It's About Time! - December 21, 2014

Good grief, I know folks are wondering if I disappeared from the face of the earth!  I
arrived home from India, more than a little weary, on the 3rd of December, after a 
change of planes in Amsterdam and Seattle.  All the flights were completely full so,
needless to say, it was a very tiring journey - almost 30 hours total time en route.  
That shows you how much I love India!!!  I've made that trip now eight times now in
three years and I will return May 5th.

Much to my delight, my West Sacramento family was there to greet me at the airport,
minus the two granddogs.  Harper Ann may have been briefed on "Nana's" arrival and,
even if she didn't exactly remember me, she said my name clearly and took to me
immediately - or was it the Santa bunny I'd picked up at Amsterdam's Schipol Airport
that did the trick?

Once home, the granddogs went into a frenzy when I walked in the door ( they ALWAYS
know me ).  I quickly took the heavenly glass of California red wine my daughter-in-law 
offered and the hours of jet travel melted away.  I do love India but, thus far, their wines
just can't compare to those in my home state, price-wise and otherwise.

Much to my dismay, I could not find my US attachment for my India purchased Lenovo
computer.  I immediately ordered one from Amazon but it was nearly a week until it 
arrived.  Funny how bereft one can feel without a computer to use.  Even with my fancy
Samsung Note 3 phone, I didn't feel adequate electronically to do my blog.

I have really been enjoying Harper who has learned so much in the five months

I have been gone.  She is quite the chatterbox and is so bright, learning words in

both Spanish and English ( both my younger sons graduated from high school 

with high honors in English ).  I am fairly fluent in Spanish myself so, with her

Spanish story books and all this early learning, she will be well on her way when

she begins school.  I am amazed at how much she knows for just 20-months.  She

is so cute as she wanders about the house, reciting in her sing song voice, :"Mommy,

Daddy, Nene, Bap Bap, Nana, Taffy, Bucky."

The dogs love her and have been her constant companions she she came home

from the hospital.  She can pull ears and tails without a protest from them and

they lie contentdly near her as she plays.  Taffy MUST be in her room as she goes

to sleep for naps and nighttime.

We went out for Italian food one night with my oldest son, Shawn, who just had

his 44th birthday on December 17th,  Harper enjoyed playing with the dough they 

brought out for her.  I forgot to recharge my phone so flash pictures weren't 

possible, much to my disappointment.  

Future Round Table employee

Middle son, Alex, 31, on left - Oldest son, Shawn, 44, on right

Nana, Harper, and Laura

I've only been to San Francisco one day, for three medical appointments, in one of 

our torrential rain storms.  Sacramento is only 100 miles from San Francisco and I

left at 4:30AM for my 10AM appointment, knowing there would be rush hour traffic

beginning soon.  I was not prepared to be four long, tedious hours on the freeway,

however.  What a nightmare.  All I could think, though, was, thank heavens, I wasn't

driving in Mumbai!!!!

After my doctor's appointment ( only thing wrong was that my blood pressure was

elevated - doc thinks it is because I am in so much pain - all my arthritic joint pain is

so much worse in this colder weather! ), I went to one of my old favorite haunts, American

Sushi House, for lunch.  I've been eating there since it opened and Bruce Lee ( not

of the marital arts fame but far more important to me ) welcomed me warmly.  I had

my usual bento lunch, raw oysters and a spicy tuna roll, with sake, of course.

From there, I went to my favorite Thai restaurant, Manivanh, near San Francisco

General Hospital, where I've eaten at least a thousand times and where the "Carmen's

Special" appears on the menu.  The Doungpanya family are like my own and are a

treasure to all of us who have worked at the General, especially to the forensic nurse

group.  I especially was thrilled because the 3rd of their four daughters had come in

to bring her baby, Taylor, to meet me.  It was a joyful reunion and I ended up staying

to have a late second lunch with the family, an incredible catfish dish.  Over fifteen

years, I've shared quite a few of their family meals and they are always very special.

As it turned out, I ended up sleeping the night on the floor in the restaurant.  Neither of 

the two hostels where I usually stay had any vacancies and Nang was staying over to

do late food prep for the next day so she invited me to camp out with her.  After my

exhausting morning drive, I slept like a baby!!!

I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of little Taylor with her mom, Ann, or papa, 

San but she seems perfectly content with her grandpa, Sam, and grandma, Nang.

