I am off to Sedona on Tuesday morning. I am planning on having my cell service switched to Verizon before then so I can be in communication with all of you guys daily ( we waited so we can retain our cell number.) I am running around in circles the past few days. The Holidays kept me too busy to think about my big adverture and now I just don't know what to do with myself? I am so excited! I'll keep you posted! And I'll be back in NY for the Marathon so keep on truckin' (more to follow on that subject when I am settled).

Any suggestions for travel routes?

THANSGIVING

Thanksgiving! I think this is my favorite holiday of the year! Being with friends and family, sharing your life and your heart and a good meal is just as good as it gets! I was thinking of each and everyone of you wondering how your day was. My sense of gratitude was at times overwhelming as I have a life filled with love. People and places who I have spent time with this year were evry where I turned. I felt the soil of Sodona and the sand of Phoenix, the cool water of the North and the gentle breeze of the South Carolina beaches, the tinkling of bells from the west followed me through my day as I carried them close to my heart. I loved every moment of Thanksgiving day and I thank each of you for your spirit that filled my day!
Edna

well, well, well. three holes in the ground

That was quite the adventure! My favorite part was the ceremony in Sedona and the visit to Jerome, or maybe the Monarch butterfly exihibit, or maybe the fabulous dinners, or maybe the wonderful conversations at the hotel, or maybe the lazy river....... or maybe just being in your company. Yeah that was it all right. Just BEING with you. Being with you wonderful women give me strength and happiness.
I hope Joan isn't intimidated by you all.
Love,
Ed

sedona

Well, I did a little bit of research. No one here knows anything about it. I found some on the internet but I am not sure how to check if it is just a pretend awesome thing. more later...
YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST WITH THE CEREMONY!!!!!!!!

For every season there is a reason

I am touched, moved and inspired again by time standing still. Something magical happens in the presence of love and in the 'being' present. This weekend has confirmed my newly unfolded knowledge regarding our energy fields and how they are recharged ( or drained) from nature and from beings who we surround ourselves with. I am committed to an awareness of energy which we each generate and exchange. Thank you all, you are generating at a phenomenal level and Ronnie you are supreme!


Ed and I were called back to the Peace Pagoda to perform the 6PM drum ceremony for world peace, it was awesome. After that we created the possibility of sharing space together, more importantly shifting to a today and now possibility, rather than a someday possibility. We are taking action to find a piece of beautiful natural land and recreating the setting of the peace pagoda, not in detail but in essence. A place to rejoice, a place to play, a place to recharge.

For Ed, Emily and Allison, and all of us, some sadness for completing your journey on Euclid Avenue. I request you be with it, be present and conscious to the miracles in your life. We are with you.

Em and Allison ,any progress on my Sedona request: the sweat hut?

Til Arizona,
I remain you humble companion through this journey,
Princess Washinee

A FORCE OF NATURE

Edna and Ron were a whirlwind of amazing energy and commitment. Kitty and Patty provided the rest of the support for my transition. The house will be completed this week and I will be out completely by the 30th. BIG NEWS! My interview date for the NYC Teaching Fellows job is the Nov 20th!!!

The Grafton Peace Pagoda is a truly a holy place. I am now a Buddhist (always was, just didn't know it!). Can't wait till we convene the society again in the Southwest! I am creating the possibility of a mystery guest. I wonder who will show up?? The Botanical gardens sounds great Jodie!
Love,
Ed

Grafton Peace Pagoda

Hi All,
What a wonderful fall week-end Ron and Kitty and Patti and I went up to give Ed a hand with the big move out and he gave us the gift of a sSunday morning yoga class at the Peace Pagada. The setting was breath taking the leaves a just starting to change a late fall in New England and the air was rich, the energy high and the sense of the place was calming. Needless to say the event was just a joy. Ali, Aunt Kitty's # is 914.3258815 I think I gave my copy of Kite Runner to Aunt Patti it is an awesome story. I'll look if I still have a copy I will bring it. I can't wait to play with all my beautiful family.
Love,
Edna

The kite runner

Ali and the gang,

Did you get the Kite Runner? I think Aunt Edna offered it to me once, maybe I can get it via you. I have A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini's follow-up book. It is awesome...if you end up with the Kite Runner, I would love to trade when you're done! I'll bring A Thousand Spendid Suns when I come down anyways...if you're enjoying the Kite Runner, you'll love this one! Speaking of coming down, I'm jazzed to see everyone and experience family and fun and well, you know just everything! The Monarch butterflys will be at the botanical garden while we are there and I would love to see them (the whale and butterfly are my totems, more whale but butterfly too all about change and creativity). Can't wait to see everyone!

