Pearls Before Swine - Oh to be like Rat

Pearls Before Swine - Learning Spanish

Pearls Before Swine - Ever felt like Rat?

Congrats, Natalie!

Warm congratulations to Natalie Reynolds, a friend from my church in Jamaica (St. Andrew Church of Christ).

Natalie, congrats on
- graduating from Ardenne high school
- being class valedictorian
- winning many subject and leadership awards

Keep up the great work! I am proud of you.

God bless,
ks

Ode to Olive K Smith

Here's a poem written by my aunt Monica Gayle in remembrance of her mother - Olive K. Smith. This was recited at Grandma's funeral last year.

-------------------------

Can you see her?
Hat on head
Galoshes on feet
Secatur in hand
She has just been watering her lawn
Now she’s cutting flowers for her vases
Moving quickly as always.
Can you see her?
Smile if you can.

Can you see her?
At her bedside
She is at her morning devotion
Just read her Bible
Now she’s singing a hymn
Can you see her?
Smile if you can.

Can you see her on marketing day?
Getting into that white VW
Do you hear the horn
She’s back.
Can you see her?
Smile if you can.

Can you see her in Sunday dress?
Head tilted; just so
And that elegant walk
Can you see her?
Smile if you can.

Can you see her on her verandah?
She’s reading
There’s the newspaper
She’s read it
She’s doing the crosswords
Can you see her?

Can you see her?
Can you see that pleased smile
Feel her contentment
The grand-children must be there
And the great-grand….the whole family in fact.
Can you see her?
Smile if you can.

Do you see her?
In front of the TV
It’s cricket season, you see
Did you see her move her hand that fast
Was she about to bowl, bat, or catch?
That’s just excitement!
Six runs!! Did you hear her laugh?
Smile if you can.

Mother, nurturer, sister, friend
Now you’ve come to your journey’s end
Memories so dear you leave behind
So many precious gifts come to mind
Teaching by example was your general rule
Except when necessity made the belt your tool
Faith and courage saw you through
Honour and dignity were your hallmarks too
Wisdom distilled from your father Ben
Showed you how and what and when
Filling up vases, your purpose fulfilled
What a legacy on which to build!
We come to celebrate you this day
A life lived, that was more than okay.
Smile if you can.

Thank you Olive Kathleen. I love you. Godspeed. Rest in Peace.

Monica Gayle

Grandma Olive

My grandmother - Olive K. Smith - passed away last year. She is dearly missed. Grandma Olive was the clear matriarch of the family and a great role-model for her family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances. She touched many lives.

My aunt, Monica Gayle (Aunty Kits) , recited a wonderful remembrance at the funeral last year, which I am including below. Aunty Kits, this was truly excellent.

---------------------------------------------

Today, we celebrate the life of Olive Kathleen Smith. Proud to call her mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and sister-in-law are: Brent, Monica, Trevor, Nicola, Lincoln, Veveca, Barbara, Althea, Sydney, Lesley, Gary, Gavin, Craig, Sacha, Karyn, Keri, Tessa, Nesa, Tamii, Luc, Iris, Eunice, Ettie, Minetta and Elsa.

Veveca and Iris could not be here today. Iris asks that we be happy for her sister as she takes her rest.

Olive Kathleen Smith nee Stewart was the thirteenth child born to Benjamin and Eugena Stewart. She came into the world on October 16th, 1916. She was by all accounts a happy child and by her own confession a mischievous one. She learned about responsibility and work early in life, but never lost her sense of fun.

As a young woman she married Samuel Smith and formed a partnership that endured for 61 ½ years. Sam predeceased her in 2002. The union produced four children Brent, Monica, Trevor, and Nicola but Aunt Olive mothered two others- Lincoln and Veveca

She spent her youth at Marion in Donegal, St. Elizabeth. After her marriage she lived at Brighton, St. Elizabeth until she moved to Kingston in 1955.

If you asked my mother how she was, if she was alright, she would invariably answer, “I’m OK in name and nature.” Today I will show you a woman who was teacher, nurturer, chief executive officer, and philosopher all rolled into one. Travel with me and see a lady who was neither ordinary nor simple….. a business woman, a renaissance woman, a God-fearing woman. She was mentor, reader, cricket enthusiast, cook, baker, gardener, sister and friend. This matriarch was first and last our mother and she was more than Ok in name and nature.

She had no letters behind her name and she did not need them. I have conferred many titles on her that were integral to her. She was hardly ever just one in isolation. Her essence is wrapped up in them all collectively.

