THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512020191
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Coastal Journal
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
Here's my annual holiday shopping list for those of you who like to give gifts with a local flavor.
Every gardener should find a copy of Robert Stiffler's ``Gardening In Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina'' under the tree. The Virginian-Pilot gardening columnist, Stiffler takes readers through a year of gardening in our area, reminding them of monthly chores, giving tips and making it sound simple enough even for nonexperts like me. It's $16.95 at most book stores.
Not even off the press yet, but due in by Dec. 15, is ``Great Bites from the Great White,'' a cookbook to benefit the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad. ``Nick's Internationally Famous Deviled Crab'' is one of more than 200 recipes. A.F. ``Nick'' Nicholson Jr, a long-time rescue squad supporter, has kept this coveted recipe secret for 41 years. ``Great Bites'' is $10 and you can place an order by leaving a message at 473-4236.
Hot off the computer, you might say, is ``Paint A Decoy,'' a computer program copy of the popular computer exhibit at the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Center at the de Witt Cottage. Compatible with IBM computers, ``Paint A Decoy'' features several ducks to paint, and a blank ``page'' to make and paint your own. You can then print out your art work on your computer printer. The program costs $20 at the center's gift shop, where an array of bird carvings created by Wildfowl Guild members are great gift ideas, too. Call 437-8432.
You also might find an artistic gift at Maritime Minis, an exhibit of small artworks of maritime and local scenes by local artists, at the Life-Saving Museum of Virginia. The framed paintings and photographs are no larger than 12-by-16 inches, easy to wrap and pack! Call 422-1587.
Herb gardener Linda Xenakis will have her homemade herbal blends and vinegars, as well as herbal gift baskets, for sale Saturday at two craft shows to benefit local high schools. The shows are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at First Colonial High School and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Celebration Station to benefit Princess Anne High School.
Homemade sausage at $2.19 a pound from Ansell's grocery on Princess Anne Road is a Princess Anne County delicacy that would make a thoughtful gift for holiday breakfasts. Ansell's makes mild, hot and Italian sausage, both link and bulk, every Wednesday. Call 426-2940.
On the way down into the county, look for local sweet potatoes for sale, too. A sack of Pungo's best could also be a winning token for the cook who's putting together a traditional holiday dinner.
More old favorites include bluebird nesting boxes, made by the industrious folks at the Virginia Beach Audubon Society. Many a bluebird youngster has fledged from these boxes over the years. They are $12. Call Don Perry, 491-2460.
Adopt-a-Wood Duck Box from the Back Bay Restoration Foundation is a great gift for the bird lover who has everything. For $25, he or she will receive a picture of a wood duck box on Back Bay; a wood duck print, suitable for framing; a year's membership in the foundation; and a gift certificate from you saying a wood duck box has been erected on Back Bay in his or her honor. Call 546-9261.
For whale lovers, there's always a whale watching gift certificate from the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Boat trips are $12 for adults and $10 for kids, 11 and under. Gift recipients can reserve a trip date that suits them. Trips run several times daily Dec. 26 through Dec. 30 and resume Jan. 5 and keep going until the whales migrate to sea, usually in March. Call 437-6000.
A First Landing/Seashore State Park 1996 parking pass for $20 from the park office on the campground side, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, is a great stocking stuffer for the nature lover.
And these old favorites for the history lover never go out of style: ``The Witch of Pungo'' by Louisa Venable Kyle is a great gift book for any third-grader in Virginia Beach public schools. ``Princess Anne County and Virginia Beach, A Pictorial History,'' by Stephen Mansfield is perfect for newcomers, or for residents who have managed to survive without it as well as a reminder of home for sons, daughters or friends who have moved away.
P.S. BACK BAY HUNTING AND FISHING GUIDE Jim Clark will speak on trends in Back Bay that he has observed over the years at the Back Bay Restoration Foundation meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in room 3 at the Princess Anne Recreation Center. The meeting is open to the public and a deli buffet will be available for a small price. Call 546-9261 to find out more. MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know about
Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555. Enter
category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow(AT)infi.net.
ILLUSTRATION: ABOVE: Robert Stiffler's area gardening book sells for $16.95 at
most book stores.
LEFT: Due out by Dec. 15 is this cookbook to benefit the Virginia
Beach Rescue Squad. Leslie Keck is chairman of the cookbook
committee.
Photos by
MARY REID BARROW
by CNB