tynajoymetzner

Beat The Heat Father’s Day Retreat

Father’s Day is a mixed bag for me. I vacillate between missing my Dad privately and immensely, to busting my butt to make sure it’s nice for my husband. Honestly a busy day from the minute my feet hit the floor when I get out of bed. I have to say that I was so happy with the way the day progressed! I even got a chance to hang out with my oldest daughter and her husband to be. That, was a nice impromptu surprise. My husband bought a 36 in grill that he had been eyeballing for awhile. The price was right and he picked it up for a great deal.  We are thrilled to own this beautiful outdoor cooking tool! This pic was of our first grilling experience. Father’s Day he decided he wanted to make street tacos for dinner. Mind you it was 115 degrees outside! Anyway, we adults drove to the nearest Food City for carne asada meat, homemade salsa and all of the trimmings. I have to admit that dinner was delicious!

Father’s Day Dinner!

Earlier I made brunch for all of us… French Toast with homemade whipped cream and strawberries. I spent a great deal in my kitchen yesterday with food prep but mostly cleaning up! Dishes and organizing took time… I’m always either loading or unloading the dishwasher… I do my fair share of hand washing dishes as well… Hence my dishpan hands…

I see in my pic here that my whipped cream was fading fast…

Daughter Zoe had put together a beautiful slideshow presentation of some of our family excursions and events. This really touched us both! It was awesome and such a great way to celebrate her Dad. We have dubbed her the, “family historian”. Last year we asked that she take pics at all of our get togethers as we are too busy hosting. 

My gift to my husband was also picture related. I thought maybe he could use new pics for his desk at work. Walgreens had an awesome 50% off coupon online for these wooden plaque type of pictures. I choose my three favorite  family pics from our recent trip to California. The plaques turned out prettier than I could have imagined! So pretty that I dreaded parting with them! My husband suggested that we put them on the piano. I found a perfect space for them lol. I suppose they will never see the office. Yay!

My husband went to the grocery store for propane and ice, and came back with this little blow up pool… I thought this gesture was sooo sweet! The kids had a great time in it! Perfect for the heat we are anticipating 120+ degree temps are possible this week! Look at my poor dead grass! We didn’t overseed for summer this year… too much going on. We will reseed in September or October. Desert Living is about adapting to the heat!

After a busy day of cooking and running around in the heat I was glad he found a shallow retreat! I actually did too! A 15 min. submerge made all of the difference! A nice cool off was the recharge we needed…

Hope you had a wonderful Father’s Day as well. This one for us will go down in the record books as one of the best! It was truly just special. Sometimes, it really is the little things…

I Believe In Love-written by Elton John (Cover)

tynajoymetzner

Casual Conversations And The Ties That Bind And Gag

Trying to figure out what my next musical project will be as I have taken some time off to settle into summer… I keep getting sidetracked with real life lol. Domestic bliss… I am in the process of setting up my Music Page on Facebook. Yet another personal scrapbook that embodies a mass of work with little return or gratification. Gone are the days of thinking that if I post it, “they” will watch/ listen. Social media baffles me. How anyone can use it to get anywhere without buying followers and subscribers, is beyond me… God help all of us wanna be anythings out there who don’t have money to throw at exposure. 

My daughter Zoe just returned from a week long stay at Massanutten Resort in Virginia. Her bestie and family invited her on an all expense paid trip. It was her first time flying and as I had predicted, she loved it! She will surely have the traveling bug now. She had a great time but was ready to come and get back to her friends. It was her first time being gone a whole week. I missed her! 

She brought back souvenirs for all of us which, impressed me. Very thoughtful gifts, here is mine…

Used this earlier this am.!

She was gone for my birthday so when we were talking, she remembered that she had bought me a gift before she left for her trip. She presented this to me. Being a teenager, I found humor in that she, gave me this!

I was very touched by this gesture. A while back, I had shared with her that Erma Bombeck was my favorite author. I was stunned that she remembered the conversation as it was just small talk just the two of us, over tea and cookies at home. She told me that she searched Barnes And Noble for a specific title of Erma’s that I spoke of, “The Grass Is Always Greener Over The Septic Tank”. She was only able to find this treasure in Erma’s collection of hilarious works. I thought this was so very special!

I loved Erma’s books because they were funny but so true! She wrote them from her Mom/ Housewife perspective about everyday life and living. So relatable to anyone who is a Mom/ Housewife! The more of her books that I read, I find her to have been a philosopher in her own right. She had amazing insight and could lay life and living out for you. Her wise owl perceptions of any given “life” situation she could convey with honesty, humility and humor. What a treasure she was. What a legacy she leaves behind! As I said, philosopher in her own right.