Her husband Sam introduced her to business and she excelled at it. She brought to it her astuteness as well as her lively, friendly manner. In the early years at Brighton, St. Elizabeth, her shop was a hub of activity. The people in the community shared more than moments of their time doing the necessary shopping. They shared pieces of their lives. Miss Olive, they called her. Everybody knew Miss Olive…. the ministers at church, the politicians, the road workers. She was central to their inter-connectedness.

She always drew people to her because she was interested in them.

So many interesting things I remember. So many stories.

Brain racing faster than tongue could utter, my mother in her inimitable way would work her way through the names of her children before she got to the one she wanted- Lincoln, Brent, Nicky, Trevor! Then stamping her foot- “Trevor, you know it’s you I mean!” Then would come her laughter and the shared memory that her own mother used to do the same thing.

My mother included you in the things she did. If you were there and she was baking or cooking, you were involved in it; grating the zest of limes, breaking eggs or fetching something or other for her, if you could remember which of the five things she was impatiently awaiting. She loved family and family gatherings and she could spread a delightfully mouth- watering table that was also a visual feast. Ever the teacher, she made sure that we learned, so that we would not later shame her. Was she a better baker, or a better cook? She was marvelous at both.

Energy, my mother had energy. She moved quickly. When we were younger we had to work to keep up with her. In her eighties she was still a force to be reckoned with.

Her thoughts often outpaced her words, but she had a fantastic brain. She could cipher and do calculations in her head. Paper and pencil were her calculators. She was a voracious reader. She read widely, broadening her experience in this way. During her Brighton days, my mother had had the good fortune of being a postal reader. The Library service routinely selected and mailed books to readers who lived in outlying districts. She had the chance to read books that some only see on University reading lists. I recall such reading lists and knowing how fond my mother was of Jane Austin and of Pride and Prejudice. I once shared that that was part of my required reading. “That’s one of my favorites,” she said…”that Darcy” naming one of the characters. “I’ve read that book at least four times.” Wonderful!.....so she had to enjoy Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte too? She had read their novels and remembered them. Her passion for reading was just that, a passion and she was unperturbed by the fact that she may have been reading the classics of literature. No limits. She was just being and doing what seemed natural.

She was incredibly smart with words. Crosswords and word puzzles were her forte. Pick up any newspaper at home and you would find the crossword, completed in ink. Challenge her to Scrabble or Boggle at your own peril. She even made sense out of the Jumbleword puzzles.

My mother was very good at making sense out of things. Not one to sit idly by and wring her hands, she was a problem-solver. She found solutions. As chief executive officer (CEO) of her home and business my mother was at her pragmatic best.

While she had her store on Windward Road, ( a store called Renaissance), she would go to work leaving the care of her home to an able household helper who had moved from St. Elizabeth to Kingston with us. This state of affairs progressed in a satisfactory manner for a long while until the trusted helper left to pursue other avenues. My mother hired a series of replacements and after dealing with a long litany of woes and excuses for substandard performance, my mother had had enough. She realized that the situation was untenable and that drastic changes were necessary. This is when our mother, the CEO introduced Thor. She used Thor to teach us many valuable lessons. You could probably find some of them in textbooks on Business Management.

Back to Thor… Thor was powerful and changed our lives. Thor was a washing machine. At that time in Jamaica, washing machines were not in every home. I remember that Thor even had a pedal which when activated would heat water in the machine. So Thor would take care of the laundry- was that enough? My mother had a plan. She knew what was needed to run a household… cleaning, cooking, doing the dishes, washing, and ironing. She designated those tasks to her children. Her expectations were that the tasks would be done and done well, and so she did not micro-manage. Her children learned to negotiate with each other. They learned about task-sharing and task-swapping, and they learned that the more efficient they were, the more time they would have for other pursuits.

This Renaissance woman did not believe in gender specific tasks… no woman’s work/man’s work distinctions for her. She also believed that even the youngest could help. We may have viewed Nicky as our morale booster. She felt that she was in charge of dusting. Lincoln could and can cook. Brent used to know how to seriously iron a shirt and he was the one responsible for going to King Street on a Saturday morning to buy flowers for the house. Trevor and I were multi-taskers. I did more cooking than he did, but I know that we were responsible for breaking a dish or two, here and there.

