Sharp Family Video

We were a little bored around here today so Adam, the kids, and I donned some costumes and recorded a little ditty for everyone.


Make sure your volume is turned up because there's music.


Click HERE to view. Hope you enjoy!

transcripts from the beginning of the holidays

Me: Why are you guys all late to class today?
Student: Because it's cold.

(????? - and that is the kind of logic that pervades my life right now.)

Student: "That's not like 'an eye for an eye'; that's like 'an eye for a head.'" (what?)

Student: "How long are we going to be doing philosophy in this class?"
Me: "When you registered at the beginning of school, did you happen to notice that Humanities has a philosophy textbook?"
Student: "Well, I guess that's fine, but I didn't know we were going to be reading it."

Yesterday, I got to school and it was 86 degrees in my classroom. The boilers were running non-stop, and the maintenance crew couldn't figure out how to turn them off. I was tempted to have a discussion (since we are studying world religions) about HELL with the students, but instead, I opened all the windows and propped a fan in front of the side door. My armpits have not yet recovered from yesterday, but here I am again this morning. The heaters are rattling ominously. I'm going to start developing my own religion: praying to the boiler gods.

Lines from Student Essays:
"The children are healthy, living children, but ethically, they are not."

"Finally, enough was enough, when his unhappiness came to a great climax, Society, always self-perpetuating, and always adjusting to the Status Quo, dictated to him that he kill himself."
(yes. I, too, often feel that the status quo is encouraging suicide. at least - I feel that way upon reading certain passages from students' papers . . . )

"Bernard is a changed person at the end of the novel, and this is all due to the issue."

"As John learns the ways of this new society, sure, it seems strange that babies are bred in laboratories."

"After John's mother pasts away . . ."

"Someone in the book thought that sex and drugs made them happy; Lenina."


sigh. If I make it through today, I have five mornings in a row on which I do not have to get up at 5:25.

I hope Katie succeeds at her new job because I need all the therapy I can get.

love you guys!!!

happy Thanksgiving!!!

Emily

Good News, Sad News

Well, we have been on a roller coaster ride for the last few weeks with Ben's mother's hospitalization and quick downward spiral until her death on November 12th, at age 89. She was so debilitated these last few months, that I rejoice that she is no longer in discomfort, but I am so sorry to lose her. We did get to see Emily briefly and she was able to see her grandmother before she died. The family is adjusting pretty well and we are definitely looking forward to Thanksgiving with Vicki.

The good news is that Katie has accepted a position with Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare here in Roanoke! We couldn't be happier to have one of our daughters close by. She actually had several offers, but felt that this was her best choice, mainly because of the business's excellent reputation. I like to think she wanted to be near her wonderful family, too!

I hope you are enjoying the slide show addition to the blog - it was a little tricky to install, but I think it's cool. I'll try to switch out the pictures now & then. If you want to email an album, I can try to plug it in.

I am interested in hearing from the rest of the clan! What are you doing for Thanksgiving? How were your birthdays? Will we be seeing you at Christmas? Does a black bear climb trees?

Last Time, I Promise!

I sort of feel afraid that no one has access to this blog anymore - I had to re-join myself! Anyway, about Thanksgiving...sorry, I do promise not to mention this again. I just want to make sure you out-of-towners (and in towners!) know that we have plenty of room, plenty of towels, and would love for anyone to spend the holiday with us. In a further effort to lure you to the best Thanksgiving ever, I will reveal the "project" I planned for Thursday: GINGERBREAD HOUSES!!! They will already be built. Your mission, if you choose to do it, will be to decorate one, or two or as many as we have. I'd really like someone to make an outhouse, you know, with a little half moon over the door...wouldn't that be cute? As you can see, I need lots of family help! So, please post your comments on this entry so we can prepare for a wonderful, fun, high-calorie, family get-together. It's been too long since we were all together. Love, love, love you all! ~V~

Eloise Snead

We just wanted to let everyone know that Ben's sweet mother passed away early Monday morning. Her memorial service will be on Friday at 2pm in Lynchburg. Please keep them in your prayers.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Hello, Family! :) Wow, time passes so darn fast this time of the year - it'll be Thnksgvng before you know it. The weather is so invigorating - I actually WANT to go outside! Halloween was fun. Danny & I, with Livi, Adam , Mary Fowler & Davis, walked down the famous street, STANLEY, whose residents have counted over 500 little goblins on one Halloween night. (I've even heard 600, could be true...) It was amazing how these people handled the crowds. Most of them had tables & chairs set up outside on porches or sidewalks with huge pots of treats. The decorations included lots of blinking lights, hundreds of pumpkins, large dark passages, and one house had a big screen set up showing old Bewitched shows! It was totally entertaining for all ages, but the best prop was that lots of us grownups had big cups of Halloween cheer to take the chill off! It's surprising how good a gin&tonic tastes while strolling down a hap-hap-happily decorated street full of laughing kids & adults. I will definitely be there next year with or without Davis & Mary Fowler, and you're all invited too! Pacie, I hope your birthday was great, I did drink to you a few times. I will see you all, if not before, then definitely on Thanksgiving Day BY 3pm. Earlier is always better. Games will start as soon as 2 people show up and I've got a surprise "project" for you. Don't worry, it's fun, optional, and you can take it home with you! No, it's not a puppy... I love you all, am pretty sure "it will stay that way" and can't wait to see you on T.D. ~V~