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!



My Blogaversary Winner!! October 6, 2010

My Blogaversary Winner!! -  October 6, 2010

I apologize to everyone for not announcing the winner the day following my birthday.

As you know, I had so many good things happening that I got behind on tallying all the

comments and taking care of business.  There were 275 eligible commenters in the

drawing ( you had to be a follower of my blog to be included ). I did not do the random

thing...I am just not that competent.  What I did took a lot longer, I'm afraid.  I printed

each day's commenters on a list, then cut up the entries, then folded them and put them

in a huge sealed plastic container.  When I went out to get gas today, I asked the

attendant to draw one name ( I am sure he questioned my sanity ).  The winner of the

"big three" is Kay L. Davis.  She is a Canadian whose blog you may follow -

"an unfittie's guide to adventurous travel!"  Check it out! I'll be sending Kay the following -

Fifty Dollars

The most recent CD of my favorite jazz singer, Sony Holland

A copy of my poetry book

After I got home today, I had a friend pull two more names for a copy of "Life's Journey,"

my poetry book.  The winners are rainfield61 whose blog, "My Journey" is at http://rainfield61.blogspot.com/ and clean and crazy whose blog, "My Recovery," is at
 http://surrendertowin.blogspot.com/.  Check them both out - they are wonderful.

Thanks to everyone who participated in my blogaversary giveaway and who posted
during this time period,  I appreciate all of you who have become followers in the past
year and who have crossed my path at some time or other.  In the 20 months since my
job ended, you all have been a life line for me and have given so much to me.  I hope
I'll still be here with you next year at this time!!

Flash 55 Friday - Happy Anniversary to Me - September 17, 2010

Flash 55 Friday - Happy Anniversary to Me - September 17, 2010

I really can't believe it,

But my anniversary's here,

On the 19th of September,

My blog celebrates one year!

I began in desperation,

So blue from workplace woes,

And for my loyal followers,

You know how the story goes.

Writing gave me focus,

And a whole new world of friends -

Let's hope it never ends!

I am taking part in Flash 55 Friday, the brainchild of none other than, Mr. G Man -

join in the fun!

To celebrate the one year anniversary of my blog, Carmen's Chronicles, I am having a

give away.  It will consist of:  a copy of my poetry book, "Life's Journey, Volume One" -

a $50 Visa Gift Card - and a copy of the new Sony Holland CD, "Sanssouci".

You can read reviews of my poetry book at:

http://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Journey-1-Carmen-Henesy/dp/1451547366/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

Fifty Dollars

To listen to songs on "Sanssouci, go to Sony Holland's website @:  http://www.sonyholland.com/

To be eligible for the give away, you must be 1) a follower of my blog.  To have additional

entries, you may make a post about the give away on your blog ( one entry ) - just send me

a message when you have done this with the link to your blog - and, for every comment

you make on my blog until the day of the drawing, you will get an additional entry.  The

drawing will take place - by random generator  - on October 3, 2010, my 66th birthday.

Shadow Shot Sunday, Poetic Shutterbug, August 22, 2010

  

Shadow Shot Sunday, Poetic Shutterbug, August 15, 2010

For once, it was a bright sunny day in San Francisco, and my friend, Joanne Olivieri

( the famous blogster, Poetic Shutterbug ) and I were in Washington Square, cameras

in hand, en route to hear our friend and jazz diva, Sony Holland perform.   We fit right in

with all the summer tourists as we began snapping away at all the famous landmarks

in sight.  I just couldn't resist getting this picture of Jo's shadow on the ground!  I've
been spending a good bit of time with her lately, in search of photos for our respective
blogs and I see as much of her with her camera in front of her face as I do otherwise.
It's almost as though we are on a scavenger hunt when we're out.  I'll see something and
yell, "Oh, I have to get that for my Mellow Yellow meme" and off she'll go, muttering, "I
need something for "Camera Critters".  I am sure people wonder if we've forgotten our
medications.

I am participating in Shadow Shot Sunday - come and join in the fun!

