Alphabe Thursday - "W" Is For Wearing of the Green - March 17, 2011

Remembering Mayra

Today everyone is Irish,

And enjoys a festive whirl,

But while most are celebrating,

Edith mourns her oldest girl.

Toasts are raised on high to Ireland,

And folks remember the old sod,

But in one California city,

A saddened mother questions God.

On this very day, ten years ago,

In far El Salvador,

Four children told their mom goodbye,

As she went off to the store.

She never came back home to them,

A speeding driver took her life,

This daughter, sister, mother,

And a loving husband's wife.

So Edith doesn't dance a jig,

Tears always dim her eyes,

Every 17th of March, my friend,

Spends time in prayer and cries.

St. Patrick, I beseech you,

I know that Mayra's there,

May all the saints and angels,

Keep her in your care.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) Carmen Henesy

March 17, 2011

I know that St. Patrick's Day is usually a joyous day, filled with festivities, parades,

corned beef and cabbage, a bit ( ? ) of intoxication, the wearing of the green, and

Irish music and dance.  For Edith Vukasinovic, my dear friend and the stepmother of

my sons, Alex and Jeremy, it will always be one of the most tragic days of her life. 

It is the day her first born was killed in El Salvador, as she went to the grocery,

prior to a beach outing with her family.  This St. Patrick's Day is the 10th anniversary

of Mayra's death, an especially sad anniversary.

Since I was going to be gone much of the day ( off to UCSC Dermatology to get my

stitches removed ) and wanting to be with my youngest son tonight as he prepares to

move away from home, we decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day together with

breakfast at a well known Irish pub in Millbrae, California.  We called and were told

that, because it was St. Paddy's Day, it would be open at 7AM, instead of their usual

8AM.  We met at 7:30AM - the only women there - but there were about thirty men

present, absorbed in some sport on Irish t.v.

Fortified with a wonderful Irish coffee  ( I think that is a great way to start the day ), I

polished off a full Irish breakfast, complete with Irish bacon, Irish sausage, black and

white pudding ( blood sausage ), eggs, beans, toast and potatoes while Edith had

scrambled eggs and corned beef.  I could barely waddle out of the place when we

were done. 

Edith will be meeting another friend this evening at an English pub for dinner!  I hope,

though, of course, she will have moments of sadness on this terrible anniversary, she

knows that her friends cherish her and hold her close.  I never knew Mayra but she

must have been a lovely daughter.  She has one terrific mother.

Rest in Peace, Mayra!

Erin Go Bragh

Sign - Fiddler's Green, popular Irish pub, Millbrae, CA

Edith Vukasinovic

Beer selection

Bar at Fiddler's Green

Cheers from Edith

Cheers from Carmen - with steristrips on my nose!

Edith's corned beef and scrambled egg

My full English breakfast

Starving friends!

I am participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday  - 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!



Mellow Yellow Monday, #111, Indian Women in a Field, March 7, 2011

This week, I am again using a photograph, so graciously allowed  by my dear friend,
Rohan Saraf, Royal Caribbean beverage manager and outstanding photographer.  This
was taken recently during his vacation at home in India.  I found it very appealing and

immediately thought it would be nice for Mellow Yellow Monday.   Thanks, Rohan, for
letting me share it with my blogging buddies.

This photo is copyrighted and is the property of the photographer, Rohan Saraf. It

may not be used in any way without his express permission. I appreciate being

allowed to share the beautiful photography of my friend, Rohan, with all of you.



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

Ruby Tuesday, Silvia's Paintings, February 22, 2011

My friend, Silvia, has a collection of wonderful paintings.  I photographed three of
these for my Ruby Tuesday offering today.

There is hardly an inch of wall in her home that isn't covered with art of some kind.  I

always enjoy being there!

I am participating in Ruby Tuesday - check out the site and join in the fun!



I want to take a moment here to thank the beautiful Dulce, who lives in the Canary

Islands, off the mainland coast of northwest Africa. I've cruised in the area but have

not had the pleasure of stopping there.  I would so love to meet Dulce who writes the

most amazing poetry on her blog, My Duality.  She has given me a "Stylish Blogger"

award and with that I understand I am supposed to let you know five things about

myself.  Well, in a couple of other awards, I believe I've told all and there is nothing

else to say. 

I'll give it a try, though.

1.  I went to a Catholic boarding school in north Alabama, about 150 miles from home

     for my first year of high school.  I had a scholarship.  It was run by the Benedictine nuns

     ( very strict ) and I lived in a dorm with ten other girls.  Camilla Livingston ( now Camilla

     Arthur, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama ) slept next to me and, to this day ( over fifty years later ),

     we are still the closest of friends!  She lives in Marietta, Georgia and we continue to see

     each other but not nearly as often as we wish.

2.  When I was a student nurse in New Orleans, during Mardi Gras, I challenged a sailor to a

      raw oyster eating contest.  I finished six dozen - he gave up at five dozen.  I could have

      probably eaten another dozen.

3.  My first cocktail was a sloe gin fizz. 

4.  I know everyone thinks this is gross but, when I die, I want to be cremated, and my ashes

     put in film cannisters ( I hope I've saved enough for my large body since no one uses film

     anymore ) and I want my friends, whenever they travel to take a cannister and send me flying

     about all over the world!  I am REALLY serious.  That's what I would like.

5.  My favorite confection is marzipan.  It doesn't need to be made into cute little fruits or

     anything ... I'll just eat a stick of the stuff.

I think I'm supposed to give this award to five people.  I know some folks don't like

receiving awards so, sorry, don't be offended.  You needn't do a thing.  I just like your

blogs and it's my way of saying so!

1.  Icy BC at Dances of Dreams

2.  Indrani at Frozen Moments

3.  Mountain Woman at Red Pine Mountain

4.  Merisi at Merisi's Vienna for Beginners

5.  Kamana at Journaling Through Photos

Today's Flowers - Lovely Blossoms in My Area of California - February 14, 2011

While much of the country is still blanketed in snow, our wonderful weather last week
brought forth a glorious show of bright floral blossoms.  All these pictures were taken
in Millbrae, California, which is about 18 miles south of San Francisco.  It rained all
day today, though, and rain is forecast for the next few days so that will probably
eliminate most of the blooms.  I had a wonderful time driving around, taking pictures.

I wish I knew the name of all these flowering shrubs and trees.  The only one with
which I am familiar is the Japanese magnolia.

Japanese magnolia

Japanese magnolia

Japanese magnolia

I am participating in Today's Flowers - check out the site and join in the fun!

Camera Critters, #146 - Raven at theTower of London - January 22, 2011

At least six ravens are kept at the Tower of London because, according to legend,

their presence keeps the great White Tower from crumbling and it prevents a terrible

disaster from happening to England. 

At the expense of the government, a ravenmaster cares for these birds which

can live up to 25 years, sometimes longer.  He keeps the newborns in his home for

six weeks, caring for them.  The birds have one wing clipped so they cannot

abandon the kingdom, tempting disaster!

King Charles II ( 1630 - 1685 ) decreed the ravens should be kept at the Tower of

London.

I am participating in