Calm Your Nerves With the Hodgepodge

Summertime.. and the livin' is easy... or busy... or both! Our friend Joyce took a little hiatus from the Hodgepodge last week, which was especially helpful for me since I was preparing for a big weekend at the lake. I'll post about that soon, but in the meantime, enjoy the Hodgepodge questions, read my answers, then click on the button to visit Joyce and the others. Oh, and leave some comments along the way. :)

Here we go:
1. Summertime is a season of reunions, weddings, and other family celebrations and gatherings...are any of the above on your calendar in the next two months?

In July, a group of my high school friends will gather for our third 'POW' reunion. We got together for the first time 'officially' three years ago to celebrate our 50th birthdays, shown in the photo below.

A necklace to celebrate the occasion included a pearl, since it signifies wisdom, which, of course, comes with age. :) Naturally, we dubbed ourselves 'Pearls of Wisdom' or POWs for short. The photo below is of our second reunion, two years ago at our lake house. 

Last summer, we didn't get a date worked out, but, thankfully, we have scheduled the third POW reunion in just a few weeks. Yay! I did have a dream recently that I had the date wrong, and they all showed up on a weekend when I wasn't expecting them. It all worked out though, as it usually does with old friends. We will miss Deb this time, but hope the has her tech on and can Skype with us from her work conference. 

2. June is National Iced Tea Month...are you an iced tea drinker? If so, how do you like yours (sweet, flavored, etc)? 

I do like iced tea. I like sweet tea, but I also like it unsweetened. I especially like the Crystal Light Raspberry Green Tea. I take the little on-the-go packs to Haiti to add to my water bottle. Yum!

3. When were you last nervous?  Looking back, was the 'event' actually nerve-worthy?

I get a little nervous when I travel. Not nervous about the travel itself, but I do worry about a few things. Will my alarm go off? Will everything fit in the car? Will we get to the airport in time? Will I have all the necessary documents? Will my bags make it through security? (Not that I'm trying to conceal anything, but I worry that I may have accidentally brought my razor or my knitting needles. Lol). Did I pack everything we need? Did I remember to shut the garage door? Did I leave anyone behind? (I have seen Home Alone a few times. Ha!)
But all is well when we arrive at our destination, and it looks like this:

Ahhhhhhhhh...

Of course, I could have just answered with, "my last trip to the dentist." (See next question.)

4. The bristle toothbrush was invented in China on June 26, 1498...not sure how that date was pinned down so precisely but, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being sick to your stomach and 1 being not at all, how nervous do you feel when you're headed to the dentist?  Do you see your dentist twice a year?

I prefer not to see my dentist. Oh, he's a very nice man, and I'm happy to see him at community events or social occasions. Just not at his office. I pretty much hate it. I'm not really sure why. I'm not usually such a baby, but I do have a thing about needles, and since a dentist provides the possibility of coming in contact with one, I would rather just avoid the situation altogether. I try to see him twice a decade or so. :)

5. What's making news in your town this week?

Our local newspaper reports that a successful Relay for Life took place over the weekend. Teams of participants gathered at the local fairgrounds to walk for 24 hours straight to honor those who have been touched by cancer. Our little community raised $32,000 for cancer research, with funds still being collected. 
Here are some of our 'horse friends' at the opening ceremony. They continued their participation with a horseback relay for the 24 hours.

(source)

6. Curtains, drapes, blinds...your window treatment of choice? Are there any bare windows in your house? Is that by choice or because you haven't gotten around to covering them? 

I have never been too concerned about window treatments, and I'm fine with bare windows.   I do have curtains of some sort on most of our windows, but my favorite window is the one in our living room with the plantation shutters.

7. Summertime is officially here (in the Northern hemisphere anyway)...what one song is a must-have on your summer playlist?

I finally downloaded a song to my phone, and it's this one. My song for the summer. I know some folks aren't crazy about the remake of Wagon Wheel, but I kind of like the Darius version.

And isn't this onesie just the cutest? I know a little baby that might need to have this.....

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  

Daughter Jennifer and her husband Bryan are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child in early September. Recently, Jennifer's co-workers had a book shower to get a little 'library' started for Baby Davis. We gathered at a restaurant, where the flowers on the table reflected the 'growing' theme of the shower.

We were each given a copy of a sunflower and we supplied baby name suggestions which we wrote on each petal. This will be most helpful to Jennifer and Bryan since they have chosen to be surprised as to the gender of the baby. There were many creative names offered! :)

Jennifer selected a couple of her favorites, and prizes were awarded. Then she enjoyed some delicious dessert!

Favors for the guests included a bag containing chocolate, as well as seed packets with names that will work for either boy or girl: 'Sweet Pea', 'Pumpkin', and 'Sunflower.' So cute.

The waiter took a photo of our little party before we left. Jennifer is blessed to work with such a great group of co-workers. 

And Baby Davis is blessed to have a great start on filling up the bookcase!