Although she has been gone for awhile, her books remind me to find humor in those  similar situations in which I find myself regarding homemaking. She actually lived in Phoenix. I wonder if  I have truly ever walked on ground that she used to walk on? I live in the suburbs, a town called Ahwatukee, specifically Mountain Park Ranch area…

Anyway, I will leave you with this, my own attempt a little bit of  housewife humor…

Casual Conversations is written by Rick Davies

Have a terrific weekend. If at all possible, take some time to laugh!

tynajoymetzner

Tag You Are It

This is my attempt at portraying my mundane, housewife exsistence with a little humor. This is the life of a housewife in a nutshell. … The music is all me. I however give credit to the wonderful Rick Davies of Supertramp, for the original to my cover. Casual Conversations has always been a favorite song of mine. So relatable!

Find me, like and subscribe! I am on YouTube and SoundCloud as well under Tyna J. Metzner. I blog under the same name on Google Blogger and on WordPress.

Please follow me on Instagram-@metznertyna

On Twitter @JTynajoy

I appreciate the support more than you could know! Thank you for your time and willingness to get to know my music. 

My Facebook Music Page

tynajoymetzner

Facebook Page Come Find Me

I have created my Facebook Music Page. Please like and subscribe to my page!

Thank you in advance for your support!

I don’t think you realize how much your support of my music means to me! 

tynajoymetzner

On This The First Day Of My Fifty Fifth Year

Here I sit on this the first day of my 55th year contemplating. Birthdays are for reflection. A marker of time and an opportunity for reflection. A good time to take quiet refuge in a bathtub full of bubbles and think about where you want to put yourself. Looking back in time serves purpose only to clarify what yet you want to do with the time you have. Regret is counterproductive this, I tell myself.

When I take stock of my life so far, what I find is that I wish I would have made myself more important.  I wish that I had taken the time to pursue my own ambitions in music and in life! I wish that I would have made the time to perfect my own desire to accomplish. I still have desire and ability but I’m lacking in the confidence to try. I feel it out in my head and with those closest to me. Every now and again I teasingly throw it out there… I laughingly say things like, “I’m still trying to be a rock star”. I get the same look from all of them…The you are ridiculous and such a joke look. The “get real” with yourself look. I test the waters with small half joking comments and then I’m always confronted with that look… I then justify my ambitions and musical attempts by saying things like, “I post my music because it reminds me that I’m a person in my own right. Otherwise, I would get swallowed up just being a housewife.” They all seem to get that! I get it too… it’s only half of the truth though. If I’m honest with myself, I upload my music to SoundCloud and YouTube to live out my deep desire to be something! If I can’t really be a great famous musician, I’m going to try like hell to give it all I’ve got. It is the one part of myself that I’m not ready to let go of! I didn’t get to do “it”, whatever that really is…I’m still searching for some kind of validation through my music. I get some nice comments on YouTube. The people closest to me though all get that “look”,regarding my music…

This is what my inner spirit came up with so far, to contribute to the sea of originals in music.

 Escape- https://youtu.be/mtqYqAi9-4k

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

Lost In The Game-https://youtu.be/vatoP32_kAk

Composing with full orchestra sound has been so fun! Adding depth and dimension to these originals…

Face To Face-

Something More-https://youtu.be/aAIbtnm_Wes

It pains me to see the same look on the faces of people that are closest to me. Embarrassment quite possibly. It is an affront to my inner spirit and most vulnerable self. I take note of “the look”, whenever I encounter it. I keep telling myself that because everyone gives me that look , I should just except the reality that I’m not very good, not going anywhere and give up on the dream…

Something inside of me just won’t let it go though and I keep picking myself up and hoping that the next thing that I produce/create will be better and I can still??? … achieve greatness? At 55, I still want more for and from myself. I’m still trying to prove to myself, something…

HOPE

              -ASPIRE-

                               -DARE TO ACHIEVE-

*Not only for the young! *Fake it till you make it!* Live out your dreams if only in your mind!* Never ever give up! *Overcome the negative noise from the gallery and for God sakes, that “look”! *Ignore the stereotype and the naysayers! *Prove everything to yourself, not to any one! *Compete only with yourself to be better than your last effort! *Enjoy the gift, even if you are your only fan! *Between me and my maker…

How’s that for a personal pep talk with myself on this, the first day of my 55th year here on this planet.

I will finish this post with this latest effort. A cover that I’ve only recently come to know. If you are a big fan of Roger Hodgson you probably know of this song. It isn’t a mega hit song but it is big on spirit and innate charm. A song that is probably very near and dear to the songwriter and his life experience and thoughts. Roger is so good at conveying his inner spirit! That, is what truly makes him such a gifted songwriter. His lyrics and unique chord progressions cut right through to my heart strings. This little known song sucked me into wanting to cover it. To cover a song is to truly come to know it. To put yourself there in it. Like admiring any kind of art in detail.

