Missing You at Christmas

Missing You at Christmas

The house is full of Christmas cheer,
An angel tops the tree,
Cinnamon smells pervade the air,
But you're not here with me.

An eggnog glass is held on high,
And offered up in toast,
Gifts are piled beneath the tree,
But I miss what I want most.

The festive lights are sparkling,
Holly garlands are in place,
In the softly twinkling candlelight,
I always see your face.

In the joyful songs of carolers,
At this time when all rejoice,
My heart can't feel its fullest,
I so long to hear your voice.

As Christmas day dawns again,
My thoughts are far from here,
My love is festooned with a bow,
And sent to someone dear.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 2007 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved. 

Original Nilla Banana Pudding

My three sons have eaten all sorts of gourmet desserts in restaurants around the globe - from tiramisu to creme brulee to more exotic fare.  However, when asked what they want me to fix for special occasions,  there is one favorite, which their grandmother always made when they visited.  Now that my mother no longer is able to cook, they ask me to fix this Southern staple.  The recipe used to appear on the back of the vanilla wafer box but, lately, I haven't seen it there.  I was able to find it online, however, and I just made banana pudding for them the other day.  I doubled the recipe so that it everyone would get at least two servings.  Since my middle son, Alex, couldn't come down from Sacramento, I photographed it for him and sent his fiance the recipe.

Original Nilla Banana Pudding Ready in: 60 mins. Layers of Nilla wafers, creamy pudding and fresh banana slices are the stars of this American classic. 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Dash salt 3 eggs, separated 2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 45 NILLA Wafers, divided 5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided Additional NILLA Wafers and banana slices, for garnish 1. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. 2. Reserve 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard. 3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges. 4. Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving. Makes 8 servings NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per serving 287 calories, 6 g protein, 50 g carbohydrate, 7 g total fat 2 g saturated fat, 117 mg cholesterol, 134 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber. Preparation Time: 30 mins. Cook Time: 15 mins. Cooling Time: 15 mins. Total Time: 60 mins. _________________________________________________________ This recipe courtesy of Back of the Box Recipes. www.backofthebox.com This recipe created by Nabisco.

Challenge Response from Inky at Inky's Poems

Very luckily, early in my blogging life, I discovered Inky's poetry blogging site, Inky's Poems. She has four other blogs as well: Inky's family, down home Recipes, Inkys part of the rock,  and My love of dance and The performing Arts ).

I can barely keep up with only one blog but I follow each of hers with much delight.  When I had the opportunity to issue the challenge, I was happy that she responded, in spite of the busy  holiday season.  She shared this information with me.

Seven Things You May Or May Not Know About Me

1. I am the third born into a family of 4 brothers and 4 sisters. I was born near the ocean in a small town hidden in little inlets, coves, hillsides, hide-away type places, on this lovely piece of the country of Canada, known as Newfoundland. The map itself is unique, and my little piece of heaven is is known as the "boot".

2. My first time on a boat larger than a small fishing boat, on a train and a plane, all happened within a short span of two weeks when I was only seventeen, leaving my home for the first time

3. My first paying job I was only 14 years old and I took care of two small children, I was paid the large sum of $2.00. I always wanted to be a nurse like Mum, but I have white coat syndrome. I worked for the government in the field of claims adjudicator. My last job I was bookkeeper and events decorator.

4. I met my husband 2 weeks after arriving in this big city on a blind date. On New Years Eve we will celebrate our first date that took place 38 years go. We have been married almost 35.

5. I have been blessed with two wonderful children ( adults now ) a son and daughter

6. I am involved in the dance world and now continue to do so as my daughter is passing on her passion and love of dance through her students , as a Ballet teacher.

7. I have a great closeness to my family one that blesses my life each and every day, I enjoy my family tree researching, blogging, friends.


The second part of the challenge was to answer these questions with one word only:

1. Where is your cell phone?… dead
2. Your hair?… blond
3. Your mother?… beautiful
4. Your father?… amazing
5. Your favorite food?… Halibut
6. Your dream last night?… none
7. Your favorite drink?… coffee
8. Your dream/goal?… Grandmother
9. What room are you in?… computer
10. Your hobby?… family
11. Your fear?… death
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… alive
13. Where were you last night?… home
14. Something that you aren’t?… rich
15. Muffins?…blueberry
16. Wish list item?… peace
17. Where did you grow up?… Newfoundland
18. Last thing you did?… breakfast
19. What are you wearing?… PJ's
20. Your TV?… off
21. Your Pets?… none
22. Friends?… many
23. Your life?… blessed
24. Your mood?… calm
25. Missing Someone?… much
26. Vehicle?… car
27. Something you're not wearing?… undies
28. Your favorite store?… Costco
29. Your favorite colour?… black
30. When was the last time you laughed?… today
31. Last time you cried?… today
32. Your best friend?… Sissy
33. One place that I go to over and over?… sister
34. Face book?… often
35. Favorite place to eat?… mom's 

Inky is an incredible poet and I respect her opinion of my work.  It has been nice to learn more about her on a personal level.  I encourage all of you to check out her blog and profile at 

http://inkyspoems.blogspot.com/.

