Top Ten?

I have never been a big fan of year end top ten lists. That is what I tell myself over and over again for fear that if I admitted this hidden interest I might be compelled to buy certain reading material in the check out line. I have found that my current practice of choosing the longest line and cross referencing via sideway glances the head lines from the myriad of publications leads me to a close approximation of the truth. For instance; determine the false headline from the following.

• Tom Cruise is an arrogant sob that doesn’t deserve Katie Holmes
• Katie Holmes wonders why she got involved with an arrogant jerk like Tom Cruise.
• Tom Cruise is so arrogant that he doesn’t think that his poop stinks.
• Tom Cruise is 6 feet 4 inches tall.

Everybody knows that number 4 is the falsehood. He is barely a munchkin on steroids and he over compensates for his diminutive stature by being an arrogant jerk to Katie Holmes.

 I admit it. I read all of the headlines and this time of year the headlines are all top ten lists. The worlds sexiest men, Top ten sports stories, Ten scariest Santas, Ten best gifts to get Roger Sharritt.

Well in an effort to keep up with the Jones’ Here are the top things to know about the “You said what Roger?

Top 4 blogs.

4.  Twas the night after finals.

3.  The snack that smiles back. (a surprise to me)

2.  Turkey in the straw.

1.   Girls gone wild. (which renews Grace’s faith in humanity that she didn’t get beat out by a turkey story).

The blog now has 7 followers which is pretty cool.

The blog now has readers in 8 countries. In ascending order, China, France, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Poland, Turkey, and the US.

The readers are equally split between Windows users and Mac users. It is always interesting that as I put out the notice on facebook, the PC audience grows and as Grace puts out a notice the Mac crowd grows significantly. Ah to be young and hip and to own a Mac.

In all, I am very grateful for all the support that you have shown this endeavor over the past three months. But then again does three months an endeavor make?  I think not. Lark maybe. Yes a lark. In all, I am very grateful for all the support that you have shown this lark over the past three months.

Here’s to a good new year.

Take care

Roger.

p.s.  You will notice a new feature at the bottom of the blog page. It is called One true fan. It is supposed to give more feedback on readership. It tries to encourage blog sharing and readership. I am not sure if I will like it, but a new year is a time to try new things.

Sharritt Christmas Letter

 Our Christmas letter which is a family affair follows.

Merry Christmas, 2010, dearest Friends

We hope this letter finds you doing well. With small variations, that is how Roger  starts his weekly letters to Ben and Grace as they have both left the house and permitted us to start on our new and excellent adventures.

It truly was a year split into thirds as we look back at events. Although, Roger contends that it could be  halves; pre and post IPAD (his June birthday gift).

The first third was all about Grace’s college visits, scholarship applications, graduation party, sacrifices to the Boilermaker admissions gods, and suddenly it was over. Decisions were made, whew! Scholarships won, woohoo! Cheese-cake eaten, mmmmm! Ball State chosen, curses! Then it was over.

The second was all about hair-raising summer experiences; a mission trip to build a house in Tijuana, Mexico, being dumped by a rapid called Surprise in West Virginia, a tree top tour in West Virginia, two and a half days in Gettysburg, and ending with a 25^th anniversary square dance.

In mid-June, Bev, Grace and Roger got on a plane to San Diego then across the border to Tijuana to help build a 20 x 30 two room home for a family of four. If the new math still works, that is 600 square feet. We had the privilege of assisting Youth With a Mission in their Homes of Hope project. Feliz Navidad!

After a week at home and hooking up with Ben after the completion of his assistance with the constitutional mandate of counting the huddled masses, the Sharritt’s  took off on a traditional family vacation for a week of fun in West Virginia, Gettysburg, and with friends in Ohio.

We had the most wonder tour guide for our whitewater trip. George took the 20 minute ride to our white water rafting drop off point to give us a few safety pointers. Number 1, wear your helmet and your life jacket. Number 2, if you fall out of your boat lean back and point your toes in the air. If you don’t your feet will get caught under a rock and you will have to exercise your evolutionary skills and breath through your gills. Number 3, if one of the safety crew is worried about you they will tap their head and if you are okay you should tap your head in response. If you don’t, they will come and rescue you and hold your hand while the ambulance takes 45 minutes to get you evacuated. Imagine Roger’s surprise when he was blatantly breaking the rules by trying to find the bottom of a rapid called surprise with his foot and looking up at George tapping his helmet—and vaguely thinking, “Why is George tapping his helmet?” as the rapids swirled around him.

