Thursday, April 27, 2017

Dreaming While Riding Out The Storm From Within

Such a busy week! My washing machine quit on me! I was hoping that it was something small and fixable. After finally getting a repair guy out, it turns out that is was a major issue. They wanted to charge me $1,300. to fix it! That is ridiculous of course so we shopped around last weekend for a new washer. Spent the whole weekend researching and looking at all the local stores that sell appliances. This is what we decided upon. My New LG washer. Most bang and large drum size for your buck that we saw out there.

I actually recieved the washer this past Monday. So glad to be done with the front loader! I never liked the smell. I couldn’t get rid of the mildew smell in my washer or in our clothing! Horrible problems with that. I always assumed the smell was coming from the water that would collect around the rubber seal. I was forever taking a rag with bleach on it around the inside door seal. The tech that came out told me the smell was actually coming from the back of my machine in an area that would collect water, impossible to clean. Anyway, I had the washer for 9 years, it still looked good but was never a favorite appliance! I would like to be able to sell the pedestal it is on. The rest I would just give away for parts if any one would want them.

See, my old front loader still looks good! Too bad it doesn’t work. I could sell the drawer I suppose if I could get it off the heavy washer…

Of course, I was done with the front loader experience. After a lot of research and shopping, we ended up purchasing an LG top loader. It has a nice big tub and great technology. It has a load sensing feature that weighs the clothes to determine how much water to use. It’s an “he”, high efficiency machine.

This machine is a beauty!

1st Load In My New Top Loader
In between the end of the school year kid chaos, I caught a stomach virus that has been going around the school and grocery store… I’m the only one in the family to have acquired it. Day two felt better but it doubles back on you, day 3. I’ve determined that nothing, tastes better than ginger ale over ice, with a straw. So great!

Zoe had her last lacrosse game of the season Tuesday and I had to miss it. I made the snacks for pre game that she wanted to share with her teammates. She had created an appetizer that just kind of became a favorite of ours… ritz cracker with cream cheese, a piece of pepperoni and half a grape on top. Delicious combination of flavors lol so, I made them for her last pre game snack. Don’t say ewww till you try them! Yum!

I also threw in a batch of semi- homemade chocolate chip cookies. After that, I promptly went down with a 101 degree fever… I was sad I missed her last game. They won by a lot and, she made a goal! I did however, ask her the play by play accounting of her goal.

Day #2 of the bug I figured I was better. Fever had gone. I was weak, tired but better. So, I assumed it to be a 24 hour bug. Kept busy all day. Caught up on everything! Went to my G-sons end of the year choir performance last eve.

Visited with friends and sat with daughter Delcee and G-daughter Kadee.

Had a nice time!

I had been warned by a good friend who also has the bug, that it wasn’t over. I thought to myself, I feel better so I got off easy…She was right, it comes back! Riding out the storm…Mom used to say, “Into each life, a little rain must fall”. We always laughed because it was always a huge stormy issue that she would say that during… sarcastic!

Lol. Well, I have watched the stats on this song climb this week on my SoundCloud channel. I wonder what’s up? I am glad to know that someone seems to like this!

Dreamer- written by Roger Hodgson

Dreamer
My cover- https://soundcloud.com/tyna-j-phipps/friday-11-33-am?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=email

I’d actually like to add another keyboard accompaniment track to this as their are two distinctly different keyboard parts in the original. One Roger Hodgson played, the other, Rick Davies played. Now that I have figured out how to add another track on Audiocopy, I may work on doing this soon! So much fun to just lose myself in music for awhile!

Have a great Thursday. Stay well!

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

I Know She Would Be Smiling

Today would have been my Mom’s 92nd Birthday. Had she lived to celebrate it. She has been gone for 15 years now. Sometimes, it seems like yesterday that she passed. To say that I miss her would be a understatement. I recently had a dream about visiting with her. She looked great and we hugged… it was an amazing reunion visit even if brief! I really felt as though we had visited!

I decided to post a few of my originals to my YouTube channel on her birthday. She died long before I wrote these songs. In life, she was my biggest supporter and fan. She loved that I played and sang. I had sort of given up playing for many years because I got busy raising my kids. I’m still raising kids but I had a real desire to revisit my biggest childhood passion, music. I bought my keyboard a few years ago and I just kind of picked up where I left off… I have since posted many covers to my YouTube channel. My biggest personal musical joy is the originals I have been writing and executing on my YouTube and SoundCloud channels. The feeling of the music that comes to me is so rewarding. My most authentic self I think. I’m sure creating any form of art is similar?