Challenge Response from magiceye at Mumbai Daily

This morning, I had this following email waiting for me from far off Mumbai:  

magiceye has left a new comment on your post "A Challenge from steviewren of "a little birdie to...":

since my Mumbai Daily blog is about my city and i post only photographs about mumbai, i will take up your challenge in your comments space. hope you don't mind :) 


I had asked Deepak Amembal to tell us:  Seven Things You May Or May Not Know About Me


1) am 56yrs of age

2) married with 2 wonderful kids (daughter 24,son 21)

3) love to travel

4) photography is a passion

5) love to write and hence try to weave a magical thread through travel,writing and photography

6) love to share whatever i learn through my experiences with all who wish to know

7) love to imagine what john lennon sang in his song 'imagine' 




The second part of the challenge was to answer these questions with one word only:
 
1. Where is your cell phone?… pocket
2. Your hair?… graying
3. Your mother?… wonderful
4. Your father?… heavenly
5. Your favorite food?… sandwiches
6. Your dream last night?… none
7. Your favorite drink?… vodka
8. Your dream/goal?… nirvana
9. What room are you in?… bedroom
10. Your hobby?… travel
11. Your fear?… dependence
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… traveling
13. Where were you last night?… home
14. Something that you aren’t?… rich
15. Muffins?…none
16. Wish list item?… hasselblad
17. Where did you grow up?… mumbai
18. Last thing you did?… drove
19. What are you wearing?… lungi
20. Your TV?… off
21. Your Pets?… bozo
22. Friends?… dear
23. Your life?… journey
24. Your mood?… happy
25. Missing Someone?… yes
26. Vehicle?… car
27. Something you're not wearing?… trousers
28. Your favorite store?… music
29. Your favorite colour?… blue
30. When was the last time you laughed?… now
31. Last time you cried?… november
32. Your best friend?… ayub
33. One place that I go to over and over?… streets
34. Facebook?… sometimes
35. Favorite place to eat?… home

cheers! 

It is nice to get to know a little bit more about magiceye.  His photography is exceptional.  Besides, Mumbai Daily, Deepak blogs at Travel magic, Photings, and Instant Words.  Through his photographs and written work, I have come to learn more about the incredible country of India, a place I have grown to love.

A Challenge from steviewren of "a little birdie told me so"

steviewren of a little birdie told me so, one of my favorite blogs, issued a challenge to me this morning.  Here is the first part:  Seven Things You May Or May Not Know About Me  -

1,  I am a Southern belle.  I was born in Columbus, Georgia.  My father, from Waltham, MA, was an Army Lt. stationed at Ft. Benning and my mother, originally from Pelahatchie, MS, was attending nursing school there.  My mother divorced and remarried and has lived all her life in

Columbus.  I went to New Orleans for nursing school but have lived the last thirty years of my life

in the San Francisco area.

2.  I was the Southeast Women's Judo Champion when I was a senior in high school.  I took judo at the Army judo club at Ft. Benning where there were only about four women so we had to work out with the guys.  They didn't cut us any slack so we got to be pretty good!  If I can find any pictures from those days, I'll post them.  I was pretty fierce.

3.  I never wanted to be anything but a nurse.  My mother worked for a general practitioner in Columbus, GA who was a Marcus Welby type.  He would make home visits out in the country to poor patients, some fifty miles away.  When I was a child, I would go along as his "nurse."  When my mother was on vacation, as I grew older, I would work in his office.  The thrill of my life was when I was home from nursing school for the summer and he got permission for me to "scrub" with him in the O.R.

4.  I am terrified of heights.  I don't mind flying at all...I can be in airplanes but a ferris wheel freaks me out.  I even get the creeps going over some bridges and I don't like to be next to the rail.

5.  When I was in my early 30's in the San Francisco area, I did some catering.  My main problem is that I did it for practically nothing, mainly for friends and I never charged enough.  It was so labor intensive, I finally gave it up.  I once did a wedding cake for a nurse with whom I worked - I didn't even like her - and I finally figured out that this wasn't for me!  It was a beautiful

cake, though!

6.  I loved my profession as a forensic nurse.  In the 21 years I was in the field, in spite of constant problems with San Francisco city government, I felt the work was so important and the support of others in this fledgling field nurtured and sustained me.  To be an integral part of the founding of the International Association of Forensic Nurses in August of 1992 and to see this specialty officially recognized were the most exciting parts of my nursing life.

