In April we are reading a New York Times bestselling book of essays celebrating ordinary delights in the world around us by award-winning poet Ross Gay. The Book of Delights offers up a genre-defying volume of lyric essays written over one tumultuous year, addressing our shared bonds, and the rewards that come from a life closely observed. These remarkable pieces serve as a powerful and necessary reminder that we can, and should, stake out a space in our lives for delight.

The book is available at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. Mention the Smith Peninsula Book Club to receive a discount for this book.

If you're interested in joining the conversation this month, please contact the Book Club Coordinator Sally Smith '64 via email.

To get details about the monthly meetings click here to join the book club.

Per our tradition, we have invited the students who have been accepted by Smith College for enrollment in the Fall of 2024 to come meet alums from a range of graduation years. The students have been encouraged to bring one parent along. Please consider representing Smith to these families as they make this very important decision!

All local alums are encouraged to attend. Dues-paying members have received a proactive email with location details. If you have not received an Evite and want to attend, please contact the club at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com.

Welcome the start of Spring along with your fellow Smithies for a hike of the Stanford Dish. We'll walk the 3.7 mile loop as we enjoy the fresh air and and experience local habitats, wildlife, and spectacular views. The trail is rated as "moderate" and includes an elevation gain of about 574 feet. It generally takes about an hour and a half. This is an informal event, so no RSVP is needed. Look forward to seeing you!

Park in the Stanford Dish Parking Lot on Stanford Avenue, across Junipero Serra Blvd from the trailhead entrance.

In February, we'll take flight with Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the brainchild of trailblazing pilots Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran, as we read The Women With Silver Wings. WASP gave women a chance to serve their country during World War II—and to prove that women aviators were just as skilled as men. Love and Cochran’s social experiment seemed to be a resounding success—until, with the tides of war turning, Congress clipped the women’s wings. But the bonds they’d forged never failed, and over the next few decades they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were—and for their place in history.

The book is available at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. Mention the Smith Peninsula Book Club to receive a discount for this book.

The March Book Club meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 20. We'll discuss a work of fiction, title TBD. Mark you calendar now!

Join us for a coffee meet-up — no RSVP needed. Just show up and hang out with your Galentines. 

2PM at Blue Bottle Coffee @ 456 University Avenue, Palo Alto.

(note: this is the downtown Palo Alto location, not the location at Stanford Shopping Center)

It’s time for our beloved tradition of the cookie exchange! Joy Silver ‘96 has offered up her home once again to have us all gather and share treats (and recipes). Join us for the fun!

All local alums are welcome! Club members will receive a proactive Evite closer to the date of the event with address information. If you are not a club member, please email us at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com for location details.

In November the Book Club will read There is Nothing for You Here by celebrated foreign policy expert and key impeachment witness Fiona Hill. In her book Hill reveals how declining opportunity has set America on the grim path of modern Russia—and draws on her personal journey out of poverty, as well as her unique perspectives as an historian and policy maker, to show how we can return hope to our forgotten places.

Join The Smith College Club Peninsula for an inspiring visit to the "Beyond Here: The Zuber Collection of Latin American Photography" exhibit. Explore the captivating works of 34 Latin American photographers, each narrating profound 20th-century changes through their imagery. Don't miss this opportunity to join your fellow smithies and immerse yourself in the world of visual storytelling!

This is a meet-up — no tickets are necessary. This is not a docent-led activity.

When: Meet up at 12:00 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: This is the first day of the bi-annual time change when we leave Daylight Savings Time behind. Be sure to build the time change into your plans!

Where: Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Dr, Stanford, CA 94305
Meet at the “Yo” sign in front of the Cantor Arts Center at 12:00 p.m.

How to get there:
Public Transit: Caltrain, exit at the Stanford train station. 20 min walk or 25 min bus ride.
By car — free parking: Roth Garage, 355 Roth Way Stanford, CA 94305, US

In recognition and celebration of the inauguration of Sarah Willie-LeBreton, the College is encouraging each of our communities to get together on October 21 to share our excitement of this new era

We will meet at the Kirkwood entrance to Castle Rock [map] for a mild to moderate 3-mile hike with some elevation, good shade, and amazing views. Parking has a $10 fee. 

