Osprey Wisdom

“Most mornings by 7 a.m. my husband and I are down on the seawall with our binoculars and a bird book.

We can always count on finding gulls, sandpipers and ducks.  But this morning – was special, an osprey plunged feet-first into the bay and surfaced with a fish as big as himself.  What followed was an awesome tussle.  Even the gulls looked up from their breakfast to watch. 

Every year the ospreys return to their nesting place around the corner in Lynnhaven Bay.  Those birds are world travelers, but they’ve picked Virginia Beach as the best place to build a home and raise a family.  And, judging from the way they hang around here, they’ve picked Westminster Canterbury as the best place to spend their retirement years, too.” --- Reflections of a Resident

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OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE. . . ?

We went to bed in the 21st century and woke up in the 1800s! 

“A flamboyant sunrise broke over the bay on Friday, June 8. And there they were. Full-masted tall ships from all over the world. They sailed right past our back door, filling the horizon with  excitement. We got out binoculars.  We grabbed cameras. We congregated on the shore.  We saluted the American flag whenever it sailed by in the 30-mile-long Parade of Tall Ships.  And, oh, did we celebrate. With an eagle’s eye view from the  Penthouse’s panoramic glass windows.  From bayside pavilions and tents at the water’s edge.  And from our seawall, where we sat tapping our feet to the beat of a steel drum band. What a spectacular experience this OpSail 2012 was, with its patriotic themes based on our national anthem.  It was truly a day to remember, from dawn’s early light to twilight’s last gleaming.”    -- A resident's reflection

Granddaughter Rates Westminster Canterbury “really cool”

Reflections of a Resident

                “Our granddaughter, Shelby, loves to visit us at Westminster Canterbury.  She tells her friends that her grandparents live in a really cool place, a big resort hotel on the beach with two swimming pools. 

                Shelby’s visits keep us hopping.  We build sand castles with towers and turrets.  We scour the beach for bits of sea glass (blue is the coveted color).  We water my garden and pick some daises for her mother or a friend in healthcare. 

                Generally we eat lunch at Julia’s Café.  It’s her favorite place because they never run out of pizza and everyone makes a big fuss over her.  Shelby’s visit is not complete without a swim in the pool.

                On the nights when she sleeps over we have a special bedtime routine.  Once she’s in her PJ’s and her teeth are brushed, her Grandpa and I join her on the balcony where she blows bubbles and watches them float, like rainbows, to the gardens below.  Then she says goodnight to the moon and is ready for bed.”

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"All I Need is a Tall Ship and a Star . . . "

  

On Thursday, June 7th, 2012, the international fleet of visiting tall ships will anchor in Lynnhaven Road, just north of the Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach! The entire region will be celebrating!  And in typical fashion, Westminster-Canterbury folks will do it up right. Our seawall will come alive with a steel drum band, rum punch and outdoor dining for residents the evening of the 7th. More festivities will follow, right up until the ships leave our neighboring waters on June 12. All this excitement arrives here barely ten days after our amazing outdoor Memorial Day picnic, replete with a barbecue feast and stirring Sousa marches by a live - and lively - brass band! This is the best place in the world to retire, we grant you.  But if you’re not quite ready to  slip into a retirement routine, you’ll find plenty to do, see, try, and enjoy. Life here is an adventure. A chance to sail into new waters - with never a hint of the doldrums! Come aboard! 
Want more on this event? http://www.opsail2012virginia.com/



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A Toast to Good Taste

Dining here offers so many settings, so many choices! Will you crave the informal fun of pizzas, nachos or fish and chips in Julia’s Cafe? Or will you treat yourself and guests to a multi-course feast and wine in Center Stage? Perhaps you’ll sometimes choose to dine in your own private space, watching the sunset dapple the bay waters. And you’ll appreciate that there’s a daily, delicious 600 calorie combo plate - for  nutritional wellness in a wholesome, tasty way. Food is one more reason to congratulate yourself on choosing the good life at Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay. 

Mmm. Some of Our Menu Choices in May 

Entrees: Baked Haddock Almondine [] Glazed Ham [] Beef Stroganoff [] Sliced Tenderloin [] Honey Bourbon Pork Loin [] Fried Chicken [] Crabmeat Stuffed Flounder [] Beef Pot Pie 

Homemade Soups: Sweet Potato Bisque [] British Chowder [] Tomato Basil [] Crab Bisque [] Vegetable Beef [] Roasted Onion 

Salads:  Create-Your-Own Salad Bars [] Grilled Chicken with Blue Cheese and Walnuts [] Seafood Pasta [] Chicken, Egg, Tuna Trio 

Veggies Galore: Grilled Asparagus [] Baked Sweet Potatoes [] Ratatouille [] Roasted Tomatoes [] Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Red Onion [] Baby Carrots [] Corn Pudding [] Rice Pilaf 

Desserts:  Cherry Pie [] Carrot Cake [] Fresh Fruit [] Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce [] Black Forest Cheese Cake [] Daily Lite Dessert Choices 

Summer is just around the corner!

Summer is just around the corner and the grounds here at Westminster Canterbury are in full bloom with a wide array of colorful flowers and landscaping which residents can admire right in our own backyard! It is nice to enjoy a garden without all of the strenuous work involved.  We do not have to worry about trips to the hardware store to buy mulch, potting soil and flowers.  The best part of living at Westminster Canterbury is you can do as much or as little as you like.  Some residents simply wish to sit out with a great novel on our terrace and take in the beautiful scenery of our grounds and the Chesapeake Bay.  Others prefer to get “their hands dirty” and have joined our resident-based buildings and grounds committee where they help maintain our gardens or simply take pride in growing their own vegetables.  Ivan Cook, who has lived here for 8 years, takes an active part in our landscaping. Earlier this week he was spotted sharing his green thumb out on the terrace.

 

Was Saturday's Derby Day Fun? You Bet!

Hundreds of Westminster-Canterbury residents and guests gathered to watch the Kentucky Derby on a movie-size screen in the Anderson Bayview Room. Fans cheered their favorites, sipped Mint Juleps, snacked, and applauded the many Parade of Derby Day hats worn for the occasion  - quite a few of them fashioned by “milliners extraordinaire” in our Creative Corner.  Lots of laughter!  And the only "nags" were the ones onscreen!