Carmen's Chronicles: St. Patrick's Day

Showing posts with label St. Patrick's Day. Show all posts

Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy St. Patrick's Day - March 17, 2014

I'm awfully glad I'm Irish,

Though it's really weird to me,

That lovely alluring Emerald Isle,

Is one I've yet to see!

I've traveled pretty close to there,

And though I'm not so fond of beer,

I often have an Irish whiskey,

When I need a bit of cheer!

I'm sad to say I've searched in vain,

Till my knees have gotten sore,

But the only clover that I've found,

Hasn't had any leaves of four!

In my youth, I could dance an Irish jig,

And twirl about with the best,

Nearing 70, it's all I can do to walk,

And every few steps, I must rest!

Today, I'll have corned beef and cabbage,

Like any good child of the sod,

And before I sit down to devour it,

I'll offer my thanks to my God.

Tonight will end in a pub crawl,

Where I'll join folks of all races and creeds,

Because today, the whole world is Irish,

And we go where the leprechaun leads!!

Carmen Henesy

Thursday, March 17, 2011

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

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!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

My Recent Forensic Nurse Rendevous at the Cliffs at Shell Beach, CA

Our CA Sexual Assault Investigators Association holds an annual spring training at the Cliffs Hotel, a beautiful spot on the central CA coast at Shell Beach. The setting gives us a nice respite from the days spent engaged in classes related to the serious work that we do in our specialties. It is also a occasion for us to get together and renew friendships.

The conference started this year on St. Patrick's Day. The largest number of nurses ever attended this event but I was happiest to see my old friends, the "queens," as we call ourselves.
We had dinner Wednesday night at the Cliffs and I invited Katie ( the girlfriend of my son, Jeremy ). She is a senior at Cal Poly. In years past, when he was also a student there, the two of them would usually join our group for dinner ( poor starving college kids, always glad to get
treated to a free meal! ).

The pool at the Cliffs looks out on the Pacific Ocean, a spectacular setting

The restaurant and some of the rooms look out on this view

The bar and St. Patrick's Day festivities were already in full swing by the time I arrived from the San Francisco area at 7PM. I had thoroughly enjoyed my 3-1/2 hour drive down the California coast. The hills were a beautiful green, quite fitting for the day, after all the winter rains and, in some places, fruit trees were already blooming. It was just spectacular. I kept wanting to stop and take pictures but kept myself focused on the task at hand - partying with my colleagues!!

Sherry and Diane, fellow queens.,

Sherry and I went to Japan together twice, once to see our jazz singer friend, Sony Holland, and again as guests of Japanese forensic colleagues to do presentations on forensic nursing and child forensic interviewing. She and I have also done several cruises together, one transatlantic and another from Ensenada to Honolulu, in addition to assorted smaller jaunts here and there. Sherry, is sort of the "mother" of all the original California sexual assault nurse examiners having taught the SART courses in the very beginning of our education. We owe her a great deal.

Diane has been actively involved in the sexual assault field as well and is a dear friend and cruising buddy. She and my friend, Jeannie, did a Mediterranean cruise with me for my birthday year before last.

Wendy and Claire

Wendy is a RN with a miles of alphabet soup after her name. She is a doctor of nursing science who has taught in such exotic places as Abu Dabhi and Hong Kong and has been involved in projects for the World Health Organization. She tried to talk Jeremy into going on after Cal Poly and becoming a nurse practitioner. Claire runs a sexual assault examiner program in the San Diego area and is one of the original queens. We have shared many cruises and wonderful times together.

Queen Madeline, as you can see by the pin on her jacket

Queen Madeline is the funniest, most delightful person and SANE. I first met her at a training and I have not stopped laughing yet at the comment she made then ( it's been ten years, I think! ).

Jeannie and Sandra

Jeannie is a native of Los Angeles and we've been friends since we met at our annual forensic nursing conference many years ago in Irvine, Calfornia. We don't spend as much time together as I like because she is an avid sunbather and, Southern belle that I am, I do not lie in the sun!! She is a brilliant SART nurse and one of my treasured cruising buddies. Sandra, along with Sherry, is the "other mother" of the original California SANES. They taught us well and really instilled the passion for forensic nursing in our hearts.