Photos Copyright: Maggie May
Last time I wrote a post, I was furiously trying to de-clutter (and I still am) but with my son's imminent move now only days away, there is more and more of his stuff coming into my house. I see boxes being smuggled into the loft and I groan.
"Its only the size of a shoebox, Mum", He says. Who is he trying to kid? I see the huge size of them out of the corner of my eye.
Yesterday, he called round with a very heavy coffee table, that has now been dumped into my lounge.
Today, while I was out shopping he called round with a piano/organ already coupled to the mains and being played.
"You can have it for the week," He announced.
I used to have a miniature piano when I first moved into this house but when my children left home, I decided I wanted more space and sold it. The thing I really regret is letting all my music go too. I think it would be worth a lot of money now as much of it was passed down to me by my parents. It would have been classed as vintage.
So there I was, with a small piano/organ and no music.
Not that I can really play. I learnt for a year or two when I was a child but never took any grades.
However, when I was a teenager I could sight read a piece of music and bash out a tune....... slowly...... and painfully.
I went round some charity shops today and asked if any of them had any piano music and one had. They were charging quite a lot though, because, as the saleslady had said, the music is very old. Nothing like rubbing my nose in it.
The pieces I bought were very hard but I hope to practise and improve a bit. My son said that I can go to his house to practise during the day, especially if he is out. It will only be a short walk away.
I am also going out walking more and sometimes the only time I can spare is just around dusk. It is good to watch the changing skies while I do this.
Yes, I think I am getting stronger.
27 comments:
Our children may leave but their stuff never does. Glad to hear you're getting out and about!
My grandma had thousands of pieces of sheet music and I'm not sure what happened to it. I have a few scores which I have framed, but you're right, they'd probably be worth a lot now.
It's nice fiddling around on the piano though isn't it?
Almost every time I 'see' you, a new talent of yours is revealed! Music! How Fun!
I can't carry a note in a bucket, and have no ear for music at all (found this out during piano lessons when I was but a babe) so I have a great admiration for anyone who can peck out a tune or sing even a little!
Have fun at practice!
xoxoxo, cd
You're lucky that you can read music and peck out a tune on the piano. I was never that fortunate. I never learned.
Good for you for getting out more and seeing sunsets. How lovely they are, aren't they? Especially with the nice weather we've been having.
XOX
Sight reading is a talent, my friend!!
I'm glad you found some sheet music and I know that you can't wait to be playing the piano again soon.
Continued hugs and love to you, Maggie. As you do your walking (to Sam's or wherever you choose to walk) do so with music in your heart! I am sooo glad that you are getting stronger, my friend.
Love,
Jackie
So glad you are getting stronger
:-)))
Funny how we always dump stuff on our parents. Mine still have a few boxes that they are always threatening to bring down. So much easier to clutter someone else's house rather than your own!!!
So good luck on the de-cluttering! May be you can start dumping your 'unwanteds' on him soon!
x
Multi-talented you! You remind me that I have some old sheet music from my mother. So glad to hear that you're feeling stronger, Maggie.
I used to have tons of sheet music. I guess it's all gone years ago. Too bad. I wonder if you can get some on the internet?
So glad you are feeling stronger. It's good to walk, even for a short time. I like walking at dusk too.
Sending hugs.
I'm glad you are feeling stronger and also wanting to play music again. I have entered the first year of having kid stuff left behind. Ugh.
How lovely to have some music in the house! We have several keyboards, a guitar and an electric guitar too... Noisy fun!
Maggie, this is excellent news. So glad you are feeling stronger.And able to do more things that interest you.
yay you are getting stronger..walks and music makes the soul smile...have a beautiful day!
We still have stuff belonging to both our sons in our loft and they haven't lived with us for years! :0
So gald to hear you are getting stronger
It is true that children leave ghom but their stuff doesn't - I left home (again, for the umpteenth time) last year and I still have bits and bobs at mum's - and rather a lot in her garage!
Lovely to have access to the keyboard with your love of music, if I come across any sheet music in my charity shop wanderings I shall let you know
Glad you're getting stronger, Maggie.
And a new(ish) interest might be just the thing over the winter months, a stroll down to your son's house, a bit of playing to transport you to another place (Blue Danube used to be a favourite of mine) and then a stroll home.
Some websites have sheet music you can download for free, I've used lots for French Horn.
Great to see you are stronger, sis.
And I am so pleased you are taking up the 'joanna' again. Funny, I have just started playing Scott Joplin again after 20 years!! I hope when all these jobs are out of the way I can get down to some serious piano playing.
Love Eddie x
I still store everything I can at my mothers. She is cheaper than the storage unit.
You have been on my mind; hope you are well.
So glad you are getting stronger. I have a post somewhere about the stuff my kids have dumped on me. Lots of stuff. Mind you, I remember my mother saying to me, some years after my wedding, that if I did not get my wedding presents out of her basement she was going to throw them out.
Hmmm.
Lovely that the piano calls to you.
I know how you feel! My granddaughter was moving from one apartment to another and she stored some things at my house! Oh my! I was so overloaded for a time! Made me claustrophobic!! Good luck on the piano playing...so like an excellent idea!
And I am so glad you are feeling better and stronger!!
Hugs
SueAnn
I too took music lessons as a child -piano, violin and even French Horn -but none long enough to become proficient at any of those three instruments. However, I did have about 2 years or so -give or take -of piano lessons, enough that my very cocky teenage self thought I could serve well enough as our church organist and choir director. I did that for a year and though I wasn't the WORST organist the church had ever seen, I certainly was next to that rank as I was really pretty punk! When my Dad's baby sister passed away 4 years ago though, I was bequeathed her beautiful Hammond organ and every now and again, I will try to play some church hymns -the only kind of music I was ever able to play with only a smattering of success. My fingers don't like to hit the right keys any better now though than they did 50 plus years ago and my vision is markedly worse than it was then too so it's not a nice sight or sound to anyone when I get in that mood to try to play the organ, for sure! My daughter will definitely attest to that as being the truth! However, it is a bit like riding a bicycle in that once you learn that, you can pick through a few pieces, albeit poorly if you don't practice any more than I do at it. But, if you put your mind to it, you can practice a bit daily maybe and limber up those fingers and maybe even memorize the notes and eliminate some of the visual problems you might have in reading the music. Practice does make for better if not perfect, that much is for sure though!
So pleaed you are feeling better. Music is also a great healer.
Ah, music is the best relaxer there is, so bang away at it. If I didn't have my many instruments to bash at when I felt the need, I probably would have become a serial killer ages ago...
Music is a great healer, as many have already said. I'm glad you are better.
Every time I think I have a spare room or even just a corner of storage space cleaned out, one of my children needs to store something! You should see my basement--my kids think I'm a hoarder, but the truth is, half of the stuff is theirs:) And the rest I can't bear to throw out--I keep telling them it will be worth something one day.
You have certainly been busy lately, Maggie--I'm impressed, but most of all happy for you because you must be feeling much better to be so ambitious.
I've played the piano since I was 8 and absolutely love it. Amy also learned when she was about 8 and is really good. We can read music but do play mostly by ear.
CJ xx
You are a strong lady. You give me heart. Your son is blessed.
I so miss my piano though I do have all the sheet music - some so old it is 19th century. I am glad I kept it, though ridiculous as what can one do with it without a piano. I have an electronic keyboard but it's not the same. I'm still looking though.
XO
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