Grace Smith

First I must bring up one thing that’s been bugging me for a long time. It’s this billboard I keep driving by. Initially I paid no attention. Then I started to notice it. It made no sense. Then I started thinking about it. Now that I finally get it, I’m amazed at what a stupid […]

After giving the government huge piles of money on April 15, I decided my weekend needed to begin Thursday night. As I concluded I don’t have enough money to even live in a cardboard box (I’ve always had this fear that I’ll be living in a cardboard box when I’m old, but now even that […]

I’ve been back in Springfield for almost two years now, and I know there are many good things about the city. They include the Coney Island restaurant; the Country Market store on Wabash Avenue, which carries lots of fresh produce and many other great things; the newly finished intersection replacing the Wabash curve; the (original) […]

Last week I wrote about my Springfield Municipal Opera experiences and the fact that I just auditioned for A Chorus Line. I wanted the part of Kristine, the role I played when it was produced at the Theatre Centre a while back. Kristine sings a funny song about the fact that she can’t sing. My […]

I just auditioned for A Chorus Line at the Springfield Municipal Opera. Doug Hahn and Gary Shull are the co-directors; Gary was the choreographer in the Springfield Theatre Centre’s production, and Doug was the vocal director. I haven’t been in a Muni play in years. My last role was Lina Lamont, the dumb blonde in […]

It’s been a while since all that speed dating, and I thought I’d keep you apprised of events. I went to another speed-dating session, a few weeks after the first one. A friend wanted to go and thought it would be fun if we went together. I said OK. But then she wasn’t able to […]

I’m terrible at Trivial Pursuit — really, really awful. Sometimes I answer a literature or entertainment question correctly, but to me the game is a painful thing that’s easily avoided. When I was younger (and just as bad at the game as I am now), we played with Mom’s friend Margaret, who knows pretty much […]

I just got back from the 63rd Annual Daytona Beach Bike Week. It’s the world’s largest motorcycle event, ten days of bikes everywhere, plus everything bike-related for sale and more bikers in chaps than I’ve ever seen in one place. And I missed the Coleslaw Wrestling. I went to Daytona Beach for a few days […]

Confession: I love to cook. It started with bread-making. When I was four, Mom let me help bake bread. She always let me help because her mom never let her (my grandmother felt Mom would make a big mess). When my mother was eventually allowed to do a limited amount of cooking, Grandmother insisted that […]

Feb. 23, 11:41 a.m. I just got my braces off. Life is awash in rosiness. Way back on New Year’s Eve afternoon, during my monthly orthodontist visit, I got my one wish for the new year: He set a date for getting my braces off. The date was Feb. 23, which was in 54 days. […]

My dad and brother David have an antique shop, Ruby Sled Antiques. Dad started it because Mom told him if he didn’t do something with all the stuff he’d collected over the years, she’d move out. Sometimes great things come out of having your back against the wall. Even though Dad has merchandise at the […]

I met Jay Leno. I got to meet him so he could tell me he didn’t want to be interviewed. Last week, when I told you Jay left me a message on my cell phone (he said, “Hi, Grace, it’s Jay Leno. I didn’t see you at the club. Sorry I missed ya. Uh. . […]