Mom’s Chipped Beef on Toast

As a kid, we were required to eat breakfast every morning before leaving the house. Even if it meant being late for school. However, if we were tardy we did get in trouble. Mother would often rise early and cook a hearty breakfast for the entire family. One of my favorites was her creamed chipped beef on toast, with a side of scrambled or fried eggs. I can’t help but think of Mother every time I enjoy creamed chipped beef for my breakfast.

Musician Friends

Just like last year, I plan on doing the majority of my Christmas shopping without having to go into town and deal with all the hassles that I really dislike about shopping in the old fashioned brick and mortar stores, I have never been into spending time at the local mall, I just don’t understand what all the hoopla is about when it comes to shopping, especially around the holiday season, which is starting earlier and earlier with each passing year,

Most of my immediate family members that I am obligated to purchase gifts for are into musician friends in one way or another so it makes it a bit easier for me to find the perfect music related presents online at my convenience.  At http://www.musiciansfriend.com you can actually call their toll free number 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. PST, Monday – Friday and/or 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. PST, on the Weekends and speak to on of their “Gear Heads” who are very knowledgeable with all of the merchandise that they are offering to their online shoppers. Sometimes it is nice to be able to pick up the phone and talk to an actual human being, without having to leave the house to find what you are looking for.

truth be told
Couldn’t Say It Better Myself

It’s All About The Weather Gods

My sister and her family (hubby and two kids) are leaving tomorrow for their last fling of the summer. Most kids are all ready back in school, but she home schools her kids so they don’t have to worry about the kids missing the first part of school and can take advantage of the reduced rates that are offered for after the Labor Day week end is over and done with.

The whole family enjoys playing golf and hopefully the weather will be great for the beach as well as a few rounds of golf. There are wonderful Myrtle Beach golf courses that they will be checking out. Sis spent a good amount of time online looking for the best Myrtle Beach golf packages and her efforts paid off when she landed on http://www.myrtlebeachgolf.net. Their site made it nice and easy where she could arrange their tee times and their accommodations at the same time.

She picked the Stay & Play Golf package and I’m sure I’ll be hearing all the details along with plenty of pictures and videos that they will be taking. Hope they have a blast, may the weather gods be gentle with them. This time of the year you never know what to expect!

Atomic Timepieces

I hate it when I walk in the room to a TV program that is just wrapping up an interesting topic of discussion that I would have enjoyed listening to and watching for the entire time period. I wish I had the Direct TV package that gives you the DVR that allows you to stop, rewind, pause, fast forward and even record your TV programs in record time.

I’m hoping next year that things will have let up some around the place and I can upgrade a few things that I would enjoy instead of just the things that are needed. Last night I just missed a discussion about Atomic Watches that I really would have liked to have seen, since Atomic Watches were the topic of discussion a few weeks ago at the dinner table at my sister’s house. She invites me over as often as possible in an effort to keep good food in me and to get me away from the farm, which is always something to look forward to.

We have always been close and since our parents passed away a few years back and I am now in charge of the old homestead she has been a tremendous help to me through out the whole ordeal.

Anyway, my sister and her husband were tossing around ideas for a birthday gift for her father-in-law, when it came up that a nice Atomic Watch would be a good gift idea for him this year. I didn’t know that the first atomic clock was built in 1949 and that they are the most accurate time know, as well as frequency standards. They are used to control the frequency of television broadcasts and in global navigation satellite systems like our GPSs that we are all relying on more and more these days.

Her father-in-law has certain standards and we all think that a nice looking quality Atomic Watch would most definitely fit the bill of his idea of a welcomed and appreciated gift. Most people are relying on their electronic devices to tell us the time, but a good amount of our senior citizens are still wearing and depending on quality time pieces and watches are still the main way to tell you the time in a quick glance, no matter where you are, right?

They shouldn’t have a problem finding the perfect watch by taking their time and searching the Internet. Sis is a whiz at finding deals online so I’m sure they will come out of this smelling like roses!

