What is it about winning prizes that makes grown men and women transform into giddy kids? At Tidewater Women’s Meet-and-Greet last Thursday at the d’ART Center, I had assembled an impressive array of door prizes to give away to my guests: two gift certificates for a 90-minute massage at Wells Therapeutics, two $100 gift certificates for dinner at Aberdeen Barn, two pairs of tickets to Lyric Opera’s Carmen, and three yummy one-pound boxes of Royal Chocolate.

As our guests lined up holding their ticket stubs in hand, I called out numbers, and winners practically shouted for joy as their numbers were called. Not everyone won a prize, unfortunately, but everyone enjoyed the thrilling suspense.

This was our first Meet-and-Greet in a while, a chance for Peter and me—along with TW’s sales staff: Ronnie, Kittie, and Lynne-Hope—to enjoy face time with our loyal advertisers. TW writers were also invited, but only Dr. Jim Carraway showed up, dapper and springlike in his seersucker jacket. It was great to see all the advertisers who showed up as well. Check out the photo gallery and see who was there!

Guests browsed through the d’ART Center’s galleries and enjoyed viewing some fabulous local art. Others enjoyed the spread of hors d’oeuvres—smoked salmon, crab dip, cheese and crackers, veggies, chips and hummus, and my personal favorite—peanut M&Ms. Wine and conversation flowed, and everyone remarked on what a nice gathering it was.

In fact, I got the best prize of all: knowing that everyone who came to TW’s Meet-and-Greet enjoyed being together, sharing ideas, and making new friends. We’ll plan another event soon. Hope to see you there!

P.S. My thanks to D’Arcy Weiss, d’ART Center’s marketing director, for her help in making the event happen.

Spring is a great time for taking photos of the outdoors. There’s a kind of glow, a lushness in nature—shockingly green trees, azure blue sky, and our silky blue waterways. What I love about watching nature is how it changes from one minute to the next. Last night I dined at Mahi Mah’s overlooking the boardwalk with Peter, Ross, and Jasper, as well as my mom, my brother Paul, and his wife, Robin. It was half-price wine night, so we lingered over two nice bottles of red wine, as we enjoyed our meal.

Paul remarked at how the colors of the sea and sky changed as dusk descended. Facing east, we couldn’t see the sunset, but it didn’t matter because the effervescent effect of the sunset colored our view. At one point the calm, flat ocean looked so silky and serene, its grayish-blue hue highlighted with shades of jade green. The scene fairly shimmered, and we felt lucky to see it.

Nature lovers with a penchant for picture taking will want to participate in the City of Chesapeake’s current photo contest in celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week. All you have to do is take a photo while you're out enjoying yourself in Chesapeake and include the letters “U.O.U.” somewhere in the photo.

It’s that simple! You can write the initials on a sheet of paper, spell them with found objects, or create them from an arrangement of leaves and flowers. Let your creativity shine! Prizes include gift cards raging from $150-$500. Contest deadline is May 4, 2012. See www.visitchesapeake.com/photo-contest for complete rules and regulations.

Spring has sprung in Tidewater. So get out there and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings—and don’t forget your camera.