Sharry Miller

Freedom with Fear

As our group of 11 women walked down the Wagon Trail in Valdez, someone commented on the number of bear scat piles we'd seen. I hadn't thought it was that many, six or so in two miles, but I suppose if you're not used to them, that's a lot. Another asked if we should be worried. I replied, "None of them were steaming, were they?" Later that evening, at the final dinner for this Adventures... Read more →

Loving Vicariously

As the mother of a teenage daughter, I often find myself not frustrated with outbursts of teen angst, but rather jealous of her. She’s a wonderful young woman with so much potential that will carry her wherever she wants to go in life. As I start the second half of my life, I’m envious of her beginnings. Just a little. I’d never want to be 15 again, trust me. Recently I’ve been jealous for another... Read more →

Nicaragua - Unica y Original

That Nicaragua was going to live up to its tagline (Nicaragua - Unique...Original) was clear as soon as we got to the airport in Managua. First, everything was spotlessly clean, even the bathrooms which were supplied with ample quantities of toilet paper, not a given in Latin America. Granted, we still had to throw toilet paper in a garbage can rather than flushing it, but some things never change. Second, the people were so quiet... Read more →

Giving My Daughter Wings

The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard. ~Sloan Wilson As I type this, Rowan is on a plane winging her way to Minneapolis, and then, after a long layover involving the Mall of America, she'll be flying on to London.... Read more →

Young Adult Psychology According to Me

It was inevitable given her parentage: my daughter, Rowan, is a reader. An avid reader. She spends the vast majority of her spare time either reading (and rereading again and again) books or reading fan fiction and Pinterest posts about those books. I often wonder if the words that come out of her are her own or if she's just quoting the internet. She talks about the books she reads so much - relating plots,... Read more →

Las Vegas for Rowan

Monday I headed to Las Vegas with my mom and mother-in-law for the Glass Craft and Bead Expo, four days of workshops and exhibits, mostly about art glass, but with a few other odds and ends thrown in, as well. Classes didn't start until today (Wednesday), so yesterday the moms and I headed off to explore the Strip. (We're staying at the South Point Hotel and Casino which is pretty far off the main drag.)... Read more →

Going Buggy

Rowan and I had great fun over the last few days creating an Eastern Pondhawk, more properly known as Erythemis simplicicollis. She had an assignment for science to make a model of an insect that was at least 12 inches long and was as realistic as possible. I don't think we did too badly with a bit of papier-mâché, paint, tissue paper, and glitter. It is, by the way, a female. The male is quite... Read more →

Passions

I remember it so well. The surge of adrenaline that doesn't fade until after you collapse into bed. The excitement that spikes and spikes again higher. The pure joy of being surrounded by friends who all share your passion, and who, just for a night or two, are all riding the same high you are. You're all manic and silly and loud and alive! I feel the rush again as I watch my daughter ride... Read more →

I Am Woman; See Me Repair!

F2, SUD - codes to make a woman's blood run cold. I had no idea what they meant, but my washing machine kept flashing them at me just as it quit spinning and draining right after the wash cycle, but before the rinse. Thank the gods for the internet! I did a search for the two codes in conjunction with my machine, a Whirlpool Duet HT. A handy YouTube video indicated what the problem might... Read more →

Building Self-Esteem

"You're going to write a blog post about this now, aren't you?" It was really more of a statement than a question, and she said it with an assumption of rightness rather than resignation. Rowan simply assumed that her attending the local TBA theater camp for the sixth year was important enough that I had to write about it. I just smiled and gave some noncommittal answer. The conversation made me think, however. Rowan's assumption... Read more →