Sharry Miller

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 →

Welcome to the Family, Scout!

Thane and I got our first dog, Shuvik, a year before we got married. We had just started living together after several years of a very tumultuous relationship, so perhaps she was the first real sign of our commitment to each other, not that we saw her that way then. To our 23-year-old selves, she was simply the perfect little bundle of fur we needed to help fill our cold Fairbanks cabin. She remained the... Read more →

Visiting Maui

The problem with vacationing in a place like Hawaii is that there isn't really much to write about when all you're doing is spending the day hanging out on the beach. I know, I know, I'm getting no sympathy. Trust me, I'm not complaining. Not every trip can be Peru or Bhutan, and that's okay with me. Anyway, we're spending Christmas vacation in Maui, the three of us and Thane's mom, Carol. We have a... 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 →

Say it Now, Not Later

I am debating writing this post, even as I type the words. I feel as if I'm taking advantage of someone else's tragedy to expound upon my personal thoughts, but apparently I'm saying, "so be it." I had the misfortune-pleasure-honor of attending a memorial service last night for the first time in over 11 years. The last was for my father-in-law who died after a long illness in his mid-60s. Last night's celebration of life... Read more →

A Bitter End

I had mentally drafted such a joyous blog post for this wonderful Saturday. I'd been thrilled to make it home from a three-day drill not too late last night, so I was able to help at Rowan's swim meet this morning. Commitments out of the way, I looked forward to making the most of a beautiful day. By noon, the sun was shining bright, the winds had chosen to visit somewhere else, and the thermometer... 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 →

Old Friends, New Lives, and Guilt

High school friends having a mid-winter indoor beach party in Alaska. That's me in the black and white polka dots. Pretty scary, huh? Thane leaned over to me and whispered, "Isn't that..." while subtly leaning his head to left. I glanced down the bleachers and nodded. "Yes," I whispered back, "that's L." He scooted down the bench and starting talking to the woman while I walked over to her other side. I saw the light... Read more →

Rescues

Monday morning dawned clear and sunny for the first time after a week of rain and ice. It looked to be a perfect day to mount a helicopter rescue. I guess there's no place to start but the beginning. On Sunday, January 12, my dear hubby Thane was caught in an avalanche. I haven't mentioned this adventure before now because Thane asked me not to. I think he was hoping to keep it quiet, but... Read more →

Hello Home

I'm going to cheat and jump ahead in the tale I've promised over and over to tell. Just 41 hours ago I finally made it home from Peru. I promise, once again, to tell you all about my adventures over the past three weeks, but first I need to express gratitude for making it back home. I was supposed to leave Cusco, Peru last Thursday afternoon at 4:55, but just as we were about to... Read more →