C is for California

ALPHABE - THURSDAY: THIS WEEK IS THE LETTER "C"

I discovered California in the summer of 1963.  I was a student nurse at Charity Hospital in New Orleans and I made the long drive west in a tiny compact car with two LSU medical students, headed to Santa Monica to extern for three months.  I was bound for Monterey, CA to visit Garlon Lim, a friend from my high school days who had had been in the Army judo club with me at Ft. Benning, Georgia.  The car wasn't air conditioned and it was a sweltering trip.  I thought Texas would never end!  We finally stopped, exhausted and hot, at a cheap El Paso motel to get a few hours sleep in air conditioning and to shower. 

We finally arrived in Los Angeles around midnight and I remember my amazement to see the freeway filled with cars. My friends took me to the bus station where I purchased my ticket to Monterey and I dozed for a few hours, among the unsavory characters, until the dispatcher announced my bus. I was filled with excitement to actually be in California and, when the bus finally arrived in Monterey and Garlon came to pick me up, I felt like I was in another world.

His family, all Chinese, were wonderful to me, thanking me for my family's hospitality to their son during his service at Ft. Benning. They fed me incredible meals, better than any of the Chinese food I'd eaten with my Asian friends at the Formosa restaurant in my home town ( the only one back then! ). Garlon took me sightseeing in Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel. I marveled at the 17-mile drive along the Pacific coast and was deeply moved at seeing the Mission San Carlos Borromeo which was founded in 1771.  He died there in 1784 and is buried under the sanctuary floor.

Monterey Bay by Allie Caulfield

Old Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, CA

Mission San Carlos Borromeo, Carmel by Richard Masoner

Carmel-By-The-Sea Beach by HBarrison

The Bixby Canyon Bridge by mrkathika

 18 miles south of Carmel, this is one of the ten highest single span bridges in the world.

Lone Cypress, 17-Mile-Drive, Pebble Beach, CA by mrkathika

At the end of my visit to Monterey, Garlon gave me the most incredible surprise - a round trip ticket to Honolulu so I could go see some of the other members of our judo club who had been members of the Hawaii National Guard.  My flight was to leave from San Francisco and we spent a few hours sightseeing before my departure.  That was all it took for me to fall in love with  this breathtaking city by the Golden Gate.  I knew that, someday, I was going to live here and, thirteen years later, in January of 1976, I moved to the Bay area.  It has been my home now for 34 years and, though I have traveled the world over during that time and have seen the most amazing places, I still feel an overwhelming joy when I see the spires of the Golden Gate Bridge or hear Tony Bennett sing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" or listen to that fabulous Sony Holland's "On a San Francisco High."

Chinatown, San Francisco by doortoriver

San Francisco From the Oakland Bay Bridge by Franco Folini

San Franciso Painted Ladies by Tom Mascardo

Darioush Winery, Napa Valley by jimg944

Napa Valley Vineyards by jimg944

State Capitol, Sacramento, CA by paraflyer

Beautiful Yosemite

Santa Barbara Mission by Allie Caulfield

Los Angeles by kevitivity

The Beverly Hills Hotel by Alan Light

Disneyland by Denise Cross

San Diego

The state is in the worst financial mess I can remember. I, myself, only a year ago, lost my nursing position of 21 years with the city and county of San Francisco in massive cuts to the Department of Public Health .  I wonder how we will ever recover as the jobless rate increases and San Francisco now has the highest homeless rate in the United States. 

California is the most populous state in the U. S. and ranks third in size to Alaska and Texas.  It is the most geographically diverse of all the states and boasts the highest point, Mt. Whitney, and the lowest point, Death Valley, in the contiguous United States.

Major booms in Californa growth came from the Gold Rush in the 19th century, making San Francisco a major city.   Los Angeles, in the 20th century, became a mecca for entertainment, and the Silicon Valley developed as a leader in information technology.

California has it all - mountains, coastline, big cities, lakes, desert, rural towns.  It also has earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, mudslides. 

In spite of its current problems, there is no where else I would want to live.  Though I was born in Georgia, two of my three sons are San Franciscans and I want to take my last breath here.