Tuesday, I saw my dentist and my optometrist, then went to the Ritz Carlton for the

evening performance of my beloved Sony and Jerry Holland.  The two are now 

performing five nights a week in San Francisco!  How I wish I weren't a hundred

miles away!  At least, they are no longer living in Los Angeles.  I can't tell you what

a joy it is to see and hear them.  They brighten any rainy night and, usually, there

are a few old friends present of the fan club so it's always like "old home" week..  I

was so weary, though, that I was dozing off and on during some of the sweet 

melodies.  

So, now Christmas is just a few days away and I'm determined to finish Harper's

stocking which I began last year.  Felled by my kidney stones ( or one of them ) the

week before Christmas, I didn't complete it.  Alex is teasing me that he isn't expecting

it till she's eighteen - heaven's, I fear I'll be a speck of dirt by that time.  No, I must have

it done for Santa THIS Christmas.

It will be a nice holiday for me.  I haven't seen my youngest son yet.  He was away on 

vacation for ten days but, Christmas, all three boys will be here.  

I hope you will have your loved ones close to you, in happiness and good health.

Lots of love and good wishes from my home to yours.

Three Word Wednesday - To Take a Chance - June 25, 2014

She had always been the shyest child, 

Never straying very far,

She walked the straight and narrow,

Avoiding anything bizarre.

She chose a college close to home,

And did her family proud,

She stayed within the limits,

Never breaching what allowed.

With her degree in finance,

Employment offers came her way,

But when she made her choice,

Her parents protested in dismay.

"A third world country," they exclaimed,

"It's such a risky place,"

"For all you knnow, you'll disapp   ear,

And be lost without a trace."

In spite of opposition,

She calmly moved ahead,

Got her passport, vaccinations,

With not a bit of dread!

"Your life will be in jeopardy,"

Her mother's chants rang out,

All felt she'd last, at best, a month,

Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

As soon as her plane landed,

A cathartic spell took hold,

And her true, adventurous spirit,

Was free, now, to unfold.

She thrived in this huge country,

With customs and cultures new,

Embracing all it offered,

And, for this, she was welcomed, too.

Carmen M. Henesy

Copyright June 2014 by Carmen Henesy

I am participating, for the first time, in

Three Word Wednesday

Use this week's three words:

risky, jeopardy, and cathartic

and join in the fun!

Cooking, Baking, Eating - Delights of a Lifetime - February 26, 2014

I have to admit, in recent years, my time in the kitchen has certainly waned.  I have
always loved to cook, though I didn't really begin in earnest until I was out of nursing
school.  Living in New Orleans as a young RN, I delighted in Creole concoctions,
practicing on my classmates and began acquiring what was to become a collection
of nearly five hundred cookbooks from all over the world.  Bananas Foster became
a signature dessert and one most requested by my three sons.  Perhaps this is 
what instilled the desire to become firefighters in Alex and Jeremy though I never
set our homestead ablaze.

Of course, I also enjoyed dining in restaurants as I traveled and added their 
cookbooks to my collection.  Notebooks of recipes clipped from the pages of 
Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Southern Living, Sunset, the Wednesday food newspaper
section, and the treasured recipes of friends were added to my files. 

In my mid-twenties, while living in Tampa, Florida, I took a Wilton cake decorating
course and, weekly, brought home my creations.  That grew a little tiresome when
people started requesting cake "donations" and didn't even provide the ingredients.
I had to learn to say no but learn I did.

For about six months, after moving to the San Francisco area, I even started a
catering business.  Following my back surgery, it just became too much physically.

Once I became a forensic nurse, with call for two different agencies, my time in the
kitchen became less in less.  As one of my colleagues said, "You can make toast
but you can't bake a cake."  Waiting for the dreaded beeper to go off interfered with
a lot of activities.

Once my job ended in budget cuts nearly five years ago, I got rid of nearly all my
cookbooks and other belongs.  Home now from India for a few months and helping
take care of my sweet granddaughter while Laura is going through the fire academy
( she is a paramedic ), I am enjoying cooking dinner many nights.  Most of my 
recipes are in storage but some I find on the computer.

Tonight, for dessert, I'm making a Pillsbury cookoff favorite of my sons, one I've
made for over twenty-five years.  I always loved the bake-off recipes, quick and easy,
from only a few ingredients.  

This for Chocolate Cherry Bars was created by Francis I Jerzak, of Porter, MN
for the Bake-Off® Contest 25, 1974.  

·         prep time 15 min

·         total time 2 hr 0 min

·         ingredients  8

·         servings  48

 

Ingredients

Cake Bars

1     (18.25-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Devil's Food Cake Mix

1     (21-oz.) can cherry pie filling

1     teaspoon almond extract

3     eggs, beaten

Frosting

1   cup sugar

1/3   cup milk

5      tablespoons margarine or butter

1     (6-oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Steps

·         1    Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch baking pan or 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, combine all cake bar ingredients; stir until well blended. Pour into greased and floured pan.