Love,
Jo

Love you all

Dad, thanks for that declaration. you are such an inspiration.
For our fabulous adventure/vacation, I am taking my girlfriends up to the GC for a one-day adventure I will let you know how feasable it is.
Work is good, life is good, we are having a great Thanksgiving coming up. The weather is cooling down, you guys are going to love it.
Does anyone have a copy of the kite runner? Aunt kitty, I think you do! I don't want to buy it if we can recycle it in the family and my great Uncle Ron has created another mad library lover, so I am reading the library book but want it for more than two weeks.
Any other book ideas?
love you ali
ps I don't have Aunt kitty's phone number anymore can somone give it to me?

Hagerstown Weekend

A Lifetime in a Day

Maddi knows everything about posting and pasting and doing just about everything creative on the computer, drop her an email. Also if you hit the blue toolbar with the orange button on top, it will lead you to instructions on posting pics.



Great, great weekend. When we reminisce of Twin Lakes, it seems that it took up a lot of time and in reality, we were there only brief periods in our lives. It occurs to me that perhaps being present and fully engaged in living presents a richness and fullness to time that is magical. This weekend surely was testament to this. I'm so grateful for our awakening.



And special thanks to Aunt Grace for showing up. After all the 18th and 23rd aren't that far apart. and to Teddy, your integrity is admirable.



Gran Dame, have you picked a time for our Greek excursion?

XOXOXO

Help for Posting Photos

Attempts to upload my Hagerstown photos using the "add image" button aren't working. Does anybody have instructions or suggestions on how to get them onto the blog?
Thanks,
Peg

HAGERSTOWN TRANSFORMATION

A new level of happiness and joy! New opportunities for breakthroughs, new possibilities for love and acceptance. You are such great people to be in life with. I just love it!!!! I can't wait until the pictures are up so I can relive the energy and joy of the moments we shared.

"Love, love, love. Love is all you need is love...." Beatles

PS: Now Kitty can give us great Beatles quotes- maybe even the second verse from some of their songs- that will be a breakthrough!

DECLARATION

I declare myself free from my past addiction to overindulgence with alcohol. I only drink when I feel good about it. I do not drink to excess. I NEVER drink so much alcohol that my personality changes or I go out of communication with you all. I never drink so much that my health is negatively impacted. I NEVER drink and drive or engage in any other risky behavior while drinking.

Love,
Eddie, Dad, Uncle Ed, etc,

Transforming the Desert!

Through my participation in the Introduction Leaders Program I have the opportunity to host a home introduction in November. Since I love you all so much and am absolutely jazzed by our conversations about life's infinite possibility, I thought that there would be no better opportunity for this through a home introduction with all of you during your trip. I promise it will be tons of fun! Will you be my guests?

Love,
Emmy

OOPS!

So here I am standing in the sun att he entrance to the downtown parking garage waiting to meet Dusty when a guy pulls in and tosses off a comment to me about "not such a good place to stand", BINGO! buttons get pushed, you can take the boy out of the Bronx but ....I fire an F Bomb back at him about who is he to tell me where to stand- he stops the car, gets out, pulls out his badge, lucky for me he was calm and colected. I take stock of myself, reralize the guy is being very cool, appologize and am now on my way to the Grafton Peace pagoda for a tune up from the neck up.
REAL LIFE!
love,
Ed

the half baked part

Em and I will work on getting the goods for the half baked part

How amazing!

How wonderful and amazing to be able to be a part of this crazy crowd! I just got back on the blog and just so much! It is wonderful to sign in and get a glimpse of Smith life...so sad I missed so much, so excited to be able to join back in, just like that...Can't wait to see everyone in Arizona! Love,
Jo

A Day in Sedona

A day trip to Sedona will be a wonderful experience. Since transportation is still up in the air, maybe we should consider a tour company. There are many that provide transportation and/or sightseeing. Since it will be no less than a 10 hour day it might be wise to take a look at what's available and attempt to find a company that provides what we're looking for at the most reasonable cost. Patti, I think the "what we're looking for" may be your department. The rest of us need to decide if we want to go and, if so, what we want to see/experience. Wow, this is feeling way too organized! Anyway, bring your ideas to Hagerstown...see you there.

outstanding in sedona

It has come up for me many many times in the past, and I even have attempted unsuccessfully to orchastrate it, is the wish to have a photograph of my brothers and sisters and me, of course,{ or any compilation of our shoots}, anyway back to the photo: I image a picture of us, black and white, maybe sepia, all dressed in white cotton shirts and denim. Pictures that showed all of us, no make-up, all our glorious wrinkles and smile lines. So with this in mind, I am requesting that we incorporate my wish into our preparation for Arizona. I wish to enroll you guys in "training" for six weeks to get in tip-top shape for totally abusing our bodies for several days, and forget about it, what we will be doing to our brains. I am imaging us in Sedona, sun baked, half baked and lookin' fine, happy as happy can get, that's the photo I want. So, to keep myself inspired I am picking out a pair of "skinny" jeans and a white shirt that I just love and that, of course, doesn't fit. But it will, you know, for the picture.

