Monday, February 26, 2007

Friday, February 26, 1926

Another day when Grandma did not post a diary entry. However, Aunt Marjorie sent me some notes on past diary entries, to expand upon what I wrote and clear up some comments I made. Here is what she wrote about their piano.

"We always had a piano when we were young. It was old and finally got so out of tune it couldn't be tuned again. The Collins family (they lived across the street) had a piano and later somehow they thought they didn't need it any more and offered it to Mother. She gave our old one to Goodwill or someone. I don't know how old I was, but I was old enough to be embarrassed when the men carrying it out stood on the front porch playing it and laughing at how bad it sounded. The Collins' piano was the one Albert, Eleanor and I took piano lessons on. Many years later, Mary Collins asked Mother if we were still using the piano as Marianna would love to have it for her 3 children. Of course, Mother said okay."

An odd coincidence, perhaps, but my youngest sister (who comments as "Sister of the Homestead") recently acquired a piano from her neighbor across the street, and her two older children are taking lessons. I did not know my mother (Eleanor) ever took piano lessons! I knew she played the flute in high school.

2 comments:

  1. I was never any good with the piano. Albert was the one who took to it and could play well. He preferred the old masters such as Beetoven & Wagner, etc

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  2. Back in the late fifties most of our older relatives had a piano in the house - sometimes tuned, sometimes not, and visiting kids were allowed to 'play' if we were reasonably careful.
    Although none of the adults played anything classic, several of them could induce a group to sing along to standards like "Always", "Ain't She Sweet" or "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling".
    Beer helped.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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