The next day, Bev and Grace went on a tree top tour, across cable bridges, stopping on platforms looking around the Appalachians and flying down a zip-line. Ben’s skate park sonar kicked in and he went skating. After the near miss in Surprise and a prior near miss in a van in the hills of Mexico with a high center of gravity, (and several stupid gringos that flunked high school physics), Roger decided not to tempt the fates a third time. Also the concept of dying in the air seemed very possible after land and sea nearly did him in.

Off to Gettysburg: we highly recommend going with young children. They are much less likely to give you sass when you insist they stand at the bottom of Little Round Top while you throw rocks at them just to give them perspective. Roger felt quite blessed that he has a family who would tramp around several square miles with him while he teared up with emotion over things unseen and not fully understood. The vacation finished at friends where they took care of some very road weary travelers. Thank you Moe family!

This middle part of the year finished with Bev and Roger celebrating 25 years by doing what we did that day in 1985: square dance with each other and our favorite folks. Eugene Peterson compares the work of the trinity with dancers in a square dance, weaving in and out of each other in intricate, but coordinated movements.  What a joy it was to whirl and twirl with so many of you that have been part of the dance of our lives through the years. Bev tried to run with the momentum of Roger’s enthusiasm after this dance, and invited Roger to a Contra Dancing group that meets in Indy. We have gone once, but some of the moves require making eye contact with strangers; something Roger avoids like ……um …… Bev avoids guys who have B.O and wear skirts . . . oh, yeah, they were there too. Here’s to many more years of dancing!

September: Part 3, 2010. Sharritt’s spreading out in all directions, except, alas, west, to Purdue. Bev and Roger, after finding that aiming their laser-like parental attention on each other leads only to situations involving unwanted eye contact, are discovering a new rhythm to life. We both have set fitness goals, exercising more, and eating food that Roger brings in from his garden. Roger has re-started writing his blog, with great discipline and enjoys readership from here to Turkey! Fall brought Roger’s entry into the world of social networking, allowing him to spread the word about the blog, and to talk smack with his nieces and nephews about holiday dodge ball shenanigans.

Ben’s news: This year I continued studying elementary education at IU, and I am now more than halfway done, hopefully. I went door to door for the census this year, to make sure all of the people were counted, not only did this provide some good exercise in the months of May and June, it also paid for my rent for the whole summer. I also worked at Woodward Skate Camp this summer, if you have an extra 1000 dollars laying around and have a child that is excited about skateboarding, send them to Woodward, just be wary that your child might O. D. on Red Bull. The camp was not what I expected, but I got to meet a lot of awesome people.

Grace’s news: This spring, after running myself ragged with senior year business, I received a blessing from Ball State University in the form of free schooling. Ball State was a place I never seriously considered, but I love it there. I’ve made a lot of new friends and experienced new things like musical puppet shows, skydiving, swing dancing, goodwill pranking, and one a.m. fire alarms. I’m getting ready for spring semester and a trip to Rome and London for the summer followed by (hopefully) a year of study abroad in Ghana. I have never been so excited about my life.

When Ben left for college two years ago, we wrote him that it was like he was going through a door where he could keep his life private from us except those parts that he wanted to  show us. With Grace’s departure, it became truer for us. They are learning to time the telling of their adventures with their folks (Grace, you tell us AFTER you go skydiving, not before!)  We love the people they are becoming.

Adventure, heartache, uncertainty, success, there is so much more to share but so little time. We hope that your life adventures both confront and restore you!

 The Sharritts

Twas the night after finals?

Twas eight days before Christmas when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse,

The cupboards were stuffed. The fridge, it was full

In hopes into the drive the children would pull

The children had nestled at IU and Ball State

With visions of going out on a date,

And I in my sweats and Bev in her PJ’s

Had just gone to bed at 9:00 on a Friday

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter

Ben on his skateboard the silence did shatter

Into the kitchen he strode then did stumble

Tore open some chips as his tummy did rumble.

The moon shone bright on six new inches of snow

Making me think that to Tampa, I should go.

I would  have moved too until I realized

That In-state tuition is really the prize.

Two nearly grown progeny so lively and slick

We knew in a moment that we must act real quick.