This event is open to all Peninsula Bay Area alums.

In collaboration with activities happening at the same time in Northampton, we will do our best to have s'mores and dancing in the parking lot after our hike.

This month the book club will read The Promise a modern family saga written in prose by author Damon Galgut, and will meet at Sally Smith’s home for a discussion.

About the book:

Haunted by an unmet promise, the Swart family loses touch after the death of their matriarch. Adrift, the lives of the three siblings move separately through the uncharted waters of South Africa; Anton, the golden boy who bitterly resents his life’s unfulfilled potential; Astrid, whose beauty is her power; and the youngest, Amor, whose life is shaped by a nebulous feeling of guilt.

Reunited by four funerals over three decades, the dwindling family reflects the atmosphere of its country—one of resentment, renewal, and, ultimately, hope. The Promise is an epic drama that unfurls against the unrelenting march of national history, sure to please current fans and attract many new ones.

IT'S TIME FOR OUR ANNUAL MEETING! This is a potluck lunch and every Smith alum in the Peninsula Bay Area is welcome and encouraged to attend.

We will review what we did throughout the past year, go over our financial statement, talk about upcoming events for the new year, and introduce the new board for 2023/2024.

Please CLICK HERE to RSVP and let everyone know that what you are bringing to the potluck.

At this month's meeting of the book club we will discuss These Precious Days by Ann Patchett, a deeply personal collection of essays reflecting on the author's home, family, friendships and writing.  

These Precious Days is available at Kepler's in Menlo Park. Mention the Smith Peninsula Book Club to receive a discount for this book.

Every year we gather for our Annual Movie Night and potluck, enjoying a film based on a book. This year we will watch “All the King’s Men” based on a 1946 novel of the same title by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South.

If you're interested in joining the conversation this month, please contact the Book Club Coordinator Sally Smith '64 via email.

To get details about the monthly meetings click here to join the book club.

THIS EVENT IS FULL — Thank you to everyone who has already RSVP’d.

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Please join us for our Annual Summer Tea! This is a chance to hang out with Peninsula Bay Area alums, current students, new graduates, and a group of young adults in the class of 2027 who are heading to Northampton for the first time this Fall!

Address details are included on the RSVP form here: https://forms.gle/wQk6gju3JyBmN8Lr5

At this month's meeting of the book club we will discuss Destined to Witness by Hans Massaquoi, a true tale of how the author came of age as a black child in Nazi Germany. The son of a prominent African father and a German nurse mother, Massaquoi fell under the Fuhrer's spell as a young schoolboy and was crushed to learn that, as a black child, he was ineligible for the Hitler Youth. This true account of his lonely struggle for survival is brimming with courage and intelligence.

If you're interested in joining the conversation this month, please contact the Book Club Coordinator Sally Smith '64 via email.

To get details about the monthly meetings click here to join the book club.

Professor Jon Caris, Director of the Smith College Spatial Analysis Lab, will join us at Channing House in Palo Alto to educate us on his work in developing a drone code of ethics, and the history of drones at Smith College. PLEASE RSVP.

Many of Professor Caris’s initiatives build upon the notion of making invisible, visible. He enjoys creating conditions that afford opportunity to see through a spatial lens, prompting new questions and discussion. Primarily trained as a geographer and environmental planner, Professor Caris received a M.S. in Geo-Environmental Studies from Shippensburg University and a B.A. in Geography from SUNY Geneseo.

YeYeehaw, y'all! Join us as we learn the Boot Scootin' Boogie, the Cowboy Hustle, Texas Two-Step and more in this workshop led by our very own Appalachian princess Amy Gardner '92 at the JCC in Los Gatos (near the Lark Avenue exit off Hwy 17).

The workshop will last about an hour, but you can stick around and practice for as long as you please.

This event is open to all alums. Club members have received an Evite, and it's listed as an event on our Facebook page so you can let us know if you're planning to shake your boot scootin' bootie with us.