Today as adults, Nicky and Veveca included, we have her stamp of approval in the home-making arena. She would say that our skills are more than ok. When we reminisce about this time, we are all grateful and we remember the togetherness rather than the work.

The flowers. Your house was clean and your home had flowers in it.

My mother was a gardener. She took pride in her garden. She had an eye for the plants she selected and planted. She had the proverbial green thumb. My mother’s vases were always filled with flowers or greenery of some kind.

She tells a story that is germane to her life and to her philosophy of being. A very good friend once visited her and saw an empty vase on a table and asked “Olive, is that a vase?” When she replied that it was, he asked her why she wasn’t using it for its purpose. That friend was Ivan Shaw, godfather to one of her children, and she would say of him- “He made you want to be better”. I believe that the same can be said of her. Olive Kathleen, the nurturer, the mentor, encouraged those around her to raise the level of their expectations, to fill up the vessel, the vase, with their talents and gifts.

She had an eye for colour and texture, for fabrics and fashion, for the merchandise that would please her customers and keep them coming back for quality and service. Miss Olive always delivered on these at the Renaissance on Windward Road, and when she outgrew that, at Olive’s in Spanish Town. She knew that the mundane had its place, but she preferred her style to make a statement, to be more than just okay….it had to “cut a dash”- to use her own words.

She also had a look, and here I do not mean her personal style, but a look that banished misbehavior and restored good sense to would be delinquents. She always believed that good manners were a necessity and taught us to do the right things even when no one was looking. We believed, as children, that she had eyes in the back of her head. She always seemed to sense when her presence would stave off some misdeed. In later years, we realized that there were no eyes in the back of her head, but rather a very good memory of some of her youthful escapades.

Most Jamaicans can relate to the summer ritual with the castor oil. Our mother would try to sweeten the experience by offering a choice of soft drinks or an orange for the post-traumatic experience, but we noticed that she never left our sides until she had a clean spoon and the castor oil had vanished. You see, she remembered how she may have made the castor oil vanish, once.

Olive Kathleen was a God-fearing woman. She relied on her faith through trials and triumphs. She would say,” You just need to focus on God, and feel Jesus in your heart.” She did not take on airs of piety, she simply referred to herself as a “trying sinner”. My mother never learned how to dissemble. She was open and frank. She would tell you what she liked and didn’t like. She did try to be more tactful over the years. She did not bear grudges either. She was interested in seemingly everything. She loved her grandchildren and they loved her. The tables turned a bit with them scolding her, “Grandma.” You see, they had learned that one word, one look, was sufficient. Gavin between the kiss and the hug would call her “troublemaker”. The grand-daughters bore her, shall we say, scrutiny with good grace even when it became a little, shall we say, “cheeky”.

They all loved her special cherry drink… the one she made from the fruit of the cherry tree growing in the backyard. She beamed all over them with pride when they wanted more. Her other famous brew, they also loved, that punch, which they called the “pink thing”. I am not sure who gets credit for that name, but somehow, inadvertently or not, one of the youngsters got a taste. That youngster later came to grandma for a drink. I don’t know what drink she offered, but she was redirected to the- “the pink thing” … Whenever the “pink thing” was mentioned she would put on her innocent, don’t blame me look, as she chuckled inside.

She was proud of them all, and no less so of her great-grandson, Luc. I remember when Luc was a toddler that he came to visit. Grandma Olive hugged him, cuddled him a bit, and wanting him to know that they were related by blood, she asked him if he could smell the blood. “Smell the blood?” she questioned, and each time she said that, Baby Luc would touch his nose as if to say- I smell it. Those were precious moments.

My mother always loved cricket, and was able to devote more time to it after she retired. She has been known to wake up early and stay up late to watch and listen. She knew the teams, the players, their strengths and weaknesses. She had her favorites. If asked, she could have given the selectors advice. She remained a cricket fan through victory and heartbreak. On one particularly trying Sunday …cricketwise, she expressed her fervent hope that the good Lord would forgive her because her mind had wandered to the cricket during the sermon.

Olive Kathleen Smith was a woman full of passion and humanity.

Good Grief 2

Today's good grief moment brought to you by:

Young whipper snappers who sometimes act too big for their britches

Thanks, Maya

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I
am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Maya Angelou

Good Grief

Today's good grief moment brought to you by...

My temperamental wireless card. Will you please behave?!

Purple

My favourite. Thanks for brightening my world.