More rapid than reindeer the doggies they came

I whistled and shouted and called them by name

Now Lucy, Now Henry, Now Hugo stop barking

We know a strange car in the drive is out parking

Up to the porch, on through the door

Please kids, don’t leave your wash on the floor.

(I am omitting a couple of lines as the bard

Cause I’ve found that this task is really quite hard)

So on up the stairs the children they flew

Their arms full of stuff but no presents for you

Then in a second I heard from upstairs.

The Bare Naked Ladies were starting to blare

As I turned to Bev and started to pout

“Turn down the sound” she yelled with a shout.

Dressed all in sweats was our daughter Grace

Off to the laundry she started to race.

That bundle of cloths tied up in a pack

She looked like a Sherpa who had just lost her yak.

The couch----how it beckoned! The afghan: how cozy.

I was all covered up. My cheeks turning rosy.

“Come on down here kids, grab me a coke

No I really mean it. It wasn’t a joke.”

“Tell us your story. How were your grades?

Tell us about all the friends you have made”

Mom’s making breakfast what would you like?

Biscuits and gravy. But what’s for tonight?

Go look in the cupboard, there are some baguettes.

But keeping you full, there may be regrets

So much to share and so little time

We’ll stay up way late, way on past nine.

They’ll miss their friends, we’ll miss the quiet

For them it’s all facebook, but to us sounds of riot.

One week's okay, two weeks a stretch

Parents cramp our style when they ask us to fetch.

We’ll poke and we’ll tease, then have serious talk,

Ineffable love keeps us close in our walk.

In two weeks they’ll exclaim as they drive out of sight.

Great Christmas Break to all, you all are alright.

Take Care

Roger

Whew!?

Whew! I am so glad to be back.

Christmas preparations are so time consuming. Last weekend we were overwhelmed by them.  Getting the tree, going Christmas shopping, and Grace had some friends visit from college for the weekend. Also, the snow last weekend really turned up the pressure on my preparations for a long winter’s nap. We burn wood to heat our house and water. The system trades efficiency for safety. The firebox is outside. It heats water and pumps it through insulated tubing into the house where we use it to keep warm and toasty. The quantity of wood needed for this operation is large and takes the determination of Henny Penny as she worked that wheat crop during the summer and fall in preparation for that loaf (get it? worked hard and loaf) of bread.

In an average year, the weather turns really cold around December 15. I have a goal to start cutting wood around Labor Day and put the last log on the stack on December 15. Then I put on my cap and settle down in the man cave and come out March 15 get my summer wood pile cut for hot water.  But it appears this year that the cold came a couple of weeks early and I may have to look for a window of opportunity during a mild break in deep winter.

All of that stuff took up the time allotted for writing. That was last weekend. This weekend it is raining in Indiana (for my international readers). So I am yours for the next however long.  The weather channel has posted its severe winter weather warning for the flurries we might be receiving tomorrow. I do believe that the advent of the weather channel has been a bad thing overall. Sure who doesn’t like seeing Jim Santore being blown sideways with a back drop of pounding surf during hurricane season.  And I never get tired of seeing a tornado racing across the Kansas prairie.

But every time I turn around they are warning me to get eggs, milk and bread at the supermarket because the next big snow is just around the corner, and everyone needs their French toast. Usually it is for nothing. It seems to me that we are much better prepared for the weather than we were 30 years ago. Our vehicles are much safer and reliable. We have cell phones, under armor and thin-sulate. So why do the folks at the Weather Channel try to keep us worked up with these warnings. Back in the bad old days, if we were stranded on a rural country road, the drifts would be high enough that we would walk over to the nearest telephone pole, bend over and use our trusty lineman’s handset to call out the emergency crews. And thin-sulate sminsulate, we used to stay warm by putting 30 lbs of cloths on and utilizing the shear exertion of moving that much wool and cotton around to generate body heat to keep warm. And trust me, I never kept my chestnuts protected by under armor. That’s why we roasted them on an open fire.  Toasty.

And what happened when we had no forewarning with the blizzard of 78? Thousands of people were stranded in our homes for a week with nothing to eat, a few decks of cards, and a 1000 piece puzzle that had one edge piece missing. Argh!  What did we do? I’ll tell you what we did. We cheated at solitaire, we turned the house upside down looking for that one piece, we ate our young, and made new ones. How many of you are 32 years old and have a vague sense that you had older siblings that no one ever talks about.  Weird.   

Whew! It is good to get back. I just needed to get that off my chest.

Take Care,

Roger