Timing Is Everything

The boys' bedroom-turned-den.  Well, almost.

I haven't played the piano in years.  Even when I did, I didn't sight-read very well.  I never took lessons, but I taught myself to play well enough that I memorized many songs and hymns.  Even Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.  I'm not sure I can play anything anymore, though, after  more than 22 years without a piano in my home.

Getting it onto the porch was a big job!

Over the years we were offered a couple of pianos, including the one I learned to play on in my teens.  There was never enough room in our tiny--I mean, cozy--little house, so I always had to say regretfully, "No, thanks."  My mother did give us an electric piano a few years before she passed away, and my children used it a lot, but for me it just didn't have the same beautiful sound and feel as a real piano.

Evan, Dylan, Derek, and Chris move it carefully through the kitchen.

And so I resigned myself to never owning a piano.  Until a few weeks ago, when my son-in-law Chris told me his sister was getting rid of the piano that originally belonged to his maternal grandmother, and asked me if we wanted it.  My first thought was the usual, "There's no room for it in my house."

Almost there!

Then I remembered: Jacob is on his mission in California, Sarah got married and moved out, and a month ago we began moving Dylan out of his bedroom and into Sarah's old room so we could turn his and Jacob's old bedroom into a den.  All of a sudden I have wall space!

So I said gratefully, "Yes, we'll take it!" Last Saturday Ed lined up a bunch of friends to help us move it in, right to the place I'd cleared for it.

28 Jan 2012: Our new piano in our soon-to-be den!

Chris's grandmother used to give piano lessons on this piano.

(The quilted bench cover was her creation.)  Then the piano was passed on

to Chris's mom, and then to Chris's younger sister Lori, and then, finally, to us!

Both the new den and Dylan's new bedroom are a mess as we've been making the exchange of furniture and other items.  The den needs a new paint job badly, and eventually we'll be looking to buy a couch, cheap.  I haven't had the energy or the time to tackle it all at once, but little by little I expect we'll have both rooms all done and organized by Spring Break.

As for the piano, no, my fingers simply don't work the way they used to.  It will take a lot of practice, if I can fit it into my schedule.  What is truly awesome is the fact that my husband plays the piano!  I didn't even know that fact about him until we'd been married for almost 2 months.  He took many years of piano lessons as a child and, although he's a bit rusty, he still sight-reads music very well.  He's looking forward to brushing up his skills.

And I'm looking forward to a home filled with beautiful music!