At this month's meeting of the book club we will discuss The Years by Annie Ernaux. Winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in literature, The Years is a personal narrative of the period 1941 to 2006 told through the lens of memory, impressions past and present -- even projections into the future -- photos, books, songs, radio, television and decades of advertising, headlines, contrasted with intimate conflicts and writing notes from six decades of diaries. 

To get details about the monthly meetings join the book club.

Please join us for a hike at Castle Rock State Park on Skyline near Los Gatos.

We will meet at 8:30AM on Saturday, May 13 at the Robert Kirkwood Entrance, located at 15451 Skyline Boulevard, Los Gatos, CA 95033. This is a mild-to-moderate hike with some elevation, good shade, and amazing views. It's approximately a 3-mile loop.

All are welcome. Club members have already received an Evite to this event, and it's listed as an event on our Facebook page if you want to let us know that you're joining the fun.

Upcoming up in April we will discuss “American Primitive” by Mary Oliver, a book of fifty visionary poems about nature, the humanity in love, and the wilderness of America, both within our bodies and outside.

Join the book club to get details about monthly meetings.

You are invited to attend the Admitted Students Tea in April to speak with our admitted students and share your experience and insights about the college. Your presence and testimonials would be greatly appreciated by the students (and their parents), and would influence their decision to join our community. 

We'll be meeting on April 8th from 2PM-4PM, We ask that you please bring some finger foods (cookies or snacks) to share. Tea and coffee will be provided. 

It’s that time again, where we put together some lovely items for our locals who are currently on campus at Smith College. Coffee, spring care packages, and good company - the perfect combination, don't you think? Let's meet up and make some magic happen ! We're meeting at Nirvana Soul on Cupertino Main Street, at 10:30AM, and would love to see you there! No need to RSVP… just show up.

You are invited to celebrate President Kathleen McCartney's Decade of Service

Join fellow alums and friends of Smith College for a reception and program honoring President McCartney's visionary leadership and the profound ways in which this great college has moved forward during her tenure.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Come early for an informal networking reception hosted by the Smith College Business Network. Check the box when registering to let us know you will attend this additional portion of the evening.

Direct questions to eventrsvp@smith.edu.

Upcoming in March, the Book Club will discuss  “The Dictionary of Lost Words” by Pip Williams. The book is availalbe at Kepler’s Book Store in Menlo Park. Mention the Peninsula Smith Club at the register to receive a 15% discount on this month's selections. Join the book club to get more details about our meeting locations.

SOLD OUT!

Join us at the Dandelion Chocolate 16th Street Factory Location (2600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA) for a private tour of an active bean-to-bar chocolate factory, featuring a guided walk-through of the Dandelion chocolate-making process (and plenty of samples!). We will learn about sourcing from various cocoa origins and info about cacao trees, then taste our way through fresh cacao pods, roasted cocoa beans, molten chocolate, and finally finished single-origin chocolate bars.

Additionally, if you would like to coordinate carpool options with us, please contact the club at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com.

In February the Book Club will discuss Helene Hanff’s “84, Charing Cross Road” and “The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.” Both are available at Kepler’s Book Store in Menlo Park. Mention the Peninsula Smith Club at the register to receive a 15% discount on this month's selections. Join the book club to get more details about our meeting locations.

Join us for a sweet and festive Galentine's Day celebration! Indulge in a variety of delicious treats and enjoy the company of your fellow Smithies at the Sweet55 in Palo Alto’s Town and Country Village shopping center.

On Wednesday the 18th, Jan Collins hosted 10 of us for a discussion of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. We endorsed the opinion of many experts that this is a true classic, one of the great American novels. We discussed the protagonist’s character, development and relationships; the setting and its historical basis; but mostly we loved the writing: animated, with vivid images and psychological insights, a combination of dialog in dialect and elegant narrative passages, memorable lines. Join the book club to get more details about our meeting locations.

Monthly board meeting

Our beloved tradition of the holiday cookie exchange is upon us. Members received an Evite a few weeks ago. Not a member? That's okay! You can still join in the fun! Write to us at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com to get all the details. Or become a member to get the Evites!