Patience Builders

- Verizon Wireless cards that are confused about their purpose for existing, and are choosy about when to give you a signal...waiting 45 mins to send an email has really helped me to build patience

- Long lines at the DMV, US Embassy, Spirit Airlines check-in...where walking away is never an option

- Sitting near to obnoxious or continuously crying child/children on multi-hour flights

-Waiting for Mum's Christmas cake, Family fruit cake and Spiced bun to come out of the oven...they are only delicious when fully baked

-Listening to someone when you don't want to, but have to because you were trained well by Miss Manners

-Extended delay between Season 1 and Season 2 of Big Love

-Waiting for Christmas

- ...

Will it be as good as the first?

I hope so! See you at the premiere...

Tea & Sympathy

Yesterday, Sejal and I enjoyed a wonderful July 4th late lunch at Tea & Sympathy in the West Village, NY. Tea & Sympathy is a highly-rated British restaurant. It seats only 23 people and therefore - as per the sign on the door - the restaurant has strict rules about punctuality. They will not seat you until all members of your party arrive; and woe to any late comer, under no circumstances will you be allowed to join your friends for any lunch/dinner already underway.

We sat in a very cozy room where you really had to be careful about making sudden moves - you could inadvertently kick your neighbour's chair or bounce the waitress. I was positioned right in front of the door, and so enjoyed many chair kicks and bag bounces from the entering and exiting patrons.

The food was great. Sejal had baked beans on toast with cheese. I had salmon salad, gunpowder green tea and butternut squash soup. We both shared scones and jam. Oh, and of course I had to have a glass of one of my favourite drinks - Ribena. Yum. Actually, it was a yum, that first started out as a yuck, when the waitress forgot to pour the right portion of Ribena into the water - we quickly sorted that situation!

When next you are in NY, I recommend that you visit the restaurant. It's a fun, character-filled experience, and the food is delicious.

Happy Belated July 4th!

Peryer Kids

Lesley Smith + Gary Peryer = really cute kids (Luc & Lindsay)

Congrats cousin on your lovely (and photogenic) family!

Love, Keri

Off to Obedience Camp

We welcomed two additions to the family in the last year - Fidel Castro Smith (aka Fiddy) and Dela Smith (homage to Nelson Mandela). We love these energetic, rambunctious dogs. In fact, my sister - Tamii- sent out a "birth" announcement to celebrate Fiddy's arrival to the household. Tamii, we are still waiting for Dela's announcement - we can't show favouritism!

As good parents, we Smiths know when discipline is required. Fiddy wildly runs out into the street, wanders up and down the neighbours lawns, chases cars - all while ignoring repeated shouts of "Fiddy, get inside". Dela chews any newspaper that enters the house, despite scolding. Both dogs selectively choose when to heed "Come", "Down", "Sit", even when coaxed with Excelsior water crackers. An undisciplined child is a danger unto itself. These kids needed hardcore training.

Last week when I was home, I joined the Smith troops on the journey to Doggie Obedience Camp. We trekked to Spanish town to the home of well-known animal trainers. It was a fun ride there, especially with Fiddy and Dela slobbering all over the back of the car, barking at strangers whenever we stopped at traffic lights, pushing their heads over the top of the seats, so that when you turned around you were greeted by long, pink tongues and sharp teeth. We actually contemplated turning back and bathing them before we dropped them off at school - in close quarters, that doggie odour is not very pleasant. Sorry, Fiddy and Dela!

Doggie Obedience camp is run by a husband and wife team at their home. The house is fairly large and is surrounded by several coconut trees and expanses of wild grass. Doggie paradise. We were initially greeted by about 5 dogs when we exited the car. The dogs were a mix of Obedience camp students and family members. We got to understand that the pet family included 9 pit bulls (6 of which are in the really cute puppy phase), roughly 4 other dogs, 13 cats, and 1 dove. All animals seem to have free reign of the house (except for the caged white dove). I don't like dogs in the house, so to see them casually walking around someone's bedroom and living room...well, that must be what true love is about!

After getting over our initial surprise at seeing that many animals at one time, in one house, we became impressed at how the animals obeyed their owner and that they all seemed to get along. We stood one step away from two pit bulls and were not afraid. Friendly pit bulls? We have evidence to show that they do exist. We did get one dose of reality through a brief Tweety and Sylvester moment, when 1 out of 13 cats decided it was time to attack the dove - well, thanks to the cage, the Sylvester wannabe was foiled again! Tweety always wins...

