Sunny Days Keeping the Clouds Away in the Hodgepodge

Ever since I read the HP questions yesterday, the Sesame Street theme song has been going through my head.

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

No, but here's how to get to other Hodgepodgers when you're finished reading and commenting on mine. Commenting is like candy to me--a little goes a long way, but the more of it, the merrier I am.

1. What summer activity most takes you back to your own childhood?

Eating a Freezy-Pop.  Is that an acitivity? If not, then swimming in a horse-trough-turned-kiddie pool or playing Kick the Can or riding wild ponies. I have not done any of those things for a very long time and only foresee the eating a Freezy Pop as feasible for ever happening again.

2. What's your favorite summer smell?   

a salty ocean

3. It's beach season in the US of A...so how do you feel about sand?

As long it's on the beach between my toes (and not scalding hot), I love it. Otherwise, not a fan.

4. Sun tea, SunChips, sunflower seeds, Capri Sun, Sunny Delight, Sun-Maid raisins, sun-dried tomatoes...your favorite food or beverage with sun in its name?

sundae, as in hot fudge

5. What's your favorite way to cool off on a hot summer day?

swimming in a private pool with only my family or girlfriends around

6. Share a favorite song with the word sun or sunshine in it's title.

The Noah's ark song from Sunday school has this fun line: 

"the sun came out and dried up the landy-landy, 

Everything was fine and dandy-dandy, children of the Lord."

7. Tell us about a time you had an exceedingly good or truly awful customer service experience. If it was awful, did you report it? Ever go back there again?

Very recently I had a mixed experience at the very same shop, oddly enough. For fun I went to a new-to-me store that sells sewing machines, quilting fabric, and big appliances.  I was going for the purpose of test driving a larger Janome sewing machine that I can actually quilt something larger than a doll quilt with ease. 

The lady there, Emily, was very helpful. She asked my needs and price point, and took me directly to the machine that would suit me.  Easy, breezy machine with a "big bed" (space from needle to body of machine on the right). Emily answered all my questions, didn't push, but showed me the fun and the wisdom of buying this particular model. They match the online price, plus give a year of free service and classes. Her enthusiasm was infectious, not annoying. However, as soon as the demo was over, she disappeared to the back, behind a partial wall to do some work, and only the men in the shop who were repairing machines were available. But they were eerily quiet and seemed disinterested.  I can be talked into a purchase if I'm in a good mood, if you chat with me, but as it turned out, I only purchased 1.5 yards of fabric and even then, the guy at the cutting table didn't say a word. I'll go back to buy the machine eventually, but won't go out of my way to shop there (and it is very much out of my way).

They should hire me. Quilters are chatty folk. I would chat up customers until they spent at least $50 at the register!  Whatcha making? Oh, how nice. Do you have the backing for that quilt? Have you seen this ruler that would speed up the cutting? Our thread is on sale...

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

My friend who has cancer will be having surgery in the next couple weeks, and then chemo for several months.  This is reality and I can't believe I'm typing it. One of my closest friends. Cancer. Chemo. I'm going to be there for her--for prayer ,making meals for the family, taking her to appointments, cleaning, making her laugh when I can. 

Please pray. It's a tough road ahead.  I might pull back from blogging--or I might not. Sometimes it's what I need.