Catching Up

This is a page I completed oh, many weeks ago already. One of just three (yes 3)assignments I have completed for Shimelle's No Place Like Home Class so far. Due to the many inspiring prompts I have a whole list of photos I want to take of our neighborhood and community as well as our house, and a list almost as long of the memories I want to put down on paper. I'll be doing more of that now that the sun and grass have finally come out! I've been asking Mom to scan and e-mail me photos of houses I grew up in as well.

This particular assignment was to take photos of our favorite room(s). The sunroom has always been my favorite, except for a few years when the nursery took its place. It was my favorite even when the room contained only a sagging hand-me-down floral couch torn apart by cats claws and a hulking make-it-yourself TV cabinet. The room has 7 windows looking to the backyard, the year-round perfect place to read the Sunday paper and enjoy one of Rich's wonderful omelets and hot coffee. Snuggle up with a book under a blanket and listen to the rain fall. Or spread out all the Little People stuff and play the afternoon away while the scent of the flowering plum, lilacs or wisteria drifts in every spring.

Funny thing is, since I created this page, the room has changed yet again. We've been looking for a piano for a good year as Natasha really needed pedals to progress and the keyboard had a way of going wonky a day or two before a lesson. Used and the occassional free pianos are snapped up fast, and anyway may need frequent re-tuning. And we really weren't sure where we could put a full sized piano in our -just-right-sized house. So when our piano teacher told us of a deal on a keyboard with a pedal at local music store UpTempo we stopped in and found this even better deal. Full sized weighted keyboard, 3 pedals, speakers, a large range of sounds from Grand piano to Organ to wacky voices, a headphone connection so they can practice in quiet - the list goes on.

I always said I would take lessons once we had a piano, and I've kept my promise. Natasha and Sarah have been teaching me as well as practicing unasked daily - who could resist in such a sun-filled airy room? Rich has been playing and someone is playing right now. It's really just what this house needed. Most of you know I played both flute and piccolo for many years, so I know enough about music, but please don't expect a concert any time soon. I now know which keys are which, but it may take me awhile to retrain my brain to the bass clef note names. But it's worth it to play a tune like Hot Cross Buns and be told "Good job" by your daughters as they beam at you.