We got an opportunity to learn more about our dogs that day. Dela, the younger of our pair, was very confident. She jumped out of the car and started to play with the new dogs, almost immediately. Fiddy, was nervous and on two occasions jumped back into our car, ready to return home. The trainer mentioned that part of the course will help Fiddy and Dela to have more confidence, so that they are not afraid of new surroundings or uncomfortable when they see new animals, people, objects for the first time. That sounded great, but we really just want them to come when we call them, not eat our newspapers and understand what "stay", "down" and "sit" mean.

We said our goodbyes, some more tear-jerking than others. Tessa kept sighing about leaving her children - it was their first time away from home, and she was torn. Apparently, you are not supposed to have long farewells when leaving dogs at school, some bigwig trainer in the US said this, I don't remember why, but it seemed logical at the time.

My family went back to visit this week and apparently Dela and Fiddy were beyond excited to see them. Fiddy tried to open the grill gate with his paw. I haven't heard much about any improvements in obedience, but at least absence is making their hearts grow fonder.

Fiddy and Dela, please obey your trainers and be great students. You have the family brand to maintain. Plus, we are paying good money for your education!

It can be done

Alive? Then, there is still an opportunity to transform the situation...












Cheers to:

- Jesus Christ
- Nelson Mandela
- Rosa Parks
- Moses
- Martin Luther King
- Bob Marley
- Jamaican Bobsled Team
- Trevor and Althea Smith
- Olive K Smith
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Oprah Winfrey
- Saul/Paul
- David
- Survivors
- Abraham
- Lot
- Job
- John the Baptist
- Marianne Pearl
- Tessa Smith
- Marcus Garvey
- The Maroons
- Tamii Smith
- Reggae Boyz
- Music
- West Indies Cricket Team
- Family
- Infoserv Institute of Technology
- Tony Robbins
- Great friends
- Mentors
- Mr. Irons
- Life lessons
- Ministers
- Church family
- The Bible
- Books
- Education
- Portia Simpson
- Jamaica
- Immaculate Conception High School
- Smith College
- Williams Prep
- St. Gabriels
- Faith
- Positive thoughts
- Extreme sports
- Intelligent design
- Independence
-...

Refreshing New Moments

"Now" will always be a new moment...

In this moment, I want to:
- count my blessings
- take risks
- have integrity
- be faithful
- show love
- laugh
- dance
- have fun
- tell the truth
- fight back
- honour myself and others
- shine
- have an impact
- grow in wisdom
- add value
- be happy

In this moment, in your interactions with me, please:
- make me proud
- show love
- be respectful
- have integrity
- laugh
- be honest
- be fair
- have fun
- be vulnerable
- act human
- rise above the pettiness
- care
- be happy

Cheers to this new moment! May we both enjoy it...

Today's Mood: Lioness

Confident. Loyal. Frank. Patient. Adventurous. Beautiful.
.
Loving. Vulnerable.Grateful. Gregarious. Humble. Thoughtful. Calm.

Proud. Protective. Headstrong. Powerful. Wise. Watchful.


Never overstep. I will fight.

Blog Plug: Another new entrant - presenting David Wilson

Bro. David Wilson is my minister at the Kings Church of Christ in Brooklyn, NY. Check out his blog! The address is:

http://expalot.blogspot.com/

Here's a little teaser to get you going...David's current article is entitled "Making Love"...


Enjoy!

Thank you

God,

Thank you so much for all the blessings you have provided to me, seen and unseen. Today, I got a glimpse of how much "unseen" actually occurs. Thank you, again. You rock!

Love,

Keri

The Color Purple - A must see!

Saturday June 2nd was Novelette's birthday and to celebrate we (Novelette, Stacey, Brian, Sejal & I) went to see The Color Purple - The Musical about Love. Oprah Winfrey has outdone herself (again). I strongly recommend that you see the show. It was entertaining and impressive from start to finish. The music, story, and cast were all stellar. Sejal said it was the best play she had ever seen. Special kudos to former American Idol winner, Fantasia. She put on an Oscar-worthy performance.

The show ended with a multi-minute standing ovation - it was that good. So good in fact that I volunteered for high-way robbery and bought the $25 soundtrack. It was a great night.

Happy birthday, Novelette!

It's only a sharpener!

The situation was unbelievable.

I was 8 years old. We were in an after school class at my prep school in Jamaica, diligently working on a problem set in our exercise books. My pencil point was a bit blunt, but I had left my sharpener at home and didn't have another pencil. I leaned over to the classmate on my right:

Keri: "Hi [X], may I borrow your sharpener, please? I need to sharpen my pencil." *I show him my dull pencil point*

[X]: "No." *He looks back down at his problem set*

Keri: "Why not?"