Necessary Help for Today’s Teens

The stories of folks looking for teenager addiction help are far from fading away.  The statistics are more than alarming concerning abuse that is still heavily on the rise with our kids, the same kids that will be running the show in the next decade or two or three, if we have any left that are willing and capable of doing so. Now that is a scary thought indeed.

There are a good number of teen treatment program websites all over the Internet full of information and that are offering their help with today’s youth, along with help for a good amount of adults that are struggling with substance abuse as well. Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab show, which is on VH1 I believe is helping people understand and bringing to light a lot of the problems that go along with addiction issues. I can only prey that people are watching and that he is able to help people, no matter what age they are, with this crisis that is affecting way too many people these days. The world has certainly gone crazy, something has to come about and soon folks.

The Tremolo Pedal Was A Huge Hit

The tremolo pedal that I bought my nephew last Christmas (wow Christmas seems like it was so long ago) has made a big impact on him and his music. Music has always been such a big deal in our families lives and I am glad to help nurture anyone’s interest and abilities in the family, when I can.

The house was always full of music back in the day. My mother didn’t enjoy a quiet house, so there was usually a radio on in various rooms and levels of the house. Something that I try to continue to do here today. I don’t like a quiet house either and since I live hear alone it is a constant battle, while trying to conserve electricity.

guitar centers boss pedal
Boss TR-2 Tremolo Pedal

Beginner Saxophone Sheet Music

Digging around the basement this weekend I stumbled onto a box that I had not noticed before, it was full of sheet music for various musical instruments that my mother had tucked away for who knows how long. She had even kept some of the beginner saxophone music that my kid brother used to have to practice along to. Boy oh boy, didn’t Kevin hate practicing that sax and the whole family (as well as many of the neighbors) suffered right along with him. Day after day, week after week, month after month…….

Kevin has always been known for practicing the “misery loves company” theory. I can’t wait to see his face when I pull out this sheet music and stick it in his face at the next family gathering. Not sure if that is going to be on Memorial Day or the 4th of July. But I’ll tuck it away until the time is right.

Protecting Mother’s Wedding Dress

I’m thinking of digging out my mother’s wedding dress, that has been in a chest, at the foot of the bed, in one of the upstairs bedrooms and giving it to my sister to have and to hold. While I am in there I am going to look for platinum wedding rings that I was told were in there as well. We have already agreed that I will keep these rings, at least for now. They will be placed in mother’s jewelry box, along with a few other key pieces of jewelery that we want to keep in the family.

But before I do all of that I want to look at some different types of garment bags, so that I can give the dress to her fully protected, safe and secure.

I never knew that there was so many different types of these protective products to choose from but I think I found the perfect one, made specifically made for a wedding dress such as this one is and have ordered it this afternoon and am guaranteed same day shipping, so it should arrive promptly for me to turn over to her the next time she visits me and the farm.

Birthday Chocolates

It must really bite to have a birthday so close to Christmas. No matter what they say, you will get robbed of at least one or more of the celebrations, most likely several in your life time. My sister was born on December the 22nd and since she has become a mother she really has put her needs and wants behind everyone else, just like a good mother does. She hasn’t really celebrated her own birthday in many years, although I make a point of sending her a birthday present well ahead of time so that it doesn’t get lost in the holiday madness that goes on that last week before Christmas.

This year I ordered her some good quality chocolates that I have discovered online. She can squirrel them away some where away from her hubby and the kids and hopefully enjoy these nice chocolates all to her self, unless of course some are left over when I get over that a way after the holidays are done and over with. I always enjoy a nice piece of chocolate myself, but can only take so much as a time.

Eggnog

One thing about the holidays that I always enjoy is the abundance of egg not that is being served all over town. My mother always made some dynamite home made eggnog and have never found another that makes it quite like hers. But the kind that they sell at the supermarket isn’t half bad and each time I take trip to town I stop and pick up plenty to keep me happy until the next trip.