If I could ever speak to Roger Hodgson’s camp,  who seem to detest my cover attempts, I would remind him/ them this..

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”! I seek to really know the music of which I cover. My whole appreciation and inturpretation of the intimate nuance is what I get and, wish to impart covering a song. Very personal to me even if I didn’t write it! I cover many songs and artists.

* Please visit and subscribe to my YouTube and SoundCloud channels. What a terrific birthday that would be, support, is a wonderful gift!

I will finish this post with this latest cover on my SoundCloud channel.

Two Of Us- written by Roger Hodgson

Here is my birthday wish…

* It is my great fantasy to have this, my interpretation of Roger’s original echoed back to him. Hopefully recieved favorably by him and his camp. Not for it’s greatness,  (it’s not great), but, for the spirit in which it is intended, my great adoration for his works!

I wish only to bring a smile via my cover attempt!

How’s that for a birthday wish?!!!!

tynajoymetzner

Look At Me I’m A Speck Of Sand

Whirlwind California vacation. A flurry of activity and a lot of miles traveled. We put over 2500 miles on our car in six days. The vacation was centered around seeing relatives. We were however able to squeeze in some time to admire the great Pacific Ocean, tour Stanford University, visit the Apple Campus as well as Google’s Campus. We took in some of the wonderful diversity in the Silicon Valley as we were witness to a beautiful Indian wedding ritual. Spuring us to seek out a delicious Indian food dinner while in the San Jose area.

Amelia had a wonderful time looking for shells and small creatures. It was so windy that day! This was taken in Monterey, CA.

Windy and oh so chilly but, invigorating. A 45+ degree temperature change from the 108 degree Phoenix weather we had just come from.

We made our way to my hometown, Morro Bay, CA. We only had about 5 hours there. I loved every second of being home… As soon as I saw Morro Rock, I felt a sense of joy and peace…Such a gorgeous area that I used to take for granted! I lived in San Luis Obispo county for 36 years.

This is a wonderful quaint little place off the water that I would go to for my Karaoke fix. I would come here to sing. I have never been able to completely ignore the musical side of me that wants go come out and play.

While I was in Morro Bay, this song kept running through my thoughts and my heart. Part of me is so frustrated that I can’t get anyone to listen! Going home is kind of lonely thing to do. My immediate family has no ties to the area and they don’t share in my joy for being there.  

“Look at me, I’m a speck of sand…”

Two Of  Us is written by Roger Hodgson. 

tynajoymetzner

Summer Is Here Oh Dear 

Disappointment is looming within me. All of this that I do in music is close to my heart. Some of the songs that I learn and generate touch me so personally. Others are a brief infatuation. Some, I am so excited to share for a multitude of reasons. Originals of course are always like that because they come from deep inside of your "artistic" place obviously. Some covers though feel more special than others. The challenge to put together or maybe just the chord progressions that grip you emotionally. Intensity and energy that they are to do mentally… Anyway, when you are on fire for what it is you have done that you are really pleased with and it falls flat… such a lonely feeling! You feel so misunderstood and you wonder why others don’t want to share in your joy. Almost makes you question your own perception and perspective! You begin to wonder why you feel so excited about something nobody else has any interest in taking the time to listen to! I pick covers of songs many times that aren’t hits. Obscurity is probably part of the issue with my latest SoundCloud cover. As with originals, obscure songs are hard to get people to listen to. My originals are so difficult to get heard!  

This cover makes me happy to share because of the intensity it took to produce the outcome. In this, I am beaming…Something about this one is very special to me. 

Here is the link.

⬇️ click on my picture and it will take you there…

 https://soundcloud.com/tyna-j-phipps/two-of-us-written-by-roger?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=email

This week, actually Tuesday is the last day of school for my Kindergarten gal. I think it’s sweet she doesn’t want it to end! She has been tearful about her school year being finished! She has had the best experience I could have hoped for! A wonderfully patient and good teacher! My little gal is starting to read and has a love of books and reading! Amelia has learned so much and had a lot of fun with the process! I’m thrilled with her progress.

In this past week, I attended two end of the year class preformances and a late Mother’s Day lunch with daughter Britt. Britt took me to lunch at a beautiful outdoor Aviary in downtown Chandler. The weather was beautiful and the birds chirped and spoke to all of us while we ate. The food was delicious and the company terrific! Such a nice Mother’s Day lunch out!

Aaron’s performance….

Amelia’s performance…

It was hat day, crazy hair day, PJ day, Hawaiian and Western Day all this past week… 

Zoe finished school this week and I ran a bunch of her friends around to lunch…

Crazy busy but many fun times for all… We are going to squeeze in a vacation to California here soon. A visit to my native state and the ocean is just what I need. Only a five day trip but a welcome change from the desert! Summer is here…kids will be home and oh boy… 

Have a great Sunday!