Tuesday, September 4, 2012

A PIANO...it's a Grand thing!

My story for the letter "P" at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday blog is all about a baby grand piano.  I'm posting this early as I will be out of town on Wed. and Thurs., and working on a computer other than my own really seems to confound me!  Can you say "technologically challenged"?
 
About a year ago, my father-in-law mentioned that he wanted my daughter, Karen, to have my mother-in-law's baby grand piano.  My mother-in-law loved this piano and played it all the time until Alzheimers invaded her mind and memory.  My daughter couldn't have the piano until she and her husband moved from their very small house into a much larger home that could accomodate the size of a baby grand piano. Karen and Joe knew that they wanted had to move because they were rapidly running out of room in the small, cramped house with two kids and all the "stuff" that goes along with a two year old and five year old! All the time they were looking for a larger home, Karen kept the piano in the back of her mind knowing that she had to have room for it. Luckily her new house has an open room (office area?) to the kitchen and family room that is perfect for the piano.

 

Karen and Joe painted the room and the piano looks great against the light walls.  Karen hasn't put anything on the walls yet because we have to have some old piano sheet music covers framed.  We found sheet music from the time my mother-in-law was single with her maiden name on the covers! She married in 1945 so the sheet music is old!
 
 
Eventually my grandchildren will take piano lessons.  Karen took lessons for several years but never really pursued the piano as a serious activity.  She would go to Northern Arizona University for summer music camp but I think that this was more of a social time than serious music theory time!  She insists that she learned a lot about the piano, but I know that she had a ball at music camp as well. 


 
I can't wait to see who gives Karen more of a headache when it comes to practicing the piano...Brandt or Lillian!  Believe me, I speak from experience!

 
 
Here are some of the sheet music covers that we are going to frame for the new "music" room.

 
 




Visit Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday for the letter "P".

17 comments:

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

Such a beautiful piano!!!

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

How nice that there is a perfect place for it. I hope the children like piano lessons and don't ask for, say, drums!

carol l mckenna said...

What a delightful story ~ and love the piano and sheet music ~ (A Creative Harbor)

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

My sister has my mother's piano. She loved it until Alzheimer's took away her ability to remember it.

Isn't it a horrible disease?

VBR said...

Lovely family story. And, though that insidious disease has taken your Mom's memories of her piano it is so wonderful to know that something that she loved is being passed on to her great grandchildren. I truly believe, in her heart of hearts, she knows this and is smiling!

Judie said...

This is a wonderful post! The perfect "P" for Alphabe-Thursday. I took piano lessons for many years, and eventually my mother gave me the piano so my children could learn to play. My daughter took lessons, and was a natural musician, scoring 96 in the National Guild Auditions when she was 11. Sadly, she lost interest.

I really miss that piano, because I could always sort out my problems best after a session playing all the music that I loved so much.

KM said...

Simply WONDERFUL! I love the music covers, too. :) What treasures.

~visiting from Mrs. Jenny's!

Esther Joy said...

Your mother did look like a fashion model. Beautiful!

Love that last little one sitting on the piano bench. She looks like she may be the one to take over where your mother left off!

anitamombanita said...

I took piano lessons as a child...with much complaint. And now I wish I had stuck with it...without complaint! :)

Sandy said...

That is a wonderful thing for
your children to grow with.
As a child I took a few lessons
but never learned to play. Sad
indeed!
Your children look special
sitting on that bench where
your family did....
Nice
Sandy

Naperville Now said...

such a treasure -- and I love how you are going to frame your mil's sheet music. a wonderful tribute, keeping her memory alive for her.

Unknown said...

What fun to see your grands play it!

Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com said...

This is a wonderful gift! Love the sheet music covers too...what a very interesting post! :)

Susan Anderson said...

What a nice legacy! And it looks wonderful in the room, too.

=)

Lmkazmierczak said...

A piano in a home will enrich everyone's life♫♪ Lovely post.

Anonymous said...

What an amazing inheritance! Maybe your daughter will be inspired to pick up where her music lessons and camp experiences left off. As for the grandchildren--we all know piano skills are beneficial in lots of different ways. Hopefully having such a fine instrument in their own home will be a help to them.

Jenny said...

Not only can I say 'technically challenged', I personify the phrase - ha!

You did great posting this!

I love this story and that piano is really lovely.

Anything musical is soothing to my soul.

Thanks for a perfect little link for the letter 'P'.

A+