Monday, December 31, 2012

As The New Year Dawns, 2013





As The New Year Dawns, 2013

It seems to me the year goes by,
With such amazing speed,
The new year is upon us,
And the world is filled with need.

We make such strides in many ways,
Yet atrocities abound,
Wars rage on about the globe,
There seems no common ground.

Politicians promise many things,
That are forgotten through the year,
If there was just a single thing,
To which we‘d willingly adhere!

Resolutions come and go,
As fast as minutes on a clock,
And when a tragedy befalls our world,
We’re in a state of shock.

If only we would pause and think,
Each and every one,
Of ways to make life better,
Before the new year has begun.

Change has to start within,
With regard for our fellow man
With our doing a little bit,
Each and every time we can.
  
Open up your hearts,
To those outside your sphere,
Every child and man and woman,
Could make a difference here.

For me, it’s been a special year,
In which my dreams came true,
I’ll cherish all the memories,
As I bid this year adieu.

I pray the year to come will hold,
Days full of joy and peace,
When people have enough to eat,
And wars will finally cease.

I wish you every happiness,
You help to make my life complete.
I hope before this new year ends,
We have a chance to meet.

Best wishes for love, health, success, happiness in 2013.

Carmen M. Henesy

Copyright (c) December 31, 2012 by Carmen Henesy 
All rights reserved. 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Skywatch Friday: Season 6, Episode 25 - Sunny Skies over Pacifica, California

At last, for the moment anyway, the rains have ceased over the
Pacific, just south of San Francisco.  Let's hope the weather  holds
for a dry New Year's Eve celebration.



Point your camera to the skies and join in the fun!



Saturday, December 15, 2012

A Few Days With Family - December 15, 2012


I drove up to West Sacramento on Tuesday, December 11 because my sweet
daughter-in-law, Laura, had invited me to go with her and Alex to see her
ultrasound the following day.  It was a pleasant two hour drive and I enjoyed
listening to Patricia Cornwell's "Red Mist", another Kay Scarpetta crime novel
on tape,  It certainly made the time pass quiickly.

The Christmas tree was up and we had time for a few pictures before heading
out for a sushi lunch.  Since sashimi and sushi were one of the things I would
NOT eat in India, I've been really craving them since my return home. so I've
been indulging myself.



My two sweet granddogs, Bucky and Taffy



Laura and Alex before we left for the ultrasound



At the doctor's office, we were joined by Laura's lovely mom, Christine 
who is already a grandmother twice

We got into a lively discussion with Alex about what we want our grandchild to call us.
Christine has already chosen a name...I'm still working on one.  Alex told us not to 
bother, "You're both going to be grandma," he said.  That boy!!




The ultrasound technician was really nice and didn't seem to mind having an audience.  I
must admit to having a tear or two at times...and there were a lot of ooohs and aaaahs in
the room.  I know better than to post any pictures of Laura's little baby bump in my
blog - she's only gained seven pounds at five months and she is still barely showing.  She
looks terrific and, of course, she is so beautiful.  Lucky folks to have such a pretty and
sweet paramedic show up when they call an ambulance.




This was one of the baby's best shots...great face pic and I think
he/she might be sticking that tongue out at us!



Of course, I was all smiles!  Whoops, time to color my
hair - the gray is showing and I'm not ready to be a gray grandma.

The next afternoon, while poor Laura had to work, Alex and I drive down to Vacaville 
to meet my oldest son, Sahwn, and his girlfriend, Dawn, for all-you-can-eat sushi at
Hisui Japanese Restaurant, near Travis Air Force Base.  It was the first time I'd seen
Shawn in uniform since he was promoted to master sgt.  I am so proud of him.  He
celebrates his 42nd birthday on the 17th!



Shawn is 12 years older than his brother, Alex, 14 years older than Jeremy.
He had been an incredible role model for them.



Wish Jeremy could have been with us.



Strange lighting in this shot...but Dawn is still beautiful.



The sushi was great...I like saba ( mackeral ) which is too fish for some.
Hamachi pleases nearly everyone.



Just getting started!



A great selection



The sushi chef



Shawn and Dawn



US Air Force Master Sergeant Shawn Edward Smith



My son, Alex's nice West Sacramento neighborhood



Cloudy skies and some drizzling rain going over the 
Oakland Bay Bridge back into San Francisco



Stopped at Manivanh Thai, my "family" restaurant where my dish, the "Carmen's special"
now appears on the menu.  San, the fiance of Ann, the owner's daughter showed up with 
this cake for us to share.  A piece of this and scoops of rum raisin and pumpkin ice cream from Mitchell's of San Francisco were a great end to my three days away. After the New
Year, it's back to sensible eating or I'll gain back all that weight I lost in India!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Dental Health of San Francisco - I Never Thought I'd Rave About Dentists! - December 10, 2012


I was a forensic nurse for San Francisco for 21 years.  I gained a great deal from that 
experience, including one of my best friends.  Elaine Martin worked with me at both the
San Francisco Rape Treatment Center and at CASARC,  Elaine was a good deal
younger than me but she was like a sister.  In fact, we often told people we were sisters.
They would look at us strangely ( she is African American and I'm Caucasian ).  On
Mother's Day, a couple of years ago, I was with her entire family at brunch at the 
Burlingame Hyatt and we had such fun introducing everyone to the waiter as "my
family".  