Huh? I am in semi-shock. Kid, do you realize that I am asking to borrow a sharpener? I am not asking for

• half of your jelly donut
• any of your banana chips
• a gulp of your box drink
• a piece of your icy kisko pop

I am not even asking to borrow a complete pencil! I am asking to use your SHARPENER! I will literally need 45 secs to sharpen my blunt pencil and return your precious sharpener to you. I promise.

[X]: "I don't want to."

He said that or something equally inane. I was no longer listening to him. I was extremely puzzled by the fact that someone could be that mean. After a few more moments I remembered that despite [X]'s wacko behavior, I still had to sharpen my pencil and finish my problem set.

I turned to the classmate on my left:

Keri: "Hi [Y], may I borrow your sharpener, please?"

[Y]: *[Y] picks up his sharpener and hands it to me - all without a single word*

Phew! My faith in the world has been restored. Normalcy has returned to my planet. [X]'s behavior was a mere aberration.

Music, Twins & The Sophisticate

Way back in the days of VHS & VCRs, before reasonably priced Cable or Satellite TV, a family of 5 owned a few videos. (Out-of-scope: The father's library of cricket, football and boxing cassettes and the really long History of the Bible tape). On weekends or holidays, when the 3 children felt 'bored' and/or wanted to have some 'fun', and los padres had not rented any new videos, the kids would watch and re-watch the few in-scope videos.

Mum and Dad were always surprised at how their 3 would never tire of watching the same content. Lines would be recited in sync with characters ("For once I put my foot down in this house. Let! Them! Alone!"*). Jokes were still hilarious during the 30th viewing ("So, you're the one they call peanut [pronounced peaaaaanuhhht] face???"**). Pretending that suspense even existed after the 50th viewing made watching more entertaining (Will Fraulein get caught by the Captain?***). Singing at the top of your lungs was required when you heard your favourite song (...The rain in Spain****... I'm getting married in the morning**** ...I am 16 going on 17***...). The fun was non-stop.

Today, in the time of Cable TV, Satellite TV, DVDs, etc. , those yesteryear videos are still favourites of the 3. Some of the videos have been upgraded to the new! X-year anniversary extended editions - with bonus! deleted scenes & interviews with the original cast. Showings on Cable TV are watched and re-watched - sans loud singing and pretended suspense, but with the occasional line recital and laughter.

If ever you are 'bored' or want a bit of 'fun', the 3 highly recommend that you watch the following videos:

- The Sound of Music

- The Parent Trap*****

- My Fair Lady

Feel free to borrow any of the 3's accompanying actions during your own viewing.

--------------


*The twins' grandfather in The Parent Trap. He said these words to his wife who constantly meddled in her daughter's affairs
**The twins' prospective step-grandmother in The Parent Trap. She said these words to one of the twins - Susan
***The Sound of Music
****My Fair Lady
*****Hayley Mills' version tops Lindsay Lohan's - but both are approved by the 3

Cadence of Emotions - Act 3

Evidence shouts the truth...






...doubt retains a loose grip

• Answer is self-evident
• Data already proved the case
• I verbally acknowledge
• Doubt (illogical) hinders my complete acceptance
• Let. Me. Go
• Successfully shaking you off

Cadence of Emotions - Act 2

Poised for greatness...






...mired in the old

• Action plan ready
• Positive attitude in place
• Initial implementation successful
• Feeling great
• Reverting to past behaviour
• Cognizant of reversion, yet allow it to continue
• When will I stop?
• Beyond tired

Cadence of Emotions - Act 1

I could almost taste it...






...happy I never got the chance

• Thought I wanted it
• Excited
• Visions of life with it
• Excited others
• 95% surety it would happen
• Never materialized
• Secretly happy it didn't
• Surprised by happiness
• Loving life without it

M...you feel so good

I can't predict how long I will be here, but as long as I am, I want to be happy. I am committed to a joyous existence on planet earth.

I have begun to aggressively guard my state of happiness.Through different life events, events that sap my energy, frustrate me, confuse me, sadden me, hurt me, anger me, and then really anger me, I don't allow them to shake my foundation of happiness. I call time on my pity parties, venting sessions, and nasty thoughts. I say "Keri, you have exactly X amount of time to feel sorry for yourself/doubt yourself/think badly about that jerk/take mental cheap shots, etc., but at the end of X time you will again honor your happiness vow." My goal is to continually decrease the magnitude of X, so that it eventually becomes close to 0 seconds - right now I am averaging between 15 minutes to 1/2 a day depending on the event.

