that you use to make things.

And in other news:::

Finishing up my shopping for the 12th Annual Tea Cup & Mug Exchange so I can get my partner's package in the mail and looking forward to receiving mine. I love surprises in the mail.  Tomorrow is the deadline for the Nail Polish Swap as well.

Just in case you were wondering...

M is for Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier

I'm trying to get caught up with the A to Z so I'll make this a quick (ie. link-heavy) post today.  Eight U.S. Presidents came from Virginia, more than from any other state.  Here are three great Presidential homes to visit (I covered James Monroe's under H is for Highland):

Mount Vernon

Monticello

Montpelier

L is for Lexington

Lexington is home to the Virginia Military Institute, founded in 1839 as the first state-supported military college in the nation.  We really enjoyed our tour, conducted by one of the cadets, and learned a lot about VMI's alumni and the opportunities that the college offers.  For those of you who have watched the movie Gods and Generals, you may recognize this building from the Stonewall Jackson funeral scenes.

The Stonewall Jackson House in downtown Lexington is one of VMI's museums.

We also visited Lee Chapel on the grounds of Washington and Lee University.  Robert E. Lee is buried beneath the chapel.

We are really enjoying our field trips to historic sites here in Virginia.

K is for King's Arms Tavern

K started out as a tricky letter in my Virginia A to Z but then I remembered the King's Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg.  Opened in 1772, it became one of the town's most "genteel" establishments and George Washington often ate here as did Virginia's future governor Thomas Nelson Jr.  Present-day diners can savor traditional fare such as peanut soup, game pye, oysters, and roast prime rib of beef in an atmosphere reminiscent of colonial days.

The King's Arm Tavern holds a special place in my heart as my friend Jodie and I took our daughters to Colonial Williamsburg for a homeschool adventure and Jodie surprised me the following Christmas with this beautiful ornament.  Every year when I place it on the tree, I remember our lunch at the tavern and the fun time we had at Colonial Williamsburg (more to come in W is for Colonial Williamsburg).

Sophia and K with our server at the King's Arms Tavern (I just noticed the little blonde photobomber in the back!)

J is for Jamestown

Jamestown is a historic site in eastern Virginia, part of the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg.  It consists of two parts:  Historic Jamestowne, run by the National Park Service, home to the ruins of the first permanent English settlement in North America.  Think Pocahontas and John Smith.  The nearby Jamestown Settlement is a living-history museum with recreations of the James Fort and the Powhatan Indian village.

We first visited Jamestown on a school field trip in 2003 and during the years that we lived in Virginia the first time (2003-2007), we visited several times both with school groups and as a family.  It's a great place for kids to roam and learn from the historical interpreters.  We visited the Powhatan Indian village where the students were shown how small fires were built in a cut-down tree trunk and then shells were used to scoop out the charcoal.  Hey presto, a canoe!

Taken on a return trip to Jamestown in 2006 - the kids loved the canoe-making process

The James Fort is full of soldiers who showed us how to fire a musket and colonists' wives who taught us how to whip up corn cakes from a corn cake batter which was then fried and sampled (I'm SO glad I'm not living in this era - the corn cakes were awful).  The wattle and daub construction of the buildings (woven walls coated with clay, sand, and straw) was really interesting as were the displays of the tobacco, beaver furs, and sassafras.  A short walk from the Fort is the dock for the ships that brought the colonist to Virginia, the now-recreated Discovery, Godspeed, and Susan Constant.

Source: Visitor's Guide to Historic Jamestown at tripsavvy

A not-to-be missed site on your trip to Virginia.