Anyway, my Mom would be so tickled that I have taken to writing my own songs. She would be happy that I’m being me! She would surely be glad that I have found this way of expressing myself. I really wish that I could have shared it with her! So, it seems fitting that I post my own songs on her birthday. I treasure my memories of her. I hope I get to visit with her in dreams as well!

Something More Than Nothing-

Escape-

I found this old pic of Mom and daughter Delcee. This is a pic we joke about because Delcee had a swollen eye. She got crab juice in her eye prompting severe swelling and a trip to our eye Dr. on New Years Eve! We later found out that Delcee has a severe shellfish allergy! Anyway, this is a happy memory of a dinner we had together on New Years Eve. Since we lived in Morro Bay on the Central Coast of CA., we made it a tradition to have Dungeness crab for dinner on New Year’s Eve. I would buy them fresh at one of the local fish stores on the Embarcadero. Such a delicious treat!

Mom had made a Black Forest cake here in the pic I think.

Here is a recent picture of Delcee! Love this gal!

Anyway, I have lit a candle for my Mom. If she were here, we would have plenty to gab about! Long discussions over coffee…

Mom with my oldest, Brittany!

Britt and her kids today!

You surely are missed Leatrice June Joy Phipps. Happy Birthday Mom…

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Airing Dirty Laundry And No Dishes In My Sink

(3rd times the charm right? I apologize to you my readers for I have had to repost this as my links did not take you where I wanted them to...) I should check em right lol? ) Here ya go!!!!

The things that we do to ourselves, the choices that we make…I find myself tried and spent navigating marriage. It has proven to be the hardest thing in my life to manage and overcome. I don’t like marriage. I take ownership of my choice so I stick in there but I’m not having fun. I’m sure a lot of you can relate to the over the top challenges of being married. I can usually coast along and just put one foot in front of the other…I keep extremely busy with kids and home. Every now and again the harsh realities of my choice smack me in the face and I am forced to really look at them. I detest what I see and live. Marriage is hell on earth! Rather then dwell there, I find a way to skirt the issues and choose to not deal with the things that I hate. I feel powerless to effect change so I except and push aside the conflict for the greater good. Depleted and exausted I just exsist. Every now and again, I sense inequities that strike a chord within my soul and I speak up and out!

Something More Than Nothing – https://youtu.be/8ZRbD9le9H0

I put myself here and now, I just have to make it work…

Have to stir things up and whip my life into shape and endure plenty of Casual Conversations…(is written by Rick Davies).

I also understand that everyone is a critic… it’s a choice and a given in marriage…Critics Choice, written by Robert Lamm

So from my perspective as a career housewife, I choose this kind of “Escape”,every now and again…

It keeps me from feeling Lost In The Game- https://youtu.be/vatoP32_kAk

Monday, April 17, 2017

Feeling Rebellious Rebel Me The Gemini Comes Out To Play

Amelia Rose

What a wonderful helper I had while setting my Easter Table. She helped me rearrange my messy silver chest. What a mess it was. We had to wipe down every single piece of silver, plate, wine glasses and goblets…

From silly handmade placecards to semi homemade desserts. I dipped Chocolate covered strawberries and prettied my three tiered server with ribbons. A cheater frozen Lemon Meringue and Cookies and Cream Pie sliced and adorned with peeps and Easter cupcake picks… I tried…

I found this to be a lot of work but I guess worth it on major holidays. I like using my pretty things but the prep and clean up after the party is a lot of work! Not to mention the hours of food preparation. I didn’t get to bed till midnight last night.

Deviled Eggs, Ham, Sparkling Jello with pineapple and peaches, twice baked potatoes, broccoli/ cauliflower casserole and rolls. The most delicious wine spritzer I’ve ever had! Bubbly Pink Moscato with frozen tropical fruits and a sprig of mint! I nursed this one libation all eve. Not Much of a drinker but this was fabulous! I have a metal martini shaker so I put the fruit, ice and wine into the shaker and it poured nicely chilled! So delicious!

Clean up was long and an arduous task but the food was good, the conversation was nice and it was very festive! The weather couldn’t have been nicer! We sat on the patio a bit as well… I’m not looking forward to summer. The heat will be here in just a few weeks. It will stay hot until November… I also need to try to plan some summer activities besides our community pools for the kids to do. Our summers are as prohibitive as the winters are in the East. Day in and day out heat gets wearing…

I plan on enjoying every nice day we have until it heats up!

