Dear Blog and Christmas Card Reader.
The Sharritts hope that this finds you doing well. We are fine on
the cusp of the new year. The lovely Miss Beverly leapt into the 2nd of her 3
half-century time blocks, and we both like the view from our fifties. One of
our favorite exercises when we lead a small group or study at church is to have
folks draw a timeline of their lives and mark 5-10 events significant in some
way to share with the group. Besides giving Roger a chance to recount his
bitter defeat in the 8-year-olds 4H cookie competition, the exercise opens a
window to zoom out on the big picture of life.
Ben, Grace and Chris continue to light up their worlds and make mom and
dad thankful that they compose our future nursing home admittance committee. When
we draw our own timeline, we start to glimpse our 85 year retirements (150 life
expectancy - 65 retirement age = 85 years of retirement) slowly approaching.
Just a fuzzy dot on the future timeline, but feeling the downward rush of
gravity on this side of over the hill--enjoying the wind in our face.
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| Nursing home committee |
The Sharritts hope that this finds you doing well. We are fine on
the cusp of the new year. The lovely Miss Beverly leapt into the 2nd of her 3
half-century time blocks, and we both like the view from our fifties. One of
our favorite exercises when we lead a small group or study at church is to have
folks draw a timeline of their lives and mark 5-10 events significant in some
way to share with the group. Besides giving Roger a chance to recount his
bitter defeat in the 8-year-olds 4H cookie competition, the exercise opens a
window to zoom out on the big picture of life.
Ben, Grace and Chris continue to light up their worlds and make mom and
dad thankful that they compose our future nursing home admittance committee. When
we draw our own timeline, we start to glimpse our 85 year retirements (150 life
expectancy - 65 retirement age = 85 years of retirement) slowly approaching.
Just a fuzzy dot on the future timeline, but feeling the downward rush of
gravity on this side of over the hill--enjoying the wind in our face.
We made a wide, sharpie-sized mark on our timelines this past
summer becoming volunteer hosts for Safe Families, an organization that works
with families in crisis outside of the courts and foster care system. Their
philosophy is based on Biblical hospitality and restoring families.
After the vetting process, during which Roger managed not to rub
his hands together too gleefully at the prospect of a new garden workforce, we welcomed
a family into our quiet, uncomplicated nest in September, soon followed by
connections with their extended family and their community. We have many
stories to share. The intersection of these many timelines has disrupted and
enriched our lives in big ways.
Sometimes the intersection looks like this:
And sometimes it looks more like this:
Roger also stepped his toe across an important age milestone this
year. In early July, his timeline inched past the length of his father, Lloyd's
who died too young. It is milestone for most men when they surpass their
fathers in any endeavor. Ben remembers fondly the day he grew taller than
Roger. Roger certainly felt the sting of being eclipsed by Ben and did
everything that he could to keep it from happening; including rubbing Ben's
feet with shortening every evening before bed from 8th grade on. So at 53 years
and 15 days, Roger took a deep breath and came out of his protective cave.
The Sharritt world expanded with an opportunity to grow produce
for the church's weekly community dinner. The premise was simple. Every
Thursday night the church would provide a free meal to anyone who would show
up. Some lovely people stepped up to do the cooking and clean up each week. The
lovely Miss Beverly and Roger had a vision that they could provide fresh
produce weekly in season. After a nine year hiatus, Roger still remembered how
to order bulk seed from the garden seed catalog. Bev encouraged temperance.
Roger committed to the tilling, planting, and weeding. The lovely Miss Beverly
agreed to do the thing that Roger does not like, which is picking. (is it any
wonder the market gardening didn't work out? What farmer doesn't want to pick
and get it to market?)
t took a while. The tiller and hoes had to be overhauled and sharpened,
and glorious spreadsheets built for planting/harvest schedules. In May, we
invited the kids from the after-school childcare ministry out to set out the
tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. True, the rows were a bit haphazardly spread
throughout the garden, but Roger calmed down and we were in business.