My pursuit of happiness was very hard at first. Hard to control the knee-jerk reactions. I feel hurt, but can't return that hurt? I did not achieve something I wanted, but can't berate myself forever and ever? I want to throttle that idiot, but need to have a measured response? After suffering through a few self-inflicted tongue-bites, hand twists, wall poundings and mental wrestling matches, I am pleased to report that I have seen significant improvements in my reactions to life situations. I act like a twerp, it doesn't take me days to realize it, I repent a lot sooner. I positively reinforce myself vs. being my toughest critic. Someone says something inappropriate to me, I respectfully let them know it is not appreciated, I won't accept it, and please do better next time because I expect a lot more. I don't say hurtful things to them or mentally wish them the worst.

In all, I look for something constructive in every interaction, and focus on finding the life lesson. It has been rewarding and I feel like I am operating on a different level. Maturity feels wonderful. I realize now that maturity has to be present if I truly want to sustain my state of happiness.

M, please continue this journey with me. I won't give you up, because M, you make me feel way too good!

Plug for My Dad

My father just started a blog: Trevor's Soul Food. Congrats, Dad! Blogging is contagious.

Check it out when you have a moment; the link is as follows:

http://trevoressmith.blogspot.com/

Happy reading!

So What if I Like (Love) TV Shows for Kids?

It's time for me to "open up the kimono" (this has been the phrase of the month in my business circles, so I figured why not "leverage" it here; leverage is another one of those business buzz words, it has been the phrase of the month for the past decade)...

Back to opening up the kimono: I love kids TV. Disney Channel, ABC Family, Nickelodeon are the primary stations. My love is definitely discriminatory, there are only a select number of shows that make it to my favourites list. I stopped to analyze my current favourites and found the following similarities:

- Yes to witty dialogue
- Yes to humour
- Yes to credible characters, flaws and all
- Yes to non-preachy life lessons
- No to annoying cheese fests (e.g. out with Barney-like mush, out with Mr. Rogers-like smarminess)

And without further ado, here is my current favourites list:

- That's So Raven (Disney Channel)
- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron (Nickelodeon)
- The Naked Brothers Band (Nickelodeon)
- Zoey 101*** (Nickelodeon)
- Phil of the Future (Disney Channel)
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch (ABC Family, Nickelodeon)

Please don't let my opening up of the kimono go to waste. Sample a few of the shows and let me know what you think. Also, share some of your favourite kids shows with me. I know I am not the only one out there!


***Zoey 101 is somewhat smarmy, but the lead character is Britney Spear's sister and I am hoping that the family will redeem itself with this second daughter. Also, an added plus: the characters are enjoyable

April 2007 Birthday Celebrations

Thank you for the calls, emails, text messages, cards, e-cards, gifts, visits - some belated, some not - all appreciated! I was touched.

Fortunately this year I was blessed to have my mother in town for my birthday. She cooked a fantastic dinner for 16 on the special day and we had fun celebrating at the new apartment. The dinner included sweet and sour fish, mac and cheese, corn salad, fried rice, split pea casserole, salad, and my favourite since childhood - Family Fruit cake. Yummy! Thank you mom for preparing such a feast.

Also, yes, you did read correctly - we had a dinner party for 16. The apartment has now graduated from the "family only" stage to the "it is safe to allow a wider group inside without embarrassing yourself " stage. Warm thanks to my family for facilitating this transformation.

Finally, special thanks to God for granting me another year on this planet. Here's to living life to the fullest! We have one shot, let's make the most of it!

Going for the "Duo" - Part 1/2

This is one of my better years in terms of following through on New Year's Resolutions. Started the blog - have been fairly regular with posts. Executed on move to NY. Now, I am pushing forward on another goal: complete a duathlon in 2007.

My cousin Karyn and I are joining forces to achieve this goal. We started at the triathlon level - but she loves running, I love biking and swimming, and so we compromised on a duathlon. We have a target date of Summer 2007, but need to finalize the exact timing and location(s). I am contemplating whether to do a bike/swim or bike/run. Karyn will do the bike/run.

I need to buy a bike! Who has pointers? I love cycling and buying a bike will be a great way for me to move this from ad hoc activity to practice.

