January Blues?

(Rob:) So, the holidays are over, you're looking at all the decorations that need to be put away, it's cold and drizzly outside, you ate too much candy, your pants don't fit, football teams aren't playing anymore- It's easy to get the "January Blues," right?

Well, read on, faithful blogosphere- it's impossible to feel blue after the triumphant last few days we've had here at SSM (that's short for Stately Smith Manor)...

Tessa Jean and Abbey's volleyball club "KC Sport" went to Topeka, KS (that's the capital!) for a tournament last weekend. This was their first one of the year after working hard at practice for the past 6 weeks.

Tessa pre-game in the captain's meeting:

Warming up:

Preparing to serve:

Abbey at the ready:

The Girls:

Coach Stone in the huddle:

The girls fought hard and made it from the round-robin play into the tournament, which was single-elimination. Do or Die!

And they did! Win, I mean!

KC Sports 12 and under Volleyball team, champs of the 2007 Topeka Sports Zone Tournament!

To the victors go the silliness:

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Sam came through with another triumph in his rapidly-skyrocketing career as a comic book artist.
You guessed it... another published drawing! This time in the letters page of "Justice League Unlimited" #41:

Here's Sam's drawing of J'onn Jonzz, a.k.a. the Martian Manhunter:

(Sam is clearly using the Martian spelling)

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In response to requests for closeup pictures of "The Smith" (see December 28th post for the full story) here are a few random areas up close along with highlights:

This area has images of Springsteen's musical influences and contemporaries:

From top R and clockwise: Bruce and Bono, Elvis, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Johnny Cash, Bruce w/ Neil Young

Family and friends:

Top row L to R: Sam playing Mitchell's guitar in Colorado, Susan and I in Asbury Park, NJ

Middle Row: Tessa playing keyboards in Baltimore '04, Kirt Markle (artist) and I at 1977 halloween party in Loveland, CO, Strawberry Fields John Lennon memorial in Central Park, Susan and Beth in Des Moines before a concert

Bottom Row: Susan and I in Paris, Tom and Lisa in the limo in MN 11/07, Sam in Estes Park, Boss Squad '07 on mom's birthday after the Magic concert in St Paul, MN

From top down: Susan in London 11/06, Bruce in Philly 1999, Bruce w/ Telecaster, shredding

Top down: Mom and I taking over Suzanne's wedding reception 10/00 in Ouray CO, Susan and I at some show, Boss Squad 2000 in K.C., Sam playing red guitar in diapers

Clockwise from top L: Uncle Jerry and Aunt Thunder Dod with Grampy Paul in MN limo, Zanny with birthday girl also in limo, me standing next to Bruce-signed guitar outside men's room in Cancún Hard Rock Cafe

From L: Sam with red guitar at age 2, Bruce acoustic, me with Susan and Zanny in Orlando before the Vote For Change show in 2004

Clockwise from top R: Detail of large central Bruce image-shows the composition including album and magazine covers, Tessa with Susan and me in MN last Nov, me with Beth and Susan in the St Paul limo, me one year earlier outside a London phone booth

This has been an interesting exercise- I've discovered things on these close-up images that I've missed with the naked eye. It's the gift that keeps on giving; I think we'll be finding new ways to look at this for years to come.

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One additional flashback- it was pointed out to me yesterday that we never posted any pictures of a cool experience that Tessa Jean and I had last October in Ames, IA (no, seriously... in Ames, IA!)

My grandmother Mary Louise Smith was the Republican National Committee chairman back in the 1970's.

(For young readers or older people with short memories, this was a time when the GOP stood for smaller government, less interference in citizens' personal lives, fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, a sensible and reserved foreign policy, and conservation of the environment.

In other words, exactly the opposite of everything it currently stands for.)

The political science department at Iowa State University honored my grandma years ago with the Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women in Politics. Every year a guest lecturer comes to give an academic lecture on women, voting, leadership, etc. This year Hillary Clinton, who was coincidentally spending a lot of time in Iowa, gave the lecture.

I pulled Tessa Jean out of school early and we drove up to ISU for the lecture.

As members of Grandma's family, we got the VIP treatment!

After her lecture, Sen Clinton came right down and introduced herself to us. Here's a picture with her and my cousin Becky who came up from Des Moines:

Hillary was very nice and had some very nice things to say about Grandma Smith being an inspiration to her as a female political leader on the national stage. She also was very gracious with Tessa Jean and took time to sign an autograph for her:

I don't think Grandma would have voted for Hillary, but I know she would have felt very honored at the event. I enjoyed the time with Tessa Jean, who was surprised to learn about suffragettes like Iowan Carrie Chapman Catt who bravely fought for women to have the right to vote less than 100 years ago.

After the lecture Tessa and I found the Carrie Chapman Catt poly sci center where Susan (an ISU alum) has an inscribed brick on a walkway:

And since today the New Hampshire primaries are going on (and since I know we have a ton of New Hampshire readers) here's some equal time to my favorite candidate:

So cheer up, blogosphere! There's a hopeful (36 degree) wind of change blowing here in Kansas City!

Comments

[James E. Smith]

Way to go Tessa Jean and Sam.
Love to All!!
GS

[Susan]

What a wonderful blog, dear husband. I think the pictures of Bono and myself in the mosaic are surprisingly similar at that scale. Maybe it is the glasses. As nice as your blog is, I do think the kitchen pictures warranted a few more comments from the blogosphere. After all, we have been kitchenless for five months now. Hard to figure what the readers demand these days.
Susan

[Delores Herzberg]

Sorry Susan, but I thought since we get to see it in person I would wait to comment on the kitchen, and we've been having a bit of trouble getting some things to come up on this old computer. Looking forward to Friday. G. Delores