Daisy Heath is a lazy, selfish nightclub diva who has fame, money and beauty—everything but a soul. To her, World War I is a huge inconvenience; the brass bands that accompany the boys marching off to battle only disturb her…
Leon’s dad has Alzheimer’s disease. It’s been six years now. As he puts it, he and his family are “trying to manage it the best we can. My mom is providing some care with the help of the Alzheimer’s Association.…
False Cape State Park, a 4,800-acre wilderness park located on a 1-mile wide barrier strip between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay at Virginia Beach’s southern tip, is most often associated with summertime activities such as ocean swimming or fishing.…
A naturally grown Christmas tree can serve as a festive backdrop throughout the holidays, but once the needles start dropping it’s time to consider either reusing or recycling your tree. Christmas trees can be repurposed as a backyard habitat for…
One evening about 20 years ago, I sat down to dinner with Charlton Heston to celebrate the publication of a book we’d been working on together. Our conversation covered a wide range of topics, from his early childhood to his…
I initially thought I would begin this article with a Chinese parable about the futility of shouting at the skies and cursing the weather. But, then I remembered the Oscar Wilde quote, "Conversation about the weather is the last refuge…
Norfolk author Lydia Netzer’s books don’t fit neatly into a single box. But then neither do love or science, both of which are themes she explores through her writing. Set in Norfolk and outer space, Netzer’s debut novel, Shine, Shine,…
Childhood is full of firsts—first words, first steps and first birthdays. With every first a child experiences, their rush of excitement can also be accompanied by fear of the unknown. This is often the case with a child’s first trip…
Interested in trying something wild? Amber Warren has just the thing for you. As Animal Room volunteer manager for the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, she can find all kinds of ways to get you up close and personal…
Photo by David Uhrin This tasty Spicy Chicken Lasagna with Pineapple Mango Salsa recipe comes from author, chef and owner of Sam's Gourmet Lasagna, Samantha A. Peavy, also known as Sam The Lasagna Lady. Ingredients 2 boneless, skinless chicken…
For Samantha A. Peavy, life, like lasagna, has many layers to it, each with lessons in resilience, endurance, loving again and victory. As the author of Life Through Lasagna Eyes: The Recipes for Life and award-winning owner and chef of…
Outside the Andy Griffith Museum, an iconic bronze statue of Andy and Opie, titled "Goin' Fishin,'" was dedicated by TV Land in 2004. Growing up, I watched “The Andy Griffith Show” more than any elementary school-aged kid I knew. It…
Dr. Jessica Clark knew she wanted to be in pediatrics long before she chose to be a dentist. She started babysitting when she was only 12 years old and has always loved working with children. It wasn’t until she was…
It’s a tradition for many to deck the halls with twinkling white lights, shimmering garland and fresh, plump wreaths ornamented with a big red bow. The customary balsam fir wreaths that adorn the front doors and exterior windows of Coastal…
The man who is reinventing whiskey talks about his eureka moment. "No one else was doing it," says Rick Wasmund, standing with a rake in the middle of a huge row of barley in the new Williamsburg location of his…
Wave Church And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 When you hear the word “church,” what comes to mind? For me it sparks memories of specific sights…
Those who come to Peninsula READS come from all walks of life, each with aspirations for making a better life for themselves by achieving their goals and seeing their dreams come true. For many of us in Coastal Virginia—and the…
Annabelle's bedroom looks exactly like that of any 4-year-old "girlie girl," as her mother describers her. Cozy stuffed animals overflow from a toy hammock in one corner, and bows in every color of the rainbow adorn the walls along with…
“One third of Virginia deaths are due to domestic violence,” says Beth Cross, executive director for H.E.R. Shelter. “That’s 33 percent.” Looking at those statistics, Cross explains how the shelter is more than “a nice program to help people. It’s…
It’s easy to list all the negative concerns we wish we could eliminate from the world: domestic violence, racism, cancer, poverty, terminal illnesses, homelessness, sexual abuse, human trafficking, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, infant loss, inadequate…
Private schools often provide a number of advantages over public schools. They generally have smaller class sizes so students get a more one-on-one education. They tend to have more highly qualified educators and administrators to provide your student with a…
Local restaurants are shaking things up with some innovative and outright ingenious cocktails, inspiring imbibers to craft their own with these favorite recipes. Photo by Jim Pile Vida Bandida Serve in a Collins glass While every last detail is tended…
Maybe you like Scotch. Neat. Or perhaps a cosmo is your go-to. There’s nothing wrong with knowing yourself, but don’t let your drink define you. Stepping outside your Southern Comfort zone can be revelatory. These CoVa “movers and cocktail shakers”…
The average life expectancy for people in the United States (men and women combined) is just less than 79 years. Right now, there are almost 75 million people in the U.S. between the ages of 51 and 69. As that…