There was also a bit of customer education to accommodate, as the
menu prior to our contribution only included anemic vacuum packed bags of
iceberg lettuce. "Yes, that dark green stuff is lettuce." By the end
of the season, those eating were taking more arugula and mizuna greens mix than
the iceberg stuff. The green beans with sausage and potatoes were a big hit. We
were sorely reminded that it takes a lot to feed a village. By a lot we mean 40
lbs of potatoes and 60 lbs of green beans. Roger wanted to help the lovely Miss
Beverly do all of that harvesting but agreements were agreements. She managed
to corral some kids into picking with her, but for the most part, the good
thing to do sometimes became the hard thing to do. We had a bumper crop of delicata winter
squash, but no matter the amount of education, winter squash casserole did not
make it past the menu committee.
June took us to Seattle for nephew James' high school graduation.
Having learned our lesson, we flew to Seattle. We also took our time and
enjoyed a week of vacation in the environs of the Pacific Northwest. We found a
cycling tour guide and took a fantastic riding tour of Bainbridge Island. Our
guide was living the life of biking through beautiful scenery for pay. He
showed us a cove where our hearty forefathers had cut down trees, floated them
through the sound and chopped them into huge beams. The one picture that he
showed us was of a finished timber about 16 by 16 ft. He also had a very wry
sense of humor. As we started riding after a brief stop for pictures of the
Seattle skyline, he pointed out that the next hill was very
"walkable" (translation: straight up and down.) Mr tour guide was a bit of a show off as he
rode up to the top, rode halfway back down to see that we were able to walk up
the hill. Reconnaissance completed, he turned back around and rode the hill to
wait on us.
Next, we explored San Juan Island. (I was very surprised that
Puerto Rico was located in the Pacific Northwest. I guess there is no
substitute for traveling). We waited on a pod of Orca that mocked us with their
absence, strolled through a lavender farm on the verge of full purple, and ate
a great meal on the island. The lovely Miss Beverly searched out a mountain
hike to a serene Alpine lake an hour east of Seattle. The hike from the trail
head was listed as moderate and about an hour long. These things are relative.
In hoosier land compared to our Turkey Run or Brown County State Park trails,
it would have been considered a defcon 5 and hold the nitro glycerin tablets by
my fellow elephant-ear-eating midwestern kinsmen. However, the view of the lake
surrounded by snow melting peaks was a balm to my tired feet and weary limbs.
The lake had the clearest purest water that Bev and Roger had ever seen. It was
amazing. We may never see a more beautiful sight in our next 100 years and that
would be okay.
Our third trip of the year took us to Iowa. In late July, Roger,
Ben, Chris, and the lovely Miss Beverly decided that it would be good to ride
across the great state of Iowa. Over time, I continue to search for
opportunities to participate in big rides. This year we set our eyes on
RAGBRAI. (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). Imagine 20,000
people hopping on a bike, stopping every few miles to drink beer to be followed
a few more miles down the road to water the first few rows of the nearest corn
field. (We had plenty to choose from it being Iowa and all.) The lovely Miss
Beverly agreed to be Support and Gear for the ride. Chris, Ben, and Roger would
not have made it without her tearing down the tent, washing the breakfast
dishes, driving to the next town, finding the nearest Y with shower facilities,
setting up the tent, getting supper ready. She was fantastic. 480 miles across
Iowa on a bike, in a week. It was so much fun.
All of those great vacation memories and we still weren't finished. Our expanded family expanded a little further with a trip to a rented house at the Indiana Dunes on beautiful Lake Indiana. We met Kelly and Kevin Moe, explored the local sites and restaurants and sat on the beach. It was Columbus Day weekend. Thankfully everyone looked at their calendars and not their thermometers and we had the beach nearly to ourselves and the balmy 70 degree weather.
Bev took a creative journey last spring on a challenge from niece
Cyndi Rae and nephew Jon. She did the 100 day challenge of choosing a creative
pursuit (using the hundreds of fabric pennants from the Kozak wedding) and
making something new or at least work on something each day. Her favorite
projects were making jester hats for the dogs, and this crib quilt for a former
intern's 4th baby. 
What a great ride for the year. As our timeline stretches into our middle 50 years, our line looks more like a tree with branches through the garden, a visit at family milestones and and rejuvenation with beautiful scenery. It was a road that led Roger on 5001 miles riding a bike and the lovely Miss Beverly on igniting a passion for creating with pennants from past highlights. Finally, it led to opening our house and lives to a family in need. It is a timeline with many twists and turns, and highlighted with many blessings.
Take Care
Roger and Bev.
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