Fine Days in Carolina
“Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning,” goes the song made famous by Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, …
Wayne Smith’s 100th
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Steve’s father, Wayne W. Smith, Jr. He was born in Rogers, Texas, just …
The Pentagon
The Pentagon, a History: the Untold Story of the Wartime Race to Build the Pentagon–and to Restore It Sixty Years Later, by Steve …
Patrols Visit DC
Having lived in the Washington DC area from 1968 – 2015, I have prepared this guide for forty 5th-grade safety patrols from …
Commonwealth
The oranges on the cover of this book signify two watershed events inside. Oranges picked from the Keatings’ backyard trees, juiced and mixed …
Garden Inspirations
Quail Ridge Garden Club has inspired me to plant gardens and play piano. This year I was invited to perform a musical review …
Piano for Patrols
Crosspointe Elementary School is just four minutes away from our home in Boynton Beach. It’s a Title 1 school, where over 90% of …
African American Museum
Last month, I visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall, a place I had wanted to see …
St. Augustine
St. Augustine is a charming city of about 13,000, just south of Jacksonville. It is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the …
Musical Romances
Clara Wieck was only nine years old when Robert Schumann came to study piano with her father. She was sixteen when they …