Aside from the obvious, I am also enrolling you in a hike in the whatever their is to see in Sedona. I am dreaming of it. Let's get a guide and a real hike to visit the sacred land. Let's push ourselves physically, disappear our limits!

Ed, you have been a living inspiration for all of us, and Edna, muy bien! I join you on taking on this challenge. It can be a game we play for the next six weeks. Are you in?

Love and kisses,
Princess Washinee

Dog whisperer and zen meditation

Hi guys,
this weekend was a big one at the ashram. The dog whisperer came on Saturday and told us Scout it smart and Max is a gentleman so we shouldn't have issues alpha training them. They now are attached to us for two weeks by a six foot long leash. Should be interesting.
I went to Zen meditation this morning. I loved it. It was phenomenal.
A little house in Phoenix has a meditation room out back. All is white except for black cushions. There were tons of people of all ages. We sat in silent meditation for about 50 minutes total. It was so peaceful I could have been all alone.
I also went to the library which was boss.
Love you all I cannot believe how great this week is going to be. I am looking forward to it so much. I love eveyone and love all the action on the blog.
Love ali

Celebrating Life

Hi All
What an awesome week-end! The joy and laughter was abundant and the water at the lake was soft and refreshing and being in the September swim is so fun. I am thrilled that Peg has given her time share to create great space for us and Emily and Ali don't have to host camp sleep out! Thanks girls for choosing Az. I can't think of a better place to visit in Nov. Ed is amazing as he is looking stronger and more mobile ever day.
Love You all.
Edna

From the villa to the ashram

Ok, kiddos, here are directions from the Marriott villa to the ashram (aka Ali's and my house): http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=5220+E+Marriott+Dr,+Phoenix,+AZ+85054&geocode=&dirflg=&daddr=1641+N+11th+St,+Phoenix,+Arizona+85006&f=d&hl=en&sll=33.685354,-111.970425&sspn=0.008981,0.020084&ie=UTF8&z=11&om=1

I got three new bougainvillea plants today and we have someone committed to installing the hammocks next week, so it will be a serious party ashram by the time you arrive.

Emmy

Saturday in the Park

I am dancing on air. I am enveloped in a cacoon of energy that is absolutely delicious. I am so grateful for my life and for my peeps!

so a brief history of my cosmic elation: yesterday was "Birthday Party Day", pontoon boat, Twin Lakes, jokin, tokin, swimin, laughin and lovin. Life just can't get any better! and on my ride home, a velvet icecream cone!

Thanks you all for your company, your love and sharing who you are with me, even Ron and Chuckie who got to be just who they are! awesome. I will caress my memory of yesterday forevermore.

Princess Washinee

NOVEMBER IN ARIZONA !!!!

For fun in the sun, it's AZ in November! I booked a 2 bedroom time share at Marriott's Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge in Phoenix from 11/3 through 11/10. It has plenty of sleeping accommodations for all of us (up to 8 adults) and lots of amenities. Check it out: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/phxcv-marriotts-canyon-villas/
I'm using my exchange week so there's no cost to any of you aging party hounds who want to come play. It's about 20 miles from the airport so transportation shouldn't be an issue. It's about the same distance from Emmallie's house so that should be equally easy. Wadda ya think?

Duders

hello my lovely family. Em and I are creating a powerpoint presentation for all guests that shows how to be a dog shoosher with my aggressive teddy bear dog. You are going to love it!
miss you mucho ali

They took the staples out today!

I was expecting some sort of hi tech "staple" that was holding my ass together but as it turns out they are rather ordinary looking staples much like the ones in the staple gun on your desk. They took out thirty of them! It feels good to be rid of them . The x-rays show the implant has bonded well with the native bone and no issues are expected. In a few days I will be able to take a hot bath! Tomorrow I start my PT in earnest (the next phase in this process) and I am looking forward to getting my flexibility and strength back as soon as possible.
It would have been virtually impossible for me to have any complications given the love and attention Patty, Chuckie, Edna and Ron lavished on me. The germs and bugs and possible complications simply had no place to exist in the space they created for me. I am so fortunate to have such a great loving tribe. Now on to happiness and joy!

I am sending Kitty The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hess.

Love,
Krishna Eddie Das Pappa

Ed's healing impact!

