My Latest Trip Advisor Revier - Yoshi's Fillmore, San Francisco - December 1, 2012

Trip Advisor has always been one of my favorite resources for information on travel,
hotels, destination information, restaurants and the like.  I also write reviews myself,
and, recently, achieved the status of "Top Contributor" - you have to write fifty reviews.
You can check out what I had to say about Yoshi's Fillmore at the site:

Yoshi's Jazz House & Restaurant November 30, 2012

"Great food and Sony Holland as well - a real treat!"

I've often found the food at dinner theatres is not up to par but not so at Yoshi's...and the
drinks are superb.  I'd eaten there once before, again for a Sony Holland venue and both times,  I went to hear her sing, happily satiated with good food and wine.  Of course, it
wouldn't have mattered what I'd eaten, the sound of her voice makes life wonderful!

To get an idea of what I mean, check out Sony's website at:

http://www.sonyholland.com/ - you can hear some of her wonderful music ( and
husband, Jerry Holland's lyrics and guitar, as well )

Beautiful Sony at Yoshi's Fillmore, 11-18-2012

Jerry Holland, on the guitar, and the other guys in her terrific L.A. based band


http://yout6pA9EMYIpzsu.be/

If you haven't visited TripAdvisor, stop by there as well - http://www.tripadvisor.com/.

It's a great site.  Try writing some reviews and share your opinions with all of us!

Sundays in My City - A City Celebrates - May 27, 2012

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I remember so well that day when, at eighteen, I first saw those golden spires ( well,
I think the color is actually international orange ) rise through the fog and, just a
short distance later, San Francisco gleamed in sunlight, in whites and pastels, in front
of me.  It was such a thrill and the bridge always gives me a thrill as it has every single
time in the last 35 years.  Sh is beautiful.  One must always have a camera on hand
because, if not, you're sure to miss an extraordinary picture.  Some days, this regal
bridge will be in complete sunlight, others, she is shrouded in fog.  Sometimes, she is
eerily wrapped halfway in fog, half in sunlight.  It's always a surprise as to what you
are going to see.

I have loved doing three cruises either to and from San Francisco and sailing beneath
the bridge.  I feel such a sense of nostalgia and pride as this beautiful sight either bids
me farewell or welcomes me home.

HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY, GOLDEN GATE!!!!

For this grand occasion, I'm including two famous songs about the city that is

home to the Golden Gate Bridge - "On a San Francisco High" which is sung by 

the lovely Sony Holland and written by her husband, Jerry Holland ( who 

accompanies her on the guitar ).

Of course, everyone knows, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" sung by the 

master, Tony Bennett.

'

I have always loved this picture of my youngest son, Alex and Jeremy,

who are now 29 and 27, with a foggy bridge in the background

San Francisco side, heading toward Baker Beach

Marin County side, viewing area

I am participating in Unknown Mami's Sundays in My City -

check out the site and join in the fun.

Mellow Yellow Monday #126 - Mini vegetables - June 20, 2011

Last Thursday, when I was in Ross, California, near Sausalito, to hear my friends,
Sony and Jerrry Holland in concert, there was a farmer's market in the parking lot
at the Marin Art and Garden Center site.  There were all sorts of wonderful fresh
vegetables for sale - as well as scrumptious things to eat. 

I fell in love with these pretty little minature squashes - though I opted for other,
more practical vegetables, more reasonably priced.  I thought they were pefect
for mellow yellow, though.

I am participating in Mellow Yellow Monday - check out the

site and add your yellow post for all to enjoy!

Sundays in my City - Sunny Sony Sounds - June 19, 2011

I've been home from the hospital since Tuesday afternoon, still on two different
oral antibiotics, and I'm feeling better.  My only real problem is that my left
ankle is not healing as fast as I would like.  I'm still having trouble walking on
my left foot and there is still some swelling that remains.  I hope this isn't going
to be permanent since I need to be able to get around!!

It's been a nice weekend and I could not entirely obey doctor's orders to spend
most of it in bed, with my ankle elevated.  The Bay area's former jazz diva,
Sony Holland, and her song writer husband, Jerry Holland, who is also a guitar
virtuoso, were in town to do a series of three shows for their loyal fans.

Thursday, they did an outdoor performance at the Marin Art and Garden center

in Ross, California.  It was a glorious day and people spread out their blankets

on the lawn, brought picnics, and enjoyed the music.  Children of all ages

danced and cavorted, dogs raced about, and birds joined in with their

melodies.  I am sure it must have been a bit distracting for our beloved

entertainers but they were just wonderful, nonetheless.  We also got to see a

bit of the gardens before the performance, with so many beautiful flowers

in bloom.