7.  Writing has always been a part of my life.  Long before blogging days, I've written poetry.  I think I penned my first poem when I was about six years old and, at sixty-five, I'm still going.  My dream has been to write a novel but, thus far, it is still a dream.  The poems that mean the most to me are "Travel Thoughts" and "The Forensic Nurse," both of which have appeared on this blog.  My article "East Meets West," about my trip to Japan and meeting up with forensic nurse

colleagues there appeared in our forenic nursing publication, "On the Edge." http://www.mddciafn.org/docs/OnTheEdgeVolume13Number3Fall2007.pdf

Here is the second challenge -

Answer these questions with one word only:

1. Where is your cell phone?… charging
2. Your hair?… graying
3. Your mother?… forgetful
4. Your father?… deceased
5. Your favorite food?… Asian
6. Your dream last night?… none
7. Your favorite drink?… wine
8. Your dream/goal?… wealth
9. What room are you in?… bedroom
10. Your hobby?… travel
11. Your fear?… infirm
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… traveling
13. Where were you last night?… restaurant
14. Something that you aren’t?… rich
15. Muffins?…dozens
16. Wish list item?… jackpot
17. Where did you grow up?… Georgia
18. Last thing you did?… cook
19. What are you wearing?… sweats
20. Your TV?… off
21. Your Pets?… none
22. Friends?… many
23. Your life?… blessed
24. Your mood?… hopeful
25. Missing Someone?… lots
26. Vehicle?… van
27. Something you're not wearing?… ballgown
28. Your favorite store?… Dillards
29. Your favorite colour?… blue
30. When was the last time you laughed?… yesterday
31. Last time you cried?… yesterday
32. Your best friend?… several
33. One place that I go to over and over?… restaurants
34. Facebook?… often
35. Favorite place to eat?… restaurants

 Now, steviewren asked a few other bloggers, beside me, to participate in this challenge and I would like to request the same of some bloggers with whom I would like to become better acquainted.  If you have time during this busy season, please let us know about yourselves!!

magiceye at Mumbai daily

Inky at  Inky's Poems

Joanne Olivieri  at Poetic Shutterbug

Bernie at On My Own 

If you four have already participated in this challenge, let me know so I can go back and read your blogs for this information!  For those of you who have not visited either of these four blogs - or a little birdie told me so, each is very special.  Be sure and check them out!  My day isn't complete without them.

Waiting to See Santa

 

Waiting to See Santa

I wait my turn,

So filled with dread,

No sugar plums,

Dance in my head!

I look at elves,

And sparkling trees,

Advancing slowly,

With shaking knees.

I’m in a dress,

Bright red and green,

It’s the worst thing,

I’ve ever seen!

My mom’s all smiles,

But I want to bawl,

I wish I were ten miles,

From this mall!

I wrote to Santa,

So why am I here?

Dragged reluctantly,

Year after year!

My turn is next,

Try to be polite,

Act like seeing Santa,

Is a great delight.

It’s an annual chore,

And now it’s done,

I can finally say,

God bless us, everyone!

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) December 2009 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved. 

Holiday Greetings

Holiday Greetings

How quickly this year has vanished,

In the blinking of an eye,

It’s impossible to grasp where it’s gone,

So I will not even try. 

I see frenzied throngs of shoppers,

In search of that perfect gift,

So I know Yuletide has come again,

Time for thoughts to take a shift.

If only for a fleeting span of time,

There’s a sense of caring and joy,

Even little ones are well behaved,

In hopes of that special toy. 

Midst the smell of wintery evergreens,

And cinammon and spicy treats,

Many feel a sense of renewal and hope,

Determined to fight defeats.

With the shimmering lights and tinsel,

May our love come shining through,

Reaching out as we always should,

But seldom find the time to do.

Cherish the words the carolers sing,

And pause to remember those friends,

Who enrich our lives in every way,

As another year rapidly ends.

I wish all of you your heart’s desires,

And send my love your way,

And hope this season and the year to come,

Are better with each passing day.

Carmen Henesy

I wrote this poem ten years ago but I thought I would share it with you today.

Copyright (c) December 2008 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved. 

Music in Nature

Joanne Olivieri, my long time mentor and fellow poet, recently had a contest, requesting entries on the topic of music in nature.  She announced the winners yesterday on her blog and I am honored to have been a runner up.  Glynis Smy of Author Blog won with her poem, "Symphony of Life."  The five honorable mentions were:

Secondary Roads

The Writing Nag

Secret Forest

The Everyday Adventurer

Don't Know Much About Photography

Congratulations to everyone and thanks to Jo for hosting this contest.  Here is my poem: 

Music In Nature

Nature abounds

In all sorts of sounds,

That seem musical to my ears –

 

Gentle soft murmurs,

Violent crashing crescendos,

With electricity so hot that it sears.

 

The ripple of wheat,

in a soft summer breeze,

Or the ping of hail,

As rain starts to freeze.

 

The roar of a waterfall,

The droning of bees,

The cawing of crows, 

Fluttering leaves in the trees.

 

The booming of thunder,

Waves caressing the shore, 

They all create a symphony,

Need I say even more?

Carmen Henesy

                            Copyright © 2009 Carmen Henesy.                            

All Rights Reserved