Hey All,
Wanted to share with all of you the joy of Ed's healing. Ron and I have been so lucky to have Ed with us Patti and Chuck said we could have a turn only if we promised to return him in a few days. Ed's presence for me has been joyous as I have watched him create strength from with in to heal his body I watch him smile when he is clearly in pain and the most amazing thing happens he makes himself feel better that an a little pain med. Ed has shared some time and wisdom and some chapters from his mentors in life and we have created two more wonderful and exciting trips one to meet Peg and Jim and one to see Az. How lucky are we. Today I had the pleasure of coffee on the porch with Ed and it was just the best, peace was flowing the air was crisp with a hint of fall, what a day for the end of summer.
Love to All,
Edna

Hotel Arizona

Welcome to Hotel Arizona! This is a picture of my dining room, which was formerly a dingy off-white, with a really tacky mirror and possibly the world's ugliest ceiling fan. It was the sort of room that actually has an adverse effect on digestion. And now, as you can see, it's well on its way to fabulous. Can't wait for y'all to come and spend a leisurely Sunday here drinking French-press coffee and reading the NYT with Ali and me.

Hey Hoe (or hoes)

So sorry to have missed yesterday's blog training. fortunately Maddi is here to assist my foggy mind. Marley is so excited Uncle Ed is coming for a visit today, she is dancing around and hopping and jumping! Fun was had by all at the Kendrick wedding celebration. It seems fall is upon us and truly welcome, the air is devine! Next week is birthday celebration on the Lake!

Hi everyone

Hi everyone! Sorry I missed most of the mornings fun! November sounds spectacular, very excited! My books will be heading Patty's way soon. All this blogging and visiting should be a blast! Until next time....

This is great, super simple!

Hi, guys!

hello, ladies and people with their legs chopped off!

A New Addition

Click here to meet the newest addition to the family, Max.



Dogs + sisters + sun = muy bien.

Awesome

This is awesome! What are we going to talk about? Life is good.

Applause to Tommy and Christine for a fun celebration. It was great to be with everyone and, praise the lord, another Smith head is born! No wonder we are so dam smart! There was special appearances by Jeanie Smith and Peter Viola, hope we get to see more or everybody. Mark you calendars for a baby shower for you know who, oh, and if you haven't heard, don't worry about her getting doubles. More Smith's, yeah, two at a time....

Arizona Ashram

I am going to visit Emmy this Thurs! i will be participating in a party ( LE geeks - SELP third weekend celebration) and many local Yoga classes- great weekend to see and be with Emmy- so happy and so excited!!! i will report back on the impact of the heat on my body ( a hidden agenda).
Love to all,
Eddie Das Poppa Krishna

House Wow!

Wow!


The SW homestead is awesome and I am so thrilled for you! If I can get Mo to committ we will be out the second week in Aug. we are comming just to see how hot Az. is in Aug. I am so excited to see you and Ali. Tell us more abt. the hacienda. How many bedroom, is the yard fenced have you meet the neighbors what is the feel of the neighborhood is it young and fun?


I always think of homeownership as investment in the world of house!


Yoga man I am so proud of you. No more twists and turns of the local schools but tons of stretching in the realm of healing of your community! You are the most amazing yoga man!








Love to all who visit the Smith world!





Egga

first class!!

this Fri at 6:00PM Movement Lab , Troy NY- come one come all- free- strengthen your body/mind connetion today!

FUNDAMENTAL OF YOGA!

Smith Southwest

Here's a picture of my new house in the beautiful (and slightly gritty) Coronado historic district in downotwn Phoenix. The party starts 5/30 and amps up when Ali moves in on July 16. Reserve the guest room now - space is going fast!

Em

howdy!

I try to keep myself in check but it tales so much focus- I told at least three people how to live their lives this week and I knew I was doing it while I was doing it- kind of like eating too much ice cream at one sitting- you know you have gone past the point where you should stop but you keep going anyway while a little part of you observes in total amazement.

I did not get elected to the school board for a second term- what a relief- I feel much lighter already-I accomplished all I set out to so my failure to get reelected is not so hard to take- in fact I'm quite happy about it.

Live like this is the only life you have!

Love,
Ed

This is my first blog but I am creating the possibility of being fully computer literate and blogging is something I have read about but have not ever participated in. Is there blogging edicate? How are blogs different from group e-mails? Since I am also blessed with the smith super sized cranium I have figured out this much!

The Smith Degree in Life

Welcome to The Smith Degree in Life, an everyday online family reunion. (Think of it as Smithnick for the 21st century.) Verify that you are indeed a Smith by the size of your forehead and/or the number of times you've told someone just how it is in the last week and you, too, can post!

Love,
Emmy