"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands . . . so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders." ~ 1 Thess 4:11-12
Who Am I?
I graduated summa cum laude from Huntington College with a B.S. in Computer Science and again, six years later, from Huntington University with a B.A. in Contemporary Church Music.
I now live in the middle of nowhere. No, really, I do. On my stretch of road there is only the farm where I live. There are two houses on the property, some barns and cows. There are corn fields all around and I once had a customer ask if I received Fed-Ex deliveries (which I do).
I live with my husband, Clint, our dogs, Oscar (a St. Bernard) and Bentley (a Heinz 57), and some fish (which I refer to as the sushi bar - how many people do you know with a 50-gallon fish tank in their dining room?).
Life on the Farm
I live on a farm and my husband is a dairy farmer. I started collecting cow figurines before I met my husband. When we met, I knew it was a match made in heaven.
A quick story - I was at a pet store buying a brush for my dog (a different St. Bernard) and I was standing in line to pay for it. A table was set up nearby with a dog food display. The sales rep started talking to me and asked what kind of dog I had. I told him and he grabbed a bag off the table and told me about the natural ingredients and that my dog wouldn't use the bathroom as often and it wouldn't look like a herd of cows lived in my back yard. I looked him straight in the eye and said, "But I do have a heard of cows living in my back yard." He ended the conversation right there.
My Last Names
Since I have been married, my name has been misspelled so many times, that I thought I'd share them all with you (the correct spelling is Sara Phares pronounced "ferris" like the wheel). Just when I think it's been butchered for the last time someone else finds a way.
- Pharis
- Ferris
- Farris
- Thares - I never knew P as in Paul was the same as T as in Tom
- Pharase
- Julie Ferris - this is a personal favorite
- Speres
- Pheres - this is probably the most common, I can quickly decipher junk mail with this one.
- Sahra - I even told the guy there was no 'h' at the end of my name. Guess he thought it should be in there somewhere.
- Pharen - this would be how our local newspaper bills my husband.
- Pharef - Gotta love Papa John's. I even remember my husband telling them - "P-H-A-R-E-S, no, S, no S".
- Paras - I guess the h is optional.
- Pharris
- Fares
- Phairs
- Pharas
- Pharer
- Phers
- Pharse
And of course, my first name usually has an "h" added to it. I consider myself a non-Biblical Sara, which provides a humorous way for people to remember.
Some customers address mail to me like this!
My Hobbies
As much as I enjoy my work and my customers, I do on occasion, take time for myself. I enjoy baking, but I am currently on a gluten-free diet, so I don't bake as much as I used to. I love to sing and I teach piano and voice lessons two days a week. I am the worship team leader at my church and I lead a women's singing group called "Grace Notes".