Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness

to the future.  Happy work is best done by the man who takes

his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment

to moment "as to the Lord."  It is only our daily bread that we

are encouraged to ask for.  The present is the only time

in which any duty can be done or any grace received.

from: Virtue and Vice

by: C.S. Lewis

Thanksgiving 2013

All sorrows are less with bread.

from: Don Quixote

by: Miguel de Cervantes

There can be no doubt that each person  who traveled over the river and thru the woods to this grandmothers house for Thanksgiving this year, will have a different take on how the day looked and went. (In fact, it would have been fun to take a survey of adjectives that our visitors would  use to describe it.) This is the beauty of family get-togethers I suppose.
The following is my take on the  gathering.
There was a great deal of traveling involved with this Thanksgiving. Grandmas try not to worry about all the traveling...there's those highway speeds and driver error and the overall margins for catastrophe  in such undertakings. My Mom and Dad, and Joe and Natalie will get this years prize for traveling the longest distances....all the way from St George.  (and may I just say it again...It will never cease to amaze me that we can travel the whole length of this great state in just one day...in just a fistful of hours. I still imagine the pioneers and anyone else taking this trek, before the invention of the steam engine... and it took weeks of toil and trouble. Its a marvel that will always marvel.)
Im so grateful that my folks went to the trouble and expense to join us. It would not have been a complete celebration without them. I can only now imagine  the adjectives my folks would use to describe their visit here. I think they spent the greater part of their time here in stunned amazement at how much motion and noise can exude from such small little bodies of kinetic energy known as great grandchildren. Mom was ever the busy bee, wanting to help wherever she could and dad was once again the Master Turkey Chef!! Our 29 lb turkey..which quickly became a 30+lb turkey after being stuffed with his prize winning dressing, was once again a divine hunk of white and dark moist meat!! YUM!!! Thanksgiving isnt Thanksgiving without Dad's turkey!!
Gratitude is a paltry  word to use when I think about the journey Joe and Natalie took to get here. Over rivers and thru woods was the easy part Im sure..what with 3 rambunctious boys in the back of the mini-van. As far as Im concerned it was 48 hrs. of bliss once they got here. Wishing it could have been longer was fruitless...so Im staying grateful that we had them all at once. To have them under the same roof sharing breakfast, and smiles and making crafty things ...plus their sharing with us their HAPPY,HAPPY news about another beautiful baby joining their family in July was bliss on top of bliss!!  My major inroad with this dear family....was holding Beckham with nary a squeal!! In fact I was able to squeeze a sheepish grin from those adorable chubby cheeks!!! Score!!! Another lovely addition that came with Joe and Nat was Natalie's little brother Zac. Oh what a little gentleman that 11 yr old is. We were delighted to share our table with him and to get to know him a little better!!
Next visitor..who I suppose has a legitimate case to plead for the prize for traveling great distances would be sweet Lucie Lou, Davids daughter. Lucie now live in the boondocks of central Nevada. It was quite the drive for David to go and get her. We sure are glad he did though...for Lucie is a gem of a girl and her sweet face added beauty to our Thanksgiving table and celebration!! We are grateful that she gets to stay with us until Sunday!!
Clark and Jenna and Brian and Mericar were the next guest to arrive. Their travels thru woods and over rivers happened in the wee hours of the night...and I missed their actual arrival for I can no longer keep a  late night vigil. I didnt hear a peep in fact. I didnt hear the air pump blowing up the air mattress in the very next room. I didnt hear whispers or the goodnight kisses. I guess I was sleeping the sleep of the dead. But oh what fun to have young love under the same roof as ours. What a blessing it is to have such fine young ones amongst us!!
And last, but certainly not least, dear Brent and Kelly and kids arrived, having made the journey from Salt Lake bearing arm loads of goodies and smiles galore!! What a welcomed addition to our our feast!! More beautiful faces at our table and a crockpot full of heavenly yams  and leafy greens to boot!! Once again words will not express how welcomed their visit was for us!
Anna and David were perfect hosts.  Anna finds great joy and satisfaction in cooking for the masses. Her carrot cake will go down in history along side Grandpa Sharps turkey. Their sweet little Will will be remembered as  the 'prince of the ball'. The copious contents of their fridge will always be remembered as satisfying.  David acted as the outdoor ringmaster. The kids would follow him anywhere...even when the temps were cold outside!!
So all that was missing from our near perfect Thanksgiving celebration was dear Rob and Chels this year. Traveling over rivers and thru woods just wasnt in the cards for them this year.  They were sorely missed. Perfection is a hard thing to achieve...but boy were we close this year!!
The following is time lapse photo/video that clever Clark set up...unbeknownst to me!! It too is near perfection in my eyes. These are the days that sparkle as magnificent gems in our often dull crowns of life.

 Thank you all, for coming.

