I have always wanted an old, upright piano. You know the ones, super heavy, nearly impossible to move, but elegant in their own way. And when I got one I wanted it to look much like this:
Gorgeous, right?! I love this! It's like an old fireplace that plays music and can be moved to wherever you may move, (albeit not very easily!)
I lucked into one a few years ago but my joy was short lived when I ended up changing jobs and moved out of town for a year. The old piano I had just acquired, went to a new home because I couldn't take it with me.
Fast forward to a few months ago. There is a second hand store in town that I like to go to once in awhile, and on one visit they had two of these lovely old pianos! Two! One was $80 and the other was $120. Both too much for my budget, but I decided to keep my eye on them to see if the price went down, after all, who besides me would want such a treasure? After several weeks, the piano's were both marked down to $40, but still too much for my budget. I kept watching. One was more ornate than the other one, and it was the one I really had my eye on. I went in one day and it was gone! Argh! I decided I'd better make a move on the other one, though not as ornate, lovely just the same. I asked the store owner if she would take$20 for it and she said yes!
I got Max and several of his friends to help me get it from the store to home. As it turns out, one of his friends that came to help move it, was also a member of the family that previously owned it. Small world!
Isn't she lovely?
I have plans to paint her white, soon, but wanted to enjoy her browness during the autumn months. She has sat there silent for a few weeks, and then the other evening at church my daughter, Riley, learned a simple tune on the piano that she was excited about and came home and played it for us. And played it, and played it. Well, if she was going to play the piano, why not learn some other tunes? I have a stash of vintage sheet music, and in my stash are a few piano lesson books, a couple of them for beginners. I got them out and gave them to Riley, and so began a study in earnest of how to play the piano. She has gone through several of the songs and written the notes in letters i.e. C D E F...Next she cut out the letters that represent the notes and put them on the piano keys. She has taught herself to play several songs this way, Old McDonald, Mary Had a Little Lamb, O Come All Ye Faithful, and more. It's fun to see her so excited, and it's nice to hear music come out of the lovely old piano.
