A Visit to the Downing Gross Cultural Art Center

Sun and fun to everyone!

We visited another amazing site in Newport News, Va. The Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center. This center was named in honor of Norvleate Downing-Gross, a major activist, who fought the war on poverty in her community.

The Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center

Named after this beautiful woman right here!

 

We saw many exhibits in the cultural center. But the thing that stood out the most was the Ella Fitzgerald Theater and the information about her. I just learned that she was born in Newport News, Va.  I have always admired her and her work as a singer and performer. Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE all types of music!

The closest I'll get to her...

 

We also learned about another native, A. Johnson. Now he was a trip. He loved to paint and he painted everything. I mean everything! He painted chairs, flower pots, buildings, you name it, he painted on it!

He even painted the outside of his home. He became a prominent figure in the community because of his love for art and serving the people through his gift.

It's unreal how much he painted and what he painted on, EVERYTHING!

 

I can only scratch the surface in this blog. There was so much to see and learn in this arts center. This would be a fun and informative field trip to take students to as well as a family visit.


Making new friends is priceless. What in the world are they looking at?  

 

Here the children sum up the day. They draw in their sketch pads to tell what they enjoyed the most or remember the most about their adventure.  See how interested they look? Sheesh

School is in session! "Roadschool" that is.

The Downing Gross Cultural Art Center was a hit!

Please visit the site for more information: www.downinggross.org

Our plans, His hands.

The James A. Fields House

Have you ever had an experience that literally changed your life? Well, visiting this house was one of those that did. I had no idea of the magnitude of information this trip held for us!

 

 

This is the James A. Fields house.

 

 

First off, I am eternally grateful to my new best friend, Historian, and hospitality queen, the beautiful Councilwoman Dr. Saundra N. Cherry. My husband and I were blown away with the tour. It was beyond fascinating, it was life changing. I only wished it all could have been recorded in order to share all that I learned.

James A. Fields was enslaved, along with the rest of his family. He and his brother escaped during the Civil War. Later he went on to graduate from college and eventually, Howard University Law School, in Washington, DC.

After becoming an attorney, he went on to serve his community and eventually practiced law from his home. Later, this same home was turned into the first hospital to serve black people in the community.

His legacy of fortitude and love still remains standing today, because of the efforts to restore his home by the late Gregory Cherry, a well loved and respected historian in Newport News, Va. His lovely wife (Councilwoman Dr. Saundra N. Cherry) continues his work today.  

  

Me and the lovely Councilwoman Dr. Saundra N. Cherry.

 

A suit made by William Ward Pinkett, Sr. More on his legacy later.

 

I’ll share pictures here, but, understand the pictures simply can’t do the tour justice.

Can you guess what this is? Hint: It kept food cold.

The Whittaker Memorial Hospital was the first one to serve blacks in the community.

Cha ching!

I remember seeing my grandfather type on something similar to this

It is such a powerful thing to be able to educate our children in a way that honors our heritage. If you ever want to see and hear a powerful legacy, take a trip to Newport News, VA and visit the James A. Fields House.

Check out the website here: www.jamesafieldhouse.blogspot.com

Our plans, His hands.

 

Father's Day RV trip

Sun and fun to everyone!

Our first day out for Father’s day was a blast. We arrived at Newport News Park, got our spot and got right into the swing of things.

 

 

As soon as we pulled in and got out, it was instant relaxation. It was calm, quiet, and beautiful.

What a beautiful view from our camper.

For the next few days, this is where we’ll be living.

Getting ready for our cookout. What he LOVES to do!

Can't go camping without a bonfire can you?

Tomorrow, we’re headed to the James A. Field’s House, a historical site in Newport News, Va., but for now, enjoy the fun at the park!

Our plans, His hands.

Plotting our course!

Sun and fun to everyone!

Here we are, taking time to view our map to plot a course for our Father’s Day trip to Newport News, Virginia. As we prepare for our trip, the children and I look at the map to locate different cites, within the states.

We go over the different directions, and we use the map legend to learn how to read the map.

I love this map because it shows most of what we need to know about the cities and it’s large enough for me to read, with or without my glasses.

We will use this map before, after, and during our trips.

Roadschool map lesson!

Here we are in Virginia.



Naming the oceans.

Our plans, His hands.

 

"Small" perks!

One of the perks of living in a small space is that we’re forced to live a minimalist life style. This came in handy just recently! After a busy morning of errands, I remembered that I had an interview with the lovely Amani Jackson, of The Queenhood Magazine, so I had to clean up, and clean up fast.