I was telling Elaine that I was long overdue for a dental visit.  My entire life, I have
HATED going to the dentist.  She looked stunned.  "You have to go to Dr. Quach!  You
are going to love him.  He and his wife, Dr. Chen are wonderful!"  I looked incredulous.
No way I was ever going to love a dentist.  For years, I'd been to the dental office 
recommended by our union where it was assembly line dental practice.  You were
there for hours.  A dentist went from patient to patient, did a little work, then moved
down the line.  It was agonizing.  I was long overdue for an appointment.

Finally, after a year of procrastination, I finally made an appointment at Dental Health 
of San Francisco.  It seemed appropriate.  Almost all my health care providers were
Chinese!  When I was warmly greeted by Dr. Quach, I scowled and told him, "I hate 
dentists."  He just smiled and insisted he would change that feeling.  Every one in the
office was so nice ( were they imbibing some sort of happy gas? ).  I met his lovely
wife, Dr. Chen and all the staff and was in and out of there so quickly.  Dr. Quach,
himself, did my tooth cleaning!  I was so impressed by it all, I even went home and
wrote a Yelp review ( his first ).  The next time I went in, he gave me a discount because
a client had come in because of the Yelp review!

I think it's about ten years now that I've been seeing him and I wouldn't go anywhere 
else.  My son, Jeremy, is a patient as well.  Last time, I was home from India, Dr. Quach
asked me if I would do a video testimonial which I was happy to do.  OK, OK, Elaine, I 
know you're smirking and saying, "I told you so."


/Dr. Quach and Dr. Chen were raised in San Francisco and attended dental school
at the University of the Pacific.  They are members of several professional 
organizations and their office is open evenings and weekends as well as during 
the day to accomodate busy schedules.  The waiting room is small and bustling 
but people are seen quickly and there is a family feel about the place.



I wrote all the names down but now I've forgotten who is who!  I 
should have written this the same day as my appointment!



Cheery overhead lights help patients relax



There are televisions though I've never asked to have one on.



A little greenery is nice



Here is the lovely Dr. Chen



The office is always bright and cheery and so are the staff.



Holiday decorations



All smiles



Dr. Quach at work and me with my mouth open ( of course! )



I can't stop talking!



Gosh, I love that I'm skinnier!  And I just love my dentist.



The bathroom is always so pretty, for every holiday.



Ho, ho, ho.



Their beautiful stained glass door



This sign says it all - thanks to all of you at 
Dental Health of San Francisco for giving me something to smile about!!

My apologies to Jane, Amy, Casey and Lilly for not being able to put
your names with your pictures...remember, I'm 68-years-old now!!!



Office Information
Dr. Charlene Chen
Dr. N. "William" Quach
2407 Noriega Street
San Francisco, CA 94122-4241
Contact Information
Office: (415) 682-2368
Fax: (415) 682-2363
E-mail: dentalhealthofsf@comcast.net
Office Hours
Tuesday - Wednesday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday
9:00am to 6:00pm
Monday and Thursday by Appointment Only.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

A Lovely Welcome Home - December 9, 2012

The same dear friend that gave me a farewell soiree, prior to my departure for 
India, hosted a welcome home for me - in combination with a birthday party for
another friend.  It was a lovely occasion, on a rainy San Francisco day.  Inside her
beautiful home, however, it was warm and cozy, for man and beast alike.  There 
was a feast ( which we had to move to higher ground as our four legged friends
wanted to share ) and superb wines ( I had been lamenting my lack of such
during my stay in India ).  I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my
life.  While I do miss India, having such special people here makes my visits home
especially nice!



I can never remember all the doggie's names



Roosters & chickens are among my friend's many collections



Spanokapita and brie to start



An incredible house filled with collections



I find something new every visit



Chickens and roosters and lovely chests



I wonder who dusts all this!



Million dollar views of San Francisco



A beautiful bathroom



Too dreary to be outside today



My favorite spot to sit



A houseful of art and music



Lovely pieces from all over the world



Pretty Tiffany lamp



Something beautiful in every corner



A little Lord Ganesha to remind me of India



Another Asian treasure



Small ornaments hanging from branches of wood



Comfy seat



Sweet Ranger



Don't remember her name



Mark has a lap dog



The sweetest dog ever!



Looks like she should be in the Ididarod!



Much of the night, she stayed on the couch next to me....nice heater!



This is a Japanese breed of which I'd never heard



Look at those blue eyes



Preparing a take home "people" bag