Saturday night, our glamorous diva performed in Palo Alto, California at the Jewish

Cultural Center.  This time, in addition to Jerry's guitar, she was accompanied by

Benny Watson on the piano, Seward McCain on bass, and Bob Blankenship on

drums.  Dressed in a sparkling black dress and glittering bling, her performance

was beyond description.  You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium as she sang

beautiful numbers from the Great American songbook, several songs writter by

her husband, Jerry Holland, and rocking tunes like "Honky Cat."  The whole

evening was fabulous.  I never tire of hearing her.  And there's more to come.

This evening, she and Jerry return to Cafe Divine in San Francisco where they

used to perform on Sunday nights.  It will be packed full, a reunion of the

"Dynamic Duo" and all their adoring fans! 





I am participating in Unknown Mami's Sundays in My City - check out the site

and join in the fun!!

Mellow Yellow Monday #110 - and More - Santa Cruz and Sony Holland, February 28, 2011

Our beautiful California coast with its yellow blooms - we saw this all the way down to Santa Cruz

When I got the news that my beloved Sony Holland and her equally talented songwriter,

guitar virtuoso husband, Jerry Holland, were headed north for a two night gig, first in

Santa Cruz, 60 miles south of Daly City, then at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco, I 

contacted two friends and we decided to make a weekend of it.  We knew Sony's local

fans would head to Santa Cruz and it would be a family reunion for all of us. A weekend

of beautiful music, Holland style, with dear friends, was just the medicine I needed

right now.

My nurse practitioner friend, Kris, drove to my house from San Francisco and we

picked up Edith on the way.  Our trip started with a delightful surprise when we spotted

this little deer in a yard as we head out to the highway.  I was amazed since we were

in a residential neighborhood!  She was so cute, posing very nicely for us!



Just as we got into Santa Cruz, we stopped for lunch at Vasili's, as I have every time

for about the last twenty years. Vasili's is a wonderful Greek restaurant and it was

packed - as always!

Edith, who is part Greek, had to be photographed, of course, with the Greek flag!

We had about a five minute wait for a table.  That gave us enough time to carefully

look at  what everyone else was eating and we already had our orders decided by the

time we sat down.  All of us chose the same thing - the lamb shish kebab.   I also had

taramasalata, a dip made from fish roe.  I love it although I'm sure my primary care

 physician would tell me I should avoid it because of my hypertension.

Edith and Kris

Edith says she's going to drive down to eat here once a week!

Outstanding lamb kebab

Award winning red Greek wine for $18!

Kris and me, too full for dessert!

It was delicious, though, and I've never had better lamb shish kebab.  We washed it all

down with a nice award winning bottle of non-retsina ( never could get attached

to the taste ) of Greek red wine that cost only $18!

After lunch, we checked in to our hotel for a little nap.  It was so cold but the predicted

snow didn't materialize the whole weekend.  It was wonderfully bright and sunny.

Puffy Santa Cruz clouds

I did try to get online from the Hampton Inn but they had to have the absolute worst wi-fi

connection I've ever encountered.  I finally gave up and packed away my computer. 

We headed out early to get to the Kumbawah Jazz Club in plenty of time.  It was a good

thing because it was hidden away in a remote alley and we had difficulty finding it.  A

kind college student guided us so we were able to see our Sony Holland buddies and

catch up on gossip long before the show started.

I can't begin to say enough about Sony and Jerry's performance.  They are absolutely

fabulous on a bad day ( on the rare occasion they might have one ) but they were super

stars on Saturday.  Jerry has a new guitar - Sony joked that he still has time to return it

but, if the tunes he played on it are any indication, that guitar is definitely a keeper. 

When he accompanies his beautiful wife, there is no other musical instrument needed.

Sony sings all kinds of music, songs from the Great America songbook, country, blues,

the whole gamut - but where she makes chills run down your spine are when she

sings the incredible lyrics her husband has penned for her.  This man, in my humble

opinion, rivals - and even surpasses, the greats like Cole Porter.  He is a genius with

his lyrics.

Sony Holland

Jerry Holland

Edith and Sony

Sony and Carmen

Sony and Jo



Before I left for San Francisco, I had dowloaded a list of all the bars in Santa

Cruz, figuring we would go out and celebrate after Sony's show.  Well, the first

two reinforced what we already suspected.  We were not up to the UC Santa Cruz

college scene.  A block away, we could hear the music blaring and, once the

door opened at the club, we were blasted out into the street,   I looked at the

young man sternly and said, "I know you are someone's son so where would you

send your mother for a drink and some nice music?"  Within five minutes, we

were settled at a lovely spot, 515 Kitchen and Cocktails, where I had a fabulous

blend of tequilas and Parma Liquor, Edith drank only a ginger ale, and Kris had

a champage cocktail with Elderflower Liquor ( that is the yummiest stuff ).  We

shared some appetizers and were in bed by 2AM.

We had a beautiful coastal drive back to San Francisco, had another geat Sony

and Jerry Holland performance at the Rrazz Room, dinner at American Sushi House,

and now it's back to reality, packing and facing the future.

Sony at the Rrazz Room

Sony Holland fans

I am participating in Mellow Yellow Monday - check out the site and join in the fun!