I feel sometimes as if I were a child who opens its eyes on the world

once and sees amazing things it will never know any names for and then

has to close its eyes again.  I know this is all mere apparition compared

to what awaits us, but it is only lovelier for that.  There is a human beauty

in it.  And I cant believe that, when we have all been changed and put on

incorruptibility, we will forget our fantastic condition of mortality and

impermanence, the great bright dream of procreating and perishing that

meant the whole world to us.  In eternity this world will be Troy, I believe,

and all that has passed here will be epic of the universe, the ballad they

sing in the streets.  Because I dont imagine any reality  putting this one

in the shade entirely, and I think piety forbids me to try.

from: Gilead

by: Marilynne Robinson

I kissed them once and then again- and then again

and again.  How can there ever be enough?  But

before I blow out the candle, I vow to remember

this, this night, to remember what whatever life

holds, it is really only this that matters, this fullness of heart.

from: The Many Lives & Secrets of Josephine B

by: Sandra Gulland

Lost my camera before Thanksgiving...alas...no Thanksgiving pictures of the whole gang.
Found my camera on the morning of Anna's baby shower...whew


Thanksgiving was a wonderful affair. Many hands make light work. 2 turkeys, funeral potatoes, pumpkin pie, plus all the in-betweens!!!
Tables in the front room, decorated by Lucie; kids on the golf-course, without their coats; grandson taking a dip in the fountain....Good times!! Good memories!!! Many thanks to all those that pitched in and traveled here to make the season bright and fun and delicious!!



And even though it makes Anna uncomfortable, just like her mom, being the center of attention, she is so grateful to reap the benefits of such generosity from friends and family at her shower.
And...she didnt cry... even though the package of booties nearly did her in. She seems to hardly believe that in 2 short months she's going to be the mother of a baby boy.
Burp clothes, bibs, blankets of every variety, buntings, and darling outfits seemed to have done the trick of making it all more real for her.

Daughter in laws with talent oozing from every pore and great big hearts were the ones who paid attention to the details of the shower...Which of course made all the difference.
I was in charge of the food. Which had nothing to do with the above pictured cake pops!!!! How adorable and yummy are they!?!!?!! Not to mention the garlands and tissue paper pom-poms hanging from the ceiling!!! Thank you Natalie and Chelsea!!!

hand-knitted booties by Grandma Sharp!! adorable!!!

Last Week in Review....

I'd like to buy the world a home and furnish it with love,

Grow apple trees, and honeybees, and snow-white turtle doves.

I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony,

I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company.

-Coke ad 1977

Lachlan and Lois making perfect traveling companions.

Lois making improvements after scaring us with unsuspected heart issues!!

Lisa begins her battle once again with  Melanoma. There is no such thing as too many prayers!!

Brothers reunited, 90th birthday party, and family reunions!!

(some beautiful random baby...love it!!)

Two books read in 2 weeks.

Best Vietnamese Pho ever!

Hot Flashes intensifying...sheesh!!!

Alfalfa can have TOO MUCH protein

Kids that are good, loving, and attentive...we are blessed.

 Daniel was ordained a priest...with excellent examples surrounding him!!

 Stephenson Family Picture...missing Mark terribly!!!

Stephanie's birthday!!  Did I already say..."cousins are awesome!!"

Lucie's company for a few day!!! Lucky us!!!

Baby Boy Benjamin Clark Sherwood...expanding his nest nicely!!

Beautiful Temple Square..with its 180 sister missionaries from around the world and...as many gorgeous zinneas as they have Christmas lights during the holidays!!!

Missed my chance at Havasupi...dang you monsoon season!!! What a waste of a full moon!!!

Toenails and fingernails warn out from hanging on by them for dear life...how much longer Lord??

(i believe this dress makes me look fat!!!) 

Windows open at night...blankets to the chin.

Clarks mullet at BYU...go Spark!!!

Sweet corn...with a side of butter, salt and pepper...perfect meal!!!

Peaches...on homemade icecream, Total cereal, whole and juciy, in sorbet with mint or hot sauce, in salsa!! The best!!!

BYU football....close but no cigar!! (dont I remember there being anything but static on the airwaves between Nephi and Cedar City...we listened to the game the whole way home!! Yeah!!)

Cousins...nieces and nephews....AMAZING Folk!!!

Who knew it took tongue to play the WI?!

Visitors to the Mill are always welcome and strongly encouraged!!  

"Babies" going to BYU Idaho!!! How does it happen!!!???

Stopping in Fillmore on the way home and listening to the wind whip through the weather-stripping of the car and watching it bend the trees... KNOWING and feeling winter in the air.  Its threatening...and I cant win!!!

Guests to hike with for the next 3 weeks!

Zoey's priceless hugs.

Northern Utah is beautiful...Southern Utah is bliss and home!!! I LOVE my red rocks and ancient volcanic action, the blue sage and endless blue skies. Im just plain happier when its 80 degrees or hotter outside!!!