Such a small space and so little time to clean it. I swept, vacuumed, and cleaned the bathroom, in under thirty minutes. That’s right, my whole house (motorhome) was cleaned in under thirty minutes.

Everything I need to clean with, right here!

 

My small basket fits neatly under the bathroom sink.

 

 

Pure bliss I say, pure bliss…

If I were in the house (brick and mortar), I would still be cleaning instead of writing this post… Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration!

Thankful for the “small” things that mean so much!

Our plans, His hands.

Second guessing?

Sun and fun to everyone!

I have noticed a pattern in my life. Whenever I make a decision that brings any change to my life, I second guess myself. Somewhere along the way, I begin asking myself, if I made the right choice. I hear myself asking if this makes sense or should I have done this or that.

Do you notice that when you decide to do something that’s different, someone has objections to what you have decided? They can rattle off all the reasons why you can’t or should NOT do it.

Sometimes even if this does not happen, we can do this to ourselves. That inner voice tells us that this may not happen or even worse, this might happen or that might happen.

Well, the decision to travel did not come without the self-doubt. I went through all the second guessing and wondering if this is really the right thing to do. I even thought about all the “not so good things” that could happen.

But you know what? I have learned that second guessing is normal and not ALL bad. It’s good to think things through. What’s not good is to dwell on the “what if’s”. Sometimes we have to feel what we feel and move forward anyway!

So if you make a decision and then second guess it, it’s ok! Whatever you do, keep moving while you’re second guessing. That voice will quiet down as you gain momentum.

Soon the second guessing will turn to courage and faith. Before you know it, you’ll be doing what you’re doing and then you’ll be getting new thoughts on what to do next! This is living.

That’s where I am now. Fully focused and ready to rock and roll! I am constantly praying and watching as our plans unfold.

Open road, here we come. I can’t wait to get out there!

 

 

Our plans, His hands.  

 

Riding shotgun!

Sun and fun to everyone!

We’re out and about checking out the RV, making sure it’s road ready, and working out the kinks. The children are enjoying the RV life so far.

They also get a kick out of riding shotgun. At first they did not know what it meant, but now they do!

Buckle up, safety first!

Early morning rest in the RV.

 

 

 

Our plans, His hands.

 

Ta-da! We have our renter!

I am so very happy to announce that we officially, have our renter! After only a few days on the market, our renters contacted us, and our agent moved things right along. This all happened much quicker than I had anticipated. Talk about serendipity! 

Just as I prayed, our perfect family came. With that in mind, we are just about, completely, moved in our RV. These are exciting times!

As we continue settling in the RV, we are reminded of our continued need to downsize. We are learning what’s a necessity (important), versus a want.

Here are a few pictures as we transition.

 

Cabinet over the sink and kitchen window.



This closet holds a board that we leave messages on.
Also, we will record the park name, phone number, lot and space number.








Couch by day.

 Bed by night!

 

Office and dining table by day.

Bed by night!

 

You know what this is...

 

 

 

 

Bathroom sink and towel holder.

 

 

 This is a shoe holder, that hangs on the bathroom wall.
Great way to store and save space in a small place!

 

Another shoe holder that hangs on the shower door.

Everything we need right here!

We put holes in the bottom for water drainage.

 

 

 

Can you say hand-held shower?

 

 

 

As you can see, life on the road calls for some adaptation, but it's all good. We are learning to live in a small space and still have all the convenience we need, while enjoying our freedom.

It seems, the less we have, the more we gain.





Our plans, His hand

Here's a peep!

As of today I have ironed my last outfit. Today is the last day of school. Woo Hooo!! I have promised everyone that my ironing days are done. It's wrinkle city from now on.

So we have been downsizing all along, only to find out that we have to downsize even more. RV life is serious and not for the faint of heart. At this point, we will select those things that really mean a lot to us or things we really need.

We are leaving a house with well over 3,000 square feet and more if you count our finished basement. I’ll have to ask the square footage of the RV, but I assure you it’s tiny in comparison!

Here are a few pictures of the clothing spaces we’ll be using. It’s a far cry from our closet space! But we’re working with it!

RV living, here we come!

 

The one and only RV closet!

 

Storage space for clothes.

 

The NO iron storage space!!

 

 


Good old handy dandy hooks... Towels maybe?

Mini closet perhaps?

Our plans, His hands.