The winner of the 4th annual limerick contest is?

Hello all, 

It’s the Lovely Miss Beverly with the results for the 2016, 4th annual limerick contest held in honor of the late Doyle Hoover, my dad, who loved limericks. This year’s theme was love—it was tempting to go with politics, but only tempting in a “let’s stare at the accident” kind of way. 

Thank you to all of the family and friends who penned their passions for everything from kittens to their cousin’s dance moves. The entries came slowly early in the week, but the procrastinators came through with a surge of brilliance in the last 24 hours. It is not easy to express love in this compact form, but your expressions made us laugh about pig riding and pig landings, and sigh with love confessed for brothers, and the remembered hard work and joy of baling hay.

Late July brings the image of hay-making alive for many of you; from the childhood tumble-down construction of bale forts in the hay mow to the adolescent memories of watching the sweaty, sexy farm hands stack bales on the wagon. 

There were tributes to my mom and dad, with nuanced references to a love that led to eight kids—one of my favorite rhyme schemes this year was Bill’s use of “farmer”, “charmer”, and “alarmed her” that had nice story appeal. Another rhyme triplet worth mention was Danielle’s use of “harried”, “married”, and “carried” expressing her relief in no longer being interrogated by Aunties about her love life.

It’s good to know what we don’t love, by way of contrast, to help us appreciate ice cream, caresses, and bike gadgets, so we valued Patty and Grace’s mention of humidity and head lice.

Jane and Chris took on the challenge of describing true love with the paradox of the work and endurance needed to love (for example, in combing out lice in a loved one’s hair), and the effortlessness that love embodies when it takes flight—as easy as reaching your toes to the sky on that childhood summer swing. 

This week of creative play is becoming a part of the Sharritt summer rhythm—when the hollyhocks bloom it’s time to come up with a theme, then after Ben’s birthday just a couple of days until posting, leading up the early August judging sometime between a squeezed-in vacation or day at the State Fair. Like summer, we look forward to this contest, soak it in, and then move on the structure and schedules of fall. 

This year we chose a gold, silver and bronze winner from the 37 entries, with scores clearly elevating them to the pie podium. Cue the Olympic music!

In third, from 2014’s winner, Bill Hoover:

The aroma of morning mown hay

Fresh smell after summer stormy day.

All things that I miss,

Country living was bliss,

Pleasant memories are with me to stay.

In second, from last year’s winner, Judy Boggs:

The Hoovers were quite a hot number.

Eight kids left them no time for slumber.

With a house full of love,

And the good Lord above,

There seemed nothing, at all, could encumber.

And this year’s golden crust pie winner! Bonita Hoover:

They make fun of my bingo addiction.

I know it’s a crazy affliction.

But the friends that I made,

For the money I paid,

I could write a book better than fiction.

Take care
Bev