I’m working on a couple of new covers…

Say It Isn’t So- written by Hall & Oates. Do I dare try to attempt yet another Roger Hodgson cover? I am infatuated with Two Of Us… beautiful unique chords that tug at your heart strings. He’s sly like that, he knows what chords to put together that make you melt into becoming a fan. Pretty original for sure! Do I risk pissing off his people further by covering yet another of his great compilations? His manager sent me a really nasty email back when I had asked for permission to post one of Roger Hodgson covers. She referred to me as, “You People”. Trust me, the letter was nasty, mean spirited and I definitely understood that my interpretation of his music wasn’t appreciated… I recall being angry and sad that my adoration for this man’s music fell on deaf ears. After all, I’m just homemaker having fun playing music in my home. Living out my fantasy of being a musician with posting music to my YouTube channel. I hardly get any views, not a threat to this big star in any way. Maybe even a little bit funny because Im not great… I’m good enough to be a little interesting maybe? Suddenly, I am categorized as, “You People” Maybe it’s my female perspective on his music that isn’t appreciated? I’m puzzled because plenty of other cover musicians are allowed to post their Roger Hodgson covers to their respective channels without threat of legal action and takedowns! Ugh… To this day Im a bit heartbroken by the way his camp responded to my email and, request. I’ve never had any kind of negativity from an original artist that I cover. In fact, I never hear any kind of feedback from the artists that I cover lol. I’m such a small fish I can’t imagine my channel/ cover music and originals could ever be a problem! I guess I shouldn’t “poke the bear”. I won’t cover, Two Of Us.

Praying For Time- written by George Michael

Oh Darlin- written by Rick Davies

The Gemini in me…Two of Me, wants to cover Two Of Us but, I won’t unless I get consent to, then, I would…

Easter is over, spring is in the air, enjoy your venue!

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Silent Lucidity (cover)

https://soundcloud.com/tyna-j-phipps/silent-lucidity-written-by-2?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=email

Downstream (cover)

https://soundcloud.com/tyna-j-phipps/downstream-written-by-rick?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=email

Casual Conversations (cover)

https://soundcloud.com/tyna-j-phipps/casual-conversations-written-1?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=email

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Birdie Update Face To Face

Look how far they have come in just two weeks time!

By now they must be used to me peering in on them? I hear Mom squawking so they are possibly discussing my visit? I try not to interrupt much but oh my goodness, I’ve never had the privilege of such a wonderful life lesson in birdie! It has been wonderful to be Face To Face with these fine creatures!

Speaking of Face To Face, this is my original composition and video slideshow. I’m pleased with this as it is authentic me.

I posted this on my Facebook page, like any of my friends will care about it? Lol… just sayin…

Facebook link-https://www.facebook.com/tyna.phipps/posts/10213025430216794

This being Saturday, plenty of domestic chores are on my list. Washing and waxing the car, putting up the tent in the backyard for a sleepover with Granddaughters Elizabeth and Amelia. I’m making a nice brunch as well. Watching a Disney Movie, and trying to get close to this…

I don’t know how my phone perceives flights of stairs… during my walk run route I climb a very steep hill for about 7 min. Lol… so I’m really working hard! I love walking and sprinting a bit… come 9:30- 10:00pm. I’m ready to be done with the day… I get up at about 5 am… quiet hour to myself with a cup of coffee is time that I cherish.

Have a wonderful Saturday all!

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Welch's and Betty Crocker Team Up For A Win

Welch’s And Betty Crocker Team Up For A Win

I don’t pretend to be a culinary expert, I’m just a very experienced home cook. I would love to get paid testing and reviewing the boxed and quick prep foods! I try everything that I see that is new in my grocery baked goods section. I am a home cook who try’s to keep things interesting in preparing weeknight meals. A lot of weekends we grab dinner or lunch out so I get a break from cooking. During the week though, I try to feed my family home cooked, enjoyable meals with treats as well. This was exciting to see in my local Fry’s market. I bought both the strawberry and the grape flavor to try.

As soon as I saw these, I was reminded of a similar cookie bar that my Gram had made that I enjoyed as a kid. I have a feeling these are just like hers! I am going to make a strawberry batch today. I have the butter out softening as I write this. I will be using a 9X9 clear glass pan to bake them in… I bake from scratch mostly but sometimes it’s nice to have a product that requires little effort to achieve a nice result. I think of my grown working kids who try to scramble in the evenings to put a meal together for their families. I like to test things out for them. Semi-homemade can be a better, time efficient option!

These look wonderful but I feel the price is a little high! I paid $4.29 a box for these at the market. They better be darned good for that price lol. I think somewhere in the $3 dollar range would be more reasonable…