I also need to start training! My commitment is to start on 4/23. Do you hear that, Karyn? I know you have been itching to start and you probably have already started :)

Wish us luck. This will be a pretty cool life milestone for me.

"Getting New Apt Ready Because Family is Arriving in 48 Hrs" - Top 10 List

1. Bed
(Hmmm...some of us can sleep, but a Queen size won't fit 4 people)

2. Air Mattress
(Between the Queen Bed and the Full size Air Mattress now all of us can sleep)

3. TV & TV Stand
(Conversation will be great, but this is not Survivor...TV in the normal world is a staple. A TV Stand? Remember, this is not Survivor)

4. Phone
(Everyone can't use my cell...at least not simultaneously)

5. Cable and phone service
(TV without cable is like a Phone without service)

6. Sheets & Pillow Cases
(Probably should cover the mattresses; haven't gotten the pillows yet, but will one day soon)

7. Plates, Bowls, Cups & Glasses
(A hungry person can be an angry person. Hungry people need food & drink, both of which work best with dining ware. Haven't taken care of the food & drink part yet, but hoping to appease any signs of anger with pretty dining ware)

8. 1 Hammock Chair, 2 Wooden Stools
(After they walk in the door, put down their luggage, their first urge will likely be to sit!)

9. Assorted Cleaning Supplies
(Cleanliness is next to Godliness and also minimizes parental lectures)

10. Groceries
(Need something to put on the pretty plates and appease angry mob...see #7 for details)

A lot can be accomplished in 48 hrs. My family arrived, apartment had basic necessities and all is well in the world.

Country mouse re-converts to city life

Kingston, Jamaica
Bridgetown, Barbados
Northampton, MA
Scotch Plains, NJ
Brooklyn, NY
Los Angeles, CA
London, UK
Jersey City, NJ
Plainfield, NJ

Next Stop....New York, NY

I have had the good fortune to live in many wonderful cities since birth. Now, after 4+ years of suburbia, this country mouse is moving back to New York. However, this time I decided to take it all the way, no more Brooklyn for me, I am moving to Manhattan!

Craig, thanks for a fun run in Plainfield. No one does suburbia like Jamaican singles from the Smith and Crisp clans! Our annual pool parties are the stuff of legends. No one can buy wholesale like we can. I will miss our Blockbuster/Netflix movie marathon jam sessions. Whose food will I borrow when I get back home late from work and didn't have time to shop? Whose raisin bran muffins will you eat when I am not there to buy them anymore? I guess I can still call you to share life stories and we can encourage each other via email- better yet, Craig, you are more than welcome to visit anytime. I look forward to the fun we crazy Jamaicans will have in the city. After all, you will be working near by!

As way of background, my sister and I moved into my cousin Craig's pad in Plainfield when he bought his crissas house (crissas is Jamaican for very impressive, sophisticated, posh, etc). Nuff respec' to Craig on being a homeowner for over 5 years. Tessa left us and moved back to Jamaica a few years ago (congrats on the wonderful life you are having in Jamrock, Tess!) and now it is my turn to return to the islands - not Jamaica *yet*, but Manhattan.

I have thought about moving to the city for a while now, but when balancing the rich church and family life I had in NJ with the easier commute, more active social life and high rent in NY, I was never quite convinced that I should move. However, after a couple month sabbatical last year, I decided to take the plunge. Since this was not the first time I had mentioned moving, my family made sure I followed through on my commitment by scheduling a trip to visit me this year but only on the condition that I had a NY apartment. Thanks, fam!

The good news is I have made a lot of progress. Much to the excitement and surprise of my jaded friends who thought I would never move - Sejal and Anjali I am talking to you - I found a studio apartment in downtown, NY. It's located in a very nice complex near the water, squash courts, running and bike paths. Oh, and of course it is the the same building that my awesome friend Sejal lives in (sorry for the delayed mention, Sejal!).

My life is usually exciting (I think challenges are exciting), and this situation doesn't disappoint. Remember the family who is visiting? Well that will be in about 2 weeks, and given that I haven't actually moved in yet, I have a big sprint to get my soon-to-be apartment ready for the parents and sister(s). Wonderful!

Keep me in your thoughts and I will let you know how it works out. Mum, Dad, Tamii- you are OK with sleeping bags, right? I hear couches (with pull out beds) take a while to be delivered, particularly if you haven't ordered them yet!

Watch this space.