The 'Great Get-Know-You' Give-Away!

(Oh go on...be a poor sport and skip to the bottom for the give-away details, the prize, and the first entry if you're in such an all-fired hurry.)  :)

I have said I was going to do this, and have procrastinated ruminated over just how to go about it, but I am going to do what I do best, and fly by the seat of my pants and get this party started!  It will be wild and crazy fun, but only if we have group participation.  (said in my best elementary teacher voice) "Yes, boys and girls, that means we all have to take a turn.  Everyone plays!"  Mostly that's me, wishful thinking that you'd all take time to do this in some capacity.  We will all get a chance to know one another better, and all have some possible post prompts/ideas to boot!  What could be better?  A prize, you say?  Why, yes!  There's that too!  But first, in proper professor-y fashion, I must teach you something ...'Gather'.


(You didn't think I was going to just jump right in and share with you what the prize is, did you?)


Brief history of the hammock:  Hammocks have been around before North America ever was by 800-900 years, originating in Central and South America.  It is widely accepted that they began with the Mayan Indians.  They not only brought us that crazy calendar, but they make a mean relaxation device.  The earliest material used to construct them was the bark of the Hamak tree, and only began  to be made from the softer materials you find in modern hammocks in the last 50 years or so.  With trade prevalent in the lower Americas at this time, the comfort and convenience of hammocks spread its use far and wide.  Today, they are made of various materials and come in a variety of styles for both aesthetic quality and tranquility.

Did you know? There have been studies done to research the possibility that hammocks offer better and deeper sleep?  I can believe it!  Sometimes I can stretch out in mine, and jerk awake an hour later, feeling like I'd been clubbed over the head, I was sleeping so soundly.  It just might have something to do with the rocking motion.  To be more astounded and fascinated by this information, read here Sway Yourself to Sleep.  Got insomnia?  Get a hammock!

Nicaraguan Wedding Hammock

Want to know more about the best place on the planet to buy a hammock?  Nicaragua, of course! One more reason that place calls to me like nowhere else!  Go HERE and scroll down to learn more about the beautiful wedding hammocks made in Masaya, Nicaragua.  I couldn't get Hubs to venture there this last visit.  Rest assured, I will go next time, if I have to drive that stick shift car there myself!

Okay, Okay, Okay!!!

Get on with it already, right? 

Here's what I'm thinking...(look out...).  I wanted this give-away challenge to be about an exchange of 'stories'.  Let me take the pressure off by saying that no, it doesn't have to be lengthy or incredibly lofty.  Simple stories and thoughts shared among friends.  So for the next two weeks - that's starting tonight through Sunday, August 5th, I'm going to pose a question for you!  The thing is, I have to answer it myself following the question as the post.  Answer it in the most lengthy or short manner you choose, and as creatively as you'd like.  No worries there.  DON'T stress over sharing long unless you just want to.  Some question or prompt might really strike a chord but don't stress.  I am very anti-pressure here.  I wouldn't love hammocks if I didn't believe in 'chillin'.  You can either leave your answer in the comments below that day's question, OR post it on over at YOUR blog as a post prompt, linking back here, of course, but make sure you let me know in the comment box here that you're going to answer it on your blog.  ALSO, as a bonus 'entry' to win the prize from the drawing, you can ask me a question of your own!  Fair game!  In a nutshell:

1)  A question will be posed daily here for the next two weeks (Why two weeks?  Plenty of opportunity for ample questions but sets a time limit since this will have me here daily.  Besides life is about to get slap crazy with real life cranking back up full steam.)

2) You can either answer in the comment section under the post OR post it as a writing prompt for your own blog but be sure to let me know in the comments and link it back here, pretty please.

3)  As a bonus, you can ask me a question - anything!  I'll answer it with your comment/question!  This will count as a second entry!  BUT - if you want to ask me a question, you HAVE to answer mine!  :)

In summary, if you answer my question, that counts as one entry in the drawing.  If you ask me something, it counts as two.  Plenty of chances to win!  The final question will be Sunday, August 5th in the morning.  The drawing will take place some time that day, with a winner announced by midnight Eastern Time. 

What do you win???

A cotton canvas-style hammock brought from Nicaragua!!!

 (Don't mind the string of lights. We leave them up year-round in these parts...kidding.  It's 'mood lighting' for my deck')

 It measures over 6 feet in length for all you tall drinks of water out there.  If you're taller than that, let your feet hang off.  Still fun!

 It measures almost 4 feet wide...I will refrain from commenting on width.

Isn't it beautiful?  That is hand-hammered metal in the hook...love it.

Don'tcha want it?  Then get to crackin' and write!

Here's the first question - keeping it easy and light to start -

What is your favorite thing about summertime, OR your favorite summer memory?

Summer has to be my favorite season.  Cliché, I know, but when you are a teacher, you live (crave, long for, fantasize about) summer.  I also prefer the temperatures myself.  I don't mind sweating, really. Want to read more about my sweaty experience to a Korean spa?  Go here - Gonna Make You Sweat.

There is so very much to adore about summer, but one of my summer 'loves' is something so simple:  cruising as the sun goes down, listening to tunes.  I have done this as long as I can remember, although with gas prices, I don't wander for quite so long.  However, I set out quite often, in search of the best vantage for watching the sun go down, favorite tunes blaring, windows/sunroof/top down.  Recently, on one of my summer drives to chase the sunset, this song came on:

...and I screamed..."I love this song!!!" to the traffic around me.  I sang it loud and it brought back so many memories of my days, 'back in the day' of my new wave/alternative phase.  I could have SO been Andy in "Pretty in Pink" or even Ally Sheedy as Allison Reynolds in 'Breakfast Club'.  I had that part of me that was 'deep' and 'dark' and 'brooding' - all poetic and mysterious and edgy.  Oh yeah. I went through that phase.  More so, I loved this music.  Tunes by Echo and the Bunnymen, The Style Council, 10,000 Maniacs, The Cure, The Cult, The Smithereens, Siousxie and the Banshies, New Order and Joy Division.

So summertime, to me, is so many things, all wrapped up in sunset chasing, wind blowing  drives down memory lane.