·         2     Bake at 350°F. until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For 15x10x1-inch pan, bake 20 to 30 minutes; for 13x9-inch pan, bake 25 to 35 minutes.

·         3     In small saucepan, combine sugar, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour and spread over warm bars. Cool 1 1/4 hours or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

 

Nutritional information                Serving Size: 1 Bar    Calories  110      Calories from Fat    35

Total Fat      4g       Saturated Fat     1g              Cholesterol      15mg      Sodium     105mg

Total  Carbohydrate    18g      Dietary Fiber    1g         Sugars  14g        Protein    1g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A   0%        Vitamin C    0%      Calcium     0%      Iron    4%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

 http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/chocolate-cherry-bars/15d6f3ce-21b3-43fb-8cb0-

b33fb4177d3e

Thank you, Francis and Pillsbury!!!

The Bird D'Pot - Sandhill Cranes in Zephyrhills, Florida - February 2, 2014

I must confess, aside from pretty common bird varieties, I am no expert.  I confuse
egrets and cranes - though, of course, thanks to their color, I do know flamingos, and,
I can certainly spot pelicans and peacocks.

I am currently on a wonderful month long visit to family and friends in the southern
United States, figuring that, at the vintage age of 69, I might not have another chance 
to see some of the people that I love so much.  It has been a very special trip.

It began with a seven day stop in Florida, visiting Charlene Payton, my friend of forty
years.  We worked together for a year as young nurses in Tampa.  Throughout
the rest of our lives, we have often visited each other and traveled together.

While having breakfast one morning, I spotted these two birds out on the golf
course, among the beautiful old oaks draped in their Spanish moss, the setting
reminiscent of a Southern romance novel.  I immediately grabbed my camera,
intent on snapping a few photos.  Charlene told me the birds were sandhill 
cranes who would resent my intrusion and take to the skies.  They did not and
I blatantly stepped closer, barefooted, advancing slowly.  I had forgotten that
Southern grass is often full of "stickers".  

Thanks to Wikipedia, I learned a good bit about these birds, native to North America

and "extreme northeaster Siberia".  The sandhill crane ( (Grus canadensis) is a large

bird, weighing 8 to 10 pounds, in the adult bird.  Male and female look alike.  The

adult is gray in color and has a bright red forehead, white cheeks and a long pointed

bill.  The sandhill crane stands on long, dark legs.

These birds have a large wingspan and soar much like hawks and eagles, using

thermals to obtain lift.  The article said that they can fly for many hours, without

flapping their wings, conserving their energy.

For more information on the sandhill crane, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandhill_Crane

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/id

I am participating in 

The Bird D'Pot

Send your bird photo and join in the fun.

Out of Touch for Awhile - December 15, 2013

I've been home nearly two weeks already but have not managed to find time to sit
down at this computer!  I've been making the rounds of doctors ( got my hip
injected - amazingly successful this time, knock on wood - just hope I'll have some
relief for a few months ).  Also, saw my dermatologist who "froze" the tiny
area on my nose that was a precancerous lesion.

Spent some quality time with dear friends and got to see some musical
favorites perform - Sony and Jerry Holland at the J. W. Marriott in San Francisco
and Margie Baker at her usual Sunday venue at the Burlingame Hyatt.  If you
haven't seen either, you should give yourselves a really wonderful Christmas
gift and spend a few hours enjoying both!!!

I finally got up to West Sacramento on December 8th and I've been totally
enchanted by my precious little granddaughter, Harper Ann Vukasinovic.  She
already has me wrapped around her little finger.  I am really impressed with
what wonderful parents my son, Alex, and his wife, Laura, are.  The household,
Taffy and Bucky included, is so loving and happy.

You can barely see her two little bottom teeth peeping through

Here she's wearing one of her Christmas outfits..and Taffy is nearby,

as always!  I bought her one for Christmas Eve that says,

"Waiting Up for Santa"

Harper is almost 20 lbs now - and still getting boobie 

milk but Laura makes fresh baby food for her...favorites

are pears, applesauce, yams, carrots.

She babbles and plays happily for long periods with

her doggie baby sitters near her and Nana and mom

working across the room, cooking.

One of her favorite spots is the laundry basket!!!

Bucky lets Harper pull ears, tail...whatever, without complaint!

I couldn't believe how quickly this cute little bug and I bonded.  I am really going

to miss her when I take off January 8th for my three week jaunt around the South.

I do plan to return to India, too, in June...but only for three months this time.  I

can't imagine missing too many months of my granddaughter's life.