"So many couples in my age group made their first home in the little house in back," Mildred Hodges told hostesses Sharon Joyce and Donna Vaughn at their recent Celebration of Summer. She was speaking of the guest house, 305 Jamestown Street, behind the larger home, 303 Jamestown Street, which was built around the turn of the century and is now owned by Michael and Sharon Joyce of Nashville, Tennessee.

When Sharon married builder/developer Michael and moved south, she vowed to have a home in Columbia as well, so it would be ready when she wanted to retire here. The home she bought has become a family restoration project. She's not near ready to retire, but she does get home often and recently, with the help of her family, the gala was held there.

The event would have looked right at home pictured in Southern Living Magazine - long tables were filled with salads, cheeses, chips, dips, summer fruit and desserts decoratively arranged amid colorful flowers and green plants.

"Everybody helped," Sharon said, "my whole family, my friend Helen Robbins from Nashville, and my sister Sherry and her best friend Treva Mitchell and daughter Caroline from Bowling Green, but Donna was the main one in charge."

Sharon and Donna come from a large family that holds to traditions like this one which bring loved ones together to partake of sumptous homemade foods and sip drinks through good conversation around the front porch. Theirs is one of the few families that still convenes at mom's house for a big after-church Sunday dinner every week.

Sixty-five were counted among the visitors. Richard and Mary Beth Phelps were there-it was his grandmother's home. Next door neighbors in attendance included Mr. and Mrs. John D. Lowe, III, and Mr. and Mrs. Mike Neal. Other local friends attending were Mary Frances May with her daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Sandusky, Mildred's son Mike Hodges with his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Reeves, Dr. and Mrs. Ben Arnold, Robert Flowers, Marilyn Sparks, and others who didn't sign a register. They were joined by many of the Joyce's acquaintances from Nashville who had been hearing about the old "Kentucky" home Sharon and Michael were restoring and came to see it firsthand.

Family members included Donna and her husband Johnny Vaughn with daughters Susan and Mandy; Sharon and Michael Joyce from Nashville; Sherry and her husband, Mike Hodges from Bowling Green; Connie Brockman, Mrs. Margaret Dunn, Sandy Crawhorn, and Kevin and Danny Brockman and their families. Billie Kay Farris volunteered to watch Donna's Gallery so the owner could manage the celebration.